Allison Gross

[emzebel]

O ALLISON GROSS, that lives in yon towr,
The ugliest witch i' the north country,
Has trysted me ae day up till her bowr,
An monny fair speech she made to me.
She stroaked my head, an she kembed my hair,
An she set me down saftly on her knee;
Says, Gin ye will be my lemman so true,
Sae monny braw things as I woud you gi.
She showd me a mantle o red scarlet,
Wi gouden flowrs an fringes fine;
Says, Gin ye will be my lemman so true,
This goodly gift it sal be thine.
”˜Awa, awa, ye ugly witch,
Haud far awa, an lat me be;
I never will be your lemman sae true,
An I wish I were out o your company.'
She neist brought a sark o the saftest silk,
Well wrought wi pearles about the ban;
Says, Gin you will be my ain true love,
This goodly gift you sal comman.
She showd me a cup of the good red gold,
Well set wi jewls sae fair to see;
Says, Gin you will be my lemman sae true,
This goodly gift I will you gi.
”˜Awa, awa, ye ugly witch,
Had far awa, and lat me be;
For I woudna ance kiss your ugly mouth
For a' the gifts that ye coud gi.'
She's turnd her right and roun about,
An thrice she blaw on a grass-green horn,
An she sware by the meen and the stars abeen,
That she'd gar me rue the day I was born.
Then out has she taen a silver wand,
An she's turnd her three times roun an roun;
She's mutterd sich words till my strength it faild,
An I fell down senceless upon the groun.
She's turnd me into an ugly worm,
And gard me toddle about the tree;
An ay, on ilka Saturdays night,
My sister Maisry came to me,
Wi silver bason an silver kemb,
To kemb my heady upon her knee;
But or I had kissd her ugly mouth,
I'd rather a toddled about the tree.
But as it fell out on last Hallow-even,
When the Seely court was ridin by,
The queen lighted down on a gowany bank,
Nae far frae the tree where I wont to lye.
She took me up in her milk-white han,
An she's stroakd me three times oer her knee;
She chang'd me again to my ain proper shape,
An I nae mair maun toddle about the tree.

Witch-herbs, crushed golden flowers, and a man-made-dragon's surly musk lightened by the scent of the blossoms and unearthly incense that clings to the Faerie Queen's hair. Dragon's blood musk, ambergris, sunflower, chrysanthemum, muguet, and rue, with gingered lily, moonflower, bluebell, peony, nightwort, and white rose.

This is an absolutely gorgeous blend - deep rich late summer herbs and greenery dominate on me, along with gorgeous earthy musks and just the lightest breath of the late summer florals to add a touch of feminine mystique to Allison's quiver. Because while as a witch she may have been ugly, she still was a captivating one, that Allison Gross - and her perfume is simply perfect.

Beth, darling, you have completely outdone yourself with this one.

[naiade]

AG was really very herbal on me. I like herbs, but this was almost bitter, and it kinda turned me off a little.

 

But drying down, she revealed the lightest trace of florals and something else that I can't seem to describe. (Maybe the musks?) It certainly is pretty witchy-smelling. Which is good. Suffice to say that Allison Gross is a very unique blend, one that is definately growing on me.

[Heavenlyrabbit]

First try there was herbs chased by incense then a gentle touch of the florals.

 

Second try we have incense with herbs in the background with a suggestion of the florals.

 

This blend does the impossible. It contains dragon's blood but manages to subdue it.

 

The Peony, one of the worst BPAL floral notes for me personally, doesn't make an appearance.

 

Trying hard to sift through my BPAL scent memory banks, I come up with Hades. Not as a doppelganger but in kind.

Edited July 12, 2007 by Heavenlyrabbit

[Taniwha]

When first applied this spends a few moments smelling exactly the way Clairol Herbal Essences Shampoo used to long ago. This is a good thing, because I adored that smell, and the deep, deep green color, and I'm instantly taken back to a teenage shower - kind of strange, actually. Allison's powers are strong.

