Floral Recs for those who usually don't like florals

[stillalive]

The florals that worked on me were The Brides of Dracula, Wings of Azrael, Lucy's Kiss, Viola, and... uh... that might be it, but I'm sure there were more.

[ivyandpeony]

I'm looking for some recommendations of florals.. I'm not really good at picking out notes yet, but

 

I usually wear: Bastet, O, Snake Oil, Mouse's Long & Sad Tale

 

I also like: Black Lotus, Hollywood Babylon

 

I'm looking for scents similar to : 51, Pele

 

I didn't like: Amsterdam, Belle Epoque, Xiutecuhtli

 

Anyone got any ideas?

 

If you like Pele, definitely try Hi'aka. They are beautiful white-floral cousins. Siren might work on you, there's the white ginger flower from Pele in there with some jasmine and sweet apricot. Marcilla, from the CD collection, is a gorgeous floral with sweet notes and fruit that you might like too.

 

Although how floral it gets will depend on your chemistry, Aeval could be nice - the sweet pea (which is in Mouse) made me think that.

 

Desdemona has sweet pea, but if the watery quality of Amsterdam is what you didn't like, you may end up not liking it. Juliet, however, doesn't have any watery notes and works for lots of people, even makes floral lovers out of floral haters sometimes! (the notes are sweet pea with stargazer lily, calla lily, heliotrope, honeysuckle, white musk and a touch of fresh pear.)

 

I'd also suggest Titania for you - it has a cool, sweet fruity quality like 51 and also shares that sweet pea note with Mouse.

[Molls]

Those sound great, thank you! I can't wait to try Titania & Hi'iaka... and I'll get to the rest of those recs sooner or later, lol - I put them on my list

[Jennie]

Of those I've tried I'd absolutely say Titania. Found it very girly and cute, and I liked it really much, though I'm not usually into flower-fragrances (but so it was the first BPAL flower-fragrance I've tried).

[Miss Lynx]

The best floral-but-not scent that I've found lately has been The Blasphemare Reliquary, from Carnival Diabolique Act V. Roses over dark ritual/church incense, balanced just perfectly for even my floral-amping skin. The rose note is just present enough to sweeten and lighten the resins, but never takes over. Beautiful.

[Jess2316]

I like more floral scents...something feminine and light but NOT sweet. It seems like so many florals are sweet to me and headache inducing. I don't want to smell "girly" and "sweet". I want to be soft and pretty and grown up. It seems like I would like something that smells more like outside wildflowers or dried flowers or something. Something that you can smell sunshine and wind and leaves and stems and dirt in too. I want floral but something grounded and with some depth..not just flowers.

 

Any suggestions? I love lavendar and rose...I just tried The Raven and Whip last night and liked them both. I thought they'd be sweet but they weren't on me..in fact I accidently overlapped them on one wrist and that smelled really good too.

 

 

I'm not good at describing notes and scents and that kind of thing so any help would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

[ifinena]

<snip>

It seems like I would like something that smells more like outside wildflowers or dried flowers or something. Something that you can smell sunshine and wind and leaves and stems and dirt in too.

<snip>

 

The East from the Stardust series.

Here's the review topic :The East

It doesn't have dirt though.

Edited January 13, 2009 by ifinena

[Apple]

It sounds like some of these might be up your alley:

Arkham

(Picnic in Arkham) - A shadowy, unapproachable forest of maple, birch, dogwood, cypress and pine softened by a garland of New England wildflowers: bergamot, columbine, rue anemone, blue violet, creeping phlox, bloodroot, toadflax, and pixie moss.

 

Ephemera

(Bewitching Brews) - The scent of loss, love and the echo of time without end: sorrowful violet and chamomile with muguet, white geranium, calla lily and tea rose with a hint of autumn leaves.

 

Ode on Melancholy

(Bewitching Brews) - Lavender and wisteria, heart-wrenching pale rose, desolate white sandalwood and thin, tear-streaked white musk.

 

Ouija

(Bewitching Brews) - Rosewood, oak and teak notes with wispy blue lilac, tea rose, dried white rose and ethereal osmanthus.

 

Seance

(Bewitching Brews) - Dry, mellow rosewood, crushed rose leaf and the slightest touch of warm hazel.

 

Ulalume

(Bewitching Brews) - Starry white lilies lend an eerie brightness to the deep black wooded scents of cypress and oak, layered with a touch of crushed dried leaves and the faintest aquatic note.

