Aelopile

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

Glowing amber and citrus, labdanum, verbena, cedar, and oud.

y'know that incensey smell that people frequently associate with church, especially Catholic churches? well, i used to spend a lot of time in the church (handbells, choir, general cleaning, classes, etc) during my time at Catholic school... and *this* is the smell of an empty church. the lemony smell of the oils used to clean the pews, and the faint amber-y wafts of the baby powder at least one of the nuns will have used that morning.
an interesting scent memory... but not something i care to wear as a perfume.

[Phaedra]

Wet this is light citrus with a hint of wood in the background (probably the oud). There's a sharp bite to this. When first on there's a burst of lemon with a creamy note in the background. The lemon starts to soften within seconds. After a few hours this is a soft, warm floral. The lemon has really died down leaving a hint of sweetness. On the dry down, this is a soft, sweet amber with a hint of oud. This is really nice- it starts out crisp but ends soft and warm. I wish the oud was stronger though.

[Inventrix]

Summary: I LOVE IT! It's fresh and citrusy and warm and fuzzy and HAPPINESS!

 

The first sniff of the oil was warm, clean and very citrusy. The moment it touched my skin, BAM! The cedar virtually exploded in my face. Fortunately, I like cedar. Even more fortunately, that only lasted for a minute or so, as the citrus quickly came back. The delicious citrus. I have no words for how amazing this citrus scent is to me. I smell all kinds of citrus, mostly grapefruit and lime. Even more mostly lime. I am in love with this lime.

 

Over the first hour or so, a very pleasant warmth grew under the citrus and cedar. It was overall warm and citrusy and sniffing my wrist made me giddy and gleeful like a little girl. My boyfriend said I smelled like "a really nice scented candle - not one of those cheap icky ones". I'm taking that as a good thing.

 

After a few hours, it ends up mostly a warm soft amber woody scent, with random whiffs of cedar. I smell something vaguely incense-like which I suppose is the oud, but I haven't a clue! It could just be amber+cedar. I still love it!

 

This is going to be my first full bottle, I am certain.

[milica]

On my skin, smells like somebody is cleaning wood and brass with lemony cleanser, strong and sharp. I can smell pollished metal more than I can smell cedar, and I dont really mind, I think I like it.

 

But right now, I don't detect much amber, maybe this imp is too fresh, three weeks since it came out of the lab, so I'll have to wait on that for a month at least.

Edited March 15, 2009 by milica

[vanillaskwirl]

In the imp: This is light, soft lemon. So soft, I can barely smell it, but that may or may not be due to my sinuses acting up today. Still, I like lemon and citrus in general so we'll see.

 

Wet: VERBENA! and cedar. I'm not sure I even know what oud smells like, but mostly it's the verbena at the fore with cedar backing it up and the barest whiff of amber.

 

Dry: Verbena is still going strong though it has mellowed some and the cedar has done the same. I'm getting whiffs of something that's like cedar, but not so I'm guessing that's the oud coming out to play.

 

2 hours later: It's settled into this light, fresh woodsy scent, kind of like an orchard after a short rain. Nothing aquatic per se, but clean, fresh, and green with light citrus hints coming out at unexpected times.

 

All in all, delightful. I can see this being a good summer scent for me with it's lightness as I live in a humid climate. Lovely blend.

[WidgetAlley]

I was thrilled when Twitch frimped me this. I haven't tried any of the Steamworks scents, and they seem like something I would just adore.

 

Imp: A sweet, woody citrus-- definitely cedar and either bitter lime or grapefruit peel, along with the verbena-- along with a smattering of deeper, incense notes. Very reminiscent of a deeper, more golden Embalming Fluid.

 

Wet: Tons of cedar, then pow! It fades into the background, overtaken by the verbena and citrus and the polished amber. I can definitely see how this is meant to evoke gleaming polished wood and brass fittings. The oud lends a biting, almost ozone-ish note. I almost pick up hints of wax, too. Love it!

 

Dry: Despite the delicacy of the notes listed, overall this acquires quite a sturdy feel, and very much makes me want to go build something (maybe those papier-mache chairs I always said I would...) Unfortunately, while it keeps the polished gold and spice scent that I really dig, at some point down the line this develops a strange, smoked-plastic smell which is not so awesome. I am not going to give up on Aelopile yet, the poor thing did just come through the mail after all, and maybe aging will help, because while he works, damn does he work!

[milo]

This is smoky and woody in the bottle. On, this is a very masculine, woody, strong citrussy but warm scent. My son has a CK perfume that smells very much like this, I think it's Sport, or something like that. I can see a very hot guy wearing this, with a black shirt, lean but muscular, jeans. Like a CK guy, Yeah! I think I'll pass this on to my guy.

[msbcozad]

Aelopile

 

A world of no. So many of the notes in this oil are sure bets; the only questionable ones are labdanum and oud. Guess which ones are the only notes to leap out and assault me? Where are you, amber and verbena?

