51

[Gateau]

Luminescent, glowing, and otherworldly: green mandarin, neroli, honeydew, white amber, guava, freesia, white and green musks hovering over desert scrub, smashed wood, and the dry, biting scent of night air over the Groom Lake salt flats.

Imp--sweet and fruity

Wet--sweet and melony, then fruity floral

Dry--with the melon and floral (very lovely and fresh) I also get the desert warmth from the musks and smashed wood, but not any of the dryness. As it dries it smells more perfumey on me and I lose the freshness I liked in the earlier phases.

I do get a more neon green impression than natural green, which is fun. I'll give it another shot, but I suspect that the cologney dry down is going to keep me from going beyond the imp and into a bottle.

UPDATE: tried again yesterday when I was in more of an indoor/stay cool mood, and really loved it, so I suspect having worn it the first time when I was wandering around a country crafts fair in the broiling sun wasn't the right mindset for it. Seriously considering a bottle.

[Circaea]

So sad about 51. I really wanted to like it, but it smells like a department store perfume on me. Which, if it were going to smell like an alcohol-based perfume, I would want it to be like Calyx, light and fresh. This came on heavy, floral, and aggressive. I couldn't find individual notes in it.

 

I don't even want to give it another chance. It reminds me of a rich, bossy older woman.

[tkannon]

After 2 other scent tests this morning, I really needed to try one that knocked my socks off in a good way. 51 hit my socks out of the park. I love white musk and citrus scents and the white and green musk in this makes me want to cradle my wrist and drift off to sleep under my desk where no one can find me and bother me more.

 

I haven't been wearing it long so here's hoping it lasts at least a couple of hours!

[invisible iris]

Another complimentary imp from the Lab.

 

In the imp: I smell electric honeydew, guava, freesia that makes it smell like something from a dept. store, a bit of “salt”, and a hint of tart, green mandarin.

 

On skin: The salt picks up first and brings out the aquatic aspect of this blend. I get the woods now, and something really does register as “desert scrub”--don’t know what, maybe a bit of dry grass with the wood or something. But the green, unripe mandarin holds this back from being in any way warm. It’s zingy cold, I agree neon is a good description. As it continues to dry, the freesia begins to come back with a vengeance…

 

Dry: The freesia came back, never left, and it’s a note I can’t help but associate with mall perfumes. However, I don’t want to sell this blend short. 51 is a complex and interesting take on the somewhat plebeian notes of freesia and melon. The “desert scrub, smashed wood, and dry, biting scent of air over the salt flats” take the blend to a completely different level. The airy salty wood meets the neon fruit halfway, and contribute this haunting, desolate, hollow sense to the overall effect. This almost tips it over into a light cologney territory, but in the best way possible.

 

Verdict: 51 is not for me, but that is probably more my fault than 51’s fault. If I had any interest at all in light fruit, white musk, or aquatic blends, then I would promptly become obsessed with 51 and wear it, and only it, all the time. Highly recommended to all the light musk lovers out there.

[ziggystardust13]

I never expected one of the blends to smell like a dept store perfume. It smells super good though! I can't pin point what it smells like though I KNOW I've smelled it before, or something very similar! Tommy Hilfiger? Not sure.

 

Very clean and bright. I own nothing in that scent family. But I am keeping the imp for sure.

 

Smells great!

[KatharinaNordh]

I agree - smells like some commercial perfume - but it IS good, very well-blended with nothing really poking out above the others. It's Very nice.

 

I feel kind of indifferent still though, not sure why, but it just doesn't grab me and sweep me off my feet, nor does it cuddle me or serenade me or even...I mean...it sits there and smells nice, but I WANT it to do more than that

[becca_s]

In the imp this smells very woody to me, I can also smell the musks coming through and the sharpness of the mandarin, its definately very dry.

 

This softens once its on my skin, and becomes slightly sweeter with the honeydew coming through. It still smells dry and desert-y, with the wood and musks being the dominant notes for me. I find that this dries down to smell very similar to Shedonism by Origins. But shedonism is slighty more floral and has some coconut in it.

 

Overall, nice but not for me and smells too similar to another perfume I have.

[Drae]

Frimp from my wishlist, thanks lab!

In the imp: This smells very light and dusty floral. There is also a slight 'white glue' I am picking up, weird.

Drying on my skin: The "commercial perfume" i'm getting is definitely Clinique Happy, and also a bit of Tommy Girl, two of my first perfumes as a teen. But this is a much softer version. I used to wear those two and then grew to really despise them, but oddly I'm enjoying 51 because like someone else mentioned, there's no alcoholic undertone.

