Endymion

[abbacat]

Selune, the Moon Goddess, fell in love with a beautiful shepherd named Endymion. She appealed to Zeus, asking him to cast Endymion into everlasting slumber so that she could be with him for all eternity. Her wish was granted, and every night the Goddess visited her love as he slept. A sweet, wistful blend of d’Anjou pear, Lily of the Valley, bois du rose and white musk.

In the bottle, I could really pick out the lily of the valley and the pear. Very sweet perfume.

Wet, the pear was very sharp, and then as it dried down, the lily of the valley came out intensely. The lily was very strong for about an hour - if you don't like that sort of deep floral then you may not care for this scent; it has a very old-time-powdery tone to it, and then the scent mellowed to the soft musk & pear close to the skin.

[isyche]

As everyone has said, this is a lovely sweet fresh pear at first which fades to soft lily of the valley/rose. On me it fades very quickly - the pear is mainly gone within a few minutes - and the floral is very soft, I can only smell it when my nose is touching my wrist.

It's very pretty though, and I do love that this is a fruit blend that doesn't go all cloying on me. It has a pale freshness similar to Baobhan Sith, which I think I prefer, but I'll use this up.

[Skallywag]

This is beautiful in the bottle and I was sure it would be one of my favourites from preliminary sniffs!!The pear and white musk combo were what drew me to it in the first place as I love both.

 

Once on, the Pear faded almost immediately and I was left with Rose. But then that faded a couple of minutes later again and what I guess must be Lilly of the Valley (having read the other reviews here)was the main dominant note of the blend. It is rather cleaning agent-ish on me and I didnt like it at all.

 

However, about 4 hours later I kept getting a waft of something lovely and figured out it was this scent morphing on me again. I think its the white musk but Im not an experienced enough nose to be positive.

 

I might try this again in a few days to give it a fair chance, but if I have the same experience, I will be swapping it

[heartbeast]

On me, Endymion was all lily of the valley with little whispers of white rose. I'm not crazy about white musk, but two of my favorite BPALs--this and Katharina--have it and I think it just anchors them nicely without asserting itself. Sort of like onions in some dishes.

 

As for the pear, I couldn't detect it at all at first and I was a bit disappointed....but at lunch, I went to the BeneFit store to get my eyebrows done and let the salesgirl play with my face a little. She gave me a little dusting with their new "Georgia Peach", which is a blush/brightner with a pretty peach color and a tasty peach smell. And what do you know, with that peach scent hanging around, that shy little pear finally came out to play! So if I start wearing Endymion on a regular basis, I may have to pick up some of that peachy stuff!

[Ishtar]

This is lovely!

 

A smooth, fresh pear blend in the vial and when wet. As everyone said, the pear note doesn't last long (a shame because it is gorgeous), but after it fades I am left with a scent that has the same texture and quality as pear, if that makes any sense. It is fresh, crisp and aromatic.

 

To me this is a light yellow scent, reminiscent of spring/early summer. It is refreshing without being sharp nor cool. It smells very "clean" without being soapy nor green.

 

A new favourite. I am definitely getting a 5ml of this.

 

ETA: It lasted more than 6 hours on me, which is not bad at all for such a light scent. The more I wear it, the more it reminds me of Kitsune-Tsuki and Queen Mab.

Edited July 14, 2004 by Ishtar

[auroralye]

Elizabeth included this one as a sample and I was wary of trying it because while I love pear, I'm not a big fan of the florals in this one. But since another sample she included (March Hare) turned out to be my favorite one in the order, I thought I'd give this one a go.

 

In the bottle: Like a ripe pear spritzed with perfume.

 

Wet: The pear is definitely the dominant note, but there is a curtain of floral right behind it which I am assuming is the Lily of the Valley.

 

Wearing: As it wears, the sweetness/crispness of the pear fades and the florals also smooth down a bit. It winds up being a soft, powdery floral on me that lasts quite awhile.

 

Verdict: Even though this perfume does last on my skin better than some others, it's still not my style. I think this one will be moved to the swap pile.

[malanna]

At first, this was very fruity. A pear I could get behind. After a while, the lilies peak out and the fruits fade, making this smell a bit like Queen of Hearts (with the lilies and all). Queen of Hearts is an upright woman in a starched suit, but this is her softer sister, who wears floaty white dresses, like Queen of Hearts' daughter, Tiger Lily. This is lovely, but not for me. What also really turned me off this scent was, when my boss walked into my office, she said, "You smell good. Like powder." Powder wasn't what I was going for and she wears this strong, artificial floral powder perfume that I really don't enjoy. At all. So that pretty much turned me off of Endymion for good.

[ylangylang]

good lord, oh my god. i just got my first 12 imps and i've never smelled Anything like bpal oils before! i'm on another plane of existence when my nose experiences these scents. i LOVE them! nothing compares. i'm used to the hundreds of perfumes offered at places like Sephora. I've smelled dozens of organic essential oils blends too. BPAL is not of this world.

