Paris

[strahlend]

Sensual, decadent, and enigmatic. Lavender, softly underscored by lotus and spice.

I put this on and just a minute later my son walked by and said, "you smell like gum". I had to agree. I've heard people say that lotus smells like bubblegum before but when I've encountered it in blends before it didn't come across that way to me, maybe because of the other components it was paired with. This one though, the first half hour or so is all bubblegum. A while later I had forgotten I had it on but kept smelling something kind of sweet and spicy, like carnations, so it pretty quickly morphed toward the spice.
It seemed like a pleasant and happy sort of scent, but it didn't rock my socks.

[Circaea]

I'm so glad this doesn't actually smell like Paris on me (women's perfume, cigarette smoke, and car exhaust). It doesn't smell like lavender, either, strangely. My imp may be a little old, judging by the condition of the label. I got that fruity bubblegum smell at first - kind of fun and pleasant. The scent dries to a creamy exotic floral, and then to a kind of hot, gingery spice. The last bit is like a creamy ginger. I like it.

[Ghost of a Rose]

In the imp: Clear, colorless oil. Right up close, the scent is a strong and unusually sweet lavender, with an undertone that for some reason reminds me of candied cherries - the real ones, not the artificial cherry note of the BPAL's. Not maraschino cherries, either - I mean the delicately-flavored kind you put in fruitcake. From a few inches away, it's the lotus I smell. Definitely interesting . . . has possibilities . . .

 

On me, wet: At first, just plain single-note lavender. Which is something I love, so that's fine with me. As it starts to dry, a teasing hint of spice peeks out.

 

After 30 minutes: As in the vial, I can only detect the lotus if I sniff my wrist from about 3 inches away. Even then, it is quite faint. Its main contribution is to tone down the lavender and add sweetness. The spice is more noticeable and is now starting to give the lavender some real competition. It is an interesting juxtaposition with the lavender's own sharp spiciness.

 

After 1 hour: The lavender is now gone. The spice remains, and the lotus is finally coming into its own, although still not equal to the spice in strength.

 

Verdict: For lavender lovers only! Lavender is the star of this show. It's one of my favorite scents, but to my great regret I am highly allergic to the pure essential oil. It burns, and my skin develops fiery red welts where the oil touches it. But I was fine with this. I'm delighted to have found an authentic lavender scent that I can wear! I also like the added touches. Until the lavender fragrance evaporates after about an hour, if I didn't know the other oils were there I wouldn't have noticed them. But they do add subtle nuances, and they extend the life of the scent on my skin by lingering on long after the lavender is gone. I really like this a lot!

 

My rating: 4 stars

[Incendiare]

Lavender with a touch of lotus in the background. On me, it's medicinal lavender but there is something else that I cannot put my finger on. I can't figure it out, but nonetheless, when I sniff up close, the sharpness of the lavender almost burns my nose. That unknown undertone is turning a bit smoky on me. Not for me.

[Eliyetres]

Lavender. Smells like my grandmothers linen closet. The lavender goes sour on me after a while, smelling kinda like sweathy socks, lol! If you do like lavender I think you would love this though. Its a bit citrusy, very refreshing and romantic at the same time. Oh lavender I wish you wouldn't hate me so...

[frecklestars]

In the bottle: "oh wow!" was my first response. this is lavender, but not the disgusting chemical lavender that most things smell like. this is fresh lavender, very bright and not precisely floral but not precisely herbal either. it's so bright it's almost like lemons. the lotus adds a watery sweetness to the whole thing and while I don't smell the spice, that doesn't make it less gorgeous. this is a sophisticated scent and I think it smells spot-on for Paris. like walking past the Eiffel Tower in warm rain and feeling quite grown-up and well-dressed. couture.

 

On my skin: a little sweeter on my skin than in the bottle, this is still utter elegance. Beth somehow made lavender juicy, which is rare - usually I find it very dry. the lavender and lotus really play off one another well. the spices are maybe lurking in the background, but this is primarily sweet rather than spicy. as it ages, it does become more spicy, but the lavender backed with lotus definitely remains center stage.