Dry: As usual my skin is amping the amber which I was concerned about, but I like it in this case. The honeydew is also behaving, and this is quite a pretty blend.

 

This will be a lovely spring time scent, and I think eventually a bottle purchase!

 

ETA: I just layered this with Dirty and what a lovely combination! Dirty added the crispness I was missing from 51

Edited December 21, 2011 by Drae

[stardreamer]

In the imp and fresh on: A pleasant, light, greenish-fruity scent; the honeydew is much to the fore.

 

Drydown: Still light and sweet; the florals come out a little more, but not overwhelmingly so.

 

Long-term: This doesn't have much staying power; after 5 or 6 hours, everything is gone except the lingering sweetness of amber and maybe a bit of white musk. Still, I like it, and there are times when you don't want a long-lasting scent.

 

Bottom line: Not a favorite, but a keeper.

[muteddragon]

My first thought was "this smells expensive", another green element I suppose. It reminds me of a Macy department store perfume section. But it isn't painfully strong and I really adore it. It's sophisticated and clean, not what I expected from the name at all. Lovely scent!

[TheHuman]

Clean and fresh without any soapiness. Slightly dry/sharp. Top side it's all juicy melon, cool cucumbers, and some flowers. Underneath it's wood and just a slight "earthy" scent but not like patch is an earthy scent. Maybe salty? Something. Smells wonderful but very little throw and it only lasts a few hours. Bummer.

[GoddessChaos]

In the bottle: Fruity melon, very green.

 

Wet: Melon-y, very bright, with what I think is the freesia poking its head out.

 

Drydown: Turning very citrus-y. After a minute I can smell the salt coming out, with a little bit of musky dry wood.

 

Fully dry: Salty wood and light musk, with a backdrop of citrus and melon. Very light and bright; I can see why the Lab description says "glowing". I think this would be a beautiful hot weather scent; it reminds me a little of Bath & Body Works' White Citrus scent, but with the melon adding a little more depth. I think I need a bottle. It's light and cool without being obviously perfumey; the musk blends well with my skin and the fruit adds just a little sweetness. Yeah, I think I need a bottle, unless it somehow turns awful or disappears on me in a bit.

 

Just after I wrote that: Whoa, what is happening? The scent just turned much colder and I SWEAR it smells just like the night air in the description. I thought that was just flavor... but it really does smell like cool night air with dry woodsy musk on the breeze, just a hint of sweetness left now. Holy crap, this will be amazing on hot summer nights. Lab, how do you do it? Magic? NEED.

[Vega]

Sniffed: Dewy, juicy and green: a fruity aquatic, perhaps touched with a whiff of white musk. Reminds me of Ogygia and Kiyohime Changes From a Serpent.

 

On skin: The same -- a pulpy, melony green aquatic, with a subtle undercurrent of blowsy white musk, cool water, and light florals. 51 is simple and sweet, light and fresh, and doesn't morph. It's also a very light scent. Colour impression is the lush green flesh of cantaloupe (indeed, it smells a bit like the fruit!), and also "UFO/alien" glow-in-the-dark green.

 

Verdict: Fascinating. 51 really does evoke little green, radioactive aliens! Or at least, the spectral strangeness of UFOs and paranormal activity. But it ends up smelling a little bit generic fruity, and isn't interesting enough for me to keep.

[lilyliza]

I meant to review this earlier, as I've had this imp for a while now. It definitely has a bright green feel to it. It's very fruity and very floral- I get a lot of honeydew, guava, and freesia. It smells a lot like commercial perfume. What makes it stand out is the addition of white amber and salt air. The salt air note is uncanny- it definitely gives it a mysterious vibe. I noticed that as this dries, I get something faint in the background that reminds me of banana, of all things. It's not Laffy Taffy banana, but it's a very natural banana, and it's not intrusive at all. I guess this happens from some combination of the notes on my skin. Overall, I was very impressed with this one; I adored fruity florals when I was in my teens and I would've snapped this up in a heartbeat.

[SarahRamsey]

I am not an expert reviewer yet but just tried an imp of 51 and I really love it

 

As others have said it is a fruity light floral blend but really fresh white flowers and citrussy fruits

 

The dry down smell really does actually remind me of Thierry Mugler Alien but much fresher, less heady and with something more sweet and complex behind it

 

I love it and am seriously considering a bottle - a perfect scent for Spring and for work

[lohengrin]

In the imp: Light green, a little sweet and powdery.

