The Hanging Gardens

[ravenfeathers]

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.

in the bottle my brain goes "alskdjfoasjdflsjfd!!!" because this is so much like libra '07, one of my particular favourites that i've been afraid to use because of its LE status.
wet on skin the pear and fig are so beautiful and round out the rose so nicely. it's somewhat different from libra, but similar enough to make me very, very happy.
dry on skin like libra, the rose (and the gardenia, in the case of HG) are the ones that last, but they're never annoyingly floral; enough of the fruit sticks around in the background to let the rose sing.

[SarahScent44]

In the imp, Hanging Gardens is a profusion of flowers and fruit - very rich and complex.

 

Once I put it on, it's very sweet and light, but still deep - I smell the plumeria and gardenia, along with the plum and pears.

 

Dry, it's beautiful, rich, and sweet - more of the woods are coming out through the beautiful flower-fruit blend. Incidentally, this scent has the best throw of any BPAL I've tried yet. Gorgeous - definitely a keeper!

[topazphoenix]

The Hanging Gardens is gooood. It's a really deep scent. I can smell the fruit and florals, but there's also something spicy and woody.

Edited July 10, 2009 by AmandaKay

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

sniffed from the imp: i can't identify any single note - it all blends into a cross between savory-rich fruits and that-BPAL-box-smell. but i like it.

 

on skin: my first thought is that this smells like some evocative, rich, gorgeous men's cologne. like maybe something by Creed or Caswell Massey.

after awhile it changes into just a high-end fragrance, like an expensive candle or a boutique.

 

yet another not-at-all-what-i-was-expecting fragrance. overall very pretty, and quite unthreatening. lovely, but not me.

Edited December 5, 2007 by TrailerTrashPrincess

[celestia]

The Hanging Gardens

 

Grade: A+ (4.5/5)

(Outside): mmm. Juicy, fruity and an aroma of wet, greenery covering the sharp scent of berries.

(Inside): Glorious, smooth and complex! I've always imagined the world tree to smell wonderfully ethereal like this (as much as the yggdrasil is an ash tree > <)

It's pure and undeniably enchanting as though it were plucked out from Eden. Smells like an elixir.. good game!

 

Chemistry: Not as lovely on the drydown. But the scent has already been captured in the bottle! Why would i need to wear it when i have the inspiration right there!

Edited December 7, 2007 by celestia

[Indefatigable]

This is so complex in the vial that I can't identify any one single note -- it's a jungle of flowers and wood and fruit.

 

Once it hits my skin, it goes all flowery with just a hint of something else more complex -- the wood keeps it sexy and the fruit sweetens it a little. There's such a little bit of rose that even my skin doesn't amp it, so it isn't really going powdery. It's a heady, warm summer evening floral.

 

There's a hint of something that reminds me of incense, that smells like a church, but it's not too solemn -- it's like a joyful prayer to life itself. Okay, I have no idea where that came from, I never say things like that.

 

It's just getting more complex as it dries, with the flowers and the fruit both coming out equally (ooh, I think I can definitely get plum out of there now), and the wood staying in the background to darken it. This is a keeper.

[Lyrical]

In vial: nail polish remover! *sniffs again* Still nail polish remover. I think perhaps it's the pear that is giving me that association.

 

Wet on skin: a fruity-floral mix in which pear dominates. A little bit woody, rather herbal ... *sniffs more* ... and there's the plum! Nice!

 

Dry on skin: still a herbal pear, with a touch of wood. The plum, quince and fig hint at a dark, succulent background, which is perfectly balanced by the pale florals. It's similar to Tenochtitlan, but dryer and woodier. Very nice!

[gchris]

In Vial: dark fruit mixed with floral

 

Wet: Sweet, fruity, floral. Smells of berries.

 

Drydown: Pretty much stays true as when wet. A fruity floral with a hint of berry.

 

Evoking Color: Purple

[Miss Lynx]

This one looked equal parts promising and scary, from the description. Lots of fruit notes, including some I know I particularly like, like pomegranate and plum, plus some wood notes to ground them, but... five different florals? Including three gardenias? Florals tend to amp a lot on my skin, especially really sweet ones. Plumeria (a.k.a frangipani) is usually OK, and rose can be all right in moderation, but gardenia tends to be... a little overpowering.