[Lyrical]

In vial: lemony cedar.

 

Wet on skin: lemon, a hint of grapefruit, and maybe some oud and cedar. I love citrussy perfume in general, but this actually does smell of cleaning fluid!

 

Dry on skin: there's a BPAL lemon note that goes to potato water on my skin, and it's in Aelopile. OK, but nothing special.

[Lucretia]

I'm going to have to go with the reviewer who mentioned fungi on this one! I can sense the citrus and some other darker woodsy notes, but as a whole it just smells really unpleasant on me. It definitely is unique, and I enjoy the citrus in it, but there some note in the back that is making this not work out on my chemistry.

 

ETA: Like 3 hours later I can finally smell this and enjoy it rather than cringe. That's a bit too long of a dry down for me...

Edited May 4, 2009 by Lucretia

[angelicruin]

Sniffing the imp, I'm getting lemon verbena and cedar.

 

Wet on my skin, this is a dusty lemon and cedar scent. As it dries, I'm getting more amber, but the cedar and citrus/verbena notes are still quite strong.

 

Interesting, but nothing I would reach for daily.

[stardreamer]

Cedar is front and center here, all the way from fresh-on to last dregs. I did catch a hint of citrus early on, but it didn't last -- citrus notes disappear quickly on my skin. As the amber warms up and sweetens, this becomes an amazing scent; I kept catching whiffs and thinking, "Wow, this is really nice!" The other notes stay firmly in the background, leaving the overall impression as cedar-sharp modified by amber-sweet; I don't end up smelling like a closet, which is sometimes an issue with cedar. I think this is going to vie with Mary Read for being my top default-choice scent. Staying power is good -- still quite noticeable after 8 hours, including errand-running in the heat. Bottom line: keeper and favorite.

[hlinspjalda]

In the vial: Bright citrusy resin and labdanum. This smells so cheerful!

 

Wet: Oh, I like this. There's verbena and labdanum over amber. There's an unusual faint note I would have guessed was white musk. No sign of the cedar yet.

 

Twenty minutes: I like everything about this except that note that reads to me like white musk. I suppose it's the oud. It's an unusual flat base note, and it clings to my skin while the rest of this scent is off in a higher, more sunny register.

 

One hour: At about 35 minutes I noticed the white musky note had gone away, to be replaced by a woody one. It's much more woody now, cedar but an unfamiliar one as well that must be the oud. And I like it a lot better now.

 

Two hours: This has blended nicely into a warm, slightly sweet, woody amber scent with some bright citrus notes. It's not the unalloyed win that Number 93 Engine was on me, but it's definitely a keeper.

 

Three hours: A little more woody now, and the effect of the citrus has mostly dissipated, but it's still warm and rather golden.

 

Five hours: The wood has taken over now. It reads light, tart, and woody, with a warm glaze of amber underneath.

 

I eventually got rid of this one, because the oud is just enough outside my comfort zone to make this a 4 and not a 5 on me. But it was a tough call!

 

[sarahmarie]

I never would have guessed it based on the notes, but this oil is AMAZING on my skin. I've never been able to wear amber/oud/resiny type scents very well, but this is beautiful. It's sexy and light and quite unisex, but still wears very prettily on my skin. I wonder if this is a pregnancy thing (meaning, it smells great on me right now when it usually wouldn't because I'm pregnant) or if this is just Special. Either way, as soon as I can buy perfume again, I'll be getting me some more of this. I tested it at Healthy Living and I can't stop sniffing myself.

[tajana]

Aelopile fresh on the skin is verbena, verbena, verbena, and a bit of bitter citrus, mostly grapefruit and lemon, as far as I can tell. The oud gets stronger after a little while... oud is a unique wood note, earthy and kind of musky/animalistic somehow, hard to compare to other woods. Cedar is in slightly spicy, fresh form here, and it's on even footing with the oud, brushed by the verbena/citrus. The amber melts into the gaps, and it's high and a bit powdery on me. Somehow all of this comes together to form something that smells like the accompanying illustration and description! It's somehow metallic and cold. After the citrus notes burn off it's mainly oud and labdanum (I didn't notice it was there at all until an hour after application) glazed with translucent, barely sweet amber. An interesting scent experience, but not something I'm personally inclined to wear.

[caitilarkin]

In the imp: Wood and amber with a touch of citrus

 

Wet on skin: The citrus is coming to the forefront and the wood is now identifiable as cedar--lovely!

 

Dry on skin: I think that labdanum does not like me...the blend has gone powdery and shrill; this has happened with other blends containing labdanum.

 

Sadly, this ends up being too sweet and powdery on me. Even the amber and cedar couldn't save it.

[Gin]

Aelopile

 

Oh, I had such high hopes! This is all lemony citrus and verbena over pencil shaving-like cedar. Boo.

[isisonearth]

Imp: Bright happy citrus & verbena with a slight cedar note making it oddly industrial

 

Wet: Much more woody but summery. Light colored wood polished with a citrusy polish. It smells better than that sounds.

