Despair

[allamanda]

We in dark dreams are tossing to and fro...

Soft and melancholy, a poignant blend of Roman chamomile, rosewood, cypress, Rose Otto, lavender, sandalwood and ylang ylang.

Initial sniff not so nice. I caught the rose instantly, but it seemed faded, like pot pourri. After a while the scent became sharper and more pleasing to my nose. Mellows out beautifully gentle, quiet and lovely. An understated daytime fragrance. A keeper.

[jj_j]

Lavender, chamomile, and cypress start Despair out on me, so this is a slightly astringent, bitter scent for the first few moments. The Bulgarian roses slip in on the breeze, and melt almost without notice into the initial scent - like crying until you no longer notice the tears as they run down your face.

 

Soft, and soft. Pale, in an almost pastel fashion - roses so pale you're not sure if they're white or barely pink, with a hint of something sharp and longing. No sandalwood or ylang-ylang in my nose, and the scent, while not as long-lasting as some, didn't need touch up for about three hours - an accomplishment for such a light scent.

 

I was droopy-shouldered, wide-eyed, and almost lethargic while I was wearing this one. There's no question that, wearing this, I felt a great deal like I did the first week or so we spent in an ICU waiting room after my brother sustained head injuries in our car accident five years ago - sagging with exhaustion and uncertainty, surrounded by flowers and oblivious to the conversation of well-wishers, nodding and going through the motions.

 

Distinctly melancholy, but it's because of that association and another mental image I get while sniffing this that are very disturbing to me. I managed to distance myself from that in the beginning, but the longer I wear this scent, the more emotionally responsive to it I become. If that weren't the case, I'd wear it regularly - it's a truly lovely scent on its own.

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: This is much brighter and sharper than the other Funereal Oils I've sampled. The lavender and cypress are most noticeable.

 

Second Impression: The flowers mellow out the sharpness during the drydown and the woods appear. I found this to be fresher and brighter than the name would imply.

 

Final Anaysis: I didn't get any despair or melancholy from this. It's just a nice bright floral with woodsy backbone. Nice but not a favorite.

Edited May 26, 2004 by andrabell

[grrrlennyl]

at first: the lab threw this in as an extra. a deep, soft floral. the lavender, in particular, stands out.

on: wow. this is such an over-the-top floral. it is soft and wonderful. i'm not a big floral person, but i'm really liking this.

1 hour later: this has turned a bit biting on me, which, i think, is a reason why i don't normally like floral scents. i hope it gets better and less typical-floral-perfume-like.

2 hours later: this has turned out to be much sweeter (what is with my skin?) and nicer than the slightly old-lady-ish scent of about an hour ago. it's a bit powedery, too, which i like.

3 hours later: this is near perfect on me now. there's the tiniest bit of bite still there, in almost a soapy way, but it's mostly a dusty floral. very nice.

4.5 hours later: and...i don't like it again. it's back to the really biting floral, even though it's faded quite a bit.

overall: unfortunately, this didn't work at all for me. off to the swap pile it goes...

[Vaniclion]

Now, when I reviewed this I was under the mistaken impression it was desire. How odd. Deeply ironic, since in Gaiman's Sandman Desire and Despair are twins.

 

ANYWAY. Here's what I've said... mildly altered because I wasn't sniffing Desire. It's interesting how that changes what I'm smelling. Kinda freaky.

 

Well, of course I had high hopes for this one. Despair is one of the Endless. Not that she was Beth’s inspiration for this oil, but she comes to mind. This may be the scent of one of her more gentle aspects, but does not fully encompass her as I would expect.

 

Fresh from the imp the light herbs of chamomile with the lavender and sandalwood are in the fore. On drydown, the scent gets deeper with the rose coming up. I smell the abandoned bouquet, the wood of the pews, the dust that has settled in the abandoned chapel and a hint of the tears shed. An extremely complex scent, but not one I’m very likely to wear. It does speak to Beth’s talent, which so many of the oils do.

 

What a surreal experience.

[Lux667]

In The Bottle & Wet On Me: Smells medicinal. My nose is unable to detect any floral notes.. all I can think of is Vicks Vaporub.

