Temple of Dreams

[Iceblink]

For use when working with the many Gods of Sleep, Dreams, and Nightmares.

This was a frimp with my bottle of TKO (how fitting!). It is indeed a very pungent, herbal lavender/rosemary scent. I've dabbed my wrists with it the past two nights and have slept heavily and had really vivid dreams (the dreaming part is normal for me, though). An interesting blend. I wouldn't wear it as a daytime scent but it's very relaxing for bedtime.

[hbrogan]

I got this as a frimp in my latest order, and I didn't hate it on first sniff, so it went into my "try it out" pile. It's interesting that I picked it out today, since I had some strange and anxiety-inducing dreams last night.

 

In the bottle: Lavender and more lavender.

 

Wet: Yep, still lavender. I put it on at work and my co-worker immediately started sniffing the air and asking if anyone smelled something herbally.

 

Dry: All I get from this one is lavender, really. Not a bad thing, since I like lavender, but I really can't detect anything else. Maybe a tiny bit of sweet basil, but it's tough to pick out.

 

After about 2 hours: This faded really fast. If I sniff my wrist I can smell something, but it's a very vague sweetness.

 

Overall, I'm neutral about this one. It's something I'd be more inclined to add to a relaxing bath than wear on a daily basis. Might be nice as a room scent for bedtime.

[RougeNoir]

I am not even sure what this smells like - clean, definitely! Not what you'd expect from a sleep blend - it's not cozy or snuggly. BUT i fell asleep within SECONDS of applying this last night and slept like a ROCK. My dreams were interesting - more cohesive than normal, with definite "storylines". I like this a lot.

[maribouquet]

I'm glad I got to try this, but I confess that it smells like burnt rubber on me. Sadly not a smell that is super conducive to sleeping/sleep related feelings.

[steffanina]

Temple of Dreams-

 

In Bottle: A lavender that's so strong it's almost menthol-y.

 

Wet: Aggressive scent; the lavender almost gets lost in its sharpness.

 

Dry: This doesn't work on my skin; it's noxious. But I liked it in the bottle, so I think I'll likely try it as a sniffer when I need something to clear my head.

 

Overall: Conditional; will use only from bottle.

[nancybridget]

Sharp, acrid and sour. A completly bitter herbal blend.

[supremegoddessofall]

Eww! Lemon-neroli-aquatic nastiness with an overtone of Sharpie pen.

[batsy]

In the vial: lemon-rosemary burning! Ahh! Burns! Made my nose burn.

 

I couldn't bring myself to test it on my skin. This is off to the swaps!

[Brianne]

In the vial:

lemongrass and lavender

 

On me:

I can't say if this blend works or not for practical purposes, because I'm a frequent dreamer and always have been without any aide of any kind. But as far as scent goes, this is very herbal and pungent. I did get lemongrass in the vial, but on my skin it just smells like rosemary and lavendar. And though I wouldn't wear this as a personal scent, there is something oddly comforting about this smell.

 

Final note:

Not something I'd put on to smell pretty, but I am keeping the imp anyways because the herbal, pungent quality is comforting in a way.

[bombus]

All I can smell is the lavender nothing else. I love lavender so this isn’t a bad thing. It is very restful and calm and I can see how this could help someone sleep. I can’t see myself putting this on before bedtime so to the sale pile it goes.

[Browneyes]

Scent-wise I get a herbal lavender/rosemary/lemongrass from this. I like it alot, but I guess you have to like lavender to appreciate the smell of this

The scent is soothing, but as to the effects, I honestly didn't notice any different in my sleep pattern or dreaming.

I prefer this scent to Somnus, but as for the effects I might need something stronger. Bring on the TKO!!

[filigree_shadow]

Quite a sharp lavender here, not the soft and gentle kind like I like. Too many herbs.

 

I think I'll stick with the TAL Nocturne.

[brit_brat100]

Imp: Spicy herbs, almost with a tee-tree sort of feel.

 

Wet: More pungent, maybe a hint of citrus.

