Ahathoor

[couscous]

Hail unto Thee who art Ahathoor in Thy triumphing, even unto Thee who art Ahathoor in Thy beauty, who travellest over the heavens in thy bark at the Mid-course of the Sun.
Tahuti standeth in His splendour at the prow, and Ra-Hoor abideth at the helm.
Hail unto Thee from the Abodes of Morning!

My first sun station! This came as a freebie from some labbie who knows better than I do what to try. I've always loved the idea of scents to celebrate solar energy, but I haven't found a "sun" scent yet that didn't feature either heliotrope or cinnamon. I'm hoping that Ahathoor can fill the slot for me.

In the imp, all I can smell is Sassafras- I recognize it from Tombstone and kathmandu. I love both of those scents, so I'm pretty excited to try what I believe might be a variation on the root beer theme.

On the skin: The sassafras is still going strong, and now I can smell some vetiver, as well. Once again, everything is going my way. Vetiver works really well on my skin, and it really works well with the sassafras, too-turning ahathoor earthy and root-like instead of syrupy.

Of course, this doesn't mean that Ahathoor has no sweetness. If I really, REALLY get close to my skin, I smell something vaguely fruity, like juicy orange. The overall effect is spicy (without that dreaded candle store quality many spices give) and woodsy, with a bit of a powdery sweet base.

Dry: Now I recognize that "powdery base". Heliotrope.
I'm getting heliotrope. (Sigh) Why can't I escape you?

I'm also getting some oakmoss on this. Yes. The final drydown is nearly all oakmoss, before it fades gently.

Final thoughts: Ahathoor has a lot of promise for me, and I love how Beth made a member of the spicy/woody/herbal family seem so light. I don't like oakmoss at all, and I like heliotrope even less, so the drydown put a serious wrench in my experience. Still, for the initial stages, Ahathoor is lovely, unusual, and easily wearable.

[Toby]

Very pale and pungent. I smell herbs in this, and something minty or possibly citrussy -- but if that's citrus, it's definitely more citrus peel. As it dries down, the scent gets more dry as well, and is now lightly spicy and almost... powdery. Nice, but probably not nice enough to buy a bottle or even keep the imp.

[theseagrows]

oh i had high hopes for this one, after seeing things like 'carnation' and 'spicy' mentioned in the reviews. i think i am getting some carnation, as well as the all-too familar scent of pencil lead, which is what bpal's frankincense does on my skin.

[atlaswinks]

8/10

 

This is so subtle that it is almost scentless in the vial. One first swipe there is a hint of lemon rind, a hint of spice ...Birch beer? Then I smelled sweet water, LIKE a cold glass of cucumber water after a massage at your favorite spa. Ice water with slices of cucumber and lemon and water droplets on the outside of the thin crystal glass. This is very light - bright - crisp --- almost undectectable but invokes a happy spring feeling - like when you wake up after partying late the night before , only you realize you don't feel hungover at all but rested and refreshed and then stretch and hear a bird singing in a lemon tree outside your open window. ... sheer curtains slightly moving from a blue sky breeze. ...subtle subtle undernote like far away amber and spice, but the top note is lemon and cucumber water.

 

A future 5 ml purchase.

[supremegoddessofall]

It's very strong. I smell incense, cinammon, maybe dragon's blood and a bit of orange. Maybe a bit of vanilla underneath? I like it better the longer its on, but it's not my favorite incense-y scent.

 

Score: 3 out of 5

[CoveredInRain]

This one is definitely complex. The sharpness in the vial was almost offputting, but previous experience told me to give it the skin test.

 

Wet on skin: The previous reviewers who mentioned the root beer/sassafrass note hit on the head. I couldn't discern anything else at this point.

 

15 minutes on skin: It's mellowing - the root beer is fading and a citrus and incense effect is emerging.

 

Two hours on skin: It has morphed into something lovely. Soft and enticing. Very evocative of an old church - in a good way.

 

The only real downside is the lack of throw. This is a private fragrance - don't expect many comments from those around you.

 

Verdict: I'm in like, not love.

[oh_the_horror]

In bottle: Odd, spicy, clove or rootbeer, hard to describe.

 

Wet and drying down: First whiff immediately makes me think of a man's cheek with black stubble on it. What can I say? This is dry, spicy and masculine. I smell a lot of clove. It feels like it's numbing my nose. It reminds me of voodoo. They both make me think of cola soda.

 

Dry: It's faded a lot, but hasn't changed really.

 

I'm going to try this on my boyfriend, but I don't think it will suit him since he has a light brown and partially reddish beard.

[Spastik_Kitty]

In the imp: Benzoin, sassafrass and mint

 

First on: The same as above, but the minty part seems like spearamint and there is something slightly leathery in there

 

After a bit: Smells like a rootbeer float with mint, with an anamalistic slightly spicy side.

