Where is the sacrifice? And tell me where, where is the faith?

CB I Hate Perfume Revelation

Vices.

Everyone has them. Every single person alive has at least one coping mechanism that, out of moderation, can be unhealthy. People smoke. People drink. People over eat. People don’t eat all. People over exercise. People shop. People become rigidly organized in the face of a world spinning out of control. Some are more innately harmful than others, obviously, but everyone has one.

Sugary, milky espresso drinks from Starbucks, preferably with nonfat milk, no whip cream, and lots of extra shots of espresso constitute one of my vices. When I am feeling sad or frustrated or simply need a break, an overpriced foamy beverage of the caffeinated variety can quiet the storm in my soul, stave off a bout of hysterical laughter and/or tears.

But some days there is not enough coffee available to be able to handle the world we live in.

Today is one of those days.

But I digress…

Another one of my vices, obviously, is perfume acquisition. My personal version of “Oh the Places You’ll Go” might also be amended to include “…and the scents that you’ll sniff!” One boss, a former drugs and alcohol addictions counselor, noted that the way I carry tiny vials of perfume samples around with me in a tin in my purse is pretty similar to the way a junkie carries their works with them everywhere. Not once, but twice in the almost two months I’ve been here someone has seen me rummaging through my samples at my desk in my office and remarked that it looks like I have a little Disney tin full of crack vials sitting there. (This is not an immediate cause for alarm due in part to the nature of my job, which involves hearing all sorts of policy infractions as a hearing officer for a university; these incidents sometimes come with, well, bags of evidence. Like they do.)

But in what can sometimes be an ugly and unfeeling world, having a little pile of chemically orchestrated magical beauty readily accessible is comforting to me, calming. Sure, right now people may be hurting one another, terrible injustices may be taking place, but right now there are also people creating beauty in the world, through music or film or poetry or theater or even, yes, perfume. Humanity can be cruel and calculating and vicious but it can also be artful and honest and just. And it’s good, in dark times, to have whatever reminds you of that beauty within arm’s reach.

With that, I give you my review of CB I Hate Perfume Revelation. Christopher Brosius describes Revelation (also known as “fig”) as follows:

Revelation captures the scent of a Wild Fig Tree. The prime note is that of Fig Leaves & Twigs blended with Honey and a touch of Spice. The perfume is based on a rich warm blend of Cedarwood, Cypress Wood, Amber & Labdanum.
Revelation begins with a crisp green scent that gently warms on the skin to be sensual and glowing.

On me, Revelation is a warm, honeyed wash rather than anything particularly green or fruity. It’s kind of woody and rich. It spends the first half hour developing, blooming from small to moderate sillage. The scent reminds me of clear, clean water splashed over a weary and sad face. It is soft and gentle like a comforting hand. Revelation is like the olfactory act of pulling oneself back together, sometimes one frayed thread at a time.

My only complaint is that the scent doesn’t last super long in the water perfume. After about two hours, it had all but disappeared, kind of like my calm. If you’re buying, I’d opt for the perfume absolute on this one. On the whole, though, a nice effort.

“Some day there’ll be a cure for pain.
That’s the day I throw my drugs away.
When they find a cure, when they find a cure for pain.”
- “Cure for Pain,” Morphine

Want more reviews? Try…
~ A a review from Perfume-Smellin’ Things.
~ A review from the Whiskey Luxury livejournal.
~ A review from memory & desire.
~ A review of numerous figgy scents from Perfume Posse.
~ A review from The Non-Blonde.

Images from CB I Hate Perfume.