 

Last thoughts: elegant lavender with watery-sweet lotus, this is perfect for femme-y girls who don't want to smell like just another floral. perfect balance of watery and brightness. sweet without clobbering you with sugar.

[plainjean]

Oh, this is so pretty. And it's exactly what it says it's supposed to be on me: French lavender and slightly fruity lotus that's warmed by the subtle spices. I agree with the above poster: it's a juicy lavender. I think I'm going to have to get a bottle of this.

[84trillion]

The lavender in this is made overly sweet, and I get no spice from it at all. It's almost making my stomach turn - definitely not a keeper for me!

[stellamaris]

Zzzzzzz so boring...I don't like Paris....

[KittyHawk]

I've never been to Paris, but this blend does seem evocative of its namesake; it's juicy, a little herbal, and expensive. I had forgotten there was lotus here when I was making my notes, and assumed the sweet, juicy note was rose or a watery fruit. I'm surprised it's lotus, as it's usually a note that doesn't work for me. The lavender is a bit sharp at first, but it mellows very quickly and adds a really lovely pastoral background to an otherwise chic and urban blend.

 

I like Paris more than I thought I would. I keep sniffing my test patch, so it's interesting enough to keep, but I don't think I'll be upgrading.

[whitsunweddings]

In the imp: I swear this smells like peaches? Mixed with quite herby, foody lavender.

Wet: Spices coming out a bit. But yeah, lavender with a kind of gummy, peachy note. This isn't what lotus does on me normally, so idk.

Dry: Quite herby lavender with spices popping about. I was hoping for an approximation of that fabled pumpkin pie/lavender scent that's supposed to (as After School would put it) make the fellas go crazy, but I can't really decide if I like it or not. An odd one.

[sisi33]

In the Bottle: Spices and lavender.

Wet: Lotus and lavender. close to the skin you can smell the spices slightly. Noramally, I'm not much of a lavender fan, but this is nice!

Drydown: Still lavender and louts, but it's turned... funky. Bad funky. It's like really bad boutique soap covering BO. Nuck.

 

1/5

[strahlend]

I didn't realize that I had left a review for this before! Sorry for the double post!

 

Sniff – lavender, somewhat sharp, lotus, bubblegum, spice, it's there. I was hoping this might be a softer, sweeter lavender.

 

Skin testing – Starts off mega-bubblegum lotus. Then hits an interesting spice phase, then goes back to bubblegum. Ends up soft bubblegum spice musk with what seems to smell like violets, but might be the lotus and mellowed lavender together.

 

Sadly, I'm not a fan. I like the idea of lotus, I just can't get myself to really like it though, and there's a lot of lotus going on here.

Edited March 28, 2013 by strahlend

[BoneBone24]

Wet: Necco Wafers.

 

Drydown: Fruity lotus takes center stage. The lavender’s in there trying to fend off the candy-vibe, but so far the lotus is winning the battle. At this point it’s a blend of Necco Wafers and Juicy Fruit.

 

Dry: The lotus has mellowed a bit and the lavender has nearly disappeared. I can’t really smell the spices, but there is a warmth that I suspect is coming from them. Soft and slightly fruity.

 

 

 

 

3 out of 10 bones

Edited July 11, 2013 by BoneBone24

[Mechanical Death]

Lotus = bubblegum

[twofoxes]

I opened the bottle and was hit with a Dimetapp flashback from childhood. Grape-bubblegum medicine, woof.

 

First application: Surprisingly this was mostly spicy with only a hint of bubblegum.

 

It faded into a subtle floral pretty quickly, and an hour later I can barely smell it.

[MiasmaResonance]

Sweet and lavendery in the imp, it's very, very nice and has the barest hint of spice.

 

On my skin, the spice comes out much more as well as some sort of greenish note.

 

Sadly it developed into something sort of off on my skin and smelled better in the imp.

