Hermes Trimegistus v2

[twilighteyes]

Unreleased prototype, no scent description given.

 

Google says that Hermes Trismegistus (Greek: Ἑρμῆς ὁ Τρισμέγιστος, "thrice-great Hermes"; Latin: Mercurius ter Maximus) is the representation of the combination of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth. In Hellenistic Egypt, the Greeks recognised the congruence of their God Hermes with the Egyptian god Thoth. Subsequently the two gods were worshiped as one in what had been the Temple of Thoth in Khemnu, which the Greeks called Hermopolis.

 

When I first smelled this at DD, my nose was getting pretty tired and smelled vaguely woody and incense like.

 

Now that I have come home and was able to take my time and sniff with a refreshed nose, I am getting lavender with maybe a little vanilla and sandalwood.

Edited May 27, 2009 by TwilightEyes

[nursekins]

In the bottle herbal and slightly astringent.Upon application for just a brief moment I get a sweet evergreen note...it is quite wonderful but is gone in a flash on me..It is a very calming herbal scent...the main note that has now decided to come out and play is lavender...more of a muted lavender not the overbearing in your face note that is typical on me...something is really keeping the lavender in check...I would say a touch of very light incense and a dry sandalwood...that is just my impression...there may be the light hint of vanilla but I can not be sure on that one...something is adding some sweetness but it is more of a vague sweet note....after a few moments I think I may dectect some very faint cedar in play as well....interesting blend.

[Mordath]

Sweet, herbal lavender over sandalwood. There's something cool and refreshing about this that I really love

[Heavenlyrabbit]

I study Qabala so was particularly keen on getting this and thanks to the benevolence of BPAL forumites, my wish was granted.

 

Hermes Trimegustis is a gorgeous incense blend which my skin chemistry loves. It blooms on my skin and lasts forever. It's elicited several compliments already.

 

This has a pay off that rivals #93 Engine and I couldn't be more pleased. Especially since the first reviews mentioned Lavender, a note that can really be overbearing for me.

 

On application, I get heavenly Frankincense with a touch of the most dreamy Lavender and what I believe to be Lemon Verbena or the like. The Incense presence is so strong and sweet I'm fairly sure this has Benzoin and maybe something like Calamus. One would also guess Mastic. I also wonder if there is some Beeswax or maybe a very light drop of Honey. I don't detect any florals.

 

Or do I?

 

As I focus on the slightly lemon aspect of this, I begin to think maybe it's lemon blossom. And then my brain turns back around and refocuses on the deep, smooth incense that almost seems to have a touch of coconut or vanilla it's so sweet and smooth and addictive.

 

Today is the first really warm, sunny Summer-like day here after weeks of rain. Hermes Trimegustis is like a Summertime version of #93 Engine with a touch of sweet herbal sunshine added.

 

Blip- I came back to this post to edit in the Evergreen note that finally became obvious on my skin chemistry and am totally flummoxed to find no one else detecting a light touch of lemon something.... my skin chemistry must be odd this time around.

Edited June 28, 2009 by Heavenlyrabbit

[ElinaMakropulos]

Lovely scent, in the bottle it's lavender incense; after 10 minutes or so on my skin it's allll myrrh. I mean, it's a dead ringer for a bottle of myrrh oil I have, but better quality. Delicately sweet and mildly incense-like, it's very nice and reminiscent of a MUCH softer, simpler Schwarzer Mond.

[hlinspjalda]

In the bottle: There seem to be two evergreen notes in here. One is green-resinous, like half-dried pine sap, and the other is deeper, more balsamic. There's something else more sweet, too. It reminds me a little bit of The Illustrated Woman.

 

Wet: The pine impression intensifies, then drops back. The other green note has asserted dominance. I t's warmly balsamic, and I just can't get enough of it. But the scent isn't one-sided, or even all green. There's a sort of creamy warmth to it, like a faint vanilla note plus something like either cream or skin musk; both those notes give that flat warmth. Or I suppose it could be orchid. At any rate, I'm loving this.

