Ra

[magikfanfic]

Hail unto Thee who art Ra in Thy rising, even unto Thee who art Ra in Thy strength, who travellest over the Heavens in Thy bark at the Uprising of the Sun. Tahuti standeth in His splendour at the prow, and Ra-Hoor abideth at the helm. Hail unto Thee from the Abodes of Night!

In the bottle: Herbs of doom and something that smells like a menthol cough drop.

Wet: Very green. I'm not sure what it is, but I'd guess that it's some kind of herb in it. The mentol smell is gone, but I can pick out the frankinscense that has been mentioned on the forum reviews. The herbs are still around, though.

Dry down: Umm...my skin ate all the herbs (thankfully) and left me with a frakensense/resin smell, which is...better than rotting herbs but still rather unpleasant and slightly medicinal.

Dry: A rather medicinal resin type smell. Yeah. So not me.

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: Frankincense, cloves, and oranges. This scent glows reddish orange.

 

Wearing: I think there is maybe some red sandalwood in here as well. This scent doesn't change a whole lot on my skin. The citrus disappears, and it becomes a warm spicy glow. It lasts a long time - several hours.

 

Final Impressions: I expected this scent to be a little more golden and a little less red. It is beautiful whatever the color, though!

[Carolyn]

Wow, I got such a different impression than everyone else. On me this starts out very green and very sophisticated. What I would call "perfumey" --as in department store perfumes. The expensive kind. Then it morphs into a rose/incense/soapy thing on me. Nice, but not for me. I can't do BPAL roses, for some odd reason.

 

Great lasting power.

[cindyrella]

On me, Ra is a very sharp orange citrus scent. Very long lasting too, I put it on this morning and it's still noticeable. Orange is also the colour of this one. It's to sweet for me to call it a a fresh scent.

I'm not sure about this one. When I smell this, I feel that it's missing a spicy note, like cinnamon or clove.

[surf-tormented]

It does smell a bit like Red Moon. It's very warm bright sophisticated floral.

[wickedgoddess]

Origin - Imp received in a swap.

 

Wet - the same pungent spiciness I get from the other Stations of the Sun along with dirt. There is a note that doesn't work on me in here, I think it is the same amber that is in Haunted. It manages to smell both foul and powdery at the same time. I wish I were getting the scent the reveiwers mention on the board, because it sounds really good.

 

Dry - After about an hour it mellows out, and I get some frankincense. But the foul, powdery scent is still there behind it. Add Ra to the list of scents that don't work on my skin.

 

On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 begin best, this rates a 1

[PurringPulsar]

Ra

 

In the imp: fresh, sweet and quite herbal-floral with citrus. I'm not sure but there's something in this I can recognise, but I can't remember what it is! It reminds me of cologne?

Wet on skin: oooh, this is nice. It's very zingy, slightly citrus, with some thing floral or herbal, backed up by warmth. It's gentle though, and quite sweet too.

Dry on skin: this gets better! There's a lovely sweet herbal mixture here. I'm wondering if there's geranium or carnation here? I'm not sure, but this is a sweet, warm smell, like the gentle warmth of sunrise as opposed to the full heat of noon. I can't tell what the notes are in this though…I think that it's either amber or honey that provides the sweet note, and there are herbs in this-maybe lavender, or sage, or rosemary? There's also a prominent citrus note giving this a nice kick. I think it could be lemon, or lemongrass/citronella. I think there's frankincense too. And some spice, cinnamon and/or pepper maybe…damn, it's complex, but so nice!

After a while: I think there's apricot in this. But it's not a sickly sweet apricot, but a gorgeous spiced apricot that blends so nicely with the other notes, it isn't dominant or overpowering. It's a bit like my mum's apricot jam, in which she adds cinnamon and vanilla…I'm not sure if that's what's in this blend, but it is slightly reminiscent of that. There's also a spicy-herbal smell that gets stronger with time, this adds an element of 'heat' to overall scent, adds a bit of oomph. Then it has this lovely sweet-spicy smell, similar to Eclipse but with more of a spice kick, and probably something herbal too. The smell is similar to Ahathoor as well, but stronger with better throw.

Verdict: I love the Stations of the Sun, and this one, the one that, as the name suggests, is the most 'solar' of them all, blew me away. It's got a gentle yet powerful energy to it, bright, youthful, warm and golden, the morning sun captured in scent. It's sweet, herbal, spicy, fruity, floral and resinous all at once. It makes me feel warm and positive inside. This could be the scent that will turn me into a morning person. Another favourite, and yes, another Egyptian scent I have fallen in love with! Ra Ra Ra!!!

