tragedy Report post Posted April 17, 2009 Innocent, soft and pure: sweet pea, carnation and water lily. I got an imp of this a while back and am holding on to it .. precioussssss. Not much makes me feel super girly, but this scent does!! a beautiful soft, innocent light floral. Love. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
anna1850 Report post Posted May 3, 2009 Floral and a bit Crabtree and Evelyn-y and slightly watery. 3/5 Alright but off to the swap pile. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WidgetAlley Report post Posted May 21, 2009 Imp: A soft, watery, slightly spiced floral! Very quiet, subdued and almost ethereal. Wet: A nicely-milled, slightly grainy but still aquatic floral soap; it doesn't quite smell like soap but more like what soaps are fragranced with. It's definitely very girly, but fresh and light and cream-colored rather than pink and frilly. It's pretty, but not at all my type of scent. (Which makes sense-- I always kind of thought that Desdemona was annoying anyway.) Dry: Clean and soft but still spicy enough from the carnation to be interesting. There's something in it that's honestly kind of grainy on me, it feels like how bath salts smell. Nice but not me. If you're into florals you should definitely check this out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CynicalPink Report post Posted June 7, 2009 Sweet Pea and carnation are two of my favorite notes Imp: Watery sweet pea and some spice Wet: Very sweet, but I'm not sure it's sweet pea I'm smelling. More like sweet water Drydown: Wish the carnation came out more. Now it's just sweet pea and lilly. Has a very candy-like feel. Specifically, smarties. Overall: Well I finally found it. The scent that's too sweet, even for me. I smell like Smarties (American sugar candy smarties, not the Canadian chocolate candy) and that's where I draw the line. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mgrazulis Report post Posted July 13, 2009 Watery white florals...very strong water lily at first. Once the sweet pea kicks up, it gets acutely artificial smelling. The lily and sweet pea marry together well enough and soften a bit, but the carnation remains elusive. Someone described it as bath salts...very appropriate! I like white florals, but this is far too sweet for me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kisha Report post Posted July 26, 2009 This to me is a soft watery floral. I don't get much carnation from it. I agree with the bath salts comparison too. It's nice, but I'm going to have to be in the mood to wear this one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JenM Report post Posted July 29, 2009 In the imp: quite heady--the swet pea and carnation mix smell to me like a rose garden (not a specific rose--a melange). Hence, very nostalgic.There's also something quite sharp which I think is the carnation, which often smell quite like green wood to me. On the wrist: something entirely different up close. Not sure what. THe throw is completely different, and more like the imp-smell. It's much more piquant up close, which, again, I think is the carnation. Argh. No. This is straying somewhere between "stale smell in shop that sells Penhaligon's et al" to "B&B soap." Too sharp, not floral enough. And it's giving me a headache. Time to wash. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gin Report post Posted July 29, 2009 Desdemona is very pink, fluffy floral. The water lily and sweet pea are really sweet but as it dries, the carnation becomes more apparent. I wasn't too sure about this one, but the carnation really redeemed it. I'm afraid it's still a little too girlyfluffypink to be in heavy rotation, but it's nice. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Argentwolf Report post Posted July 31, 2009 This is another pretty sort of 'bouquet of flowers' smell. The florals all just kind of bunch together and I really don't get any defining characteristic out of it. It seemed to fade fairly quickly and did not throw much. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
devilot Report post Posted December 30, 2009 Desdemona In the Vial: Floral! Wet: Nose-burning floral. Uh oh, doesn't bode well. Drydown: Sweetness of the sweet pea comes forth and I can just barely get the dustiness of the carnation, but really this is still a strong floral, I'm blaming the water lily. Verdict: Wish this was more carnation with a touch of carnation, but alas, I don't think this will do it for me. This imp has found a new home. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Finch Report post Posted February 1, 2010 Whoa lily! Lots and lots of lily. Fresh from the imp it's very intense, but after it's been on the skin for a while it's very sweet and feminine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Schmoozy Report post Posted February 5, 2010 Sweet delicate florals. The lily is the most dominant. It's aquatic, and combined with the spiciness from the carnation almost seem to drown out the sweet pea. It is very soft, and almost disappears as soon as it was applied. It's not bad, but I wish the carnation and sweet pea were more agressive. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
countessmouse Report post Posted April 14, 2010 Incredibly sweet in the imp with just a hint of...spice (carnation)? I wasn't impressed while wet on my skin, but whoa nelly did the lily start appearing when it dried. Very pink-white and girly with just a hint of the carnation. I think I need a bottle of this one! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SophieCedar Report post Posted April 17, 2010 I'm really confused by this one... I love it, yet it's meh on me. The notes seem to clash on my skin when I know on someone else this would be magical. Then it gets an undertone of my 2 favs Samhain and Dia de los Muertos? Then it fops back over to waterlily. It keeps morphing each time I sniff it! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MissVulpecula Report post Posted April 29, 2010 (edited) In the imp: Sweet faint flowers Drying on my skin: My skin turned it into pure stale cider vinegar! IRGH! Throw and staying power: Had to wash it off immediately Verdict: Not for me! Edited April 29, 2010 by MissVulpecula Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
