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!

This is discontinued! The best of Ellis Brooklyn is no more. All of my fave EB's Raven, Rives, Fable and Fawn are all gone. This one was such a sexy spicy scent. Loved it for date night. Good sillage and longevity. .I'm heartbroken.🫤 EDIT- Ellis Brooklyn at Amazon.com still has 16 bottles of it. I bought one from there & one from BlueMercury. I will just keep them in the fridge with my other discontinued perfumes. Still upset that all their older scents are discontinued. Can't find any Rives though.

My friend gave Raven to me to try, and it's rapidly become my most used scent. It reminds me of a cozy room, a little bit of incense, and a good book. The only thing is that it can veer a little grandma-y, but I honestly lean into it. The top notes are a mildly jarring at first but the dry down is totally worth it and it settles sweeter into peonies and oranges after around an hour. This has me smelling and feeling good for a good while. 10/10.

I hadn't been inspired to wear a perfume to bed before, but in the worst and coldest period of coronavirus isolation I found myself reaching for Raven. It is on the verge of being too sweet for me, but the boozy notes and undercurrent of musk/patchouli make the sweetness pleasantly intoxicating and comforting. This perfume makes me want to curl up under a down comforter, with pillows in silk pillowcases.

Wow. Not my normal kind of fragrance but this was love at first sniff. It’s so sexy and unique. This could be unisex too I think. If you don’t like Patchouli don’t even bother as it’s very prominent in this frag. If you are ISO a goth or “darker” or witchy leaning scent, this right here is a winner, I promise you.

I bought this fragrance on a whim. I read the reviews and right away I had to have it. It is very dark and mysterious. If Cinnabar and Chanel Coco had a baby, it would be Raven. I can see myself wearing this at a burlesque show in Paris. It's not for everyone but it is strong and sexy.

I'm just discovering this sophisticated, complex-yet-subtly and uniquely balanced fragrance. Soft, sexy and comforting vibes emanate from this classy beauty. The peony note is gorgeous. It's definitely a unisex scent and works perfectly with my (male) skin. Recommended.

Wow!!! This is a beautiful fragrance, one that I wasn't expecting to like much less love. Long lasting great reach. Beautiful patchouli. Beginning to end is simply wonderful. Definately considering a full bottle. Cruelty free and clean.

I LOVE this scent. Deeply spicy with vanilla. It's so sexy and mysterious. Perfect for a night out in fall.

I also like that this isn't a perfume that is being worn by EVERYONE

I have to revise this again in 2021 after having tried so many more clean fragrances - it's worth noting that it is IMPRESSIVE that a "clean" fragrance is able to get this strength + concentration. It truly reminds me of a classic vintage. Something luxe/expensive. It feels like something from another era, like something my cool grandma (whose taste in jewelry was always impeccable) would have worn in the 90s. But it also smells like vintage in that "aged" fragrance way. Where you're not sure if that old bottle of Patou/Chanel always smelled like that or smells like that bc it sat on someone's counter for decades. I do get floral notes, but more like jasmine/other deep fall florals. I still don't get peony here at all. I still am baffled that people think of this as unisex/masculine tho. I'm surprised "amber" or something more resinous isn't in the pyramid. The woody/muskiness is not at all fuzzy or sharp. 1000% a fall frag. They don't smell alike but in my mind this is kind of in the same lane with Bvlgari Jasmine Noir - I would reach for them to fulfill the same hankering. 2ND EDIT TO ADD: Definitely musky but had a very hard time finding the floral. More animalistic and patchouli than oud or leather to me. That said it IS strong and I like savyminx’s idea of trying to layer it, especially with some other Ellis fragrance (not sure about the suggested pairing with Fawn as I like that one on its own but I think I’d like to try it w/Rrose or possibly even Myth, something lighter, more floral). INITIAL SAMPLE: Wanted to love this but I think it may be my least favorite of the Ellis fragrances I’ve tried. Smells rather...old? As in heavy, weighed down.

I don't typically like rhubarb scents or sweeter citruses like mandarin. I steer clear of overly sweet fragrances in general. But I adore Raven. It's on the sweeter side, yes, but it's balanced with such rich woody notes that the ripe fruit form a pleasant counterpoint rather than coating the composition in treacle. It has a distinct vintage vibe thanks to the musks that vaguely evoke animalics without any actual funk; it's probably a more "mature" scent, which I think accounts for the mixed reviews, but I'm perfectly fine with smelling like a sexy, distinguished older woman. It's a pleasingly assertive and complex creation for a "clean" fragrance house. The one downside is the atomizer, which ended up going wonky after just a few sprays. This isn't something I'd mention were it not for the fact that I've had the same issue with several EB bottles.

5/30/24 Update: I was moving my perfumes and this one fell and it broke! It was only a travel size but it was full. At first I didn’t care because it was not one I liked. My second thought was “ oh no, it’s going to smell so bad in this room! Much to my dismay, I was surprised when the smell was not what I remembered but a delicious perfume that matured in my favor. Luckily, I have a second bottle 😉 ———————————————- Love Ellis Brooklyn but really dislike Raven. I ordered from EB site and was gifted 2 travel bottles of this. I can’t stand patchouli although it seems to be in so many things I don’t mind. Now after smelling it for the 50th time I know why I don’t like it. Reminds me of a dirty hippie.

Ultimately a sweet/vanillic patchouli fragrance. It starts out with a Narciso Rodriguez type woody, skin-musk scent. After just a few minutes the vanilla and patchouli come out more strongly. It remains mostly sweet patchouli and vanilla for most of the wear. The vanilla is creamy and sweet. There is just a touch of spice. I actually love the creamy vanilla and smooth woods in this - it is very comforting. Definitely a winter scent for me - too heavy for warm weather. It is an edible patchouli type of scent. But I hate patchouli lol - so ultimately this frag is not for me. But is a must try for fans of sweet, or gourmand patchouli perfumes. Mugler Angel and Prada Candy should definitely try this.

This lives up to the dark and mysterious marketing - an ideal Halloween scent. The patchouli is strong throughout wear, and you'll need to be a fan of that scent to like this perfume. The dark and musky base is sweetened by the mandarin. The peony is very rosey, and between that and the musk I can understand why some reviewers say it smells mature, although on my skin I think it just comes off as darkly sweet. I think there are better perfumes with the same vibe (Strange Invisible Perfumes' Cancer comes to mind), but if you're a patchouli lover in search of a gothy, mysterious evening scent with for fall and winter, this is worth sampling.

This fragrance is hard to pin down and seems to smell different to everyone. I have Angel and Cafe Tuberosa. It smells nothing like them to me. What does it smell like? Without looking at the notes and just wearing this it smells like a soft, meek rose/oud combo with some leather but very soft and not a powerhouse, almost like a watered-down version of a Lancome Oud Bouquet. As it dries down, the woods are more present. So, if I have to call the notes from this list, I would say peony, white woods and some soft musk for flavor, but it has a sweetness that borders on gourmand. Like a watered-down Calligraphy Rose without the jam.