 

Now that I've tried and loved every SoS oil, I'm considering buying a Solar Collection pack

Edited May 31, 2005 by yeahbutnobut

[Savannah]

In the vial: Hmm. Strong, and masculine. Don't know if it's going to be my thing.

 

On the wrist: Ooh. Strong. And... floral. And... green... and... SOAPY, DAMMIT! WHY, MY SKIN, WHY? Why must you torture me by turning everything remotely herbal SOAPY?

 

Drydown: *spent sulking because it smells soapy and floral and citrusy and cough droppish*

 

Later: Ooh. Oooooh. There's the sun god.

 

Oh, I smell the frankincense, and the cinnamon-- it tickles my nose in a good way-- and the orange! The mental image I get from this is of Haroun al-Raschid, or some powerful ruler of old Araby, standing on the balcony of his palace as the blazing sun begins to heat up the day, looking over the marketplace which is already buzzing with life and wares-- the scents of spice and incense and oranges wafting up from the tangle of bright colors and loud, cheerful haggling and pushing. The Sultan is looking out over all this, a part of it but removed from it, very dignified and powerful.

 

Five hours later: Still just as powerful and yummy. Quite masculine. That isn't a problem for me, though. My current everyday scent is a very cool, semi-aquatic, slightly creamy scent with a nose-tickling cinnamon note, and Ra strikes me as the perfect warm, earthy/firy, masculine yang to that fragrance's cool, feminine, water/airy yin. I foresee a bottle of this in my future. I'll just have to grit my teeth through the drydown.

 

What would be just perfect is if I could get my fiance to wear this. He's not much for fragrances though. I'll have to see what I can do. :plot:

[slave1]

In Bottle: Herbal and incense.

 

On Skin: It starts with a woody incense note… very strong and a bit smoky. There is a herbal, spicy almost minty note as well. It is very masculine and strong. I’m not sure of the exact notes… maybe frankincense? I also smell a very light fruity note… either apricot or peach… Not my type of scent overall.

[Dark Seraphim]

Bottle: Smelt like high quality aftershave. Nice and strong. I couldn't stop sniffing it.

 

Worn: A water scent appears here, along with strong herbs. Fantastic when worn, and lasts for a few hours.

 

Burnt: Basically, it's a mixture of cream lotion and herbs. Very pleasant, but not quite as strong as when worn.

 

I really liked this one. Could easily end up getting a bigger bottle. 8/10

[Eros]

Bright, slightly sharp at first then settles down to slightly aquatic with a touch of herbs. It's nice enough...Dark Seraphim posted that it's like a high quality aftershave. To me, it's the shaving cream Hubby uses. Like his shaving cream, it smells nice but something about it irritates my throat...gets itchy. And no, I didn't drink any

So yes, very nice but obviously, not for me.

[arabella]

First Impression: Musk or resin, lemongrass, herbs.

 

Dries down to: A very light, fresh, slightly green scent. It now feels like it has an amber/woody base rather than a musky one. If I had to guess (and I'm not very good at picking out specific notes), I'd say there's amber, sandalwood, lemongrass or citronella and some herbs - maybe, thyme or sage - in this. It also feels as if it has a slight bit of an aquatic note in it. It's a lovely, languid blend.

 

Additional Comments: I live in a large city and this reminds me of those rare, smog-free, clear, late-summer/early fall mornings, just after sunrise, when the sun still feels 'cool', before it's had a chance to 'bake' everything.

 

Lasted: quite a while, but was very faint throughout.

 

Rating: 3 out of 5

[misfitroxy]

Ra starts out as herbal, spicy and warm. It’s sweet as well, perhaps from the orange. There is a floral note present that’s familiar (maybe carnation), but it’s fresh as opposed to bouquet-like.

 

Something like nutmeg joins the existing fragrances which turns the blend almost food-y for me. It’s definitely baking spices and maybe a hint of frankincense as others have noted. A lot of the warmth seems to stem from ancient resins, as there’s something antiquated about Ra. That being said, it’s not heavy or overpowering in the least.

 

As far as wearing it goes, I like it but don’t see it on me. I don’t have a ritual use for it at this point in time, so it will have to find a new home. I’m certain that someone out there will enjoy it greatly, so there’s no worries there.

[bellis]

This is definitely the most changeable BPAL I've tried. First on, it's a kick in the face of medicinal herbs. Then, it turns into a sweet and spicy herbal, with a bit of woodiness to it. Next, the herbs fade a bit and very light, fresh floral shows up. Finally, I get something fruity and spicy. This is a VERY complicated blend. To me, this is the bright, sparkling white sunlight on a cool spring morning.

