Tabella

[sarada]

The voting tablet. Herbs and flowers that represent democracy, justice, leadership, and power: olive blossom, frankincense, tobacco flower, benzoin, Little John, bergamot, galangal, angelica, fig, sage, and ginger.

I'm going to suspend my usual calm descriptive manner to just say very quickly OMG SO GOOD!!!!!!

In wearing this I would swear there was beeswax or honey in it, as there is a soft glowing golden honeyed sweetness just pouring off of it, suspended in a resinous, woody haze. The image that comes to mind is a little green sandalwood box with a lump of beeswax and a big, crumbly chunk of frankincense inside. I can imagine holding it close and prying it open for a blissful sniff.

The herbal notes give this a bright, vibrant green top layer, riding over that voluptuous, natural sweetness. Sage happens to be one of my favorite notes, but the combination of soft herbal greens and the earthy sweetness of fig remind me of elements in last year's wonderful Sagittarius blend, minus the dandelion.

Fans of Luperci might enjoy the combination of golden sweet, crumbly resin and pungent herbal notes in particular. It really stands alone in my mind as a beautiful golden scent that make me want to go out and vote all over again!

ETA: After having this in a locket for a long time today I can also compare it to Faiza -- that must be why 'green sandalwood' came to mind. I would highly recommend this to anyone who likes Faiza. Edited November 27, 2008 by sarada

[greenranger]

It really is lovely, and I think the comparison to Luperci is not far off. I don't smell beeswax, but, the resins come very close to the smooth, rich feel I associate with beeswax.

 

Wet and drying, it is a lovely, sweet, golden, resiny scent. I get a feeling of power and balance from it.

 

If this lasts well on my skin and doesn't change much I can see wearing this often.

[portalkat]

I love this. On me, this is very figgy, but very, very soft and creamy and the frankincense is very evident. I ordered it mainly for the frankincense, benzoin and the fig, so this makes me very happy. The throw is strong and I keep catching whiffs of it and wondering what the gorgeous smell is. I am so glad to have a bottle of this, but I think that I will need to order some Strangler Fig because I will need to extend the life of this jewel.

 

1/20/09 - OMG, I chose this to wear on inauguration day and it has gotten creamier and smells like creamy fig and beeswax.

Edited January 21, 2009 by portalkat

[MeiLin]

In the bottle: Serious. This is a serious scent. To my nose, the sage is immediately apparent.

 

Wet: Bergamot, sage, ginger. I smell bee balm, but that's probably the galangal and bergamot together.

 

Dry: The frankincense resin comes out, the ginger becomes a lot more predominant. The bergamot fades. I smell the nicotiana now (tobacco flower). This is gorgeous, smooth, well-blended but with notes coming and going, a little sweet but hardly cloying, a little spicy but hardly overpowering. A strong but subtle blend. I love it.

[suki]

in the bottle: olive and beeswax.

 

wet on skin: same. the olive is really nice, a little "green". lovely.

 

dry down: olive and beeswax, holding strong, in equal amounts. i get no other notes from this.

 

in all: although this has two of the same main notes as Hanerot Halalu, it translates into something rather different. perhaps the addition in that blend of smoke is the big change but for whatever reason, Tabella comes across as "clean" instead of "sacred". i am finding i really adore the ways these two notes interact and i anticipate that it will only get better with age. buy or swap for a bottle while you still can- this won't be back again.

 

 

 

[Ravenclaw79]

I agree ... the first thing I think of is "golden." It's not honey-like or beeswax-like, not particularly, 'cause those are notes that usually jump out at me. But it's very resiny, ambery... it makes me think of a big chunk of amber, hard golden sap. It's not any of the things that you usually think when you think gold, though, not honey, not strong bitter herbal, not brassy. It's faintly sweet and very resiny. Lovely.

[GhillieDhu]

I suspect Tabella is going to be quite sought-after in a little while. Never smelled Luperci, so I can't comment on any likeness there... to me, this is halfway between Valentine of Rome and The Apothecary. Glowing clean golden resins, crisp deep green herbs, and a rich base of fig, just a smidge spicy. It's serious, yes, but not somber. More hopeful, with a quiet confidence to it. Sooo lovely. I can't really categorize this, other than to say YUM! Glad I have a bottle, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it ages.

