Iambe

[Ina Garten Davita]

Daughter of Pan and Echo and dear friend to Demeter. When Demeter was mourning the abduction of her daughter, Iambe was the only creature in heaven and earth that was able to lend cheer and laughter to the grieving mother. Her scent is one of comfort, beauty and joy: Sudanese amber, patchouli, rose, gardenia, gladiola and white tea.

 

First Impression: Tea and amber.

 

Second Impression: This has a sharpness about it, it's not smooth and glowing like I thought it would be. It mellows as it dries to a golden slightly resinous floral. I also think I smell jasmine in this.

 

Final Analysis: Nice, very nice, but not a favorite. May swap this one.

[Caitfish]

In the Bottle:

Dominant notes: Amber with tea! And perhaps a tiny smidge of white floral.

Impressions: This one made me drop my jaw, circle, highlight and underline it on my list. I love the amber in this. It's sweet, resiny and somehow almost lush (gladiola?). I was like, damn, Iambe - hook it up. Or something, yeah. It's hot. Which makes the next part sooo difficult...

 

Initial On:

Dominant notes: Oh no... what's that? Patchouli? Of course, it's in here - but I don't like what you're doing to my precious Iambe, patchouli! STOP IT!

Impressions: I felt my heart drop to the floor.

 

After a While:

Persistent notes: Patchouli patchouli patchouli. Oh wait, could that be amber or tea or pretty flower? NO! IT'S PATCHOULI! NO NOTES FOR YOUUUU!

Impressions: Okay, perhaps I am not being fair. There is something to this, something other than patchouli. Something warm and sweet trying to coax patchouli off its throne. Unfortunately, no tea or pretty gladiolas.

Staying power: Well, at least we can say that for Patchouliambe. Stuck around for a good twelve hours, begging for me to love her. I'm a cold, heartless woman in the face of patchouli.

 

Overall Impressions:

You know what, I still kind of love this... it's growing on me. My mind just shuts off when it smells patchouli, so maybe I'm not open to everything that's really on my skin, but I am trying so hard and not getting much. The fact is that this is not the Iambe that I loved in the bottle, and she's probably not meant to be. We're gonna have a good long talk, see if we can give it another go. If not, I'm sure that someone else will adore her.

 

[darklorelei]

Sweet pear/apple-y (is that the gardenia?) over note, warm, vaguely herbal base. Does not seem to blend well for me. The topnotes and the basenotes remain very, very separate.

 

It's very interesting; patchouli usually pops out on me, as do white tea notes. On this scent, however, the floral notes are the most prominent, and seem quite fruity to me. The patchouli seems more like a bitter/musky patchouli, rather than a sweet one, and definately takes over the amber as the prominent base note.

[ChupaChup]

I ordered Iambe because all of the notes have worked well for me in other blends. The inspiration, especially the "comfort, beauty and joy" part, also appealed to me. But wow, this blend did not work on me at all. It smelled very harsh in the vial, but knowing how these oils morph upon application, I had to put it on. Unfortunately, things did not get any better. Really, the only note I could recognize was the gardenia, it's the same spicy one that's in Sacred Ho'. It just kept getting more and more acrid, the notes were jumbled and muddy, and it begged to be washed off. Sorry

[surf-tormented]

Iambe is one of those mythological figures I love. I have a statue of her on my altar. I love the idea of her bawdy humor and her lifting her dress joking with Demeter, to make her laugh when she was in deep sorrow.

 

Putting the oil on, it was thick and uniform, a bit like fresh tea and flowers. Comforting yet too much going on. The notes blended together into a mix that was hard to describe and difficult to enjoy. It just didn't smell like anything to me.

 

But then babykitty came to my rescue and traded me some perfumer's alcohol for me to try and I put 4/5 of the bottle in there. As a perfume spray, it is fantastic! For some reason, a carrier like the alcohol brings out the full flower of the rose, patchouli and amber. The tea has gone into the background. It's now a good mix. I don't seem to get much patchouli as others do. I get more tea and amber with a little rose and heady twlight flowers. The spicy earth scent is to the bottom on me.

 

I traded for this bottle to use in ritual to Iambe and I think it is a great tribute to sensual joy and blue humor. It is full of sensuality and sympathy.

 

That being said, I probably wouldn't buy another bottle of this but the spray will last me a long time and I think I may get some perfumer's alcohol and try my own experiments.

Edited December 31, 2004 by Madame Nyx

[Theravada]

In the bottle this was very sweet, almost like candy. I tried it on to see if that would tone down a bit, but it stayed really sweet even when dry. It did become a bit more dusty, which is probably the amber and patchouli. The floral notes emerged quickly and strongly but blended very well so the individual notes were hard to distinguish. This is very feminine, sweet, and whimsical...and very much not my style at all. But this was a generous gimp from the lab, so I was happy to be able to try it. Now I'll just pass it along to someone who can actually enjoy it, because this really is pretty and the right person is going to love it.

