Escential of Portland Dragon’s Blood
Escential Oils and Lotions’ Dragon’s Blood is one of those smells I intimately associate with scentscape of Portland. It’s one of the more common fragrances to notice on people here. I personally haven’t been without a small bottle of it for nearly 14 years.
The fragrance is marked by warm earthy amber and patchouli. I also detect a balsalmic orangey smell tucked into it. These elements are all anchored by a sweet, slightly sticky woody note and sandalwood, giving a strong impression of unlit incense. The perfume oil is incredibly potent, and a light hand is advised.
I find Dragon’s Blood to be one of the sexiest fragrances on men, if not THE sexiest. It works on women (this one, anyhow) as well, but I must confess that I do prefer discovering it on men instead.
The body care products that can be made to match are also enjoyable. The bubble bath gel doesn’t create as many bubbles as I’d like, but it scents the bath nicely. I think it actually makes a much better shower gel, so I tend to employ it for both uses. The massage oil is very, very nice, but like the perfume oil, it is quite potent, and I’d recommend requesting they add a lighter concentration of the perfume oil than comes standard. I use the massage oil made from almond oil. Almond oil doesn’t absorb as readily into the skin as a dry body oil, and warms with body temperature quickly. It is perfect for a slow gently massage.
Picture from Disney’s cartoon, Sleeping Beauty.
November 7th, 2005 at 6:21 am
I can totally imagine this to be drop dead sexy on a man. I wish there were more non-cologne-like (clean, citrusy etc) masculine scents out there…Actually, no…There warm, spicy, dark scent available for men…what I wish is for them to buy those scent, to move on from the fresh to the warm territory.
November 7th, 2005 at 7:49 am
I kind of generally prefer men in slightly sweet warm frags myself - the “clean” and citrusy ones can get rather boring I think.
November 7th, 2005 at 8:13 am
Swell review :) I remember buying my first bottle of this from the little store they had at Yamhill Market in the late eighties when I was in high school. I think their name was slightly different then. Ahh memories!
November 7th, 2005 at 8:28 am
How cool that there is a scent by a local company that is so widely worn that you smell it out & about on the street. I have never heard of the company or the scent…but given the notes it isn’t likely that this particular one will turn out to be a favorite.
November 7th, 2005 at 8:32 am
Jill - way back when, I first bought this at the Saturday Market! If I recall correctly they were just Escentials or Escential Oils back then? My memory is foggy, so I’m not sure either.
EDIT: I should add, I use the term “Escential of Portland” for shorthand here on this blog. “Escential Lotions and Oils of Portland” is too long to fit into my category box to organize.
Robin - it is cool, actually :) Generally you smell it more on the folks who lurk in the Hawthorne area of Portland most, but I still catch a whiff of it here and there all over town.
November 7th, 2005 at 9:02 am
2nd Robin’s sentiments! How cool indeed. I’ve only been to Portland once–actually, I was just passing through on my way to Vancouver–but next time I will head straight for the Hawthorne neighborhood.
November 7th, 2005 at 9:13 am
You must not miss our “Nob Hill” area either. Strolling up and down the street on NW 23rd is one of the more fun things to do here. It’s got some really fun boutiques, and it’s just a hop, skip, and a jump from there to this big park in the middle of Portland.
November 7th, 2005 at 9:46 am
Hi Katy,
I don’t know if I responded to your nice email! Sorry I missed you in Portland, looking forward to finding you next time — so happy you found my blog — I love Portland, as you can probably tell! It’s a pleasure to “meet” you , now I feel connected whenever I see you responding to other Bloggers………like your great theory about inoffensive scents today on NST — I wholeheartedly agree, and you know what I say?
More is more!
Oxo
Wendy
November 7th, 2005 at 9:57 am
So when can I come over? :)
November 7th, 2005 at 10:56 am
Joining D (alabasterbrow)! When can we come over? :)
Unlit incense is such a wonderful scent–soft and gentle. It is rare to encounter it in a form that I truly like though.
November 7th, 2005 at 2:31 pm
Qwendy - thank you, and glad my Dolph thingie happened to amuse you! More is more sometimes, but I still also like lighter scents. I just am annoyed that it seems to be the rule of thumb lately. Sigh. ‘Tis a pity.
Diane & Victoria - I would love to have everyone and their dog here all at once - wouldn’t that be so fun?? I need to own a big house with a guesthouse, so I can accomodate all my travelling perfume buddies.
November 20th, 2005 at 2:38 pm
I can’t tell from the post about Escentials whether you are from Portland or just visit often, but it’s cool to discover other perfume freaks who are familiar with Portland. My drugs of choice usually come from The Perfume House, the best fragrance store on the planet, also on Hawthorne. I will check back here regularly to gt the latest!
November 21st, 2005 at 11:17 am
Hi Flora. I live in the Portland area - glad to see another Oregonian has found me!