[Magycmyste]

In the imp: Ooh, this is interesting. The dominant scent for me is the soft lavender, but the lotus gives it a sweetness, and there is the tinge of something spicy in the background.

 

Wet on skin: The spice is a little stronger on my skin. Fennel, anise, is that you? The lavender is still there, but the lotus has faded somewhat.

 

Dried down: Almost the same, but it's gone dusty on me.

 

Throw: Not much. A teensy bit of spice.

 

Verdict: *** This isn't bad, but I don't see myself reaching for it very often.

[mymymai]

ITI: I just get fresh, clean lavender - not freshly picked, but something I'd smell in the bath section.

 

Wet: Herby lavender and spicy lotus, but thankfully it's actually lotus on my skin rather than bubblegum!

 

Dry: It stays pretty consistent, but it does soften pretty quickly. Overall, this is a nice, feminine scent, although not overtly girly, which I could wear as a staple.

[Monster]

This is a fruity, candy-like lavender. It almost reminds me of Jester + lavender. As it dries, it's unchanging. Lavender reads as "old lady" when it's dominant on my skin unfortunately. For lavender lovers, I can see this one being a real winner. It's simple, sweet and would probably be perfect for every day wear.

[hushmesilent]

Ahh, Paris. When I read the description, I knew I HAD to have it. Of course, the lab hit it out of the park. This scent feels like refusing to get out of bed after a night with your lover, wrapped in clean and soft sheets. This scent feels like sitting across from a gorgeous man in a rooftop 5-star restaurant on a summer night. Sipping your outrageously priced champagne and watching the stars come up over the city as the wind blows. A sexy smirk and you twine your pearls around your finger.

 

HOLY CRAP, HOW DO THEY DO IT?

 

When the perfume is still wet, you can smell the spice right away. The lavender is there, but it's buried underneath a sweet, clean, WARM spice. After a few minutes, the lavender becomes the focal point. A clean and green scent that I'm guessing is the lotus is there too, balancing everything out. The spice fades down and becomes this delicious red note in an otherwise clean and slightly sweet perfume. There is a definite ozone scent (again, maybe the lotus) that smells JUST like summer night breezes to me. The drydown is also amazing, and it just barely clings to your skin - instead of smelling like you're wearing perfume, you smell like you washed with lavender soap and just a hint of it remains. Absolutely delicious and decadent!

[dementia_divine]

In the imp: Mostly lavender, followed by the lotus and a bit of spice. They don't seem to go together in the imp.

Wet: Lavender and lotus. The lotus note is stronger than it was in the imp. The lavender note is astringent. I am only getting a bit of spice.

Dry: The lavender note isn't as sharp, and the lotus is stronger, lending an airy, almost bubblegum-like quality to the scent. I am getting a lot more of the spice now.

Verdict: I like lavender, but I guess I don't enjoy it when it is paired with lotus. No bottle for me.

[Veronica]

I get predominantly spice from this, then the slightly aquatic-white of lotus and the herbal lavendar scent. Realizing belatedly none of these notes is for me.

[Missy_killer]

In the imp: This... is not at all what I had expected. Of course the lotus makes a bubblegum appearance. It is its usual soft, pink self. And then there's some spices. Together it's a weird combo for me, like you just ate some spicy foods and you're trying to save your breath with gum. Lavender, where are you little buddy?

 

On: It's sweet and spicy. Far away it smells like cooking spices. It reminds me of rose pepper.. And my grandparents' kitchen. Up close it's gum. but it's not pink like I initially thought. This is yellow. A watered down/pale version of Juicy Fruit gum. I've been reading that some like this for relaxation or sleep but this is not working out for me at all. Way too sweet! And don't get me wrong, I love sweet - but not this

 

Lavender is usually very quick to make itself known to me, but not in Paris. Absolutely no lavender has been seen.

[Malaena]

It smells like candy on me. No lavender, no spice, just fruity sweet lotus.