Jump to content
BPAL Madness!
wendyb1063

Winter Landscape with Church

Recommended Posts

Caspar David Friedrich

Frankincense, myrrh, and rose resin drifting through a winter wood.

This is simply gorgeous (as is the painting on which it is based).

As expected, it's resins and snow and pine, with a hint of rose in the background. The myrrh adds sweetness; it almost smells like there is I some vanilla in here.

There is a bit of baby powder scent in this as it dries, possibly the myrrh and rose? Nevertheless, I still find it lovely.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

My husband picked this for himself and it's really beautiful. It smells like woods (evergreen) with the resins supporting them. I can't detect the rose necessarily but I suspect it's what's lending the dewy/wet quality that this has. I find that resins tend to read as dry to me and the rose keeps this from going there I think. Its very wintry and and perfect for what he was looking for.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I had to blind bottle this because a variation of this painting (by the same artist) hangs in the National Gallery in London, and is one of my favorite paintings in the whole gallery.

 

This is a lovely scent. If anyone remembers the Trading Post's Frankincense, Myrrh, and Rose Petal Beads Bath Oil, this smells very similar, but with the added dimension of conifer trees giving it a 'church in the woods' feel.

 

The first note I detect is the frankincense, with the myrrh and woods commingling behind. After drying down a bit, the rose starts to come forward, though it never really makes it to the foreground. Sometimes 'evergreen' notes can read as bathroom cleaner to my nose, but this does not do that. Instead it lends a nice woodiness to the resins, grounding it a bit. It does get that hint of powderiness that resins can have, but it doesn't bother me.

 

The scent as a whole is, in my opinion, subdued and meditative like the painting that inspired it, which is exactly what I was hoping for.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

On the wand, this is primarily frankincense and myrrh, with evergreens and a sweet reddish-pink glimpse of rose, as though through the trees. Something here makes me think of violin wood, like rosin or labdanum.

 

Freshly applied, myrrh smells strongest, with frank a close second. The woods are present but subdued and the rose scarcely there. After drydown, this is mostly frank-myrrh on me.

 

Low throw throughout its life.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Resins in a cloud of evergreen. I am not picking up much rose. It is a quiet, peaceful scent that fits so well with the painting. I like it!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

This is heavy on the frankincense and myrrh, with a little bit of rose in the background. So if you're afraid that it turns too floral, you needn't be. I am also getting a teensy touch of something fresh, which is likely the winter woods mentioned in the description.

It feels very peaceful and comforting, and if you like resin blends, you will likely love this too!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

At first sniff in the bottle, this smells a lot like All Souls. They're actually so similar that I had to get out my bottle of All Souls (2014 version) to compare them. I think the incense notes are very similar, but All Souls is sweet and cakey whereas WLWC is light and floral.

 

But it's not punch-you-in-the-face floral... it's just a very light, sweet rose, mingling with the incense. I think I'm picking up the woods too, but the whole blend is really soft and subtle. I was nervous about it being too heavy on the rose, but that's not an issue, even though I would classify this as more of a floral blend than an incense blend on my skin.

It's very pretty and wintery.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Frankincense and roses. It's a warm, resinous blend with just a curl of roses. Medium throw and wear length.

 

This reminds me to churches in the Winter time. So very apropos.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

So far all the Yules I've tried have kind of been busts, so I'm hoping this one, which is more in my wheelhouse, will work better!

 

In the decant, this one is warm, sweet rose and incense. Good so far.

 

Wet: Strong frank and myrrh with a faint, dark rose. It does indeed smell like a church. The woody backdrop gives it a surprisingly grounded quality, but the lab's dread ice note feels weird and discordant here.

 

Dry: Sharpens as it dries and gets more icy. The pine is really drowning the rose and resins, which is a shame! It's much, much too piney for me on the drydown. Ah well!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

i received a frimp of this! frankincense does not always work with my skin chemistry, but we'll see. i get woods at first with a hint of rose, then the frankincense comes in, fairly sharp. it's mostly frankincense with rose on me. at first sniff, i think "this isn't for me" but if i inhale deeply it has a calming and visionary effect. i'm liking it for that aspect. this frankincense is actually working on me, some turn to pencil shavings and i am thankful that this one isn't. the myrrh comes in later and somewhat softens all of the sharpness from the rose and frankincense, which is nice. this would be a pretty room scent.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I love the painting (https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/caspar-david-friedrich-winter-landscape) and was excited to try the scent. It captures the image beautifully, I think. The piney snow note combines with ecclesiastical incense -- mostly frankincense on me -- and a drift of roses like the pink sky at the top of the canvas. Rose is not always reliable on me and goes a tad sour in combination with the incense, but it is a very pretty and evocative blend all the same.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

×