Thunderbird

[malanna]

Wakinyan, Hohoq, Kw-Uhnx-Wa. With eyes of fire, its glance is lightning, and thunder erupts as the great, sacred bird claps its mighty wings. A willing guardian and protector of mankind, a wise and benevolent teacher, and the creator of life-giving storms. The sharp tang of ozone and the deep bass growl of thunder over mountain trees.

This is very tangy, but not sweet, like Lightning. There's also hints of pine. It really does smell like ozone over mountain trees. I also think it smells like dryer sheets (not the floral, powdery type, though). However, this gave me a mad headache, and I had to wash this off. Wafting power is huge.

[hangingfire]

Thanks to Hedera!

 

In the bottle: Whoo, very sweet. Fruity and flowery, which is starting to look like a serious trend in my collection.

 

On, wet: Still sweet, more floral -- violets, maybe? Ah, now I can detect the aquatic, ozone-y notes, which remind me of Demeter's Gentle Rain. It's more of a background note, providing a setting for what reads to me as violet-ish, lily-ish florals and melon-plum-peach fruit notes.

 

Drydown: It's a very uplifting scent. The sweet notes seem to walk a fine line between floral and fruit; one moment it's one, and it's the other the next. It's a lovely and delicious smell. Big thumbs up.

[puck_nc]

I adore the smell of rain and had to try this.

 

Origin: Decant bought on LJ.

 

In the Bottle: A light and clear scent, full of ozone and water.

 

Wet: Wow, VERY ozone!

 

Drydown: The ozone hangs around, but the watery elements and a hint of evergreen start to emerge.

 

Verdict: I don't know that I like this on me. I may try it in my oil burner as a room scent.

[korshka]

I like this one. It's not something I would wear every day, but it is quite lovely. It is crisp and clean. There is a light underlying sweetness, but it isn't overly so. Of all the rainy scents I've smelt so far, this is the one that comes closest to what I would want from it.

[undergroundwoman]

There is something very reminiscient of B&BW Sun-Ripened Raspberry in this scent. Maybe the sun-ripened part? Also like Tempest, but with less tang. I like this much better than both Tempest and obviously it's much nicer and more sophisticated than the B&BW scent. As it dries, the berry scent fades and it's very fresh, but still strangely sweet. I can't figure out if there's a whiff of wet sagebrush in there or not, but let me just say that with a strong helping of sage to this I'd be in Montana thunderstorm heaven. This reminds me of one of the best days of my life, mapping Archean metasediments on rolling ranchlands outside of Dillon, sneaking several miles out of our mapping area to find fist-sized garnets, and hightailing it back to the vans trying to beat the storm on the one day I didn't bring my raingear. But with that faint B&BW association I also get a bit of bittersweet 8th grade, my first big crush, and the rainy end of a 26 mile hike around Lake Geneva, WI (ah, junior high outdoor ed). I think this might be a little too fresh-laundry for some noses, and true I have to apply it sparingly or I get a headache, but my romantic notions of western storms are really running away with me here. I'm glad I impulsively purchased this before the Oblations went away.

[Fefferbella]

Thunderbird... I'm at a loss to describe this one.

It's started out fresh and woodsy. I like it so far. Warm and outdoorsy... reminds me of hiking through pine forrests in the springtime.

 

There is an awkward note I can't really put my thumb on... maybe laundry detergent? One of those cheap "mountain fresh" scented dryer sheets...

 

Thunderbird is real nature meets synthetic perception of nature... awkward and unsetteling...

[Meg]

In the bottle: Okay, my first reaction this was "dirty socks?!?". I think that this is the ozone in the bottle, it's my first ozone scent, and as others have described the scent as coppery, I guess that's it. I think that there's citrus in this, something gentle like orange, and something vaguely earthy. So yeah, analysing a bit more, it's more complex than "dirty socks".

 

Wet: sharp citrus and ozone, I think... yes, there's a metallic tang and... I keep on feeling "orange". Like copper and oranges, if that makes any sense. There's something gritty in there... like chalky earth, or smoke. Incense, perhaps?

