Melancholia

[edenssixthday]

Melancholia, Albrecht Dürer.
Blue lilac, white sandalwood, stargazer lily, paperwhite narcissus, ylang ylang, delphinium, and cypress.

 

I'm instantly surrounded by the heavy, thick, sweet scent of blue lilac. Close behind it is the strong and sweet scent of stargazer lily, one of my most favorite single notes. They smell gorgeous and fragrant and heady for the first few minutes, but that's when the ylang ylang butts in and in typical ylang ylang fashion, gives an overall acrid odor to the blend, making it smell almost chemically, like there are more than a few drops of acetone in the blend. The cypress also becomes evident at this point, adding its pungent greenery to the overall scent, which in turn creates an even greater sense of olfactory cacophony in this blend. The notes don't blend well on my skin at all. They clash and they clang and they seem to be in a constant shoving match to determine who's going to be the dominant note. Surprisingly, the stargazer lily wins the battle, becoming the dominant note, but the ylang ylang is still spouting its chemical-smelling nastiness into the mix, which ultimately ruins the blend for me. It's a heavy, heady, thick floral, and I would hazard a guess that only those who are hardcore floral fans would care for this one.

[Heavenlyrabbit]

This strikes me as an 'old fashioned' floral perfume. Traditional and I suspect many sampling this might associate with 'their grandmother'. Oddly this also somehow sort of reminds me of some of the voodoo love blends. What a weird juxtaposition of associations especially considering "Melancholia" is the inspiration for this. Guess its the unabashed use of heavyweight florals.

 

Lilac is usually a deal breaker when I assess a perfume for personal use, but the blue lilac here is dominant and yet bearable. Perhaps it's a very good quality variant?

 

Very, very pretty blend but not for the faint of heart. Much as I like this and as well as it works on me (despite the lilac!) I can't think of when I'd wear this on my body. I COULD imagine using this to scent letters.

Edited January 7, 2007 by Heavenlyrabbit

[filigree_shadow]

In the imp: A barely-there sweet scent.

 

Wet: Strong! Something... floral... whew, that's strong.

 

Dry: I'm getting mostly lilac and lily from this. And yay, because those are two of my favorite floral notes! When it's dry it's not nearly as strong as it was when I first put it on, it's just sort of sweetly wafting around, smelling fresh and pretty. I don't usually like cypress, but I can't seem to smell it in this. The sandalwood is a very nice touch -- it works really well in this combination. For a minute I swear it smelled like marigolds, that sort of pungent weird marigoldy scent, but that disappeared.

 

From the painting, I didn't think this would be the kind of scent that would make me want to droop disconsolately onto a chaise longue somewhere, and it's not. It's not that kind of sad. It smells a little bit old-fashioned and stubborn. (Don't ask me where I got stubborn from, I just calls 'em like I sees 'em.)

[supremegoddessofall]

On me: Strong white florals toned down slightly by sandalwood. The lilies are over the ylang ylang. Not sure this is for me, but I'll give it another try before making a final decision.

[Blood onmy hands]

Melancholia is a crazy-strong floral to my nose. Pefumey, sharp, classic-perfume sort of floral where I can't pick out any one note, but it's giving me a headache and I keep thinking "fake flowers." Ylang ylang is one of my personal fragrance enemies; it smells really sharp and metallic/chemical-esque on me (sort of like a cheap hairspray smell). That sharpness is dominating this fragrance for me in the drydown.

 

This is an unpleasant mish-mash of sharp, heavy florals. I'd recommend it for people who like heavy department store floral blends where you can still smell the sharpness of the alcohol even in the drydown. Unfortunately, this is way too strong and sharp for me, and ends up giving me a vicious headache. It took me a half hour to scrub it off.

[yeahbutnobut]