[Fulltiltredhead]

I get tea right up front, which delights me - then gladiola, rose, and gardenia, in just about that order - then amber, and the patchouli base just gives enough earth for the florals to grow in and to keep the flowers from becoming too "precious."

 

It's beautiful. A fresh, glowing floral with a beautiful, sensual range -- a lovely wafting top and a sunny, wide, middle. My skin amps the flowers and drinks down the patchouli.

 

This is going on my big bottle list.

[tempete]

Initially, Iambe is a delightful blend of florals and white tea, with a touch of amber to ground her. However, a very sharp note comes out during the drydown (patchouli, perhaps?) that really disagrees with me. I'll try out my imp a few more times to be sure but it looks like this one is headed for the swap pile.

[phaedrine]

Iambe is very sweet and candy-like in the bottle, which is something that I tend to notice when patchouli has been mixed with florals.

 

It doesn't change terribly much on me, that sweet candy smell warmed by the amber. I get no tea at all.

 

Thankfully, my skin doesn't grab the rose in this and amplify it, as it does with other blends. It's there, in the background, with the gardenia, just sweetening that patchouli.

 

I like this one, and am glad I swapped for the imp, but I don't know that I like it well enough to buy a bottle of it. I'll have to wear it a few more times to see.

[Irish Sea Mermaid]

In the Bottle: something very sweet...like jolly ranchers watermelon candy...not liking that very much...

 

 

Wet On: Very floral but kind of acrid at the same time...still not convinced

 

 

After a While:ohhhhhhhhh....its lovely...There is something comforting and familiar about this one...its like a hug from dear friend or a mom.

 

 

Overall Impressions: Its the smell of pure love. It makes you happy and brings out a warm feeling serenity... I can see why its called Iambe...

 

Think a big bottle might be on the cards!!

Am so glad i swapped for it!!

[shelldoo]

this one is beautiful once it dries, wet ithad a sharp biting note i am unsure of what it was but it almost hurt my nose but after it dreis, it is a sweet tea, w/ a rose and gardenia at the party, i am not picking up patchouli, altho i like patchopuli also, overall, this is a fresh young smell and one that would be very nice on a warm breezy spring day.

[Ishtar]

Yet another of these blends that seem to smell very different on different people...

 

On me Iambe wasn't all that comforting and certainly not fresh. It was a thick, deep, fruity sweet scent. If it were a fabric it would be dark golden-brown velvet. Not unpleasant by any means, but rather on the warm and heavy side.

 

While the patchouli and tea were the top notes right after applying, the drydown brought out the amber (which I love) and the gardenia, which I am not overly fond of. Unfortunately, the floral note somewhat clashed with the lovely amber/patchouli combo and never really seemed to find its place in the blend.

 

I am afraid that between the heavy sweetness of the initial stages and the lack of balance of the drydown, Iambe is not quite for me. I can see how it would be beautiful on the right person, though

Edited March 22, 2005 by Ishtar

[mmcfa2]

Warm and heavy with the gardenis spice taking the forefront. I can smell the amber and patchouli in the background. This one I wanted to love but it's too deep and dark for me

[cormeretrix]

this, for some unfathomable reason, smelled burnt to me. like burnt sugar. needless to say, swap pile for this one!

 

i never got any of the florals, just burnt bits.

[wickedgoddess]

Origin - gift imp from the lab

 

Wet - a sweet floral, primarily gladiola, and white tea.

 

Dry - this is a fresh, light floral. The gardenia becomes more prominent as it dries and mingles with the gladiolas and tea.I don't smell any amber, rose, or patchouli in this at all. After an hour or two, the floral and tea are completely gone, and only amber is left behind. This is a very pretty light floral, and I love the tea note, but I already have a few light florals I like and really don't need another. But if I were considering another light floral, I would definitely think about this one.

 

On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 3.

[slave1]

In Bottle: Sweet floral.

 

On Skin: Very sweet almost watermelon scent… the florals are delicious! I actually love a scent with patcholui… probably because the florals drown it out. The amber is soft and quietly in the back ground. The tea gives a fresh crisp note. This scent is comforting and gentle… graceful and elegant. This is a floral I will keep and love for sure.

[Red_Hot_Mama]

Iambe: Her scent is one of comfort, beauty and joy: Sudanese amber, patchouli, rose, gardenia, gladiola and white tea.

 

Yep, that about sums it up.

 

Iambe goes on floral & tea, primarily gardenia. It quickly softens to a beautiful amber/patchouli/rose. It's heavier on the patchouli than the rose but that's a good thing with my chemistry.

 

I absolutely love this blend & have worn it every day since I received my Imp from jj_j.

 

Updated 7/29/05: Doin' the happy "I got my bottle, I got my bottle!"

Doin' the happy

Edited July 30, 2005 by Red_Hot_Mama

[TrinitySydney]

Wow---straight out of the bottle...this is unexpected, WATERMELON!.....??