 

Drydown: The orange has faded to the background, I just get a... feeling rather than a smell. Like a trembling of trees in the wind, or the impression that rain is coming with huge clouds looming overhead. There's misty feeling about it, and earthy tones. It really smells like nature and metal, and it's very subtle. It's very powdery on me, and as usual with my skin, it goes pretty sweet. I think that there's cypress in this or an aromatic herb like sage.

 

Overall: This really grows on you. At first I honestly didn't know what to think of it, because there were moments where I thought it just smelled of the run-of-the-mill ozony lavatory deodoriser. When I bought it, I was anticipating something... big. I think that it lives up to it once it's dry, it really does smell like nature. I get strong associations with it, the colour orange, metal, earth, forests and mist. Very very pretty. I might just buy a big bottle if I can.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: sweet and ozoney. very intersting.

on: ozone!

half an hour later: this is so fresh. it's really amazing. there's a bit of something slightly citrussy, too.

1 hour later: still about the same.

2 hours later: lovely and fresh.

overall: while this is lovely, i don't think i'd really wear it.

[LittleGreyKitten]

Wet, this reminds me a lot of Storm Moon. Same huge hit of ozone. There's more sweetness in Thunderbird though, something... fruity, I think. I don't smell any pine on my skin, just a sweeter, fruitier version of Storm Moon. Upon initial drydown, say 10 minutes, the ozone of Thunderbird backs off somewhat. It still smells similar to Storm Moon- I'd say around 80% alike, to my nose, but the ozone definitely burns off more in Thunderbird than Storm at this stage. The remaining scent is primarily a light, sweet smell to me, a bit fruity, but a little white-floral too.

 

Later drydown, 30 minutes onward, they become more alike again. Sweet with a hint of ozone for both, with Thunderbird a hair sweeter.

 

I think it also has some qualities that relate it to Neo-Tokyo too. Thunderbird is sweeter and less complex, but the sweet+ozone thing is definitely present in both.

 

All in all, this is a nice blend, but it isn't an OMGMUST HAVE MORE NOW thing. It's just pleasant, and fairly wearable. One of the less aggressive ozone based blends, girly enough for most of us I think, rather then the masculine cologne variety of ozone.

 

For me this is a 3.5 out of 5 blend.

[edenssixthday]

Thunderbird is simply astounding. Wet in the vial, it smells like the air after a warm, summer, afternoon rainshower, when the sun bursts through the clouds, and the grass sparkles with with raindrops and the air is full of purity and freshness. When first applied, it smells exactly the same as it does in the vial: clear, crisp, clean, and fresh. As the scent begins to dry, something a touch lemony becomes noticeable, but it blends wonderfully with the rain and air scent. About an hour after application, the scent is as strong as it was wet in the vial, but another note is now standing out, one that smells slightly green, grassy, and possibly herbal. This is a simply stunning scent and I’m delighted to have found a couple of extra bottles of this blend.

[karengypsy]

In the vial: Very light rain.

 

On me: The very sweet smell of an afternoon rainstorm. I can detect a bit of a floral in there, but barely. It smells like I walked outside and can smell the fresh wet grass and flowers and ozone-filled air.

 

Verdict: Keeper! Too bad it's a discontinued scent.

 

Rating: 5/5

[slave1]

In Bottle: Perfumey

 

On Skin: Beautiful ozone clean and crystal clear. Very fresh and soft. This isn’t as bright and sharp as some ozone scents which I like. It’s a lot more mellow and light, slightly floral. I don’t think it smells like real rain though, more like the scent perfumes and perfumed products call “Spring Rain” or such. It’s very pretty and I would love to use it as a room scent. I’d probably not wear it though because ozone scents just seem to soapy on my skin. A unisex scent perfect for someone who loves ozone scents. Light throw and light wearlength. A scent everyone should at least try since it really is a beautiful blend.

[Sealgair]

I got this as a free sniffie from eviltemptressdq - maybe a drop left in it, just enough to give it a try.

