Ode on Melancholy

[FallDaze]

Beauty, joy, pleasure and delight: devastated. This is the scent of the hopelessness, torment and despair of love. Lavender and wisteria, heart-wrenching pale rose, desolate white sandalwood and thin, tear-streaked white musk.

In the imp the sandalwood and white musk completely dominate. No rose, lavender or wisteria to be found...

On it turns into a very sharp and clinical cleaning-like scent. Not really the sombre scent that I was hoping for.

The lavender goes totally sour on me Looks like it's off to the swaps for this one...

[grashopper8]

I have to start out by saying I Really love this!

 

In the imp, it's a quiet, herbal floral, and perfectly fits the heartbreak of its poem.

 

After it's applied, it becomes an understated, fresh floral. It reminds me a little bit of child perfume by Susan Owens, without the intense throw.

 

It starts out with a hint of lavender, but it's truly a background note.

 

Once it dries down, I get a soft, almost tropical floral. I am assuming it is the wisteria, but it reminds me of plumeria or pikake.

 

The white musk is faint and just helps to round out the freshness of the bouquet.

 

I am wearing this in my scent locket, so even though it fades fast on my skin, I am still enjoying it all day! Very pretty, feminine scent. This goes on my list of 5mL GC's I have to save up for!

[ravenfeathers]

in the bottle sharp and awkward. no one note is jumping out at me, but it's pale purple smelling.

wet on skin lavender! i'm mostly fairly unenthusiastic about lavender, but this is a sweet, resinous lavender that has a warm skin smell to it.

dry on skin it dries down to a respectable and still warm lavender. i'd like to test this one more. i like it right off the bat, but i do tend to go through lavender phases. i wonder if this would be a suitable headache treatment with that sweet, inoffensive lavender?

[alliekat13]

In the imp: lavender sandalwood. On the skin: at first the lavender is dominant, and I could swear that I smell some kind of citrus, but maybe it's my nose being wierd. Ten minutes later, it's a soft floral (I think it's the wisteria because I don't really smell the rose), with a white musky base. It's really gentle and beautiful, it reminds me of something from my childhood that I can't quite place. I think I will keep the imp and ponder getting a bottle of this. This is pretty and femenine.

[alicia_stardust]

ODE ON MELANCHOLY

 

This definitely has a quietly sad and melancholy mood to it. It starts out mostly lavender and sandalwood, a bit sharp. There is a hint of white musk to give this an almost perfume-like edge. As time passes, the lavender and sandalwood soften and I find that the wisteria becomes the strongest note. It is very sweet and gentle. There are small flashes of rose beneath the wisteria. I get the sense that this is a vibrant pink color with hints of white tears. Overall this is a very pretty, light floral.

[topazphoenix]

The lavendar really dominates at first, then settles down and blends in with the other notes. This is definately a cool scent, it's the opposite of warm and comforting. I like sad scents, but right now I'm iffy about that sandlewood.

 

This really ages well. It reminds me a little bit of a cooler Mouse's Long and Sad Tale. I think this is going on my bottle list.

Edited October 3, 2009 by AmandaKay

[maribouquet]

imp: wisteria and lavender

wet: the same - it's sharp

dry: salty, tumbling floral

 

Hmm. At first this is a high, keening floral. The musk/floral combo is giving me that mom's period ew mother's toilette scent.

 

However...the throw is very nice. I can smell the rose coming through as a mid-tone, smooth, thin sweetness. It's only close up that the musk is unpleasant. And once this is dry the sandalwood is evident and the sharpness of the lavender has died down. Much more balanced now!

 

This smells like the tight little orgasm your throat has right before a good sob.

 

(Okay, so writing the words "mom's period" and "orgasm" in the same review has seriously creeped me out. :/ )

[Indefatigable]

In the vial, this is one of the most beautiful florals I've ever sniffed, soft and feminine but made solemn and poignant by lavender.

 

On my skin, it's baby powder and soap.

