[UltraViolet]

We shall swim out to that brooding reef in the sea and dive down through black abysses to Cyclopean and many-columned Y'ha-nthlei, and in that lair of the Deep Ones we shall dwell amidst wonder and glory for ever.

A great undersea metropolis located below Devil's Reef. A swirling, lightless, effervescent scent: the deepest marine notes with bergamot, eucalyptus and foamy ambergris.

In the bottle
Smells clean and fresh with just a tad of sweet warm ambergris.
On
Soft, musky Ambergris. I have Beth's Ambergris Bouquet single note and I LOVE that smell. It's lovely in this blend.
30 minutes
Doesn't change much.
Throw:
a bit only
Scent category:
Marine/Animalistic
Summary
This is a win for me. I love this and it's so wearable too. It reminds me of Skadi or Snow Angel et al.
Purchase again?
Yes.
1-5 rating (5 being best)
4

[Precis]

In the imp: Y'ha-Nthlei smells complex and aquatic, but no notes are jumping out at me yet!

On, wet: Oooh! It's wet and wicked and a little foreboding. The earthy ambergris note is dominating the scent but I can smell eucalyptus and just a hint of the bergamot if I sniff hard enough.

On, dry: Very much like the wet version except even more of an ambergris single note with a little bit of chilly eucalyptus left. After drying, it's a little more earth than water to my nose, as a matter of fact.

Y'ha-Nthlei is a lot darker and colder than the (few) other aquatics I've tried, most of which tend toward the fresh and clean "white" scent category. It's a nice change for a wet scent. I'll have to try the other Arkham aquatics and compare!

[maijasu]

This is a gorgeous citrussy-fresh aquatic! It smells so clean and sparkly, but it has a certain depth to it too. I am in love with this and will be buying a bottle come springtime!

[spring heel]

Jesus, Mary and Joseph! I am totally get a bottle of this in my next order, I must. I was actually hoping for more of a dark abyssal scent, but this is fairly light. It didn't change much. Its stayed almost the same in the bottle, wet and dry. I haven't tried Skadi or Snow Angel so I can't really compare it. Its a little bit sweet, probably from the ambergris but it remains a very aquatic scent. I forgot it had that (ambergris) in there and I kept trying to figure out WHY this was slightly sweet and warm. But it works! Its a beautiful aquatic, there's a fair amount of eucalyptus in there but it doesn't have a menthol-quality to it like most eucalyptus does, I also can't sniff out any bergamot in this. Its definatley not the dark or deep scent I was hoping for but I don't think I could love this anymore than I already do!

[marietta]

Lovely! It starts out with a quite strong citrus (grapefruit or something similar), which fades away to reveal another citrus note (bergamot), ambergris, a moss note (I think) and something chilly. Seriously, my wrist is actually getting cold, though I'm sure it is psychosomatic! It eventually dries to a bergamot and ambergris blend, which is really pretty. This reminds me of Hermes Eau d'Orange Verte, but this lasts longer and stays very true . . . so it's way better!

I'm not sure if I need more, since this strikes me as somehow masculine, but there's no way I'm getting rid of the imp!

[sookster]

straight sniff from the imp is OMG gorgeous...very deep aquatic yet fresh somehow...wowza!!

once applied this gets quite complex...bergamot and ambergris are stunning in this perfume...and it lasts with great throw as well...i have found my new "p-town perfume"....yesss!!!!

this is the best aquatic blend i have tried to date from the lab and a big bottle purchase for me

[aquazoo]

Soft & lime. It is sea-like, and I can’t tell the eucalyptus. It’s getting kinda soapy, Old Spice Lime. Guy-like, but not me.

This post has been edited by aquazoo: 20 October 2006 - 01:25 AM

[slave1]

YHA-NTHLEI

In Bottle: Delicate aquatic

On Skin: Very aquatic, I love the feeling this evokes. And with such strong notes listed in the description, I am shocked at how delicate this scent is. The eucalyptus is very soft, not the usual screaming medicinal note it turns on me. Here it is fresh and green-blue, very pretty. The bergamot is also gentle and tame and just a bit earthy. The ambergris gives the beautiful deep ozone feel and really defines the scent. Very clean but with a dark forboding feel just under the surface. I’m usually not a huge fan of aquatic or ozone scents, but this has to be my favorite in that category. Not an everyday scent, but a good one to make you feel like you’re near the ocean. Light to average throw, good wearlength.