In the imp: LILAC!! It's pure lilac. Just like sniffing a blooming lilac bush in May.
Wet on skin: still lilac, but now I smell the narcissus and cypress.
Dry on skin: lilacs and narcissus. It smells like spring! The ylang, stargazers, and a garden-like floral that may be delphinium wind their way around the scent of wet lilacs and narcissi on a rainy spring day, with a pale woody base anchoring the flowers. But for now this smells like a garden during a spring shower, rain drenched lilacs, in a way there is a quite melancholy feel to it, grey skies and mournful floral notes similar to those of White Moon.
After a while: this has turned to almost pure lilac, with a trace of narcissus. It doesn't have the freshness of when this scent was first applied, it's not as wet and dewy, they've turned a little bit sharp now. But it's not as bad a reaction as I feared-this isn't a lilac blend that 'screams' on my skin with acrid sharpness like some do, the lilac still smells true and genuine. It's like I've brought the lilac blooms out of the garden and now they are in a vase, away from the scents of the garden.
The drydown is still pure lilac, maybe with a little bit of ylang, but mainly lilac.
Verdict: I thought Whitechapel was the lilac-iest of the lilac once the lime had toned down, but now I think this is the most lilac-scented BPAL of all. at first, it's like going out into the garden in the rain and sniffing a freshly bloomed lilac tree full of fragrant purple blooms. Little hints of lily and narcissus come through, but it's mainly fresh wet lilac. One of those scents I'd call 'bottled springtime'. It does seem a little melancholy as a scent, either the image of flowers dripping with rain under a gloomy sky, or the slightly wilted scent it gains as it dries (but thankfully not too wilted-this lilac stays true on my skin and doesn't turn to sharp sour hell), and reminds me of the Funereal Oils. It's almost all pure lilac by drydown, like a sprig of lilac which is starting to wither slowly but still retains a gentle fragrance. This is a more wearable version of White Moon on me, I do like it but I'm not sure how much I'd wear it. It's one of the better lilac scents though and I'm impressed at how purely lilac-y it is, it is very pretty indeed.
Emoticon rating:
Is it a keeper? maybe, maybe not.
If you like this, try: White Moon, Whitechapel, Les Fleurs du Mal, Nocturne, Purple Phoenix, Villain

[LittleGreyKitten]

I got to try a dab of this from a friend's imp. It did the most amazing thing on me- after drying it turned into the most perfect imitation of true honeysuckle I've ever smelled. Just like sniffing the flower, absolutely perfectly. It was amazing. I realize there's no honeysuckle note but that's precisely what this floral mixture did. Plus it wasn't cloying or headachy like florals often are- I found it refreshing like actually sniffing a flower can be. It was really quite cool. Pure pretty florals are not so much my style but I'm kind of tempted to get my own bottle just for that amazing bloom of scent.

[Ajila]

In the bottle - Lily and paperwhite narcissus.

 

Wet on me - The high floral scent of the lilac, which becomes slightly soapy.

 

Dry on me - A light pretty floral.

 

Overall - For a blend called Melancholia I thought that this was oddly chirp.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: lots of lily and lilac. very pretty.

on: a very white scent. pretty and soft. there's some sweetness from the ylang ylang and lots of powdery floral notes.

1 hour later: lots of lilac and lily. very pretty.

2.5 hours later: oh my...so much lilac. i'm loving this.

4.5 hours later: tons of lilac and heady white flowers. very nice.

6.5 hours later: lovely lilac.

overall: this is just gorgeous. i love the smell of lilac, but it gets overwhelmed in some blends. i'm not sure if i'll end up getting a bottle of this, but i'm definitely going to hold onto my imp to satisfy my lilac cravings.

[siddal]

In the imp, I smell a fresh, light floral that is a bit sweet. It's a white scent to me: the paperwhite and lily. Slightly honeyed. The blueness of lilac is peeking out, too. This pretty much stays the same on my skin, but with the honeyed sweetness amping up. The drydown is more soft, sweet and lilac on me. Very mild. If you like these types of florals, you will love this scent.

[slave1]

In Bottle: Heavy floral

On Skin: This is a very white/yellow/light purple floral. It is pretty, feminine and not shy. It lets you know “I’m floral damnit!!!”. Lilac is the dominant note, it reminds me of the lilac bushes that grew outside our kitchen window at my childhood home. That smell always reminds me of spring and when the bush first started blooming. Sticky sweet… The sandalwood is light in comparison to the weight of the floral notes. The narcissus and ylang ylang are also quite strong. I am not a big fan of florals and this one is far too extreme for me, it gives me a slight headache, But if you love florals, try this one for sure. Medium to heavy throw, average wearlength.

[maijasu]

This is a floral lover's dream! I'm not a floral lover, but I do still like this scent. It's fresh and sweet and surprisingly cheerful for something called Melancholia. No soap, powder, or old lady to be found in this one. I'm not great at picking out individual floral notes, as I usually don't wear a lot of them. Still, this is a lovely addition to the Salon, and I'm glad to have had the chance to try it!

[emzebel]

Very very crisp floral - there is something in here, the narcissus, perhaps, that doesn't agree with me - it is a wee bit too dusty, a wee to almost acrit with my chemistry. However, if you are a lover of white florals, this is a lovely blend that so perfectly captures the painting that is its inspiration.

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 2/5

Summarised in a few words/smilie: Pretty, but obviously floral.

 

Pre-Review Thoughts: This is almost certainly isn't going to work for me, but damn it, I'm curious.

 

In the imp: Wow, but this is strong. Very crisp, and, well, strong.

 

On skin, wet: Sweet, but with a crisp sourness that I'd wager is the ylang-ylang, as ylang is wont to turn sour on my skin. Beyond that, this is dominated by blue lilac, followed in turn my sandalwood, and narcissus.

