The Hanging Gardens

[clover]

The Hanging Gardens

 

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Great Wonders of the World, were believed to be created by Nebuchadnezzar, possibly to honor the Assyrian princess Semiramis, or, more likely, to cheer up Nebuchadnezzar’s unhappy, homesick wife, Amyitis. If the latter is to be believed, it is speculated that Amyitis found the dry, arid landscape of Mesopotamia, in contrast to the lush greenery of her homeland, to be staggeringly depressing and bleak. To bolster her spirits, the king recreated a fascimile of her mountanous, green home with this fantastic terraced wonder filled with sparkling waterfalls, strange beasts, and exotic fruits, trees and flowers.

 

It consists of vaulted terraces raised one above another, and resting upon cube-shaped pillars. These are hollow and filled with earth to allow trees of the largest size to be planted. The pillars, vaults, and terraces are constructed of baked brick and asphalt.

 

The Garden is quadrangular, and each side is four plethra long. It consists of arched vaults which are located on checkered cube-like foundations.. The ascent of the uppermost terrace-roofs is made by a stairway...

 

The Hanging Garden has plants cultivated above ground level, and the roots of the trees are embedded in an upper terrace rather than in the earth. The whole mass is supported on stone columns... Streams of water emerging from elevated sources flow down sloping channels... These waters irrigate the whole garden saturating the roots of plants and keeping the whole area moist. Hence the grass is permanently green and the leaves of trees grow firmly attached to supple branches... This is a work of art of royal luxury and its most striking feature is that the labor of cultivation is suspended above the heads of the spectators.

 

This perfume is an interpretation of the Hanging Gardens by night, based on further accounts of its fruit and flora: date palm, ebony, fir, pomegranate, plum, two pears, quince, fig, and grapevine with plumeria, three gardenias and dry rose.

 

This perfume is just an explosion of wonderful scents...sweet and floral, lush and tropical, dry and juicy at the same time.

 

The pears are what jump out at me first. Pears and a bouquet of florals. After a few minutes, it sweetens up a bit....a few more fruits...and then the woods come out. Which is really nice, because they give the perfume a nice solid base, keeping it from being too sweet and too floral.

 

Very evocative, I think this would be a wonderful scent on a hot summer night. Lovely and colorful.

[Macha]

There is a house I walk by every day, on the way to work. I've never been inside the house, although the gate outside has a sign on it that proclaims it is "Fig Tree Cottage." Occasionally I see the owner of the house, and I wave hello to her. It's the sort of neighborhood where people wave back when you wave hello, even if they don't know you, which is ironic when you consider it's a neighborhood in a city known for gangs and high crime.

 

Nevermind that. I want to talk about Fig Tree Cottage. It is the house I always wanted as a child, or rather, the garden. The garden out front is amazing, planted with flowers that have been chosen -- not for their appearance -- but for their scent. I don't recognize half the flowers, hell probably far more than half. I know she has honeysuckle planted in an arched trellis over the main gate, and those mentioned fig trees, and the most incredible old-style wild rose bushes climbing up the side of her house. There are gardenias and all manner of herbs and lovely smells. Every morning I walk by her house, and the incredible aroma wraps around me. It is the smell of everything that is wonderful about the very best flower gardens, the freshness, the sweetness, the beauty to leave you trying to breath deeper than you thought was possible. To walk by that garden every morning is be drunk from the beauty of it.

 

Every morning, I walk by there, and every morning I thought how wonderful it would be if somehow the Lab ever came out with a perfume that smelled like that. But how could they? How could anyone capture, not the stale sweetness of dead flowers in a vase, but the incredible glory of a living flower garden, of THAT living flower garden? Just not possible. But damn if that's not exactly what the Hanging Gardens is, and it's so beautiful I'm truly almost moved to tears.

 

I love this.