 

As it dries it makes me feel like I'm lying back, relaxed and happy, in a huge, sun-warmed field. There are wafts of grasses, wafts of spicy flowers, with something almost loam-like (ambergris? musk?) anchoring it all.

 

As I wear it awhile, much of the greenery drifts away, and the sweeter, more delicate flowers pop up. This one morphs quite a bit on me, but each stage is delightful.

 

I kind of swore off ever again buying two bottles unsniffed, but this one has me regretting that decision.

[ACVail24]

Allison Gross

 

I bought this one more out of curiosity than anything else...

 

In the Bottle:

Very very herbalicious!

This is so strong in the bottle that I'm leary of putting it on - All I smell are herbs; no Dragon's Blood, no Moonflower, nothing except herbs!

 

On my Skin, Wet:

The herbs amp somewhat now (oh-no! ) but there also seems to be an undercurrent of orange or something floral - though at this stage I still cannot pinpoint anything except herbs

 

On my Skin, Dry:

Still herby but definitely subdued.

I get the warmth of the Dragon's Blood now, but cannot say that I actually smell it.

I am also smelling what seems to be the sunflower!

The sunflower just glows on the surface - and is very lovely.

 

Verdict:

I was not expecting the herbs to dominate the early stages as they did - but the end result is worth the journey.

6 of 10 rating.

[heathercaley]

In the bottle : Very VERY green.

 

 

Wet on SKin: I smell like the douglas fir lot at christmas time. This scent is very powerful, and I am not picking up anything other than an herbal greeny smell

 

 

Drying down: My husband says this would remind him of his outdoorsy manly shaving cream if he were an outdoorsy manly man.

 

Dry for awhile: I still smell like a douglas fir christmas tree. It's not horrible, but smelling this while living in Orange County makes me feel like a cat that walked into a dog factory - completely out of place. If I were in some open feild or a little forest with a babbling brook and unicorns and fairies where playing all around me, this would be wonderful. I wish my chemistry wasn't so finikey. herbals and florals go all wonky on me.

[naeelah]

I ordered this because I love herbal scents, and because it was such a complex and unusual blend, I wasn't sure how it would smell. Looking back, I should've known, from all the light florals.

 

Wet, this is very herbal. That initial smell is actually my favorite part of the scent.

 

It quickly dries to a very soft, slightly herbal, every so slightly incensey light floral blend. Nothing stands out -- there's just a complex blend of floral notes with bitter undertone. After 15 minutes or so, it goes so soft that I can barely smell it. After 30, it's gone.

 

I've been waiting around for the musk to appear, but nothing stands out. I'm not familiar with dragon's blood musk, and I was really looking forward to smelling it in this blend, but I can't seem to find it. I can tell there might be a musk in the base notes, but it's nothing distinguishing.

 

So, this is a light floral and herbal blend with a slight smoky/musky touch. It's a bit outdoorsy, and reminds me of Arkham. It's pretty gender neutral. I think it's lovely, but it just doesn't suit me, and it fades so quickly I'm having a hard time finding much to say about it. A pity, because I really had high hopes for this one.

 

Icon:

Edited August 6, 2007 by naeelah

[Poenari]

I don't know what I expected, but the description of all the notes just called to me. I usually love anything with Dragon's Blood.

 

Wet: in the bottle, it's all herbal, and reminiscent of some scent from my distant past that I can't quite recall.

 

On my skin: I can't pick out any particular note, but the blend is beautiful, soft, and neither completely herbal nor floral. And there's that fleeting memory that I've smelled this before.... wait! Earlier in this thread, Taniwha said it smells like the original Herbal Essence- that's it! I used that shampoo when I was in college in the 70's, and this does smell familiar! Don't worry, it doesn't smell like this It just makes me feel happy to wear it.

 

edited: oh noes! spelling error

Edited July 14, 2007 by Poenari

[moon_lemming]

Oh Allison Gross, how impatiently I've waited for you. The minute I read the early reviews of this blend, I knew I'd love it.

 

And I do! How often does that happen? Well, it happens more often now that I've got a better grasp of what I like, but still.

