Mouse's Long and Sad Tale

[innocent]

Vanilla, two ambers, sweet pea and white sandalwood.

A yummy, simple scent that strongly reminds me of Antique Lace. I like it, but the vanilla is a bit too prominent for my taste - I think this would be lovely layered for some added complexity.

[sqwook]

Dry: Vanilla, calm, soft. Not much oomph. (Please note that vanilla and I are not really friends; most people love the lab's vanillas, but I amp vanilla in a major way.)

 

Comparisons to other scents: To me, this seems very similar to Bastet somehow (which cracks me up - cat & mouse!) Compared to Lyonesse, it's slightly dirtier and less peppery.

 

*On retry just before handing over to a friend, the drydown has a sandalwood kick; not bad, actually. Who knows. Hm, might need to get an imp of this back...

[cosmoblue]

In Imp I get sweet floral that is a little bot peachy smells very classy perfumey. Not really getting the vanilla. Wet I am getting a light cozy floral which I am assuming is the sweet pea. I think I get the amber and sandalwood a bt in the back, but not any vanilla other than the sweet. Drying the floral is softer and the amber and sandalwood are warming up the sweetness. Dry it is a sweet warm vanilla floral. I think that this will be a good one to wear on hot summer days.

[tacey]

Pretty! Light amber/vanilla to start, with the sandalwood coming out a bit later. Maybe a bit of sweet pea with the amber, I'm not quite sure. Very light, and fades quickly. I was disappointed at the wear-length at first, but now I've started wearing it to sleep in, and it works out very nicely. Good one!

 

And, no, it's not sad in the least!

[mochi227]

This is really beautiful. The vanilla and ambers merge together (they aren't discernible as seperate notes) into a solid, sticky base that the sweetpea plays atop. I'm having trouble picking out the sandalwood, although it could very well be acting like a garden trellis the sweetpea climbs upon: there, but very much as a supporting player. The sweetpea is the highest note of this blend and sticks around for the duration of the performance. Not a morpher, Mouse's Long & Sad Tale smells much the same when you put it on as it does hours later. I applied mine nearly 4 hours ago and it's still going strong. Throw is low to moderate; movement and heat create more throw.

 

There is something just a tad melachony about this blend. The sweetness of the sweetpea is held back ever so slightly by the earthy ambers. The vanilla here is not a sweet vanilla. It's more like vanilla bean, where there's a vegetal or botanical something that keeps it from being vanilla too literally.

 

I really love this blend and will probably buy a bottle eventually. The blend lasts a long time and is great for casual wear, weekend wear, cheerful housework wear, sleepytime or cuddletime wear. It's the type of blend that makes me want to hug and hold near. Mouse's Long & Sad Tale is the scent equivalent of the Velveteen Rabbit: a bit sad, but completely loveable.

 

4.5 out of 5. Long wear, average to moderate throw.

[msbcozad]

Mouse's Long and Sad Tale

 

Vanilla, amber, and sweet pea =

 

This one's got serious staying power and stays pretty true to the original scent as it clings to the skin. This is my everyday scent. LOVE IT!

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

I'm curious about the Mouse but a little wary, for while I love vanilla and amber together, I've never yet met a sweet pea that worked on me. But we shall see. Blargh, this is weird on me! I don't know what to think. I'm getting a very odd, sharp "perfumey" floral that reminds me of peaches but...floral-er. Yet at the same time there is a luscious vanilla cream underneath. I think this is a case of sweet pea being as bratty to me as it always is. I could see this being quite beautiful on someone else, but I'm going to have to chase the mouse from my house!

[stefrand]

ITI: Wow, that's pretty sweet. Rather strong. I can smell the vanilla and the sandalwood. I am not really picking up the sweet pea.

 

Wet: Smells like the imp. The sandalwood is popping out, its woodiness tempered by the vanilla. I like it.

 

Dry: Wow. Wow...this is....so good. It is soft and sweet and dry, with a touch of floral.

 

Drydown: I cannot stop smelling myself. I CANNOT STOP. I love this! Can I say it too much? Love love love. OMG I smell good. I could see myself wearing it all the time. The sandalwood note keeps it from being too girly. The vanilla keeps it sweet, but it isn't cloying. The sweet pea adds a touch of delicate femininity, and the amber is anchoring it all and keeping it warm and light. Love.

