He Too With Death Shall Dwell

[The Poison Queen]

Somalian myrrh, purple roses, orris root concrete, French cypress, and pomegranate juice.

In the Bottle: Dark violets and rose and sweet pomegranate. There aren't any violets in this! I know some people percieve actual orris root to smell of violets, but it's doesn't smell that way at all to me usually, and I usually associate the lab's orris note with dusty bone or a sweet dryness. It's very pleasant!

Wet: Sweet violets, with a huge throw, over pomegranate. Very pleasant.

Drydown: Candied violet and pomegranate. Still a huge throw, almost overwhelming but still very nice. I think this is a great autumn scent, and am very happy that the myrrh doesn't turn powdery on me.

[Shirel]

Disclaimer- I'm testing this only a few hours after it arrived.

 

Wet- This is very violet-like somehow! But after a short while it starts getting more and more rose like.

 

Dried down- This is very rose, the dark pink and juicy kind of rose not red, with a hint of spice/resin in it but still very sweet.

 

I was going to write a longer review but the computer froze and I lost my train of though but the colour image I get from this is like the sky at dusk... when all the clouds are pink and the sky is slowly going from purple to dark blue.

 

EDT- it took longer then usual, but as always the rose takes over the blend. It's a sweet juicy rose but that's about all I can smell now. This may need some aging to get all the notes out.

Edited September 9, 2013 by Shirel

[ktmura]

I originally tested this right as it came out of the hot mailbox, and ended up with nothing but powdery pomegranate, like one of those powdered drink mixes. It's been a few days now, so time to retest.

 

Wet: Powdery orris and pomegranate. Thankfully, the powder stage only lasts a few minutes, and then it is rose fighting with the pomegranate for dominance. I'm not getting any cypress or myrrh.

 

Drydown: Lush juicy red roses. I know there's pomegranate in there, but it blends beautifully with the rose.

 

Verdict: I love roses, so this is definitely a keeper.

[RiverPoet]

In the vial, this is really sweet. Once on and drying, it’s less pom juice, and there’s a bit of a powdery stage. Then the roses come out, and I get violets from the orris root. I don’t get much of the cypress or myrrh at all, at least to name by smell. It settles in to a rose-violet with additional sweetness from the pom, and just a hint of dry spice if I get my nose right to the skin. 'Candied violets' is a good descriptor for the final, lingering scent on me. Pretty!

[theseagrows]

it smells sweet and sour to me in the vial, and on my skin it turns very sour. i think cypress may be the culprit here? it smells like dying roses with a hint of pomegranate in the background, not a good rose scent at all. it's funny, because rose usually works for me and is one of my favorite notes, but unfortunately, it occasionally does this. i think the cypress and pomegranate are adding that sourness, possibly, as they are both notes that often don't work with my skin chemistry. i was so taken by the purple roses and myrrh, that i thought this one might work for me. i am disappointed that it didn't but now i can pass it on to someone who it will work for

[allinmyhead]

This starts off promising with the sweetness and candy edge, but it turns to all rose on me. Now, I do like roses, but these are sharp roses with loads of fresh green stems with them. Meh. I'll probably hang onto my bottle for a whole to see if it settles down. If not, I'm sure there will be someone to give it a home

[Xue_Bai]

In the decant: A swirl of myrrh, orris, and rose. No real hint of pomegranate yet.

 

Wet: Annnd there's the pomegranate, playing front and center with the rose (which is different from some of the lab's other roses). Below that is the myrrh and what I assume is the cypress. The orris might still be there, but it's hard to tell.

 

Dry: The orris came back with revenge. Now it's rose and orris, with the pomegranate playing second fiddle, and a background of woodiness.

 

Throw is amazing without being too much. I might need a full bottle.

[Magycmyste]

In the imp: Mostly sweet fruit and myrrh, probably the pomegranate juice and myrrh, with maybe the faintest hint of rose.