 

Half an hour: Deliciously resinous now. I think that's my favorite frankincense note, but I'm not sure. I never dreamed based on the sniff that this would become so warmly resinous on me. But it's like it was made for me, or something; I'm so thrilled! There are other notes in here too, with a pronounced woody impression, but mostly I'm getting resin love.

 

One hour: Yep, definitely my favorite frankincense note, like in Anne Bonny and The Blasphemare Reliquary. This is all resin love on me, and I'm utterly thrilled. I really wanted this scent to work on me, and it does!

 

Two and a half hours: Still resin love. There's something soft and green underneath, now that the resin has dialed back a bit. It might be that pine I noticed earlier.

 

Five hours: Gentle frankincense, something else very soft and creamy underneath. This was great, and I'm so thrilled to have a bottle.

 

[tajana]

I bought this on a whim, just because I've been on a lavender kick. However, there is so much more to this blend than lavender.

 

In the bottle, it smells something interesting. It smells wild and magical, somehow... there's just something about that combination of cool pine and natural soft lavender, with something darker underneath it.

 

Freshly applied, the pine/evergreen note strengthens. At this point I was just totally blown away. It smells really beautiful. I am a big fan of the smell of pine and other evergreen plants in nature, but in perfumes it rarely works out for me... something always goes wrong and it ends up smelling like Christmas or potpourri or pine-sol. Not so here. Just, WOW. Beautiful dark green sap, with the most perfect cooling, purple lavender note harmonizing with it perfectly. I think there's definitely some sort of balsam here that adds a richness and sweet warmth... I'm no expert on balsam but based on my experience with Bezoar I think there must be some of that in here. This smells so calming and serene and regal so far!

 

As the scent dries down further the evergreen note dims, the lavender stays strong yet soft, and the balsam (I believe) note melds with what I think is sandalwood and frankincense. Guh, the wood note behaves divinely on me, it's light and airy and smooth. I'm not usually a big fan of prominent frankincense as it tends to go out of control on me but it really stays in check here... it reminds me of the straight up frankincense note that was in Anne Bonny, but it's so much more well behaved here, it's just one note among others. I think there really may be beeswax here... there's a note in this that reminds me vaguely of Hanerot Halalu.

 

After a while I'm mainly getting a resinous blend (myrrh?), like an earlier reviewer said, a lighter Schwarzer Mond... without whatever weird soda-like note and bitterness that ruined that scent for me, and with lavender, balsam, and maybe a touch of vanilla added. This stage isn't as drop-dead gorgeous as the first half hour but it's still really great, and it smells like classic BPAL.

 

It's deep but not heavy, light and shadowed, cooling yet with undercurrents of warmth... I can picture wearing this pretty much in any season in any weather.

 

I need to try this a few more times! *I* think it smells really beautiful, but I'm wary of resinous blends as sometimes they indeed turn powdery on me, and couple of times somebody said I smelled like baby powder when I was wearing something I thought smelled dark and resinous and complex. Sooo the jury is still out on whether or not I'll keep my bottle of Hermes... it was a pleasure testing him out, now I just have to test out the reactions of my boyfriend, family, friends, and general public.

 

ETA: I've since tried No. 93 Engine, and these two blends do indeed share some common blood, but No. 93 Engine is warmer and brighter. They're quite different in feel (I agree about the "mythical" atmosphere!), but still close enough that I won't need both... wellll, I'll keep a bit for myself!

Edited June 29, 2009 by tajana

[zankoku_zen]

Hermes does remind me to No 93 Engine. I definitely get a lot of citrus/lemon blossom on wet, and then it dries to this powdery woody incense blend. I'm guessing frankincense and perhaps a touch of beeswax and vanilla.

 

Hermes is No 93 Engine, just more mythical.

