Raven

With all its connotations and denotations, name anything "Raven" and I'll come running to check it out. From Edgar Allan Poe's poem, to the famous riddle in Alice in Wonderland (how is the black bird like a writing desk?) to the symbol of my Hogwarts house, the mystique and charisma of this highly intelligent and ruggedly handsome corvid has been a source of fascination for me for decades. And now it's the name of a beautiful new favorite. Lewis Carroll's riddle about how a raven is like a writing desk seems to apply to this lovely perfume. It is very like two of my favorites, yet different from them in several important ways. It reminds me of Givenchy's Very Irresistible L'Intense in its composition and intensity and Portrait of A Lady in its richness. But, according to the notes, Raven doesn't contain rose...maybe I am smelling the rhubarb? I love the Lady, but due to expense and sillage, she's not an everyday scent...and L'Intense is a discontinued flanker that I only have a third of a bottle left of. Because it has the notes but not the intensity of the first and is readily available for a relatively reasonable price, Raven is a definite contender for FB status. (quoth the Maatgirl...sorry, I couldn't resist...)

I can't believe I'm writing this review. I hate peony in perfumes, but here we have a masterpiece of combining peony with patchouli, so that in the end the peony gives a floral spirit and a slight powderiness. It creates a fragrance clearly in the unisex class - every man and every girl will be seductive. Extremely sexy combination. Phenomenal length on the skin and very good projection. I rarely write a review, but Raven seriously made me do it with its beauty and uniqueness. How great to find such a diamond among millions of scents without a soul. Raven has soul and what a soul!!!! Patchouli plays the first violin from beginning to end. Peony gives vitality and soul to a patchouli that is dry and slightly (but only slightly) cellar. Rhubarb is only slightly visible and although it is the head of the fragrance, it scrolls like a sparkling element, sometimes present and sometimes completely absent. There are moments that I feel lily of the valley, but it can be a lotus, rather fleeting and completely unobvious. I love this fragrance for its sophistication, originality and unique depth.

This was love at first spray. I bought the Library sample set, and only truly liked 2-3 ( I liked Sci Fi and am on the fence about fawn) Raven however I adore. To be fair I often reach for scents with patchouli that are warm and inviting. One of my other favourite scents is Mugler Aura which has both wood and rhubarb in it. This is so warm and lovely to me. The really surprising thing is how much the peony comes out on me, and it smells like a real flower. Not synthetic at all! This has signature scent vibes for me. Add to cart! UPDATE! I just realized what it reminds me of! The peony note is similar to the one in Gucci Flora EDP! This is like its sexy dark sister <3

This is an extraordinary scent. For the first few seconds, it seems rather unisex but it morphs into a fragrance that distantly reminded me of Hermes Kelly Caleche. The musk and florals compliment each other perfectly without competing with one another. I don't get any citrus but the patchouli is there in the background like an Venitian gondolier singing to set a romantic mood. The longevity is equally outstanding. I sprayed it at 6:45 a.m. and here at 5:23 p.m. I still smell it. Silliage is the only problem. It will overextend and reach over to slap your co-worker in the next cubicle in the face if you spritz more than twice.

Dark, sexy, but not too sweet. I'm sick of dark and sexy smells being synonymous with cavities. I just bought a full bottle on sale at Sephora! I like how the peppery woody smell kind of obscures the delicate floral. It reminds me of how I kind of have a different persona that comes out when I feel hurt, this stronger version of me that protects the sweeter and kinder version of me. Interesting, I just got a discovery set from Vilhelm, and I'd say this is a pretty solid alternative to Vilhems 125th & Bloom. Is the Vilhelm blended a bit better? Yes. Is the Vilhelm $150 worth of better blended? No. Try out Raven!