The Shadowy And The Sublime

[edenssixthday]

THE SHADOWY AND THE SUBLIME
Meanwhile, the deep impression made by this unknown tormentor, the monk, and especially by his prediction of the death of Bianchi, remained upon his mind, and he once more determined to ascertain, if possible, the true nature of the portentous visitant, and what were the motives which induced him thus to haunt his footsteps and interrupt his peace. He was awed by the circumstances which had attended the visitations of the monk, if monk it was; by the suddenness of his appearance, and departure; by the truth of his prophecies; and, above all, by the solemn event which had verified his last warning; and his imagination, thus elevated by wonder and painful curiosity, was prepared for something above the reach of common conjecture, and beyond the accomplishment of human agency. His understanding was sufficiently clear and strong to teach him to detect many errors of opinion, that prevailed around him, as well as to despise the common superstitions of his country, and in the usual state of his mind, he probably would not have paused for a moment on the subject before him; but his passions were not interested, and his fancy awakened, and, though he was unconscious of this propensity, he would, perhaps, have been somewhat disappointed, to have suddenly from the region of fearful sublimity to which he had soared —the world of terrible shadows— to the earth, on which he daily walked, and to an explanation simply natural.
—The Italian, Ann Radcliffe

A sudden and shocking insight into the vast, ineffable, overwhelming power of Nature, stirred by a vision or experience of perfected beauty and perfected terror, that changes the soul irretrievably. An epiphany: Moroccan amber, wisteria, ambergris accord, white rose, magnolia, white mint, angelica, bergamot, and myrrh.

The Shadowy And The Sublime - Every time there's a big update, there's always one scent that I think I'll actually dislike, but which ends up being the biggest hit of the bunch. For the 2010 Weenies, this was the surprise winner. It has magnolia, bergamot, and wisteria, all of which are "iffy" notes that generally lean to the "no" side of the spectrum. But, it also has some of my favorites - amber, white rose, myrrh. When I sniffed it in the bottle the first time, it didn't do much for me, but the moment I applied it, those resins just blossomed with my skin chemistry, and I was surrounded by a swirl of myrrh and amber and ambergris, which are bolstered by the other notes -- the earthy angelica, the sweet mint, and the florals. The florals are not fully present in their own right, but they seem to boost the resin notes and make them bigger, better, deeper, stronger, and amplify their scent. The overall result on my particular skin is something that is strongly reminiscent of an opium-based perfume oil. (Or maybe there's just opium smoke/tar in this that's not on the ingredient list?) All of these notes blending together definitely leave an overall impression of a scent that I would categorize with my other favorite opium scents. I love this so much. It has amazing throw (a little goes a long way!) and above average staying power. (It's hard to get around to testing the other Weenies because I love this one so much I don't want to give up any skin time to things I don't think I'd like as much!)

[spiresinthesnow]

Love love love this one! Edens Sixth Day pretty much nailed it on this one. I was surprised when I tried it. No strong magnolia or rose, or any predominance of any of the notes that I can tell, its just so well blended together. Opium-like is a very good way to describe it, smoky too. Overall it creates a dreamlike haze that is very mysterious, melancholy and a little bit sexy. My second favorite from the Goth Lit series and definite bottle purchase.

Edited September 10, 2010 by glasspillars

[Dark Alice]

Soft white rose..with a hint of mint and myrrh. This is amazing. I don't smell any magnolia. It's a very cooling scent the opposite twin of The last rose of summer...where as in that scent the rose is warmed by the frankincense the white rose in this is cooled by the mint and the myrrh. ETA: The magnolia is there but it is barely there. I do believe this will be a must bottle in my next order.

[CynicalPink]

Imp: Complex! Bubbly, sweet, and smooth

 

Wet: Very cute. Wouldn't have expected that. A sweet, yellow floral

 

Drydown: 1) Amber comes up as soon as it dries. This one has so many notes that I'm having trouble keeping track, but the overall effect is fantastic.

2) Nothing is dominating the scent. Clean floral that's not overly sweet. Not sticky at all.

