Season of the Inundation

[hkhm]

Hail to thee, O Nile! Who manifests thyself over this land, and comes to give life to Egypt!

Come and prosper!
Come and prosper!
O Nile, come and prosper!
O you who make men to live through his flocks and his flocks through his orchards!
Come and prosper, come,
O Nile, come and prosper!

Akhet: the advent of the rising of the Nile floods -- the heart of the fertility and prosperity of Egypt. As Sirius climbs the horizon, Hapi begins to collect the tears of Isis, causing the waters of the Nile to rise. As the flood ebbed, the waters left a rich, black silt that was integral to the fecundity of the land.

Sweet, black silt mingled with holy myrrh, melilot, hyssop, spikenard, balsam, cedar, and a hint of melting snow from the Abyssinian hills.

bottle: very sweet, moist dirt.

wet: i get a bit of myrrh as this warms on my skin, myrrh over dirt is lovely and warm. there are some sharp florals in the background, but they do rather enhance this scent. the snow must be the watery, moist feel of this blend.

dry: this is the most beautiful dirt scent. not as dusty and dry as zombi, or simple dirt like graveyard dirt. the flowers are a lovely soft backdrop once dry.

[angelicruin]

Sniffing the bottle, rich soil.

 

Wet on the skin, sweetened dirt and myrrh and vaguely aquatic.

 

Dries down to floral and earth notes. As "dirt" scents go, it's definitely the best one I have ever tried.

 

I'm just not sure if this is me. I'm on the fence whether or not to keep it. I can see it turning into something amazing as it ages which tempts me to hang on to it for a while and see what happens.

[Siberia]

In the bottle and wet, the first whiff is sweet, wet earth, like the saturated black silt left behind when the Nile floods. There is a lot of sweetness from the myrrh and balsam, and a hint of something fresh and aquatic over the top of everything. As this dries, I lose the earth and aquatic notes, and am left with a warm, sweet scent that I am guessing is a combination of myrrh and balsam. I think this would be a nice everyday scent for someone who likes to smell warm and sweet, and a little spicy.

[isisonearth]

Bottle: Patchouli and myrrh with a touch of sweet clover. Very smooth.

 

Wet: It very much has a moist black earth smell but made beautiful with the sweetness and the fresh slightly minty cold note. That touch of melilot adds a greening that puts me in mind of things springing to life. I detect a bit of the cedar but it is just a whisper of trees in the distance.

 

Dry: The silt is much more mellow but this is still an earthy scent mingled with sweet greens and mint. It is long lasting but stays close to the body which is perfect for hot weather.

 

Overall: I had been worried about this one. I didn't know what to expect from silt and cedar usually goes very masculine on me. I'm glad I ordered it though. It is beautiful expression of a moment in time on the Nile. I can't wait to follow this path.

[bubblefish]

When I first put it on, it reminds me of that barrage of scents that comes from incense shops which is just slightly overwhelming. Whereas the Feast is a heavy scent, this one comes across more as an oppressive scent, like a wall. If I concentrate hard during this phase I can get whiffs of aquatics and earth, but it's mostly unpleasant.

 

However, after some time it does start to calm down and the myrrh really comes out and is a pleasant note. And there are some subtly spicy bits in there. But there's still this something in there that's just a bit unfriendly. It's almost a nice scent on my skin, but not quite. I'm wondering if aging will help, so I'll probably just tuck my imp away for a bit.

[mgrazulis]

This one smells far too cologney on my skin. I get a hint of silt, but the balsam and cedar are drowning the remaining notes. My nostrils tickle!

 

[sookster]

 

straight sniff from imp is sweet dirt...

 

once applied this transforms into something so beautiful!!!

 

i am still getting loads of sweetness but the dirt fades and the other notes are amazing...myrrh, a hint of cedar and most

definitely slushy snow...

 

astonishing!!!

[Phaedra]

Wet this is dirt and sweet spices. When first on this is a soft dirt note mixed with myrrh and spikenard (which I think is similar to cloves). After a couple hours this is mainly a blend of myrrh and spikenard. It's very soft and warm. There's a touch of creaminess in the background. Maybe this is the snow note? This is a very calming and comforting scent. This doesn't change much more on me but I really love it! It's got a sort of regal or sacred feel to it but is very wearable. I'm so happy for this Nile series and can't wait to see what the next installment will bring!

[MissMorbus]

This is the perfect sweet dirt in the bottle and wet. It has a very wet feel to it that must be the melted snow. On me, it takes about 5 minutes for that perfect sweet dirt to completely disappear and it turns very masculine. I think the culprits are balsam and cedar. I get this same masculine scent every time they are listed in a blend. Oh well. I don't really like wearing masculine scents, but I think it would definitely be good on a man.

 

I really wanted to love this one.

Edited July 7, 2009 by MissMorbus

[midnight_aeval]

In the vial this scent is very much like sweet dirt - how I would imagine a fortune cookie covered in mud to smell like There's a generic sweetness to it, not like anything too specific.

