As you approach an enormous patchwork tent, a curious sound catches your attention: the rattle of bones and the tinkling of tiny bells heralds the arrival of a gaunt and ghastly creature. An animated skeleton dressed in a jester’s motley saunters towards the front of the tent, waving an orange and black striped cane at the crowd in an effort to clear a path. The jester makes his way past the fog-shrouded, faded, colossal posters that adorn the tent to a platform in front of the massive tent’s entrance. His ivory smile frozen in a gleeful rictus grin, he steps up onto the platform, taps the cane three times, and the jester costume vanishes. Suddenly dark eyes appear in the empty sockets, bones are wrapped in muscle, sinew grows over the bones, blood fills rapidly appearing veins. Before your eyes, the skeletal jester has become a dapper, handsome man, dressed in black and orange, with a skull-ornamented straw hat tilted jauntily upon his shining black hair.
His smile is slick and conspiratorial. With a flourish and arcing wave of his cane, he booms:
“Step right up, ladies and gentlemen! This is Carnaval Diabolique’s notorious 13-In-1: the finest freak show in all the Hells! What marvels await you, you ask? Simply the strangest and most fantastic creatures, human and inhuman, gathered for your entertainment, enlightenment and erudition!”
With the cane, he gestures at the gigantic posters that adorn the tent. The images, once hazy, suddenly come into focus.
“From the depths of the Black Forest: Arachnina, the Spider Girl! From the rain-swept streets of London: Hope and Faith, the Siamese Twins! From ruins of old Aquae Sextia: Wulric, the Wolf Man!
“Thalassa, the Galapagos Mermaid! A vision of life-in-death, Eshe!
“All in all, THIRTEEN anatomical curiosities, miracles of genetics, magick and science, masters of marvels, ALIVE ON THE INSIDE!”
White musk, wild plum, vetiver, black coconut, verbena, fig, and lavender.
Azure –
Slumbering minds drift off to planes of fancy that exceed reality once known. Inverted thoughts and blissful winks can shift as drastically to shrinking cries and somber sobs. Worlds left teetering outside of the waking hours.
When I first sniffed this from the bottle, I was met with something not only subtly sweet but something mellow and wafting. I was reminded in part of a serene section found in botanical gardens that lured me further into its depths.
Wet on the skin: Jarring and immediately I was thrust from my sense of known comforts. Eyes closed and I could see a landscape alien to the daily world I see. Curiosity made me want to slip further into this and not look back until the last moments played out.
Dry on the skin: What was once jarring is now so enticing. A wanting comfort of the familiar yet unfathomable drifts along with my senses. The lavender and musk bring the most subtle qualities to this while the amber and sweet agarwood keep it light and welcoming. The longer it wears the more I feel myself wanting to indulge the whims of the moment regardless of what may come next.
Final thoughts: This is a scent that truly invokes a feeling of being taken to a new realm of possibilities and wonder. Even as I write this, I feel a warmth and glow blanketing me.
The throw is not wide for this scent but it does make its presence known. Like any dream, it does not need to be bold to leave a lasting impression. I am excited to wear this on those nights where I feel restless and I need the blanketing touch of Dream of the Endless to coax me to his domain.