 

A bit more: Like a sweeter version on laudanum (this is why I'm thinking there is benzoin in it), more delicate, delicately spiced.

 

Def a keeper

[Voleuse]

On first application this is pungent...amber? Resin? I'm having trouble pinning it down, but I get something spicy, like incense, but rounder. This isn't sweet at all on me. There's a hint of florals behind it, but it's more spice and wood on me. This is dry and warm. Definitely sun-like.

[monsteralice]

Wet - menthol and resin

 

Dry - wintergreen plus cedar or sandalwood

 

Finish - It's a very dry scent. Mostly sandalwood, I think, with something sweet and a little spicy.

 

Duration/throw - It stays close to the wrist, even at the start. Every once in a while I get a whiff of something like pencils or resin incense. After the initial fade there hasn't been much change in four hours.

 

It's a keeper, but I don't know if I'll put it on my big bottle list.

[Electra]

I wish I got what everyone else is describing from this one!

 

The throw is incense. I can't put my finger on it at the moment, but it smells JUST like at least one other BPAL blend I've tried. It's driving me crazy, actually! I wish I could figure out which blend it is. I'm having major olfactory deja vu. It's not unpleasant, but not a scent I'd reach for.

 

When I put my wrist up to my nose, I recoil -- I get the distinct scent of something burning. It's very hot, very dry, and...well...burning! It smells like burning wood. This oil really does capture the concept of the midday sun, and would be a great working oil IMO. I don't need it for that purpose, so it isn't a keeper for me.

[hadaverde]

In the imp, it is warm and herbal, somewhat sharp with a slightly peppery hint somewhere deep below the surface.

 

On the skin, it is still mildly peppery, but not quite as sharp as in the vial. There is definitely a musky or resinous note of some sort in here, and perhaps a touch of vetiver as well. As drydown commences, it remains warm, and a bouquet of spices begins to unfold, reminiscent in ways to the spice notes of both Morocco and Kathmandu.

 

The final incarnation of this blend hints at amber and a faint echo of spices, but unfortunately, it seems to fade very quickly on me, and has no throw at all once it dries.

[funkmoppet]

Wow, wet this is amazing! Sweet in the imp, then up comes the fantastic herbal and resin wave.

 

The dry down is lovely! Sniffs of evergreen and a warm, wonderful woody note. This is oh-so evocative of the sun. Strong, warming, bright and so pleasing! I'm absolutely loving it.

 

But resin. Yeah, that's right skin, I did say resin. Are you going to...?

 

Yes. Yes you are.

 

Oookay.

 

Doom powder.

Edited July 10, 2007 by funkmoppet

[Naamah_Darling]

I just think of the scents with no notes listed as workouts for my nose.

 

Unfortunately, I can't make heads or tails of this one.

 

Spicy florals over a base that is at once citric and resinous. Frankincense and carnation? I can't say. It's at once woody, herbal, and crystalline, not unlike Khephera in approach, but where Khephera was very dark, this is bright and shining. It's opposite, say, and yet rendered in the same style.

 

I can't say I am in love with it; something about it stings my nose, and it has a definite citric twang to it that I find dubious. It shares the amber/patchouli base that was in Khephera. The drydown is very nice, a sort of incense/herbal scent, but the opening is too citric for me.

[JenM]

Not for me, I'm afraid.

 

 

 

In the imp: Um, sorry, but it smells of band-aids. Complete with slightly astringent smell.

 

On the wrist: a very warm smell, herby/resiny, but I just can’t get band-aids out of my head. I’m a bit at a loss, so I’m going to check the reviews and see what they have.

 

Drydown: sandalwood, definitely. And maybe a hint of lemon balm—not citrussy enough actually to be lemon itself. Still very warm.

 

You know, there’s simply not enough there for me even to make up a metaphor, however stretched.

 

Randomly layered it with Zephyr—makes it brighter, and less incense-y. Summery-er. But I’m not keeping it just for that.

[CrazyPretzel]

I've got Ra on my left inner elbow and I'm really enjoying him; now seems like the right time to try Ahathoor as well.

 

In the imp: I can smell that citrus peel people are talking about. A little bitter, but not unpleasant.

Wet on me: Um, tricky! Still strong citrus peel, but with a herby quality to it -- makes me think of a Chinese pharmacy, but much more pleasant. A touch of sweetness like honey is peeking out too.

Dry on me: Very much like the wet stage, but not as strong. Or perhaps my nose is just getting numb to the scent after two minutes of steady inhalation. The sweetness is getting stronger, and I think it might be orange blossom...nope, seems to be frankincense!

 

I'm really enjoying both Ra and Ahathoor. Guess I need to try the other solar oils now!

