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Death on a Pale Horse

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The End of All Things: empty white musk and mint seeped with solemn lavender, doleful patchouli and vetiver, scythe-sharp yuzu and lime, with geranium bourbon, white sandalwood and calla lily.

 

In bottle: Lime, lily, and lavender on top, with a bone dry untertow that cuts like a scythe. I’m not liking the vetiver in this, but I never do. This has two notes I can’t wear, so I’m not skin testing.

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For the benefit of those who don't want to read a huge review:

Summary: As it ages, DoaPH loses its fruit/herb notes and increases the strength of the sandalwood. Great sandalwood. No patchouli or vetiver at any stage or age.

 

Now for the details...

I had the opportunity to do a comparison between a brand new lab-fresh imp, a slightly aged (~10 to 12 months old) lab-fresh imp, and a very aged (3+ years) second hand imp.

 

In the Imp:

3 year imp - strong sandalwood, with something a bit sharp and perfumey

1 year imp - similar to older imp, but neither the sandalwood nor the perfumey aspect are as strong

new imp - mint, yuzu, lavender and lime, in that order. Maybe some white musk too... all the lighter notes

 

Wet on Skin:

3 year - similar to the smell in the imp, but something warm is emerging

1 year imp - similar to older imp, sandalwood dominant, a bit perfumey

new imp - very bright and fruity, mainly a blend of yuzu, mint and lavender

 

While Drying:

3 year imp - It is starting to come together now. Very subtle and well integrated. Many of these notes tend to dominate in other blends, but here they seem to balance each other out. Mainly sandalwood, with a touch of white musk and the perfumey note, which may be the florals

1 year imp - same as the older oil, but stronger

new imp - yuzu dominant, almost a grapefruit scent (probably a blending of the scents mentioned when wet), a touch of sandalwood starts to emerge as it dries

 

After a Little While:

3 year imp - Soft and subtle. As it warms up, it is developing a slight spiciness. Low throw, but fairly strong up close. I am loving this so far. Strong, gorgeous sandalwood, a bit sweet, not too dry.

1 year imp - pretty much the same as 3 year

new imp - The yuzu is no longer as distinct as it was when wet. It merges with the other notes... still very bright and fruity.

If I didn't have a list of notes, I would not believe the fresh imp and the aged imps were the same blend.

 

Later:

3 and 1 year old imps - gorgeous sandalwood, but fading faster than I'd like.

fresh imp - a gorgeous, sweet, lightly fruity scent over a base of light sandalwood. I wish the sandalwood was more prominent in the fresh version, or this sweet fruitiness stuck around in the aged versions. I bet a month or two of aging makes this scent ideal... though greater age seems to make the scent last longer. (The fresh imp, after about 14 hours, holds a lingering beautiful sandalwood scent, similar to the aged imps).

 

Final Thoughts:

Sandalwood can be hit or miss with my skin. Here, it is gorgeous. I never did detect any patchouli (sadly) or vetiver (thankfully) at any age or stage. So many of the listed notes have such strong personalities, but they are all well-behaved in this blend. I like the aged and the fresh versions of this blend, vastly different as they are. The aged version might be a good layering scent if I want to add a touch of sandalwood to another scent.

Death on a Pale Horse earns a 4/5 on my skin.

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Sniffed: Tart, sharp citrus. That must be the yuzu.

 

On skin: I recognize about half the notes in Death on a Pale Horse, and I don't smell any of them -- except what I perceive to be yuzu, which is tangy, dry, "scythe-sharp" and unfriendly (but not unpleasant). That's all. Perhaps the unfamiliar notes are contributing, maybe there's a hint of an earthier note grounding the citrus, and echoes of woods and flowers over a longer time... but only by a stretch of the imagination. Indeed, all I can associate with this blend is a wet, green branch that was freshly broken. (!!) Colour impression is a watery, light yellow-green.

 

Verdict: The scent description promises great complexity and depth, but on me, Death on a Pale Horse is remarkably simple and out-of-character. The yuzu isn't all that pleasant either; for that, I'd pick Aizen-Myoo. I'm quite disappointed, and will be sending my imp to swaps.

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This was a frimp.

 

In the imp, sandalwood, citrus, mint, lavender, and white musk.

 

Wet: At first the lavender did its musty funk on me, and I thought I'd have to wash it off. The sandalwood went almost pencil shavings on me, not pleasant at all. However...

