‘Tis said that when
The hands of men
Tamed this primeval wood,
And hoary trees with groans of woe,
Like warriors by an unknown foe,
Were in their strength subdued,
The virgin Earth Gave instant birth
To springs that ne’er did flow
That in the sun Did rivulets run,
And all around rare flowers did blow
The wild rose pale Perfumed the gale
And the queenly lily adown the dale
(Whom the sun and the dew
And the winds did woo),
With the gourd and the grape luxuriant grew.
So when in tears
The love of years
Is wasted like the snow,
And the fine fibrils of its life
By the rude wrong of instant strife
Are broken at a blow
Within the heart
Do springs upstart
Of which it doth now know,
And strange, sweet dreams,
Like silent streams
That from new fountains overflow,
With the earlier tide
Of rivers glide
Deep in the heart whose hope has died —
Quenching the fires its ashes hide, —
Its ashes, whence will spring and grow
Sweet flowers, ere long,
The rare and radiant flowers of song!
A sunlit ancient forest, dotted with wild roses, grape vine, and queenly lilies, clothed in swirls of opium smoke.
lwirtz20 –
I just got this as a frimp with a purchase, and it surprised me quite a bit! I don’t typically like scents with leather notes, which is unfortunate, because they love my skin chemistry. When I opened the bottle, I got hit with a heavy whiff of sugary caramel, but when I put it on, the caramel disappeared and for a moment, all I got was leather. After a minute, the sarsaparilla, rum, and sea salt made an appearance and balanced everything out into what I can only call a ‘cool-girl’ scent. It’s salty, musky, and warm; like an older sister who’s a wild-child, but will always take care of you when you need it. I can definitely picture a pirate smelling like this, and it’s absolutely a confidence builder- I need somebody to stop me from buying a saber and working on a windjammer now. (Also, I can’t stop smelling my wrist.)
jemerrill –
I got the imp size of Mary Read as a sample, and I’m going to have to buy a full size and put it in rotation, because it’s willful and lovely. The first sniff is all “ocean”-scented candle, but once it’s on, it mellows into slightly briny air, tobacco, and old maps? Basically exactly how I would expect Mary Read to smell, and now how I want to smell, too.
KeeleeHamomin –
I took a gamble and ordered a full-size bottle of this without getting an imp first, and I AM GLAD I DID! This is definitely a little strong wet but once it was on my skin it just mellowed out into salty-sweet perfection. The “ocean mist” smell stands out the most on my skin when it’s dry, with a faint mingling of all the other smells beneath, kind of gives it a mysterious air to it. I am more than pleased with this, I love when a gamble pays off!
gwynnehester –
This is one of my first full bottles, and my first review. I *love* this scent. I bought a sample after reading the description and was initially put off by the smell coming straight from the imp. My first impression is almost a cloying coffee, like the “International Coffee” you can buy in a tin. Ugh. BUT after applying to my skin, this thing BLOSSOMS into its really lovely salty, filthy, sweet-but-not-too-sweet personality. I don’t smell all of the notes in the description, and I’m not even quite sure what I *do* smell, but that kind of makes it better? There’s definitely the salt and rum, but I’m not sure of the rest. Maybe it’s the sarsaparilla that produces the cloying sweetness I get from the bottle that eventually mellows out so nicely. Regardless, this one snuck up on me and I only realized I needed it after the imp was depleted.
morlockiness –
Mary Read is one of my favorite women in history, so needless to say I was ecstatic to see a perfume inspired by her. It is everything I could have hoped for, delicate but musty and pleasant. I couldn’t be happier with it and will definitely be ordering it again and again so long as it’s on the site.
xaglow –
The patchouli and “ocean mist” are very strong when this one is wet. As it dries it does get a little warm, due to the musk no doubt. I enjoy it, but I’m not sure it’s really for me. Think sea side, but a little powdery.
KARLA –
Mary Read is my absolute favourite perfume since I received my first bottle yesterday (28/1/14)I am delighted with it. I chose this perfume because I thought it sounded romantic – I just hope the man of my dreams finds it desirable and extremely sexy, BPAL perfume oils sty on your skin all day and a huge treat to wear. I liken them to extensions of my clothing – part of my wardrobe and the whole adventure of getting dressed. Wearing perfume and clothing should be an adventure and not just something with which to cover yourself.