[harlequin]

First, I have to say that Macha's review was absolutely amazing! and mine will probably do this scent no justice. (so, pay more attention to hers )

 

 

The first scent i get of this is very lush and ripe. An explosion is a good way to describe it, really. It's like fruit so ripe they're just bursting with delicious juices. Backing that up is a floral scent that adds a bit of depth and kick to the wonderful fruit aroma.

 

On, and dried down, The Hanging Gardens smells a lot like Queen of Spades on me, which I find interesting because the only note they list in common is some form of plum, but I don't think that the drydown smells much like plum at all. The florals start to come out more, but still with enough of the fruity juicyness that they don't smell much like what one might expect this blend of florals to be like, at all.. Fascinating.

 

This is a very amazing scent, indeed!

 

 

ETA: I made my ex try this out last night.. he sniffed it and was totally amazed by it as well. (He also said it smelled just like a certain Headshop he used to go into 20 years ago.. that musta been one *amazing* smelling place, if it smelled like this, because it doesn't smell remotely headshoppy to me!)

Edited May 3, 2005 by harlequin

[sarada]

This is the short review, I will edit it after a day of wear. But having just applied this (I bought a bottle unsniffed) I am completely overwhelmed. Macha is right -- how did they get a fresh blooming warm garden in a bottle?

 

I bought this unsniffed because the complexity of the blend and the variety of dark, fruity and floral ingredients made me think it would have an impact on me similar to that of Blood Countess (in the running for my favorite blend right now) and Queen of Spades. It does! The lab's plum is truly an amazing scent -- it makes a blend dark and juicy and, well, purple. It is a dark and dusky, incensy garden of fruit and flowers, and while I can't pick out any individual notes (there is no strong rose or gardenia note popping out, for instance) they shift and move and peek out at you from time to time.

 

I have to wear this around for a day to enjoy all of the subtleties but this is definitely a masterpiece, and if you enjoy the dark complexity of something like Blood Countess, you should enjoy this. Now go back and read Macha's review again, she has this down perfectly!

 

ETA: After wearing this around for a day it's definitely in my top...15. It's like Blood Countess' sister. The tartness of the pear and quince really sparkle among the dark juicy sweetness of plum, pomegranate and fig in the bottle, but ebony and fir smooth it over and add a sort of woodiness that makes it last on my skin. I think that the date palm must be adding another dimension of dark, woody sweetness as well. The flowers do not become floral or powdery, they simply float along the surface and help to keep this from being overly sweet and fruity. No flower jumps out at me, much like the Countess -- they're beautifully integrated into the tapestry of scents. I have to reapply a lot to keep getting that waft of fragrance that I crave though. Like I said earlier, a masterpiece!

Edited May 4, 2005 by sarada

[darkling]

This is the most fluid BPAL scent that I have ever tried. Even in the vial, I catch whiffs of changing scents . . . one moment a light rose, the next fig, then gardenia, then sweet plum.

 

It goes through a less pleasant phase on my wrist as it is pure, heavy gardenia. Thankfully, this only lasts about two minutes.

 

The Hanging Gardens then reverts back to its shifting beauty. It vacillates between lovely flowers (and I tend to dislike floral scents) and fruits (primarily fig and plum on me). I don't get any hint of pear or fir trees.

 

This is an exquisite scent. It fades quickly but that just means I will have to slather on some more

[gingersnapp]

I'm having a hard time picking out the myriad of separate notes because on, this oil is gorgeously blended. It's a very lush, warm scent. The one note that sticks out the most is the dry rose. It's soft and husky and even the dryness of it is amazing. I've had it on for about an hour now, so I'm curious as to how it will continue to morph throughout the day.

 

Very beautiful!

[Thorne]

This was the first oil I tried yesterday when I got my order. In the bottle, it's nearly overwhelmingly fruity, with a faint hint of roses and other florals in the background. On, it morphs constantly, first apricot-like, then plum, then rose, and oh, here comes fig! It's fantastic, like walking through the actual garden and pausing by each plant.