 

On skin, dry: Indeed, a floral-lovers dream-scent. It reminds me of something I can't place — an old perfume I smelled once, perhaps. It's a pleasant experience, but I'm just not a floral-scent kind of girl.

 

Conclusion: An especially pretty floral blend, but not something I'd wear. It's also a bit more... upbeat that I would've imagined.

[jiggahava]

The heady scent of lillies and the slightly astringent scent of lilac, are the most distinctive florals in this blend. This reminds me slightly of Ode on Melancholy. This feels very wistful and full of longing. These aren't dry funeral flowers, but slightly dewy ones that have been left in a vase, slightly droopy. This doesn't have a lot of throw, but it's very pretty. I don't know if it's bottle worthy since I have so many floral scents already, but I'm going to keep and enjoy my imp.

[bryghtrose]

It's very lilac. Soft, ephemeral lilac. I don't get the strength of blooming lilacs, but I do get lilac. Unfortumately, it fades away almost immediately, which makes me very sad. I'll keep my imp and sniff it whenever I need a lilac boost throughout the year.

[gwynethr]

This is just Oh! So! Lilac! on me, and I couldn't be happier about it. The other notes only add some balance and foundation; it's almost pure lilac, except for a few hours in, when it morphs into Stargazer Lily. Normally, the lilies, though I love them in real life, don't sit well on me as scent notes, but here it isn't as obnoxious as I've found it in other blends. Then after a bit it goes back to lilac before it fades.

 

I'm anxiously awaiting my bottle of this. This is the first Salon I've actually had to acquire in bottle form.

[zankoku_zen]

In the imp: Heady floral

 

On Skin: Lilies, and lilac and something else that is slightly woody

 

On Drydown: Still a very heady floral, definitely smelling the lilac

 

Verdict: This combination is a very heady floral. Oddly enough, it smells like the little Vick's tablets my parents would burn during summer nights to keep the mosquitos away. It's got that same narcotic, heady sort of fume smell to it. I always secretly liked the scent but I'm not sure I could actually wear it as a perfume.

 

ETA: Tried it again, and I amp the lilies more than the lilac. I smell tinges of the narcissus, particularly on the drydown and it is MUCH more of a narcissus/wood blend as it dries down. SAD. I was hoping for more lilac love.

Edited December 16, 2010 by zankoku_zen

[storme]

In the imp: lily and narcissus and lilac, lots of vibrant but pale florals, sweet and creamy.

 

On me, wet: mm, creamy soft sweet lilies and lilac and that warm sandalwood tinge. Very beautiful.

 

On me, dry: mmmmmm lilac. It's like Whitechapel without the lime and with a hint of sandalwood.

 

Verdict: Gee. I think maybe I like the kick of lime in Whitechapel a bit more, but if I didn't, then this would be my One True Lilac. Very pretty.

[hkhm]

imp: cypress with some sandalwood and lilac.

 

wet: oh man, i feel like i just buried my face in a boquet of lilacs. this smells like the real thing, so if you really want to smell like lilacs in late spring then this is the scent to do it. incredible.

 

dry: the lilac has tamed a bit but that's still almost the only thing i can smell. this is just like sniffing springtime.

[taramarie]

On me, Melancholia is lily and a hint of lilac. It's not what I was expecting, but still very pretty.

[alhbooks]

Oh, bliss...lilacs are my favorite flower and there's nothing so clean as an armload of damp blooms in spring. This is the next best thing, and the deer can't chew up the buds. Strong family resemblance to White Moon, but gentler; perhaps the sandalwood and cypress are subduing the florals a bit, but whatever it is, I'm delighted with my bottle.

[savage_rose]

This was runner-up from the great Salon Exhibit Two Imp Pack Test of the Great Forum Blackout of 2008. In the imp, it smelled like aquatic nailpolish. Ugh, I was sure I was going to hate it. But as it dries, it's amazing. It smells like a slightly boozy One to Tie, Two To Win: wildflowers and green stems, water. The booziness just makes it seem headier somehow, like being outside on a perfect, warm day, and feeling so amazing. This is a great blend.

[greenranger]

It starts off very strong on the narcissus. Ok, strong on the lily, lilac AND the narcissus...But the lily is winning so far.

 

Very very VERY floral. I feel like I am in a florist shop that is mostly filled with narcissus and lilies.

[Ravenclaw79]

Wet: Lilac!

Drying: Soapy -- it's a flower fight, which sometimes happens with multi-flowered blends, where they all start battling for dominance and smell like soap.

Dried: The soapy stage is gone, and in its place is a lovely floral, well-blended with a lilac-y throw. Very nice -- I might need a bottle of this one.