[PennyPretty]

Straight from the bottle Ra has sharp, green herbal smell. Once it hits my skin it becomes a spicy orange citrus scent. As it drys down the citrus fades and what I believe is frankincense and perhaps amber become stronger, I also get a bit of nutmeg. Overall I really like this, it is a warm, spicy scent - something to wear on a cold overcast day to remember the sun by.

[wolfie13]

In the bottle: lavender, orange blossom, frankincense - herbal orange floral

 

Wearing: the same, but the herbal/lavender factor fades and some cinnamon seems to step in to meet the orange and frankincense.

 

I like it at that point, but after drydown the herbal aspect seems to creep back in more.

 

It's okay on me, but not a keeper.

[Lucretia]

First on a citrus of some sorts, and something green, this feels very layered. A bit spicy maybe? This one definitly agrees with my skin. Very bright, clean and happy. But not innocent by any means.

 

It dries down to some sort of spicey, herby citrus. Definitly golden. I wouldn't mind having a bottle of this, although I don't know if I'd actually buy one.

[herdivineshadow]

This is a very warm, sweet golden scent. Initially, it's like sweet oranges with a hint of spiciness. Then it develops into a more incensey scent, but still with the citrus and spice lingering. This is the first scent with any incense-type notes that I've like and it's great on a cold, overcast day.

[slugbait]

In the imp this smells like fruit, a sunny yellow citrus. On my skin, this smells a little like Ahathoor and Lolita. It is bright, with a bit of resin in the background, some spices and citrus. This turned a bit powdery as it dried down. Nice, but not something I would wear.

 

Edited because I meant Lolita, not Jailbait!

Edited September 23, 2005 by slugbait

[brownbear]

Hmm

This one is a happy warm scent. It has some citrus in it, but not a sweet citrus. It is a tiny bit spicy and a little herby. It fades a bit on me. It isn't bad at all, but I'm not sure how much use this one will see from me.

[Little Bird]

Ra is a very lovely scent. It's not one that I'm fanatical over, but I definitely like and appreciate it.

 

It starts off smelling like sweet green grass and bergamot. Very springy and relaxing. Then the green smell fades and it begins to smell of light lavender and amber. The amber goes softly powdery, but not in a bad way.

 

Very light and pretty. It only lasts about an hour on my skin though.

[Undine]

Argh--the internets just ate my review, so this is going to be a little abbreviated.

 

This starts out very sweet and herbal, underlain by sandalwood. As it dries down, the herbs become much, much drier and amber makes an appearance. Possibly also myrrh. The herbs remain dominant.

 

This reminds me of the hot sun beating down on the desert or maybe on a very dry, grassy field.

 

It also reminds me of embalming. Part of this may be because, unlike many people here (so no offense meant), I have a strong dislike for the ancient Egyptian culture. I know they were advanced and very interesting, but the whole thing kind of gives me the creeps. I also believe that even Beth's non-TAL scents can very powerfully evoke ... things ... so that can color my feelings about a scent.

 

But, I also think that the herbs just have a bitter or medicinal edge and hence the reason that I don't quite like them--normally I do really like green scents.

 

There's also not a whole lot of throw.

 

So, with the caveat that I have Egyptian Issues, on my scale this would be a 2.5 out of 5.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: warm, with a dustiness to it.

on: very warm and...dark? weird. when i smell this closely, it's a very dark gold, but it's almost pink-smelling and sweet if i'm farther away. interesting.

half an hour later: lovely. a sweet floral. heliotrope? that would make sense? there's a bit of biting soapiness, too.

1.5 hours later: sweet and less soapy. this isn't bright, but more of a mellow sort of golden yellow. love it.

4 hours later: there's a gentle resiny scent to this now.

overall: this is nice, but not something i'd reach for often.

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 3/5

Summarised in a word/few words: Incensey-sweet.

 

In the imp: This is a bit confusing, as others have said. It's slightly woody, but sweet, and floral! I can't pin this one down, and can't pick out any specific notes.

 

On skin, wet: I can definitely pick out frankincense, but beyond that, I'm fairly lost. Maybe amber? Sandalwood?

 

On skin, dry: I'm getting the same oddly-sweet-but-incensey experience that a few others have had. Frankincese tempered by something sweet. It's a lovely scent, but I'm not sure if I'd wear it as a perfume.

 

Throw/strength: Ra has a average-to-strong throw, and lasts fairly long. I can smell it normally for six hours, and against my wrist for seven.

 

Conclusion: I think this might be another 'acquired-taste' scent, in the same way that Black Opal was. I find myself liking this more and more as I continue to sniff my wrist. Still, not sure I'd wear it as a personal perfume -- it might be a wonderful room scent, though.

[AngellicMystique]

Sharp, mildly citrus. It makes me think of midday, workers in the fields along the Nile.