[hkhm]

bottle: sage and olive blossom. this is pretty light.

 

wet: tobacco flower heaven! wow! i still get some sage and a bit of ginger. everything else is pretty faint.

 

dry: olive blossom again, with benzoin and a bit of the tobacco flower. this has a sort of southwestern, sage-brush feel to it. very nice.

[femmefatale]

I suspect Tabella is going to be quite sought-after in a little while. Never smelled Luperci, so I can't comment on any likeness there... to me, this is halfway between Valentine of Rome and The Apothecary. Glowing clean golden resins, crisp deep green herbs, and a rich base of fig, just a smidge spicy. It's serious, yes, but not somber. More hopeful, with a quiet confidence to it. Sooo lovely. I can't really categorize this, other than to say YUM! Glad I have a bottle, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it ages.

 

 

I've been trying all day to figure out how to describe this, but this review pretty much nails it.

 

It really does smell golden. When I first smelled it, I thought "Wow, this is gold in a bottle" or maybe even bottled sunshine, and it's just that beautiful. I don't know how often I will wear this, but I am so so happy I have a couple bottles. I think this will age wonderfully.

 

ETA: Ok, so I thought I wouldn't wear it often, but I reached for it again this morning and yesterday I kept pulling it out to sniff. I really really love this stuff. It is so peaceful feeling.

Edited November 30, 2008 by Femme_Fatale

[Dark Alice]

This smells warm and resiny. And something that an attorney before the Supreme Court would wear! I love it and I am so glad that I got a bottle!

[Inanna9]

This is Sagittarius' demure little sister and Luperci's cousin. Starts out herbal and cozy, and then adds a soft floral note as it dries. OMG so pretty.

[AngelaTarantula]

yay! i got my tabella today i was intially planning on letting it rest today and testing it tomorrow but alas my impatience got the better of me what a lovely scent! it doesn't remind me of any other scent so i have nothing to compare it to and the components blend so well on me that the end result has left me unable to pick out any single note but it does smell like a soft herbal blend with a bit of smokiness something floral and a tiny hint of citrus?. i really like this though and am so glad i was able to buy a bottle A KEEPER FOR SURE!

 

edited to add: something in the drydown is reminding me of coconut. yum!

Edited November 29, 2008 by AngelaTarantula

[iiinterstate]

This is wonderful! I hope I can find more.

 

It smells smooth and herbal to me in the bottle, but wet on my skin the frankincense really comes forward, along with a smidge of beeswax.

 

I really can't pick out any individual notes as this dries down, it's so perfectly blended. Very soft, herbs and resins, and something that's almost fruity. I love it.

 

6 months later:

I'm glad I picked up an extra bottle of Tabella, because it's aging beautifully. The whole blend is smoother now, the herbs are less sharp. For me it makes me think of old, worn wood wood polished with beeswax. It's definitely a serious blend, but not SO serious that I won't wear it on a regular basis. Beautiful.

Edited April 18, 2009 by iiinterstate

[themerrybaker]

I am so glad that Tabella was kept around for a few more days so that more people could have some. It is herbal with a waxiness and a dustiness that reminds me of the smell of old parchment. Definitely one to hoard.

[waternight]

In the bottle: Sweet and dry and spicy - frankincense and ginger for sure, but sweeter, possibly from the fig and benzoin.

Wet: Pretty much the same as in the bottle - sweet and dry and spicy. The spice of the ginger calms down rather quickly though, and the blend takes on an almost minty note. (???) I smell the fig and possibly the sage as well, giving the blend a lovely smooth quality. This is smooth and quite lovely, but there's still a teensy bit of kick to it. I also think I get a bit of tobacco flower.

Dry: Frankincense and fig. And it works! This is really lovely.