Strange!

 

5 minutes on: Watermelon is barely there now, and jasmine and fruit are strong.

 

10 minutes: Ok, now it's the same as at five minutes, only with gardenia and musk added. I know, it doesn't say musk, but seriously, I think I smell it. Hm!

 

Overall: Well, I'm disappointed not to detect the patchouli (I LOVE patchouli), but I really like it anyway.

I'm not sure I'd get a big bottle, but I'm definitely going to enjoy my imp.

 

By the way, this mixes very nicely with Madrid.

[pensive]

Source: Frimp.

In the imp: Smells gorgeous.

Wet: Floraly, perhaps the gardenia and gladiolas, 'cause I'm not smelling the rose.

Dry: Pleasant mix of stuff, but way too heavy for summer. Like, spring evening. Not necessarily a 'me' sort of scent, but I think I could find it a good home among some friends.

[Brianne]

In the bottle:

Not to sound crude here, and believe me I know sometimes oils can smell kinda foul in the vial only to morph into something beautiful on my skin - but in the vial this smells like a warm cat litter box. It's frightening me.

 

On me:

Ehhhh....I'm worried here, it's not litter box now, but it is diapers, and I just know that's the rose. For whatever reason, there are some roses that end up smelling diaper-ish on me. It's not pleasant. Underneath that, this is strongly floral, though I'm not detecting any floral in particular, especially not gardenia which is usually very easy for me to pick out. The amber is accounting for the "warm" smell here I think, but I can't really decide if I can pick it out otherwise.

 

After about half an hour this turns into a primarily Amber scent, for which I'm thankful for. The amber is warm and slightly sweet and powdery, and makes a lovely companion to the florals which are barely there at this point.

 

Final note:

I'm not sure if this scent is for me, or if I want to keep my imp. I like it enough at the point where it goes all ambery to consider keeping the imp, and my Mom smelled it and went "mmmmm!" so she clearly likes it. I just don't know that this is really very "me", though it is lovely in the long run.

[olympia301]

 

On me Iambe is very heavy fruity and floral. It is a bit of an "old style" scent which has its charms. The full-force fruit start becomes a surprisingly attractive drydown when the patchouli and flowers mix into a soft but full bodied "perfumy" blend. Iambe isn't over-the-top unique but it is comforting because you pretty much know what to expect. The drydown is predictable without any disappointment or shock to the blend. Though it isn't inventive enough for me, if you are a traditionalist about your perfumes, Iambe is worth trying out.

Edited July 5, 2005 by olympia301

[QueenFae]

Ahhhh, I love Iambe. The amber makes such a glorious base for the florals. The notes that really come out on me are rose and gardeia, the others swirl together for a sweet, feminine background. I love amber and rose, this is such a lovely combination. Iambe makes me feel girly and cheery. I will certainly enjoy my impie!

[magikfanfic]

In the bottle: Wow. That's surprising. I never would have thought it would smell like that. It reminds me of melons for some reason. I'm not sure which one of the florals in there is being so sweet and fruity, but it smells like melon. Melon with an unfortunate dash of patchouli in the background. I was concerned about this one because I'm usually allergic to gardenia, but this might work after all as long as the patchouli and the amber behave.

 

Wet: Fresh melon with patchouli in the background, which really strikes me as being a somewhat weird way to smell this one. What causes that lovely melon scent? Unfortunately the patchouli, as well as some distressingly spicy note, it winning out over the lovely melon.

 

Dry down: Spicy, patchouli melon, which still makes very little sense to me. I don't hate it. I just wish that it was more melon scent and less of the spiced patchouli because I hate patchouli and most spiced scents. That might be the amber. Or...is one of those florals supposed to be spicy? I'll admit that I'm not very familiar with most of these notes. I like the melon kick it has, but the rest of it is starting to make my head ache a little. It doesn't change too much on me, though. Just kinda stays with the same quiet melon, spiced patchouli smell. I was hoping some of the spice or the patchouli would go away, but they seem to just like to blend together and sit there together.

 

Dry: Spcied patchouli melon with more patchouli and less melon than before. Makes me sad. Oh well.

[Caltha]

Iambe

 

This smells clearly of musk melon to me, which I detest. It might be some other melon too, but it's clearly not watermelon, the only kind of melon I can stand since I find the rest of them appalingly "anti-fresh". There's also something sharp lurking in the background, like acrid smoke. As it dries it gets less sweet and slightly more fresh, but still unpleasantly melony. The acrid note has mellowed into something spicier, herbier but I still don't like it.

Edited September 6, 2005 by Caltha

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: A little warm, a little flowery, a little fruity - I can't pick a single note out!

 

Wearing: This starts out as a sweet tea, amber and gardenia scent which is just lovely! As it dries, my archnemesis rose appears and slowly takes over.

 

Final Impressions: Bah! Rose!