Lenore

[SeaMonkey]

A dark and bellicose scent that speaks of loss, lament, bitterness and breast-beating woe: thick black vetiver, sharp white musk and lemon peel, smoke and saffron, patchouli, thyme and black plum.

*drools*

In the vial, I can't really describe it. Wet dark vetiver. patchouli, and a little lemon


On my skin, its chocolate, right away, almost like how Penny Dreadful does on me. Then it mellows to this beautiful dark scent. I get the Snake Charmer/Torture King reference, but its darker than both.

I think I'm going to add a bottle to my order tomorrow when I order Red Phoenix

[Em-]

Lenore is a sneaky one.

 

I almost ordered a bottle of this the day DiMV came out, based on the lemon peel, thyme, saffron and plum, but I got scared off by "thick black vetiver" and decided to wait until I could try an imp and see some reviews.

 

I should have just followed my gut, but there is time to remedy that mistake, because Lenore is just gorgeous.

 

Sure, the vetiver comes on strong (and is not terrible on me actually) in choking wrenching sobs, but quickly fades into something manageable - a quiet tragic sorrow that hours later is spicy, almost creamy and just absolutely amazing. This later stage, the sobs after a storm of woe, is some of the most lovely perfume I've ever worn.

[misfitroxy]

Oooh. Yes, from the very start Lenore smells like an oil I'm going to enjoy. It's got a wet floral darkness that reminds me of Medea.

 

It becomes more smoky as it dries. I'm really not picking up on the vetiver in the least, which is surprising. The fruity plum is much more predominant, as is the lemon. Lenore is a fast morpher!

 

The oil also fades pretty quickly on my skin, leaving something that's not all that discernable (though it is soft and pleasant). I may hold on to this imp for a while, as I'd like to give it a try or two before I make a final decision.

[SevenSins]

In the bottle this is a dark, musty scent. Wet, more of the same. I wasn't sure I liked it. Definitely dark, lonely, musty/dusty smelling.

 

Drydown was much nicer. The dusty/musty has faded and there's a faint whiff of something lighter, something brighter - maybe the lemon? But it's almost like it is a memory you can't quite grasp - far away and lingering in the depths - hard to reach. Interesting.

 

Not sure how much I'll wear it, but it certainly is unique and has a place in the collection.

[gingersnapp]

Every time a new blend comes out with vetiver, I look at the other components and get so excited that I forget that vetiver does not agree with me, and I buy it in hopes that those other components will, for once, outshine the vetiver.

 

Lenore, at first, held strong. The musk was dominant, and the smoke and patchouli were keeping the vetiver at bay. This is definitely a dark and foreboding blend.

 

Unfortunately, as time goes on, the vetiver gets stronger and stronger and shoves every other note aside. I had hopes for this one, but unfortunately, it's going to be going the way of all the other vetiver blends... to someone who can wear it better than I can.

[AngellicMystique]

This smell hurts my heart. It is grief and pain and sorrow and regret. The emotions aren’t' really confused, just existing together.

 

This is a truly beautiful blend, fully encapsulating the spirit of Poe's words.

[sarada]

This was the one scent in this collection that seemed to sound like the no-brainer, hands-down favorite for me based on the notes. Except for my dubious feelings about lemon peel and a couple of iffy experiences with saffron it definitely sounds like me.

 

I like it in the bottle -- I get a slightly herbal, light vetiver. I remember that lemon peel and saffron sometimes make otherwise good note combinations turn into cologne/aftershave when they hit my nose... But it's complex and appealing in the bottle...an enticing herb shop.

 

On my skin it takes on a bit of a harsh, chemical smell though and dries to something rather grey and murky pretty quickly. It makes me think of the chemical smell that I get from Darkness and Hades, which makes absolutely no sense, but there you go. It puts me in the mind of hairspray even though it doesn't smell exactly like it.

 

I think that lemon peel must be one of those things that screws up a blend for me. I think I'm going to try it for a couple more days before making a decision about it -- this is the only one of the scents I've sniffed today that didn't win me over right away. Four of my top 10 or 12 all-time favorite notes are in this blend, but still, somehow it just doesn't come together on my skin.

