Maiden

[Nia]

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

I tried this almost at the same time as Desdemona to try to isolate the carnation and see why Desdemona didn't work on me. Yes, this does smell like concentrated carnations, pleasantly spiced and amplified. And the funny thing is that it reconciles me with the Desdemona on my other wrist.

Tea normally disappears on me; what I get after the first WOW of carnations is quite sweet, as if the roses were sugared. It is one of the gentlest florals I have tried, not because it's weak, but because of the hint of sweetness. It expresses exactly what the lab description says. Suffice it to say that this is what I wear when I'm visiting the in-laws, when I want to pretend I'm a good girl. Edited October 18, 2007 by Nia
Added Lab description. --Shollin

[ladybird]

Sweet, light, and delicate. The flowery rose is balanced out by the white tea, I think, so it's not too strong - rose often gets overpowering on me, but this one is very mild. There's a coffeeshop near me that sells a white-tea-and-rose drink, and I was expecting Maiden to smell like that, but it's even lighter and sweeter. The name is well-chosen - this scent gives off an air of innocence.

 

I'm hoarding Maiden in anticipation of summer - this is the kind of light scent I'll want to wear when it's hot outside. And if I ever enable my 15-year-old cousin, this is the scent I'm starting her on.

[hallospaceboy]

Let me preface this by saying that normally carnation turns rancid on my skin, which is why Alice broke my heart. Maiden, however, is stunning. The Evil Carnation reconciles itself with gentle rose and light tea to make a scent that's feminine, sweet, and spicy. I think this might be a big-bottle purcahse in the future, as I can easily see myself wearing this often, but we'll see how quickly I finish up my imp.

Edited June 24, 2007 by hallospaceboy

[Chrysantza]

This is a delicious, spicy carnation with undercurrents of tea. Mmmm! I really love this and covet a bottle - it's perfect for summer. The only drawback being that it doesn't last long.

[monkey1123]

Maiden is light, clean carnation with a hint of tea. If the smell was a color it would be white, if that makes any sense at all. I mixed about an imp's worth with some purified water in a spray bottle and used it as a linen spray, which was gorgeous. (I'm probably lucky that the proportions worked out okay and I didn't end up with oil-stained sheets, but the scent was perfect!)

[DifferentDances]

Wet: Faint rose and white tea.

Drydown: There's something spicier climbing in. Carnation?

Dry: Spicy floral.

 

My rating: 3/5. I liked the beginning stage with tea and rose, less so the spicy carnation note it wound up.

[Schmoozy]

Maiden why have I ignored you for so long. Such a beautiful spicy floral scent. While it's spicy, and heavy on the carnation the light tea note and subtle rose help the carnation to die a slow death on my skin and leaves a gentle floral blend behind.

 

This was such a hit, that I had to buy a big bottle. The reason why I finally gave it a chance was that many say it goes well with potion. After testing, I have to say it is similiar and I look forward to layering the the two of them together.

 

I just wish it would last longer. My skin drinks Maiden up quite fast.

[CrazyPretzel]

In the imp: carnations!

 

Wet on me: guh. The most beautiful, elegant English garden scent. Just the *prettiest* thing I've smelled in a while. Surprisingly green too, like fresh cut roses and carnations with the stems still on.

 

After a few minutes: a tiny little tea rose peeks out from the masses of carnations. Still a very green floral, not too sweet.

 

Drydown: Fresh carnations and just a tiny bit of rose. Not getting a whole lot of tea.

 

This is a simple scent, but very lovely. I'm going to put it on my bottle list because it's the sort of thing I'll want to wear a lot of in spring and summer.

[Christine Daae]

Another one I’m not sure why I haven’t reviewed before now.

 

In the bottle, this is a pretty, spicy carnation.

 

Wet on my skin, it starts off as a blast of something very sweet and quite lovely.