 

Dry: Rosemary! I wouldn't normally think of wearing rosemary, but I do find it comforting. I grew up with a rosemary plant in the backyard. I remember good parts of my life with that scent.

 

Final Thoughts: I'm going to wear it to sleep tonight and see how it goes. I'm a hard sleeper, who struggles to get out of bed in the morning/afternoon. Maybe this will help me out.

[Jilara]

Wet, I get a note of citrus and ...basil? But more like holy basil than cooking basil. It's sharper than I was expecting, for a dream blend. There is something a little bit musty/dusty at this point. I commented to a friend that it smelled like the signature scent of the Ashkanic Library.

 

Drydown brings out the lavender notes. When it dries, it seems to be a well-blended herbal with a hint of tartness and a slightly spice/resin undertone. I didn't have any remarkable dreams with this one, but my real dream blend is Al Azir, anyway. However, I slept well.

[crazyredhead17]

In the imp, this is all rosemary.

 

Wet, the basil dances about with the rosemary. As it settles, something else comes out, making the overall scent a bit less than pleasant.

 

So, two nights ago I had very strange dreams without the use of anything, so last night I wore Temple of Dreams to sleep to see what would happen. The point where the scent got a lil bit less than pleasant is when things started getting a little surreal.

 

I vividly "remember" having trouble falling asleep last night - but if I just think about it, then the "falling asleep" almost seems like times when I just rolled over or got elbowed by my husband for talking in my sleep or something.. I'm not sure if I did have trouble falling asleep or not now.

 

Every morning I have the joy of waking up to my husband's alarm and then essentially kicking him out of bed. It went off today, and apparently I was just a step ahead of sleepwalking because my husband was concerned that I wouldn't get up in time for the electricians to come. I actually got up with plenty of time, but I couldn't shake a groggy feeling until I was able to take a nap. When I was awoken by the electricians coming back I was all shaky and dizzy, but once that past I was fine - no grogginess.

 

I'll use it again tonight and edit tomorrow if anything interesting happens.. I don't have to wake up early so I shouldn't have the groggy thing going on (unless it's allergy related, and then I might).

 

I don't know if this is full bottle material, but it is a most interesting imp. I shall have fun experimenting.

[CiCi]

I found this to be citrusy in the bottle, but on my skin it actually turned to nasty smelling antiseptic that spoiled. It has to be my body chemisty with all the herbs. This one is off to the swaps!

[blu°]

I can't believe my beloved Temple of Dreams is getting so many bad reviews!

I've searched the whole thread just now and was relieved to actually find some reviews that mirrored my experience with it.

 

I love it and wear it every night, not so much because it would do anything for my sleeping and dreaming but just because I find the scent to be so very cozy and comforting. On me it's this dreamy sweet and soft incensey floral... The lavender is not sharp at all to my nose but whispery soft and mellow. Somnus was harsh and boring on me, but Temple of Dreams has me enamoured ever since I first tried it.

 

Because of the regular use this will definitely be the first bottle I'll ever finish. My boyfriend curiously thinks it's an aphrodisiac, but I guess that's just because I wear it every night.

 

Some people said they smelled basil in ToD, which makes me want to smell the Basil SN. I happen to love Antony, too, but never could identify the basil note in it.

[LadyCrow]

In the imp: Lemon Pledge.

 

Wet: Lemon Pledge.

 

Drydown: I cannot tell you whether the other notes came out in the drydown, because within 60-120 seconds of applying this to the back of my left hand -- no joke, my husband is a witness -- I fell asleep in my computer chair. Hard, snoring asleep. And I fell into REM sleep almost immediately, with moving, colorful dreams.

 

No kidding, y'all. This is not a perfume! I am never applying this again unless I am (1) in bed, or (2) about to be there. However, since I love my complex, colorful dreams and frequently use them in my poetry, I am definitely applying this again -- under those particular circumstances! I am extremely impressed.