Endymion---I smelled green apple jolly ranchers and pink garden roses and soft baby powder.

it's brilliant, magical, amazing, as all the BPAL scents are.....

[Ailgwyn]

In the bottle:

To me, smelling this was like smelling Fae, only slightly...different. Silly, I know, because they're completely different scents, but I could pick out the pear first and foremost. I love pear-- it had an undertone that sort of softened the tartness, which must have been the florals (I guess, because I didn't know what the other stuff smelled like). A very light scent that reminds me of fairies, and Midsummer's eve, and white Christmas lights.

 

On me, wet:

I must be lucky-- smelled the same on me that it did in the bottle, mostly...only the pear was more fullbodied, rounded out, less tart and more...mmmm. Not quite as light, but still this is so definitely a summer scent. I can pick out the different notes as I smell it, though I don't really know which is which, except for what I guess is the rose. It's all so complimentary.

 

Dry:

The pear has definitely come forth more, and almost outweighs all the other notes, though this doesn't bother me. There's still something preventing it from being sickly sweet-- maybe the musk? That was the only fear I had about this one. Most of the commercial fruity scents I've smelled have been so sickly, but then I guess I shouldn't have expected it with BPAL.

 

Verdict:

Will be keeping the imp. Possibly I'll get a larger bottle, but there's way too many to try first before I make that decision.

[Vaniclion]

Fresh from the imp, this is a soft white floral with green notes, a delightful combination of the listed notes. I can pick out the lily, a sweetness of the pear and a light touch of rose. The musk stays in the background, anchoring it all I think. As it begins to dry, the rose mounts an offensive against the other notes and declares a martial state with the musk as the director of its army. Still sweet, a strong floral but white and warm. Feminine, I’m afraid, and not really for me but a delightful scent for others, absolutely. This is what I was envisioning with Maiden.

[Longstofly]

This one is a beautiful scent! I can just barely smell the pear when I first put it on. It dries down to a somewhat wistful floral. Not too sweet or strong. I love this one!

[Northernminx]

A light floral, clean and clear. I never managed to get much pear out of this one, but the floral was a definite overlay of rose with a touch of lilly. A clean, almost creamy scent, refreshing and light. It didn't last overly long on me, however, and while lovely I wasn't dieing over it so off to swaps.

[TheDarkMother]

When I saw this name on the lists, I knew that I had to have it. My name is Selena, which is the ancient Greek spelling for the goddess of the Moon (the titaness and the actually literal word for the moon). Because of that, I have always been interested in mythology and the moon as a patron symbol. So, on principal alone, I had to have Endymion.

 

In the Bottle: MMMMM! Pears! Light, crisp, pears! Yummy! And a very purfumy floral scent following. This is gorgeous!

 

On Me: Oh wow! The pears are just coming right through on this and I just LOVE pears! This is very light and feminine, the smell of a woman's perfume, but these pears make it nearly edible! I am really slathering this one on and I will be getting a bigger bottle!

[Mint Tea]

This is my very first post here, so forgive any mistakes I make.

 

In the bottle: It's rosy and soft. A sweet smell I can't identify, but I think it must be the pear. Almost powdery. Very appealing.

 

Wet: YIKES! HELP! I smell like I fell in a rose bush!! The scent fills up the whole room. It reminds me of a perfume my mother had when I was little, only because this is an oil, there's no alcohol like the perfume. Very very strong.

 

Dry: It's strength has died down and has mellowed. The lily of the valley is now present and while I don't smell any of the pears, it's settled into a nice soft powdery scent like it was in the vial. The musk is very gentle and brings it all together nicely. I really like this scent, but I'll probably have to turn on a fan when I put it on. Overall, it reminds me of a warm summer day in a rose garden drinking tea. A very lovely, very feminine scent. And it's staying power is very nice, too.

[Lucretia]

I thought this one would smell more juicy, but I still like it. It is isn't a ripe pear on me, but more a very dry wind that managed to pick up quite a bit of fruityness on the way over. It's sweet and peary, but still very dry smelling on me.

My bf said it reminded him of what his 4th grade teachers that he had crushes on would smell like, and I can see that. It is sort of a frumpy yet innocently attractive scent. Nothing too exciting, but great to put on after a shower when you want to smell sweet but clean.

[orangepaas]

I just wanted to agree with the loveliness of this oil

 

Out of the bottle and right on it was pear-o-rama.

 

After an hour it was still strong but the other non-pear notes came out.

 

Unfortunately after about 3h worth of wearing, it dries down to an acetone nail-polish remover scent on me. Which is sad. Thanks anyway!

[feline.by.design]

Endymion took me a couple of wears for me to *really* grasp how amazing this fragrance is.

