Aeval

[outofrhyme]

A raven-haired Fairy Queen of Ireland. One of her eternal duties dictates that she must hold a midnight court every season and hear the pleas of married Irishwomen. The court serves only to determine whether or not husbands are adequately serving their wife’s sexual needs. A judicious yet powerfully sensual blend, a mingling of justice and sexuality: sage, sweet pea, bold pale musk and warm tonka.

I didn't actually mean to try this - I opened the imp, and the new cap (yay new imp caps!) allowed them to fill the bottle COMPLETELY full, so I couldn't close the imp again without spilling some oil. So, without further ado...

In the bottle:
WOW this smells good. It's soft and warm. I'd swear it was just really floral.

Wet:
Yum. Warm, beautiful, intoxicatingly different floral. It really surprises me that there aren't any real powerful florals in here. The sage and sweet pea combine with the musk to be stunning. I can barely pick out the tonka.

Dry down:
I think the phantom floral smells a little bit like lily. SO GOOD!!! I know that this isn't really a straight floral, but it has a very floral vibe - very feminine, very delicate, very warm. I can definitely smell the sage, which gives it a little bit of a green-spice kick. I think I might be able to smell the vanilla-ness of the tonka, and I'm pretty sure I can smell the sweet pea and the musk. But I'm really surprised that "lily" isn't among the notes.

Final thoughts:
Lily is currently one of my favorite florals, so if I'm comparing this to lily, it's obvious that I like it. A lot. Definitely a big winner. Edited February 12, 2007 by Shollin

[storme]

In the imp: soft warm florals, with a tinge of sage that works rather nicely.

 

On me, wet: soft, slightly soapy florals, with a green sappy feel. The warmth is almost entirely gone, along with the sage.

 

On me, dry: faint soap with a herby tinge. Grumble sigh.

 

Verdict: so promising in the imp, but alas my skin didn't want to share the sage with my nose.

[lightgatherer]

Wow, something seriously kicks up on me on this to the point of being almost perfumey and overpowering. Given that sweetpea, tonka, and musk all work on me, I have to guess it's the sage. Underneath, though, I get the musk and the tonka, and it's very sexy on me. I'll definitely wear this one again, especially as a summer scent, but I'll apply a bit less next time to see if I can avoid being overwhelmed by the note my skin amps.

[hadaverde]

In the imp, Aeval is soft and golden with a touch of floral sweetness.

 

On the skin, the musk and tonka combine warmly, with an overlying blanket of sweetness provided by the sweet pea. Soon, though, the sweet floral lessens, slightly, allowing the musk and tonka combination to take the lead.

 

As it dries down, the sweet floral all but disappears, leaving behind a warm, mellow musky scent with a hint of tonka. This stage has a lot of staying power.

[Rchll]

Bottle: baby diaper stuff, sweet and sickly soapy.

 

Self wet: still really diaper-ish. As it dries, there starts to be warmth behind it, maybe the musk. This is way too sickly though, and the musk is not coming out enough to matter. Flowers and baby diapers is what I smell like.

 

Late later: the smell does not change. It stays far too sweet and odd. I think sweet pea reminds me of that cream you put on a baby’s bum to prevent rash, and it’s not what I want to smell like.

 

Overall: what with all the positive reviews on this, it kind of sucks that on me it smells horrid. Alas, I have a friend who likes sweet florals so I'm gonna give it to her and see if I can infect more people with BPAL madness. Bwahaha.

[dorothy humbird]

Warm, yet floral. I get a bit of the sage vibe, but the sweetpea is making things dewey and (duh) sweet. The notes all seem to be balancing nicely.

 

I wore this one morning when coming back from a night sleeping over at a friend's house, and I'm pretty sure everyone in the car was suffocating because I'd put too much on. This is a strong blend, which is kind of unexpected. It's really is a warm-smelling scent, too, which is also sort of odd, but pleasantly so. However, I just don't see myself wearing it that much -- I think the overload in the car put me off. Perhaps too much Aeval is too much sweetpea? I'll hang on to one of my imps and swap the other.

[mspixieears]

I definitely get the sage, sweet pea and the pale musk (this is the most dominant to my nose), but not the tonka. It’s a very fresh, breezy scent and I think it would be a wonderfully gender neutral scent. It’s a shame my imp of this broke and leaked as it’s really lovely. A gorgeous clean scent. Oh my gosh, I know what this reminds me of – it’s very similar to Philosophy’s Pure Grace scent which I adore so I’m definitely getting a bottle of this!

Edited June 2, 2007 by mspixieears

[ariansdreams]

Although this smells different in the imp, the drydown/general scent of this, on me, is exactly the same as The Mouse's Long and Sad Tale.

 

I guess my skin just amps the sweet pea. Oh well.

 

So yeah. I like sweet pea, but this wasn't a unique scent on me at all.

