Melisande, The Puppet Mistress

[LadyCrow]

Jasmine sambac, dark musk, violet water, vanilla bean and mimosa.

I had to look up "sambac," because it confused me: I thought vaguely that "sambac" was a type of deer. (It isn't. That's sambar. Ah, Scrabble.) It's good to know that other perfumers call the same jasmine "pikaki," and that it's the jasmine used to flavor tea; that helps explain how it can be so strong in Melisande without being sickly.

Wet: Jasmine! Jasmine! Jasmine! Ooh, and there's some violet.

Drydown: Here comes the violet, sweetened by the vanilla and made powdery by what I can only assume is the musk. Unusual throw -- normally, flowers run and hide the minute they meet my skin. It gives me Faith. (No, seriously. Now I want to try Faith, the Siamese Twin.) Maybe that's what the musk is for here, because I don't smell it much: amping the flowers.

I like this a lot more than I do most florals (e.g. Queen Mab), but for me, there's not a lot of competition in this scent category. Melisande is strong and bold enough that I would have to want to smell like Jasmine! and Violets! very strongly, and I'm not sure I want that enough. After a little while, it's like sitting under a flower bush, and it gets a bit overwhelming. Ultimately, for me personally, this is in the category of very nice scents I just wouldn't wear that often. Edited August 4, 2008 by Shollin
fixed BPAL tags --Shollin

[Lavada]

Unapplied: Oh, I do declare! A wonderful disarray of musky florals. This is her essence, the wavering mirage. I would have no qualms whatsoever if this did not morph at all on my skin. On the label (I am hopeless, HOPELESS, at this imp-opening business) it smells much sweeter... the vanilla bean, I assume. I must have brushed the wand against my scarf somewhat, because it has that vanilla-y scent as well.

 

Wet: Ahh. My beloved jasmine. This is morphing but, so far, for the better... and much darker. The musk keeps this from going "WHEE. CRAZY FLORALS HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY'RE DOING.". The jasmine falls from centre stage quickly, at least the jasmine I know, and this now leaves me ensared in curiosity; what is it now? Violets, perhaps? It is sweet, but not the sweet of my scarf. Very... alluring sweet.

 

Dry: Musky. Powdery. Sweet. Floral. In that order. As time goes, 'powdery' will dominate 'musky'. I don't mind it, but I do miss the very first sniff. I miss my jasmine. It was all so fast - all of this within an hour and a half.

 

Throw: I can smell it throughout the day, and that's all that matters to me .

 

Verdict: A bottle perhaps, before the Carnival ends, even if it does not blow me away; something to wear everyday, no matter what the weather (it smells light enough for summer, yet complex enough for winter). If and when I offer my arm to my nearest and dearest, they assure that I have 'nice-but-not-jump-worthy-smell'. Which is good.

 

I must wander deeper into the BPAL phenomenon, barrage my olfactory chemoreceptors with more more MORE...

[cvelis]

In the vial:

Jasmine!

 

On me:

Before it dries all I can smell is this a very very strong jasmine scent. WOW. Ok, now the jasmine has settled a little bit and here comes little bit of musk and maybe little bit of violets. I don't smell much vanilla bean or mimosa which makes me sad.

 

Final verdict:

This is a lovely jasmine scent for the jasmine lovers. For me, I would have liked to see more of the mimosa and vanilla.

[doganddoobie]

Ever tried Lucky Chic's Mimosa, Jasmine and Violet scent? This is that with MORE POWER!

 

It isn't what I was expecting. I think I was expecting something fuzzy, subtle, and dark, but Melisande is strong ,bright, loud and very purple. Forget you ever heard the phrase "shrinking violet!"

 

I like this, but it's not the sort of thing I can wear every day. It's a "notice me" sort of scent

[Chrysantza]

Wet: Very sweet, strong jasmine to the pepsi max.

 

Dry: Still jasmine but a lot more complex - the violet comes in and the musk and vanilla anchor it. I really like this blend.

