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.

I had a set of 8 testers for Ellis Brooklyn and was looking for something spooky, so I tried Raven. The first spray smelled like sour wine to me (probably the rhubarb), then it was immediately gone for a strong peony and wood smell. I think that this smell captures the sweetness of rotting wood (specifically termite-infested and crumbling) very well. I would say almost too well, since it smells SO old that for the first half hour that the peony sat on the skin, I felt like a 75 year old. If you are not afraid of smelling much older than you are, I think it is a good spooky woody smell.

This one is a shapeshifter! So I love coffee notes in fragrances. I recently fell for Cafe Tuberose by Atelier Cologne. The top notes of that one bring to mind walking into a coffee shop. It smells like straight up fresh ground coffee beans to me. Anyways, those top notes give way after a short while in that scent. THIS ONE, however, it's coffee richness FOR DAYS. And the sillage, good god. The real trick here is that it generates the coffee scent without having coffee as one of the notes. Black magic. Black cup of coffee magic. LOVE.

I got a travel spray of this at a discount fully expecting to hate it, but my immediate reaction was, "Oh! I think I... Like this??" Which is strange because it smells pretty much exactly like I thought it would. Mature, dark, mysterious. Immediately the song "Witchy Woman" by The Eagles popped into my head and I wanted to be that woman. I feel like I could be when I wear this. I don't know when I would actually do that though. I might have to save this until spooky season comes back around. I'll hang onto it.

This is definitely a love or hate scent and I’m more on the love side. This is definitely not an every day perfume but if you want to feel like a dark academia student inside an old library reading old books this is a great scent. If you wear it too much though or depending on the day, you smell more like dirt or old books that should be thrown away.

I am not a fragrance expert about the notes , but it opens soo sharp, sniff with caution, slowely calm dowm to sweet orange , with the hint of the floral scent, the dry down is so good , i keep sniffing my wrist , i feel that it is unisex, first one to like from Ellis so far

A deeply complex perfume. I find its scent quite comforting on me but my sister and mother can't stand the smell of it. It doesn't last very long and dries down quite musky. It's defintely a try before you buy kinda scent; smells very different on people.

I blind bought this puppy because 50 mls was $14 at tjmaxx. It was a total steal, and totally worth it, too. It has a really punchy opening with the rhubarb, and a sophisticated dry down. This makes me feel smart and worthy of attention when I wear it.

Ahh! This is such a dupe for the discontinued Gucci by Gucci!!! Slightly different fruity note, but it's so similar that you could mistake one for the other. If you love that perfume and miss it, this is what you're looking for.

I automatically reject patchouli in fragrances. Rhubarb isn’t a fave either (gave away my l’imperatrice because of that). But in this one they work absolutely gorgeous! It’s a loud perfume, so sample before you buy

On me this is very similar to Atelier Cafe Tuberose. I feel like they smell almost the same. I tried to use the "perfume reminds me of" function, but it won't recognize the Atelier Cafe Tuberose name.

I could probably appreciate this one on others because it does smell kind of fancy and old fashioned, and EXTREMELY boozy, but the rhubarb made it come across as a bit too sweet for me to like it and it was very overpowering even though I only sprayed a tiny bit. It's unisex but also very old lady. This was the last one I tried from the library set. None of them really stood out as a favorite that I would buy a full bottle of but I did like, RRose, Myth, Fawn, and West. The others were just pretty strange.

This wasn't horrible but it is strange. It the patchouli/orange combo comes off smelling a bit like dirty chocolate to my nose. This kind of wants to smell vintage but doesn't pull it off. It smells like a cheap vintage knock off. Plus all of these perfumes gave me a headache. If I get a headache I am out even if I like the smell and these I do not like. I gave my sample kit to a friend and she ended up liking them. Smell is so subjective!

On me, this is a rhubarb, patchouli, and woody fragrance. I just can't get the other notes after dry down. I really enjoy patchouli and woods, but the strong rhubarb throws it off a little for me. I like rhubarb as a subtle note in fragrances, but I think this is too much. Therefore, it's just okay on me. I think if you really like rhubarb, and woody/patchouli base notes, this could be a winner for you.

Nice. But a bit too tingly on the nose for me. I’ve kept this one for so long, but I don’t even really love it. I am starting to get rid of perfumes that don’t actually bring me joy and this is one that doesn’t actually bring me joy. So it’s time to be donated to my mom. Maybe she will have more of a loving for it. But just meh. Finding me and rhubarb aren’t friends lol

I loved the smell of this when I first smelled it. After having it on my skin for a few hours the smell is still quite strong, so strong that it has given me a headache. It smelled sour in the beginning but now it smells like an old fortune tellers home, or one of those hippie stores. I don't hate the smell, but it doesn't smell good either.