 

Overall: I it. I want to get a bottle so badly, but I'll have to deathmatch it out against Enchanted Woods Florist for this year's Lupers. But...I don't want to think about it! I just want a bottle! It smells very Victorian and proper but just...beautiful. And maybe a bit mysterious. W.A.N.T.

[Aldercy]

This was gorgeously bottle-worthy until the wisteria started to take over a little during the dry-down. It starts out all sticky, pale amber, ambergris and mild sweet myrhh (very nice combination, very sheer and lacy), and those notes do stick around, but when the wisteria comes out to play, it's a bit of a bully, at least on my skin. I'm surprised how easily it wins out over magnolia and rose-- florals that I usually amp a bit.

 

It's still a very lovely scent-- innocent but haunting, old-fashioned but sophisticated, very memorable-- I just wish that strong bite of slightly sweet-pea-like wisteria would die down to the background instead of the foreground. If, in the long-term drydown it eventually fades, I think I could still go for a 5ml.

[Molls]

This really does have great throw. It's a very "soft" scent, it just feels smooth. I'm guessing that's from the ambergris? If I raise my arm up to my nose, I can get whiffs of some of the other notes, but they all kind of meld together very nicely. It's quite lovely, but I think my decant is enough for me.

[darab]

I am always hesitant to try any floral scents because they never seem to fit my personality; I am not a girlie girl at all. The notes listed on this one caught my eye thou, amber, magnolia, bergamot, and myrrh. I am glad I took a risk with this one, because as soon as it hit my skin, I liked it immediately. This is a well blended scent, I think I can smell all the notes in perfect harmony. It is hard to describe as there is nothing else like it; this scent is sweet, spicy, earthy, and slightly minty herbal all at the same time. It has a great throw as well, and does last all day long. In the vial, I can smell the magnolia, but it blends out with everything else once it is on my skin. This did not do a whole lot of morphing on me, pretty much stayed the same wonderful scent through-out. The only bad thing about this scent, sometimes it can smell like baby powder especially at a distance away from where it was applied. One of the guys at the office says it smells powdery, but also clean and refreshing.

Glad I took a risk on this one and will need to order a bottle. IMO – this is one could easily become a widespread commercial perfume.

[reynardine]

Wow, this one is really pretty! Wet, I’m getting amber, magnolia and wisteria with a bit of mint. It dries down to mainly amber, ambergris and mint on me. I may get a bottle, must test again!

[SophieCedar]

Reminds me of a rich expensive perfume that I always wanted and never bought.. then forgot about once I got into BPAL.

 

This is complex, opulent, and stirring. The moroccan amber is amazing and actually sticks around without turning the blend to powder. Ambergris and magnolia are the second most notable. The bergamont is tart & sweet with mint giving a green fresh yet edible bite to it. Wisteria provides a whisper of sweet & sad (my favorite) but it's just a whimper instead of a whine. The myrrh just ties it all together and provides that shadowy element... Completely perplexing and I want to drown myself in it then roll around in some velvet pillows and silk sheets.

 

It's actually making me salivate? Strange! There's an undercurrent of pepper during the wet phase but it mellows in drydown.

 

Buying a bottle along with the unsavory gravediggers for sure.

Edited September 19, 2010 by SophieCedar

[angelicruin]

Rose softened & sweetened with myrrh and light mint. Very lovely.

[LinnerPinner]

I cannot get over how gorgeous this is. It's absolutely blended to perfection. Reading the notes, I know they're all in there, but nothing dominates. To me it's the perfect first date scent: intoxicatingly sexy, but in a very sophisticated, feminine way.

[bheansidhe]

...aaand, on me, it's dusting powder.

 

Very expensive perfumed dusting powder, from an Oriental type of perfume, but dusting powder.

 

No mint, no rose, no discernable florals; just powdery resins. Very proper and Victorian, very light and feminine. Don't mind me, dear; I'll just be boozing it up with the gravediggers over in the corner. You carry on without me.