 

Wet on skin: I'm not as familiar with French cypress or orris root, so they may be somewhere in here and I'm just not recognizing them. This is still primarily pomegranate and myrrh on me. There is a little woodiness behind the myrrh that might be the cypress (makes me think of sandalwood). I'm not really getting much rose or any other floral out of this right now.

 

Dried down: Pomegranate and sandalwood. Not what I was expecting, but I like it.

 

Throw: Not much. I can almost smell the pomegranate floating around my head, but it's less a scent and more of a presence. I have to sniff my wrists to really get the scent.

 

Verdict: **** This is not at all what I was expecting from this, but I think I'm going to want to upgrade to a bottle. This is very different from anything else I have, and I think it's perfect for the upcoming months. A juicy pomegranate, but not too sweet.

[milo]

This is pretty myrhh heavy on me, in fact quite similar to the Golgothan Myrhh SN. After about an hour, it becomes a bit powdery and sweet, which I'm guessing is the rose. It's kind of nice, but not something I'd wear, and it's pretty similar to the SN which I have a bottle of already.

[Myrrha]

I love this one!

 

Tested right out of the mailbox and only put on a small amount so I'll come back and change this if my impression changes after further testing.

 

Wet: the florist rose is most predominant with an overlay of orris (smells violet-like on me). I thought at first I wouldn't like this as the impression is a bit overly elegant and tame.

 

As it dries: the myrrh gives it more depth. The pomegranate and rose blend together and add up to something more interesting. I can smell a woody note in there somewhere, and the merest hint of something spicy.

 

Dry (two hours): For a while when I was outside in the cold I thought it was too light but indoors it has bloomed again and is just amazingly good. Rose/violet (or "purple roses") with depth. When I sniff my wrist directly the myrrh (i think it is the myrrh) gives it a sexier vibe.

Edited October 28, 2013 by Myrrha

[zankoku_zen]

Dark violets, roses and pomegranate. This is a dark, purple vibed, blend. Regal, sweet-smelling but there's some backbone to this blend.

 

If you like either violets, roses, or pomegranate, I'd give this a whirl.

 

Did I mention regal? There's a certain imperiousness here. The sort of blend a queenly woman that has no problems ordering the assassination of a political rival, with the subtle wave of her hand.

[patina]

Unlike other reviewers, I can pick out the cypress easily. It's the most noticeable thing in the bottle. On my skin the roses bloom, along with a violet powder (the orris) and the myrrh. While the myrrh sweetens everything, it doesn't cover up the rest of the scent.

 

Roses, orris, wood, and resins are all there and accounted for, but the sweet, powdery roses are the most prominent part of the scent on my skin. It may be a bit too far into face powder territory for me. There is some throw but not much.

[mymymai]

ITI: It's soft, reminiscent of sun-dried linen with a hint of rose and something that is skewing almost like a citrus note.

 

Wet: The rose and cypress are a little clearer on my skin, and I can tell there is orris root here, but it serves as a slightly powdery base that displays the florals rather than competes with them.

 

Dry: It's very light after about 10 hours of wear, but I can still tease out the rose, something slightly sweet, and a dusty myrrh.

[OctoberGwen]

This very fruity on me; I am not getting myrrh or cypress, just a surprisingly bright fruity floral. It's very juicy and purple, quite nice but not my sort of scent at all. For some reason I thought this would be darker; it needs some incense or resin or patchouli to work for me, I guess.

[Lani]

I busted out my year-old bottle of this today because it feels like fall here and I definitely associate this scent with fall. When I first bought it the pomegranate was really strong in the top notes, but in the aged bottle the pomegranate has mellowed into the orris, which is now much stronger than I remember. The fruity-floral combo is darkened by the myrrh, and while I can't sniff out the cypress on its own, I get the feeling that it's back there, giving the whole composition more depth. Still lovely, still glad I have it, and perfect for these cooler fall days!

[Aveya]

My take : Evergreen tree with rose blooms & oozing pomegranate sap.

 

Surprisingly fascinating.

However, it starts to turn soapy on me in no time. Eeks.

Edited May 4, 2018 by Aveya