 

My one complaint? It didn't last very long (maybe 4 hours, but it faded quickly to a very faint scent), and I slathered it on. I'm so glad I got the 5 ml right off the bat, because if I had an imp and had to wait on a big bottle, I think I might cry.

[jessamynit]

the description of this oil is so amazing and complex, and when I sniff the vial, I can totally smell that gorgeous garden dripping with fruit, flowers, and beauty. it smells just awesome in the vial!

and everyone else who's reviewed it seems to have had the experience of smelling all of that on their skin too.

so, I'm disappointed that applied, this scent instantly seems to be just palm-y (or some kind of tree type of plant - sort of similar to intrigue's notes) and fruity-sweet. no longer do I get these crisp, delicious pear notes or all of the plum everyone else is smelling. it just seems to kind of mash up underneath sort of a creamy, gardenia/ palm kind of note. not bad, at all, but not as amazing as it smells to me in the bottle. I'm not sure if it's my skin or my nose, but I'm a little disappointed. I'll edit if it morphs into something else (it's been awhile, though, and it's smelling pretty much the same).

[ivyandpeony]

I have tried The Hanging Gardens 3 times since Monday, so obsessed have I been with this one! When I open the bottle, I can almost see a swirl of colors emerge from the bottle to match the myriad notes that I detect - kind of like a Peter Max painting. There are juicy fruits, lush flowers and earthy woods with a hint of sweetness that seem to anchor it all.

 

Once applied, The Hanging Gardens morphs on me to a sweet fig with a woody undertone, which reminds me very much of Hetairae. And as it dries down, it basically fades to fig, and very quickly at that.

 

I am not one to give up on a scent quickly. So I will definitely hang on to this bottle and try it again at different times of the month, to see if there's something odd going on with my chemistry that's making my skin absorb those beautiful notes I can smell in the bottle. I am not disappointed in the least in this blend, only in my skin's odd behavior with it... it is so lush and gorgeous that I would probably take the plunge and purchase a scent locket before you could pry it from my hands.

Edited May 4, 2005 by ivyandpeony

[Finny]

Intensely floral at first, this ends up being the most changing scent I have tried. The floral is sharp and regal, I definitely smell the rose and gardenias. Next, it starts to soften into juicy fruits, they smell like you could reach out and pick them. In the last stages the trees make their appearence, they are the hardest to desribe, it is the smell of pruned fruit trees, sharp wood and sweet sap.

 

As each stage changes you can smell it, the current stage mixes into the next one, like you are walking through the different levels of the gardens. It is glorious, and fresh, and regal... well you get the idea.

 

Love it, I am keeping the imp, and updating the top ten list.

[shelldoo]

wow, i almost don't know what else to say, wow. this is truely an expertly blended gorgeous garden scent, the fruits and floral blend so gorgeously together it is hard to tell one one ends and another begins. this is sweet, juicy, beautiful garden, the kind i wish i could grow i want a huge bottle of this!

[SoapyRN]

Eeps!

 

This does what New Orleans did to me. Too much of one note. I don't see lotus listed, but that seems to be the notes that I pick up on.

 

I was hoping for the fig and quince, fir and palm, instead it must be all the gardenias.

 

Off to a better home....

[Northernminx]

Gorgeous, truely just read Macha's review for a more eloquent version, but this is an extremely well blended, complex, gorgeous vibrant scent. Tons of exotic, lush scents and living flowers. I get a lot of pear one minuted, and then pomegranite, and then fig... it morphs constantly and I love it. Definite big bottle

[Capriquarius]

Wow--when I first tested my imp of this I started laughing hysterically as I realized that oh-so-mysterious and familiar smell I was picking up was banana candy! It smelled just like those banana Runts I used to devour as a kid. Not necessarily a bad thing, so just bear with me here. OK. Now some diverse smells are starting to make their appearances. I smell fig and some other juicy tropical fruits, I think. This blend is really yummy to me, and I must say that I totally fell in love with the concept and the description at first sight anyhow. On drydown, this smells like beautiful warm flowers (definitely some gardenia there) and exotic woods. I smell like pretty, fruity, florally sandalwood! Sometimes I even think I might detect a hint of jasmine in here? Maybe that's just on my skin. At any rate, I think that fans of Beth's tropical-y blends will love this one! It is exotic and dee-lish!

