Stormclouds Over The Midway

[NoinHime]

Thunder-charged ozone, plum-colored incense smoke, opium tar, and wormwood.

 

This is one of my favorite CDs scents!

Ozone notes love me and this one is no exception. It's very sharp in the bottle and on my skin. However when it dries the smoke, tar, and wormwood peak though and mellow it out. You'd think it would be very smokey and stinky but it's not. It definitely conjures up the images it describes and I'd recommend anyone who likes ozone notes to give it a go.

[PeshaRocha]

On my skin (that amps florals like 1000 times), this is a heavy, cloying floral scent, no ozone, no smoke, no incense. Maybe that's the opium? And besides that, it instantly inflamed my sinuses and sent me running to scrub it off and take Tylenol.

 

Not a good one for me!

[fairnymph]

Golden oil. Sweet, fresh and bright - ozone, for sure, something sort of fruity, and only a hint of smoky incense. Much lighter and softer than expected, with only a faint hint of wormwood and no apparent opium.

 

Not much different, and still very light - a slatherer for sure, and I had to reapply heavily immediately. The fruity note almost strikes me as some sort of sweet citrus, quite possibly grapefruit. I get a bit of soapiness, and more greenness from the still-light wormwood. The smoky vibe is stronger, but it's more a feeling of smokiness than there actually being a strong smoke presence scent-wise, which I really like as a someone who doesn't like smoke in perfume. It has a very hazy vibe, but still fresh and ozoney - really, exactly like stormclouds!

 

Getting soapier, though not yet unpleasantly, and some anise character from the wormwood is emerging distinctly for the first time, but faintly. I get a mintiness too which may be part of the wormood or a separate note - it reminds me of hyssop a little, quite herbal. I think there may be some of the same 'wild plum' note from Mme Moriarty and the Witch Queen, with its slightly, pleasantly sour tartness and truly wild fruitiness - but it is soft and muddled note here - the grapefruit, which I'm pretty sure about now, is much more distinct and overall stronger. This is definitely morphing as a scent, but in a subtle and unpredictable manner.

 

Mintier and mintier, and not in a way that wormwood has ever been on me, so there's definitely a different herb responsible - it's slightly sweet and mild but with some qualities beyond pure mintiness, so my money's on hyssop still. Soapier as well, pushing at the edges of my tolerance. A lot of the ozone has faded and overall this never-strong smell has faded a lot - I have to really sniff closely to be able to pick out much of anything. The smoke, incense, and opium remain a faintly pleasant, vague haze - this may be the only incense blend I've ever liked, though I do think this is going too soapy for me and it's also so very weak overall.

 

Faintly minty & wormwoody herbal-green, tartly fruity, soapy fresh ozone and incense-smoke tinged haze. Lovely, unique, unisex - but woefully light. But very evocative, conceptually spot on and quite lovely. If it were stronger I think I'd need a bottle, but it's such a faint oil that fades quickly that I don't think it's worth it, alas. Maybe my imp is old and a fresh bottle would be stronger?

[voodoobaby]

In the bottle and freshly applied to the skin, the ozone is pretty heavy, but in a pleasant way. The other notes serve to ground it. However, the ozone doesn't last long on me, which I was hoping for. I'm left with the deep floral scent of opium, a smoky incense note that reminds me of Medea, and a not-so-subtle hint of wormwood that I recognize from Absinthe. Wow, this is nice. It's dark without being overpowering. Incense fans should be happy about this as long as the ozone doesn't take over on them.

[ACVail24]

Stormclouds Over The Midway

 

I really thought I had reviewed this one already!

 

In the Bottle:

Purple smoke & an underlying clean note.

 

On my Skin, Wet:

The smoke amps and becomes more like incense, I get the slight plum note here.

Ozone makes a subtle appearance but fades quickly in this stage.

I get some woody lemon too.

 

On my Skin, Dry:

Plumy incense and lemon woods

 

Verdict:

not my usual fare, but this is really smooth & I love plum & wood notes...the lemon actuallly enhances the woods for me here.

very nice blend, and conveys the spooky image well too

[gniwle]

When first applied, this is 100% incense on me. I don't know if it's because of the description 'plum-colored', but I swear this is 'violet' smelling incense to me (the color, not the flower!). I don't get much ozone or absinthe/wormwood, just a lot of incense. Not that I don't loooove the smell of incense!

[Gin]

Eeek! Stormclouds is REALLY ozoney at first. Ozone + smoke just smells unpleasantly dirty. The drydown is really pretty, though. It's still ozoney, but fruity, too, so it doesn't scream 'dryer sheet' to me... until it starts screaming 'laundry detergent.' Even so, I still like it. The fruity plum-colored smoke is just too hypnotic. It's like looking into the Cheshire Cat's eyes. I can't resist.

[stellamaris]

Just got this today, actually intended for my husband, and wow. I think I just died and went to heaven. Very fresh, but strangely also smokey. And floral which is OK since he likes floral. He's secure in his masculinity. Also he's big enough to intimidate most people who would tell him he smells like flowers lolz. One of his favorite things is Lush's Flying Fox. I think I will love this on him and may ahem steal it from time to time...

Edit * so after a couple days, I still love this, one of my favorites, it's very fresh, and it smells like the air right after a rain, I guess that is the ozone. It is mellow and round, but also a little tingly in the nose, but not unpleasantly so.

Edit again * Still loving this, I got an imp of Lightning, I was hoping for a similar experience, it's OK but Lightning is kind of like Stormclouds plainer little sister to me.

Another Edit ; when oh when is the Carnival coming back so I can buy more of this??? When??? Omgosh it's so good and so lasting and so full of win...