 

After washing it off I get some of the gritty, ashy vetiver that I was hoping for but this still strikes me as kind of harsh and a little chemical. I'd like to like this but I have a feeling I'll be swapping it.

[Penance]

Preconceived notions:

 

I don't know if Lenore will work for me, although I hope it does. I like vetiver and thyme and love white musk, smoke, patchouli and plum, but the lemon peel worries me.

 

First sniff:

 

Strong vetiver with a background of plum and patchouli. Very dark and somber smelling and extremely intense. This is a bold scent, no question about it.

 

Wet on skin:

 

As soon as Lenore hits my skin, the lemon comes rushing to the surface and I get a strong lemon scent with a bit of patchouli and thyme.

 

Dry down:

 

Lemon, patchouli and plum. If it weren't for the lemon, I would love this, but I just can't get past the lemon being so prominent in this one.

 

The bottom line:

 

I wanted to love Lenore, but apparently she has other plans.

[chibent]

Wet - Warm, almost nutty. Faint bit of woodsmoke underneath.

 

As it dries - A dark old locked-up room in a wooden house. And ashes? I think I can smell the lemon, too, if I pay close attention. There's more going on here, but my nose is not yet educated enough to recognize what it is.

 

Later - Darkens and deepens. Still a little ashy/smokey, but in a very good way. Can't smell the lemon anymore.

 

My rating: 4/5

 

Poe's birthday is January 19th; later this month the Poe House and Museum here in Baltimore will have its annual World's Largest Edgar Allan Poe Birthday Celebration. Of course, I must wear one of the Poe scents for this, and Lenore is currently the top candidate.

[The_Merf]

In the imp: Oh long-awaited, radiant oil that we call Lenore! My nose is longing nevermore!

Erm...yes. Lovely, lovely, lovely vetiver. Such a deep, dark green smell, made all the more earthy by patchouli.

 

Wet: Actually, the patchouli is surprisingly strong while this is wet--it smells like freshly overturned dirt. The greenery of the vetiver is the background, but the patchouli is strong.

 

Dry-down and wear: The vetiver re-emerges after the oil dries down. As the oil goes through its stages, the other notes, which are numerous, begin to emerge. I'm picking up the plum and thyme--there's also a note here that is not familiar, which I am assuming is saffron (something I don't have a lot of experience with). I'm glad that the lemon, which I don't normally like, isn't too strong here, as that was the only thing that worried me about this particular oil. There is an aura of the grave about this scent that pretty much nails the figure of Lenore.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: all i smell is vetiver. that is not a good sign.

on: vetiver and lots of other dark notes.

1 hour later: vetiver and that's all.

2 hours later: vetiver.

overall: vetiver just amps up on my skin. too bad i don't like it.

[Smurf]

I got an imp of this in a swap and I'm glad I ordered a whole bottle just incase I loved it and missed the boat when the line got d/c. I was worried that the lemon peel would manifest as lemon bath cleaner but it actually smells like genuine lemon. It's dark, mysterious, herbal but a little citrus as well, and I am not a citrus fan, but the way Beth has blended the components seem to merge together in a way that is completely complimentary so that they kind of highlight each other. It smells very self-assured and I LOVE that

[Imptress]

I really wavered over getting a big bottle of this without sniffing first... my dad is a huge Poe fan and Lenore is my sister's middle name, so I was actually thinking about two big bottles and gifting her one. I decided instead to get an imp from the swaps and I'm glad I did. It's lovely on, and when I first wore it I seriously considered going ahead and getting at least one big bottle (don't know if my sis would like it, though). Hubby really liked this too, which surprised me somewhat. The more I wore it, though, the more I kept getting wafts of something "not quite right" that I couldn't place. I finally realized that the combination of lemon and vetiver (I think) was really reminding me of moldy citrus fruit. Not really unpleasant, just disconcerting. Anyway, it was enough to let me me talk myself out of the big bottle. Just as well... I probably would have fallen in love with it and been heartbroken when I couldn't get anymore! (the heartbreak of Beth's LEs!)

[Heretic]

Gingersnapp's bottle is mine now...

 

This is the scent that took my BPAL virginity. In the bottle, the scent is oddly green. I don't know the particulars of individual notes yet, but this must be the vetiver that everyone comments on. It's a strange smell, but I like it.