 

ETA: After about an hour this suddenly becomes very cedar-y, which is bad news for me. The frankincense makes it tolerable enough, but the cedar does strike it from the bottle list.

Edited August 6, 2007 by Baitu

[aine]

Damn, I love the Stations of the Sun. And Ahathoor is my favourite of them all.

 

It's hot. Dry. Arid. Like an open plain under the scorching sun. I especially love the absence of sweetness or softness. Ahathoor means business.

 

This oil absolutely shines on my skin. It's so perfectly blended that I have trouble distinguishing the notes but I am reasonably confident I am smelling sassafras and heliotrope primarily. There are dry woods, a dry but soft vetiver and warming spices. Maybe even a dry carnation note. Did I mention it's dry??

 

I just adore Ahathoor, so unique and so evocative. It is a perfect representation of the midday sun. This scent was in my Top Ten for ages, and has only been bumped by the recent influx of magnificent Gaiman scents. I think I'll have to have a Top Fifteen just so I can squeeze it in!

[ceiswyn]

In the bottle: Aargh! I know this smell! But what is it?! This smells... hot. Not spicy-hot, though it does have a spicy edge, but... strong and dry, in the same way that, say, neroli is dry. Very complex. Is that carnation I detect for a moment, before it changes into something else? Something herbal too, that gives my nose that chill menthol edge after I've been sniffing it solidly for a few minutes. Something vaguely reminiscent of marker pens too, in the background.

 

On the wrist: On the wrist it instantly becomes dryer and slightly dusty. My nose is still chilled from sniffing it in the bottle, but if I sniff my wrists they're just, well, warm. It's musky, with a hint of spice, and a complex bouquet of unsweet flowers about the edge. It smells of hot days; not holidays on a tropical beach, but days when everything seems flattened by the heat and you toil on under an incandescent sun and mercilessly vivid blue sky. The left wrist is a little sweeter and floweryer, the right is pure dusty heat. There's definitely carnation in the throw.

 

One hour later: It's turned into a faint warm myrrh. It's still nice (I like myrrh) if not quite what it was.

[porcelina]

it starts out VERY astringent then becomes a dry, pungent herbal scent. i smell sage and root beer candies. very dry- it tickles my nose!

[Miss Lynx]

Interesting... A warm, spicy, heavy incense scent, with a surprisingly dark edge for a blend based on the noonday sun. Then again, in a climate like Egypt, the noonday sun can probably kill you, so maybe it's appropriate after all.

 

There are elements to this that resemble Aureus, War and Shub-Niggurath in different ways, though I don't like it quite as much as I like Aureus or Shub. It's not bad, but it very much smells more like a ritual oil than one you would wear as a perfume, which I suppose is perfectly in keeping with its purpose. Thought it seems to be almost as much martial as solar -- the spices in it have a very sharp edge.

 

It lasts quite a long time and has a strong throw, and the way the scent settles in after a few hours (and loses the sharp edge) is actually pretty nice and something that wouldn't be bad at all as a perfume. But I think I have enough spicy-incensey scents already that I don't really need it for that.

 

Hmmm, even though I probably wouldn't wear it as an ordinary perfume, and don't work much with Egyptian deities, I might keep it for ritual use. It smells like something you'd wear as a serious protection/self-defence oil, for times when you want to really kick magical butt. Very much a power oil.

 

Grade: B

[aquazoo]

Sasparilla? It's got that root-beer, slightly anise smell to it. Maybe a warm mintyness. I can really feel it reacting with my body heat in a wonderful way.

[hkhm]

imp: the first thing i smell is clove. there is something sweet and floral too but all i can really smell is clove. yum.

 

wet: this is like sweet clove candy on my skin. a very unusual scent to me.

 

dry: this dries to indistinct florals with a slight spiciness.

[maribouquet]

Wet this is resinous and gummy, almost medicinal smelling...Very different from what I'd expected, as I'm not getting any of the spices or orange that others have mentioned. This smells sunbaked and has the thick muskiness of sweat. Not unpleasant exactly, just really not working on me, unfortunately.

[l6l803399]

I'm not very good at identifying individual notes, so with that in mind, here goes:

 

The imp smelled slightly unpleasant of woods and spice and pepper.

 

On my skin, it was strong, cinnamony, peppery, with a faint sweet undertone.

 

On the drydown, it mellowed out a lot, with something slightly minty in the background, and still sweet, dry, and hot.

 

I like it, but might not warrant a bottle.

[Honeygirl]

Bottle: Spicy

 

Wet: Carnation and Amber, both slightly warm and spicy. Maybe some pepper?

 

Drydown: Reminds me of a warmer Lush's Potion. I like it!

3.0 outta 5