 

Edit : Hello? Still adoring this, hidden from the husband this smells just like before the rain in the city on a nice spring day...glorious. I am going to inhale my arm...

Edited February 27, 2013 by stellamaris

[Diva Urd]

In the vial: Smoky, opium-y plum, mhmmm. Very purple.

 

On: Opium and plum... and this heavy sort of undertone you can smell outside just before a heavy thunderstorm. The smell is definitely interesting. As it dries, the sharpness of the ozone recedes - thankfully, I've had more than one ozoney blend go haywire on me.

 

Later: Slightly plummy opium, now ozone-less. I'd say the decant is definitely a keeper, though I don't think I'm enough in love with it right now to make it a bottle.

[themeaningofV]

I wanted this EVER since I read the description, and now that I finally have a decant, I am so glad somebody snagged the last bottle on Etsy before I did.

 

Sometimes, this is exactly like the smell of rain striking the pavement on a hot day, with a hint of faraway incense wafting on the breeze. Unfortunately, the rest of the time... it's soap. Heartbreaking.

Edited July 8, 2013 by vthesiren

[ChristineFury]

I've had this one for a LONG time but never reviewed it!

 

In the bottle: Smoky, wet, ozone. An underlying heat that makes me think of hot asphalt.

 

Wet on the skin: Petrichor. Hot asphalt and earth, wet rain and rumbling thunder. I was so afraid this wouldn't work because my skin HATES ozone, but it smells like a summer thunderstorm over a highway and open fields.

 

Dry: Incense, smoky ozone and petrichor. Simply lovely. I am so glad this worked, because I tried Lightning once and the results were HORRIFYING. Glad I had the hindsight to order two bottles of these when they were out- they aged VERY well.

[brilliantcat]

Incense, sweet fruit (plum?), and the ozone-charged atmosphere of lightning about to strike. Opium comes to fore as it warms, smoke-addled indeed! It's mainly opium + incense with a little shock of aquatic-feeling ozone.

[Aviatrix]

I don't get any ozone from this, actually. It's mainly a wonderful dark "purple" incense, not entirely unlike the incense in Midnight on the Midway. The two scents are definitely cousins.

 

It's very beautiful and has decent, but not overwhelming, throw. I like it a lot and am very happy to have found a bottle!

[kscha2017]

I was a little apprehensive about this due to the opium tar and wormwood, thinking it may induce a migraine. Now I kinda wish I had ordered 2 bottles right away. I like this. It's ozone and incense, both dark and disturbing. The atmosphere and emotion stand out, equally a feeling as much as a scent. I can tell it's related to Midnight on the Midway, one of my favorites, and I'm eager to try this paired with the Post's Crack of Thunder Hair Gloss.

[galahad]

In the Vial:

Opium and ozone. Definitely a deep purple vibe

On the Skin:

The ozone is pretty intense and sharp to start with but the incense note is gorgeous when it emerges soon after application.

On the Drydown:

As advertised, it's slightly sour opium, dark incense and ozone murmuring under the surface and rearing it's head every now and then. I quite like it but not enough for a bottle

[torikitty]

For whatever reason, the ozone didn't work in this blend for me. There's the opium and smoke making it feel dark and eerie, and I get what the ozone is doing for the lightning, but it's not working for me nose.

[VetchVesper]

OZONE!

 

A little bit of darkness. Lot's of vivid green, teal, and purple visuals. I can smell powdery anise/wormwood, but it blends into the whole just adding a cool feel. This would work great for a storm sorceress I play.

 

Unfortunately it goes generic aquatic on me pretty fast. SOAP! Seems to last a while though.

 

Would have liked more of that plum incense though.

 

Sadz.

[LizziesLuck]

2017 version:

 

 

Wet: Slightly fruity ozone and incense. I thought I hated ozone (thought it was just another term for aquatic) but I do not hate this at all! Getting hints of anise coming through stronger and stronger. Lots of opium (but not as sharp as it usually is on me), sweet plum and anise. The ozone gives it a neat sort of...almost effervescence? But not quite? It really does smell like an electrically charged storm, and it's such a neat smell. I so did not expect to love this, but I am right now.

 

Dry: Laundry! Lol. Really really good laundry though. I actually still like it an awful lot, and wonder if it might be a new work scent for me. I still get hints of opium and anise - like you washed your clothes after a night of debauchery and didn't quite get all the sin off them

[BoneBone24]

(2017)

Expectation: Dark Smoky Rain

 

Wet: Sweet ozone that's dusty at the edges. There's a hint of a sticky purple fruit that right now is reading as grape.

 

Drydown thru Dry: Soft, almost powdered plum, kissed by ozone. There’s just the barest hint of opium smoke, which is floral-leaning when paired with the plum. I’m not really getting any incense, but I imagine it’s responsible for softening the plum. And I'm not noticing any wormwood either.

Overall, this is a very wearable scent. I’m a little disappointed that it’s not as atmospheric or unique as I was expecting, but at the same time it’s nice that it’s a scent that I can wear to work.

 

7.5 out of 10 bones

Edited August 28, 2017 by BoneBone24

[tinyvulture]

Licorice-tinged opium! Is it the wormwood that smells licorice-y? Something certainly does. There's the soapy-clean ozone note as well, seamlessly blended with the powdery, dreamy opium. So unique. As far as ozone blends in my collection, I'm going to be more of a purist and stick with Lightning, but I'm enjoying this very much.

[joopjoop]

Ah this is nice.

 

Very ozoney and mysterious to start. Dries down to a very clean, yet somewhat provocative scent. The wormwood definitely reads as anise to my nose. Which is good because I love anise.

 

Similar in tone and feel to Mary Shelly, but this one has a little more strength and staying power on me.

 

This one is going on the bottle list.