[stellans]

As soon as the bottles is opened, lovely lavender wafts around my nostrils with a come-hither glance: "hello there...wanna play?" Then as others have noted, a clean non-soapy evergreen note flashes up and takes control -- but only briefly. I do wish that note had stayed a bit longer, as it was ireally nice, but *sigh* moving on...

 

As the lavender rests gently on my skin, a stronger incense-resinous scent comes into play: this isn't just sandalwood, oh no; this is also frankincense and myrrh, and the only thing lacking is gold. In fact, it makes me think of Yule and that time of year. This is definitely not a warm weather blend, IMO, but one for the winter.

 

Final thought: this is a very strong blend, and I don't think I'll reach for it nearly as often as some of my softer, sweeter oils, but somehow I just can't give it up. Something about it is very compelling, and it will stay in my perfume collection...and wait for colder temperatures.

Edited October 15, 2010 by stellans

[Lamia]

My thanks to Hlinspjalda for the half-imp of this.

 

Wow.

 

It took a while for me to figure this one out. Sure, lavender-ish punches to the face while wet, but there's something musky and deep in the bakground. After a while, I realized that this reminded me a lot of a fantastic tea-tree and bergamot shampoo I scored in a hotel, and which I begged housekeeping to get me extra bottles of. With raw frankincense thrown in for good measure.

 

This is just ... wow.

[tartchef]

Oh crap. This is Thank you for sharing, zankoku_zen!

 

Frankincense in all its glory, raw & resinous & crumbly & yum, underscored by lavender, a bit of rosemary, a touch of myrrh, maybe a bit of verbena or lemon balm, and a scattering of benzoin, balsam & mastic. This is what I wanted Arcana to be, and absolutely a must-try for No. 93 lovers.

 

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! I will covet my dribble, and lunge at any more that happens to cross my path

[crebbsgirl]

Wet this was strongly lavender, with a sweet resinous edge. As it dried, this blend turned to total playdoh on me, which is usually what happens when I try to wear blends with a predominant frankincense note. It was really soothing and wonderful, but I just can't pull it off.

[myth]

First test: Deep and woody, very similar to Penitence, but with some pine pitch maybe, and lavender. Tries to be a touch soapy like Bat of Death, which leads me to suspect orris, but overall is pretty nice.

 

Second test: strong lavender and soap. Where's mah wood/pine? Hugely throwing lavender soap. Slightly less powdery than Zenobia, but like that with lavender. And a little of Bat of Death. Kind of headache inducing actually. I have no idea what I was thinking the first time. Very powdery and soapy. I strongly suspect and orris/frankincense combo like in Zenobia and Bat of Death because this one goes off on me just like they did. Whatever is causing the powdery soap amps like mad on my skin.

 

I'm not sure which test represents the "standard" state of my skin chemistry but it was so awful on me the second time I don't even want to try it again. If Zenobia and Bat of Death worked on you this probably will too, but if they failed, beware.

[totheo]

HERBY GOODNESS!

 

Definitely medicinal. Not in an "ew, ointment" or "cough syrup" kind of way. Like an ancient medicine made from plants and flowers (far more herby and green than floral, though). Maybe steeped in water, maybe an extract or poultice. But natural and instinctual. Very appropriate.

 

Reminds me of certain aromatherapy blends and soothing oils for sore muscles. Very outdoorsy and comforting.

 

In particular, it makes me think of a place I spent a lot of time at when I was a child, during the holidays. It was a property up on a mountainside a decent drive away from a little country town, down the south coast. It was called Indooroopilly. The neighbouring property was Lothlorien and a wizard lived there in a tower with a lake, until he died of cancer. Along the road a little further, past an old tyre swing, is where we are.

