Thalassa, the Galapagos Mermaid

[TheOneTheyCallLuna]

Seaweed, kelp, salty ocean spray, bitter almond, night-blooming jasmine, frankincense, and benzoin.

Oh wow, this is one of my new favorites! It smells like....underwater, and....fun! Seriously, I don't know how BPAL captures the scent of underwater and makes it beautiful, but they have hit the nail on the head here. Also, there is something light and playful about it....it brings back memories from childhood of going to Wild Waves waterpark and playing in the wave pool!?! It also has these similar night-blooming flower notes from Midnight on the Midway, that are sooooo soft, feminine, calming, and pretty. I only have 1/4 of an imp bestowed upon me by a lovely forumite, and I am going to try very hard to save it for summer when I will really be wanting to wear this all the time....however, this will prove challenging, as I already want to wear it all the time, even though it is freezing and stormy outside! 5/5

[SarahScent44]

In the imp, Thalassa is all sweet saltiness - I smell jasmine and sea spray.

 

On my skin, it's saltier - the jasmine's still there, with just a hint of frankincense (I expected this to be very ... icky, because of the seaweed and kelp, but it's actually really nice.)

 

Dry, it's salty and green - but very light and subtle. This is really nice - not a "Whoa", so I'll be passing it on, but I think for the right person, this could be amazing.

[Ravenclaw79]

I was looking forward to this one for ages, and now that I've got an imp, sadly, it's not like I'd hoped.

 

I'm still searching for the perfect ocean smell, all salt spray and seaweed. In this one, I get clean and soapy, like an "ocean breeze" shower gel. I guess I must be getting more of the flowery notes than some people. Drat.

[lainevierge]

I love the idea of aquatic scents but all I get from Thalassa is AIR FRESHENER. My grandmother used to have an ocean themed bathroom and this smells just like one of the thousand or so air fresheners she kept stashed in there.

 

I'm bummed about this one, but I'm still keeping an open mind as far as aquatics are concerned.

[ShadowsDance]

A beautiful aquatic. The ocean notes are definietly in the front. The other notes blend wonderfully with it. It has a very 'perfumy' quality, and like Thunder Moon that seems to make it well suited for the summer months - especially for trips to the beach.

[eatingthesea]

i went to will call recently to check out the lupercalias but when i got there, what i was really blown away by was thalassa. if this mermaid doesn't completely sell me on bpal's aquatics, i don't know what could. this is absolutely perfect in combining the saltiness of the ocean and the florals that might grow nearby. it's also a very clean scent and while i usually don't go for those, this is definitely a scent i'll be reaching for time and time again. i'm amazed at the near-perfection of thalassa. an immediate addition to my top bpal's ever

[arabella]

First Impression: A very fresh aquatic.

 

Dries down to: A fainter version of the same.

 

Additional Comments: I thought I'd be able to detect at least the almond and/or jasmine but I can't. This blend stays purely aquatic from start to finish. I like aquatics for hot and sticky summer days, so I'll use this then.

 

Lasted: A couple of hours.

 

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

[sadtomato]

a soft, feminine aquatic. loving it.

got a bottle of this on the forums having never smelled it before and i'm glad i took the risk 'cause it's gorgeous.

in the bottle it smelled rather florally, very pretty and feminine.

on my skin wet it smelled just like in the bottle.

the glorious dry down is all aquatic, though. but the most gentle, soft, pretty aquatic i've ever encountered.

one i'd like to take a long, hot bath in.

i'm not getting any salt in this, just a lovely sort of sweet and calming oceanic scent with some very light floral breezes blowing over the waves.

a cool summer evening on a tropical shore with your feet in the frothy waves.

perfection!

[tativa]

mmm... this is the first aquatic scent since Marina de Bourbon's "aqua di aqua' scents that I have been utterly in love with.

I should get a bottle... wait I have one... I need to hoard this! *cries that its an LE scents*

 

The almond isn't quite as noticable in this blend as I had hoped... and the frankincense disappears pretty soon into the blend... leaving me with a salty vanilla musk... I think I can pick out a little jasmine.

 

where is the vanilla coming from *wonders*?

