Ultraviolet

[SyringaVulgaris]

Electrifying, mechanized and chilly -- the scent of crushed blooms strewn on cold metal. Lush violet and neroli spiked hard with eucalyptus and a sliver of mint.

Purple Neon.

Absolutely correct about the metal...but silver, not steel. Industrial vs. gothic.

It is bright and sharp, but the violet softens it just a little...a sheathed scalpel.

I can see why this could be an off-putting combination to many, because the combination is so unusual, but I think it's glorious. The polar aspects of the scents create an invigorating tension.

It's as if an aural spotlight is shining on me when I wear it...ultraviolet on the scent spectrum.

I love the winter, and to me, though it contains a soft floral, this scent is COLD...there is no Spring feel of buds bursting and birds singing -- this is night, a freezing shot of vodka (mint/eucalyptus) while you're hitting on the bartender (violet.) The bar surface is, of course, metal.

(Does this make any sense?)

[Cedar]

I haven't a clue as to how the Lab made this smell like winter, but it absolutely does. The violet and eucalyptus blend beautifully in the bottle, but the violet comes through more on my wrist. I love sharp, cold scents and this one did not disappoint. Don't laugh, but this goes with my personality: I'm a black-haired emaciated goth in a blonde, blue-eyed curvy prep's body. The violet mellows the sharpness and works more with my closet full of pink sweaters, but the mint keeps me on edge. Definitely will buy again.

[Rheliwen]

This one makes me hungry for some reason. I want lots and lots of candy

 

Wet: This is bursting with mint and eucalyptus. It's very nose clearing. The violets are playing in the background now. It's very electric with all this sharp mintiness floating around.

 

Dry: The eucalyptus has died down but the mint has stayed, which is great in my opinion. It ends up balancing with the violets much better. I don't really know what neroli smells like so I can't detect it. The combo of mint and violet creats a candy powder feeling. I am thinking of those pink candies that taste like pepto bismol (but instead of pink here we get purple ones). It almost smells like lavendar and is a bit like Ahathoor and Temple of Dreams.

 

When I think of this scent I think of a busy city with neon lights, zooming cars and technology everywhere...the city of the future in all those sci-fi movies. I could see Angelina Jolie wearing this in her breakout movie, Hackers . It's very cyber-chick to me and makes me want to listen to Underworld.

 

EDIT: Ok I take back the pepto bismol candy part. I thought that was the candy, but it's really those wafer chalk candies that you get in a roll about 6 inches long. The candy is about 1" in diameter and has this purple one that always reminded me of flowers as I ate it. I wish I knew the name of the candy, but it's an old classic. This smells exactly like the purple wafer candy.

Edited January 7, 2005 by Rheliwen

[Falathwen]

This scent was a gift imp from the lab and a great "pick me up" after staying up too late talking. When first applied, it was a rush of head-clearing mint and eucalyptus with a floral background. It took a minute or two for the florals to distinguish themselves, but once they did I noticed that violet and neroli were quite lovely together. Strangely, at this stage I felt like I was wearing two blends, with the mint/eucalyptus and neroli/violet seeming quite independent of each other. The closest analogy I can make was that it was like washing up with fine soap and cool water…very refreshing. I use eucalyptus regularly for medicinal purposes, so it was strange to experience it as a perfume. As the blend dried down, the violet became the prominent note on my skin. It was light and powdery at this stage. This blend lasted at least a couple of hours.

Edited January 19, 2005 by Falathwen

[closedacct]

I did not expect to love this. Actually, I was kinda afraid to try it because of the eucalyptus. Eucalyptus has a way of making itsself the only thing I can smell when I use it in a blend. Not so with this. Swiped it on my wrists and collarbones....Brrrr...very mint, very icy.....POW...blast of eucalyptus.....Mmmmm...then quietly, the violets creep out. And OMFG, what violets are these? They smell exactly like the little violets that grew wild in my yard in Michigan. Perfect! This scent is uplifting, I can't help but be in a good mood when i wear it!

 

I am definately getting a 10 ml. Oh. Fucking. Yeah.

