Kingsport

[shelldoo]

They do not wish the souls of their young men to leave the pleasant hearths and gambrel-roofed taverns of old Kingsport, nor do they wish the laughter and song in that high rocky place to grow louder. For as the voice which has come has brought fresh mists from the sea and from the north fresh lights, so do they say that still other voices will bring more mists and more lights, till perhaps the olden gods (whose existence they hint only in whispers for fear the Congregational parson shall hear} may come out of the deep and from unknown Kadath in the cold waste and make their dwelling on that evilly appropriate crag so close to the gentle hills and valleys of quiet, simple fisher folk. This they do not wish, for to plain people things not of earth are unwelcome; and besides, the Terrible Old Man often recalls what Olney said about a knock that the lone dweller feared, and a shape seen black and inquisitive against the mist through those queer translucent windows of leaded bull's-eyes.

All these things, however, the Elder Ones only may decide; and meanwhile the morning mist still comes up by that lovely vertiginous peak with the steep ancient house, that gray, low-eaved house where none is seen but where evening brings furtive lights while the north wind tells of strange revels. White and feathery it comes from the deep to its brothers the clouds, full of dreams of dank pastures and caves of leviathan. And when tales fly thick in the grottoes of tritons, and conchs in seaweed cities blow wild tunes learned from the Elder Ones, then great eager vapors flock to heaven laden with lore; and Kingsport, nestling uneasy in its lesser cliffs below that awesome hanging sentinel of rock, sees oceanward only a mystic whiteness, as if the cliff's rim were the rim of all earth, and the solemn bells of the buoys tolled free in the aether of faery.

Salty ocean breezes touched by a numinous, incandescent mist.

wow i don't know what i could add to the lab description. it is exactly that. it is standing on the bow of a ship the mist dampening everything there is sea breeze, saltyness, ozone. this is a sunny day out on the ship just standing letting the breeze envelope you.

(sorry i don't have more specific notes it is just oceany) Edited December 27, 2007 by Shollin

[allidavie]

I ordered a second bottle of this on pure instinct yesterday with the lunacy update, because I only got my first bottle of it today.

 

Heaven, heaven, heavean. Totally aquatic without too much ozone. Smells like being caught in a thunderstorm while sitting on the beach - ozone, water, salt, and not much else - maybe a bit of some dune flowers floating on the wind. Totally unisex without being overtly masculine. Not perfumey, but not so subtle you don't notice it.

 

Would make a fabulous addition to shampoo - actually, now that I think about it, it's quite like GothRosary's Seattle Rain, only more oceany and less rainy.

 

Yum.

 

ETA: Macha is right - Kingsport doesn't really smell like being caught in a thunderstorm - it smells like it the air when a huge summer thunderstorm has just passed, and it's sort of grey out with the sun breaking through a few clouds, and you go back on the beach. The sand is wet, it's suddenly 10 degrees colder, and everything smells clean and salty all at once.

 

But I'm an East Coaster, so our beaches might smell a bit different!

Edited May 25, 2005 by allidavie

[Macha]

I realize that while ozony, aquatic scents don't necessarily get the love that an oriental or gourmand perfume might receive, fans do exist. I'm one of them. I've always loved the ocean, and I love the smell of the ocean.

 

I think part of this is because I grew up in the seaside town, in an apartment only a mile or so from the beach, and during the summer daily beach trips were required. And, as my boyfriend sometimes teases me to this day, my home town is not a place that necessarily sees a lot of sun. Instead, there is a constant marine layer, and fog rolls in almost every morning, a fine wet blanket nestling over miles of beach and Pacific Ocean. There is a smell to that, a smell of mist, ocean and salt water, that you either love or hate, and if you hate it you'd better move somewhere else, because you'll never escape it otherwise.