[Little Bird]

Yha-Nthlei is my new favorite aquatic blend (my only favorite aquatic?). I don't particularly like any of the listed notes, yet this is somehow so stunning. Actually, I don't necessarily smell any of the listed notes either. I was expecting this to be sharp, but it's not at all.

Chilly and fresh. An aquatic that doesn't actually go soapy and smell like dryer sheets on me. This blends together to make something so smooth, and just a touch sweet. It's not soapy and it doesn't have the usual sharp citrus note that I get from aquatic blends.

Another beautiful Arkham scent.

[Venus Starfire]

Cool aquatic, hint of sweet, like cucumber. It reminds me a little bit of Annabel Lee. Very nice.

[fiddledragon]

We shall swim out to that brooding reef in the sea and dive down through black abysses to Cyclopean and many-columned Y'ha-nthlei, and in that lair of the Deep Ones we shall dwell amidst wonder and glory for ever.

In the imp: To begin our journey to Y'ha-nthlei, let the salt spray fill your lungs and nibble on these fresh juicy watermelon slices we've provided for the voyage. We really don't know what they're doing here, but they sure are tasty!

On me: As you finish your watermelon, dive into the ocean, savoring the chill of that first plunge. Diving deeper, marvel at the strange underwater flowers and brightly colored fish. Dwell in the wonder of the Deep Ones' sweetly crushing embrace, enjoying the splended Earl Grey they offer you.

[supremegoddessofall]

Something in here does *not* agree with me, and I think it's the bergamot. Very animalistic, bit of eucalyptus, only slightly aquatic. I don't know what it is, but something in here is repelling me.

[starglass]

I couldn't smell the eucalyptus in Y'ha-Nthlei at all, but no matter.

Y'ha-Nthlei did not smell very aquatic in the imp, but when I applied it, it smelled like deep, dark sea. It had an earthy quality to it, and is a darker, less floral, Sea of Glass. A bit masculine.

Definitely getting a bottle!

[harmonyfb]

In the imp, this is a fresh-smelling aquatic scent. Certainly not the dark, fathomless depths I expected.

Unfortunately, on my skin it smells like generic dish soap. ::sigh::

[Voleuse]

This is a clean scent, soap and the ocean, but warm. The aquatic notes have a sweet tinge to them, making this an overall bright scent. It doesn't morph on me, but it mellows to a pleasant clean murk over time. I like it.

[Neptunienne]

In the bottle: A marine breeze - light salty ozone, mostly.

Wet: Citrusy freshness, which becomes sweet with ambergris. I smell a tiny hint of eucalyptus.

Drydown: Hmm, this is subtle. A sea breeze with a lot of salty-sweet musky ambergris, very smooth and gentle. The bergamot and eucalyptus are extremely discreet, I can't even make them out. There's something nearly misty about this blend, at times, several aquatics playing together.

Overall: This reminds me of other marine blends like City in the Sea or Cthulhu, but it's subtly different. The salty ozone really dominates the blend and smells very fresh. It's a bit masculine, not really something I'd wear, but I'll keep it for its atmosphere. It somehow smells like a cool grey sea, and salty-sweet, gentle.

[Nebibit]

I didn't expect to fall in love with this one...

This is a scent where I'm not picking out individual notes. It strikes deep into the hindbrain, bringing up images with it that are far more complex that the description might imply.

Wet, it's light; reminiscent of a sea breeze, clean, and refreshing.

As it dries down, that breeze settles, and there's the imagery of pine tress on a remote, ancient sea shore. This is a sea that moves and hides secrets, but it is not foreboding or dark. It is just primal, like the ancient trees that stand nearby. My head knows it's the eucalyptus coming up, but that requires thought, and this scent bypasses thought.