[coldandsleepy]

This is one of those scents that is so perfectly blended that I can't pick out the notes individually. I applied it twice throughout the day, and both times I thought "wildflowers, herbs, and... tobacco?" I thought I was imagining the tobacco, but no, there it is, right in the note list!

 

I rather like it. For me, it's in the same vein as two of my BPAL favorites: Selkie and Dyan Moon. It's floral without being overpowering, herbal without being medicinal, and... just plain good.

 

If I have one complaint, it's that it really doesn't last long on me at all. I am fortunate in that most BPAL scents play well with my skin chemistry and last FOREVER. I get a little over four hours from Tabella, though, which is disappointing. Alas.

[Seismogenic]

When this update went live, reading the notes for Tabella was rather like reading a shopping list of things I think smell good. (There are a couple of notes that I don't know what they smell like at all, but the things that smell awesome camp totally wins out.) I also get to say that I bought this on the day that Obama was elected, which wins even more. It's more lasting than the I Voted sticker which they failed to give me at the poll!

 

In the bottle: Soft and extremely well-blended; I'm not really picking out many individual notes yet. I'd say "smooth" and "lightly spiced" are good words right now.

 

Wet on skin: Many of the other notes immediately come into play, though it's still fantastically well-blended. I think I'm getting some of the fig now, and I think I can pick out the benzoin and sage. It's sweetening, but still rather dry.

 

Drydown: Freshly dry, it continues to sweeten - mostly from fig and benzoin, I thiiiink, but that could also be some of the flowers I didn't know about - and more of the spices are rounding it out as well. I'm definitely getting sage, and if I concentrate, I think I can pick up the bergamot and ginger now. At an hour in, it's at pretty much this same point - a wonderful blend of smooth, spicy, and sweet.

 

Five hours later: It's faded quite a bit, or at least the sweet stuff is. There's still quite a bit of dry herbal left, with the sage the most persistent of the lot. I'm even picking up something that could almost be called earthy, but that might just be my brain associating sage with rocks, since my entire fieldwork experience has been in the desert of southern California, which has plenty of sage.

 

End of the day: Gone unless I sniff my wrist really hard. This may not be the fairest test, though, since I did go on a nine mile hike today. I suspect the wearlength would be longer on a less active day.

 

Overall: I agree with the previous posters who said this is a serious scent, though not somber or solemn. It has a definite presence and sense of importance about it, which suits the whole voting process, if you ask me. If this is the essence of voting, it really stresses the importance! Tabella turned out to be a much lighter scent than I expected, but that doesn't do anything to bring it away from the "things I think smell awesome" description, even though I can't necessarily identify the individual things, since it's blended so well. This isn't one I'll wear for day-to-day things, due to the seriousness of it, but it's a definite keeper and go-to for special/major occasions.

Edited November 30, 2008 by Seismogenic

[jencallisto]

In the bottle: Sweetly medicinal.

Fresh on the skin: Lightly sweet, with a green center of slightly bitter herbs and a hint of citrus. I can definitely smell the galangal; it's reminding me of the Malaysian place I used to eat at when I lived in the Boston area. I like this a surprising amount.

5 minutes later: Delicate and light but also rich, it's taking on more resin and maybe even a little smoke as it warms, while still keeping a thick sweet golden base of almost (but not quite) honey. Maybe a little medicinal (it's reminding a bit of the lemon-herb Ricola I used to get), but also pretty, and beautifully blended.

15 minutes later: Hrm. What is that? There's something mildewing out my pretty golden tablet -- maybe the tobacco flower?

30 minutes later: It's only noticeable when I've got my nose pressed right up against my wrist, though admittedly it doesn't have much throw so to smell anything at all I have to get pretty close.

45 minutes later: Yup. Honey lemon herb Ricola, with something reminiscent of band-aid at the edges. Maybe something like beeswax, though neither that nor honey are listed in the notes.

1.5 hours later: I wish I could figure what it is in here that's not quite working for me. I don't hate it, but.

4 hours later: This has faded a lot. Still sweet and a little resinous. The smell that sort of reminds me of vaguely of band-aid also kind of makes me think of ozone, but not quite. The benzoin, perhaps?