 

When I put it on the dirt note mellows somewhat but still remains in contest to be the dominant note. I'm so intrigued by the scent because it's really unique, but I doubt I would ever wear it except to humor myself. I am tempted to wear it to work just to see what sort of comments I would get - one of my coworkers practically stalks me just to follow my perfume trail lol

 

As it gets to the hour mark the dirt note has almost vanished and the scent left behind is somewhat close to what I recall from L'Inverno, but a spicy woodiness replaces the winter fruits. Hmmm, sorta like if L'Inverno and L'Autunno were mixed together.

[LunarAwe]

Spikenard! So helpful it is to reread the the original descriptions of scents. I have been wondering what the note was that I couldn't quite put my finger on. And actually that helps Season of the Inundation make a lot more sense.

 

There is definitely a strong silt note to this LE... a wet, sliding earth more than just earthiness or soil. Wet the spikenard is a very strong presence for me. I think my skin amps it. As it dries the cedar and astringent herb notes of hyssop make their presence more known.

 

This has a lasting, lingering potent smell on me... like incense buried under wetness, the silty bottom of the Nile expanding into the floodplains. I quite like this one, but my housemate cannot bear the sweet notes... that would be me amping the Spikenard again. So to a beloved friend it goes!

[hlinspjalda]

In the vial: Wet river mud and a lot of herbs.

 

Wet: Lovely rich wet dirt and floral The dirt note is absorbed very quickly, though, leaving the melilot (clover type) floral note behind. I love this!

 

One hour: It went from Nile mud through rich florals and now it's into a more balsam-cedar phase. I like it a lot.

 

Two hours: This is in the Frederic, Hellhound, Sea Rat family. On me it's fabulous, spicy, woody, and sexy. Bottle time!

 

Three hours: Still arm-nomming good.

 

Four hours: And still good. The wood hasn't soured, which is the one thing I feared. I'm getting either the melilot or the spikenard note again now; it seems more sweetly floral than before.

 

 

 

Edited December 27, 2023 by hlinspjalda

[Spork]

Smells lovely in the imp, nice and spicy and a hilt of silty-ness...but as soon as it dries down it's all Old Spice, yep, that's definitely it. Husband came home and took a whiff and asked why I bought Old Spice! *sigh*

[fairnymph]

Sniffed: Chartreuse-khaki coloured oil. SOIL LIKE WHOA, with some minty hyssop and piney/mentholic balsam and cedar. Pretty manly, and very dirty. It does totally fit the description.

 

Wet: Much more herbal and woodsy, much less earthy. Mintier. I do get the 'snow' aquatic feel - it's a little piney-hairsprayish as the lab's note can be. And just a general bitter herbs/weeds vibe. This is a very outdoorsy scent, not really something I can see as perfume.

 

Dry: The cedar has gone dry and warms up this blend a bit, although it's still minty-snow-cold, which makes for an odd contrast. This is not a myrrh-heavy scent, but I can pick it out.

 

Later: The roommate says it smells 'like cleaning product' and I'm sorry to say it does - as minty things can, and hyssop does here. It's still shockingly mentholic and has become medicinal.

 

Summary: Disgusting mint and piney-harsh snow; the dirt dissipates until it's all gone. This gets worse and worse over time over me. Low throw but great longevity.

 

 

[futuregirl]

I grabbed a decant of this because of my love of all things Egyptian - based on the notes, I didn't think it would necessarily be something I'd really want to wear, but I at least wanted to sniff. I usually find dirt notes interesting in their accuracy, but not wearable for me. And aquatics aren't my thing. I was happily wrong with this one!

 

The scent description is dead-on for me. The sweetness of the myrrh, combined with the wet, black earthyness is a suprisingly simple, pretty blend. To me, it's totally unisex and very evocative. Incredible wearlength and medium throw. I'll be getting a bottle!

[tartchef]

I have a ridiculously hard time with Beth's dirt notes, and was hoping that somehow silt might be different...

 

Ah well. As dirt/soil scents go, Inundation is more wearable for me than most - the screaming CLEAN! vibe is rounded down considerably by the myrrh & spikenard, and the resinous woods cut through the sweetness.

 

Alas, the dirt wins in the end, finding an unlikely ally in hyssop - the end effect on my skin is jarring, bittersweet & soapy, with a dash of Old Spice.

 

Phoo

[iiinterstate]

Dirt, hyssop, myrrh in almost overwhelming harmony. The balsam is there too, but not much.

I really don't like the strength of it, if that makes sense. There isn't a strong throw, but when I sniff my wrist it is olfactory overload.

 

I think I'll let this one sit awhile and come back to it :/

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lamia]

This is Ol' Roswell Cemetery but with myrrh instead of magnolias. ALL WET SOIL, ALL THE TIME! WHEEEE!

 

I like Ol' Roswell Cemetery better. Trade bag.

[Little Bird]

In the bottle, this smells like the richest, blackest, muddy soil. It really smells somehow soft and muddy.

