Ode on Melancholy

[theseagrows]

...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.

at first this smelled like lavender and eucalyptus; a very strong vick's vapo-rub scent came forth. it was very sharp and strong. now that it's mellowed a bit, it's very pretty, and i think the white musk adds a nice touch. i'm not exactly sure what wisteria smells like, but i am not getting a strong rose or lavender feeling from this, so it must be blended very well. a dry floral with a soft musk base. reminds me of gaultier, which was my signature scent when i was younger, so i quite like this. Edited October 24, 2006 by Shollin

[PilotKitten]

At first whiff, I get a sandalwood with a lavender kick to it. It's a floral blend, but doesn't quite fall into the category of a white floral.... After the drydown, it's a very soothing lavender fragrance. Not an overpowering lavender like a lot of aromatherapy blends have... it has just the right mixture. This one may replace my Somnus for a sleepytime blend. Mixed with everything else it's not as "spicy" and sharp as Somnus is.

[supremegoddessofall]

Very soft. Mostly getting lavender and sandalwood. This smells like it would be a good scent for sleeping. The musk is fairly light, but is warming it up. Not bad, but the touch of rose is putting in a slight chemical quality that is making my nose itch. I think I'll give it a retest before making a final verdict.

[juniperus]

Bottle: pale. no notes stand out, it's just...pale.

Wet: pale florals, now, but still wispy.

Dry: the same wisp, but the musk is more apparent and identifiable. it's like a memory of a scent, rather than a scent itself.

Later: and it's fading to a point past wispyness, past transparency.

[Eemia]

I bought a full bottle of this unsniffed because I liked the description so much. It did not disappoint! This smells dreamy and pale and beautiful. It reminds me of thick San Francisco fogs for some reason, which is great because that's one of my favorite aspects of San Francisco.

 

Wet it smells most strongly of lavender with just a touch of rose. Very pretty!

 

After drying slightly I can detect more of the musk and sandlewood, which deepens this into something that is just intoxicating to me. The lavender is still there too, but it's very soft and light.

 

This fades away on me fairly quickly (after a couple hours) so I tote around my little bottle to reapply throughout the day. I don't mind though since I like to smell it straight from the bottle as well. I love it.

[jasmine]

Sweet! I mean this not in the sense of an exclamation of happiness, but in the sense that the scent is sweet. It isn’t a honeyed sweetness, or a sugared sweetness, but like the aroma from a cup of pear juice. The name and the lab description are a swing and a miss for me when combined with this scent.

 

After a bit, I can pick out the sandalwood and the musk, I still smell something fruitlike among the florals on top. I like the results. Ode on Melancholy is, perhaps, a bit generic... but not unpleasant in its genericness.

[n1k1ta]

I will first say that I love this perfume because I have quite the hard-on for John Keats. This oil hit me with musky roses right out of the bottle though. 'Oh, no. I smell like my great-grandmother...' Ha, I judged way too soon!

 

For a little under an hour after application, I smelled like a high-class funeral. I rather liked that. It was so damn different than what I was expecting!

 

Two hours into Ode on Melancholy, the peppery lavender and gnarled wisteria oozed out. The sandalwood hit me in the back of the nose so that I could almost taste this perfume.

 

At the end of the day, Ode on Melancholy had lost its power, but was still lingering on my skin like a floral mist. I would say that this perfume is not as sexy as others from BPAL, but it's still a keeper. It's very relaxing and soothing. A perfect match for lounging or reading a romantic book.

[tinyvulture]

lavender! and i could have sworn there was eucalyptus in this too, when i first applied it – it really cleared my sinuses! the lavender is blended with other florals, but i can’t tell what they are. i don’t smell any rose, and i’m not sure what wisteria smells like. i’m not really picking up the musk either. a bit of spicy sandalwood, fresh lavender, and some other flowers – an evocative, feminine scent.

[ayelienne]

The first mental image I get when I smell this is looking out of an old, wood-framed window on a sullen, grey day, and the rain is making tear streaks on the window. Stillness, except for the sound of the rain outside, and I carry a heavy wistful sadness in my heart.

 

Depressingly beautiful. While it's too sadmaking for me to wear, I'll keep it for the oil burner when I'm in exactly that sort of mood, and it will uplift me a bit as we revel in our sadness together.

[baranoouji]

The first thing I got was a jumbled white flower explosion. Woof. Way too heavy and headachey for me. I think my skin must just broadcast white flowers, because flower scents just become overwhelming on me.

 

Ode to Melancholy settles down to a lavender + musk = soap in the guest bathroom smell for me. Eventually, it's just a sweet smell of faded wisteria.

 

Soap and wisteria isn't a bad smell, but it isn't very melancholic for me.

Edited February 6, 2007 by baranoouji

[filigree_shadow]

The lavender is pretty strong, but it's soft and not as sharp as usual. It smells nice with the wisteria and soft rose. But...

 

It's late at night and I've been watching a sad show, and this scent is making me even sadder. It smells like loss and tears to me. Not the scent to wear if you're battling midwinter depression.

[hackess]

Floral scents, especially white florals, tend to go soapy on me and this one follows the rule.

 

In the imp, the lavender is really nice and I'm hopeful. Sadly, the wisteria takes over and all I smell is high-class soap. It's not a wistful blend for me.

[brit_brat100]

I was scared of this one because of the florals listed in it, but I tried it anyway.