 

Dry down was worth waiting for. The lavender funk died away. The sandalwood became really pretty and grounded. Something sweet that I didn't recognize emerged to blend with it, and although the scent stayed fairly dry, the sweetness with the wood note was very pretty.

 

Low throw. Lasted maybe about four hours before fading away. Not bottle worthy on my skin, but a nice imp.

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I received this as a frimp in my latest lab purchase.

 

In the imp: sharp, greenish. Between the imp scent, and the lab description including patchouli and vetiver, I wasn't expecting much from this, but I thought I should try it out anyway, as you can never tell from the imp how it will play out on the skin.

 

On wet: There's a sharp, clean scent that lasts for a few minutes, probably the lime and yuzu citrus notes playing out. They die out fast, though.

 

Drydown: This ends up reminding me of both Dee and Old Scratch, especially Old Scratch, probably because of the wood and lavender notes. As I love both of those scents, I think this is going to be a definite keeper.

 

In general, I consider this a soft, gender-neutral scent. It smells great on me, but I think it would be fantastic on a guy.

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Death on a Pale Horse

 

In the Imp:

Not much there, it almost smells of nothing, but the little bit I do smell, I can't describe.

 

On My Skin, Wet:

Sandalwood & Lemon.

mostly a dry sandalwood, with hints of dried potpourri lemons... these are not juicy fresh lemons.

 

On My Skin, Dry:

..................

this smells exactly like a great aunt who passed away many years ago.

lovely lady, and all this scent does is make me miss her :cry2:

 

Verdict:

scent -wise: it's ok. I prefer Yukki-Onna for lemon & sandalwood

Memory-wise: OMG incredible! I wish the memory evoked would have been a little happier...instead it just made me sad.

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Being that this blend has primarily white, pale notes I should've figured this wouldn't work on me, and indeed it doesn't. It's herbally and sharp, not as sharp as my experience with Interfector but sharp enough to be off-putting. The citrus turned sour on me and I had to rub it off within minutes.

 

Tried it on my husband, thinking the paleness and mint would work on him, but on him it's a sweet fruity musk. o.O

 

EDIT: Spelling fail. >_<

Edited by thatbrownelf

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Imp: Complex, bitter, and floral. Dry white mint, geranium, lavender, citrus, over a bed of pale sandalwood and a bone-dry patchouli. Very interesting indeed. Sharp and light and herbal and empty all at once.

 

Wet: Heavy sandalwood and geranium surrounding by a powdery lavender and the strong bite of citrus. The vetiver is fairly subdued, but it's definitely the heavy, grassy, dry kind, not the swampy one.

 

Dry: This one vanishes quickly on me, which is strange! Mostly I can smell a faint hint of citrus and lavender and sandalwood and patchouli, but everything else has vanished. I really wanted to like this one, but if it keeps this up it will be going onward to a new home.

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When I first apply it I get a sharp citrus scent and light floral background over strong vetiver and patchouli. The citrus and floral fade out fairly quickly, leaving just the barest hint behind the smoky vetiver. I don't get any mint at all, and I'm not particularly fond of vetiver or patchouli, so this one isn't really my cup of tea, which is a shame since it smells so nice and well-balanced in the imp, but I guess my skin just amps the notes in it I don't like as much :/ I'd love to smell it on someone whose skin chemistry is better suited to it than mine.

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This started out promising -- very sharp and limey and astringent. But unfortunately, I tend to amp white sandalwood to the point where it's physically painful in my sinuses. After about half an hour, that woody sharpness was all I could smell.

 

I was wary of the patchouli, but never smelled much of that at all. It was lime and geranium and then... SANDALWOOD SANDALWOOD SANDALWOOD.

 

I can imagine this being really intriguing on someone else.

Edited by rhubarb3point14

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i was SO excited for this one. the description sounded fantastic, and reviews have been glowing.

 

one note - vetiver, probably - DOMINATED on me. high, sharp, broad, headache-inducing. :( could barely pick out the lime.

 

the vetiver did not fade, even after several hours.

 

gonna have to swap. :/

 

EDIT: this goes to show the importance of trying fragrances on your pulse points - i initially tried this on my forearm, and it smells SO different there than on the pulse points in my wrists.

 

at first: the vetiver still runs up and punches me in the face, but then runs off. lime/lavender/mint come out and are so refreshing to my nose. the woody/earthy notes of the vetiver/patchouli/sandalwood are still there, but more in the background.

 

later: the sweetness of the patchouli becomes present, bringing an almost sticky tobacco quality. the musk also rises up, smoothing things out. the higher notes of the lime/lavender/mint makes the scent sort of arid, so the whole thing smells like ancient, decaying wood in a huge, old, dank stone chamber filled with cool, stale air.

 

and oh, hay - suddenly there's the geranium bourbon and calla lily.

 

this is frankly a bold, ballsy scent. authoritative, unyielding, with the floral notes actually making it more sophisticated. pure evening wear.

Edited by sessile

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Oh dear. This smelled so interesting in the bottle, but on me, it's soap. Sickly-sweet, limey-minty soap. I'm really hoping I was having a bad chemistry day or something, because I've loved all the other blends in the Come and See series, and I'd really like this one to work on me, too.

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In the imp this is mostly a dry woody scent. I really mostly get the sandalwood and patchouli, and maybe a breath of flowers. Vetiver is my doom-note, so I am hoping it stays under the radar on my skin.

 

Honestly, this seems like straight sandalwood on my skin. I love yuzu and lime, but I get none of them. I get a touch of the florals, but just a whisper over the sandalwood. I personally tend to amp wood, so this isn't too surprising. Not noticing the vetiver at all. It's so interesting reading other reviews, because everyone seems to get something different. This is apparently quite the chameleon. This is just sort of a soft, sweet pleasant sandalwood and light florals on my skin. Overall, this was perfectly pleasant, but nothing spectacular. I'm bummed I didn't get any yuzu/lime, but relieved it wasn't a vetiver-doom bomb. Dried down to a sweet sandalwoody powder.

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I really love this blend , but it is pretty weak as far as carry / time it exists on my skin goes . I guess it'd work better if I was more of a slather kind of guy . Beyond that problem , the way this smells is fantastic . Excellent warmer weather scent . Lite and not too sweet . If someone were to ask , I couldn't tell them that either patch or vetiver were in this . It's that smooth / non aggressive . I am a fan of most of the Labs musks , so that does go a ways in explaining my love for this . I'd say if you like Embalming Fluid or others like it , you'd probably enjoy this as well .

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In the Imp (ITI): I get sandalwood, a bit of yuzu, and bourbon. It reminds me of scents I caught walking past certain stores in the French quarter in New Orleans.

 

Wet: I get roughly the same thing while wet, but the sandalwood is stronger, and I do get hints of patchouli and musk.

 

Dry: Soft must, sandalwood, and a little patchouli after a brisk walk in the park linger on my skin. As you know, I’m a fan of resinous scents, so I shall be keeping this.

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I hated this. Really hated it. I'm wondering why, and oddly enough, I'm beginning to suspect that I might not like lavender as a note in blends. This is strange because I love it in real life, and on its own, but it smells - kind of harsh, firey, brittle - like something burned in a bad way on me.

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This scent is aptly named...it smells Pale. On of the reviews said it was glassy and transparent. That describes it too.

 

Everything about this scent is soft. Soft florals, soft mint, soft citrus, and even soft patchouli and vetiver. It's as if the edge had been taken off all the notes before being blended together. Like when you cut the crust off of toast before eating it.

 

I've decided to test out all the Come and See scents but honestly didn't expect to like this scent because of the geranium, calla lily, and white musk. Geranium and white musk are usually notes of death for me.

 

I really love this. Its soft, unobtrusive, and doesn't demand your attention like some scents do. :dance:

Because its not a distracting scent I'm wondering how this would work as a meditation oil.

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Wet: Gentle and polite. Mainly sage and white musk with a bit of vetiver and what smells like a fougere lending support. Very light.

 

Drydown: More lavender now, overtaking the sage. There’s some citrus coming out too, although it’s not terribly obvious what kind it is. White musk rounds out the top three notes, giving the blend a touch of airiness and sophistication. The sage and vetiver are still in there too, but are considerably lighter at this point. All of a sudden a new note appears that I’m going to call Spicy Playdoh. At first, Spicy Playdoh seems to play sort-of-nice with the herbal components. But then, Spicy Playdoh starts to smell like something you left in your gym bag and then forgot about for several months. I sure hope Spicy Playdoh doesn’t stick around long.

 

Dry: It seems that Spicy Playdoh is playing nice again! I think it may have been a combination of the patchouli and vetiver because that’s what I’m starting to smell now. Vetiver-infused white musk over a bed of soft herbs, citrus, patchouli, and sandalwood. Pale, smooth, earthy, and slightly sinister. As it continues to dry, the citrus and sandalwood become more prominent, skewing the blend in more of a sexy direction.