 

And yet... Thus far, it's not too bad. Maybe the gardenia's only present in small quantity? I can certainly smell the floral notes, but they're not dominating it as much as I'd feared. It's a pretty gentle scent, all in all.

 

A little too... perfumey for my tastes, though. It's not a bad scent at all, and someone who liked classic perfumes more would probably love it, but it's not really my thing.

 

Grade: B-

[steelxrose]

The Hanging Gardens, with so many fruit notes should be an immediate "YES!" But fig and pear sometimes are funky on my skin.

 

That said, it goes on uber sweet. Thank goodness it dries down after some time to a tangy-sweet-fruity blend. Above the sweet-tang is the undeniable scent of gardenia. I think this one might work best when blended with something else, or not have so much on my skin. It's throw is amazing.

[brit_brat100]

Imp: While it does strike me as flowers, it's actually a bit more fruity. A nice suprise!

Wet: Very refreshing. Wow. This could be an amazing summer breeze scent.

Dry: I like this in the same way I liked the Apothecary. Gentle and very pleasant.

[Kimbernunk]

This started out interesting and fruity and heavy on the plumeria. Then my skin ate the fruits and the plumeria and now I smell like powder, pepper, lots of rose, and something sort of woody. Sadly not me, but I think it’s just a skin chemistry issue. If it had stayed in the initial phase I’d be swooning. I shall have to try putting this on my hair or in a locket.

[kizery]

In the imp, this smells like grape cough syrup. Wet: A somewhat sharp, green, tropical fruit smell. I can smell the fir, as well. I can’t smell the flowers at all. I didn’t expect to like the smell of the fir because I generally don’t like to smell like a tree. But it works in this blend. Dry-down: The plumeria and gardenias are coming out, and it’s blending so beautifully with the greens and fruits. I really am liking this scent. It is heady, lush, passionate. Hours later, the scent has developed kind of a sickly, rotten smell . I’ll give it another try, though.

[donnatron]

Bottle: Super sweet fig and plumeria.

 

Wet: This just explodes into this huge, fruity/juicy floral scent.

 

Dry: I smell fig and pear predominantly. The woods are behaving themselves and the florals are a beautiful soft midnote. The rose goes lovely and sweet and entwines with the gardenia. So pretty.

 

Throw: Good but in a weird way. From far away it's just this general dark sweetness surrounding me. I have to get pretty close to my wrist before I can start distinguishing notes.

 

Overall: A really lovely and well-blended fruit/floral. It's dense and complex without being overpowering.

[Christine Daae]

In the imp, this is sweet fruity deliciousness with a bit of something-or-other grounding it. First of all, who ever thought I would describe something fruity in a good way, and second of all, aren't I great with notes?

 

Once on, this reminds me very much of some other BPAL I've tried, but I can't put my finger on it. Ah! It's the gardenia from Sacred Whore of Babylon again, which is one of my favorite BPAL notes, though it definitely takes over a blend on my skin. Gardenia has an almost-fruity quality on my skin, while still being heady and white and perfumy (in a good way!!).

 

This is definitely primarily gardenia on my skin. I really love gardenia, but I wish I could smell some of the other pretty notes in this.

 

After a while (about half an hour) the pomegranate starts to come out. I think I also detect some of the other fruits, but not very much. Sigh. As much as I like gardenia, I can pick up almost any perfume with any gardenia in it and it will turn into something very similar to this. As such, I don't think I need more of this.

[Ishtar]

I love the Lab's fruity/floral blends and The Hanging Gardens is no exception. While I was primarily attracted to the concept behind the scent, many of its notes rank among my favourites: ebony, fig, pear, rose... the only exceptions were the fir and gardenia, but I am pleased to say that they are behaving today!

 

Initially, the most prominent notes are fig and plumeria. This is a joyous scent, exuberant and brimming with life. It goes on sweet and strong, definitely one of those bold, juicy BPALs!

 

As the oil dries, the gardenia, rose and woods come out and play. Still sweet but less overtly fruity. I think I am beginning to get the "gardens by night" side of the concept: it is getting darker and deeper. Stillness descends on the lush gardens. There is something almost reverent about this blend. For such a fruity blend, this is as far as you can imagine from a childish or candy-like scent.