5 hours later: Faded to nearly gone.

 

Verdict: Enh. Didn't love it, didn't hate it. Will try it again sometime, maybe in a scent locket.

 

One word: Ricola.

[tartchef]

My nose is still not quite recovered from the flu, but I can't wait any longer - I had to try this!

 

Oooooh yeah. Olive blossom (a milky, almost peach-like floral), silky frankincense, a wee twang of bergamot and a fantastically hot ginger note - yummeh! The ginger sadly fades very quickly, and the sage emerges, adding an earthy greenness. The fig lurks, adding a honeyed sweetness, and if I really concentrate, I can get a bit of the benzoin.

 

Glorious Similar in a way to my beloved Tzadikim Nistarim, and perhaps a more bookish Tamamo-no-mae. I can't wait to see how this ages

 

Eta: Oh NYOM. Now that my nose is bringing its A game, Tabella deserved another test-drive, and hooo baby. Lots more benzoin this time, high & crunchy with a kick of heat from the ginger & a silky haze of frankincense. More bergamot, too, and I'm getting a bit of angelica now, strange & sweet & green Less similar to Tzadikim & Tamamo this round - less of the milky florals & more of the funky resins & herbs.

 

Tabella was a keeper, anyway, but now it'll be on my heavy rotation list - delicious!

Edited December 3, 2008 by tartchef

[dawndie]

In bottle: bitter herbal

 

On skin: soft and sweet, especially from the Shub-like ginger

 

Half-hour later: continues to be almost-powder soft and almost-sweet herbs

 

In conclusion: tartchef's review above mentioned "milky" and that's exactly how it's proceeding on me. This ends up in the same family as Snow White and Snow-Flakes, a soft-sweet-creamy floral.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

on me, this is a milky-cedar type scent, stays very close to the skin with no throw except for the occasional wafts of a hairspray note. not at all what i was expecting.

[PinkoCommie]

This is absolutely gorgeous on me. It starts out kind of aquatic, which is not my favorite, but in 10 minutes fades to a ginger-spiced sage-sprinkled resin.

 

Also, on me, Democrat is a fantastic beeswax scent. So I layered a bit.

 

... oh my goodness. I feel like I just unlocked a secret in the da Vinci code, some riddle left by the secret Smell Society, because I can't help but think Beth had this in mind when she mixed up these little parties.

 

Wow.

 

Dear Beth: Plz send me all leftovers, kthx.

[hlinspjalda]

In the bottle: Mostly a well-blended herbal with a little bit of bergamot, tobacco, and angelica peeking out.

 

Wet: Vital and pungent now; the bergamot is almost lemony now, I get some ginger, and occasionally a whiff of olive. Underneath there's some galangal, or maybe it's the fig -- a sweet earthiness.

 

Half an hour: Now it has more of that olive-resin scent I'm familiar with, like Tzadikim Nistarim. There's more of a rooty sharpness about this one, though, a touch of the licorice-like angelica. It's making me a little dizzy.

 

One hour: Earthy, grounded, resiny-rooty sweet but with some serious pungent overtones -- angelica definitely, something else herbal and sharp. It's heavy, serious, not at all frivolous or light-hearted.

 

Two and a half hours: The resin has taken over, smoothing this into something I like much better now. It's still rather earthy and rooty, but not so pungently angelica any more too. Still that curious note of olive blossom, giving it an ancient history kind of a feel.

 

Four hours: Much less pungent now, still rooty-resinous with olive. Not bad on me, but not me.

[Lit Chick]

Ahhhhhh.

I thought this would be different. Severe. But it is creamy, woody, herbal, very close to skin, clean, a bit like how my yard smells after rain (olive, sagebrush, wet dusty air).

I love it. It is very reserved, but calm and balanced. Good power. Thoughtful.

[goblinshark]

I smell ginger and sage, but this is verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry faint. Like the faintest BPAL I have ever tried, I think. Hopefully it strengthens with age because what I do catch from it is very nice, but even in the bottle it is scarcely detectable.