 

On my skin, this immediately turns perfumey-clean & sharp (smells like a warm aquatic note more than the snow note I'm used to, because this isn't chilly or sweet at all). As this dries down, it's all mud, sharp aquatic, and dirty smelling cedar. It's also a bit soapy.

 

Season of the Inundation smells fascinating in the bottle, but it goes all sharp, perfumey, and off on my skin

[Inanna9]

awesome dirt crack.

 

Seriously, if the hit lasted more than 50 seconds this would be my absolute signature blend. I would wear it everywhere. But sadly, all soil note perfection quickly turns to perfumy perfume on me. It's worth keeping just for the first huff though. Crack, I tell you.

[Schmoozy]

 

Wet, black soil warmed by the sun and sweetened with balsam and cedar. Good god this gorgeous. Resiny myrrh and snow meld together and combined with the smooth woods this is herbal, medicinal and overall simply gorgeous.

 

I am so glad I took the chance on a bottle.

[crebbsgirl]

Oooooooooh this is soooooo gooooood! Sweet dirt and myrrh. There is a bit of sharpness in the wet stages from the cedar but the dry down is just gorgeous. Everything becomes much more rounded and soft. Don't get me wrong though, this isn't a light scent. This is very dark, but sensuous instead of oppressive. It's almost teetering on the edge of powdery, but never quite gets there. I'm not getting much in the way of melting snow. I can easily see myself wearing this daily.

[PurringPulsar]

Season of the Inundation

 

In the imp: gorgeous soft sweetish floral soil.

Wet on skin: oh, this is sweet! But so nice too…it smells like sweet rich earth.

Dry on skin: now I can smell spices and resins mingling into this scent, but the overall scent is of rich fertile soil with a sweetness to it that is almost like a nectar. Is that melilot? I don’t know what it smells like but the scent is imbued with a delicate nectary floral, soft and pretty. And the soil note is awesome-it reminds me of other earth notes but I think this one is a little muddier? It also has that slight hint of river to it, slightly reedy, a little wet. It’s not a rained on soil scent. The cedar is also strong here, it smells like a strong deep wood. The spikenard, myrrh and hyssop add a dry spicy scent. I can’t really smell a snow note, but I wasn’t really expecting to smell one in here.

After a while: something in here smells like aniseed? Not sure what it is, maybe the hyssop? I like it…but I also love how the scent has developed. The wet muddy scent isn’t as strong but it still lingers a little, but the overall scent is more of a spicy sweet incense (myrrh and spikenard and something almost like saffron) with drier soil, along with lots of cedar. This cedar is really lovely because it smells really dark and old, aged perhaps, and it brings up a vivid image: ancient cedar boats travelling on the Nile. Like the sun boat of Khufu, but loads of them, and these are party boats cruising the flooding river in celebration, some of them burning incense as an offering. There’s a joyful yet meditative feel to the scent.

And then this eventually settles into what must be the nicest cedar incense scent ever…warm deep aged cedar with a soft haze of incense and a spicy scent, slightly dry and very golden, which seems very evocative of Egypt to me…a little desert-y, a little bit spice-market. And then the earthiness returns, this time in the form of spikenard, and something that may be patchouli. At this point, it reminds me of Mr Jaquel, but without the amber. It’s the same hyssop and spice and ‘scent of antiquity’ vibe.

Verdict: this is a fantastic representation of Wep Renpet in scent. It is celebratory, and reverent, and full of life and fertility. It starts off as the rich wet Nile silt covering offerings of flowers and sweet resin, and a woodsy scent of cedar and balsam wood. Something about this scent almost reminds me of Diwali, it has a similar festive-yet-sacred feel, only this time relocated from India to Egypt, and with the sweet fruit and florals replaced with rich earth and resins. The drydown is possible the best cedar scent from BPAL, aged cedar of a pharaoh’s boat anointed with spices and sacred oils, sailing down the Nile as the sun blazes down, between the desert and river. It is stunning, beautiful, evocative, and perfect. I knew Beth wouldn’t let me down with her interpretation of the Nile inundation festival…in fact she surpassed my expectations. I can’t wait to see what other Egyptian festivals get scent-ified!

Emoticon rating: :love!:

Is it a keeper? yes-I will stockpile this one!

If you like this, try: Nefertiti, Penny Dreadful, Mr Jacquel, Magus, Diwali

[Gin]

Season of the Inundation reminds me of Graveyard Dirt. It is DIRT. Loud dirt. Dries down to a sweet and smoky herbal scent.

[caitilarkin]

In the imp: Moist, fertile soil...if you like earth notes, you'll love this. It really does smell like...fertility.

 

Wet on skin: The balsam amps on me, hugely, and I'm about to wash off the blend when the myrrh and cedar notes come to the forefront and balance the scent.

 

Dry on skin: Resin, florals, earth and woods...this is absolutely beautiful. The balsam is present only enough to add a pleasant sharpness to a well-grounded blend.

 

I usually love the Lab's dirt blends, but this is the first one I can really see myself wearing in public.