Dry, it is the scent of baptism, cleansing, and penitence - not in a religious sense, but in the sense of starting everything over. It is the scent of a fresh start by choice. It's the Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner; it's Swinburne's The Triumph of Time.

For those of us who are magically inclined, it's a scent for use in ritual cleansings.

I never expected this reaction to a scent named for something designed to be a terror that taps into our most primal fears, and yet it seems fitting.

This post has been edited by Nebibit: 15 February 2007 - 03:30 PM

[cuervosueno]

I don't like aquatic scents, but I do like bergamot and amergris, so I was happy to get an imp of this to try.

Wet: clean blue-green, a very refreshing, and yes, effervecent scent. I can't pick out any notes particularly, but the bergamot probably adds the clean, slightly citrusy note.

It does remind of a breeze over water, though not necessarily a sea breeze.

After awhile, it gets a bit cucumbery, which I don't like.

In the end? Glad I'm got to try it, but not a favorite.

[Edens Sixth Day]

Y'Ha-Nthlei - The bergamot and eucalyptus notes in this blend frightened me a bit, but I adore ambergris and I’m discovering that aquatics work really, really well on me, so I was very curious to see how this scent would smell to me. When I first opened the vial, I was blown away by the most gorgeous, bright, aquatic scent. It smells like deep, salty ocean that’s been infused with the brightness bergamot and the warm, sweet, muskiness of ambergris. I only smell the eucalyptus as a sort of “after scent” that’s hinted at, but not really there. This is a really phenomenal aquatic blend that I’m going to absolutely adore wearing. I imagine that on the right man, this would smell incredibly gorgeous, as well. The throw is absolutely perfect and the staying power is above-average.

[filigree_shadow]

Mostly the marine notes, but they're not dark and murky. It seems quite light, almost too much. It reminds me of fizziness. It's definitely in the marine/aquatic category, but it's not as heavy or as piercing as many of the other aquatics are on my skin.

[euterpe414]

Wow, this may be the only aquatic blend besides Caliban that did not go pure soap or detergent on me! (well, if you wanna count Banded Sea Snake then this is the third blend, but whateva) This is just a pure marine scent- like standing on a pier and having sea spray splash in your face. It reminds me of my childhood growing up near the sea . Very soft, natural yet surprisingly long lasting on my skin. I'm not sure whether or not this is a bottle purchase since I don't often crave aquatics but I am definitely keeping my imp. I can only imagine that this would be a most perfect room scent as well!

[grrrlennyl]

at first: bright bergamot with a something a bit darker underneath.
on: lots of bergamot and aquatic notes.
1 hour later: bright and aquatic, with lots of bergamot.
2.5 hours later: sweet, bright bergamot.
5 hours later: something dark and watery.
overall: this is ok, but not really very interesting on me. i like the nice, bright bergamot at the beginning, though.

[Brianne]

In the vial:
sweet and light grapefruit

On me:
It goes on very bright and sweet grapefruit but it quickly starts deepening and becoming more masculine. The grapefruit and bergamot settle down into the marine notes almost immediately. Despite the marine note being very obvious it's not completely OZONEY/aquatic like Yog Sothoth was. It's much more subtle and definitely warmed by the ambergris. The ambergris also adds to the masculinity of this blend though. I just have a hard time smelling it and not thinking of something a guy would wear.

This is nice though - it's clean, a tiny bit citrusy, lightly sweet and smooth. Despite it being "clean" it's actually a warm scent though, I don't get the "cool" vibe from it.

[t3andcrumpets]

Mostly ambergris for the first hour or so, but then the aquatics come up and lift it up into tolerable territory -- and then disappear completely. My skin, boy, I dunno.

[tinyvulture]

a blend of herbal/mossy and aquatic notes. as with most aquatic blends, this one goes a little fruity on my skin at first and almost smells like watermelon. but after a few minutes the sweetness fades and it’s probably one of the “truest” aquatic scents i’ve tried thus far. it really does smell like a deep, murky body of water, full of green plant life, algae or seaweed. i’m not really picking up any citrusy bergamot or minty eucalyptus. there’s something clean about it, but something dark and foreboding at the same time.