 

As it dries, I swear I get a bit of lemon in there, though I can’t be sure. The tea, the spicy carnation and the Damask rose blend together beautifully into a scent that I always describe as “Heaven’s tea room.”

[batsy]

In the vial: At first it was sweet, light rose, tea with milk, then I got blasted by carnation. Blargh.

 

On the skin: Oh nice, the rose wins out over the rest! It smells like rose petals in the sun. This is very lovely!

[Honeygirl]

Bottle: OMGOMGROSE!

 

Wet: I've never smelled a better more clearer smelling rose.

 

Drydown: All rose still! I bought this by mistake, I'm not fond of rose, but I thought I'd give it a shot!

[hkhm]

imp: gentle rose and tea. i don't get so much as a hint of the carnation.

 

wet: this is a very nice blend. the rose has more of a rose-hips scent and the tea smells herbal. there's also a faint citrus-sort of scent. i'm still not gatting any carnation.

 

dry: soft floral tea. i finally smell the carnation though it is faint, as is the rose. this is a far nicer blend than i expected it to be.

[Nightgaunt]

I have always love the smell of carnations, and this is the perfect carnation scent. The tea and rose are simply supporting characters for the cool, spicy perfume of carnation. It's a perfect oil for hot summer days.

[SarahScent44]

In the imp, Maiden starts off very dissonant, almost metallic (which I think is my initial reaction to carnation, an unfamiliar note for me); after sniffing a little longer, the carnation becomes more clear, and is softened by a hint of the tea.

 

When I put it on, the spicy, peppery carnation swells, and the rose comes out - it's very interesting.

 

Dry, it settles down to a smoother scent - an almost perfect blend of rose and carnation - spicy floral. It's beautiful and sophisticated. I love it!

Edited November 3, 2007 by SarahScent

[maribouquet]

imp - lemony tea

wet - light, lemony, like a sharp version of Alice

dry - light floral

 

This is nice and very pleasing, but I'm not crazy about it.

[aestien]

Bottle: straightforward tea, carnation, rose

Wet: continues with the tea, carnation, rose, the spice of the carnation comes out

Dry: tea, carnation, rose

 

This is a very nice blend, I like the spiciness of the carnation, and the tea is a nice compliment, I’m just so picky with my rose scents, this is not quite the rose scent for me.

[jwhxtna]

IN THE IMP: Spicy floral, which I suppose must be the carnation, with a hint of tea and roses.

 

WET: ... Do I detect a hint of lemon? How strange.

 

DRY: Soft floral tea with a hint of carnation. Everything's blended very nicely. Very pretty, definitely what I'd expect a maiden to smell like!

[septima_pica]

We both got lemon too -- wonder where that's coming from? Odd.

 

Kalirren: Lemony tea with rose. Itchy. Fades to a very, very faint rose, which is where it stays for quite a while.

 

Octopod: Carnations and a bit of lemon. Reminiscent of a flower-seller's stand I remember in from a subway somewhere...I wasn't very tall, and it was autumn. Hm, Proustian memory. This is a very innocent, delicate, pretty scent, with enough tea to give it a bit of strength but no base note to speak of, which is probably the reason why it has almost no staying powder. On me, though, it turns into a faint tea rather than a faint rose, but still almost absent.

[agnusdei]

Carnations have been a favorite of mine from the day I smelled Frumious Bandersnatch in my very first order. Ever since then I've been searching for the blend with the most pronounced carnation note, and I think Maiden may well be the winner thus far. This is carnation at it's finest, the perfect mix of spicy and sweet floral. There's a touch of green, the kind that makes you think of fresh cut stems, and the tea adds just a bit of something fresh and clean. I seem to be getting a twist of that citrus smell that others have mentioned as well, though it may just be a facet of the lovely spiciness. The longer it dries the more I notice a lingering sugary sweetness that I'm guessing is the rose. It doesn't seem to mix with the carnation as much as hover in the air around it, it's quite a unique effect that I'm not sure I've smelled before in a blend.