 

On skin, wet: Freesia. Nothing else.

 

On skin, dry: Now it's more like a department store perfume that is heavy on freesia.

 

After an hour: Same as the initial drydown. Very disappointing. Apparently I amp freesia!

[mollyfatale]

51 is sooooo lovely.

 

Yes, this does smell like a department store perfume, or something you could get at Sephora, but I don't regard this as a negative aspect. This is classic, tradtional perfuming at its best. There is a reason why so many perfumes are like 51...because they smell so damn good!

 

In the imp the juice is a clear slightly lime concoction. I can totally detect melony greeness. Very crisp, not heavy. On the skin, the flowers start to come out more - lovely freesia, perhaps a bit of peony. Its very lovely and not tremendously heavy.

 

A few hours later I can still detect it on my skin, but this time it has turned into a soft, powdery musk that is very sweet. Is that a bit of vanilla I smell?

 

This scent is perfect for spring. I've already bought a bottle and its on its way to me now! I can't wait.

 

Love this, total keeper.

Edited May 2, 2012 by mollyfatale

[brilliantcat]

I can't even describe how this smells in the imp except to say delicious. I get the fruity tropical vibe from the guava and melon and it's just yum. Wet, it's melon and guava with the musk starting to peek its head out. Wet, pulpy, radioactive indeed. After a bit I get a whiff of salt and the combination is amazing. Soft, slightly aquatic. The salt and a woody note combine to make me think of driftwood. Someone else mentioned it smelling like night air to them and I absolutely get the same feel. I can understand the parallel to department store perfumes because of the popular notes but this is so subtle and evocative, it's not even in the same class. Bottle-worthy for sure.

[BoneBone24]

Wet: Bright fruit and musk with a touch of amber.

 

Drydown: Still bright and musky but with a touch of green wood and powdery freesia. Salt air occasionally wafts in adding intrigue.

 

Dry: Sweet and commercial-smelling (it tickles my nose in fact!). Primarily a light musk with tiny hints of guava and freesia. Well-blended and non-offensive.

 

 

 

Pretty, but....kinda boring?

 

6.5 out of 10 bones

Edited July 11, 2013 by BoneBone24

[Cactus]

51:

 

In the Imp: Honeydew - with a little bit of something floral and some other notes (incense, salt) Nice, if a bit complicated.

 

On Skin

 

Wet: Honeydew - almost completely honeydew. Very nice, ripe honeydew. (With a bit of other stuff far in the background.)

 

After a bit: Getting some really sweet amber/musk with incense and desert soil in the background.

 

After a long while: Incense with a bit of the honeydew, amber, and desert soil mixed in.

 

 

Overall... a very sweet scent but complicated. There's a lot of different notes running around that seem "weird" together. Almost overwhelming, but in a good way.

 

And did I mention - it's Sweet?

 

EDIT: I know what else it reminds me of - For those of you who live where Rock Trumpets grow. It does a good impression of a Rock Trumpet. That same rich, ripe fruit flower smell. Perfect for attracting nectar feeders in the dark.

Edited June 19, 2012 by Cactus

[FormerViking]

Simply a wonderful warm weather scent . Very green , lite & a bit ozone-ish as well . Blended so well no one note really overwhelms me . Lovely really .

[donkehpoo]

Wet: Citrus, clean, and floral. Green. Loving it.

 

Dry: This is a bit softer now, but it's lovely. This is a perfect scent for spring.

 

 

4/5

[AmandaOnTheRun]

At first scent after having put this on, I have to agree with a previous poster that it smells like something Thierry Muglier would have made had he not been drinking. It's a brilliant cross between Womanity and Alien with more subtlety. My fiancé nearly swooned when he smelled this one on me, and he hates perfumes.

Will buy a bottle for sure.

[fufu_berry]

Very salty and floral on me. I like the saltiness, but the florals seem to be making me a bit sneezy and sniffly. If I got a bit more of the woods I think I could make it work, but it's just not really my style.

[neuilly]

I don't know what to say but I think this scent is very intriguing! And luminous. I get a soft green haze feel to this (not neon for me). There's definitely musk in the forefront, and a dash of honeydew in the back. I can see why some have said this feels more like a store perfume than most of the oils, but it's lacking that sharp alcoholic edge. This is very "hazy" on me - soft around the edges. I'm not sure often I'd wear it but I'll definitely keep the imp to find out - maybe it will turn into a bottle!