[Unseelie]

SWEET~ First sniff from the vial is sweet, WOW. There are so MANY fruits in here, i'm not getting a predominent note from any one. It's complex in the sweet way, and not cheap or artificial; deep sweet, not light. I'm feeling lucky that there's no gardenia overt, either; not my favorite flower. As it dries an incensy spice warms the scent. I'm 'listening' to this one for rose, or floral, but I'm not hit my any recognizable single floral note either. It's morphing as wear continues; different aspects of deep, dark, sweet fruit. I'm timing this for duration! Hope it's a durable one.

 

At half an hour I've had a brief breeze of gardenia and rose, as the sweet fruit top note steps back. The incensy warmth is still there- can't figure out what is offering that note though! Fir would be more piney? I haven't noticed anything that.. evergreeny.. though that would explain some of the power and depth of the scent. Nice!

[oatmealneko]

Bottle: Very fruity! Pomegranate & plum are the strongest. There's some gardenia too.

Wet: Still very fruity. Same fruits that I smelled in the bottle, however the gardenia is gaining in strength. I detect no rose at this point, which is the one note that could ruin this for me.

Dry: Gardenias are stronger than the fruit now, but it doesn't overpower the scent. I picked up a bit of rose, & it's slightly incensy too. There's fruit & floral in even measure, a bit of incense, which makes this an interesting scent. I was convinced it was turn horribly floral when it dried, but it didn't. I like it, but it wil probably take a few wearings to see how good it is. Wrist vs. neck, sometimes other notes come through, & others may hide.

[helarctos]

" date palm, ebony, fir, pomegranate, plum, two pears, quince, fig, and grapevine with plumeria, three gardenias and dry rose." ... there's so much going on here that I can't even begin to fathom it.

 

The fruits blend beautifully. Amazingly complex, yet smooth and seamless. The only potential drawback is that it's extremely sweet -- could be cloying on some, stunning on others.

 

This blend is the kind of true masterwork that has earned the Lab its reputation.

[inkstone]

In the imp: Unbelievably fruity, but the pears jump out the most. I'm so excited to try this!

 

Wet: Pears, plums and pomegranates! Oh, I love this!

 

Drydown: Initially, it becomes some palm/gardenia combination, then followed by the fig. The fruits and florals are all there though, juicy and everything. It's just so well-blended that my nose is having trouble picking them all apart.

 

Final thoughts: I love this blend. I love it, I love it, I love it. It's juicy and fruity and floral all in one. The only problem is that my skin sucks it right up and it fades so quickly. I guess that just means I'll have to reapply often!

[sarahmarie]

I echo everyone's sentiments about the complexity of this oil. It's beautiful, and reading the description makes it all the more evocative and interesting. When I first put it on, this oil surprised me. I expected an immediate rush of flowers, but that's not what happened - instead I got a scent full of so many different things, blended so well, that I couldn't tell what I was smelling. It was good, just not identifiable. Hints of fruit or flowers would appear from time to time.

 

As I wore this oil, it became more floral. It's still an oil I like a lot, but it's not very me, somehow. It's too bad, because I love the concept, and even the oil in many ways. But it's just not a scent that feels right for me. My spouse said, "You don't smell like you - you smell good, but you smell like someone else." And that's kind of how it feels for me. I can't decide if I want to keep it and feel like someone else sometimes, or if it feels too weird or unsettling. I thought it was an interesting reaction, though!

[Imbrium]

In the Bottle: I have to agree with everyone's comments about the complexity of this one - everything is so well blended that it's hard to pick out individual notes.

 

On: Wet, this smells the way it does in the bottle - that is to say, there aren't any individual notes that strike me as particularly prominent, except that it starts more floral, to my nose.

