Arachne, Bewitching Brews, discontinued: 5/30/07 Options

[quantum spice]

A victim of her own arrogance, conceit and hubris, Arachne, the greatest mortal weaver, had the temerity to claim herself superior to Athena. Arachne was truly gifted: not only was her art astoundingly beautiful, but the vision of her in the act of weaving was a joy to behold. When one observer commented that her skill was so great that she must have been trained by the goddess Athena herself, the proud woman scoffed: she was insulted, and proclaimed aloud that the goddess could do no better than she. Athena heard this, and, as she is not a vindictive or jealous goddess, gave Arachne the opportunity to redeem herself. Disguised as an elderly woman, she came to Arachne and warned her against hubris. She laughed at the old woman and declared that she would welcome a contest with Athena. The goddess accepted the challenge. Athena wove a stunning tapestry depicting her victory over Poseidon, thus gaining patronage over the city of Athens. Arachne, who couldn't leave well enough alone, wove a vulgar piece that depicted Zeus' dalliances with Leda, Europa and Danae. Appalled at the woman's audacity and blasphemy, Athena tore Arachne's tapestry to shreds, crushed her loom, and bonked the mortal on the head, forcing her to feel remorse for her actions. In guilt and grief, Arachne hung herself. Again, because the goddess is merciful, she took pity on the woman and, after sprinkling aconite upon her corpse, transformed her into the first spider.

A gossamer scent, as light as a spider's footfall, touched with sighing mists: pallid flowers, dusty woods and soft herbs.

in the bottle, it reminds me of the prototype dublin. soft, misty, floral with a light deciduous woods somewhere.

wet on my skin, it's a soft aquatic floral. very damp and wet.

as it dries, that *dirty* taste to it that zombi and (to a lesser extent) seance had, that dusty dirt that you can not only smell but taste on the tip of your tongue as you sniff it... it starts wafting in and out.

it's a very *clean* light floral (in a natural kind of clean), but as it dries, i think there may be lily in here because it starts going slightly soapy the way lilies do on me. i'll be honest, it's not really my type, and i'll see if layering dublin with it helps get rid of the slight soapy and dustiness of it... but i suspect it'll end up in the swap pile.

[shadow]

I was very surprised by this scent when I received it. From the description I had expected that it would be a very soft, pale smell. However, when I applied it, it seemed to slowly get stronger and brighter and sharper. There's something a bit edgy in there, and while I don't think I like it as a work perfume, I think it would be a nice weekend perfume - when I need a little something because I'm out shopping and trying to maneuver through crowds of people.

I do wonder what it is in here that's so sharp and bright - generally, other than certain roses and jasmine, florals go soft and sweet on me, not loud.

[Astarte]

I'm quite petrified of spiders, so I was shocked when I was thinking about reviewing the Patron of Spiders scent.

In the vial it smells quite green and slightly sweet (like slightly fruit sweet). On me it settles down into a skin scent. Its very soft and settles quietly enhancing my skin scent, this is very soul of gossamer.

When first applied, I get the slightly sweet, slightly blunt (some sort of wood) scent which then combines to a pale green infusion which is just quietly settling on my skin.

Its not very "earthly" on me, or aquatic but more subtle, I wonder what my body chemistry is doing to this one (IMG:http://www.bpal.org/style_emoticons/default/icon_wink.gif) But for me this is a winner.

[shelldoo]

I too, have a dislike of spiders but the description intigued me. And I am glad I tried this I really like it. Will definitely finish the imp and possibly buy a 5ml for summer.

On me it is not too floral and definitely not aquatic (aquatics generally go wonky on me) but instead it is a very soft clean herbal I definitely think of a summer breeze in my herb garden.

[couscous]

Hmmm...I, too, don't smell any aquatics. Nor any woods or herbs, really. On me, Arachne is a pretty straight-up floral. In fact, it smells a little like Blood Lotus, without the resin. A softer, sweeter blood lotus.

So...I'm guessing lotus, a little rose, and a spicy flower....maybe carnation or jasmine? as the top notes.

It's lovely, but very bubblegum on me. Sadly, I'm not really a bubblegum kinda chick (IMG:http://www.bpal.org/style_emoticons/default/icon_sad.gif)

For sweet floral lovers who don't like their scents heavy.

[Julilla Regina]

This scent is a little difficult for me to describe. It's sweet, but not candy'ish, and it is green too. Sweet and green, not herby green though, fresh green. Maybe something like what I imagine a meadow in summer might smell like. It has blooming flowers, but not the intense sort of floral that I would imagine in spring. Mellow flowers in a sweet smelling grassy meadow. There is also something that makes me think of fruit, a barely ripe kind of fruit, but for the life of me I can't place it!

Very interesting. Quite unique.

[autumnviolet]

WOW! Is my nose off! I don't smell gossamer anything...
Wet: grape and bubble gum with a sharp sniff like pine. Hmmm.
Dry-down: sweet, like bubble gum but with the clean, sharp soapy scent.
Really odd and intriguing!

[tempete]

For me, this fragrance evokes the ethereal, fragile nature of spider webs more than the arrogance and hubris of Arachne, because there is nothing strong about it. It's mildly sweet, weakly green/herbal and faintly floral, and eventually powders out on me in about an hour. Arachne would be beautiful on someone else, but it definitely does not suit me.

[Madame Nyx]

I love spiders. I had a black widow living in my heater once. She was a beautiful creature. I had never seen an oil inspired by the Queen of Spiders before, so I knew this would be a very charming scent for me.

It's soft and light, like a wind through a spiderweb. Truly fitting for Arachne. It's a little lighter than what I usually wear, but it smells sweet in a herbal spicy way and is unique amongst the oils I have tried so far. I don't think I have smelled another perfume oil like it anywhere.

I can't make out much of the notes, it seems light green to me, like clouds and grasses blowing in a crisp wind. Then a slow scent of herbs and a tiny bit of spice comes into play. It's a very fun floral and I don't like florals as a rule. Great scent!

[Finny]

Out of the imp... sweet and herby.

On this is lovely, it is light and silky like spider webs. It sticks to the nose and skin. It smells sweet and herby, with a light, floral, woodsy scent in the background.

Beautiful, scent. (IMG:http://www.bpal.org/style_emoticons/default/icon_smile.gif)

[Shollin]

First sniff: Arachne is a light, sweet, floaty scent, faintly aquatic and golden.

Wearing: Slightly minty at first. It goes through a brief soapy phase, but after it fades, this scent is a very nice faintly sweet golden glow. It doesn’t strike me as particularly herbal or floral; it’s more like amber. Interesting.

[VelvetSky]

Arachne is very, very different than what I anticipated from the description, at least judging from the topnotes.

I smell black lotus here, and a medicinal herb. Strong and piercing, dusty and heavy. This is most definitely not a wispy, light fragrance on my skin. I think my chemistry is really amplifying the lotus. Some kind of wood underneath, frankincense maybe.

As it dries down and warms, I'm getting some mint and camphor, and the sweetness of the black lotus is backing off. It's becoming drier and airier.

The drydown of Arachne is really quite pleasant. Faintly flowery/herbal with the dry soft wood and mint in the background. I'm perceiving this as a masculine scent; not something I'd wear, but something I'd like to smell on a guy.

[darkling]

In the bottle: Arachne is very light and green.

Wet: It maintains its green edge but also a background of sweet floral notes.

Dry: Arachne smells like bubblegum although slightly more natural.

Over time: The bubblegum scent fades and leaves a pale, lingering berry scent that is extremely light and sweet. However, it is very natural and authentic as well as calming.

[sarada]

Got this from Madame Nyx, and I quite like it...if there is a family of scents that we can classify as Misty/Gossamer, then this definitely fits. I don't like a lot of things outside of the wood/resin family because most things become very powdery on me, but these wonderful gossamer mist scents really linger and stay true to their in-the-bottle scent, becoming slightly incensy, which I love.

The main impression that I get from Arachne is that I have just walked into a room in very early spring where the windows are open, and a slightly chill breeze is wafting the curtains -- there is still a lingering fragrance in the room where someone was just burning strawberry incense. Dreamy, ethereal, and sweetly smoky -- miraculously, no powder smell. Just to be a little more vague, I'll also say it makes me think of an antique faded photograph...it's as though you're reaching for something insubstantial and fleeting, like a spiderweb (a ha!), and just when your fingers close around it, it vanishes. Hmm, that also sounds a little like cotton candy...this also smells a bit like that! (IMG:http://www.bpal.org/style_emoticons/default/icon_smile.gif) I've never smelled anything exactly like this. Put this alongside Unicorn and Dublin as scents in the "misty" category that I love, though they are all completely unique!

ETA: Trying it again a year later, after a few months of not smelling it and I really do love it even though it only lasts five minutes on me. I agree with everything I wrote before, but will add that my bf said immediately upon my wearing it "I smell tuberose." Or, he said, some kind of orchid. He used to live in a house with a greenhouse full of orchids so.....perhaps there is some kind of orchid in this, or tuberose. It's the first useful thing anyone has ever said to me when I was wearing a perfume. (IMG:http://www.bpal.org/style_emoticons/default/magtongue.gif)

This post has been edited by sarada: Feb 16 2006, 07:06 AM

[Cedar]

As further proof that my nose works differently from everyone else's, I get no florals in this at all. I'm kind of stuffed up so I didn't get a big impression of any sort from the bottle, but when I put it on my overwhelming thought was that it smells like incense. I get a light incensy, almost patchouli smell until it's been dry for about half an hour to an hour. Now that it's dry I get some florals, maybe...jasmine?...and a definite bubblegum undertone. It's not me.

[Northernminx]

Softly herbal and fresh to start, this is very light, slightly feminine, but not classically floral. There’s a definite earthiness to this and as the blend dried I got an almost damp mustiness out of it. Lovely and fresh but not quite me.

[LiberAmoris]

Reading the reviews for Arachne, I think people have done a great job of trying to describe what I find to be difficult-to-encapsulate blend. On me it’s a watery, fruity floral with a definite lotus/bubble gum note. I was surprised at the sweetness of the blend from the description---somehow in my imagination it was drier and darker.

In one sense I felt it really lived up to its name: it’s sweet but there is a definite undertone of something astringent and herbal, which reminds me of the contrast between Arachne’s skill and her conceit. There’s tension in the blend that captures the story nicely.

I’m not the biggest lotus fan, so Arachne is going to be given away to a friend who LOVES the lotus!

This post has been edited by LiberAmoris: Apr 6 2005, 05:29 PM

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 3/5
Summarised in a word or two: Soapy.

Preconceived notions: I really have no idea what this will smell like, or if it'll work for me. I'm assuming there's a change it'll go soapy, though.

In the imp: Very soft and sweet, and vaguely floral, with a dash of some sort of herb(s).

On skin, wet: Ah, yes: soap. Sweet, green, herbal soap, but soap all the same.

On skin, dry: Softer, but still soapy. It's got a lovely green tinge to it, inwardly floral. It still reminds me of soap, but a soap I could be very fond of; not on my skin, however.

Conclusion: All-in-all, a very gentle, soft green floral scent. Not for me, though.

This post has been edited by Aredhel: Jun 20 2006, 10:09 PM

[magikfanfic]

In the bottle: A soft, light, slightly sweet scent that reminds me vaguely of The Unicorn, which is a favorite of mine. It's mostly flowers and a little bit of a dewy/airy scent in the bottle. The wood and herb notes scare me, though.

Wet: A sweet, light floral. This reminds me a lot of The Unicorn. It has a slightly sweet, bubble gum note to it, but the palid florals are simply lovely. There's maybe the tiniest hint of a wood note in the background but nothing that's overpowering as of yet.

Dry down: Now the wood is rising to the surface and giving the scent an odd kind of smell. The florals are fading into the background and the dusty woods are taking over that slight sweet smell. The herbs are coming out a little more, too, now though I can't really discern one from another without a hint of what they are.

Dry: Mostly herbs and woods now with just the peeking out of a slight sweet floral backing note. While this is nice, the resemblance to The Unicorn is what I liked about it. I have a 5ml of The Unicorn on order, though, so I think I'll end up sticking with that. I am pleased that neither the wood nor the herb notes have caused any kind of allergic reaction, though. Yeah, this smells too much like woods and herbs on me.

[slave1]

In Bottle: Very soft and floral.

On Skin: Ok, with a name like this I expected something dark, scary and sinister. I mean… spiders!!! But this scent is so light and wispy… I can just see flowers dripping out of it! I wish I was a “floral person” because this is beyond pretty, but somehow I’d expect it more on a dainty sweet innocent girl. I don’t really sense the woods… it is pure flowers with a touch of some minty herb. Sadly, my husband didn’t like it… but at least bugs were brought up… he says it smells like bug spray.

[yummysushitoo]

Sweet, light scent of flowers and something ethereal and elusive. Very soft, sleepy, and soothing. I catch the hints of herbs, but the dusty woods elude me.

It evokes soft, gossamer wings brushing across my face. Very lovely. I think it's more appropriate for Spring, and daytime, as it's a lighter scent.

I will definitely order a larger bottle of this. And to think, I was reluctant to try it because of the spider theme. I thought it would smell like dust. (IMG:http://www.bpal.org/style_emoticons/default/icon_wink.gif)

[Gin]

This is a sad scent. Soft and herbal. Like a dusty house or cabin opened up in the summer to let the light in. Or the sun streaming through an attic window, illuminating the dust particles in the air. It's a pretty scent, but it makes me feel melancholy.

[tesao]

in the imp, arachne reminds me OF the woods, the forest, with some floral/herbiness to it. it is clean, but not clear. perhaps that is the mist....there is a sense of foreboding here.

once on my wrist, there is a grape sort of smell. it reminds me of the way the perfume Poison smells on me. sort of a sweet grape jelly.

although it isn't mentioned, i believe that i detect lotus here. (IMG:http://www.bpal.org/style_emoticons/default/icon_sad.gif)

off to the swaps it goes!

[FireInCairo]

I agree that this scent has an air of melancholy surrounding it. However, there is a bit of sugary sweetness pressing through the darkness here. I think it might be honeysuckle. Bittersweet indeed...but quite lovely.

[quikslvr]

On me, so light and mysterious and dusty as to be distracting, then quickly nonexistent. It goes so fast, unfortunately.