Mercury

[jj_j]

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<span style='color:black'><span style='font-size:10pt;line-height:100%'><span style='font-family:Georgia'>I never imagined cinnamon and lavender could smell so good together! I think there's a hint of pine in here, too, but I can't be sure. Suprisingly balanced for such a surprising scent.

My nose is confused by the red and purple together, because it's so unexpected but so very breathtaking! I feel vibrant compared to before I put this on, and that's pretty amazing, as I was celebrating the arrival of my package.

Update - Sensitive skin? Be careful. I usually have no problems with sensitive skin aside from my face, and I turned pink and itched a little with this one. Heavy on the cinnamon content, so use caution or dilute if you think you might have problems.</span></span></span> Edited September 13, 2007 by Shollin

[allamanda]

Interesting, nice smell.. first thing that hits me is neroli and then I think mint and / or lavender. I then looked at my arm to see a violent skin reaction. Having swiped the imps ear wand across my forearm once for maybe 2 inches, I now have a raised red weal that is 4 inches by 2 inches. Needless to say I had to scrub it off in a hurry (thank goodness for aloe lotion). There is something in there I react very strongly too. Shame because it really did seem as though I would like the smell a lot.

 

This is the first oil my skin has reacted this strongly to and (other than with some plants, usually leaves and stems) my skin is very even-tempered. I can only assume this contains a plant I react to. I don't react to lavender or mint and haven't had previous problems with their oils or neroli.

 

Fascinating to see jj_j's comment about sensitive skin too. I didn't register cinnamon (but I only lasted about 30 seconds, if that) and don't normally react to cinnamon either.

[eve_of_destruction]

it's funny.. i had someone else's mercury oil for eons and eons. so i can't tell, now, really, whether my idea of "what mercury smells like" has any basis in anything beyond that. i'd like to think so, but perhaps i am merely kidding myself. it certainly wouldn't be the first time.

 

but when the end of my original stash ran out, i panicked: the makers of the old stuff had long since vanished into the ether. whatever would i do? experimentation with long lists of correspondences and single notes got me nowhere... or to be more accurate, got me SOMEWHERE, just not the correct somewhere, if that makes sense.

 

fingers crossed, i ordered the BPAL version.. and lo and behold, it was enough LIKE the old oil that it made everything click back into place, yet it was BETTER. (the old one had an odd tendency to fade into smelling like pepper...) it smells.. like Mercury: instantaneity, if that's even a word, electricity (not in a crispy-cool Uranus sort of sense. more the way those turn-of-the-last-century many-machined utopias must've smelled in their creators' imaginations.), etc. it smells the way the crowley 8 of wands card LOOKS, which in my mind is about as Mercurial as one can GET.

 

its first ritual starring role involved harry houdini, various mythological "tricksters", and a friend awaiting sentencing. it performed swimmingly. obviously, that's a personal thing - just because it worked for me, and i've already admitted i had a pre-set idea of what it needed to smell like, doesn't mean it would hit the correct switches for anyone ELSE - but seemed worth mentioning.

 

my current order involves a few more of this series of oils, so comments are doubtless forthcoming once they get here... as if this one were USEFUL in any way. heh.

 

best

eve

 

oh, and... it didn't bother my skin at ALL, but then years of abramelin oil have probably removed any sensitivity i ever had. odd, because lots of cosmetic ingredients make my skin freak out... just no essential oils that i know about...

[twistygirl]

Yes, this is Mercury, all right. The little trickster actually had me thinking it smelled silvery for a while, when rationally I knew I was smelling predominantly cinnamon, which smells nothing like silver! The cinnamon also gave me a nice little welt for a while - don't apply this immediately after showering! My natal Mercury is in Aquarius, which leads to a hyper-active, almost Attention-Deficit-Disorder type of mind, and this brought that reaction out in me. A bit anxiety-provoking in me, although for somebody without this natural tendency it could bolster one's mental energy. It would be interesting for one of our students here to see if this helped them while studying. Mercury energy is one I normally don't need to draw upon, as I've got an overabundance of it, but I'll keep it around, it will be great for those rare days when I NEED a mental boost.

[shriekingviolet]

Initial Impression:

I smell sage here, which would be appropriate since it's one of Mercury's herbs. Woody, green and slightly dusty with hints of spice burrowing underneath.

 

After Wearing It:

First on, something herby like sage is most apparent, but as it dries a hard cinnamon note appears, dragging a subtle wood note (something like cedar maybe?) and pine along with it. The affect is msculine, but not too much so. It feels invigorating, quickwitted and adventurous. Appropriately I wore it today when I went out with Inga to get lost in a small wooded park (gods love Oklahoma City for its ability to have woods to get lost in in the middle of the city!) because we were feeling adventurous and wanted to go on a nature walk.