[Nia]

My poor nose is tired, but I'm trying to figure out, using my previous reviews, why exactly Terpsichore didn't work on me, and both blends contain sweet pea. Desdemona, which didn't work on me either, also contained sweet pea, but it had carnations in common with Terpsichore. I find that liking a carnation blend depends a lot on what it is combined with.

 

This one feels floral and fresh, not old-ladyish or overwhelmingly floral at all. The floral aspect is the most prominent one, so I seem to be going through the same as ariansdreams: the sweet pea swallows the other notes. I would like it to be a bit more warm, with a bit more tonka, but it is delicious as it is, and it has a lot of thrown. Yay!

[hackess]

Imp: It smells sort of like anise and musk. It's very exotic and lingers in the back of my nose.

 

Wet: Wow, this is weird. I can't identify anything in it, but it reminds me a LOT of perm solution. It smells very warm.

 

Dry: The boyfiend recoiled in horror. It's like a hair salon is melting and all the products are being stirred together in some horrible mix, with a little wet dog thrown in. 30 minutes and one vigorous hand-washing later: IT WON'T DIE. I can still clearly smell it over the Congo-bongo (smells like monkey farts!) soap. *adds sweet pea and tonka to the horror list*

[heartbreakangel]

Wet: Watermelon. Don't ask. I can't explain it. I know it's the sweet pea and the musk combo doing this, though, as sweet pea has always been known to morph into weird things on my skin.

 

Dry: Where did it go? I can barely smell it. I do get a light tinge of musk every so often, followed up with that weird watermelon sweet pea morph that I can't explain. My skin completely ate this, which is a disappointment, since I really liked it.

[Laughing-magpie]

Aeval is my first 5 mL purchase, so I figured it would be a good place to start with my first review too!

 

There are several scents I've tried in the Imp that I liked better than Aeval to fulfill the light, floral, feminine niche for everyday wear (like Shanghai, Empyreal Myst, and Lady of Shalott) but none have the reliable throw that Aeval does. It lasts nicely on me, and most of the time that it's on my skin it stays solidly pleasureable without ever being over-powering.

 

Most scents on me, especially floral ones, become one note of dull sweetness, but I think with Aeval the herbal sage and warm tonka balance it out so it stays a more complex floral on me. I really like it.

 

I took it to Rome with me, so now whenever I wear it, I remember the eternal city.

Edited July 8, 2007 by Laughing-magpie

[laliloo]

I think I may be getting 'sniffed' out now - this is the last imp I'll try out today and I'll give it another try another day when my nose hasn't been inundated by 6 other imps of new smells!

 

Aeval. I love the description of a raven-haired Irish Queen. My grandmother was raven-haired and Irish. Not a queen, but 2 out of 3 ain't bad. Actually, having thought of Nan, I can imagine this is a smell she would have liked. This is a floral scent on me, but very interesting. I think the sage adds a nice herbal depth, without the sharpness that some herbals add. It's quite a warm smelling scent, but not overwhelming. Yes, I'll definitely keep this imp and give it a try another day without the competition of other scents around.

[waternight]

In the imp: Very sweet! Sweet pea dominates, cool and sweet. A hint of tonka.

Wet/Drydown: Strongly sweet pea, quickly backed up by the sage in a gently dry fashion. The sweet pea blends beautifully with the pale musk, and the sage stays unobtrusive. I actually would like a bit more sage in this. The sweet pea is very juicy, almost fruity. This doesn’t smell sexual to me, more innocent and youthful, pre-adolescent. Effervescent. Ah, there’s my sage! It doesn’t make the blend smell herbal though, rather it imparts a drier, dustier edge to the sweetness of the sweet pea.

Dry: Very well blended. This is predominantly sweet pea, with a dusty edge from the sage and a bit of warmth from the musk and tonka. I like it, but I think I’d like it better if it were more herbal.

[spidersinmyhair]

After first applying this it is rather sweet,but warms up after a bit.I never could ID the sage,I get mostly sweetpea.

It actually lasts quite awhile.I kept wondering all day why I kept smelling soap,it was Aeval.My DH kept smelling me,he liked it.I didn't dislike it,but it smells like soap!So if I want to smell sweet and clean I know what to wear.

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: A sweet, floral, bright scent.

 

Immediately on skin: I can smell the sweet pea very strongly, but I can sense the musk as well. It’s very sweet and floral.

 

After a few minutes: I can still smell the sweet pea, but there is an herbal quality to the scent now. It's still very pretty and light, but there is depth to it as well.

 

Later on: I really enjoy this scent. It’s a warm, sweet floral (the sweet pea is still very evident), but the sage softens the sweetness a little. I would wear this one again for sure.