Edited September 23, 2010 by bheansidhe

[lahdeedah]

This one definitely feels like a high-end classic perfume for me. It evokes a wistful femininity. Initially the amber and bergamot step out, and I'm very much reminded of Okayaki from last year's Shungas. But there's a softness to this blend from the other florals and myrrh that Okayaki doesn't have. As it dries further, all the notes really mesh and it is a bit powdery and definitely sweet. That's my general experience with BPAL ambers though, and I've grown to like it. Personally, I wish I got a bit more mint or angelica, or something that would ground it a bit more and take it out of the realm of ethereal, but it's very pretty regardless.

[Schmoozy]

The Shadowy and the Submlime is heavenly. At first it is all amber, bergamot and myrrh. Slightly powdry (which I love) with hints of soft florals (mainly rose.) It's kinda ethereal and light, wispy and cool due to the mint. The notes all seamlessly blend together and once it has had a chance to dry down and morph, the moroccan amber really takes the stage.

[zankoku_zen]

The Shadowy and the Sublime is more than the sum of its parts. Wisteria, magnolia and certain rose notes are absolutely DEATH notes to me, so I am pleasantly surprised on how much I truly enjoy this blend. Myrrh and amber create a nice resinous base with hints of florals but they are stopped from being overly floral with swirls of ambergris which lends a slightly aquatic blush to it.

 

Warm, spicy, resinous. I am seriously digging this.

[Heavenlyrabbit]

This is gorgeous and I can barely wait to get a bottle for a slather. Agreed with above poster who said "high end perfume".

 

Ambergris and Ambergris Accord does a lot for my skin chemistry. Sort of like Benzoin secretly makes everything better. I'd love to know where Beth got this accord or if she made it up herself.

Edited September 27, 2010 by Heavenlyrabbit

[obsidienne]

Ooooooh. I had high hopes for this, but this is even better than I expected. The Shadowy and the Sublime is an utterly gorgeous smooth golden amber, sugared with lush, slightly tropical-feeling sweet florals. The ambergris sooo not its usual funky/salty problem here, just adding a touch of bright counterpart. The myrrh is delicate and sweet. I wish I could describe this better... it's just very very beautiful, elegant, and wonderful. High class, but not boring department store perfume either!

Edited September 28, 2010 by obsidienne

[Blood onmy hands]

I think that I judged this scent too harshly and quickly the first time I tried it, because I didn't like it at first and it has actually become my favorite Halloween blend. It's one of those scents that is very well blended and smells like an expensive, complex perfume. It's something that I could imagine coming out of a major perfume house and being widely appealing to a large audience (though it's dark and rich and not like the weak fruity-florals that clutter up department store shelves).

 

When I first wore this, I applied it lightly to my wrists and smelled it up close and it was perfumey, rose-y, and with vanilla amber tones, and I didn't love it. But this really shines when it's worn properly (slathered on and brushed through my hair, for me, lol). When I apply this right and give it a chance to throw off some scent and work its magic, it envelopes me in this exotic, perfumey cloud that I just love. Dark, resinous amber, sweetly musky ambergris (with vanilla amber tones that remind me of Arcana's Nepalese Amber layering note), and swirls of exotic, rich florals. It smells expensive and womanly. I've worn it out quite a few times now and have actually had a couple people stop me and ask what it was, and my husband *loves* this on me.

 

So, yeah, I'm now a huge fan of this scent after giving it another chance. I'm going to need a couple backup bottles. I love it like I love some of bpal's more complex & darkly exotic perfume scents (like the feel that I get from complex blends like Liz, The Girl, & Black Lace), and it's really unlike any of the bpal scents that I already own.

 

Love it.

 

ETA:

Aaand, as seems to be the trend lately, I fell in love with an early bottle of this and ordered two more before the LEs went down, and my two newer bottles smell nothing like the original. Wth bpal

My two new bottles smell like tons of baby powder, and a hint of minty rose. Damnit.

Edited December 22, 2010 by Little Bird

[CapricornSister]

This scent is absolutely gorgeous! Just so soft and warm. I don't get much rose, but definitely an underlying sweetness which could be the combo of amber, rose and wisteria. The myrrh is very subtle but brings an earthy quality to it without screaming at you. Just beautiful and a multiple bottle purchase for sure!