impolight Report post Posted May 4, 2010 :::DESDEMONA::: Desdemona is a giggling and squeals of delight. The mind's eye takes in a sweeping vista of a frothing blue waterfall emptying into a crystalline lake where nymphs of the youthful persuasion frolic, splash and attend to their comely tresses. This is being sprawled out on a ridiculously soft blanket, accompanied by a superb spread that includes sweet teas, canapes, and a veritable rainbow of jams of unparallelled succulence. The celestial theater of dazzlingly white clouds and fabulously blue sky is riveting... Damn and blast, won't someone fetch another pillow?Desdemona is a carefree, idyllic stroll in the merry, merry month of May, wiling away the hours, conferring with the flowers, whistlin' while you work, etc.... This likely includes a strawhat and a parasol, perhaps a rowboat. Desdemona is, thus far, remniscent of a bygone era... An age of innocemce. On the skin: The trinity of blooms in Desdemona amp with flair. The Water Lily is particularly gorgeous... The Carnation gives this fragrance imperial, majestic airs, while the Sweet Pea softens the whole thing with a soft glow of innocence. Desdemona is a gorgeous fragrance for her. The wearer of this formula likely deserves to have mellifluous odes composed in Her honor. Splendid! 4.8 out of 5! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
moon_lemming Report post Posted May 30, 2010 Desdemona is PRETTY! It's a sweet, watery, almost fruity floral (sweet pea, I guess) in the imp. It's so girly and full of light and preeeetty. Sadly, the lily -- do water lilies smell like regular lilies? -- gets stronger as it dries on my skin and blarrgh, I hate lilies. I smell pears, which is even weirder. I guess this would be a scent locket blend if I ever managed to do the scent locket thing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
childdoll Report post Posted June 2, 2010 Got this as a frimp (Yay! Thank you so much! I've been wanting to try this scent <3). IMP: Oddly, I got the scent of apples for this one. Apples and floral blossoms. My immediate impression was the smell of an orchard or country farmstand. Sweet, but not overly so. There's more a fresh and natural sweetness. WET: The apple disappeared and the florals were present. I couldn't pick out the specfic floral notes, but they blended well together in a lovely fragrant melody. Smelling some aquatic greens in the background. DRY: Apple scent returned, but very lightly. Light greens, more on the aquatic side, vague apple scent, powdery florals. I think I can pick out the carnation now, but it's nice and subtle. OVERALL IMPRESSION: I love this scent. It's so fresh and dainty. Not overly sweet that you get in alot of sweet florals. It's just nice and soft. Very delicate and subdued. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aquazoo Report post Posted June 7, 2010 Fruit, candy and a hint of hairspray. Very wet floral, and the hairspray is coming up a bit more. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
prisca Report post Posted July 21, 2010 extraordinary sense of lighness and freshness in this parfume -not easy to find in a parfume oil. a spicy drydown makes Desdemona more intriguing. I add it to my wishing list! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Incendiare Report post Posted September 30, 2010 In the vial, Desdemona is a soft, sweet floral, but once applied to my skin, the floral notes bloom and become more alive. I can smell the sweet pea and water lily in the foreground, while the carnation adds a bit of spiciness in the background. I absolutely love its sweet innocence and shall buy a bottle in the future. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ShannonElisabethJones Report post Posted November 21, 2010 I really love this. It's a feminine pink smell, more of a wet pink than a spicy pink (like Hermia, which I also love). This is definitely a keeper! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
daintydina Report post Posted December 12, 2010 Got this in an imp from a friend of mine. I'm new to BPAL, awaiting my first order, but am wearing this today and I adore it. Can't stop sniffing my wrists. I wasn't sure when I first applied it, but after an hour it smells gorgeous. I'm not too familiar yet with picking out the different notes in scents as I'm not just new to BPAL but to wearing perfume altogether (department store perfume always sets off my allergies, but luckily BPAL seems okay!) So my review of it isn't very descriptive really, and I don't really know what it reminds me of, just that I love it and I can see myself buying a bottle of this! Very pretty, fresh, girly and lovely. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lavenderfrost Report post Posted March 27, 2011 This was a freebie that I was actually wanting to order for myself someday. YAY FOR MONEY I DIDN'T HAVE TO SPEND! In The Imp: Nice pastel pink floral like Prague, only less clean and more sweet, as seems to be standard for most of BPAL's Shakespearean women scents that I've tried so far. (Granted, I'm ignoring Hermia and have yet to try Lady Macbeth, so...) Immediate Application: Mmmm....gets maybe a bit powdery, but not so much that it's irritating. Stays pretty consistent overall. 30-45 Minutes Later: A bit more like Prague on the dry-down. Gets cleaner - I'm guessing that's the sweet pea fading and the lily coming to the forefront. I love Prague too, so this is a good thing. It also sticks around a bit more than most other florals so far - it's been an hour and I still smell it when I turn my head. Verdict: Buying a 5ml when I can afford it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Balame Report post Posted July 5, 2011 In the Imp: Hmm. Sweetpea. Been a while since I smelled it. A tolerable floral for me, since it's light. Wet: The water lily is cool and clean, in the true sense of the words. The sweetpea and carnation are still elegantly floral in the front, but in the background there's a real water note, if that's even possible. Fresh water. I kind of wish the florals would go away just so I could smell that alone. Dry: This is a very different sort of floral. It harkens a lot to a truly natural setting, like sitting on the edge of a crystal clear pond, with delicate little flowers scattered along the edges. Beautiful, not powdery or false. The water lily must be creating this effect, and it rocks. Overall: One of the very few florals I think is pleasant. Not enough to keep it, but hey, I can still appreciate it! Fresh and gentle, with hints of sweetness and pure, clean water. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites