La Bella Donna Della Mia Mente

[ipb]

My limbs are wasted with a flame,
My feet are sore with traveling,
For, calling on my Lady's name,
My lips have now forgot to sing.

O Linnet in the wild-rose brake
Strain for my Love thy melody,
O Lark sing louder for love's sake,
My gentle Lady passeth by.

She is too fair for any man
To see or hold his heart's delight,
Fairer than Queen or courtesan
Or moonlit water in the night.

Her hair is bound with myrtle leaves,
(Green leaves upon her golden hair!)
Green grasses through the yellow sheaves
Of autumn corn are not more fair.

Her little lips, more made to kiss
Than to cry bitterly for pain,
Are tremulous as brook-water is,
Or roses after evening rain.

Her neck is like white melilote
Flushing for pleasure of the sun,
The throbbing of the linnet's throat
Is not so sweet to look upon.

As a pomegranate, cut in twain,
White-seeded, is her crimson mouth,
Her cheeks are as the fading stain
Where the peach reddens to the south.

O twining hands! O delicate
White body made for love and pain!
O House of love! O desolate
Pale flower beaten by the rain!

Soft, lush myrtle and dry, sweet melilot with wild rose, pomegranate juice and peach blossom against a background of deep aquatic notes and a twirl of melancholy autumn breezes.

in the bottle: sharp at first, but quickly softens to become soft and sweet & juicy and wet. it'd smell like late summer, except for the peach and pomegranate...

[Shollin]

First sniff: A gossamer veil of sweet white flowers topped with a harvest-wreath of sparkling fruit. La Bella Donna Della Mia Mente is an innocent scent without being little-girly.

 

Wearing: Oh, this is pretty. Very pastel fruity/floral, the rose pops up immediately but doesn’t overwhelm. It got fruitier as it faded, but stayed its pale fizzy self rather than going bright. I really like this.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: beth included this as an extra, and it's exactly the type of thing i like: pomegranate, peach, and an aquatic feel. it is wonderfully complex and beautiful. i really think i'm going to like this one.

on: i definitely smell pomegranate, but with a wet floral background. very nice, but i'm not sure that it's me.

1 hour later: i'm smelling mostly rose now, and it's lovely. there's still a bit of tartness there from the pomegranate, but it's mostly this beautiful rose scent.

2 hours later: this is still mostly rosy, but with something slightly sweet and earthy creeping in. it's really nice.

3 hours later: the scent has turned mostly sweet, but i can still smell a bit of the rose in the background. it's different, but still nice.

overall: while i liked this once, it didn't blow me away. it's definitely interesting how the scent develops from pomegranate to rose to something sweet. i probably wouldn't buy this again, but i'll be using up my imp.

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: Fruity, reminds me of Kitsune-Tsuki.

 

Second Impression: This definitely has an effervescent quality to it. It's not unpleasant, but my skin and fruity scents just don't get on well together. The pomegranate is overpowering any of the other scents.

 

Final Analysis: The dry down is pretty, it gets a bit less fruity as it wears. It's not something I'd wear. I'll pass this on to someone who will love and appreciate.

[Mitzy]

When I sniffed the imp I was immediately drawn to this because of the fruit - the peach is strong and the pomegranate not far behind.

 

the first 10 minutes of wear are lovely, fruity and just a bit floral. unfortunately when this dries down the rose comes up very strongly, mixed with something I cannot identify, and the fruit all but disappears. it becomes a strong, sharp floral scent on me which I dont like at all.

 

If I keep this scent I will not apply it on my skin, it will be a room scent or locket scent. my skin just doesnt agree with it.

[quinkel]

beautiful and pleasant! A new love. A scent to wear at a romantic picknick.

When I read the notes i expected something like persephone but it's totally different. So much more fresh and summertime.

 

I love peachnotes and this has a tiny tip of that.

 

I really recommand this one, is another Lab's favorite!!!!

 

ETA: After wearing it a couple of times (was also lucky to get another Imp as a Freebie, I decided not to add it to my 5 ml wishlist. Even it's a scent to die for, it's too soft and fragile for my personallity. It would be like an Elephant wearing silk underwear

Edited October 4, 2004 by quinkel

[lorajc]

I ordered a 5 ml of this immediately upon reading the description cuz I knew I'd love it. I just rec'd it and I do love it. What I like most about this is that it's a fruity floral that packs a punch. It is grounded by the "twirl of autumn breezes" and has "deep aquatic notes".......I love aquatic scents and autumn scents, as well as fruity florals, so it's no surprise that I wouldn't like this. I've only had this on for a couple of hours and it's still pretty vibrant. I smell a lovely blend of all of the notes. No one note stands out to me. I can't even pick out the pomegranete or rose which is odd cuz I love those 2 notes. Since I can't pick out any of the notes, I'll describe this in color. This is a lovely bluish/green & pink grounded aura of goodness. The grounding comes from the autumn breeze and the deep aquatic notes give this the bluish/green feel. This is really nice. I can't wait to see how the drydown goes, but it sure has cheered my blue Monday up so far. I'd say this is a mood lifting scent and I really like that, as I tend to be depressed. Good job on this one Beth. I love it and I love the name.