[alicia_stardust]

I get oodles of jasmine, then a touch of dusky violet and a comforting envelope of vanilla. This is sweet and pleasant, sensual, romantic. I really like this but my skin doesn't deal well with jasmine and it turns it to ick. This is one that I wish I could pull of but I simply can't. I am so glad I have a scent locket, though!

[funkmoppet]

In an effort to try as many Carnaval blends as I can, I gave Melisande a go.

 

Yes, it's BIG jasmine, which I don't like, and it dominates. Sticking it out for the sake of violets, I'm fleetingly rewarded by them behind the jasmine on the dry down. The musk is barely noticeable.

 

Dry, the florals are powdery. The musk is now dusty, and it's taken on a bit of a grandma's bath-cubes flavour. Shame, as the jasmine finally settles down at this point, but overall, it's not for me.

[Delirium1009]

This smells very perfume-y… I can smell jasmine and some very heavy musk. There’s really no vanilla bean warming it up on my skin at all or adding a creamy note. It’s rather simple and smells like old lady perfume on me, even after fading for a few hours.

[cinderfallen]

It's a musky jasmine with the smoothness of violet, and the familiar vanilla sweet note from Khajuraho. Very similar in overall tone, in fact. Smells like edible creamy flowers, and more of what I expected Faith (violet twin, yes?) to smell like.

 

And just figured out why it smells edible: violet candies and jasmine tea candy, slightly darkened. That's what this perfume smells like.

 

On drydown, the violet takes over quite a bit, tempered by the mimosa. It's almost a dry scent in comparison to it in its wet stage.

Edited August 27, 2007 by cinderfallen

[mspixieears]

What a heavenly floral! Wet I get the musk then gradually the violet and jasmine, and hints of the mimosa and maybe even the vanilla bean – not sure though on that last note. I do think the vanilla bean softens the composition overall. Beautiful for spring and summer I think. I’m so glad I have a bottle of this. As it dries the musk permeates a little more, making it a warm woodsy floral whereas at the beginning it’s a much fresher floral.

[crimescenecleanup]

'composes herself and tries not to squeek and jump up and down with glee like a hyper 5-year old at a birthday party who just snorted a pixie stick'

 

A few weeks ago, I got this terrible urge to try "Melisande" in my search for a wearable floral. I just had a feeling that against all odds this one would work on me, and it did.

 

These Carnival Diabolique scents are so beautifully blended and well-balanced. The violet water is the predominant note on me, a very true, fresh, cool floral that's not sweet in the least.

 

It's perfectly balanced by the mimosa, which smells just like real mimosa blossoms in the height of bloom, sharp, tart, and slightly bitter and somewhat akin to grapefruit or spilled champagne.

 

The vanilla starts to come through a few seconds after the florals, thick and husky and rich. This is an herbal vanilla more than a sugared, foody vanilla. It gives this scent a richness and depth, and makes it deeply sexy.

 

Finally, hints of jasmine sambac waft up over the other notes. this isn't an in-your-face floral jasmine, like I'm used to getting, but a really subtle kiss of jasmine, like walking by a jasmine vine on a summer night night when it's blooming, or the scent wafting up from jasmine tea when you pour the hot water on it.

 

This is a light scent with enough throw and lasting power to balance out it's subtle nature.

 

To sum up: This is a very grown-up scent - an exotic floral without a hint of sweetness.

The violet water base makes me imagine a very striking and dark-haired Victorian beauty wearing this, and the boozy mimosa, vanilla, and jasmine make me think she's up to absolutely no good. : )

 

But maybe that's just because I've read Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel series a number of times, and the name Melisande always conjures up images of a striking, dark-haired beauty who is up to no good.

[LadyMedb]

Melisande is a beautiful candied jasmine, gentle and sweet, with a slight rich hint of mimosa. It's powdery-soft (but not baby powderish), gorgeously blended, and just a tiny bit musky to give it a hint of sharpness and throw. It's beautiful in every way - I can't see how anyone would dislike it. I've heard it compared to LUSH's Silky Underwear, and that's basically true, but Melisande is a bit more mysterious and complex - possibly the best jasmine the Lab has ever produced!