 

On my wrist, wet: Oh no! Lemons and nothing but lemons almost immediately! Something almost almondine in there, too. I dislike foody/fruity smells more than probably any other scents when it comes to personal fragrance. I consider scrubbing this off, but I've invested in the 5 ml, so I might as well see how it dries down. I'm bracing for a big disappointment.

 

45 minutes later: This is exquisite. There's something green and softly musky that has completely overpowered that oh-so-bright lemon note. A shadow of something tangible that can no longer be touched. It's unlike anything I've ever worn before. For that matter, it's unlike anything I've ever smelled before, and yet it's familiar, like those places you visit repeatedly in dreams but never in real life. After seven hours, the fragrance is still hovering around me like a subtle nimbus. This is truly a gorgeous and haunting fragrance, and I'll cherish every drop of it.

[Miss Lynx]

I had high hopes for this one, but it doesn't seem to work very well on me. When freshly applied, it smelled exactly like herbal insect repellent. I would have sworn there was citronella in there. But looking at the note listing, I think it's the lemon.

 

Once that died down, it became sort of a dry earthy herbal -- I think saffron and thyme are mainly what I'm getting, with the vetiver and patchouli darkening them a bit but not really standing out on their own. No musk or plum that I can detect -- those would have improved it a lot. As it stands, it's not exactly a bad scent, but it's not a very interesting one either. It's just sort of dry and vaguely medicinal, and ultimately not very interesting.

 

About an hour after application, it seems to have become softer and I can smell the musk a bit now, but it's also rapidly fading away. Maybe I'll try it somewhere other than on my wrists and see if it lasts long enough to eventually turns into something I'll like.

 

Overall, between this and Alone (which were about the only two that didn't look they'd be too heavily floral for me), the Demon collection hasn't really been a big success for me.

 

Grade: C

[LittleGreyKitten]

I was sure Lenore wouldn't work for me. (So sure, in fact, that I didn't order a bottle ) Anyway, I sniffed the imp and thought, yuck. Not a chance. And the first 10 minutes or so on my skin also supported that conclusion.

 

Then I caught this amazing, spicy, dark and lovely aroma wafting by. Huh? Yep, after it dries it transforms into something quite beautiful and unique. I absolutely adore it. Dang it! It is totally unique. The only note I can pick out is the lemon, which is very faint on me.

 

The description does nail it- it is extremely dark smelling. I frankly have no clue what vetiver smells like, but it seems to be something I enjoy, since other blends with vetiver have been good for me.

 

I made my wrist-sniffing-slave, oh, I mean husband, smell it both wet and dry and he agreed that it indeed did smell like a wholly different perfume. Poor boy, he's had my wrist stuck under his nose so many times a day nowadays!

 

I'd give this a 4.5 out of 5.

 

EDIT: I just read the other reviews and I was surprised to see that I wasn't the only one reminded of Snake Charmer. I thought I'd lost my mind and was imagining it- reading the notes, there aren't any in common that I noticed. Anyway, it's much darker and I do like Snake Charmer more- I could safely say it's my favorite I think- but Lenore is lovely too, just darker and more herbal.

Edited January 25, 2006 by LittleGreyKitten

[kettu]

This smells... sad. Heavy and sad.

 

It also smells like lemon cleaner of some sort. I think it's the vetivert mixed with the lemon, but yeah... it's not really working for me.

 

Evocative, but not good with my skin.

[Nadirah]

Oooh, this one is cold! It gives that same *feel* that Numb had but there doesnt smell like any violets are in this. Right away I can smell the thyme and lemon peel, it has that oakmoss type smell in it too, like death touched with beauty. Not sure if it is me or not, but enjoyable. It isnt too heavy or light, this is one to think about . I give it 3 out of 5 stars

[arabella]

First Impression: Oily dirt.

 

Dries down to: A bit of a smoky note creeps in, making it feel like scorched earth a week after a brush fire started with a gasoline accelerant.

 

Additional Comments: I'm not sure what vetiver actually smells like but I'm guessing it's the note I'm not crazy about in this. I wish the other notes came through more - I don't get them at all.