 

in imp: spicy grass, clean air, rain on dust

on wet: about the same; ozone, but fruity ozone, not metallic ozone.

5 minutes: quite fruity, really, almost strawberry.

15 minutes: on me this turns into strawberry farm: smell of strawberrys in the main, with hay and dust in the background. weird. I'm glad this UBER rare scent isn't me though.

30 minutes: more hay now, but still strawberry. *shrug* Cool, now I know. Thunderbird isn't for me. *sigh of relief*

 

I'm always afraid that the scent that is "THE ONE" to replace my TBS Wood Musk will be something like this - UBER rare and if you can find it, prohibitively expensive. I really should just avoid the LEs altogether. But what if the ONE SCENT is a LE - if I don't try 'em I won't ever find it! *laughs at self*

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

after reading the description of this... i knew i had to try it. although i probably shouldn't have... because now i love it.

 

the scent doesn't seem to change much on me from imp/sniffy to hours later...

i keep getting the feeling that this is a mixture of Yankee Candle "Storm Watch" and BPAL's Storm Moon. with just the slightest hint of a "mountain fresh" liquid fabric softener.

 

if i'd let myself love this, i would. but it is just too rare... i'll settle for liking it and using it just enough to use up this bottle in a reasonable timeframe

[batsy]

In the vial: sweet sweet rain, with a hint of orange and pine. Yum!

 

On the skin: The orange and pine pop way out on me. It really reminds me of the Oregon coast during the fall/winter, with a heavy rainstorm. This is delicious! I wish I had a bottle. It really wakes you up!

[supremegoddessofall]

This is really interesting. I'm honestly not sure *what's* in here. I get the ozone, but it's fairly subdued. I get a general impression of "animals in the woods," so I'm thinking there's some forest scents in here as well as some civet or ambergris. I like it a lot though.

[yeahbutnobut]

Thunderbird

 

In the imp: tangy, wet, soapy ozone over deep green pine.

Wet on skin: Thunderbird is go! (that is, like, really bad grammar…) The pine notes start to strengthen and so does the ozone.

Dry: ozone, ozone and more ozone, as well as pine. It’s not as bad as I feared, as stormy ozones go. This does smell soapy and does smell a bit like detergent but it’s quite pleasant, along similar lines as Dirty or Kingsport (there’s an almost fruity-floral sweetness to it, as well as a hint of salt), a hint of wetness evoking rain, and an electric feel. Underneath is the scent of pine, fir, many evergreens.

After a while: the pine scent retreats to the background whilst the scent of ozone lingers. For storm ozones, this one is quite nice. It doesn’t smell like the usual thunderstorm ozone, this doesn’t even smell that stormy…it smells more like a fresh April shower. A cool refreshing rain falling on pretty springtime blossoms. There’s also a hint of tangy fruit and marine air wafting through, the electric scent that I usually get in stormy ozones is at the back here. This also reminds me of the unreleased Toxin, but with a pine background. There’s one problem-the ‘fruity’ aspect of this scent does turn a little cloying, almost like overripe banana, on me at times…the drydown of this is clean laundry with very ripe fruit. It’s pretty but much sweeter than I imagined…a little too sickly sweet for me.

Verdict: I’ve never been the biggest fan of thunderstorms and stormy ozone turns nasty on me, usually. But this is actually not bad! Of all the stormy scents, if I was forced to choose a favourite from them, it would be this. Smelling more like a short springtime cloudburst than a full-blown electrical storm of doom, this smells like rain falling on sweet blossoms with a hint of fruit and a darker undertone of pine and fir. Fresh and light, with hints of clean laundry and sea air. It does become surprisingly sweet and the fruit (or whatever smells like fruit) becomes almost too much like bananas on me and the scent loses its pretty spring shower scent. As ozones go I much prefer lighter, non-stormy ones like Lurid and Urania but I’m surprised at the fact that I like this a lot more than I expected.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Not sure yet.