 

Final Thoughts: Need. Bottle. Now.

Edited December 7, 2008 by Stef

[ephemera]

Let me start by saying that I love Antique Lace, but I decided ages ago that it's best when it's aged some.

 

This is aged Antique Lace on my skin. I don't know what it is, exactly, but on my skin this scent is immediately rich, creamy, honey-and-vanilla smelling with just a light hint of something floral - probably the sweet pea - to keep it from being unrelentingly sicky-sweet. In the bottle I thought this was soo floral, but the red-hot second it hits my skin it's perfect.

 

I might need a bottle of this!!

 

Later edit: I have found that this has zero staying power on me, and if left for too long it turns to powder. I'm fence-sitting on if this scent is gorgeous enough to buy a bottle and carry for frequent reapplications or not.

Edited February 26, 2009 by ephemera

[jehrichardson]

Oh, now this is a good one!

 

It's like O, but softer and sweeter where O is a bit sharper and brighter. It's extremely well blended, and sexy as all git' out.

 

On the bottle list with this one!!

[Andrea912]

Imp: vanilla sweet pea and amber; no sandalwood; I don't like amber but this is nice...

 

Wet: mostly vanilla and amber; nice and golden and creamy

[KassiK]

For a Vanilla scent, this has got to be the best one I've tried yet from the salon. It's warming, not too incency, almost sparkles and with the sandalwood almost smells like vanilla spice cake in the background with some warmth and incense in the foreground. It's creamy, but not too creamy.

 

However, Vanilla gives me a headache; always has; and so I unfortunately can't hold onto this, but I'll be very happy to gift it to one of my friends who can appreciate the scent. It really is very lovely.

[AnArtfuldodger]

In the imp: I thought that this scent was ever so sweet and calm in the imp. I could smell slight flowers, but they weren't overpowering (which is amazing for me, since almost anything floral except for lavender and rose smells like dime store perfume to me -- ugh) at all.

 

On my wrist wet: Oh, this is lovely! It's so quiet and...and.....WHERE DID IT GO? *slathers on more than a drop* Ahh, that's nice and sweet and........and.........*sniffle sniffle* WHERE DID IT GO?

 

This is lovely and quiet for someone who would like the barest, barest hint of a flowery perfume, but nothing more. After five seconds, it all but vanishes on me, leaving only the tiniest trace of ever being there at all. It's a pity, since if it stayed longer, I'd buy a bottle! Alas, I'll be swapping the imp away, as I wear this stuff so I can smell it myself sometimes too! *siigh* I think it's the sweet pea. It's a naturally faint scent, but it's just a bit *too* faint even for me

 

But if you're looking for something ever, ever so faint and non-overpowering, this is the scent for you.

Edited December 29, 2008 by AnArtfuldodger

[Yoginispirit]

Wow!!! I am in

 

The first time I tried this I got an EXTREME headache but that could just be because I tried on about six other scents at the same time

 

Anyhow- this is a beautiful scent! The sweet pea amps like crazy on me but there's something else that smells like incense- the sandlewood I imagine. Then the soft vanilla joins the sweet pea and turns into the sweetest pink scent with just a hint of tang and powder.

 

When the scents all blend together when dry it reminds me of an Alice In Wonderland incense I used to burn when I was in highschool.

 

Final thoughts: this is a beautiful, girly scent with a kick. It sweet enough to make my teeth ache ( in a good way though!) but not overpowering. I get very good throw with this and it seems to be pretty long wearing.

Edited December 30, 2008 by Yoginispirit

[rayvn1]

Sweet, soft vanilla with the faintest touch of floral. No amber or sandalwood yet.

 

After about half an hour the vanilla gets richer when the amber kicks in. Pale, sweet fragrance with minimal throw.

 

Edit because I accidentally erased most of my review - oops.

Edited January 20, 2009 by rayvn1

[papermaker]

This reminds me of antique lace. It is vanilla and amber that blend to a nice creamy scent. I get little sweet pea, but once dry there is a little sandlewood.

I like this for a nice vanilla scent

[kjirstiben]

In the bottle, this is gorgeously vanilla. On my skin, though, the floral comes out immediately and strongly and for a while seems to be trying to fight vanilla in a battle to the death.

 

In a half hour or so, a slightly scorched sour smell emerges (my skin chemistry's take on many sweet scents that it doesn't approve of) and I wonder if it's the sandalwood or sweet pea that's causing the problem here… But I'm afraid that it might be the vanilla itself (I'm having issues with some vanilla notes, it would seem).

 

This never quite got there--it was always a bit plasticky on my skin. I think I'll try it in a locket because I really did love its scent in the bottle!

 

Recaplet: Plasticky fight-to-the-death between sweet pea and vanilla.

My rating: 1 of 5 (I'm not fond of it.) … with potential to change if it works in a locket or my hair.

Color impression: Creamy ivory.

[PersephonesChild]

This is the most popular and accessible blend that I have a bottle of-- mostly because we were at the Chapel Hill Whole Foods smelling things, and my boyfriend said he liked it. It gets amazing responses, though-- this may be one of the bpals that gets me the most attention, right up there with Bilquis and Cockaigne.

 

I like it for the sandalwood. It's definitely white sandalwood-- not so gritty and red sandalwood, but smoky and present. The vanilla sweetens the blend and works well with the sandalwood, and the sweet pea adds a clean, slightly soapy feeling when I first apply the oil. I really don't get any amber at all, so it must mostly hold the blend together. This is good, though, because amber and I don't really get along.

 

Finally, I want to say that although this is a gentle blend, it has incredible throw. Seriously, I don't have another bpal quite like it-- you could smell me from across the room.

 

I wear this when I want sandalwood, but not the rough, dirty feeling I get from Belle Epoque.

[anomie]

In the imp, the only thing I get is sweet pea. Weird. It's almost got a fruity quality to it. There's very little change when it's wet, maybe a hint of vanilla.

 

But dry? The vanilla and amber have wrapped around the sweet pea and gilded it, and the barest hint of sandalwood has grounded it. I wish it were a little stronger, but otherwise it's lovely.

[CynicalPink]

Imp: Wow that's sweet. Maybe even too sweet, even for me! It smells a bit like every "country crafty" store I've ever been dragged in to by my mom

 

Wet: Sweet Pea. That's it, really.

 

Drydown: Okay this was *so* subtle that I actually had to put more on in order to get any kind of actual scent. I think I can find a little vanilla but...really it just smells like Sweet Pea

 

Overall: I really enjoy a nice sweet pea scent. Aeval is one of my favorites, but this one just comes off so subtle that I can't smell it at all. When I put my nose to my wrist, I can smell vanilla there to keep it from getting soapy, but I can't find the amber at all. Not bad though. Just a little forgettable on me.

[jencallisto]

In the imp: Creamy-sweet.

Fresh on the skin: Creamy-sweet with a round, luscious base. And is that... ozone? Maybe it's the amber.

30 minutes later: This smells mostly of sweet warm soap, probably from the amber.

1 hour later: Uck. Yeah, sort of a soap-deodorant thing. Not good on me.

2 hours alter: Wow, this gets worse and worse.

 

Verdict: Started out okay, progressed to more and more Not Okay.

 

One word: Deodorant.

 

[catatonic1242]

In the bottle: Sweet and light, mostly floral with maybe a wee bit of vanilla in the very background.

 

On, wet: Still sweet, though the sandalwood is more prominent and the vanilla has vanished.

 

On, dry: Weird, powdery deodorant. No vanilla at all, which is disappointing -- I honestly feel like I wiped my wrists and neck with a baby wipe.

 

4-1/2 hours later: The scent is only apparent when I hold my wrist right up to my nose, which is good, because I didn't like the dry-down on this at all. One for the swap pile.

[amandette]

In the imp, this smelled so good and warm and sweet. But after I put it on, it turned into freshly powdered baby butt! I mean, a really fabulous and expensive baby powder...still, it was too powdery. I was really hoping I could wear this. Maybe I'll use it as a room scent.

[asciident]

Wet: Fruit and spices. Maybe that's the amber or sandalwood?

 

First on: Unchanged.

 

Dry: Unchanged. It smells ok, but I don't think I'd wear it much.

[meatcake]

I'm so happy to have received this as a free imp with my last order. The vanilla and sandalwood blend beautifully together into something very foodie and slightly musky. I don't know what sweetpea smells like, so I can't really say if it shows up in the blend or not.

 

It's a very pretty blend, good for everyday usage.