[tinyvulture]

In the bottle, this smelled so wonderful. Minty, metallic, invigorating. It stayed that way for about two minutes after I applied it to my skin. Then, sadly, it turned flowery, powdery and old lady-ish. I washed it off and tried it again later but the same reaction occurred. The minty scent that is so strong in the bottle completely disappears on me, so I guess I will try to swap it out for something that agrees with my body chemistry.

[tempete]

Not being a huge fan of mint or eucalyptus, I didn't think that I would like Ultraviolet, but these notes just seem to add a brightness that's not too sharp to the lush background of violet and neroli. Wearing Ultraviolet makes me feel really alert and aware. I am definitely holding onto my imp and I will consider getting a bottle. Kudos to the Lab for throwing this as a freebie into my last order!

[feline.by.design]

Ultraviolet was a freebie from the Lab. I've had it for ages, but lately I've been on a kick to try out sniffies I've been sort of sitting on.

 

On my skin, Ultraviolet smells like violet bubble bath. The oil gives of a very clean floral fragrance that's just a smidge sweet. As it dries, Ultraviolet warms up a little, but still smells bubbley.

 

All in all, I like the fragrance, however I don't know if this will be something I would wear often. It's a wonderful floral for people who shy away from roses. It may be something I'll incorporate later on in a home fragrance spray or in an oil burner, or it may be something I may pass on to someone else. I'll think about it for a while.

 

-doreen

[siriusstar]

This one was a freebie in my last order. I know I wouldn't have chosen it based on the description. I like more organic scents, and this sounded too artificial.

 

But it's not artificial at all on me! It smells exactly like a craft shop that sells dried flowers. I can see the store in my head as I wear this. I recognize the eucalyptus and violet, which makes for a very green scent The perfect antidote for the rotten, miserable weather here in New England. It carries the promise of spring. I found it very uplifting and hopeful. It would make a wonderful scent to wear as a reminder that winter really can't last forever, even if it feels like it will.

 

And it lasts very well on both my sweater and wrist. I put it on this morning and can still smell it easily.

[Surioara]

As a musk-and-spice fanatic, I was somewhat dubious towards this clean, floral type blend that the Labbies had thrown in with the gift imps. But, curiosity got the best of me, and I dabbed a few drops into my scent locket. . .

 

. . .and I fell in love. As mentioned in many of the preceeding reviews, Ultraviolet starts out heavy on the sinus-cleansing mint and eucalyptus notes. It's very sharp, with a very icy bite to it. It almost glows, a cold shimmer like the Northern Lights. It cleared my head in more ways than one-- not only was I breathing better, but that minty-ness helped me to focus and think with crystal clarity.

 

After about an hour or so, the blizzard of mint and eucalyptus died down to a crisp hoarfrost, allowing the rich, dark violet to emerge. This is where it really got me. I don't much care for florals, but this is utterly divine. Many people have mentioned that it fades quickly on the skin, but its staying power on a bit of cotton tucked into a locket is quite impressive. Seven hours later, and I'm still enjoying the elegant, sultry violet with a slight rimey bite. Methinks my next order will include a 5mL of this baby.

Edited January 28, 2005 by Surioara

[MartyGreene]

I like this one, probably my favorite of those that I've tried so far.

 

I definately smell the eucalyptus, mint, and violet. It smells like what I would imagine vicks vapo-rub would to someone chewing violet scented gum.

 

I wish the mint stayed longer on the skin though. All I get is the violet, which while nice- alone it smells rather... public bathroom air-freshener-y?

 

Probably one that I'll toy with some more- I'm curious how it will layer over something a bit buttery or something with more mint that stays. Wouldn't harm to try it with tea added to it too while I'm at it.

 

I'm not tossing this one out into the masses yet.

[olympia301]

Got this as an imp in my first order from BPAL. I had ordered Saturalia because I was pining for violet. Ultraviolet got sniffed (after my nose was ruined by smelling everything else), and I thought it "nice, ok, a good freebie" in the bottle. However, I tried it yesterday after my bath.

 

This was exactly what I was looking for. Not as heavy as Saturnalia (which is perfect for late winter when you WANT violets but you can't have any). The lightness is because there doesn't seem to be a lot of fixative to Ultraviolet, but plenty of violet.* Somehow the violet they use doesn't go away (it's a fair stayer in my experience in general).

 

The immediate mint came as a bit of a shock to me. "Whot? Violets and mint? Is this a breath freshener? Dear me." But, I quickly came to see the connection between the two. If you have ever smelled the leaves of a violet after crushing them, there is a definate volitile smell to them, hence the whole plant. I was converted.

 

With just a twist of candy to boost the violet, I was thinking of my faithful pink violets in the front yard. They positively stink when they are "on" in March or April and blooming madly. This perfume does not stink, it is beautiful.

 

I love the cold counterpoint to it, like April which can be the cruelest month when violets bloom and sometimes are blasted by a freak snowstorm or really cold day. I also love the intellectual nature of this scent. Nothing scentimental about it (despite what people say about violets). This is a real winner for me.

 

P.S. This is the first day of spring, 2005 and I am celebrating by wearing Ultraviolet. The drydown has a remarkable similarity to Arpege (back in the day when they really made Arpege). This is a great compliment to a great scent. I love it's staying power. Mmmmm.

 

*I think that fixative is what keeps a perfume lingering on your skin. Some natural ones that I know of are: musk, vetiver, oakmoss, ambergris, and patchuli. They are a double edged sword, they do keep a perfume going BUT they add their own note to it, and it often dominates. So a skilled perfume maker has to put topnotes and mid tones with it that compliment the fixative (bass note) to make a good blend.

Edited March 20, 2005 by olympia301

[luxuria]

This smells like purple-tinged metallic silver to me. Reminds me of what I wanted out of Neo-Tokyo but knew I probably wouldn't get- something that smells futuristic while still retaining qualities I love in my "normal" scents (mainly foodiness or sweetness, and peppermint is close enough to foody and sweet for me that it fits the bill perfectly.)

 

The peppermint gives it a slight candy association to my nose- after years of being totally addicted to altoids, it's no wonder..however, the eucalyptus gives it a biting, metallic edge and the violets just round it out really nicely, staying in the background the entire time.

 

I got this as a gimp and I would have never ordered it on my own. I really like this- and I mean REALLY like this. I'm definitely ordering a bottle come my next order. This makes me want to dress all cyber-like I could EASILY see this becoming one of my signature scents..yes, I think it shall!

[aurianrose]

Woah. I definitely smelled the eucalyptus and mint in the bottle. I was not sure about it when I put it on, but I wanted to give it a chance. It was very strong when I first had it on, but it toned down a bit after wearing for awhile. However, soon it had turned into the dirty diaper smell that other people have described, but I had yet to experience it until today.

 

Sadly, I think this one's going into the swap pile.

 

It did tone down into a floral scent at the very end of the day. V. Strange.

[Charmkin]

I. Love. This.

 

I'm all about mint scents and cold scents and violets and darnit, if I could walk around in a permanent minty-violet-metallic cloud, I would.

This is so different from any other scent I've tried. (Though I haven't really given Shattered a good testing yet, and I hear they are similar.)

it's really those wafer chalk candies that you get in a roll about 6 inches long. The candy is about 1" in diameter and has this purple one that always reminded me of flowers as I ate it. I wish I knew the name of the candy, but it's an old classic. This smells exactly like the purple wafer candy.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Necco Wafers! I can totally see that.

Ultraviolet morphs a lot on me...first it was eucalyptus, then mint, then this green smell-- I want to say pennyroyal, but what do I know? Then much later I sniffed my wrists and it was just a really unique purply floral, without screaming "Floral!".

 

Yeah, I'm gonna need a big bottle.

[byrdie]

TMI ~ This is the second day of my period and I'm looking for scents to help battle an unfortunate showering experience from this morning. Here's hoping.

 

Vial ~ A very fresh, herbal green with an underlying purple, like grape cough syrup.

 

Wet ~ Okay, this is oddly menthol-like on my skin -- not what I was expecting. I just scrubbed my hands to halfway up my arms before applying this scent, so I didn't think it'd turn quite so strange on me. (Edit: this is what I get for not reading the description before trying the oil: the menthol is the eucalyptus. dur.)

 

Drying ~ The menthol is calming down back into the fresh herbal green I smelled in the imp.

 

Drydown ~ This is slowly morphing into the slightly bubble-gummy scent that I associate with violets. Yep, it's gently turning more purple as I write this.