 

On me, the pear note was predominant while the oil was still fresh on the skin, but it later would have the rose scent blended in, quietly dominating the fragrance while it lasted, which was a a decent amount of time. As someone mentioned earlier, it's crisp yet not bitingly so. I wore it while poking around in antique shops, and now I will forever associate the fragrance with digging around in old shops. That's a good thing! This is also a lovely fragrance to wear at work, during the daytime or meeting with the boy's (or girl's) parents to put on a very sweet and feminine persona.

 

My mother really liked the scent as well, so I think I may pass along the 5 ml I have on order possibly to her, or I may give it to another friend whom I think would enjoy it. I'm going to try and resist the temptation to keep the bottle to myself (mine, mine mine!!) and wait until I finish the imp I have now before I order another bottle.

 

The thing with Endymion is the rose. I'm generally not a fan of rose scents, however I do find some every now and then that I like, and Endymion is one of them. The rose featured here to me seems more like an old, English Garden tea rose, and I know I tend to like those rather than the newer hybrids in terms of fragrance. This rose won't knock you down, and I don't really consider this a "granny rose" scent. It brings to mind a fragrance of an earlier era, an earlier elegance, if you will.

 

In short, you simply must give it a go.

 

-doreen

 

-doreen

[Camilla T]

Ooooh, this is beautiful!

 

At first sniff it's very fruity and fresh - smells like a summer fruit drink or something.

 

When first applied the pear jumps right out and I smell lovely fresh pear juice, mmm! It's really fresh and crisp.

 

After a few minutes the florals start to take over, and unfortunately the pear alsmost disappers. But as those are some of my favourite flowers it's ok

 

Endymion reminds me very much of Eve and Delirium (two scents I adore!) but with a more fruity edge.

 

I really like this

[Summerpixy]

I can only add to what the others have said about Endymion. It is gorgeous. It's light and softly fruit and floral at the same time. This is a summertime fragrance, and I'm very happy that I've had the opportunity to try it. I may order a bottle for someone as a present, it's really a good introduction to the lovelyness that is BPAL.

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: Rose and pear. Hints of lily, too. Very feminine and creamy.

 

On me: Pear vanishes instantly on my skin. I'm definitely disappointed, because pear was the note that initially attracted me to Endymion. Rose and lily are two florals that do not do well on me save for minute amuonts. This fragrane is turning rather sour on me so I will not be keeping it. Man, I'm so disappointed the pear could not be bothered to make an appearance.

[Lit Chick]

BPAL does the most unexpected things. In my most recent batch, there were 2 instant OMFG oils - one heavenly and one hellish. This was my heavenly scent.

Sighhhhh... but only in the vial.

In the imp, Endymion smells fresh and light and airy, but juicy and lush as well. It's a gorgeous sparkling summer day.

On me, it's pure antibacterial soap.

 

But everything balances... the blend I wanted to keep miles away from me was a

huge success.

 

Since this is so lovely before it touches my skin, I will experiment with scenting a room or perhaps just clothing.

[ashtonrose]

Endymion smelled very much like Lily of the Valley to me. Not a strong scent, but that was definitely what lasted on me when it dried. I decided that this would help bring spring into the winter. Not that we get very much of it in NC.

[Idlewild]

The first time I wore this, it felt really a little to demure for my tastes. Sort of elderly. I kept coming back to it though, and found that it's a perfect scent for the days when I just need a little bolster to the femininity. I found it to be very feminine, light, and made me think of pastel pinks and greens, faint morning light on a garden in spring, or something.

[rhubarbbear]

this was a generous freebie from the lab, and i'm so excited about it! its really just a lovely blend. it starts out all sweet, juciy, tangy pear. after about 10 mins it turns into a softer pear scent and the lillies come out to play. finally, after about 30 min it settles into its final form on me, which is lily of the valley and light musk. i do wish the pear lasted longer, but its still a wonderful blend, and a strong big bottle contender!

[Macha]

Oh Endymion, how I might have loved thee. I received a vial of this from ivyandpeonies, in the hopes that it might prove to be thick and lush with pear.

 

Wet, in vial: Woah. That's...umm...cloying. The lily of the valley is strong, and like a dagger through my skull. Despite that I first impression, I continue on, thinking that perhaps it will transform into something wonderful once it hits my skin.

 

Wet, on skin: There's a little pear there, but it's so overwhelmed by the sickly strong florals that it's hard to notice, and not particularly soothing. This is a razor-sharp fragrance, the sort that cuts through all other scents, and not in a good way.

 

Dry, on skin: It's all lily of the valley and rose, rose, ROSE, and encapsulates perfectly every reason that I didn't wear much perfume before I found BPAL. My chemistry has exaggerated the rose all out of proportion, and its not a nice unobtrusive rose either. This is thick, cloying and sickly sweet. Within minutes of it drying I have a raging headache that lasts through most of the day.

 

Conclusion: I am sure there are people who find this lovely (just look above me!), but I can't count myself as one of them. Just one more example of an otherwise beautiful fragrance turned deadly by my body chemistry's relationship with rose. I'll pass on this one.