Edited December 4, 2007 by LadyMedb

[grashopper8]

This is heavenly!

 

I'm a huge jasmine fan, and when I read the list of notes for Melisande, I knew I had to try her out. I bought a bottle unsniffed off ebay, and I have not been disappointed!

 

I would definitely call this a powdery floral, but I'll chime in saying it's not a baby-powder scent.

 

The violet burns off pretty quickly, but the jasmine sticks around. It took a little drydown for the mimosa to come out, and it is super-soft and gentle. Just lovely! I don't get much vanilla or musk, but I'm sure they're working to balance this blend and smooth it out. Honestly, there's something about this scent that is making me think "incense." It's just a shade dark, I guess.

 

I knew it would be impossible for me to be anything less than thrilled about Melisande. Great floral blend, right up my alley!

 

4.7 out of 5

 

ETA: Melisande has squeezed her way into my BPAL top ten...and is making a good case for landing in my top five. Exquisite. Every note is a favorite of mine, and they blend together like the intense harmony of a perfectly tuned orchestra. I swear it makes my bones vibrate. I don't know if one bottle will be enough...

Edited December 13, 2007 by AEris

[SarahScent44]

In imp: mmmm, a truly beautiful blend of jasmine & violet.

 

On my skin, it's warm and sweet - jasmine, violet, mimosa.

 

When it dries, the jasmine comes way out and turns to powder.

[beachbabealways]

A kind soul set me a empty bottle of this with enough to test in it.

All I get in this is Jasmine ... none of the other notes. It is a soft sweet jasmine and it's really pretty. I have several oils with jasmine already so I won't be buying a bottle of the Puppet Mistress.

[bryghtrose]

Jasmine sambac is fabulous. It's jasmine and green, and mainly, just very sexy.

In the bottle this Melisande is jasmine and vanilla, but on my skin it becomes smoky, musky, sexy, rich,green jasmine, with lots and lots of depth. I love it.

[taramarie]

On me, Melisande is bold jasmine and shy violet. I love her -- she's so feminine and pretty. I plan on stocking up and recommending her to a few friends.

[pinkstardust420]

At first I didn't like this. It starts out as a powdery slightly sharp floral.....I smell the jasmine, a touch of violet and dark musk first. Meh. But....OH! My! GOD! After about 5 minutes, it turns into this deliciously sweet, violet/strong vanilla/mimosa blend, with the musk still peeking in the backround. A gorgeous scent! Love how the vanilla (my favorite scent ever) comes out as the dominant note on me in the end! Bellisimo!

[coldandsleepy]

In the bottle: jasmine and a bit of the black musk. Smells nice. I'm surprised by how tame the jasmine smells.

 

On me, wet: oh, huh. Here comes the violet. I'm getting mainly violet and a bit of jasmine, with just a little musk around the edges.

 

On me, dry: to my sadness, the violet really recedes as this dries and the musk steps up to take its place. It's still not overwhelmingly musky, though, which i'm glad for. The vanilla also shows up, but in a very tame, subtle fashion; it reminds me of the vanilla note in The Ragged Wood. The dominant smell at this point is the jasmine.

 

Throw and duration: throw's about average. Duration's a bit shorter on me than many blends-- i get about four hours out of this.

 

Overall: To be honest, i picked up a partial of this in order to give it to my older sister, because it has several notes she really likes in it (jasmine, vanilla, musk). These notes are basically the anti-me, especially the vanilla. So i was expecting to basically hate this.

 

But i'm surprised and pleased to say that Melisande is really pleasant on me. It's much, much mellower than i expected it to be. It's not too sweet, or too sharp, or too anything. Really well blended. And i'm happy to say that the vanilla barely makes an appearance on me.

 

Still probably going to give the partial to my sister, but maybe i'll decant a half an imp or so to keep for myself. It's really quite nice.

[arabella]

First Impression: Jasmine.

 

Dries down to: Jasmine and a bit of violet.

 

Additional Comments: This is a sexy, sultry blend. I've grown quite fond of jasmine and it's at its best here. Violet is one of my favorite notes and it complements jasmine beautifully here. The other notes serve as supporting players. This is one of my favorites of this series, so far.

 

Lasted: A few hours.

 

Rating: 4 out of 5.

[chibirisuchan]

From the description, I ought to love this.

 

I really, really wish I could like this. Heck, I wish I could stand it.

 

I LOVE jasmine. I have a night-blooming jasmine plant that I adore. I love jasmine tea.

 

But whatever it is I get from this, it hasn't got anything at all to do with the scent of my jasmine plant or jasmine tea -- it smells like rancid b. o. somehow, which I'm guessing must be related to the "dark musk" interacting with the jasmine? ;_;

 

The only thing I've ever smelled that's put me off in a similar way is Kitsune-tsuki, which also has the jasmine and musk combination in it, so I'm starting to narrow down the source of the "omg ew" notes to me.

 

But I really, really hope it's something to do with the jasmine-musk combination, and not with the particular jasmine oil that gets used, because like I mentioned jasmine and I are buddies and I'd love to be able to find a perfume that actually smelled like my plant's flowers....

[alsatia]

Expectations: Probably not going to turn out too well. The sweeter florals tend to go all chemical on me. I want it to work though, as the individual notes are nice when not on my skin.

 

In vial: Oh yeah, those are the flowers that don't like me. I suppose I'll be foolish to hope that they'll work just this once. But maybe the musk and vanilla can keep them in check.

 

On skin, wet: Jasmine, violet, and leafy green scent.

 

On skin, dry: Sweet flowers, a little bit chemical but not nearly as much as usual. I am, however, getting a hint of a headache and I don't know whether this scent is to blame.

 

After time: I've only had this on for 5 minutes and it already feels like half an hour. The leafy scent comes and goes...right now it's pretty strong. Jasmine is the predominant scent though.

 

Conclusion: I do like the scent, but I'm really desperate to wash it off and hope that my head stops hurting. If there's any chance this is giving me a headache, I can't wear it anyway as I live with someone who's highly sensitive to odors.

[nappunkitty]

I was really unsure about most of Act II, but, determined to try most of the Carnaval before it leaves town, Melisande made it on to my requested decants list. I was apprehensive when I received it--there's a floral with herbs (almost medicinal) smell straight from the imp. I tried some on, and it smelled about the same. Sharp floral and green, with something darker underneath. Oh, well, I thought--another one to pass on to swaps. So I started fixing dinner. And about the time I finished up--maybe 15-20 mins later, I smelled something sweet and creamy and slightly floral and HEAVENLY. And it was me. I sniffed the appropriate forearm to make sure--several times. On me this turns mostly vanilla, but not terribly foody--much like the vanilla note (which may or may not be vanilla, lol) in Mme Moriarty. It's darkened by the musk, and although I can't distinguish the florals, I'm assuming they're what keeps this from feeling heavy. This is interesting, since normally I amp jasmine (couldn't keep the Presence of Love--too much jasmine gave me a headache!). I'm going to put this on again Friday when the hubby comes home, but this is almost definitely a bottle scent--and I'm not giving up my decant in the mean time!

[twilighteyes]

This was another surprise! All jasmine and violet. I don't normally like violet but somehow this one doesn't make my nose hurt. And the jasmine... lovely!!!

 

Sadly I don't really wear florals very often, but I want to try pairing this with Flying Fox and maybe Mead Moon.

[alexandra]

In the bottle: Soft jasmine, far softer than expected.

 

Wet: Smells just like Lush's Flying Fox, which I do like, for a few minutes then smooths out into a sweet, soft jasmine.

 

Dry: The jasmine is so soft and lovely. Then there is the diaphanous underpinning of violet, the warm sweetness of vanilla bean, a breeze of mimosa, a sobriety of musk. It is grown-up, almost sad, and definitely sophisticated.

 

And?...Once it gets past the Lush stage then I love it. It is such a surprisingly soft blend, although the throw is quite good. All the usual edges of jasmine and violet are folded in on themselves, and smoothed: a blankie for grown-ups. Understated sexiness. Another bottle perhaps.