 

Lasted: Most of the day.

 

Rating: 2 out of 5

[Voleuse]

This is very dark on first application, an almost chokingly subterranean vetiver as the dominant note. (And I like vetiver!) A few seconds later, the patchouli comes out, and in contrast, it's almost sweet. This is definitely a brooding sort of scent.

 

As it dries, it becomes relatively faint to my nose, like wisps of black smoke, wafting past when least expected. I can just smell the musk and herbs, but they're faint as well. On the whole, it's evocative and sinister. This isn't an easy scent to wear, but I think I'll hold onto it.

[fiddlehead]

When wet I think all I'm smelling is the vetiver. Having never *smelled* vetiver before this is a guess, but I'm pretty sure I'd recognize the other notes. Whatever it is, it's strong!

 

As it dries I get the lemon peel and thyme and smoke. Not sure about the rest of it, but I guess the dirt note I'm getting more and more is the patchouli. Each time I wear it, it seems to be a little calmer, not so screamingly strong. And I get more of the dirt note also, which I like. I'm looking forward to seeing how it ages because it seems to be morphing pretty quickly. And it lingers and wafts unexpectedly all day long.

 

This is by far one of the strangest scents I've come across in buying BPAL. After the second wearing it went into the "probably sell/swap" pile. But I couldn't leave it alone and now it's developing into something I really like. And I don't even write poetry. Maybe it's a scent to wear while committing somber Irish fiddle tunes, as well

[ladykitara]

Dark musk, smokey incense, this is a dark, forboding scent with a great deal of earthiness and touch of ripe dark plum that suddenly goes...aw crap hello Vetiver. I really hate it when that note takes over a blend but as usual this goes that wierd rotting smell that vetiver tends to create on me. Very grave like - not quite what I wanted. Oh well

 

I couldn't agree more... In the bottle, my first impression was, oh, this isn't going to work at all. When I first put it on, the thought that kept going through my head was 'smoked death'. As it dries, it becomes more floral, but there's still that whisper of rot that's making me wince.. Also, something sharp, that might be the citrus. Unfortunately, this is definitely not a keeper.

[slave1]

In Bottle: Dark patchouli

 

On Skin: Eeek, the vetiver and patchouli jump on me right away. These are notes I don’t get along with very well. The lemon peel is also super strong, a sour cirus that brings a bit of brightness to a very dark scent. Smoke, another note I don’t care for, is also very strong. The thyme gives a sharp minty note and the musk blends the notes all together. I don’t smell the plum yet… maybe it is the slightly sweet note I’m not placing but is in the back ground softening the patchouli a bit. This scent doesn’t do much on me. It just kind of sits there, powdery and fading quickly. I don’t really get lament or woe from it… just a dark smoky and slightly herby scent. As it dries the terrible side effect of vetiver comes out: dirty diapers… It doesn’t work on me so it’s off to the swaps.

[filigree_shadow]

I have a problem with lemon and lemon peel amping on my skin, and they have wrecked more than one blend for me. So I was worried about this one. However, my skin also amps vetiver, which smells dark and broody and beautiful on me -- not like dirt, more like smoke. And in Lenore, vetiver wins! Yay!

 

On me this is a soft dark blend, with the barest twinge of something herbal. The lovely plum is prominent at first, but it fades after a couple of hours, leaving me with something that reminds me, strangely, of Aureus. It has that ethereal quality to it. It's comforting and cozy and only very, very slightly feminine.

 

A Demon in My View has three of my all-time favorite BPAL scents, and Lenore is one of them. (The other two are The Haunted Palace and Dreamland.)

[Eunice]

In the bottle: Very light patchoul with a hint of dried rose and thyme.

 

Wet: Much sharper scent now. The patchouli and thyme are still there but now I am smelling a smokiness and some saffron.

 

Dry: Dusty dried roses, patchouli, smoke and saffron. The thyme only shows up at the end. This is such a dark scent.

 

Overall: Oh, for the love of Lenore!!! I wish I had been introduced to this before it was gone from the Lab. I want many, many large bottles of this. I adore patchouli and this blend smells better than any patchouli single note I've ever worn. I love how all the different notes stand out amongst the patchouli. I adore Lenore!