 

Because I was busy for most of the day, I didn't get to pay TOO terribly much attention to each change of the fragrance, but overall, this scent managed to smell earthy without smelling of earth, spicy while still smelling smooth and a bit herby without smelling too musty on me or green. It's comforting and stimulating all at once. A smirk on a half-reclining god. Right now I smell something like nutmeg wafting off my wrist, blending finely with a smooth spicy wood base. Absolutely lovely.

 

I do have to concur with Jenny, Allamanda & Twisty and say that this bothered my skin a bit at first. My skin very rarely reacts to anything, but Mercury irritated the spots where I put this on my neck (it didn't have issues with the spots on my wrists, forearms and cleavage where I also applied it though). It really stung/tingled behind my earlobes and the hollow of my throat. The affect wasn't immediate and fortunately didn't last THAT long. I didn't wash it off even though the sting was pretty sharp (because I'm nuts), and it faded after about 20 minutes or so leaving no mark behind. So the reaction isn't enough to turn me off Mercury. I'll just avoid the neck area in the future.

 

Final Thoughts:

I really, really like Mercury. I've always been pretty in tune with Mercurial energy, and this scent really appeals to that part of me. I feel sharp and harmonious at the same time. I really want to experiment using this oil in different mediums and for different purposes so I'm definitely going to have to invest in a bigger bottle.

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: In the bottle, the lavender scent is most prominent, with the cinnamon not far behind. Definitely odd, but I'll give it a try.

 

Wearing: The cinnamon is what I smell the most - but it is definitely the actual spice (slightly woody to my nose) - not Red Hots. I kept trying to figure out the weird scent underneath the cinnamon... after about 30 min, I finally figured it out. Chicken. On me, Mercury smells like Cinnamon Nutmeg Chicken. Blarghh.

 

Final Impressions: In addition to the unfortunate chicken smell, this one also caused irritated red patches on my wrists. I've not experienced any irritation with other oils, so I agree with the above posts - if you are prone to sensitivity, dilute or stay away!

[lorajc]

I ordered this oil cuz I luv cinnamon scents and can't seem to get enough of them. Even though I'm a hyper person (with adult ADD - that's what the professionals have said at least) and I read Twistygirl's post a little nervously, I still ordered. I'm wearing it on a Monday, as I tend to be a little less hyper on Monday's, so we'll see how that goes.

 

I have only had his on for a couple hours now, but I'm loving it. I'm not good at picking up on scents when I don't know what's in it, as I am still in the process of learning about some of Beth's unique oils. I do smell the lavendar and cinnamon in this and it is lovely. The cinnamon is more prominent on me now with a slight undercurrent of something unfamiliar to my nose.......perhaps it's the sage that shrieking violet referred to and the other person thinks smells like chicken. Whatever it is, I'm loving it and will definitely wear this a lot, as long as I don't go super hyper with it.

[ipb]

my very first impression, in the bottle, was a metallic tang, the scent equivalent to the feeling you get when you put you (wet) lip against an almost-but-not-quite-dead 9v battery. a tang, a quick zap, but not really unplesant (or maybe i'm the only one warped that way). i ~think~ it might be the combination of sage and mint that i'm smelling, but i'm not sure.

[summer]

While soaking in the bath, I just felt drawn to try Mercury today. I wasn't sure why. I now realize that Mercury was attracting me only to repel me!

 

In the bottle, this smelled very metallic to me, like that metallic smell at the dentists office -- the smell of fillings. However, I applied a tiny bit to my wrists to see how it developed.

 

I noticed a sharp but pleasant cinnamon note coming through, but in the next instant my wrists were burning intensely. I thought I'd wait it out, but the intensity kept increasing, so I had to scrub it off with soap. My wrists and about 1/3 of my forearms look as though they've been sunburned, because a painful, red rash has spread from the point where I applied the oil on up my arms and a bit down onto my palms as well.

 

Needless to say, my skin had a rather violent reaction to this one, and although I liked the scent, I feel that this oil was trying to tell me that it does NOT want to be on my skin, and likewise my skin does NOT want this oil. I am afraid to try it again, even diluted. However, I do plan to try it out as a room fragrance, as I'd like to develop the more Mercurial aspects of my personality. (My Mercury is in Libra, my sun sign.)

[glampyre]

Mercury is beautiful.

 

Right out of the bottle, it's total cinnamon.

 

As it settles down, subtle ylang ylang notes pop up, and musk, and Mercury becomes a sultry cloud of warmth surrounding me as I go through my day.

