Maiden

[nali]

A gentle vision of purity, goodness and virtue: white tea, carnation and Damask Rose.

This was included as a frimp in my first BPAL order. I actually had a dream the night before that I was wearing Maiden, so I took that as a sign that it should be the second one I tested. I wouldn't have chosen it for myself based on the description, but the slightly spicy floral aroma I got from the imp was intriguing.

Wet from the initial application, I caught carnation, not much rose. There was kind of an herbal element in the background that might have been the white tea. Slightly disconcertingly a tiny hint of the flower scent that reminds me of my old "Flower-Making Basket" Play-Doh set; I hoped that would go away during the drydown.

As it dried over the next few hours, Maiden got softer and more subtle. I think the rose became more prominent, if a tiny bit powdery. I'm not convinced that's a bad thing, and my husband sure didn't think so: after inhaling deeply from my wrist, he got a big smile on his face and pronounced, "It's like a hint of spring coming to love me." He said he definitely got floral, mostly rose, but not a sickly-sweet, overly "perfumey" smell. All in all, not a bad scent, and one I'll probably wear again. Edited March 4, 2008 by Nali

[psykhe]

initial response: disappointed.

 

somewhat too spicy and not enough softness. less little girl, more old Chinese grandmother.

 

final thought: i'll give this another go later.

 

 

E.

[steffanina]

Maiden-

 

In Bottle: --Oh. OH. I don't care too much for rose, but, wow, combined with that tea...Smell that tea! It's delicious!

 

Wet: Heh, tea and rose yet not "tea rose," that cracks me up for some reason. It's almost citrusy with it.

 

Dry: Somewhere between citrus and tea, and the floral is just a hint. While I don't think this is one I'll ever crave it is a very nice scent.

 

Overall: Very nice and a keeper!

[eloiseattheplaza]

From first sniff to drydown, Maiden is pure yet complex carnation and maybe the ghost of a cup of tea--a little spicy, interesting, but extremely wearable and understated. I love it--I've been reaching for it again and again. Might have to be a big bottle. It's similar to Alice, but less girly, simpler, and more grown-up.

[taramarie]

Wet on my skin, Maiden is carnation and rose over tea. Dry, the carnation is gone. This is nice but I preferred the wet stage.

[donnatron]

Imp: Gentle carnation and calm tea.

 

Wet: The tea dominates and I get a sense of carnation and rose in the background.

 

Dry: This is mainly a clean bright tea scent on me. The florals are around, but they're not in a mood to take centre stage.

 

Throw: Actually quite heavy, especially for a floral/tea scent.

 

Overall: Wow, Maiden. The firs few times I tried this scent it was repulsive. Somehow my skin has come 'round and we can be friends again. This is really fresh and pretty--something I'll wear in the spring or summer.

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Strong floral tea. I can smell the carnation and rose strongly.

 

Immediately on skin: The carnation is the strongest note on my skin at first. It’s sharp, fresh, and slightly spicy. The tea lends a freshness to this, and the rose comes in behind. All three notes are present, but they’re not blending together yet.

 

After a few minutes: This scent settles into a nice carnation and rose tea scent. I know that’s what the description says, but it is blending together much better after a little bit on my skin. The carnation and tea create a fresh, light floral concoction, and the rose adds a touch of creamy sweetness.

 

Overall Impressions: This is a wonderful fresh carnation scent. It’s very pretty and feminine, and also very fresh and light. The carnation is the strongest note, but after a few minutes it blends nicely with the white tea and rose.

[Sybil]

I read the scent description of Maiden a while ago, but didn't remember it when I put it on this morning, except that it was something floral.

 

About half an hour after I put it on, I was at the train station. Two men sat down next to me on the bench and I got a whiff of something that smelled spicy, like strong masala chai. I kept trying to figure what cologne they were wearing, maybe something by old spice? On the train I sat next to a young girl who was wearing a very similar scent, and a lot of it! I thought to myself, is it my perfume? By the time I got to work, I couldn't smell anything on my wrists, so decided that there must be a new spicy cologne that was all the rage with NJ commuters.

 

I bet you know how this story ends... it was Maiden all along! I got home and slathered a bunch on, and now I am surrounded in that same spicy scent. I'm not getting any tea, and if I try really hard I can get a little bit of rose in the background. It's nice, and I'll probably keep my imp, but my skin just really amps the carnation and it's a little overwhelming.

[fairnymph]

In the bottle: Very softly floral and slightly spicy. Mildly sweet.

 

Wet: Sweeter. Peppery, like white pepper. I do also smell the carnation, but this has more of a kick than that alone can provide, or so it seems.

 

Dry: The tea to me smells very smooth and lightly sweet, but is extremely faint. Actually, this is going a bit powdery too so there may be amber in this. Geez, and it's going very dry and almost hot too, so I'm suspecting sandalwood as well.

 

Later: Dry, powdery, sharp. Definitely still strong on the carnation, but I'm convinced there is another spice in here because it's just so HOT - ahhh it's clove, which also explains the woodiness. It's more powdery as well, and I have yet to get any rose at all, bizarrely.

 

Summary: Spicy-hot CLOVE over light carnation and sweet powder. Revolting and not REMOTELY maidenly - I was extremely disappointed with this one. I'm obsessed with the concept and clove does not fit in the slightest in my mind. Good throw and malicious longevity.

 

Washed this one off. As well as I could, that is. God I hate clove.

[ankhfangirl72]

Woah, I really wouldn't have guessed the notes in this one. In the imp it smelled like flowers, but grassy too. Like a meadow of flowers. On skin though, it turned into a lemon scent, like home-made lemonade.

Possible imp mix-up? My nose is defective maybe? Either way, I didn't get a hint of tea, rose or carnation. Weird.