You also might like some of the Ars Moriendi blends; they're mostly non-sweet florals. In particular, Zombi is rose and dirt/moss. The Illyria section also has a lot of floral scents - lighter, softer ones (although there's a handful of sweet florals in there, too). Maybe Queen Gertrude or Ophelia? Personally, I think Oberon is a very feminine scent, and the patchouli lends the slightest hint of earthiness to the blend that might give you a sense of dirt, while the bergamot (a citrus note) lends a splash of sunshine.

 

These are all general catalogue scents that are available as individual sample-sized "imps" from the Lab. A Salon scent (not available as an individual imp) to look into is:

Garden Path with Chickens

(The Salon) - Garden Path With Chickens, Gustav Klimt.

Damp grass, ivy leaves, morning glory, daisy, rose geranium, heliotrope, white gardenia, climbing roses, peppery nasturtium, phlox, begonia, verbena and sun-warmed herbs.

If you don't mind tracking down a decant of a past limited edition scent, you might enjoy:

The Passionate Shepherd to His Love

(2008 LE) - Heather, clover, Irish moss, English ivy, tea rose, and carnation.

You might want to stay away from scents that contain vanilla, benzoin, tonka, berries or other fruits, honey, and red musk. Those notes often contribute a sense of sweetness. Lotus goes sweet and bubblegum-like on a lot of people, so you might want to steer clear of that note for the moment, too.

 

Florals are not really my thing, but there are plenty of floral lovers here who I am sure will help out!

Edited January 14, 2009 by Apple

[kittycatpurr]

Also don't like the sweet stuff. And I thought I didn't like florals, but BPAL is all about the surprises. Anyway, the ones below are not sweet on me. Which is like a miracle.

 

Word up on the Zombi rec. That's a good way to learn real quick if you like BPAL's dirt note or not.

 

Also with Apple on Garden Path with Chickens -- big, lush and green, well worth checking out. My skin ate the grass, ivy and herbs, though. Left me with a barely-there floral.

 

More rose stuff: Rome (cypress, juniper, chamomile and rose.) I love how rose is a stealth operator in this. The cypress and juniper are spicy green without being sharp, the rose floats up and is beautiful, while the chamomile keeps everything civilized.

 

On the pretty side: Maiden (white tea, carnation and Damask Rose) is my favorite rose scent right now. I'm getting compliments all the time. The white tea keeps the florals from being goofy. It's both quiet and long-lasting, and as you say, soft and pretty and grown-up all at once.

[Dark Alice]

e pluribus unum.....very green pretty floral

[annaham]

Egle might work--it has Hyacinth, but it seems to be a very sharp note, and the jasmine and salt water notes balance it out nicely.

 

[GeorgeJr]

You might want to try a imp of Gauko . While it's not exactly lite , it isn't very sweet either . Yet it is quite floral . Here's the Lab's description .

Blackened sandalwood and misty lavender, with curling wisps of smoky tobacco, nag champa, and labdanum.

I honestly don't get the sandalwood so much , but there is something dark under the floral there . It's one of the few florals I've tried that I think I can wear .

[eleventhousand]

psyche might be perfect:

Bulgar rose, Chinese white musk, lavender, orchid and frankincense.

sooooo regal/womanly and not sweet at all.

[alterosen]

The LE Rose Red is one of the least sweetest rose scents.

It's very intensely rose & has a distinct earthiness that evokes stems & leaves.

You should be able to find a decant easily since it's been available the last couple of Yules

 

A good general catalogue equivalent would be The Rose from the Marchen section.

While not as intense or long lasting, I find it quite similar.

 

I liked the dandelion note when I tried Roadhouse - green but not too sharp.

 

Fairy Market is an interesting floral with hints of fruit & greenery. The candy doesn't make much of an appearance.

 

Other than that, I'm not much help cause I like a fair bit of sweetness!

[jizatt]

Ok I'm looking for a floral to love. I don't like rose really, and definitely not violet. I don't want a fruity floral, but I'm okay with watery. I want something light, not cloying or heavy. (I love Defututa, but it doesn't match my desires here). I thought I loved Lune Noire, but its not working on me right now. I did the East, but traded it off for some reason. I have some florals, but they are too heavy for what I'm craving right now. I want almost ethereal, without treading into old fashioned.

 

(basically I'm potentially moving somewhere very very hot and would like to find a light floral that will still be pleasing!)

Edited January 20, 2010 by CaudaPavonis

[hkhm]

perhaps dirty? it's very light, almost a feel of floral without actually being one.

[sqwook]

Try Mag Mell - it's wonderful! (Is it even floral? um... well, if it's not, then forgive me...) I really like Maiden for hot weather and I don't get rose from it at all - I cannot wear rose. And Yvaine is always mentioned when the world ethereal comes up, so I'll put that out there now. Bat-Woman would be beautiful if you can find it. Fairy Market might be another good option, much sweeter though.