 

Both Olfactorily and Emotionally, I love this one. It has a nice warming glow on the skin. I'm a redhead and have very sensitive skin. I've broken out in hives from certain Body Shop oils, and this cinnamon problem people are having didn't affect me in the least.

 

When I wear this, I feel energized and (at the same time) calm...empowered with a "Hit me with your best shot" kind of confidence.

 

I'm gettin' me some mo'.

[TygherRayn]

In the bottle: Hmm. Hello, Lavender! A second later .. hello Cinnamon! What an interesting mix, too! Not something I'd have imagined at all. Definitely a clear-your-senses blend. I can see white this is good for mental acuity, fo' sho'. *grins*

 

Wet: I'm utterly convinced that I have cinnamon in my blood. It really is one of my favorite scents .. and I've not once had a problem with any blend that has cinnamon in it. No, there's not a but coming up. This one is much the same as the others, incredibly cinnamon, and deliciously so on my skin. Paperdoll ... Chicken? Oh my .. if chicken smells like this, let me at it! *grins*

 

Wearing: This is one can wear on a regular basis, I think. I might even try it as a bedtime scent, as the lavender in it, combined with the cinnamon, are very soothing to me. Cinnamon scents end up being soothing to me, and I'm not yet certain why. maybe years of baking with it in pies, cookies, cakes and breads have me associating it with comfort foods and mimere's kitchen. But I will definitely wear more of this one.

[feline.by.design]

When I first opened the little imp bottle, one word popped up in my brain: METALLIC! I was worried I was going to smell like aluminum foil the whole day. Once I put the fragrance on, though the metallic smell faded and cinnamon stole the show.

 

The amount of Mercury put on my neck did actually burn, due to the potent punch the cinnamon packs, and keep in mind that I'm not really one who would consider myself a victim of sensitive skin. My wrists and elbow nooks were unaffected by the scent.

 

This had a lasting power of about a couple hours on me. I don't know if I would buy a bigger bottle or not, since I don't do much ritual work, and I don't know how often I would want to smell like a walking cinnamon stick (once or twice, maybe). It's nice, though, and I will keep the imp.

 

-doreen

[ChupaChup]

Wow, Mercury is the hottest BPAL oil I have ever tried. Perfect for the planet closest to the sun. It's all cinnamon for about half an hour, then some softer, subtler notes of ylang ylang and myrrh emerge. At this point, the scent begins to waft around me, it's really lovely. But I did have the burning problem others have experienced, I got large, raised red welts wherever Mercury was applied and they remained for an hour after I washed it off. I haven't had that problem with other BPAL oils containing cinnamon so either there is a lot more in this one or there's something else in the blend that does this.

[xoe]

I did not experience any burning or redness whatsoever. At first I was very careful, and applied in only a tiny spot. When I realized it wasn't burning at all, I put it everywhere! Ha!

 

At first Mercury is all Lavendar. Then it is all Cinnamon! Finally, it combines into a really beautiful, unique fragrance.

 

5 hours later, it's gone.

[Nepthys]

In the bottle this is mostly lavender to my nose; applied it is all sweet syrupy cinnamon, with my skin sucking the lavender into extinction. I'll definitely use up my imp, starting with wearing this to the casino next week so we'll see how it affects my gambling luck and agility.

[Ishtar]

In the vial, mercury is all cinnamony goodness to me. Which is a very good thing since I love cinnamon. What is odd is that I love lavender too, yet I was unable to detect it here. Before reading the reviews, I was totally unaware that there was lavender in this. All I knew is that there was "something cool" balancing the warmth of the cinnamon and imparting a very interesting depth to this blend.

 

Now I understand why I am often tempted to wear this at night, which always struck me as odd since I rather see cinnamon as an energizing note.

 

Anyway, Mercury is a very warm and to me, comforting scent. It seems to give me clarity of mind and self-confidence in intellectual and learning endeavours.

 

Even though I experienced the same burning problem others had, I love Mercury and I made sure to order more before it was discontinued.

[alston78]

In the bottle: I smell Lavender- but lavender doesn't usually sting my nose. That must be the cinnamon! There's also a cool breeze going up my nose- is there mint in this?

 

On my wrist: The lavender and cinnamon are much more balanced, and make for a lovely combined scent. If there's mint in this, it fades into the background once it's on my skin. Mercury lasted a fairly long time- 6-8 hours- and while I didn't use it for any particular mental challenge, I can say that it made me feel more alert and present in my surroundings. As I'm a person who tends to daydream and loves afternoon naps, the effect was a big bonus. I didn't experience any burning on my skin, but none of the BPAL oils have had that effect on me.

