Advice of the Dead

[stellamaris]

A divination blend specially attuned to the Santa Muerte Tarot. Along with every card description, Lo Scarabeos accompanying booklet includes a postscript with additional advice, simple and direct, that each card communicates, drawing from the deep well of ancestral wisdom The advice of the dead.

Wisdom dispensed from beyond the grave: black copal, golden chrysanthemums, myrrh, worm-slick soil, and gilded marigolds.

This is so beautiful, right out of the mailbox. I think I need back ups. The copal is strong for me, it is sort of incense rich and flowery. Five stars.

[Geminirubyshoes]

So I love El Dorado from the Wanderlust collection which is how I know that I love copal. This is soft, gorgeous copal with the soil and myrrh giving it a rich background. I don't get the marigolds really, or that I can pick up anyways. I knew I would love this. If you love copal, get yo'self a bottle of this.

[zankoku_zen]

Copal, marigolds, mums. Overall it smells like a smoky marigold and mums blend. It definitely has that Mexican Day of the Dead Flair, and my closest guess is the Calavera Catrina is a kissing cousin. If you liked Calavera Catrina or Day of Skulls, give this a whirl. It's a much more smoky floral though. Good throw and wear length.

[Mjanefh]

This is one of my new favorites. On me, it's long-lasting but soft and lovely, not too cloying at all. At first there's a sweet earthy scent at first but the mellow florals and myrrh and copal meld warmly together. I may to get a back up!

[dementia_divine]

Note: I am not sure what marigolds smell like.

In the decant: The copal note stands out to me the most, followed by the chrysanthemums, myrrh, and a smattering of soil. This is primarily a resin scent to my nose.

 

Wet: The copal and chrysanthemum notes are the strongest notes on my skin. Behind those notes, I can smell the black soil note. There’s something somewhat medicinal in this on my skin, and I am not sure which note is the cause of it. Is it the marigold note?

 

Dry: The medicinal vibe has calmed down, but now the scent smells really cool. It’s a cool floral and smoky copal scent, backed by the myrrh and some dark soil.

 

Verdict: This one is unique. It’s not something I could see myself reaching for, but it was nice to be able to try it.

 

*edit* I just wanted to comment that, when I tested this, I could still smell it on my arm the next morning!

Edited July 1, 2018 by dementia_divine

[LizziesLuck]

Wet: Earthy, sort of woody, warm and golden. Hard to describe, but it's really lovely. Very different.

 

Dry: This is a gorgeous golden resinous scent, with warm sweet florals and hints of earth. I love it. I was not expecting to. I haven't liked copal much in other scents, but it is the star here and it's gorgeous mixed with Myrrh. The chrysanthemums are beautiful. I can't really pick out marigold, which is OK because they smell terrible on me. The soil smells warm and dry rather than wet, giving the whole scent a "end of summer, beginning of fall: golden sunset" sort of feel, if that makes any sense. I am trying to be on a no to low buy, but I have to have more of this, MOAR.

[Lucchesa]

Ooh, Advice of the Dead is pretty, an autumnal floral. Marigolds smell weird, chrysanthemums can too, but this does not. It's definitely more classic floral than I expected, with less of that marigold funkiness. On my skin the earth note tends to morph into high-end perfume, so while I smell the rich dirt for a little while, in drydown this becomes a resiny, earthy floral perfume. I'm personally not able to differentiate the myrrh. This doesn't have great wear length on me, but that may improve with a little age.

[annemathematics]

smokey marigold floral scent. smells like fancy department store perfume for the occult scholar. there's the barest hit of soil only at the beginning, which is the most resin-heavy stage. elegant yet slightly musty (like a fortune teller's unwashed heavy brocade curtains). if dia de los muertos is the jubilant scent of the maiden, this is the waft of the crone's wisdom, having replaced the bright creamy sweetness with dusty flowers and a memory of myrrh smoke. the sophisticated scent of a secret-keeper.