[Amaranthus]

This smells like incredibly expensive perfume that a refined nineteenth century lady of means would spray onto her décolletage out of a delicate nacreous glass atomizer bottle. There is something of an oriental mystique meets western sublimation of sexuality vibe going on here.

 

I enjoy the contrast of the pretty florals, ambergris, and mint against the amber and myrrh. So lovely.

I love the mint in this. The mint adds a spectral quality, and takes this from being a nice perfume to being a beautiful perfume.

[yeahbutnobut]

The Shadowy and the Sublime

 

In the imp: the amber here has potential to be incredible-it reminds me of spicy Nepalese amber. But there’s something that could turn weird.

Wet on skin: ok wisteria, don’t turn to evil on me. This amber is made of win.

Dry on skin: not sure what to make of this. On the one hand, it smells of truly awesome things. Like rose, and myrrh, and an amber note that reminds me of the likes of L’Estate or the Lamia prototype, as well as Nepalese amber scents from other companies, it is golden, exotic, and almost cardamom-y. It reminds me of an ambery version of that wonderful vanilla-honey-cardamom scent from Lush’s The Soft Touch. But there’s also wisteria (which smells wilted on me) and something that could turn to that odd civet note in some of the ‘manly traditional perfume’ scents. But it seems the amber is amping on me, which is fantastic.

After a while: the amber here is so beautiful! Rich and golden and with that undertone of kulfi (yes, kulfi!) that makes it even more exquisite. But I’m not sure about the wisteria here. It seems to combine with another note and gives a slightly unsettling undertone that is slightly civet-y and also smells like wilted wisteria, under the beautiful amber. Maybe the magnolia is turning bad too? It’s not the lovely Yvaine magnolia that is good on me. It’s a shame really because I am sure this is the amber from the Lamia prototype. It reminds me of the Maltese Cross from CD too, which is good because that scent improved greatly with age.

Sadly the wisteria does take over, despite the fact that the amber has amazing throw and is the main scent away from the skin. Close to the wrist…not so good.

Verdict: I am so confused by this scent! The amber in here is stunning and unique-I haven’t found anything similar in any other BPAL scent, it’s a glowing, sweet, golden scent infused with vanilla and cardamom, exotic and comforting. I am in love with this amber, along with the supporting notes of myrrh and rose. But there’s something else here that isn’t working, and I think it is wisteria. Bad, bad wisteria. Even the awesomeness of the amber doesn’t block out this pesky floral note, which turns to bad wilted bitter floral fail, and even turns somewhat animalistic on me here. I will keep the decant of it solely for the amber, but wisteria puts me off getting a bottle.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Not sure yet.

If you like this, try: Her Voice, Odd Portents, L’Estate, The Maltese Cross of Sanctus Germanus, Two Loves

[countessmouse]

When I was a child, my maternal grandmother kept a chest filled with old clothes, purses, hats, shoes and costume jewelry for me and my sisters to play with when we visited. This scent smells EXACTLY how that old chest smelled -- eerily so! Mostly wisteria and magnolia with a hint of the amber and bergamot.

 

This is a lovely, old-fashioned scent that I will happily wear again just for the memories it evokes.

[milo]

Wow, doesn't anyone else find this quite similar to The Harp? I'm thinking perhaps the Moroccan amber. Whatever the case, this is a soft vanilla-y amber bordering on powdery, but doesn't go there. It's got a teeny bit more floral going on than the Harp, but they really are quite similar to me. I really like this, but don't need it as I have quite a bit of The Harp.

[ami226]

On the skin: An ambery floral. Very lovely!

 

Sadly this one turns on me after a bit. The florals completely take over and are beginning to hurt my nose. *sigh* Not for me.

[filigree_shadow]

Soft, whispery, shadowy florals. Sweet and feminine, but not at all heady. It smells complex and intriguing. Seems like more of an evening scent than a morning one -- it's not bright and cheerful, it's mysterious. Very pretty. I only have a decant, and that's probably enough for me since I don't wear florals much, but I really won't want to give up my decant.