Ya-Te-Vo

[angelicruin]

Travelers have told us of a plant, which they assert grows in Central Africa and also in South America, that is not contented with myriad of larger insects which it catches and consumes, but its voracity extends to making even humans its prey. This marvelous vegetable Minotaur is represented as having a short, thick trunk, from the top of which radiate giant spines, narrow and flexible but of extraordinary tenaciousness, the edges of which are armed with barbs, or dagger-like teeth. Instead of growing upright, or at an inclined angle from the trunk, these spines lay their outer ends upon the ground, and so gracefully are they distributed that the trunk resembles an easy couch with green drapery around it. The unfortunate traveler, ignorant of the monstrous creation which lies in his way, and curious to examine the strange plant, or to rest himself upon its inviting stalk approaches without a suspicion of his certain doom. The moment his feet are set within the circle of the horrid spines, they rise up, like gigantic serpents, and entwine themselves about him until he is drawn upon the stump, when they speedily drive their daggers into his body and thus complete the massacre. The body is crushed until every drop of blood is squeezed out of it and becomes absorbed by the gore-loving plant, when the dry carcass is thrown out and the horrid trap set again.

Barbed, sanguinary greenery, fleshy and sharp.

Sniffing the imp, this is a bitter green scent.

Applied to my skin, this goes completely rancid.

Definitely not working for me. Edited March 20, 2009 by angelicruin

[Iceblink]

Green and herbal. This does smell rather lethal. Another one I'd put in the for-men category. It's quite strong and long-lasting.

Adding that a day later, my hand's a bit irritated and bumpy where I put this one on...approach with caution!

Edited March 28, 2009 by Iceblink

[hkhm]

imp: evergreen, sharp and pungent.

 

wet: eucalyptus with some pine. very, very strong.

 

dry: this tames nicely once dry, it's still mostly evergreens but there is something else, something almost lightly creamy tying it all together.

[sookster]

straight sniff from imp is vicks va-po-rub....

 

reminds me of being a kid having mom rub it on my chest and under my nose before

i went to sleep...

 

once applied....yup, that's about the jist of it...vicks....with a couple of herbs thrown in for good measure....

 

easy come, easy go...

[unlaced]

in the imp this is exactly vicks vapo rub!

 

on my skin it gets a little more herbal and a little less astringent but whooo... definitely green and sharp and lethal smelling.

 

I think this is going to get passed on...

[Blood onmy hands]

In the vial, this smells like eucalyptus/menthol/vaporub and a dark green, planty, herbal something.

 

On my skin, this is sinus-clearing, medicinal menthol and dark greenery. As it dries down, I'm getting lots of sharp evergreen/pine, and it's a bit soapy on me. The chilly menthol continues to linger. After fifteen minutes or so, it's clean evergreen, menthol, and something like sweet lavender & smoke (burning lavender scented incense?). It's very medicinal and soothing to me.

 

I should hate this. It doesn't sound like anything that I would ever enjoy. But I must admit that I kinda love Ya-Te-Vo, much to my surprise. It helps me breath easier & makes me feel calm. I'm going to keep my imp, and maybe even get a bottle of this. This is just such a soothing fragrance to me, and I can see myself reaching for it often when I'm not feeling well .

[zankoku_zen]

Definitely smell the menthol on wet, and as it dries, it's this green plant + patchouli blend. I find this blend to be very dark and medicinal.

[Dark Alice]

Dark Green, slightly mentholated, and not as sharp as I was expecting. I actually like this blend. I am just trying to figure out when I am going to where it...

[donnatron]

Imp: Menthol.

 

Wet: Still mentholated. Something sort of sappy coming through. I'm liking this.

 

Dry: I don't quite know where this went wrong but it did and something fierce. It winds up smelling like a bit of camphor or pine over body odour. Like, seriously... the smell of someone who has just spent a week camping in the Nahanni Valley eating what they kill and portaging miles at a time. This is not good.

 

Throw: Mercifully mild.

 

Overall: No. I don't really have a lot to say about this one. It's not terrible when my nose is far away because I can't smell it but the skin close scent is so repulsive that I can't deal with it. Wash off.

[t_for_tau]

Dark green and woody, with a hint of something soapy - but a thick rich soapiness, not an old-lady soapiness. As it dries down, the soapiness backs off to a slightly aquatic background and the woods come to the fore - pine, cedar? I'd call this a darker, more sophisticated cousin to Loup Garou. It's good.

[Lethran]

In bottle: Much as discribed. Smells of ivy and wood and the sap of green branches. It is sharp and intense and dark green. Wet: OMG. This smells like crouching in a thicket in the summers of childhood. There is an interesting herbal undertone as it wears. Dry: goes gentler, but retains it’s underlying complexity and impression of summer greenery. I love it.