 

It has amazing staying power... not quite the "wake up in the morning still smelling it" kind... believe me, I tried. But it is egnough to last one throughout the day, with perhaps a slight application.

 

I wonder if it is a bit strong though... because its one of the few scents I like that I haven't been glued to my wrist with (it comes to me) and it gave one of my teachers a headache when I had a meeting with her.

 

Yet, despite all of this... this mermaid has won me over... I want at least another bottle of it before the carnival leaves town... i wonder how it will age?

[maribouquet]

Oh, yeah, that's aquatic! I can also smell something toasty and a vanilla-like sweetness, and as it dries the bitter almond emerges and adds a richness and depth.

 

Ultimately it's not for me - aquatics seem to flatten out into Irish Spring soap on me.

[Wwindy]

Gorgeous!

 

I tried Thalassa because I thought I should start experimenting outside my usual resinous BPAL comfort zone -- I figured the frankincense would help ease me into an aquatic!

 

I'm not detecting the jasmine or almond at all as individual notes. What I'm getting is a very true "beachy" scent. It isn't quite ocean -- more like being on the sand with the waves crashing nearby. I think where the jasmine and almond come in is just the faintest hint of wearing sunscreen, but that might be my imagination and/or too many summers down the Jersey shore.

 

Anyway, I'm very happy with this -- it's very different from my usual range, and it must really be working for me since I got my second-ever completely unsolicited BPAL compliment today!

[motdakasha]

In the bottle:

Rating: 4

Notes: night-blooming jasmine, benzoin

Comment: The floral note makes this seem more like a shower/bath product than an aquatic perfume.

Wet on skin: ~10 mins

Rating: 4

Notes: benzoin, salty ocean spray, kelp, night-blooming jasmine

Comment: Smells a bit like perfumed talc, but not too powdery. Still very much something I'd expect from a shower product. Might be nice in a bubble bath.

Dry on skin: ~30 mins

Rating: 5

Notes: salty ocean spray, kelp, benzoin, frankincense

Scent Intensity: 4

Comment: Far more aquatic, powdery smell has died down. Perhaps it was the seaweed note?

Misc:

Duration: +5 Hrs

Keyword(s): salty, aquatic

Color: boy blue

Smells like: Flowers along the ocean's edge

Edited July 2, 2008 by Akasha Tsang

[thelaurenator]

Success! This is my boyfriend's favorite scent from the order. This scent smells soapy and clean, but not really that aquatic, even in the bottle. I can smell the almond and sharp benzoin, which gives it a girly, crisp edge. This scent is very feminine, but weirdly antiseptic. I think I like it, for summer.

 

I just have to say, I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't this. This is nice... but not very oceany.

 

**EDIT** I know what this is that's so summery but antiseptic. THIS SMELLS LIKE SUNSCREEN! The spray on, aerosol can kind. Hm. I kinda love this after extended drydown!

Edited July 2, 2008 by thelaurenator

[nekogrrl]

In imp: wet ozony florals

 

Wet on skin: The jasmine and bezoin come to the fore, saltiness lingering in the background.

 

Dry on skin: LOTS of jasmine. Light saltiness/sea greenery in the background.

 

Not a keeper, I'm afraid. Not a fan of jasmine.

[gchris]

In Vial: Lavender and water

 

Wet: Sweet water, clean with a mild floral. Smells a little powdery

 

Dry: Sweet water with a hint of light floral in the background.

[brsis]

Initial thoughts: ... aquatic. I've slowly become all but totally intolerant of aquatics - they amp like crazy, they smell like antibacterial handwash, and they make me almost as ill as patchouli does - add some jasmine into the mix, and I'm not a happy bunny.

 

In the bottle: The bitter, salty aquatic smell I'm familiar with from scents like Pirate Moon and Jolly Roger.

 

On the wrist, wet: Still just generic ozone/aquatic, maybe a little hint of frankincense?

 

Twenty minutes later: Bitter, salty aquatic. If you like aquatics, then this is probably amazing - unfortunately for me, they just don' work.

[TereFaerie]

Must be an aquatic, smells like shampoo on me. A little powdery. The jasmine is the high, ammoniac, cat-pee type, too, so poor Thalassa has only its art work going for it in my opinion.

Sorry, Mermaid lady. I tried.