 

Dry: Sun warmed polished wood. I think this will be an awesome summer scent for Mr. Isis.

[moon_lemming]

I've been frimped this twice recently, so I guess I should take the hint.

 

Oh, cedar. Yes, that's cedar. In the imp, I can smell a few different notes, but on my cedar-amping skin, that's about the extent of the blend. Cedar. And cedar. Oh, look, a little bit of verbena. IT'S GROWING OMG.

 

Okay, by the time it's dry, Aelopile is equal parts cedar and verbena. Interesting combo, but not really something I'd wear.

[Dymphna]

In the imp: Very citrusy. The first time I sniffed it, I had to put the cap back on in a hurry because I felt a headache coming on, which made me suspect ozone of some sort, but there's none listed. I think it was just the strong citrus. On second sniff, I can smell the cedar and resin, too. This smells like polished wood. I could swear I even smell a hint of beeswax.

 

Wet: A bit spicy, though I have no idea why. I think I saw a previous reviewer compare this to the smell of a church, and I agree. But where Cathedral smelled like being locked in a dark, empty church (and consequently scared me a bit), this smells like sitting in an empty church with afternoon sunlight streaming through the windows. It may be empty, but only for the moment. The quiet stillness is peaceful and I can practically see the dust motes dancing in the sunbeams. The amber and citrus give such warmth, without the citrus screaming or the amber turning powdery. If only the cedar--I think it's the cedar, there's no camphor in this--weren't smelling slightly like mothballs.

 

Dry: Warm, spicy, polished wood. This scent glows. If it weren't for that hint of mothballs(?!), I'd be slathering this. As it is, I like it despite that odd note. I'll have to see how much I use the imp. I think this might layer well with other wood-heavy scents like The Forbidding Foyer, The Antikythera Mechanism, Sri Lanka…not sure how it would blend with the sweetness of Misk U, though.

[Mousesong]

I got an imp of this recently and I *think* I tried it once before and never reviewed it. It's enormously fake-citrus to my nose, and it's not that it's an unpleasant smell, just not one that I want to wear. It smells sort of juvenile and lacks complexity on me.

 

It reminded me very strongly of something when I first tried it, and a friend recently nailed it: "It smells like the bathrooms in TPAC.*"

 

So, Nashvillians, there you go. If you ever wondered what Aelopile smells like, go stick your head in the TPAC bathrooms.

 

Sadface D:

 

*Tennessee Performing Arts Center

[sirensea]

An incredibly warm, golden citrus, like the scent of freshly squeezed orange juice without the sharp tang. Someone else mentioned beeswax, and I can definitely see where they might pick up on that. It's a bit stronger than what I'd imagined it would be, but definitely not unpleasant!

[ami226]

On me this is cedar. Smells like a man's cologne.

 

Dry down is less cedar, more smooth. Pretty nice actually! Would be perfect on the right man.

[Muppetk]

in the imp & wet on me: citrus and sawdust. Not promising, but I know my favorite notes of this blend (amber, oud) are slow to come out.

 

drying: well, the verbena is starting come out a little more. And the pencil shavings are dying down a little. Marginal improvement.

 

drying longer: (this one seems to take a while to dry!) okay, so the saw dust has died down almost completely, and it's now a nice, sweet round citrus (with some base notes peeking through). IT reminds me a wee bit of an etrog (a citron), which I assume is the verbena sweetened by amber.

 

barely dry: (srsly, this takes forever!) This is an entirely golden fragrance. The citrus/verbena melds perfectly with the amber and there's a deep furry undertone that I think must be the oud. It almost strikes me as a deeper, heavier, darker version of Khrysee. Maybe it's the Winter Queen to Khrysee's Summer Queen? Actually.. no, not that dark. It'a more like the auburn autumn version of Khrysee's summer. Yes, I know that misses the concept of the Aelopile entirely, but dammit, that's what it says to me. *nods importantly!*

 

dries further: aw... I liked the golden stage. This is nice too though. The cedar comes back up, just a tad, making this a drier scent & the amber becomes more powdery. It's like the golden fusion is separating back out into its components. There's also a lightly burnt scent (I suspect the oud, it does that). The resemblance to khrysee isn't *entirely* gone, but it's more like a cousin than a sibling. It's got the magical mechanical thing going on now. It's definitely nice. But it doesn't have the rich glory of the barely dry phase. IT also feels like it has the potential to grow on me. Definitely worth trying again.

 

Verdict: puzzled. In no hurry to ditch the imp, but neither am I panting for a bottle, like I might've been if it stayed Khrysee's sibling.

[rayvn1]

Odd scent on me. Starts out very sharp with the labdanum, cedar and a strong slap of verbena lemon. It turns into a men's cologne that's not that far off from the Galvanic Goggles on my other arm, but where that one works in all its odd majesty, this one just stays...odd. Dusty and oily with a touch of cleaning product. Not for me, unfortunately