catattack Report post Posted May 1, 2009 (edited) Golden amber, blood orange, ambergris, lilac, frankincense, and agarwood. Imp: Tart cologne Wet: Orange-y cologne Drydown: It never morphed. This is an orange based cologne. I don't smell much else. Overall: This is a very uni-sex scent. It's not bad. Just not something I'd wear. Edited May 1, 2009 by catattack Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
milo Report post Posted July 1, 2009 This blend is hard to describe. It's not like anything I've tried before. To me, it's kind of musky with a bit of freshness thrown in. Not picking up the amber, and for once the ambergris smells "OK" on my skin. I like it, but probably don't need a bottle. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aldercy Report post Posted July 6, 2009 Oh lord. I had no idea what to think of The Maltese Cross for awhile there. I love the blood orange; it was the note I was most excited about, and it's definitely there. In the first minute or so, this scent is really rich and almost creamy with resins and dark citrus. Strong, subdued, androgynous, but really nice. But there's also a side of this scent that smells like diaper. "Diaper?" you say? No, not poo. Just... diaper. Kind of like a nursery. I have no idea how this is happening-- or maybe my nose is on upside down. Maybe the lilac is doing it. Turning really cologney and floral now... noooo... Aw. Fail. I did not expect that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Diva Urd Report post Posted September 20, 2009 Vial: Oh yes, amber, orange and lilac all in one sniff. On: Orange and lilac... they smell sort of sickly together while wet. It does calm down as it dries, and I get more of the amber and a bit of frankincense. The orange gives way to the lilac. Strong, slightly cleanerish lilac. I still kinda like it, but I think I'm going to refrain from buying a bottle. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
angelicruin Report post Posted January 13, 2010 I get mostly orange and amber out of this blend. As it dries, I begin to smell the powdery effect of frankincense. Lovely scent. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
impolight Report post Posted March 17, 2010 :::THE MALTESE CROSS OF SANCTUS GERMANUS::: Oh, this is SOOOOO good! This is so good it makes the head spin. This is the true scent of Holiness. It is relatively easy to envision an army of Crusaders thundering forth in their efforts to protect and secret away whatever it is that makes this smell... Are there Knights Templar who sleep atop the Lab? It is hard to tell which note in The Cross of Sanctus Germanus smells the most beautiful, or what combination... It is almost as though the notes switch off in a fantastic, spectacular dance that leaves the watcher dizzied, elated, confused... The Orange and the Lilac are disturbingly good together. Lime and Lilac work so well in fragrances like Whitechapel and Villain that it would have been really difficult to consider this... If ever. Amazing! The Amber and Ambergris homogenise to make a sweetness of mythical quality, while the Frankincense and Oud bring out such a rich and velvety depth of spiciness that its nearly impossible to encounter without shuddering in unadulterated ecstacy... The skin happily embraces The Cross of Sanctus Germanus and responds by sending up jets of perfumed bliss... There is more than a little surprise that there isn't any anise in this! This is a metaphysically good fragrance from the Lab... Spectrally, it would be easiest to picture candy-stripes of yummy Purple and Orange. All of the best kept secrets are kept hidden away in the inkier recesses of Carnival Diabolique! The Cross of Sanctus Germanus makes self-cannibalization seem perfectly reasonable... If you do not purchase 10 ml. of The Cross of Sanctus Germanus, your days will be without number and filled with regret, every last one. Awesome! Fantastically unisex. A requirement to truly experience the wonders of the Lab. 5.5 out of 5! What are you doing? Log out and order it! Yes, again! Scat! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tailoredshirt Report post Posted May 25, 2010 (edited) Aged decant, don't know how old it is. Wet, this is definitely amber and orange. I was worried that combination would end up smelling like orange candy on me, or that it would turn into syrup, but it hasn't! It is sweet and orange-y, but the other ingredients do a good job of keeping it from smelling like candy. I get the frankincense, which dirties it up a bit and add a smokey quality. Ambergris is still difficult for me to identify, but I get a hint of saltiness in there that must be it. I also get a hint of lilac when I look for it. I can identify all of these notes on their own, but they blend together well and none of them jump out unless I'm looking for them. The strongest notes are definitely the orange, the amber, and then the frankincense. The ambergris seems to be gaining strength as it dries, and it's nice. Oh yeah, definitely getting some saltiness here, and I like it. Overall, this is a resin-y floral orange, definitely unisex. It's not one of those scents that jumps out at me, but I do like it. Not a lot of throw, but I might try slathering it sometime to see what it's like when I don't have to press my nose to my arm. Because I like this scent, but I don't know if I love it enough for a bottle. Edited May 25, 2010 by tailoredshirt Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alhbooks Report post Posted August 11, 2010 I just realized I never reviewed this scent and that's a shame, because it has aged beautifully. I'm a big lilac fan, and lilac is definitely in there, but the floral quality is softened by the amber and other components. I wish I got more of the blood orange, but I love the clean feel of the overall blend. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theseagrows Report post Posted December 14, 2010 (edited) this scent smells very orangey in the bottle, however on my skin, i can detect no orange at all, but rather a very sexy amber scent. i think golden amber is the most apparent, for the most part, with the other notes as supporting characters. i had feared that the lilac or frankincense might overpower this, but luckily they do not. this is a very warm, sexy scent and i like it quite a bit. Edited December 15, 2010 by theseagrows Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gin Report post Posted March 24, 2011 Orange and lilac over amber. This is a kind of 'meh' scent for me. It's okay, but it's not really for me. I love orange and I love real lilacs, but somehow lilac oils always smell off to me--kind of wet and limp. The lilac here recedes quickly, but still... off to swaps. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bheansidhe Report post Posted June 27, 2011 When I first tested this blend in 2007, I got a confused jumble overlaid with lilac - to the point where I couldn't smell anything but lilac. Ambergris hates me anyway, so I set it aside. I sold my last dregs today and on a whim I dribbled out a test of the aged version. WOW, does aging benefit this blend! The lilac is soft, soft, verging on powdery but in a good way (if you like powdery scents), wrapped in mellow amber and a tickle of frankincense and sweet wood. The blend doesn't read as "floral" anymore to my nose. The orange has vanished entirely, removing some of the cologne-y tinge. If you're a lilac fan, find an older imp to test. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mymymai Report post Posted September 9, 2013 ITB: Blood orange, amber, and a touch of agarwood. I was expecting the blood orange to be much, much stronger, but it doesn't show off or outshine any of the notes I can detect so far. Wet: Faint blood orange, amber, wood...very nice. Dry: After a couple of hours, the scent becomes frankincense and very light blood orange. I just wish the blood orange was stronger. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
