Medea

[supremegoddessofall]

Granddaughter of Helios, Hecate's chosen: Medea was one of the greatest sorceresses of the ancient world. She is the embodiment of ruthless power, indomitable will and furious vengeance. Night-blooming cereus, black orchid, black currant and myrtle leaf enshrouded in the incense of Hecate's cypress and myrrh, and the dark rage of magickal labdanum and intoxicating poppy.

There's an aquatic feel to this that I wouldn't have expected given the notes listed. I'm really not getting the fruits at all, and the florals are fairly submerged under whatever it is that's screaming "aquatic" to me.

[sookster]

straight sniff from imp is a dark floral incense...

once applied it gets super f-l-o-r-a-l...like that insane jasmine that

does not play well.....gotta be the orchid...

this reminds me of lauren (by ralph lauren)...off to my mommy it goes....

[jasmine]

After I first apply it, this is a dark purple smell. Layers of lush flowers are obvious, and I can pick up the cypress underneath them.

 

I’ve also got a low undernote that reminds me of Czernobog (which I hated with a passion). I would think it was a musk, but there’s no musk in Medea, and so, comparing the two scent notes lists, that must be myrrh... except that I loved Athens, which is supposed to be mostly myrrh and came out mostly honey on my skin. I don’t get it.

 

I conclude that I’m boggled on scent notes and return to trying to concentrate what I’m actually perceiving in Medea. It’s a rich, lush smell. Much more than Czernobog, Medea remains me of Morgause: the flowers are full and dark and confident, but, for all of that, it isn’t a smell that I actually want to wear. I think it’s doing exactly what it’s supposed to do, scent-wise, but it clashes with my personality.

 

About six hours after application, Medea went very masculine on me. At that point, I would have liked it rather a lot if I picked it up on someone else, but not on me! An hour or two after that, it vanished away entirely. Very odd.

[blackfelicula]

In the bottle: To me, this smells like water and flowers.

 

Wet: I can smell orchid. This is a dark, deep scent that is more cave-dark than the cool, distant dark of the midnight sky.

 

Drying down: Orchid is still the foremost note to my nose. I can tell there are others beneath and behind it, but that's the one my nose and skin are focusing on.

 

Dry: Medea is richer and fruitier now. The orchid holds its own for me. It is complex and pretty, but rather floral. Thankfully, orchid is one of the florals that I get along with more often than not.

 

Later: This is sweet and heady. It is more floral than most of the ones I wear, but the fruit is bringing my nose back to it frequently. I think this imp will get some love.

[outofrhyme]

In the bottle:

Aquatic and spicy... beyond that, I'm having trouble identifying the notes. Something green and mildly repulsive because it's acrid.

 

Wet:

Greens, maybe a hint of myrrh? Maybe some florals?

 

Dry down:

LOTS more florals now. Slightly sweet, slightly aquatic. But I think that same damn note I didn't like in Delphi/Venice/Fallen is creeping in... it's almost certainly got something to do with the myrtle leaf in this case. It's not as bad as in those other scents. The longer I'm wearing it, the more the aquatic comes out. Something familiar hits the back of my nose, but I can't place it. Definitely not getting any currant.

 

Final thoughts:

I feel very mixed about this. Purely based on the way it smells right now, it has a lot of potential both to be a really lovely aquatic floral, and to morph into those notes that I hate. I'll try it again another time.

 

02/09 Update

I was previously undecided about how foul this was turning on my skin. I was anxious about the myrrh and the myrtle. My fears seem to be alleviated at the moment - right now, it smells like a lovely aquatic floral. I'm definitely getting poppy and orchid, with lots of watery/green notes. It's not herby, though, nor is it rain candle. I'll keep it for now.

Edited February 9, 2007 by outofrhyme

[Lit Chick]

First sniff, it's rich but not heavy. Not at all what I expected.

First application - it goes very perfumey - super strong florals - but very nice. I love it.

And then my skin eats it. Seriously, there was no throw, and barely even a hint of scent for 20 min. Weird.

After those 20 min, I get bitter soap. Still barely there, but bleh.

 

Given the notes in here, that's not suprising. Half are great on me, the other half ick. So, this started out fine, but my chemisty chewed it up and spit it out. Just as well. I don't feel very vengeful.

[theseagrows]

i think i mostly get the orchid and currant with a greenish background. i generally like orchid and currant, but i think perhaps having them in one scent is too sweet for me. the scent is nice, i just wish it had more muskiness or incense to it, then i think it would work perfectly for me.

[Ajila]

In the bottle - Lush dark blooms with just a hint of foliage.

 

Wet on me - A burst of refreshing fruit, which is quickly smothered by 'so lush they're almost rotting' blooms.

 

Dry on me - The florals run this one, but it disappears very quickly anyway.

 

Overall - This was never likely to be my thing and reminded me to steer clear of night blooming florals.

[filigree_shadow]

I like the fullness of the florals in this one (not heady or cloying), and they're backed up by something hazy and dark. The floral aspect of it almost disappears after it's dry, and I'm left with a sweet, deep incense scent. It smells a little bit planty -- I'm guessing that's from myrtle leaf or cypress. All in all not a bad scent, just not something I'm likely to wear.

[Browneyes]

Imp: This is ZOMG floral! (Why do I smell rose?)

Wet: Hmm. that's gotta be the orchid... and the poppy. And there's a funny wonky note there too...

Dry: Predominantly heady orchid/floral with that overlying smoky note, which my nose has learnt to recognise as opium/poppy. Nice, just not for me. I think I am beginning to understand my BPAL personality - I thought I'd like the heady florals, but they just somehow don't fit *me*

Super glad to have tried this though! Thanks dart

[Ophelia193]

In the bottle: Complex, with heavy juniper scent and orchid notes.