 

[topazphoenix]

Sharp herbs, menthol, pungent. Refreshing. Can't pinpoint why it's so appealing. Drydown is quite similar to the way Yggdrasil turns out on my skin.

[theseagrows]

got this as a frimp. this is very vick's vapo rub in the imp! strong and eucalyptus-y with herbs...a sharp green herbal scent. on my skin it softens up quite a bit...something in this is reminding me of tarot: death, but not sure what it is. i think perhaps it's sandalwood in here mixed with herbs? it turns kind of spicy on my skin, which i think sandalwood can do. it's a very odd, interesting scent. it kind of reminds me of a lot of lush scents. it's kind of masculine, not one i would wear much, but i like it in this strange way!

Edited September 19, 2009 by theseagrows

[blu°]

I'm sharing the experience of a lot of reviewers in that I'm surprised to like this scent. It's a dark green herbal-woody/rooty scent. So herbal and woody that it almost drowns out the greenness. Something in the back gives it a bite, and I wonder if it is something red - blood note anyone?

 

As much as I try I cannot think of this blend representing fleshy greenery. It's not wet enough for that, rather woodsy-dry/herbal-airy. Thorns and spikes, yes.

 

It does smell a bit masculine, but in a good way. I second the comparison to Loup Garou.

[milo]

Hmm, this is quite evergreen-like, clean and masculine. At first, it smells a lot like eucalyptus, which is great, as I'm feeling a bit under the weather today. This quickly fades away, though, and there is a touch of cedar or vetiver on drydown. This blend kind of reminds me of Christmas when wet, but dry, it's pretty cedar-y. A bit too masculine for me. Off to swaps.

[rayvn1]

Menthol and herbs. This was "headache in a bottle" for poor DH.

[Reedsong]

I agree with the other assessments of 'green' and 'sharp,' but this scent is strangely likeable, despite starting out so sharp I was afraid the oil would eat through my hand. Ya-Te-Vo reminds me very much of Snow Moon, in that both are tree-tastic and extremely medicinal in the bottle, but dry down to something sweet, softly wintry, and appealing. I didn't want to like this one - my exact reaction to the imp was "Ugh, Lysol!" - but the longer it dries down and wafts through the air as I wave my hands, the more I enjoy wearing it. Keeping my imp for sure, and glad this is a GC so I can always get more if need be.

[personaldna]

Initially, annoying. Later, intriguing but almost sickening. Might actually work better with a man's chemistry than it does with mine. There is a hint of something attractive here, but just when I think I've got it, I can't stand it.

[Kayah]

Got this one as a frimp from the lab (thankyou!).

 

I wore this to the office today.. maybe I should have read the reviews first but I don't think it would've prepared me for.. this.

 

This.. is.. sharp, herbal and green.. drying down to less sharp but no less green.. Right next to my wrist it smelled like evergreen scented beeswax - in the air I was told it smelled kind of like eucalyptus.. one person coming into my office asked if I was taking valerian.

 

It was so strong that just to spare my office partners I went to wash it off. I didn't put a lot on, and just on my wrists (phew, sometimes I dot it a whole bunch of other spots too, lucky I didn't this time) so it washed off okay but I still smelled it lingering in the air hours afterwards.

 

It is not unpleasant, but I cannot figure out a mood I would wear this with... I will wear it a couple more times and see if it grows on me.

[fairestrocza]

In the Imp: For some reason, I was expecting an evergreen note in here… instead, it is… benzoin? Something astringent/camphorous, but not menthol or eucalyptus.

 

Wet on Skin: a bitter wood smell… something high, but not menthol or eucalyptus…

 

While Drying: There is an almost smoky, slightly bitter wood (possibly vetiver, but behaving for once)… that sweetens with a blood(?!) note (NOT DB, but the sanguinary note) (this is the first time I've really been able to get the vibe of a 'blood' scent on my skin).

 

After a Little While: This is hitting a scent memory that I can't quite pull to the surface. Very interesting. I think it reminds me a bit of Troll, the way it would smell if Troll smelled good on me… and a brief hint of toasted marshmallow? ... and fleshy stems... Hmm, maybe it is galangal, not benzoin that I smell.

 

Later: soporific… and a wood note of some sort… a touch of spice, ever so slightly sweet (IS that patchouli?); medium throw; long term dry down is gorgeous and very unique to my experience. The camphorous aspect is totally gone. There may be a touch of myrrh in here, similar to the variety in Athens.

 

Final Thoughts: Major morpher. Reminds me of Raven Moon for some reason. Others have compared this to Loup Garou - I disagree, except maybe in the way that the drydown loses the high camphorous notes.

Ya-Te-Vo earns a 3.5/5 on my skin.