[jizatt]

Ok I'm looking for a floral to love. I don't like rose really, and definitely not violet. I don't want a fruity floral, but I'm okay with watery. I want something light, not cloying or heavy. (I love Defututa, but it doesn't match my desires here). I thought I loved Lune Noire, but its not working on me right now. I did the East, but traded it off for some reason. I have some florals, but they are too heavy for what I'm craving right now. I want almost ethereal, without treading into old fashioned.

 

(basically I'm potentially moving somewhere very very hot and would like to find a light floral that will still be pleasing!)

 

retesting a bit of what I had, so I knew I at least liked it -- Eros is close to what I'm wanting, and maybe Leanan Sidhe -- any further suggestions from

there?

 

(eta: Eros wet, but not Eros dry)

Edited January 22, 2010 by CaudaPavonis

[fiddledragon]

Ok I'm looking for a floral to love. I don't like rose really, and definitely not violet. I don't want a fruity floral, but I'm okay with watery. I want something light, not cloying or heavy. (I love Defututa, but it doesn't match my desires here). I thought I loved Lune Noire, but its not working on me right now. I did the East, but traded it off for some reason. I have some florals, but they are too heavy for what I'm craving right now. I want almost ethereal, without treading into old fashioned.

 

(basically I'm potentially moving somewhere very very hot and would like to find a light floral that will still be pleasing!)

 

Amsterdam is a lovely light fresh floral scent. The tulip note is gorgeous!

[Molls]

Well, my scent-sibling... when I'm in the mood for a light floral, I reach for Schlafende Baigneuse, but it does have rose in it, although I wouldn't really consider it a "rose-y" scent. Fairy Market is another one I like for that kind of "feel", but I haven't worn it in awhile. Vasilissa is another pretty one. Hmmm, I'll keep thinking...

[hkhm]

Amsterdam is a lovely light fresh floral scent. The tulip note is gorgeous!

 

very true. i'm this close to buying a bottle of it.

 

i was also thinking kitsune-tsuki or unicorn might be good light florals. i have bottles of both but only seem to wear them in the summertime.

 

[lookingglass]

My light florals (and I don't love florals) are Inez and Ouija. Fae is almost floral, but it more fruity/musky. Witch Queen is my spicy floral.

Edited January 23, 2010 by lookingglass

[captainecchi]

I've been thinking about this lately, because I'm very picky with florals. A lot of notes like rose and gardenia amp up to something dreadful on me (see Mata Hari, Sacred Whore of Babylon); and there's also the dreaded "I smell just like my mom's perfume" smell. (Shadow Witch Orchid and Opium Poppy come to mind).

 

But I do like to have summery scents! And right now the only one I really have is Nemesis, which I'm surprised hasn't been mentioned on this thread yet! Its stated notes are "Cypress, ginger, fig, dried rose, red patchouli, tonka bean and cyclamen," so it's really a surprise that it works on me, because 1) rose and 2) patchouli. But to me it has a wonderful fresh, aquatic smell to it, like walking under a waterfall, or into a room where someone's been showering.

 

I also like Ultraviolet (violet and mint) and should really pick up a bottle one of these days.

 

And I'm scolding myself for trading away Amsterdam.

[kohimame]

I'm in desperate search for a specific floral, so maybe someone on here will be able to give me some recs

 

I'm specifically looking for a white floral that won't go to soap on me. A few months ago, I got an imp of Eternal in the mail. When I sniffed it in the imp and tested it, it smelled wonderful. It was light, fragrant, and lush. Then it dried and turned to Ivory soap. I tried Nyx, and it did the same thing, though it didn't smell as good in the imp.

 

There's a bunch of random scents in Eternal, so it's hard for me to pinpoint what went wrong in there, so I was wondering if anyone has the same issue I have with white florals going soapy, and if they found anything that worked on them.

 

Thank you

[divaberry]

Hi, Forum :-) Hope I'm in the right place.... I’m looking for a light feminine floral. This has been covered before, but I hope I can have some help with my “floral, but not…” specifics.

 

I’d like a floral WITHOUT any musk, vanilla, incense, or darkness. I amp musk and vanilla like crazy, and they always make things richer and more masculine on me, not what I’m looking for.

 

Also, Alice was a disaster on me, so I think I should avoid carnation, which means some of the most popular florals, like Maiden, are out. Rose does work on me, and I love The Rose, but I’d like to branch out a bit.

 

Any ideas??? (Thanks in advance!)