 

Dry ~ It's smelling a little powdery, as if I'd used some violet scented lotion about an hour ago.

 

Final thoughts ~ I tend to find the smell of distilled violets a little too happy, verging on the downright alarming. This one didn't contain near as much hap as I'd been bracing myself for. I'll have to try it a few more times and see what else happens, because I rather enjoy the scent of purple.

[Reinaluna]

Ultraviolet, This blend smells just like 9 mysteries to me.

[Nutterfly]

What a queer scent!

 

At first its all mint on me, with a hint of daisy - which seems to be what Lavender smells like on me. I didn't really like it - I'm not blown away. As much as I'd love to love all mint scents, I don't think they really suit me.

 

Anyhow, after an hour or so, this became floral and eventually turned to violet, but not a sweet violet a darker one. I think there are nicer violets out there for me, but, it is a lovely scent

[plumerai]

I haven't tried many BPAL scents yet, but this is definitely the weirdest one I've tried. It smelled like I imagined it would in the bottle—violet and mint—though I didn't pick up on the "chilly, mechanized" tone.

 

But when it went on, I got it. This felt very artificial, plastic instead of metal, but not in a plastic-perfume kind of way; I felt this was the intent of the scent, given the description. The violets comes and goes, and the mint was still there but not in a way that was identifiably minty (that is, I knew SOMETHING was blending with the violets to create that sharpness, but I wouldn't pick it out as mint if I hadn't known). After a couple of hours, it turns a bit powdery.

 

This scent is very strong on me. My skin eats up a lot of scents—not this one!

[lunalight7]

I too received this as a gimp from the Lab - - Thank you!

 

Out of the vial Ultraviolet slapped me w/ a strong, mint gum smell. This morphed quickly, however, to a mentholated floral that I can't stop sniffing - - it's sooo unusual and intriguing....Different from anything I've ever liked before in a scent. As the minutes pass, the violets are more prominent with a soft mint struggling to emerge from the background. I like this but I can't decide how much I like it because it keeps morphing back and forth from minty floral to disinfectant. This is definitely worthy of a few more tries....I can't help feeling that it would be DIVINE when layered with another scent, although I don't know which one....

[shelldoo]

wow my review certainly is not what others have foun in this oil. i will try to be gentle but this is one of the very few i absolutely can not stand, i could cry too, cause violets are my love, but this oddly smelled like fish oil, strong overpowering codliveroil w/ a hint of pinesol in the background, i got zero violets. it made me nauseous and i wanted to scrub my arm w/ a brillo pad to get it off. where oh where are the lovely violets?

[mouses]

Ultraviolet

 

In the bottle: All I thought was, WHOA. This is a potent blend of mint and eucalyptus. The flowers are very subdued but work well-- they seem to tie it all together.

 

Wet: Very minty-- it's got that cool sting of spearmint gum. If it weren't for the violet and neroli it might be a little too minty/astringent.

 

15 minutes dry: It's lost a little of that minty bite-- the floral notes are starting to peek out more. It's also grown (very slightly) musky.

 

40 minutes and beyond dry: Wow! On me it completely loses its mintiness. The flowers have taken over! It's really powdery and sweet and pale.. reminds me of violet-scented soap. Those first 20 minutes were really intense, but the light, wispy results were worth it.

Edited November 3, 2005 by Shollin

[blackrayne]

Wow. I ordered only an imp of this, because I just wasn't sure if it would like me, but I'm definitely getting a 5ml soon!

 

Very crisp, with the perfect amount of crushed violet flowers mixed in. It reminds me of a cross between Peppermint Altiods and Choward's Violet mints.

[cormeretrix]

i must admit, that i was really hoping for more of the mint and eucalyptus, and less of the flowers.

 

as usual, it came about completely backwards. i did get a tiny bit of mint, but no eucalyptus. *le sigh*

 

it's still a lovely scent, if one that fades quickly.

[VorpalBunny]

Ultraviolet describes this one perfectly. It is an utterly perfect violet scent. Incredibly lovely, and great for spring. I'll love this for the days I want a lighter, more feminine scent. Some of the violet blends have a metallic or biting scent on me, but this has none of that.