 

imp: medicine like, herbs

 

wet: wet plants

 

dry: back to medicine from afar, but up close it's actually pleasant and crisp. A bit familiar of a comerial frangrance that I can't place at the moment.

 

final thoughts: I don't think I'll be keeping it, but I like it for the "huh" reaction. That's a first for me.

[neuilly]

The first few moments come off as strongly herbal and rather but that fades pretty quickly. The lavendar becomes the top note almost drowning out the rest but there's a hint of wisteria...and still some of the herbal note. I'm really not a fan of herbal so I'm goign to have to pass but I think this is an excellent representation of it's namesake.

[Mia M]

I'm brand-spankingly new to BPAL perfumes and this was the description that first caught my eye... it sounded so heart-wrenchingly beautiful! Lavendar is my absolute favorite scent too, so of course, I ordered an imp straight away. It's the scent that I wanted to try the most out of all the ones I ordered.

 

The first time I opened the vial - oh no! It smelled like laundry detergent to me! On my skin, again, Ode to Liquid Laundry Detergent! Grrr.

 

But!!! Then! The incredible power of body chemistry! It mellowed down to a gorrrrgeous, watery/teary floral... almost virginal, perfectly ghostly, and exactly what I was first expecting! Yay!! Kitty and heart-shaped confetti party flying everywhere (mostly in my brain and heart!)

 

But of course, of course, I have the worst possible luck. A few hours later, I began developing an allergic reaction to it - sneezing, watery eyes, itchy skin, the whole deal. ACK! So sad (which I guess is the point in a way, haha!).... I love this scent so much and wish I could wear it!

Edited April 20, 2007 by Mia!

[bunnymcfoo]

wet: I almost no throw whatsoever off of this one, and have to put my nose really close to my wrist to smell it. Wet, I'm getting no lavender at all, which is a bummer since I really love lavender. I'm getting a kind of rose infused liquid soap smell. Like the high end stuff my grandma used to keep in the guest bathroom.

 

 

dry: The sandalwood is coming out a bit more; at least I guess that's what I'm smelling now, since it's gone kind of herbal on me now. Still soapy, still rosy, but with an overlay of something greener. It's pretty, but I'm thinking that I'd rather have it as a soap than a perfume oil.

[Browneyes]

Ah... this is so beautiful and calming and pretty. It smells alot like lavender, but with the other elements it is sweeter, deeper and something more. I love it.

 

Eta: the lavender fades a bit soon, but the scent of wisteria left behind is equally pretty.

Edited May 19, 2007 by Browneyes

[TheIceMaiden]

This was one of the scents I first tried, and I had forgotten about it until my recently. I don't know why I did because this is a lovely scent! Initially this is lots of lavender with a little wisteria. As it dries, rose and white musk soften the lavender. Dry, its rose, sandalwood, and a bit of white musk. Alas, this is also a very light scent and fades rather quickly. But its a gorgeous scent that represents the poem its named for beautifully.

[Ajila]

In the bottle – Lavender

 

Wet on me – Lavender and papery white flowers

 

Dry on me – Washing powder

 

Overall – This was never likely to be a blend for me and my skin turned it to detergent anyway

[zankoku_zen]

In the imp: Lavender

 

On Skin: Soapy floral. Booo...

 

On Drydown: I get the lavender and more of the wisteria coming through, but it has a mild soapy edge to it. Nothing like wet though.

 

Verdict: Something goes soapy on me and I don't like it. At the beginning it smelled like some really expensive soap, lush and creamy, but still soap. Now it's a lightly soapy lavender/wisteria.

[taramarie]

On me, Ode on Melancholy smells like white florals over white musk. It's definitely a sister to Euterpe and a pretty summer scent. I like this one and I'll definitely keep it around.

[cranberry]

In the imp, this is all lavender. On the skin, the lavender is there, but also white sandalwood and musk. I love lavender so I’m liking how this one is starting. As it dries, it remains a wonderful lavender blend. The longer its’ been on, the stronger the sandalwood gets, which is also good as I love sandalwood in all its forms. After it’s been on a while, this blend gets really sharp. This sharpness is detracting from the lovely beginning of this scent. I hate to say it, but the sharpness almost reminds me of BO. Damn, I really liked the start.

[MaidenGenevive]

Ode on Melancholy

 

In vial, bright lavender with hints of rose. Wet on skin, lavender starts off being dominant, but the other notes don't take long to pick up. This has a very similar feel as Psyche, the differences are quite subtle.

 

[3 - Like]

[Iceblink]

A nice light floral that went powdery on me quickly and then went poof. Wisteria does that, unfortunately, because I like it while it lasts.

 

ADDED Aug. 4:

 

This begins as a very wet, almost aquatic lavender, and I need a nap. As it dries there's a sweetness coming out that I associate with white musk, and the wisteria and rose are both distinguishable. It's a very soft, light blend...perfumey and feminine. I think it's going to end up powdery on me but even that stage is going to be nice. Quietly beautiful.

[erraticprophet]

Imp that I was lucky enough to test from fellow addict and coworker.

 

Initial Impression: lavender, very soft

 

On Wet: a very soft scent, really. Can barely smell anything. Watery, turning soapy.

 

On Dry: Ew. Soapy.

 

Final Impression: Unfortunately, it turned detergent on me.

 

Rating (on a scale of 1-5): 1