 

Dry Down: Smells like moth balls and Vicks on me and it burns *and* it gave me a headache.

 

Definately not for me.

[Effluvia]

in the vial: BEAUTIFUL!!!! I could cry....I definitely get a romanticized vibe of Despair in this.

 

on my skin: When I read the notes, I can pick each thing out (and there's not a note in the bunch I don't get along with), but it's all blended so beautifully. I smell a similarity to Cheshire Cat. This is Cheshire Cat with a heroin problem. He got really skinny and started wearing all black and is all depressed all the time. This is a chick, though. It's a very feminine scent. This is "Tomorrow's Tears" by The Cranes. Sigh. This is wonderful.

 

It hasn't turned to powder or soap! HAPPPEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: Moody and woody. It make me think of being stuck, like I have nowhere to turn. That's rather like despair, isn't it?

 

On me: Hello Chamomile! I can smell the rose and chamomile in the forefront, but behind them there's a forest growing. The chamomile is fading now, giving the blend a chance to work together and make magic.

This does make me feel a bit down. Not quite to despair, but definitely mopey. It's very, very pretty, this floral scent. It makes me think of a dark meadow in a forest, which is perpetually in shadow so that the sun can't shine. I like it, but I can't wear it because it affects me so strongly.)

[TheDarkMother]

In the Bottle: Despair smells light and salty, like tears, with a light floral scent behind it, like a fading woman's perfume.

 

On Me: Wow! There is a very sharp wood scent to it, not really cedar but close. There's also some sort of scent which I can only describe as "mint-like". It makes my sinuses clear and my eyes feel like there's wind on them. Yeah, I know, I come up with the weirdest ways of getting my point across.

 

Its calming down now, and that salty tears/perfume smell is returning, albeit faintly. This seems to be one of those fragrances that wants to fade out on me too quickly. Its a sweet smell though, and I do like it. I'll probably use the imp, but I'm not certain if a big bottle will work for me or not. Perhaps if I slather it a little more, then I'll be able to make a better decision. Its kinda hard though, because the perfume is extremely appropriate to what is going on in my life right now, and I'm not sure I want to be reminded of that.

[Jessica]

Despair is the very first scent that I tried of BPAL's. In the bottle, Despair was woodsy and it reminded me of the tarot card store I visited one summer in Lillydale.

 

On my skin it smelled the same at first. The smell lasted a few hours, but it wasn't very strong. Later on I started to smell the ylang ylang and it was more of an "oriental" smell. I wish it would of eventually showed its cypress but alas, I was left with a distinct ylang ylang and not much else.

 

allamanda was right, Despair is a really understated scent. It's a keeper for now.

[rainbow]

In the bottle and wet on the skin- a bright, sharp floral with decidedly powdery undertones. Very powdery indeed, at least initially- it's just like baby powder. I can really smell the lavender and chamomile.

 

Wearing- This turns into a nice, well-blended herbal floral. The sharpness to it makes it sad.

 

Wearing further- Oh my goodness, this becomes absolutely lovely on me. Oooh, it's fruity, with a slight floral undertone. It's amazingly different from it's wet form. In fact, it's quite a happy scent for me at this point. You'd never recognize it as the same oil it smells of wet.

 

This is one of those amazing mystery blends that morphs before the nose. It's quite lovely, particularly in the latter stages of wear.

 

If it weren't discontinued I'd buy more. I knew if I ordered a bunch of discons I'd find some I love- and I have- Despair and Banshee.

[Witch's Dagger]

Despair

 

I got this in my order of Discontinued Scents

 

Preconceived notions: I have no idea why I ordered this one - it’s not on my wishlist at all. I don’t remember the lab description, either. Maybe it was a freebie???

 

In the vial: sweet, poisonous... I smell something very sweet (honey? ylang ylang?) and lavender. Like Ulalume, this seems to be a “come let me take you away”, but in this case, it’s less ethereal and more “negative” - “let me take you into oblivion” rather than “into my lair”...

 

On me:

Ugh. On me, unfortunately, this turns to very strong pee.

 

A few minutes later: Ah, much better. Luckily, the pee stage didn’t last very long - only a couple of seconds. Now, it’s a very deep, earthy lavender. Not bad, but probably not for me.

 

A few minutes later: On the other hand, I have been looking for a good “poison” scent, and this one really does that. It’s a very pungent, green lavender, and there’s some lemon in there, I think, too - reminds me slightly of the way borshch smells, but more herbally. (I know herbally isn’t a word, but I like it.)

 

Overall: I’m not sure. I think I’m going to have to try it again sometime.

[wickedgoddess]

I spent way too much on a tarted imp of Despair, but after falling in love with the Roman Chamomile SN, I was dying to try this.

 

Wet - Roman Chamomile!

 

Dry - Once this starts to dry, the sandalwood and lavendar start to come out, and I know true despair, because this was discontinued. This is mostly chamomile and wood initially, the lavendar is there but stays well in the background. So much in the background that it's already gone. I now get a bit of ylang ylang and a gorgeous floral I don't recongnize. Rose Otto, is that you? It's very woody now, the chamomile has dissipated. This is so lovely, and I would LOVE a big bottle of this. The only down note is the ylang ylang, which is a bit powdery, but not enough to ruin my enjoyment of this. It fades away eventually, leaving a note of sandalwood that lingers for hours. Truly a beautiful scent.

 

On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 4.

[OriginalWacky]

Bottle (Imp): Hmmm, a little sharp, and crisp.

 

Just On: Tangy, not in a foody way, and not so sharp to my nose now.

 

An hour or two later: It has a sort of sour thing, not in a yucky sour way, but more in a yummy sour way.

 

Around 6 hours: I'm thinking ylang ylang, not only because of the lasting factor, which ylang ylang really does on me most of the time, but the sultry feeling I get from it almost always accompanies ylang ylang. It Is starting to fade a bit.

 

12 hours: It's almost gone, I get a vague sense of some herbiness, and that's it.

 

Overall: I like this pretty well, but not so much that I'd go nuts to get more.

 

After reading other reviews: Ooh, again a lavender that doesn't jump out and bite me. And I didn't really get the woods scent on this. A lovely scent all the way through.

[Blood onmy hands]

I'm glad that I got to try this one before I bought a bottle, because it really isn't working on me at all. First on it is very astringent and medicinal. It is mostly lavender, but something else is also lurking in the background, and it's not good either. I'd say this is mostly herbal lavender.

 

In the drydown... metallic ylang ylang and something sharp. I'm getting that cheap hairspray smell from this and I'm not sure why, unless the rosewood and such is just going funky on me. I figured that this would smell more wooden, but I'm not getting any sandalwood at all.

 

Very sharp/bitter fragrance, of the sort that gives me migraines. I'll definitely be passing on a full bottle.

[Medici]

 

Edited to add: This is Despair 2005, re-released at BPAL's Anniversary.

 

In the bottle: Chamomile of the un-plucked variety, a hint of cypress (sadly, not like that of Bayou. It's fairly dry and not swampy at all), a touch of the rosewood not unlike Ouija which dries the scent. Perhaps a hint of sweetness that is the ylang ylang.

 

Wet: Rose Otto comes up first, and is chased quickly by the rosewood softening it's floral aspect. Cypress comes in next, followed by the ylang (at this point I'm urging said ylang to go away and demanding chamomile). There's a bit of lavender in the background that sobers it up. Ah, there we go - the chamomile's back.

 

Drydown: This scent doesn't want to settle on me - if I turn my wrist one way, I get a very dry rose, if I turn it the other, I get a nice, quiet chamomile/cypress. Thankfully, the ylang is gone at this point. It's not that it doesn't like me, exactly, it's more like - I don't like it. The rose is being insistent, but doesn't manage to dominate. It's an in and out the entire time.

 

Overall: Well balanced, great evolution.

 

Emotional Impact: A bit of back-story, I have a certain... ah... shall we say... affection... for Despair of the Endless. She is in fact my favourite out of Gaiman's eternal creations. Now, from what I understand, this blend wasn't created with her in mind - and I can see that. (I can't see her being associated with rose, at all - more like smoke and ozone, but that's just me.) BPAL's Despair is however, an ode to the essence of desperation and dread. It is both wistful and sombre, and heavy with hopelessness. I can't tell you how beautiful and tragic that is - to have all that to be crammed into a scent.