 

Final decision: This isn't a scent I would wear all the time- for example, I probably wouldn't go with this for a party or a bedtime scent. The lavender is nice and calming, but either the cinnamon or something else (I swear I smell mint!) would keep me awake. I did order a big bottle before this was discontinued, however- it is composed of two of my favorite single notes, smells terrific, and kept me awake at 2:00 in the afternoon. What more could I want?

[shelldoo]

Is it not funny how Beth's oils are so different for each of us?

 

In the bottle this reminded me of dried herb store. I couldn't distiguish any notes.

 

wet: interesting combination, I get a neroli scent but something selse i just can't place.

 

dry down: ok lavender, neroli and cinnamon peeking out from behind them to say yoohooo and then running away just as I look. This is a very beautiful scent. Nice! And it didn't burn or wely my ultra sensitive skin at all.

[rainbow]

In the bottle- cinnamon.

 

On my skin- this manages to smell woodsy and of red hots at the same time, and it's surprisingly pleasing. I can smell the cinnamon and lavender components.

 

Unfortunately I, too, had a bad reaction to Mercury. My skin started to itch like mad, then got covered in red welts I was surprised, because my skin is generally not sensitive to anything.

 

As I liked the smell of this, and found it relaxing, I think I might try making it into a linen spray, or use it in my oil burner.

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: Lavender and mint? Something green and something cold. There's definitely lavender; no doubt about it; but I'm unsure of the other notes.

 

On me: I'm not getting the cinnamon note everyone is describing; instead I find myself with mint. In spite of the lavender, which normally I don't associate with cold, this is a very chilly scent. Odd for a planet so close to the sun. Very likeable scent though.

[anmorata]

Mercury:

 

Originated from: Celestials circular swap

 

Wet: Juniper! Very strong evergreen smell with hints of something that I want to call cinnamon but that's not quite it. It reminds me of the smell of an old-fashioned candy I've once had before. Sassafras? Lavender?

 

Drydown: Powdery, but not all-the-way baby powder.

 

Longterm wear: Not bad, but not a daily-wear scent.

[grrrlennyl]

mercury

at first: at first i smell a lot of lavender, but it breaks apart into a lot of other scents. very odd and chaotic.

on: wow. very warm. possibly cardamom. i don't think it's cinnamon. i really like this.

10 minutes later: holy crap! this burns!

overall: needless to say, i was wrong. this definitely contains cinnamon. i won't be able to wear this one. i might use the little i have as a room scent.

[inkstone]

Courtesy of the Celestials circular swap!

 

In the imp: Cinnamon & lavendar?

 

Wet: An evergreen wood mingling with the cinnamon. It's really confusing my nose.

 

Drydown: Okay, so it is definitely cinnamon but it's not the red hot kind I'm used to. It's more woody. I can also smell the lavendar in this stage.

 

Final thoughts: It's an herbal woody, vaguely spicy scent. I don't think this is something I would wear very often.

[sarada]

Wow, I wrote down my impressions of this scent before I looked at the other reviews but it seems we mostly got the same impressions.

 

When I first sniff it: Lavender! And oh dear, something that makes my skin tingle and burn. There's only one thing that does that: cinnamon. It burns! That's fairly brief though and I don't get any redness, just a passing tingle and a lingering feeling as though I might have spilled hot tea on myself recently. Even if I can't smell cinnamon I can always feel it -- and that's why I always avoid it!

 

I definitely smell lavender more than anything else at first though -- mixed into a tangle of spicy sweet herbal scents that gradually develop. I thought Mercury would be some sort of citrus or spice, but it's more of a spiced lavender -- I wonder if there's a resin or wood in here as well? It reminds me after drying for awhile, of Nanshe, with cinnamon blended deeply into it.

 

I like Mercury, it is very complex, and I would use it in an oil burner or possibly diluted on my skin if I had more, especially since I can use the influence of Mercury in my line of work (journalism=communications, right?)

 

Wow, moments after writing this, the Simpsons is on in the background and they spray Homer with a perfume on his wrist and he says "It burns, it burns!" Synchronicity, anyone?? Is "Predict Simpsons Episode" my new super power?

[Muppetk]

Fascinating scent.

 

Sharp lemon turning to lavendar turning to cinnamon turning back to lemon. Really interesting combination. The changing nature definitely reminds me of mercury -- quicksilver and fleeting. Fascinating. Lovely. Just really really cool.

 

Sigh. Why EVER were these discontinued? I've tried 10 or so celestials and loved about 7 of them! I don't have anywhere near this good luck with the catalog scents I've tried!