 

Okay. At first, this blend reminds me of Bess without the lemon. I'm not sure why because I don't think they have much, if anything, in common. That similarity goes away quickly, though. As it dries, it becomes more green and herbal, until it's this pretty, though a bit strident, herbal scent with a bite of something musky or incense-y.

 

After a bit more time passes, it becomes this gorgeous herbal blend with a touch of something floral, but that touch isn't strong enough that it's obvious, thank god.

 

It becomes softer as time goes on. Stays on a while, but as a much more subdued version. Lovely from start to finish.

[QueenFae]

This is quite different from anything I've ever sniffed. When first applied, it smells like a smattering of sweet flowers with an odd, marshy base. I thought it might work on me. After it has dried down a bit, a very strong, earthy/herbal noter rears its head, and the blend goes a bit funky on my skin. There is still a soft, powdery floral base, but the sourness of the herbal note all but drowns it out. It's not terrible on me, just probably not something I'd want to smell like.

 

This is just perfect for Allison Gross; very grassy and otherworldly. Not my thing, But I really think a lot of people will like this for its uniqueness.

[theseagrows]

this has a fresh springlike quality to it- it's a very bright grassy-floral when first applied. i sense something soft like phlox but perhaps it's some sort of musk. as it dries, the grassiness calms down and i am left with a very soft, sweet floral. i can smell the moonflower more now. i was afraid the dragon's blood musk might not work on me, but luckily this scent smells beautiful. i am so glad i decided to get a bottle!

[taramarie]

I'm not getting any florals from Allison Gross, but on me she's very green, herbal, and musky. I get the sense of a dragon in the deep forest. She's not a typical me scent but I like her. Allison's a little too strong to wear often, so I think I'll save her for special occasions.

Edited July 17, 2007 by whiterosepetals

[DifferentDances]

In the bottle: Whoa, freshly mown grass shoved in my face.

Wet: Still grass.

Drydown: If I sniff very carefully, there's a bit of something else trying to peek through, though precisely what's trying to peek through leaves me at a loss.

Dry: Something vaguely sweet floral, with a solid layer of grass.

 

I have no idea what to make of it. I will try it again at some later point in time.

[Malista]

I wish I got grass and herbs from this; I was sort of counting on the green notes, really. Unfortunately, it smells as though the dragons blood musk might be based on red musk, which makes Allison Gross nearly as gross on me as this year's Red Moon. Two wash-offs in one order.

 

ETA: I took the new oils to work, and my thoroughly enabled boss really liked Allison Gross, so I gave it to her. I love when that happens and I don't feel I have to go to any great lengths to pass along/get rid of things that Seriously Don't Work on me! All's well that end's well.

Edited July 21, 2007 by Malista

[khiseer]

In the bottle it's a very sharp herbal and i was kinda afraid because i do ussually like my perfume just a little sweet...

 

Totally different on the skin, still green but gorgeous and musky as well and just a touch of dragons blood comes in even later.. I love this on the dry down and i think i will be hunting down another bottle for myself....

 

Pretty green label too

[noumenon]

I confess when I got my bottle from the Lab (and when I sniffed a bottle at Will Call in June) the scent in the bottle reeked of rotten vegetables. I banished it to the back of my bpal box without trying it.

 

But Cupide430 had bravely put it on her arm at Will Call and let me huff two hours later and it smelled delicate, sweet and floral. But I kinda suspected, given the fumes coming from the bottle, that maybe Cupide430 just smells that way naturally.

 

Now, less than a month later, Allison Gross has already grown up a little. The rotten vegetable smell is gone when I twist off the cap - now it's a more respectable "green" smell, like the herbs and grass notes others have mentioned above.

 

But on...it's divine. I am not kidding. It's a completely different scent now. The sunflower is the scent I recognize the most, but I think the other flowers are blending together into a sweet, soft floral bouquet. It smells a lot like the fragrance in Pantene Shampoo, actually.

[ajcj213499]

From the notes listed I am absolutely SHOCKED that this worked on me. I have never had a blend with ambergris not smell awful on me, and BPAL's rose very rarely is nice on my skin, but I guess this is one of those magic blends.