 

I think this will be the one that finally makes me buy a poison locket, so that I can have perfume near me without it being on me.

[mooncityminx]

In the imp: Lavendar and fruits?

 

Wet: Very sharp lavendar, some fruit, and musk. This is very clean in a men's soap kind of way. It's really hard to explain this one.

 

Drydown: Musky lavendar. Gosh, I like lavendar, but I'm not sure I like it enough to make this one work for me. It's still very sharp. I think this one is too clean for me. Oh well.

[steffanina]

Ode on Melancholy-

 

In Bottle: A sweet floral, not as heavy as lily, not as pretty as freesia.

 

Wet: A light scent, almost minty, that I would have forgotten was lavender if I hadn't read the description. A little soapy.

 

Dry: Soapy, a fast fader. Not really my thing.

 

Overall: Not for me, though that's not it's fault.

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Harsh lavender plus a very sweet and peppery floral… wisteria?

 

Immediately on skin: This is a chilly and slightly herbal floral scent. The lavender and wisteria create something sweet but herbal at the same time. The white musk is very harsh in this, and doesn’t seem to be blending well.

 

After a little while: This is now a cold but sweet floral blend and it has really blended together well. The wisteria pairs so beautifully with the lavender… the sweetness really balances the almost herbal quality of the lavender. The white musk adds just a dryer musk background to the scent, and the white sandalwood adds a slight spiciness.

 

Overall Impressions: This is a very interesting scent… I don’t know if it’s me, but I definitely like it. It has an interesting play on herbal/sweet and cold/spicy going on. It feels very rich though… it’s not an airy, wafting fragrance. It seems to be staying very close to my skin, but the scent itself is very vibrant.

[hkhm]

imp: sandalwood and musk with soft florals. i can almost pick out the lavender.

 

wet: this goes all lavender on my skin. there is a bare whiff of musk but other than that, lavender.

 

dry: the lavender fades off after a while leaving me back with the musk and assorted other florals.

[suki]

in the imp: a very fresh lavender. like the flower, not an oil.

 

wet on skin: mostly lavender still, but an under note of honeysuckle.

 

dry down: the florals blend at this point so it becomes difficult to pick out a single note.

 

in all: a light, complex floral. not my thing, but i think that those who swoon from florals will like this one very much.

 

[coldandsleepy]

In the imp: sandalwood and flowers. Kinda potpurri-like.

 

On me, wet: the sandalwood backs down almost instantly and I get mainly the lavender and the wisteria. The lavender's clean and sharp without being particularly astringent. (If you've tried Paris, this is about two notches softer than the lavender in that.) I think the wisteria does a lovely job of softening it even further. No sign of the musk yet.

 

On me, dry: almost the same as wet. I get a little more sandalwood again, but it's definitely a background smell. Mostly just nice soft lavender and wisteria. Very pretty.

 

Throw and duration: about average. It wasn't overwhelmingly strong and I got several hours of wear out of it.

 

Overall: I liked this a lot. Lavender's one of my favorite scents, but I have a hard time finding lavender perfumes that I like. This's probably my favorite lavender from the Lab so far. Like I said, it's really soft and pretty and not at all fierce or overwhelming. Definitely hanging on to my imp of this.

[DarkClarissa]

In imp: Slightly sweet (not too much). Main notes in imp Wisteria and a touch of white sandalwood.

 

Wet: The sandalwood is coming to the fore now. Lovely feminine scent, reminds me of a soap I used as a child.

 

Dry: Mainly sandalwood now, can't smell lavender or rose, although the wisteria has made a reappearance.

 

Verdict: Ideal when you want to feel fragile and feminine beautiful. Strong, yet ethereal (if that's possible). Smells of nostalgic memories.

 

Marks out of 10: 9

[mhickle]

In the imp, I'm surprised by how soapy it smells. But really nice, high quality, expensive fancy soap. I didn't have the notes in front of me, so I wasn't sure what I was really smelling. Getting some floral with something deeper - looking at the notes now, I should have identified the sandalwood! The rose doesn't kill this on me, which is awesome, because normally rose is a dealbreaker. This is very soft, with very little throw, but very beautiful.

[CrazyPretzel]

I am completely in love with wisteria, lavender, and soft rose, so I was really looking forward to trying this scent.

 

ViolaVanWilde is right about this blend smelling like really *nice*, super-expensive soap. The lavender goes on a little bit sharp and astringent but smooths out beautifully as it dries. The wisteria is a honey-sweet floral right behind the lavender, and the white sandalwood is a little bit dry and tickly in the back of my nose.

 

Overall: dry, soft, sweet, and soothing floral. Utterly lovely to wear at bedtime; makes me feel like I've just climbed out of a warm bath and have slipped into clean sheets in a long lace nightgown (even though I'm unwashed and just have my pajama trousers and a big t-shirt to wear).

[fairnymph]

Sniffed in imp: Wisteria, lavender, and sandalwood. Sharp, powdery, floral.

[amnerine]

In the imp: Pale, clear, very sharp floral scent, I think it's the wisteria because I'm not getting the softness of rose. It's sweet too, wonder what that is....

 

Wet: Sharp florals, wisteria, getting a hint of the lavender, the sweetness is evaporating. Not a lot of throw but it's a vague cloud of scent around my wrists. Has a depth of scent that IS very melancholy.

 

Drying: It's a very clean scent now, the florals are definitely there, with the sandalwood beginning to creep out. I can't identify any white musk, but it might just be hidden. It's very reminiscent of its namesake mood! I can definitely imagine a cliff with chill winds around it, flowers fading on a cold evening. Very evocative and emotional of a scent.

 

Dry-fade: Ooh, roses are coming out now. Very floral, this scent smells a hint incense-y but that might be the sandalwood. The musk isn't really coming out but that might be my body chem killing it. It's okay because I'm not horrendously partial to it. I might not get a bottle of this, but I'd certainly try for another imp of this!

Edited May 6, 2008 by amnerine

[dluszcz]

Light, sweet, pale-violet-colored floral. Wet, this reminded me of a floral commercial fragrance; very pleasant. Dry, it sweetens up- I don't get the strong herbal quality that the Lab's lavendar has a tendency to develop on me. No rose. More like spring blooms than summer. Not a lot of throw. Fades very quickly.

[Greensleeves]

In the bottle: Very pale, nearly colourless yellow oil. Lavender and other florals, faint commercial note, I think there is musk in this blend. Yes, there is.

 

Wet: Wow, lavender, floral talcum powder explosion. The lavender is very prominent, which is nice. Getting a spicy hint of rose and something else.

 

After a few minutes on skin: Musky floral talcum powder, and of course the lavender has died. This smells sort of heavy and stiffling, I only have it on one wrist and I'm getting kind of choked up, the smell so strong I can almost taste it.

 

After first hour: Too much musk overtaking the blend, with a few lingering flowers, and an incense note gaining more prominence. This blend has sandalwood, I recall, and it's starting to become noticeable now.

 

After two and a half hours: Powdery musk and sandalwood, faint floral doused in powder. I find the scent rather pleasant, but it's much too floral and feminine for my tastes.

 

After 5 hours: Faint hint of ammonia. Ick. Otherwise pretty much the same as above.

 

Final Verdict: Not exceptionally good or exceptionally bad. One to sell or swap.

[tziporra]

And... We have a winner!

 

This is the first BPAL blend that eaked a compliment out of my husband, unrequested.

 

It's also a huge morpher on me, so I'm not sure WHICH Ode on Melancholy he liked.

 

Wet: Lots of lavender and wisteria

 

15 Minutes In: This smells like some commercial perfume I can't quite remember.... It's definitely a lovely light floral. I think this is the stage that my husband caught it in.