 

As it dries, I smell more fruit, particularly the pear. However, the first time I tried this, it dried to a sweet floral pomegranate. I have the feeling that, because of the complexity of this blend, it will be something different every time I wear it, and I love that Beth has created something that can do that - it's incredible.

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: Woah. This is the most amazing garden... lush greens, full flowers, and ripe fruits. Incredible.

 

Wearing: Complex and lush. This smells similar to the scent in the vial, but somewhat different... I am really struggling to describe it. I've worn this scent twice now, but I'm really no closer to being able to describe it - it has morphed differently each time. Unfortunately, both times it faded very very quickly.

 

Final Impressions: Gorgeous. I wasn't even going to try this scent because it has my archnemesis rose listed as a component, but after reading Macha's review, I had to give it a try. I am disappointed with the lasting power of this one, but there is no way I'm giving it up!!

[theshapeshifter]

I think I'll end up echoing the general praise chorus, but here goes...

 

In the imp: Very tropical - flowery and fruity intertwined.

 

Initial application: The INSTANT it touches my skin it bursts into this big juicy fruity scent. I get the pear, plum and fig first.

 

After about 15 minutes: The other fruits are coming in, and I'm starting to get a hint of the florals, but not in an overpowering way at all. I don't consciously smell the woody elements, but I can kind of sense them, providing a depth and grounding to the blend. Interestingly, for all the fruit I get at this stage, hubby sniffed me and got "incense".

 

Drydown: As others have said, I think The Hanging Gardens is one of Beth's great triumphs. It keeps evolving and morphing, just as though you're walking slowly through a garden laden with fruit trees, and flowers growing across wooden trellises in the background. It's definitely a night scent, like a still, calm evening.

 

Beautiful. BEAUTIFUL. *adds to eventual 5ml purchase list... which keeps getting longer!*

[magikfanfic]

In the bottle: Fig. I hate fig. I was hoping that this would have so many other things in it that the fig would drift down to the back of the blend and never come out. Something about the smell of fig just turns my stomach. I can't even really explain it; it just does. I can make out other notes besides the fig but they're well blended and do make me think of a very lush, somewhat overgrown garden.

 

Wet: Fig and fir. Great. The two notes that had me cringing in a corner of indecision over this blend and those are the ones that are the most promient. This smells like a very leafy garden in that it has more trees than flowers, which makes sense as it is the hanging garden but still. so not what I was hoping for.

 

Dry down: Now it smells like gardenia. I should mention that I'm pretty allergic to most commerical versions of gardenia. This has not driven me into a sneezing fit yet though so it's cool. For now. Waxy gardenia and...fig, I think. I'm not positive anymore that it is fig because it does and does not smell like it at the same time if that makes any sense at all. This is way too "tree and tree bearing fruit" for me. It msotly smells like fig with changing florals backgrounds. The much hoped for plumeria, plum and pomegranate scents have all been devoured by my skin.

 

Dry: Fig and trees with a slight touch of a rose background. This could be pretty if the fig wasn't so overpowering on me. I'm afraid that this is another pretty blend that will have to go because it just cannot work on my uber-picky skin.

[Splendid Molerat]

I wore The Hanging Gardens mixed with some unscented lotion, and walked around in a light cloud of summer day all morning. This is one that I can only wear diluted, since some of the fruit notes come out very sharply on me otherwise.

 

I like the overall waft, which has a very authentic combination of greenery and flowers, ripe and unripe fruit, humid earth.

 

I'll need to revisit this in a few weeks, and see if the high notes mellow out for me. If so, this could be my summer version of Vinland (which rocks BTW, try it out if you haven't already...)

[summer]

Heavenly, earthy, and lush. This is exactly the fragrance that I would imagine the Hanging Gardens to have. It literally smells like the earth's abundance -- flowers, fruits, and trees of every variety, growing right out of the soil (nothing picked or packaged). It's simply beautiful. I want a big bottle.