[angharad]

Mmmm, sweet pea. This reminds me of the time I broke a brand new glass bottle of Bath & Body Works Sweet Pea body spray in my dorm bathroom and the odor wouldn't go away for over a month -- only SO MUCH BETTER. It's just the right amount of sweet pea with the tonka warming it up, giving it a golden tinge, all over a soft musky base. I don't smell the sage at all in this. I usually don't like floral-heavy notes, but sweet pea is one of my few exceptions because it usually smells more fruity -- like melon -- to me than it does floral. The throw is pretty strong from this scent, and it lasts for at least four hours. This is a wonderful summer scent for me, and I'm so glad it wound up in my "Imps to Try" box.

[aquazoo]

Very soft light floral. Getting kinda soapy. Now it’s better, and improving with the warmth of my skin. Sweet and girly. Not sure I need to keep this.

[puck_nc]

Origin: Imp picked out of the Bag of Joy at the Maryland Swim & Sniff

 

Initial Thoughts: A couple of lucky picks recently have made me warm up to tonka a bit. And sweet pea is always good.

 

In the Bottle: tonka with the sweet pea backing it

 

Wet: sage comes roaring up, making a very strongly dark green scent

 

Drydown: the sweet pea develops, along with a bit of musk, but the dominant note is still the sage

 

Verdict: An interesting, deep scent, but not one I'd reach for.

[KassiK]

Aeval

 

Sweet without being sugary. Normally sage doesn't do too well with my skin, but in this case it's not overpowering. Not a big bottle purchase because it doesn't totally blow me away, but it's nice enough to keep around.

[jewelbug]

Imp: a very sweet )slightly fruity, even, floral. There's a bit of something in here that smells of wintergreen to me. Not green wintergreen...but the chalky pink sort of wintergreen candy from way back when, if you know what I mean.

 

Wet: This is so bizarre. I'm still getting a lot of those chalky pink candies. This tingles my skin like I would expect of mint, though there's non listed.

 

Dry: Ugh...and as it starts to dry...commercial toilet bowl cleanser. That scent of the cleaner in public bathrooms. Lasts a long time.

 

Overall: Sweet pea almost always does this to me. I should've known. Swaps.

 

eta: after about 4 hrs, the bathroom cleaner (sweet pea) dies down and I'm left with a rich creamy tonka. I like this late drydown phase, but unfortunately, the first 4 hrs were ick.

Edited September 9, 2007 by jewelbug

[Severuslovesme]

I originally mistook Aeval for Aglaea when I smelled it in the bottle, because it was so sweet. On my skin it's very sage-y at first. As it dries down I smell mostly sage and musk, and somehow the combination is a very bright scent. It's pretty faint but strong when I get very close. It's nice and a nice change from most of my other imps, which have a tendency to be extremely floral.

[darkblade]

Bottle: (Well, Imp. ) I think I'm getting a bit of the sage and sweet pea. Not sure what else.

 

Wet: o_O Weird. That's the first time I've felt an oil go chill on my arm without smelling it too. Definitely sweet pea.. I am coming to realize that I have no idea what tonka smells like. Or even what it is, beyond some sort of bean? This one smells rather perfumey. I'm thinking it would be a good one to wear in the summer, as long as I'm careful not to overapply. It seems easy to do with this one.

 

Dry: Weird. I'm not really getting any sage here. The chill sweet has calmed down a little bit. It's starting to go green. After waiting a while longer, it is very much a woman's perfume.. unfortunately, the sort that tends to give me headaches.

 

Verdict: Pass and swap.

[styro]

I test BPALs with a few enablee friends: we all have different tastes, so it's not unusual for only one out of the four of us to like a scent. It is rare for all of us to strongly dislike a scent (and usually, in such cases, jasmine is the culprit).

 

And then there's Aeval.

 

Before swapping away a frimp I later received of this scent, I actually had to come back and read the positive reviews in this thread to remind myself that skin chemistry is different and that many people love Aeval--because I personally have had such a negative experience with it. My three regular enablees and I all rated it a 1 out of 6, while two other friends each gave it a 0.

 

I get a slightly sharp/astringent/bitter herbal note from Aeval at first, combined with a sweetness--the sharp note fades on drydown to leave the sweetness behind. This is one of those scents that smells different on my skin and in the air, though: still too sharp and bitter up close, definitely too sweet when wafting. I've enjoyed three out of Aeval's four listed notes in other scents, so I'm guessing my problem is with the sweet pea.

 

My enablees found it soapy.

 

I have an ammo box for "misfit BPALs" that didn't really work for me or any of my friends. Aeval, however, I keep in a separate container entirely so that its scent can't get on even my unloved imps. (Yep, on the Island of my Misfit BPALs, Aeval is Piggy.)

Edited October 4, 2007 by styro

[Lunaratu]

There is something certainly fruity when this initially goes on—but also somehow dusky or dark in color. However this becomes much more of a musk scent as it dries with that fruitiness taking a huge back-step to it. It’s a dark, almost herby musk which just does not suit me really at all.

Rating: 3/5