 

1 Hour In: Grrrrr...... Now it's all sandalwood and musk with just a hint of wisteria hanging out in the background. This is the stage I can't stop sniffing my wrist. And I'm lucky that this is the longest lasting stage as well.

 

8 Hours: Still a wafting hint of wisteria every once in awhile. Nice.

 

I read a book by a beauty editor where extreme frustration was expressed over commercial perfumes and their extreme efforts to cater to the "light and fresh wet, sexy and warmer dry" focus group crowd and the uniformity of scents available on the market as a result (I should send her some bpal). I love this scent for exactly these focus group kind of reasons. I'd be more embarrassed about it, but I just tell myself that BPAL is so far beyond commercial perfume, that even if I do like something for plebian reasons, I am still superior to all those market research participants.

 

By the way..... I amp rose to the moon, and it behaved VERY nicely here. I didn't even guess it was here until I read the notes.

 

Best,

 

Tzi

 

ETA: It's a few years (5!) down the road now and I don't really buy GC scents anymore unless I am passionately in love, but I was just returning to the few I have bottles of and happened to try this one again. It's surprising to see the list of "bad" notes on me - rose and lavender are usually misery - and realize how very nicely this wears. Just goes to show that it is difficult to know what a scent will do on the skin until you slap it on there. It still isn't quite my style, I did order it purely based on my husband's compliment, but if I were _going_ to wear a light soapy floral daily, this would be the one. And sometimes smelling nice and pretty is just the thing.

Edited February 26, 2013 by tziporra

[Caerphilly]

In the bottle: Sharp smell of Lavender. Nothing else.

 

After 5 minutes: The Lavender is still prominent, but there is a podery note in the background. Maybe the roses (?). But there is such a faint trace that I was sure it was going to go away. There something citrusy, but it could be the lavender giving that impression. Not sure I think this scent is special yet. Just lavender really. Love lavender, but don't think I could wear it on me all day.

 

After 10 minutes: The powdery note goes away, but a sweetness comes out and balances with the overpowering lavender! It's a lovely mix. The lavender isn't too strong because of the other light flowers. It is a sad smell. It is the essence of the poem!

 

After 30 minutes: I know this scent will last! It's not a particularly complicated scent. It's clean, and floral, and delicate. I love it!

 

Overall: I don't know about a big bottle, just yet. Maybe in the winter, but it is lovely. I can't wear lavender all day because it gives me a slight headache after a while, but this didn't. And it lasts! ALL DAY! Maybe a big bottle in the winter...

 

(By the way, this is my third review, and this is hard!!! )

Edited September 5, 2008 by Caerphilly

[Coldfire]

Imp: Lavender and something sadder…the wisteria?

Wet on Me: mmmmm lavender.. lovely lavender.

I adore lavender

Drying Down: More lovely lavender over all with some

itty bitty white musk underneath.

Dry: Just lovely Lavender. Sad and haunting but yet not

depressing. Total keeper and must get a bottle of this!

[auburnette]

ode on melancholy

 

(very pale, runny)

 

In the bottle: Woah, spicy! Almost a menthol smell. Minty? But floral all the same.

 

Wet, on skin: Even more mint or menthol. Is there even mint in this? I write my reviews without the notes to hand. Now florals emerging as it dries down. A bit pot-pourri ish...The musk is emerging.

 

Drydown: I smell lavender now, and musk. It is quite a cold scent - perhaps that's what confused me with the earlier stage in the bottle, because there's no mint here. There's an almost salty edge which makes my taste buds tingle. It is definitely quite sad-smelling!

 

I visualise walking on a moor, looking out over a grey sea, wearing a long white dress. It's raining. I have a bouquet of flowers in my hand, but they're soaked and crushed.

 

I think this is going to disappear quickly on me. The rose comes through as it develops but then it's also smelling quite aquatic. I do get a bit of soap from it.

 

I like this, but not enough to get another. I'll use up my imp on myself and my oil burner and then that will be enough.