Undertow

[radioaction]

The Dark Side of Water: clean and purifying, yet menacing -- lotus and juniper with a hint of mint. A scent dragged up from the depths to the Stygian shore.

 

Bubblegum is the first word that comes to mind, but it's like bubblegum that's been chewed for awhile so it's got that barely there, kinda stale, fruity flavor without much of the sweetness of the first few minutes of chewing. The mintiness stays in the imp and I don't think I detected juniper at all, either in the bottle or on. Bummer!

[DiesMali]

In the imp: Mint toothpaste. Oh dear.

 

Wet on my skin: Mint toothpaste.

 

Dry: Faint mint toothpaste. Unfortunately, I don't think this one works on my skin. Bummer!

[Veronica]

Wet snow and fresh pine. Very tingly minty note. Interesting and I don't dislike it, but not a "perfume" scent to me.

[Soupy Twist]

Juniper and mint in the bottle, and it goes on as juniper, but the mint frankly turns creepy — there's no other way to describe it. And both notes almost immediately fade into a sickly sweet floral, which I guess is the lotus. It actually turned my stomach after a few minutes and I had to wash it off. I see why the Greeks thought it caused hypnotic comas. Bleah. I really wanted this to be an awesome mint, or at least another nice pine, but it's "Island of the Lotus-Eaters" instead.

[dementia_divine]

In the imp: Juniper and mint, followed by the sweetness of the lotus note.

 

Wet: The juniper note is the most prominent, and then the mint, but the lotus flower is increasing in strength, adding a bubblegum-y vibe to the scent.

 

Dry: The lotus is far stronger now. It's mostly lotus and juniper, with a hint of mint. The lotus hasn't gone full-on bubblegum yet, but it seems like a rather odd combination with the other notes.

 

Verdict: I don't find this to be menacing at all – it actually seems really pink on my skin. I like sugary florals (like High-Strung Daisies and TKO), but I'm not particularly fond of lotus notes thanks to that bubblegum association. (I do not like bubblegum). So I will be passing on my imp.

Edited September 15, 2015 by dementia_divine

[Christine Daae]

In the vial: I can smell all three of the notes listed: lotus, juniper, mint. It’s quite sharp!

Wet: I am primarily getting a sharpened lotus, I think - the lotus reminds me a little of Paris.

The throw on this is really different from the scent it is close to my skin - it’s almost fruity! Up close I get more of the sharpness, in the sillage I get more of the fruity lotus.

I think the juniper and mint are sort of melding into one scent that’s vaguely pine-minty. The mint is actually somewhat unpleasant on me in this context. (This is sort of what I always expected mint to smell like on me - kind of unpleasant and sharp - though I’ve been surprised by it in other blends where it’s soft and chilly and nice!)

This was a frimp from the lab, so I’m not disappointed that this isn’t working on me; I almost always try any frimps I get just in case it’s something that I unexpectedly fall in love with. Unfortunately this isn’t one of them!

[Casablanca]

Bottle: Bubblegum. Hi, lotus.

Wet: The mint and juniper combo could give an impression of green sea spray, but the mint is so strong and identifiable as mint that it's a stretch. The juniper doesn't have the presence to give a dark side to this water while wet.

Dry: More juniper. Still too much mint. Pleasant for a mouthwash.

[Cali]

Upon a second sniff, I suddenly know what it reminds me of; (/a specific/) clean hotel. As in, the hallways and foyer and whatnot. Weird, I know, but it's absolutely not a bad thing. Not sure what the notes are supposed to smell like, but it's a minty, slightly sweet and juicy but dusty type clean.

Really quite lovely!

[joopjoop]

Well, it certainly is bracing.

In the imp: bubblegum and aftershave.

 

Wet - sweet from the lotus, lots and lots of juniper (so very much juniper)

 

Later - as it dries down, I like it better - the juniper fades a bit (thankfully) and the mint amps up. There is still a hint of sweetness from the lotus. It still has a sort of aftershave quality to it.

 

Verdict - Not my thing, but definitely cool and minty. I think it would be nice in the bath, maybe if when you are not feeling well. Not something I enjoy as a perfume, however.

[gloame]

I was so wary of even trying this one because watery blends almost always go Cool Water for Men on me. But as soon as I popped open the frimp, it was all juicy, fruity tropical loveliness. It does feel really cold and chilly! Like a cold Pacific current. Something minty fo' sho'. On drydown, the fruit seems to fade, but the cold feeling stays. I'm not sure if it's the lotus or not, but I'm not catching much juniper, unless it's just adding to the minty cold feeling without really showing itself. Where the fishes is this fruitiness coming from?!

 

Verdict: A surprisingly lovely aquatic. Giving it to surfer husband.

[freyasfae]

This is delightful and refreshing! I am keeping this for those oppressively hot Texas summers when this combination of scents will give me some temporary relief.

[lizabelle]

Apparently lotus goes to bubblegum on me, which I didn't realize until now. I have smelled this with at least one other BPAL scent, though, so at least now I know. There is some cool mint in there but the lotus is overpowering even the juniper, which to me is shocking. I'd love to see if this changes over time but the lotus is so strong it's turning my stomach and I have to scrub it off.

[Lucchesa]

Undertow is not for me. I had hoped the juniper would balance out the mint, but wet it was unpleasantly minty, and on drydown I got a kind of juicyfruit smell, which must be the lotus. Juniper stayed way, way in the background. Swaps!

[LizziesLuck]

I've gradually worked my way through pretty much the entire GC, and am now down to trying things basically just to say I have tried everything (gotta catch 'em all! Lol) I am not expecting to like this, but still always excited to try something new.

 

 

Wet: I was expecting an aquatic, but this has so much juniper in it, it smells more like gin than anything! Though it's gradually growing more herbal, less alcoholic. It's fairly pleasant, actually. I can't see wearing it, but I am enjoying the scent of it. Very outdoorsy now, as it dries. Growing up, we had a juniper...bush....tree...thing? Anyway, this reminds me of that part of our yard (which was lovely and shady) on a hot summer day.

 

Dry: This isn't at all what I expected, it's not "watery" whatsoever. It's pretty much sweet sticky juniper on me, brightened by a bit of something citrusy. Nice! Not really me, but nice.

[achildoftime]

I get minty juniper bubblegum. It's not very sweet though, and is more like walking in the evergreens and doesn't really remind me of water. It feels like it would be a very refreshing spa-type scent. That's not to say it's generic, but it does feel briskly refreshing. I'm glad that when it dries the bubbblegummy note dissipates.