 

I must say though, that to me this does not smell like an ocean storm or the aftermath of said storm (for that I would turn to Storm Moon or Hurricane.) This is that morning fog, and sitting on the beach while it washes over you, the smell of wet sand and ocean waves. It's ozone without being over-powering, sweet and salty the way only ocean air can be. This isn't a tropical beach, a pirate beach or sex on the beach. There is nothing to distract from the smell of all that water, the foamy brine and soft fog. It's just...perfect. The best beach scent I've found yet.

 

I'm not sure what sort of throw it has since my hand had been glued to my nose since trying this on (makes it hard to type, let me tell you) but it is, as allidavie said, heaven.

[theshapeshifter]

So happy to finally try this!

 

Of course, my review isn't going to do much except reinforce what's already been said - this is a scent that delivers exactly what its description suggests: a perfectly encapsulated ride over the ocean. Water, mist, salt spray... it reminds me of being in Scotland and taking the Calmac ferry to the Hebrides.

 

It was very strong for the first couple of minutes on application, leading me to put on perhaps a bit less than I otherwise would've, but it calms down quite quickly, and like most ozoney scents I've tried, this will warrant a few touchups during the day. But it truly, truly is the perfect ocean scent that I've been jonesing for.

 

And can't wait to try it on the boy, too!

[Northernminx]

I will preface this that I'm not big on aquatics. They go strange on me, usually powdery and perfumey.

 

This is still gorgeous. Dark, salty waves on a cold day, a touch of wind but mostly water, cold, dark water with something stirring beneath. Sunlight may or may not penetrate the depths of this, but you get the sense that even if it did, you'd be freezing anyway. This is reminiscent of misty mornings with the damp of the shore just clinging to you.

 

I don't think I'll personally be keeping this as it's kind of ... not me. It is however right up my best friend's alley and so off to Linda this will go. I think she'll adore it.

[lorajc]

I haven't actually worn this yet, but I tested it last night on my inner arm. It is clean scent and a misty scent. I think Beth captured this quite well..........ocean breezes touched by an incandescent mist. There you have it. This is nothing like other oils in Beth's collection. It is truly unique. It is perfectly balanced. I tested this last night and went to bed. This morning when I got up, I could still smell it slightly on my arm, so I think it's long lasting.

[gingersnapp]

This is very sharp and biting on me, a salty aquatic like none I've ever smelled. The Lab's description pretty much got it right on... there is an oceanic mist that just kind of surrounds you and floats with you as you move through your day.

 

While it is very beautiful and unique, I'm not sure that it's something I would wear regularly. So off to the swap pile.

[ladytaga]

I love all the ocean and storm type scents. This is lovely...I am a little upset that I only have one bottle..but how much perfume can one girl wear?

When I first put it on it reminded me of something that I can't describe (I think it reminds me of some sort of soda I have had) but drydown more of the saltyness came through.

Not as fresh as storm moon but it is a nice summer scent that could be worn more into the winter months.

[magikfanfic]

In the bottle: Got an imp of this in a swap. I'm always curious about aquatic blends even though they seldom work for me. Eldritch told me that one of the aquatics (either this os Dunwich) smells like Thunderbird. I didn't order with but have managed to get my paws on imps through swaps. Okay, it must be this one. It smells like a slightly more ozoney version of Thunderbird. It still has that same sweet scent underneath but the ozone is a lot more pronounced.

 

Wet: Thunderbird plus ozone and unfortunately the ozone is stronger than the sweet Thunderbird quality of this. This reminds me of those candles that are supposed to smell like spring rain and the like. It's a nice scent, really, just a little heavy on the ozone for me.

 

Dry down: And then this morphs on my skin and doesn't smell much like Thunderbird at all. Instead it smells like the grass after the storm, just a little ozone and lots of wet. It's so cool how Beth can make something smell wet but she manages. It is a lot more of a traditional rain scent than a lot of the ozone/aquatics I've gotten from the lab thus far. I like it, but at the same time I find it to be just a tad too masculine for me to wear. And now the ozone is just a background note for a truely water smell. Not fabric softener the way most aquatics go but just lightly scented water with a touch of green. This would make a lovely room scent, but I doubt I'll wear it as a perfume at all.

 

Dry: And now it does have a more salty scent to it. The ozone is just about gone, and it's water and waves and crashing. The foam on the rocks and the scent of the wind as it hits you while you stand on a cliff and look out to sea. This reminds me of Ireland. Of standing on a cliff in Ireland and watching the sea and letting the wind blow through my hair and scent me. This is skies with a touch of gray and water with a touch of blue and green rising up everywhere around you. I probably won't wear this at all, but I'll have to keep it to take out and smell and wear on days when I need to center myself. It's a very calming blend.

[sh1mm3r]

I tried this again this morning, as I was comparing all of my aquatics. I'm not sure what it is, but aquatics just don't stick around long on me.

 

Kingsport is ozoney, salty, and definitely a briney stormy scent. Doesn't change a lot on my skin before it disappears!

[yaluna]

This is my first aquatic scent, and I'm thinking that maybe they just aren't for me. I don't really like the ozoney/sharp smell, it's very strong on me wet and dry. It makes my nose tingle and I had to wash it off. Oh well - off to swaps, and to make someone else happy

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: At first whiff, it seems almost like 7-Up. This is much fruitier than Cthulu - imagine the beauty of Empyreal Mist mingled with Jolly Roger, and that's a pretty accurate description of the bottle fragrance and my anticipation of the fragrance.

On me: Yup, it's still there - the lemon-lime carbonated goodness of 7-up and the ozones of Thunderbird. This is an absolutely stunning aquatic scent.

[Brianne]

In the bottle:

Very tangy and salty, so salty that it leaves a strange bitter taste in the back of my throat

 

On me:

I really should have known that this was not going to work for me. Generally, I don't get along well with strong aquatics, but the beachy like reviews and the description gave me hope that this scent might be an airy/breezy ocean smell. Something that would make me think of standing on the strip near VA beach and getting that warm, fresh salty breeze. This is much much much more ozoney though and very salty. The tang is a little too much for me unfortunately.

 

Final note:

This isn't a bad scent by any means, I know that people who like aquatics will love this. Sadly, aquatics just aren't usually something I'd wear and this is a bit too strong for me. I think this would smell great on someone else though

[pensive]

Bottle: Sharp, tangy.

Wet: Softer than Cthulhu going on.

Drydown: Dries down a bit faster than Cthulhu. Very oceany, with a bit more ozone.

Impression: Seattle Rain from Goth Rosary is one of my favorite scents, and this is more oceany.

Verdict: I'm not totally sure what to think of Kingsport yet. I mean, I like it, but I also really like Cthulhu which starts out much stronger and dries down equally pretty.

I will probably put this in the swap only pile for another LE. I don't have to get rid of it, see. Not like Storm Moon and Milk Moon that screamed "get me out of the apartment right now".

[Spastik_Kitty]

In the bottle: Sweet, salty and wet.

 

First on: Very ozone and ocean but there is a sweet muskiness to it that almost seems like a faint blend of berry and white musk.

 

After a bit: Stays true to initial application. Very clean and wet smelling with an echo of a sweet light musk.

 

After a bit more: This fades quickly on me and personally, I have far too many scents that smell like this.

 

Off to the swap pile.

[Digital_Hypoxia]

Salt water and sea air, with just a bit of soap mixed in. Crisp, cool, and very clean.

 

I love ozone scents, and this is no exception. It’s a bit softer than what I usually go for, and it screams clean, but I think it will make a nice work perfume (I work in an animal hospital) or poking around downtown in the heat perfume.

 

 

I really like this

[Sistinas]

a review of Kingsport

 

Vial ~salty, very remniscent of tears, but there is this underlying tone of

sweetness

 

Wet ~ the scent does not change much, it is clean and salty scent, also

very ozoney.The lab description is spot on. I close my eyes and inhale salty

breezes as if I was right at the coast. So far I am in love with this scent.

 

 

Drying ~ still the wonderful salt breezes, so very refreshing

 

Dry ~ I think it is safe to say that after 30 mins it has finally dried

and while the breeze is not as strong, it is still there, whiffs of fresh

ocean air.

 

Fade ~ after an hour, it is faintly hanging in there.

 

Final thoughts ~ A wonderful scent, hopefully I will be able to find a replacement

for this once I finish my bottle

[OriginalWacky]

Bottle (Imp): Breezy ocean air.

 

Just On: Ahhh, yes, breezes coming in over the ocean.

 

An hour or two later: This is really nice, and I'm a bit surprised at how it smells like ocean air.

 

Around 6 hours: Ocean air, just fading because the breeze isn't really blowing anymore.

 

12 hours: The breeze has gone away. I miss it.

 

Overall: Definite keeper. I'm loving this one.

 

After reading other reviews: This so totally lives up to it's description. I can't really add much to the other reviews, I love this one.

[Savannah]

::cries::

 

I am so disappointed. I wanted so badly to get my hands on this, because from the description and the reviews it sounded like my holy grail of scents.

 

IT'S FLORAL!

 

It isn't my skin, either-- it was overpoweringly sweet and floral in the vial. My nose must be insane. After I put it on, the sweetness receded a bit and the aquatics came out, but I could not smell a single bit of salt no matter how hard I tried. It smells fresh and sweet and wet and outdoorsy, like the breeze off of somebody's garden after a hard rain. But marine-- no. After reading everyone else's reviews, I'm almost starting to wonder if my imp was mislabeled or something, but it's probably just me and my crazy sniffer.

 

Off to swaps, alas. :-(

[ChupaChup]

Kingsport smells exactly like its description, like a day at the beach walking through the sand dunes with salt spray in the air. A little too aquatic for me but an amazing accomplishment.

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: Water. Ocean, to be more specific.

 

Wearing: This is cool and refreshing. It truly brings to mind an early morning stroll on the beach during a drizzley, misty rain. It doesn't have great staying power, but it lasts for a few hours.

 

Final Impressions: This makes a completely refreshing spray for the muggy summer days... very cooling!

[Little Bird]

Kingsport isn't the sort of scent that I normally wear or enjoy, but it is lovely nonetheless. I love the smell of salt, so I definitely appreciate the salty water scent that it has. It reminds me of standing on the deck of a cruise ship before a storm. Salty water swirling around and the incoming storm adding that wet dark feeling to it all.

 

I like it. It's a great aquatic oceany scent... but manages to feel very dark and foreboding at the same time as it feels clean and refreshing.

[Lycanthrope]

My first official 'LE' bottle purchase...

 

In the Bottle or Imp:

Roiling, tempestuous sea notes with the feeling and taste of salty air bursting in whitecaps.

Wet, on Skin:

Like Sea of Glass without the bright citrus notes - a definite aquatic floral, but still plenty of salt spray with a hint of damp sand. This feels foggy to me, like an ocean for certain but one on an overcast day with heavy clouds looming about.

Drying Down:

Goes a bit more floral on me... post-storm beaches.

Over Time/Longterm:

A kiss of salt-spray on my wrist, and very, very seashore to me at least.

Final Verdict?

Reminds me of walking up and down the beaches of North Carolina, Outer Banks, the smell of the ocean water mixing with dry dune plants and that aroma only vaporized salt can give to the air. I'm loving this. Master craftsmanship here. Too bad all I have is this one bottle!

[grrrlennyl]

kingsport

 

at first: very wet and fresh.

on: amazing. seriously, i adore this. salty and very wet. there's a slight ozone-y tang, but not too much. wonderful.

1.5 hours later: i'm almost getting something a bit citrussy, but that might just be the ozone. this is still very refreshing. lovely!

4 hours later: light and wonderful. refreshing and still with that tang and saltiness.

overall: i adore this! i'm so glad i have an imp.

[Splendid Molerat]

There isn't much I can add about Kingsport.

 

Grey skies over a salt marsh, crisp wavelets under an increasing wind. This is a lovely, brooding atmospheric scent.