Edited June 14, 2007 by LadyCrow

[naeelah]

[edited as I change my mind about what I think is in it]

 

Initially, it's mostly lavender with basil and green herbs, but as it dries, a spicy quality comes out. I'm no longer sure there's any clove or nutmeg in it. I think the spicy note might be from clary sage, which has a dry, bristly aspect. It's pretty hard to say. I think it contains some rosemary. Overall it's a very pungent, green, herbal scent with a faint lemony undertone (it might be a particular variety of eucalyptus).

 

When I wear it during the day, I feel kind of calm and relaxed but alert. During the night, it helps me sleep deeply. I find it ironic that the sleep blend that helps me sleep most restfully is also the blend that contains the most invigorating and mentally stimulating notes. I suppose this is supposed to help you dream MORE vividly, but perhaps like giving stimulants to ADHD patients, it has the opposite effect for me. My dreams often make me sleep restlessly, and this helps calm them down, and it seems to help me avoid nightmares.

 

It's quite strong, but not overwhelmingly so. A little goes a long way. I've had my bottle for almost a year, and I haven't even used a quarter of it. (I haven't noticed any great changes with aging, except that maybe the spicy stage comes out a little more quickly.)

 

My goal with sleep blends is to make me go to sleep faster and stay asleep deeply and restfully. I often have trouble getting my brain to shut up and let me sleep, and once asleep, I have such vivid dreams that I get no rest. I've tried Baku, Somnus, Oneioroi, and this. By far, this is my favorite and the most effective, for me. I love Somnus for general relaxation purposes -- I find it very soothing -- but it doesn't seem to help me sleep more deeply.

Edited April 3, 2010 by naeelah

[jmchau]

Lavendar, clove, resiny thing. not unpleasant, but didn't do anything for me sleepwise

[grashopper8]

My first impression: I got biffed in the face by Vick's Vapo-Rub...which is to say, there is most certainly eucalyptus or menthol in this blend.

 

After a bit of drydown, the unmistakable scent of cloves wafts in. Also, maybe a hint of basil, which I wouldn't have picked out save for preceding reviews.

 

I do not, however, sense even the faintest trace of lavender. Perhaps the combination of minty menthol and clove swirls to a lavender-esque tribute, but I honestly don't even think that there is any lavender in here. I could blame my chemistry, but I love lavender in all shapes and forms and I can't detect any rising from my wrists right now.

 

This blend is soothing and stimulating at the same time, strangely....I hope I don't have trippy dreams! Ah well, time will tell. Goodnight!

 

Edit: I've been using the Somnium blends almost every night now for a few months, and my opinion of Temple of Dreams is a little different now. After trying it over and over, I think it's mainly lavender and lemongrass (despite my claims on first impression that there isn't any lavender), along with other herbs and essences, which others have guessed to be rosemary, basil, clove, eucalyptus, etc.... It's a citrusy, green, lavender blend. I find all of the Somnium oils to be quite effective and pleasing, ToD included, and once my imps run out I will buy the full set of bottles for my nightstand.

Edited October 15, 2007 by AEris

[hellomoonglow]

The only way I'd wear this is if I wanted to dream about hot dogs smothered in eucalyptus. Ick.

[CrazyPretzel]

I've been through two imps of this one, one dabbed on me and the other tipped into a votive candle as an offering to the deities of sleep. I can attest to its potency: the night after I used it in the candle was the first night I slept soundly and awoke refreshed in about two weeks. As for the scent, it's tricky to pin down. It's a very sharp lavender at first, slightly bitter, but dries down nice and soft. I can't say what else might be in there.

[brownbear]

There is something in here that reminds me of a note in some of the more herbaceous voodoo oils. I can't place it though. The scent of this is herbal and a little sharp. Probably rosemary or lavender. It is dark green (the scent not the color of the oil).

[Honeygirl]

I almost forgot to do this review, I tried it last night.

 

Bottle: Sharp lavender

 

Wet: Sharp lavender with a touch of lemon or citrus.

 

Drydown: This one didn't last very long on me at all, it seemed to disapper very quickly. But, I did have a lot of lucid dreams, so it seems to have worked despite the disappearance.

3.5 outta 5