 

Basically, Maiden is a perfectly spicy carnation with just the right amount of sharp and sweet, and I'm very happy to have finally found a blend that spotlights this fabulous floral!

Edited December 27, 2007 by agnusdei

[blktauna]

Initial sniff from bottle - woof! Fresh Cut Peppery Carnation!

 

Wet on skin - carnations with a softening undertone, it must be the tea.

 

Dry on skin - a lovely mellow carnation, much like the single note carnation oil I adore, but not as cloying.

 

Staying Power & Throw - medium throw, should hang on for a bit, carnation always does with me.

 

Overall Opinion - love it even though I smell not a single bit of rose. None. But boy does it have some fine carnation. It's very fresh and not overly pungent. I ordered a bottle immediately.

 

The funny thing is I got an imp of Fruminous Bandersnatch and smelled absolutely nothing at all. No carnation, nothing. This one though. Whoa carnation.

[tziporra]

Thanks to Shollin for enabling this sniff!

 

Maiden really shocked me. I was expecting a light airy floral like Juliet, and I'd been putting off trying it since from the name it seems like it'd be more suitable for my daughter or something. But I got a rich heady blast of flowers, the rose swirling with carnation in a blend where, for once, my skin doesn't amp the rose up beyond everything else so all I'm left with is rose.

 

The tea didn't really come out on me, but I'm starting to realize how VERY MUCH I LOVE the lab's carnation note. It makes everything wonderful. And Maiden is particularly wonderful with the perfect rose enriching and complementing the carnation note.

 

So now I'm stuck in a teensy quandary... can I get away with wearing a perfume called Maiden? I think not. I'm the least maiden-looking person you ever saw right now, what with being nearly six months pregnant and the size of a whale. I don't want to face the raucous laughter should anyone ask what it is I'm wearing.

 

Oh well, at least I'll get my own imp and think on it.

 

Best,

 

Tzi

[Kimbernunk]

In Imp: Mostly rose. Lots and lots of rose.

Wet: Again, rose.

Initial Drydown: Suddenly, I start smelling something really tart and bright, which I’m assuming is the white tea. No carnations at all though.

Dry: Finally, a hint of carnation. This ends up nicely bright and balanced; floral without being really obnoxiously so.

Throw: Nice, but not huge. I do get whiffs of it ever now and again.

Overall: Definite possibility for my wedding day. Which is why I got it.

[Ajila]

In the bottle – Strong rose and stale tea

 

Wet on me – Sweet, powdery and slightly green roses

 

Dry on me – The main note remains the rose, but it gradually becomes softer and sweeter and picks up a little of the carnation’s spice

 

Overall – A sweetly pleasant floral. I wouldn’t mind wearing it again, but I also wouldn’t mind if I never wore it again

[Reaver]

Maiden

Ars Amatoria

 

I used to go to a lot of craft fairs, and this is the generic smell of craft fairs. Slightly woody pot pourri and a hundred women all wearing the same Rose essential oil. It’s like ‘Alice’ without the interest. This scent belongs in the Neil Gaiman section. It embodies Victoria. All those promises, but she just turns out to be just a diluted version of all your hopes. The girl that everyone loves until the discover there’s a whole new world out there to explore.

 

Conclusion: It’s nostalgic, but useless for someone that wants to explore the world.

 

3/10. It’s pretty enough, I suppose.

[angelfish323]

Incredible. Another BPAL blend with rose in it that works for me!

 

The dominant note in this is the carnation. Spicey pink carnations.

 

It reminds me an awful lot of Alice, for obvious reasons. This is a less creamy, less sweet, brighter scent, however.

 

I love the white tea - it's crisp, without being biting. It adds a fresh brightness to Maiden.

 

And the rose blends beautifully in the background. This is the rose from Khajuraho - which is just so, so pretty.

 

I probably don't need a bottle, but I'll definitely hang on to the imp.