The main house was a mix of stone and wood. The living room with stained glass windows and a huge fireplace was all stone, with a writing desk between the two archways that lead to the dining room with a long, solid wooden table that could seat twenty, at least. There was a little open loft room above the kitchen that looked down on the table, and it was next door to the woman who owned the property's bedroom. She was blind, an author and a wit. Below her bedroom was a stone and slate bathroom that was dark and unnerving for a child, but obviously beautiful. A grown up place. There was a room with a small tv and hundreds of old tapes with things recorded on them, the only one I remember being The Little Shop of Horrors, which terrified me. A rocking horse and a basket of toys sat outside that room on a deck that graduated down in big steps past another bathroom, all wooden this time, that looked out on the rainforest that surrounded the property on two sides. The deck ended at a theatre, not entirely in the round, perhaps hexagonal. It had a stage to the back, a piano to the side and pillars supporting a very high ceiling all around. And outside the theatre, wending its way through the tall grass, was a giant snake made of concrete and mosaic. It had two big spaces for eyes where tealights would be lit at night.

Pastures and paddocks to one side, rainforest down the mountain on the other. Gums and ferns and a creek that was freezing cold and meant leeches to all the kids who braved the slippery stones to see what they could see. The house and three of four other structures that housed guests in the middle, along with a cracking tadpole pond. When we visited, my mother and I often stayed in "the library", a little stone building beside the paddocks. There were books, a couple of beds and a shelf that I insisted on sleeping on more than once. And a large window to watch the grass wave and occasionally, a cow.

 

That's what this smells like. Dry grass and eucalyptus and tea tree, something magic.

[Blood onmy hands]

This goes on smelling sort of medicinal on me, with a pine and menthol feel. The drydown is really lovely and soothing, though. I smell something like herbal lavender over powdery sandalwood and sweet, bright resins. Over time it's less medicinal and more of a lavender incense scent that goes soft and slightly powdery on me.

 

I love lavender and resins. I'd buy a full bottle of this if I had the chance .

[ralenth]

It's a ridiculously chilly day and I am so pleased I reached for this one to review first. Hermes Trimegistus v2 is warm, delicious myrrh with soft hints of lavender and sandalwood. It's so delightfully complex as it dries down. I get a bit of evergreen too when it's dry, but it doesn't dominate the blend like usual for me. Overall, love love love.

[Pika]

I received a sniffie of this, not enough to test, but it really smelled delicious. I'd definitely have to look into a bottle if this came to production. I got the sweet evergreen notes that others mentioned, with a very smooth undertone compared to most of the herbals I've smelled from BPAL.

[countessmouse]

Sharp lavender and herbs in the imp and on my skin. It took me a little bit to identify the wood note as evergreen or balsam and that has almost overtaken the lavender as the dominant note here. I'm hoping some of the incense notes that others are getting will appear soon. A very light throw, and I'm afraid it will be gone in an hour or two.

 

Overall, a nice "wintery" scent that I really like. I'm just afraid it won't last on me.

[plainjean]

Pine, mostly. Very, very medicinal pine (possibly caused by lavender?) and some evergreen, with a bit of what I believe is verbena. Hrm. It was interesting to try a prototype, but this really wasn't my thing.

Edited October 15, 2010 by plainjean

[theseagrows]

i got this as a frimp in a swap.

 

in the vial it smells like lavender and a very subtle underlying of something foody and nutty, like chestnut maybe? i tend to not like foody scents, so i am having trouble describing it. anyway, on my skin it's lavender and something a bit smoky, but again, i don't know what. this is a nice, soft lavender scent, but it's very close to the skin, and i am having trouble picking out notes.

[Innocuousmold]

This was a frimp from the wonderful skunkwater.

 

It faded pretty fast on me, but what I got was mostly rosemary and lavender, which is exciting because I really love rosemary so much. I hope the Lab ends up doing more with this prototype!

[Marla Moreau]

Oh man, I can't believe I haven't replied to this! This is my absolute favorite scent from BPAL. It's similar to Midnight Mass but more complex and has more of an edge. This one lasts on me, I think it's the beeswax or something pine like cutting through, I adore it. I was lucky to find a bottle via Ebay, but it's half gone and I'm getting worried I won't be able to find another by the time mine runs out!