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In the imp: A very complex scent, in which it is difficult to identify individual notes. I do get woodiness and vetiver especially, then florals, and a touch of citrus.

 

On me, wet: Again, the woodiness and vetiver is strongest, but now I get the lavender next, then citrus, with the florals almost equal to the citrus. There is a sweetness to it which nicely balances the earthy wood and vetiver.

 

After 10 minutes: It is losing some of the sweetness and the freshness of the citrus. The patchouli has come into play, but subtly blended with the sandalwood, musk, and vetiver. There's a musty note to it now that does create more of a death-like mood. The lavender is more prominent than before. I don't pick up any mint at all, which to me is a good thing.

 

After 20 minutes: The mustiness has increased. It reminds me of cut flowers that are wilted and past their prime - very appropriate to the concept. I do get just a little mint now, but it is very subtle and well blended with the lavender so that the note is a slightly sharp ozone rather than candy. The sandalwood, musk, and vetiver are still the strongest notes.

 

After 30 minutes: The floral lily note has faded away, making this now more of an ozone-y masculine scent. The wood and earth notes give it depth, and there is a hint of warm spiciness - probably from the geranium. The mustiness is still quite apparent. I'm thinking that may originate from the geranium as well as from the vetiver.

 

After 1 hour: The ozone sharpness lingers, like in a men's cologne. But the sandalwood and musk notes add some lovely softness, warmth, and depth. The mustiness is gone now, as is the earthiness of the vetiver. The bit of spiciness still remains.

 

After 1 1/2 hours: The ozone note is now leaning towards lavender.

 

After 2 hours: Weaker, but otherwise pretty much the same as at 1 hour. The more distinct note of lavender that I noticed half an hour ago has now faded back into the overall blend.

 

After 3 hours: Still there. Less woody now, more of a fresh clean scent.

 

After 4 hours: Only a trace of the scent remains.

 

 

Verdict: Nice enough, but not really me. I see it as more of a guy's scent. I'll keep the imp and use it when I feel like wearing something different, but I won't need a bottle.

My rating: 3 stars

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What an intriguing scent. It has little throw, as some others mentioned - I feel like I'd really have to slather this on to smell it any further away than 1 inch. But perhaps that could be good? (Airplane travel? Busy waiting room?)

 

This one has some notes I love (Patchouli), some I don't (lily, geranium) some I love but don't love me (lavender, some sandalwoods) - so I wasn't sure what to expect. What I'm getting now that it's dry however, is the top tang of yuzu and vetiver, with the patchouli and sandalwood playing the deep notes way in the back - felt rather than heard in the orchestra.The lavender makes it a bit mascline on me, and thankfully the florals aren't overpowering at all.

 

I'll keep the imp, but unless this works great on my husband, I don't think a bottle will be necessary.

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In the bottle - A sweet fuzzy geranium underlain by murky vetiver

 

Wet on me - The bright citrus of the lime comes through puddled with murky vetiver

 

Dry on me - The soft herbalness of the geranium comes through

 

Overall - Once the vetiver had been burned off this was quite pleasant, but not really my cup of tea

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Wet: Vetiver and patchouli, my dear friends. There is a green sweetness that I like, but it's sappy and not floral, which is good given my worries about some of the floral notes.

 

Drying: some of the lavender and green notes are coming into play, but it doesn't lose the vetiver and patchouli smokey base that I love so much. I'm getting a hint of ozone that may be the mint and lemon, but it's not in your face mint at all, which is good.

 

Dry: The floral notes really stayed in the back, which makes this blend a really smokey sweet scent that's very me. I see this being a great cooling summer scent.

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As a fan of biblical symbolism, I was expecting a lot from this scent, though i can't say exactly what, ha.



It looks a little yellow-ish in the bottle, which is not necessarily what I was expecting but that doesn't matter, I guess.



First impression : very soft and almost comforting, not gritty or musky at all. This is not a harsh impression of death, but a rather soft floral mix, a little chilling but not scary at all.


Later on : mostly florals now, still quite pleasant. Nowhere as dark and musky as you would expect, but very nice if you like understated white or yellow flowers.

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In the imp - Vetiver, patchouli and lavender combine forces for a problem scent smackdown!

 

Wet - I'm getting a vibrant burst of yuzu and mint on application. The scent is trying to redeem itself with sandalwood and musk. A valiant effort, but I doubt it will come to much.

 

Drydown - This is kind of stale on me. Probably all my problem notes fighting the sandalwood.

 

Verdict - Nope, not for me. Might be a great Halloween costume scent though.

Edited by hammy

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