 

On skin: Woody, juniper/cypress dominant, sweet, undistinguished floral undertones.

[smallvoice]

So, at first application, this is not singing beautifully on my skin or anything. Several hours into wear, however, and the floral incense with a white musk backdrop is really unexpectedly beautiful. I'm going to have to give my nearly passed-over imp a chance. It's a really rich scent- my imp looks a bit aged, so I'm thinking that the myrrh and other notes might've really had a chance to come through because of that.

 

EDIT: There IS no white musk listed in this. Huh! It's still lovely, and I'm doing a full wear today.

Edited April 11, 2007 by cordia

[jainabee]

This one took me and a friend on a strange, mysterious journey.

 

"We're outside," I said.

"Definitely," he said.

"Oh, we're inside now."

"I hear the floorboards creaking."

"We're locked in a closet!"

"Are we under the floorboards?"

"The knives are being sharpened."

[porcelina]

bottle: orchid, poppy and incense

wet: myrhh

dry: myrrh, a little orchid and some currant but mostly MYRRH

 

my skin loves to amp myrhh to a ridiculous degree but unfortunately for my NOSE, i hate myrrh. to the swap pile you go, medea!

[Carmencita]

in the vial: nuts and various fruits on a bed of faint flowers

 

on me: nuts and blood....

 

later: itchy flowers and all of the above

[sfo4]

On me this is all florals turned sour. Smells like a combination of sour florals, lemon Pledge, and public bathroom. WTF, chemistry? Not for me, unfortunately...

[Diana]

wet: green floral. it's a bit sharp on the green note, but it's actually quite nice.

 

drydown: fades quite a bit, but it's a nice & sophisticated floraly-perfumey-green-ish scent.

[bryghtrose]

In the bottle it's very sharp and green. Maybe that's the myrtle. There's something very sharp in the top notes. As it dries down it becomes a complex floral, and there are points where the orchid and the labdanum are each dominant. I'm glad the fruits aren't dominant. Completely dry it's a rich incense with just the tiniest hint of powder.

 

I got a bottle of this in trade, unsniffed, because I knew I would like it. It's a scent of strength and femininity and I'm very happy with it.

[naeelah]

This one isn't quite as heavy and rich as I though it would be. It's a about half fruit, half green and floral, with a touch of incense. I feel like the myrtle leaf and poppy form the core of the scent. The cypress doesn't stand out, but helps to balance out the currant, I think. The currant is sweet and fruity, but not heavy and syrupy, as it often is in other blends. In the back is just a touch of incense, adding very slight smoke and spice to go along with the poppy.

 

I haven't noticed much morphing with this one. I think comparisons to an evil strawberry patch are apt, and this one kind of reminds me of a less blatantly candy-like Maened. The throw is fairly light on me, and life average to short.

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Very bitter florals with a bit of woods.

 

Immediately on skin: This scent is extremely bitter right now. I get a slightly sweet undertone, but mostly I smell cypress and bitter flowers.

 

After a few minutes: This has turned very sweet. The currant has come out to play with the other notes, but the bitter flowers (the poppy maybe?) are still there. The cypress has died down, but I am getting a resinous smokiness to the blend which I like quite a bit.

 

Later on: This has deepened and the smoky incense has come out. I really love how this morphed on me after just a few minutes of wearing it. Now it’s a beautiful, smoky mix of subtle black currant, orchid, and some deeper and more intoxicating florals.

[Narya]

bottle : a sweet fruity slightly spicy scent. very lovely, i got very excited at this stage, because it felt like a warm floral, and those are not that easy to find.

 

wet : still a bit sweet, the currant is fighting for life, no cypress or myrrh or anything else except ORCHID... a suffocating and heavy orchid

 

dry: orchid, just orchid... at this point i was soooooo disapointed, because all the warmth and fruitiness had dissapeared from this scent, it was almost like a dusty tomb overflowing with orchids...

 

then, after about half an hour the orchid starts to subside, and currant comes out again,very slowly. also, i think i feel a very weak presence of poppy.

in the drydown the scent regains some of it's initial warmth, so i believe i will wear it, atleast as long as an imp lasts. after that, not sure about buying a bottle, maybe if it grows on me. just have to survive the first half hour of orchid invasion

[pinkpepper]

This was from the wonderful shackjj.

 

In the bottle: Tart green apple pie, still warm from the oven.

 

Wet on skin: Fruity, smoky, dusty, and strong. I don't love this.

 

Dry on skin: Dark and fruity, yet clear. Very, very blackcurrant-y.

 

Conclusion: This is okay, but it's not me. It'll smell great on someone else, though.

Edited October 24, 2007 by pinkpepper

[Fright]

I sniffed the bottled and crinkled my nose. I remember thinking, "I dunnoh about this one.. I guess it'll teach me to not buy oils just because I like the NAME and the DESCRIPTION. Not based off the notes I like in the bottle..! I'm glad I don't work today.." I put it one, surprisingly, it was nice. It's very floral-y on me. Very green. Definately nice for the spring. I think I'll be keeping this one..

[rustdoll]

My first review.

 

In the imp, it smelled very flowery, and a little spicy. I couldn't really pick out any specific notes. Wet, it turned into a soapy, SOAPY floral. Ick. I don't know what made it smell this way. After a while though, the incense became more prominent and this smells much lovelier. A spicy floral, but still a little soapy.

 

This is the first imp from the lab I've ever tried.

[Ravenclaw79]

In the imp: Fruity-sweet

 

Wet: Weird. Sweet plus Play Doh? Mmm, nah, not quite Play Doh. Something floral that's not familiar to my nose, I think. It's not bad, but it's not great, either, whatever it is.

 

Drying: A strengthening floral, the kind that insists upon itself, like "hey, notice me, I'm flowers!!" Meh.