[any_old_actress]

FIRST SNIFF: fruity....

 

WEARING IT: juicy & fruity with dry, sharp notes way in the background. i don't smell anything that reminds me of autumn breezes but i can definitely smell pomegranate, rose and what i think is the myrtle. as it dries the rose comes to the front of the scent and it becomes less fruity.

 

VERDICT: pretty, but not something i see myself wearing.

[VelvetSky]

Beth's description of this blend is beautiful, and the actual oil doesn't disappoint. This is a very beautiful, clean green floral scent. It is strongly reminiscent of Chanel No. 19, which is an incredible green chypre.

 

When I first applied this, it is strongly fruity. The peach and pomegranate were very sharp and pure, and almost too much for me. I'm a 'dark side' kind of person when it comes to perfume, so I was a bit worried at first.

 

After a short time, the fruitiness fades back and the myrtle and rose come forward. The final drydown is soft, powdery and very feminine.

 

I like this blend a lot, even though it isn't my typical thing. I really admire the way Beth used the myrtle note in this one.

[Donnababe]

La Bella Donna .......

 

I was keen to try this because of the name but was worried by the mention of aquatics in the description.

 

I have worn this several times now and I don't get anything aquatic at all. I can't find much rose either but never mind, this is lovely.

 

Initially I get the sharp pomegrante that I in Swank and then a delish juicy peach comes in with a big splash, sweetening it up just a touch. The sharp fruit note doesn't last as long as I'd like but it's still there in the background while a warm, mellow slightly floral note comes to the fore.

 

This is very nice indeed. I haven't completely fallen in love with it but I have ordered another imp so I can have a bit more time to make up my mind about the possibility of a bigger bottle.

 

This is a lovely scent for the autumn.

[fairywingmaker]

La Bella Donna Della Mia Mente ~

 

Very lovely soft floral scent. However once again, I kill it because I turn ROSE to POWDER!!!

 

This is so very beautiful on everyone but me.

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

This one sounds very "me" from the description. Let's see if it is!

 

In the vial:

 

No, actually, never mind--I can't do the usual "in the vial" then "wet" then "drydown" format, because everything hit at once: my brain went Rose! Fruit! Aquatics! Love love love! And yet it's very soft, wistful. It does remind me a bit of Chanel or other expensive lots-of-stuff-going-on perfume. Really lovely. This may be one I wear a lot.

[Summerpixy]

La Bella Donna Della Mia Mente...

 

In the bottle this seemed sweet and slightly fruity.

 

On my skin the scent warmed and at first the fruit was on top, then an hour later all I could smell was the sweet sugared rose which the peach seems to be softening. I love this. It's feminine without compromising its strength.

 

This goes on my list for a 5ml.

[Witch's Dagger]

La Bella Donna della mia mente:

 

At first sniff, I can tell that La Bella donna della mia mente is going to be very kind, sweet, and gentle. She hides slightly behind the flowers she is carrying, and curtsies almost awkwardly. As I get to know her better, I can tell it is true: she is quiet and unassuming, and always elegant and proper. So much so that, after 5 minutes, I suddenly realize she is no longer there.

 

Final impressions: This is a very lovely scent for someone who likes light scents, who doesn’t want to overwhelm people with a strong perfume. It smells very nice, classy, and elegant. Unfortunately, it’s not for me.

[Eris]

A clean, simple fruity-flower blend. It is light and sweet, turning slightly herbaly as it dries down. I suspect this would be a nice, refreshing scent for true floral fans, but it's not quite me, alas.

[FireInCairo]

This fragrance smells very clean/bright. This clearly invokes a sense of innocence. Very nice floral blend for daytime wear. Whisper light!

[amaltheagray]

oh i *love* this. it was an extra and i put some on today, more or less forgetting anything about the description. the sweet but not sugary fruits jump out first and they are so beautiful and pure. this makes me feel calm and protective and sheltered. the juicy lush explosion that occurs when wet fades pretty quickly and i was left with, dammit, the usual aquatic sourness. it's not as bad as some aquatics i've tried so i may be able to wear it occassionally, and i think i will reapply right now. this scent is so effing gorgeous.