[plunderparlour]

I love this. Aquatic and clean. This scent reminds me of being down at the beach on the pier with my guy. The scent of the ocean, the nearby restaurant and the flora around the beach all swirling in the breeze. How do they do that?

[mgrazulis]

Wow! A Carnaval Diabolique stunner!

 

In the bottle: intoxicating salty aquatic notes and seaweed

 

Wet on the skin: lush wet jasmine, seaweed and frankincense

 

Drydown: A frothy, salty ozone that reminds me of summer days on the Gulf Coast. It does strengthen as it dries. The smokiness from the frankincense is lovely. The jasmine just a bit of sweetness, mixing with the ocean air. After a hour or so, the benzoin and the frankincense give the scent a wonderful resinous amber layer. To me, this is a true aquatic scent. In the end, the scent of seaweed and salty ocean air dominate. There is no fruitiness as in Selkie, just the true bracing scent of a salty wave crashing ashore.This mermaid is a masterpiece.

 

[rayvn1]

First I just have to say that I love aquatics! (The Phoenix especially). But when I put this on the heady and crazy strong aquatic smell went wrong somehow It actually made me really nauseous and I had to scrub my arms under the faucet four or five times. It never really came off either (which would have been a good thing if I wasn't whimpering in distress) and I had to go to sleep with my arms as far away from my head as humanly possible. This is going straight to the swaps pile

[Pookstrell]

I can't believe that it has both Evil Jasmine and Evil Almond in it, and I can't smell either one. It's a pure, perfect salty ocean scent, and I'm in love with it.

 

Me too, Electra. I HATE jasmine with a passion ... but I just don't detect it here. As it dries down I can sense something floral, but not the usual jasmine that my nose interprets as poo. It's not because it's the night-blooming variety either - that is usually awful on me too. I finally understand what people mean when they describe this as soapy, because this is exactly how it smells here - and soapy is fine by me! Bizarrely, I don't get a whiff of almond either, just a lovely, slightly salty blend. On my skin, the saltiness fades and I'm left with a laundry scent - not clean linen, but straight-up washing powder. Just lovely!

[caitilarkin]

In the imp: Faint aquatic with...cotton flower? I'm getting something clean and linen-y.

 

Wet on skin: Ah, that's more like it! Saltier with hints of seaweed and florals.

 

Dry on skin: As it dries, the blend loses its ocean-y goodness and becomes more floral/soapy (*glares suspiciously at evil jasmine*). Me loves me some aquatic, and this is not what I had hoped.

 

Ah well, it's definitely pleasant and will probably be even more so during hot weather.

[oravannahka]

Bottle: Super aquatic jasmine.

 

Wet on skin: Straight up jasmine, which always smells kind of soap-y on me. I keep sniffing a bit of the salty aquatic bits which I'm desperately hoping will come out more and temper the soapy jasmine. Very fresh, probably better for the summer than right now.

 

Dry on skin: Aquatics keep disappearing. Soap.

 

Other Notes: Will have to wait until my nose is less of a wild card but for now this is going in the swaps pile for someone with better skin chemistry. My skin just keeps pumping up jasmine and turning it into soap.

[isisonearth]

Imp: Sharp salty water with a bitter edge and an unusual green, maybe the kelp.

 

Wet: The first thing that hits me is almond and a bit of jasmine but the salt water quickly splashes in. The sweet notes seem to advance and retreat changing places with the bitter like the lapping of waves.

 

Dry: It softens to a salty almond and benzoin with a whisper of frankincense. Very close to the skin.

 

Overall: Must have a bottle before the Carnaval leaves town.

[FallDaze]

Initial thoughts-> Possibly a watery jasmine? I usually amp jasmine, but hopefully the other notes will temper it a bit.

 

imp-> Wet. It smells like water, but not the usual floraly aquatic that I pick up. That's probably the salt water. It smells a little masculine.

 

Wet-> Almond! But only for a few seconds. I get a wet, green note, which I'm guessing is the kelp. It still smells like ocean though, with a bit of jasmine in the background.

 

After a while-> Dang it! Jasmine, you're supposed to work with the other notes, not dominate them! This turns out a lot more floral scented that I imagined, probably because the jasmine beat everything else down.