[stellamaris]

I am so glad I got a frimp of this, because from the meh reviews I would prolly not have ordered a big bottle, however I LOVE this. And did just order the BB as I need something green, and this is heavenly on me. I am too unsophisticated to pick out many individual notes yet, but I do get eucalyptus or something that smells like it to me, it is uplifting and a good "wake up!" summer scent for me.

Edit * I still love this, and it is a great blending scent with roses or other florals.

Edited February 28, 2012 by stellamaris

[burymestanding]

I was gifted this by the lab, and I’m very grateful! Thank you! This isn’t something I would have chosen for myself, generally speaking, so I was very excited to try something new. My initial reaction was “WHOA.” I tried to just stick to “in the imp”, “wet”, and “dry” categories but this morphed so many times that I couldn’t do it justice like that.

 

In the imp: Herbal. Something vaguely minty. Powerful and strong.

 

Wet: Wow, so much eucalyptus. And maybe mint in the background.

 

A few moments later: I swear, I think a little whiff of lime zest just popped out.

 

Almost dry: It’s getting a little bit of a metallic edge. I’m going to guess that previous reviewers were correct in guessing this has a blood note. I’m also getting something that reminds me of how my hands smell after I smoke a cigarette, so maybe tobacco? Interesting!

 

Dry: The eucalyptus is almost gone, just a little ghost of it left. It’s very metallic. Slightly herbal. There’s also an acidity that kind of reminds me of canned tomatoes (I mean that in a good way!) and there’s a very light burnt wood smell. Not like a bonfire smell, more like when you’re using woodburning pen. There’s no sweetness to this at all.

 

In conclusion: I liked this much more than I thought I would, but I’m not sure I can really pull it off. I think it’d make a lovely scent for someone more masculine. I might keep the imp around for sniffing on occasion, though.

[karykeion]

In the imp: Oh my god, it's evil salad. It's lush, green salad that's going to murder you with its sharp salad teeth.

 

On me, wet: Has anyone else seen Jumanji? That' what this perfume is like to me. This is running through a tropical jungle full of trees that want to kill you. It's kind of minty and herbal, which is nice, but...it's not that I liked them better in Envy, it's just that they didn't feel like they were going to jump off my arm and stab me in the face. Goes through a brief phase of smelling like a minty Christmas candle, but that doesn't last long.

 

On me, dry: The tropical feel of the plants is a little lost, and now I'm smelling evil evergreen trees and something a little acrid that nevertheless isn't bad, just foreboding. What a cool blend! I'm not sure I'd wear it, but it was really fun to try out.

[impolight]

::: YA-TE-VO :::[/center]

 

Money makes the world go round. No? Well, then it has to be these blessed Frimps. Just about the time it seems possible to get a handle on this obsession (No it’s not!), a wee, sparkly avalanche of nasal Nirvana shows up and tips every last shred of dignity arse over elbows. Complaining doesn’t help. Rationalizing is simply laughable. There is really just no way to explain a bucket of these things to anybody who hasn’t accepted The Lab into their hearts. Suffice it to say that good things come in 1/32 oz. packages.

Ya-Te-Vo. A perfectly contained vial of cryptobotany right at the fingertips whenever it is needed? Of course The Lab makes this a possibility! Instinctively, this one is likely to have WIN written all over it. Some of the allusions to Vic’s in preceding reviews created a little berm of trepidation, but not enough to snuff the excitement. There’s simply no accounting for taste. From the Imp:[/b] Now THAT was wholly unexpected. SO much is going on in this itty-bitty Imp! If this is supposed to be a man-eating tree, then the powers of its lure dwell resolutely in the fragrance. Verdant sofa be danged! The biggest knuckle to the nose comes in the form of Watermelon Bubblegum O_o. Menthol might be lurking somewhere, but Hemlock would be more convincing. Some Tea Tree? Daemonorops? Licorice? A smidge of Cedar? Whatever it is it is DIVINE! Ya-Te-Vo has been brilliantly realized in this incarnation and should be soundly applauded. If this tree is a monstrosity, it is a beautiful monstrosity. Mysterious, adventurous, supernatural and in some exotic locale, far, far away? Check. On the Skin: Ya-Te-Vo reacts almost extraterrestrially with body chemistry. The volatile, evergreen components are on the wane and the sweet soporifics reign. Amber? Honey? Raisin? Cinnamon? Chamomile? This is probably one of the more amazing shape-shifters experienced to date. Ingenious!

On Her, Ya-Te-Vo is a glowing complexion, equestrian riding pants, chamber music, and a succulent pear. On Him, Ya-Te-Vo is a mahogany desk, a leather bound journal, pomade in immaculately barbered hair, and a daguerreotype.

Ya-Te-Vo is a beautiful fragrance that is well worth exploring. Ready your pith helmet and make history. A 5 out of 5.

[calivianya]

It is very bitter in the imp, but is stomach churning on my skin. Ugh, this is nasty. I'm going to wash it off now, kthnx.