 

Allison Gross is a fresh green herbal, and it is the herbs I mostly smell- I don't get any of the dragon's blood musk, ambergris or rose (and I'm so glad)! I am so thrilled I was able to try this, because based on the notes, it's something I never thought would be nice on me, and it is.

[Brianne]

In the vial:

Sort of vaguely floral

 

On me:

It's a really pleasant, soft floral I think - nothing overbearing and in combination with the herbal scent it seems soothing and gentle. It has a mild sweetness to it also - a musky sort of sweetness. This is a really "every day" kind of scent in my opinion - it's not particularly strong and the balance of floral and herbal creates a scent that really could work for just about anything.

 

Final note:

I like Allison Gross - it's very nice, quite pretty. It really doesn't last on me though, it disappears in about 10 minutes so I think the imp is just enough for me

[euterpe414]

Allison Gross starts out as an herbal musk that is quite pungent (sniffing it in the bottle scared me!!) with a lot of throw. As it dries, the flowers come out and it begins to soften. I can't detect any of the flowers specifically, although for a while in the drydown it takes on a powdery edge to it. When it is finally dry it settles into a lovely musk with a soft undercurrent of florals and a slight tinge of the bitter herbals left over.

 

All in all, Allison Gross is a lovely, morphing scent. I was a little worried at first b/c of the bitterness, but it only lasted for a short while. A very beautiful scent and one that goes oh so well with the poem which inspired it

 

ETA- I found in the past month that something in this one keeps giving me headaches when I wear it (couldn't really tell when I only had dabbed it in a tiny spot on my arm) Sadly this one is off to a better home as I type....

Edited August 28, 2007 by euterpe414

[shadesong]

In bottle: Sharply green - the stems of the flowers rather than the stems themselves.

 

On me: Yes, very green, very herbal. Refreshing, in this heat! The flowers are way in the background.

[ceiswyn]

In the imp: Gosh, there's no sweetness in this at all. Dry flowers and herbals, all twined together... On a second sniff, there is a faint sweetness from the flowers, but it's still very dry.

 

On the wrist: That's where the sweetness went. Dry and flowery, almost woody, with a little light musk. Very otherworldly, and it's difficult to make out any individual flower notes. It's almost 'perfumey', but... not. There is an emptiness to the heart of this scent. The dry and withered flowers of a witch-woman who has never known love...

 

One hour later: This is a flat generic 'flowers', with no sweetness to it at all. A bit 'perfumey'. Rather disappointing.

[Bagfish]

Wow, this is so herbal when on wet. It's almost mouth puckeringly dry with very few florals. On drydown Allison turns straight into Litha with the same green, herby florals, and a slight sweetness. Suprisingly, I don't actually get any dragon's blood out of this as it is usually a really strong note on me.

[sookster]

straight sniff from imp is complete tabasco sauce...wtF?

 

i realize that the tabasco is actually super, duper greenery...how odd!

 

once applied this gets lightly floral...white florals and remains distinctively

green ...

 

i like this much better on me than just a sniff from the imp...

 

extremely complex indeed...there is so much going on with this blend and such

a morpher...i am compelled to find a bottle of this one!

[Blood onmy hands]

All of the florals and ambers that have popped up in the last few updates are killin' me. As far as florals go, Allison Gross has quite a few in it that I actually like – sweet moonflower, sensual sunflower and chrysanthemum, and spicy white rose. But this is just bitter and overwhelmingly perfumey in a way that makes it impossible for me to even pick out any good floral notes. It's that mishmash of perfumey, chemical florals that I've been getting a lot lately, only this is strangely dry as well. This isn't sweet at all on me, though there's an unpleasantly herbal greenery underneath the perfume in the drydown. I'm glad that I opted for a decant of this one. It smells like department store white floral perfume on me

[for_the_nonce]

Herbal, with a tiny bit of unidentified (to me, anyway ) florals. This is a very clean scent and actually makes me feel like I'm going to sneeze if I sniff to deeply. That said, I really like it. It's understated and not at all heavy. If you like Ides of March, this is a lighter alternative.