 

Several reviewers mentioned seeing themselves walking through the Gardens and progressively taking in the scent of the different plants. I completely agree. This is one of the blends that conjure very powerful imagery. No wonder it is in the Wanderlust category: not only does it immerse you in the extravagant vegetation of the Gardens, it also takes you on a long, leisurely walk so that you can appreciate all they have to offer. By the time you are done, the soft darkness of a balmy night surrounds you and you get to experience perfect stillness and direct connection to all of creation.

Bliss.

[Coldfire]

Got this as a frimp in my last order:

 

 

Imp: Floral. Lots of mixed floral and sweet but no one single note jumping out at me yet.

 

Wet on me: Florals and green herbal to me. No defined fruit yet either

 

Drying down: a big ole bouquet of soft sweet floral. almost victorian in feel

 

Dry: Sweet & Floral with a hint of green undertones and then I get a good headshop incense.

The non-patchoulie kind.

 

Throw/Stay: Not bad not bad. Sticks around. This is nice as an imp. Could be bottle worthy.

if I was gifted this I would not trade it.

[hkhm]

imp: a floraly pear/plum scent.

 

wet: this has the same pear feel as the perilous parlor but there's far more fruit and flowers in this scent. not a whiff of rose in sight!

 

dry: there is a spicy hint that intensifies as this dries. the fruit and flowers fade and the sweet, spicy scent appears. nice, just not what i was expecting.

[jwhxtna]

IN THE IMP: Very fragrant, with the scents of tons of fruits and florals bombarding your senses. Very rich and complex.

 

WET: Gets a little less heavy and a bit more floral. One or two fruits are more distinctive than the others, though I can't tell what they are.

 

DRY: Strong throw, very fragrant, a gorgeous blend of fruity and floral. Even when I was younger, I'd always loved the idea of The Hanging Gardens in history class, and smelling this, I realize that it's exactly what I'd imagine The Hanging Gardens would smell like. It's amazing, and very evocative.

[isisonearth]

Before I even pull off the cap I have a strong wiff of some exotic spice. When I pull off the cap that blossoms into a wet smell of pears and heady tropical flowers.

 

On the skin I can begin to sift through some of the notes. There's that dry rose, the pomegranate and fig...something woody that might be the grapevine or the ebony. There is so much to smell here I can't stop sniffing myself:)

 

It reminds me of walking in our botanical gardens when the sun is shining and the heat mingles the scents of all the flowers but much more so with the profusion of fruits.

[diamondstars]

This smells of apples and berries to me; I aren't getting any hints of florals..

 

 

It's nice but not for me (I get easily bored of fruity scents unfortunately).

[tinyvulture]

the figs jump out at me right away. i enjoy the lab’s many fig scents, but for me, there’s only one – eden . so while i appreciate the fruity, tropical, floral goodness of the hanging gardens, it’s never going to be one of my top scents. i just say that so you'll know i'm biased.

 

the pears and various flowers are the most noticeable notes after the figs. i’m sad i don’t smell the lab’s luscious plum note. it’s all very light and airy... it’s like a fairy garden, enchanted, ethereal. so light. too light.

[undream]

wet in the vial, this smells to me exactly like walking into a new age shop, that same unusual, sweet and lovely scent that i never really know where it's coming from and i can never seem to get enough of. it's just gorgeous.

 

once applied, it becomes spicy! like the spicy cinnamon smell of one of those stores full of wicker and wreaths, christmas decorations, natural decor. it's lovely.

 

for one split second on the drydown, i caught the whiff of something almost plastic-smelling, but it disappeared as quickly as i had registered it. i get no florals, really, i think i'm picking up the plum more than anything? mostly, this just seems to be a very spicy, cinnamon scent with enormous christmas associations for me. it really is very nice, and i may keep it just for the holidays. OR, perhaps it is just a peculiar time of month for me to be trying new oils , and i will wait and see how this one does on me at a later time.

 

either way, i do like it very much.

[lilirose]

In the imp: Fig and plums.

 

On skin, wet: Goes very plummy.

 

Drydown: To me this smells almost exactly like Midwinter's Eve, only without the extreme sugary sweetness. It's mostly fruit- the plums amping above all else- with a touch of flowers. Very nice.

[Heeroluva]

In the bottle it's flesh floral and a hit of pear with a bit of fig I think it is. Wet I still get a bit of pear, but with some pomegranate and rose. When it dries I get a mellow mix of fruit and floral, without any one note standing out. It may be a little two sweet for my taste but I'd try it out again.