If you like this, try: Lightning, Tempest, Dirty, Olokun, Pool of Tears

[emzebel]

This was a sweet, spicy, herbal blend to my nose, evocative of rain over the deserts of the American west, but not immediately aquatic or wet to me - which is a good thing, as I have dodgy luck with aquatics and ozones.

 

I like this quite a bit, actually.

[Voleuse]

On first sniff, this is surprisingly sweet, but it's quickly matched by the ozone. The sweetness, after a minute, reveals itself to be a forest scent, green and fresh and alive. This is beautifully balanced--the sweetness keeps the ozone from becoming too sneeze-inducing, while the ozone keeps the sweetness from becoming too cloying.

 

I've recently been on a road trip across the U.S., and I ran into half a dozen thunderstorms across the way. They were always gorgeous, as well as imposing, darkening blue skies, clouds extending on either side, slit through by lightning at odd intervals. This scent smells like what those storms looked like. This is gorgeous.

[filigree_shadow]

This is strongly rain/aquatic scented. It smells to me like that's all there is. It smells clean, not salty at all. There's a crispness to it. Unfortunately it is much too strong for me. This is one of the ones that lasts and lasts... however I don't really like the scent enough to want to smell it for a long time.

[Electra]

Whoa. The wet scent on this one is phenomenal -- it is bracing, strong, REAL kick-you-in-the-teeth ozone. It smells like you're standing outside on a storm-swept night. It's fantastic. I'm kicking myself for not ordering a bottle.

 

(By the way, I really like ozone in my BPAL.)

 

Drydown isn't quite as awesome, but it's still very nice. It mellows out a bit, sweetens up a bit, but still retains that very realistic rain-swept scent. This is so good.

[Naamah_Darling]

This limited edition Oblation blend is a smooth aquatic with a tangy breath of distant pine. The "ozone" note is powerful. For those of you wondering what it really smells like, the aquatic/ozone smell has that same green, silky scent that you find in cucumbers. I've smelled "green tea" flavored products that smell similar as well. It's clean smooth, and juicy, almost fruity.

 

And really, that's all this is: pure aquatics, pure ozone. There's a bare hint of greenery, but it's not really very piney/pitchy, more plantlike, saplike. It's quite beautiful, in a cool mountain breeze sort of way.

 

It's a rarity, but I don't know that it stands out that much; there are other comparable aquatic scents among the Salon series and the GC scents. Lovely, and worth sniffing if you really love aquatics/ozones, as this is as pure as they come, but in my opinion it's not something one should feel obligated to track down just to try.

[SnowWhiteMoon]

In bottle: Sharp and wet with a hint of green. Oh, it's gorgeous in the bottle. I hope it stays that way on my skin!

 

On me: It still has that rainy quality to it, but a touch of floral instead of green. This is a keeper, most definitely.

[Lethran]

In bottle: Ozone over pine and something that smells vaguely like sweet citrus. The effect is a bit like someone has just washed the floor and polished the wood furniture. Wet: Much better mixed with my natural musk. Sweet and fresh and outdoorsy. It is reminding me a little of the sun coming out after a storm. I think I like hunger moon better, but they have fairly similar scents. Dry: Much the same, only softer.

[martiangurll]

Preconceived ideas: I love thunderbirds and I generally like clean, fresh and ozoney scents, so I was so happy to get a sniffy of this.

 

 

In the imp: Glorious! This may be the holy grail of ozone scents I have been waiting for! Almost metallic, like the scent just before lightening strikes!

 

 

Wet on skin: There really was not enough to test well, but it captures the impression of the air before a thunderstorm. Smells like a "storm" with predominantly ozone and airy notes, which captures the theme beautifully.

 

Dry down: It doesn't change. I am not sure if I would get more morph, if I had more to test, but I can report back if I get some more of this. Its pretty much pure thunderstorm, with lightening and close air, no citrus or aquatic notes like some of the other storm blends.

 

Overall Impression: Captures the essence of the thunderbird. Must get more. If you like this, try Lightening and Storm Moon, although I prefer this to the others. Definitely the holy grail of storm scents. Could there possibly be a resurrection of this one?