One summer, I took a day trip to a small town in Somerset County where I got a bit lost and ended up in this store. The store was on a corner of an alleyway and was full of incense, molding carpets put in circa 1975, garden gnomes, wall art of fairies, tarot cards, and a rude clerk who smelled like patchouli. I kept trying to ask for directions to where I was meeting up with family and she kept telling me to buy healing amethyst or something. I felt out of space and time, like it could've been 1975 or also maybe 2015, but in any time frame both the clerk and the carpet needed a good, solid shampoo. Okay, are you imagining it?? Because that's EXACTLY what this smells like. Hard pass unless you want to feel like you're being kidnapped in a "refurbished" electrical van that someone at some point lived out of while following around the Grateful Dead on tour. If that's always been your dream, you're in luck! If you read about that store and thought, "that sounds wonderful!" then you will love this. I will give this high marks for lasting power because I can not get this smell off of me.

I was surprised by how sweet the topnotes of Raven were; they smell like caramel before mellowing into musky fruit and patchouli. When I say this smells alcoholic, I don’t mean the ingredients, I mean it reminds me of fermented fruits and flowers. Definitely interesting, but almost too edible I think to be worn as a perfume. I would worry I smelled like a dessert. Edit: after a few hours, this is the only one of Ellis Brooklyn’s Library collection that didn’t sit well with me. It’s sickly sweet and off-putting and it’s heavy and smothering in a way that none of the other fragrances were.

Cracked open my Ellis Brooklyn discovery set today. I started with Raven as it seemed a good fit for an evening. Functionally, for me anyway, this has a lot in common with JHaG Lady Vengeance, as both have a kind of vintage cold-cream scent, which I adore. Raven has rhubarb where Lady Vengeance has rose. While I hoped that the tart rhubarb would give this a sassy edge, it sits unrelenting, quite sour and boozy on my skin. Not unlike a lambic beer, which I would quite like to drink, but not to smell of. Seems in my world rhubarb is meant for compote and pies, not perfume.

Oh,,, this smells as if someone poured a bottle of powdery floral perfume into a jar of pickle brine. Surprisingly, it's not the worst scent, but it definitely has something sour in there that smells way off. I like powdery floral, old-lady-like perfume, but this one is not pleasant to wear at all. Disappointing!

This is definitely my least favorite of the Ellis Brooklyn Library set. It's a very synthetic, false-sweet vanilla with a hint of secondhand, dusty incense (probably the patchouli notes). I wish this was much more woodsy and literary than it is, but it's very much serving musty college kid who hasn't showered.

There must be something wrong with my nose because I'm smelling mint. Upon first spray, this like two (2) old coffee beans on a termite-bitten log covered in damp mint leaves. 5 minutes in: sandalwood rhubarb 10 minutes: way more mellowed out, sweeter and woody. not my style still. Am I missing something?

I was expecting more from a fragrance named Raven. Something a lot darker, but this fragrance bores me. It's really rose forward and rose isn't a note I gravitate towards. Rose & a bit of patchouli. Meh. Edit: I guess it's peony, but for some reason, it smells super rosey on me.

After trying a sample of this in the Ellis discovery set, I bought a bottle. The full sized bottle smells nothing like the sample at all. The patchouli is too strong and almost headache inducing. Not at all recommended.

I already wrote a review but i'm doing it again. mint+black licorice+woods=raven. a bit too masculine leaning and sharp for me but others could definitely pull this off!

Ugh. Sampled from library set. Had to wash it off immediately. Dirty patchouli, woods, and musk. Not floral at all to my nose, didn't get peony or rhubarb.

This is too heavy, woody and musky for my taste - perhaps my least favourite of the Ellis Brooklyn line. It leans closer to masculine in my opinion.

This smells like bug spray to me. I thought it would mellow out on my skin but nope

I have the 8-piece sampler that I bought from Ulta. This one was a scrubber for me. Maybe it was the patchouli? Not sure which note, but agree with the reviewer about the "new tire" smell. And it lasts forever! Took several scrubs to get rid of it. I think if you like dark, moody fragrances, you may like it, but it was not for me.

I got this in a discovery set and wow I have never been more physically pushed away from a scent. All I can picture is a 1970s van that's carpeted in current day and that smell. I have washed my hands three times to get the scent off, it's got staying power I can say that for sure.

If you like patchouli in the vein of Mugler's Angel, you will probably like this. I did not like Angel - it smelled like a Christmas tree on me. However, the patchouli in this one reeks of menthol, and soon after I put it on, my head began to hurt. A scrubber for me.