NIGHT STAR (Winter Collection 2011)

NIGHT STAR
Nutmeg, Patchouli, Frankincense, Myrrh, Woods and Lemon

NOT TO BE USED BY WOMEN WHO ARE PREGNANT OR NURSING.

Perfume only

Ceremonial resins, patchouli, cold and spicy nutmeg, warm sandalwood and a touch of lemon, orange and clove meld together to create a dark, dry, resinous, earthy and spicy aroma.

Cold sniff and initial application features a marriage of frankincense and nutmeg essential oils hovering above grounding, earthy patchouli essential oil. The nutmeg is divine, authentic and spicy and adds and exotic mood to the blend. As the nutmeg and frankincense subside, the dry myrrh essential oil comes forward with a very light lemon note. All of the notes combine to form a dry down which is primarily patchouli with resinous myrrh, a whisper of citrus and woods and a delicate bit of spices.

This smells JUST like Christmas to me: resinous, dark, dry incense, like entering the cathedral for Midnight Mass, with subtle, zingy wiffs of fresh spices used in pomander balls and wreaths.

Night Star is a dark incense & woods scent on me. It makes me think of an old wooden church with incense smoke wafting through it. I was worried about the lemon note, but I can only identify the lemon if I try, so it's not something that takes over the scent (though it is stronger in the drydown). It's mostly smoky, dark incense and dry woods, with a hint of dark, earthy patchouli. I don't get much of the spiciness either.
Very dark and smoky for me.

Really wanted to like this one but it turns too woodsy on me. More luck next time ^^

The drydown on this is wonderful, but the initial patchouli EO note is just too strong for me. However, I'm a complete wimp when it comes to patchouli scents - I only like it when it's way in the background. I think this is a wonderful blend - it's just not for me.

Cross-posted from my Winter contest thread:

Gorgeous scent when first applied on my skin, but a bit boring as it dries. When I first read the scent description, I thought it was an interesting hodge-podge of notes (i mean, nutmeg + patchouli + lemon = WHAT? ), but it works! Upon application, I smell Christmas trees and and a tiny bit of spiciness with the lemon in the background. As it dries, the patchouli comes out, and the Christmas tree scent disappears. It ends up being almost a straight-up patchouli scent on my skin after about 20 minutes. I wish my skin held on to the other notes a bit longer!

ETA: I put this fragrance on my fiance, and it smells AMAZING on him. Smells much better on him, than on me. It's like, all the notes blend together nicely on his skin, and none the notes stand out more than the others. It's a damn shame he insists on wearing only mainstream cologne from department stores, because perfume oils really work on him!

The patch definitely gets all up in my grill, but the other ingredients keep it interesting so it's not a solo note act.

I was extremely excited to try this blend because I love woods, resins and patchouli. It certainly did not disappoint. If Outpost is my favorite of the Winter releases, Night Star is a STRONG second. I was quite surprised at how well all of the different scent notes worked together. Who would have ever thought to combine lemon with patchouli! Although it's a very light citrus note, it really tames down the earthiness of the patchouli. I wore this scent on Christmas Eve and it was the PERFECT scent for that evening. Right after applying, you get a lot of spice and resin with the patchouli.. perfect for the holidays. The dry down is a spicy, woodsy patchouli that I just adore. Non patchouli lovers beware... the heaviest note in this blend is the patchouli, but it is calmed down with the addition of the other notes. A wonderful blend that I really enjoy wearing.

I love this scent so much, it has become my signature winter/Christmas perfume. It is a classic imo!

I love nutmeg, and so was delighted to try this and I really liked it. The nutmeg and lemon are the top notes and are bright and spicy and gorgeous. I love the grounding effects of the patch and resins too. When I first put it on, I can't stop sniffing it--that nutmeg is just too amazing!

I really waffled about getting a bottle, but the final dry down, like after an hour or so, is gorgeous, but so similar to Basilica on me that I decided I couldn't quite justify a bottle even for the really lovely opening blast of nutmeg. So I made myself content with the sample I had. Perhaps if it comes back this year I'll succumb!

I just used this perfume sample for the first time. I absolutely love it! The scent blend is wonderful and smells delicious on my wrists. Don't know why I waited to try this out -- it would make a great scent for winter or fall. Hope it returns at some point!

My very first Solstice!  

Wow I cannot say how much I love this one, it smells like dark, cool, beautiful woods in a dream. I want to wear it day and night, constantly. It's a beautiful, soft resin, I can smell the patchouli, but it's not overwhelming.

I really hope you continue to offer this in winter! It is close to all natural, which is my thing, and it is a wonderful wintertime oil. Would use this in sugar scrub, glace, etc. too!

Such an interesting opening. I am reading through the list of ingredients which should be a predominantly warm incense based work. Instead I am firstly struck by an almost 'menthol' pine-coolness. It is moody, resinous and very grounded and at the same time familiar. the nutmeg seems to be a pure old with the definite bitter notes that you catch if you overuse nutmeg in cooking. In the opening phase you can catch hints of the patchouli and Frankincense, but the combination is interesting in that a very earthy patchouli must have been selected, because this is where the earthiness comes from. I can detect no lemon at this early stage, but do smell the orange.

As the top notes disappear, a sweetness emerges and the myrrh becomes apparent. The earthy patchouli remains as an active player before both fade away leaving a hint of bitter woods. It is a captivating and serious journey for a winter's evening.