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

Maiden opens with a quick flash of white tea, but as soon as it begins to dry, it becomes a dead ringer for Lush's Potion: carnation with a hint a rose. If you're looking for Single Note Carnation, this is definitely the closest you'll get with the General Catalogue. I'm actually fresh out of Potion and have nothing to layer it with right now, but I could never forget that spicy, slightly "dusty" (not in a bad way, but I don't know what else to call it) scent.

[Iceblink]

Way too much carnation; not enough rose. Maiden actually gave me a headache. I do love the nail polish though.

[crebbsgirl]

White tea really stood out once I put it on. The carnation and rose faded into a supporting role. This is a very light scent. It left my skin after about 4 hours. I typically like more "Oomph" in my scents.

[Champagne]

This is soft and beautiful, white tea strong at the start and then carnation and a very light rose pulsing. It`s innocent and fit for days I can`t stand my usual spicy blends. If Alice is the child, Maiden is the young girl, as the name explains by itself. I bet it`s a good enabler for beginners too. Not too complex, but the tea note is always welcome!

[vikitty]

This is an absolutely lovely scent. I hated the carnation in Alice (where it overpowered everything else) but here it is tempered by the white tea and the rose. Absolutely lovely.

[NeuroticaGirl]

I get citrus and rose and milk. I like it, it reminds me of something from my childhood. Maybe my best friend's yard... not sure.

 

I usually do not care for rose at all but this is toned down enough by the other notes that i really like it.

[arithmetock]

This one starts out very lovely. I smell mostly rose when it first hits my skin. The tea eventually comes out, but I don't think my chemistry and tea get along very well. This would work for me in a locket, I think.

[Caerphilly]

In the imp: Definite tea with rose and a little spice. Very light. Slightly lemony.

 

Wet: The tea is amping. I don't really smell the rose, which is strange because rose AMPS on me. Mostly tea. Light, pretty, feminine. And the lemon (juice) scent is coming out more.

 

Dry: The tea is turning too musky. And is lasting a long time. I don't like musk, so this is bothering me. And the lemon faded completely.

 

Overall: Reminds me too much of Embalming Fluid, too musky. Very light, but lasts a very long time. I was hoping for more rose, and at least a little carnation, but all I get is white tea, which from this, I learned I don't like. Off to sell or swap!

[tajana]

I often gravitate towards warmer/darker or heavier scents, but I like to have some light scents around too, particularly for spring and summer. Maiden is one of those light smells that passes the test! Pretty, light, but with a twist. This scent expresses itself pretty simply on my skin: rosy white tea with added carnations for spice. I LOVE tea, so I enjoy smelling like it, too! The tea is light, bright, and crisp, and has a gentle aspect like a real cup of white tea, tempered with rose. I dislike heady, loud rose, but this one is very well behaved and feminine. Spicy carnation, one of my favorite flowers (and I have few that I pick out as ones I really want to smell like), rounds this very balanced scent out nicely. The tea gives this a chilled aspect that would be perfect for spring and summer. It's just the loveliest scent!

Edited January 2, 2009 by tajana

[lilacea]

First sniff, I pick carnation. Not as strong as some blends, but still noticable. I don't know what it is, but white tea makes me think of verbena, astringent and sharp. Rose makes a subtle appearance. A bit too jagged for my liking.

[thelaurenator]

This is nice, I guess. Pretty boring, but not bad. It's fresh and clean. Pretty much matches the description-- astringent white tea and florals.

[Lethran]

In bottle: The white tea is lovely and intriguing, blending beautifully with the carnation. The rose is thankfully understated. Wt: I have always liked carnations and the way it mixes with the tea is delicate, yet has real character. The rose is stronger on my skin, which notoriously amps it. This is a shame as it really is quite nice. Dry: Mostly tea with a hit of dried flowers.

[Reenah]

I just have to comment on how lovely this blend is. It was a frimp and I didn't expect it to be this good, but WOW. It reminds me a lot of Gennivre, which I suppose is the tea. It's sweet, with a green freshness from the carnation which becomes less sharp in the drydown, making room for the tea. There's nothing heady about this rose. It's so light that you wouldn't notice it as first, but it adds a beautiful femininity. All the notes have a blended quality so that you can barley distinguish one from the other. It's definitely got a magical feel I feel like if I wore this in a forest, I may very well attract a unicorn. Maiden will merit a big bottle come spring.

[obsidienne]

Another tea blend that doesn't work for me. Maiden smells all sharp white tea with a bare hint of rose beneath. Almost citrusy white tea. I'm wearing it in a locket since my skins eats everything, and 6 hours later I am still getting whiffs of Maiden, but the resultant thought-process is that I am smelling deodorant/anti-perspirant! So yeah, this smells like that a bit. Can't recall which brand.

 

This is like a rosy Dormouse, to me. No carnation appears. Not for me.

Edited February 9, 2009 by obsidienne

[caitilarkin]

In the imp: The Lab's delicious tea note, with carnation and another floral in the background...this blend is very spring-like and vaguely familiar.

 

Wet on skin: Aha! Now I know why Maiden smells familiar: it reminds me of my beloved Lady Lilith. The tea and rose are blending well and are backed by the spiciness of the carnation.

 

Dry on skin: Yup, this is a simpler, younger-smelling cousin to Lady Lilith. The lovely tea grounds and blends the florals. Maiden doesn't morph much over its 8-10 hour last on my skin (the spiciness of the carnation mellows a bit but that's about it).

 

Now I know what to get once my cherished bottle of Lady Lilith is gone. I also know to be careful while wearing it in public--judging from multiple comments/compliments from random men on the subway, it registers as sexy to some noses.