[Faerykin]

La Bella Donna Della Mia Mente

 

Swiped across wrists and along collarbone.

 

Initial Wet (8-8:30am): This goes on very sweet. I can certainly detect the pomegranate. It is a very juicy scent.

 

Initial Dry (8:30-10am): This remains a very sweet, juicy scent. Though, it warms considerably, and becomes light and airy. Quite Lovely.

 

Throughout the Day (10am-2pm): Not much changes here. Still, warm, sweet and juicy. A nice soft scent, reminiscent of early autumn.

 

This is another one of those scents that doesn’t last long. By 2pm, it was all but gone. Still definitely worth keeping the imp.

[sh1mm3r]

Wet - The pomengranate and peach are the strongest scents, although there is something keeping them from being overbearingly sweet.

Drying - The myrtle has started to come through, as has the wild rose. The melilot hasn't really shown a presence, but I would love it if it did (I had to look that one up, melilot is a sweet clover).

Dry - Wow, the aquatic notes seem to interchange with the myrtle, and the wild rose has stepped into a background.

 

This is one of those scents that I would love for people to catch a waft of when I walked past. I'm going to go apply more, since what I put on seemed to fade pretty quickly (but I always apply lightly when I am first trying!). When I was growing up we used to go the myrtlewood store at the beach, and this is an instant scent memory, but it is more complex than pure myrtle. I can tell the sweet parts are balancing it out but I can't pick them out anymore.

 

This is a keeper! I have a feeling it will grow on me even more.

[Northernminx]

Light and fruity flora, creamy smooth, and a gentle. This is gorgeous and a wonderful summer scent, definitly evocative of a little melancholy walk at twilight. The pomegranite is still present in this along with some aquatic notes, but the rose and peach blossoms are softening this nicely adding something a little more ethereal and feminine. It's growing on me the longer I wear it as well. I wasn't overly impressed at first but as the hours go on this is just stunningly complex and pretty.

[malanna]

After application, La Bella Donna Mia Mente is all soft, white/pink florals that are very clean (not soapy—there’s a difference). The rose and pomegranate become apparent, yet not overbearing, after an hour. I actually like this. It’s a bit like the scent encapsulated in fancy soap bars that aren’t too strongly doused in rose. In the fifth hour, this is sort of like Old Amsterdam—bright and slightly green with clear waters.

[alizarin]

La Bella Donna Della Mia Mente is aquatic, floral and fruity all at once on me while still remaining very soft. First applied the fruity note was most prominent, but not overly sweet. As it dries it becomes much more floral, and almost powdery but not quite.

 

Not necessarily to my tastes but it's very soft and pretty and feminine.

[ashtonrose]

La Bella Donna Della Mia Mente is a soft floral on me. I can pick out the myrtle, rose and peach. I'm not sure how a pomegranate smells, so that's not one of the scents that I pick out.

 

When I first smelled it in the bottle, it was exactly as I expected. Like the smell of the soft sweet dew on a summer morning.

 

As it dried, the dew scent drifted away and left a soft floral rose with a background scent of myrtle and peach.

 

I will be purchasing a few 5mls of this one.

 

 

[UltraViolet]

Oh my goodness.

Wet

This is so beautiful it alost took my breath away.

I smell peach, soft and almost powdery. It's a clean soft and a bright scent. The sweet clover brings a fresh out side on a summers day feel , the pomegranate is really really light but lends it's subtely sexy sweetness. I don't smell the rose a whole lot.

10 minutes

The rose is coming out more now, but the peach is the one holding his own in the blend. The peach seems to be the constant here. And the other ingredients scents come and go, but always blending in perfect union with the peach.

20 minutes

It sure takes off in a hurry though. It's so good I wouldn't mind reapplying here and there.

 

It's fun when sometimes things blend so well that they seemed made for each other. This is one of those scents for me.

I would buy a 10ml of this.

Bravo Beth.

[scourgeotheseas]

La Bella Donna Della Mia Mente

 

In the bottle: Mainly pomegranate and peach. I don't really know what melilot and mrytle smell like...

 

On me/wet: First it's a sparkly fruit, but then a little rose comes out. There is also a floral bouquet that I can only describe as "really expensive French guest soap". I can also pick up an aquatic note similar to that of Danube.

 

Drydown: The florals began to outpace the pomegranate and peach, but I still felt I smelled like really nice soap. I'm not sure about this one...

Edited February 15, 2005 by scourgeotheseas