 

In short, I love this. I love it like I love almost all the funeral oils; the brooding, the chilled, the macabre. Despair puts me in a very pensive, quiet state. It makes me think of lover's parting that that very last kiss shared before the tears begin to flow.

 

(Sorry for the sap. Like I said, beautiful and tragic.)

 

5/5 of Medici's Scale O' Love

 

I leave this review with a brief quote (I hope that's ok with the mods) that suits this scent perfectly, and maybe the other Gaiman fans will relate...

 

Her kiss is a blind alley.

 

Her kiss is her touch is her breath

is her fingers is what remains

after the laughing is over.

Edited December 21, 2005 by Medici

[gingersnapp]

My skin loves roses, so the rose otto was the most prominent note in the blend, followed shortly (and deliciously) by the sandalwood and lavender. It was very soft and warm and comforting, which is the exact opposite of what I would think of a blend called "Despair," but now I can at least think of it as a blend to wear when I am despairing to help me feel a little better.

 

This was a really beautiful blend and I'm glad it was re-released long enough for me to get to try it this time around.

[shelldoo]

resurected blend

 

 

in the bottle: rosey, lavander, chamomile.

 

wet:whew herbally green, must be the lavander and chamomile duking it away

 

as it dries: the rose resurfaces, yet is stabalized by chamomile. this is a fragile scent to my nose. the ylang ylang sweetens it bit, adding a softeness that keeps this scnt from being brittle.

[QueenFae]

A wispy, creeping, wallowing white rose. Sharp yet seductive, perfumey yet undeniably tempting. Like a beautiful maiden who is no longer there has left the gentle scent of her perfume hanging in the air. It doesn't have a lot of throw, but I don't really think that throw is the point of Despair. It's a close up, barely there, "Did I really just smell flowers?" type of scent. I really like it, it's quite beautiful.

[mmcfa2]

Probably my most favorite to date. Soft herbed rose, clean, earthy and gentle all at once!

[desu]

In the bottle: Roman chamomille and lavender.

 

On my skin: SOAP, aka Rose otto.

 

[Alchemy21599]

In the bottle: soft floral blend with lavender, and some sandalwood spice.

 

Wet: strong floral blend. Lots of throw.

 

Dry: Rose! Very strong rose that is giving me a headache. This is a pretty blend in the bottle, but unfortunately, it did not agree with my skin chemistry.

[jewelbug]

This is for the 05 re-release.

Imp: My initial thought is that this smells INCREDIBLY cheerful for something called "despair". Its a sweet bright chamomile, very herbal, with lavender and some bright woods.

 

Wet: Um, where did that herbal go? ROSE. All rose. My skin does that, much to my displeasure.

 

Dry: Rose with a touch of soap from start to finish. Shame, cuz I really liked this in the imp!

 

Overall: Wicked skin chemistry strikes again. Amping those roses like mad, and turning them to soap. Glad I got to try it (and sniff it in the imp), but this will be going into the swap pile.

[Northernminx]

Somewhat sharp and green in the bottle, there's a definite touch of dry rose in here and some wood as well as lavender. This dries into a soft rush of chamomile and rose and lavender and is extremely potent. Something about the funeral oil florals tends to go very white and heavy on me. Lovely but far too reminiscent of my grandpa's funeral for comfort.

[Honor]

Roses. That's all I can really say about this scent.

 

I was both dissapointed and endlessly pleased with this scent. Dissappointed because I didn't get the complex chammomile, lavender, floral, woodsy scent I was hoping for. Pleased because I didn't think my skin likes roses.

 

In the bottle I smell the mix of lavendar, rose and something "soft".

 

But on my skin, it's all roses.. even during drydown and after.

 

 

I was pleased to find that this mixes well with DeSade on me, making the perfect scent on me and now I'm only lamenting that I am going to be hardpressed to find a larger bottle of this.