Venice

[ami226]

A complex, voluptuous scent that captures the robust beauty and of the Italian Renaissance: lemon, red currant, wisteria, red rose petals, heady jasmine, Florentine orris root, waterlily, red sandalwood, violet plum, and violet leaf.

 

This one seems like lime on my skin. Effervescent lime. After a bit I can really smell the florals. It isn't so bad, but it doesn't really wow me...

[CiaoBonefish]

In the imp this was decidedly red currant with a touch of lemon and a "robust" combination of sandalwood and florals. So seductive and evocative of Venice (all it's missing is a touch of aquatic because when I think of Venice I can't help but think of water)!

 

On my skin the scent stays pretty much the same, but the lemon fades as I thought it would. The red currant becomes a little less prominent and blends in beautifully with the floral and sandalwood part of the blend. I'm surprised how much the florals sweeten this blend! It's quite lovely! The plum is also adding to the warmth and heaviness of the blend just giving it so much dimension. Wow. I can't even describe the scent aside from that it's a delightful combination of warm woody robust sandalwood and red currant making a smooth base (red currant to me isn't very fruity but more woods like... I don't know why?) with a fruity floral sweetness from the florals and plum. So gorgeous.

 

Decent throw and it fades really well and pretty seductively (if that makes any sense). Might be a bottle purchase eventually! it's just so evocative of Venice!!!

[raisin]

This smells wonderful in the imp. Nice and complex, a spicy fruity floral from another time.

But once it's applied, alas! Oh, if I could get the Renaissance, the colors, a whiff of something that actually suggests Venice... but it is not to be. Instead, I seem to get artificial lemon-flavored candy. Admittedly there's some stuff going on in the background, but mostly I just seem to have made myself smell like Lemondrops. (To its credit, I don't get a cleanser scent at all. It's delicious, just not something I personally want to smell like.)

 

That hint in the background is nice enough that I'm going to try to find another use for what's left in the imp, but I simply can't wear this.

[countessmouse]

Lemon Pledge at first, which quickly morphs into murky herbs. No florals at all, in fact, it smells quite mediciney. Meh, meh, meh.

[damonkitty]

At first I got a citrus cologne smell. It was kind of astringent at first so I had my guard up . After a little while though it lightened up to a citrus and light floral blend. It is not bad, but I am not sure if I am going to venture out to buy a whole bottle. I would recommend this to someone that likes a floral that is not overbearing.

[fairestrocza]

In the Imp: Damn. Jasmine and waterlily are prominent.

 

Wet on Skin: Not as bad as in the imp, but jasmine and waterlily are still the main focus. I can faintly detect a bit of lemon.

 

While Drying: No orris or sandalwood to be found. May be starting to trigger a headache.

 

After a Little While: Starting to get a bit soapy too… must be the roses.

 

Final Thoughts: I should have known this one wouldn't work on my skin - too many Doom notes. I had hopes that the orris or red sandalwood might save it, but they were nowhere to be seen.

Venice earns a 2/5 on my skin.

[bloody sore]

This is rather nice, in a traditional perfume kind of way. It is a rose that I can stand. Soft, well blended, and not much I can pick out. Nice, but since there's soooo much better BPAL, bye bye!

[Truelove]

On my skin this smelled like a cheap bathroom spray - not for me.

[ravenzwart]

well i love this! longlasting and very suitable for summer/spring ;-)

its not even bees attractingly sweet, beautifull

[FathomBelow]

Add me on as another fan of Venice. Wet on my skin, it's mostly gorgeous tart-sweet red currant haloed with delicate florals. The florals gradually get stronger until they take center stage, although the red currant is still releasing a series of bright little snaps of scent that add some substance to the composition. As time passes, the red currant gets a bit stronger, never quite superseding the florals however.

 

The complexity of Venice reminds me of Croquet. I think of Croquet as a young girl whose enthusiasm, naturalness, and inherent eccentricity combine to make her charming and a bit awkward and coltish, although that merely enhances her charm. Venice is the girl of Croquet now grown into an intensely charismatic young woman, comfortable in her skin with all its native contradictions and even graceful in it, who has managed to turn her eccentricity into a unique and compelling strength. Rather rambling, but there you go!

 

If it wasn't obvious already, I LOVE Venice, and a bottle is in my future!

[subtlesiren]

I received Venice as a generous frimp in my ebay purchase of Gypsy. It is a fresh flower scent, not too overpowering, but alas, I don't really do florals. However, I immediately thought of my mom, who has been to Venice and enjoys more flowery scents. I gave it to her today and she likes it! :gasp: I've passed on my first imp to someone else! I've been talking everyone's ear off about BPAL whenever they compliment me on the scent I'm wearing, but this is the first time I've brought someone into the fold!

[lavenderfrost]

In The Imp: Almost straight-up lemon. Tart, with an edge to it.

 

Immediate Application: Lemon and...sandalwood, I think. After a few minutes the florals peak through, and mmmmmm! I like.

 

The sandalwood seems to be behaving itself here, yay! \o/ (Normally sandalwood overpowers EVERYTHING for me - I think it's the rose balancing it out in this one? Don't know for sure.) I wish I knew what the rest of these things smell like on their own, because I start picking up other things after about 15 minutes, but can't put my finger on what they are for certain. Only that they have a sweeter smell.

 

30-45 Minutes Later: Another perfume that has 2 phases - the initial lemon/sandalwood rush that I was nervous about at first, and sweetness on the dry-down. It's definitely complex like the description says, and very feminine. Not "girly" feminine, though - this is definitely a grown-up perfume. Possibly make-designers-and-fashionistas-jealous perfume. Lounging courtesan perfume.

 

And? It seems to stick around so far. Most perfumes get sucked up by my skin in less than an hour.

 

Mental Image: A few, really. Take every Venetian-school Renaissance portrait of a woman ever - I imagine at least half of them wearing this, INCLUDING Venus of Urbino. It's Venice during the off-season, when Carnevale decorations are put away. The masques are over and the streets aren't so packed with irritating tourists that you can barely move.

 

Verdict: Oh, man. I want a bottle. Maybe 2. O_O;; Fascinating and very evocative of a well-off Renaissance woman at first, lovely as it dries. It leaves me torn between wanting to go out and make everyone sniff me, and wanting to curl up with some of my renaissance art history books.

[milo]

Wet, lots of strong, voluptuous rose. Dry, much the same, though violet is poking it's head out, and it is kind of powdery now. I really like violet, but the rose is very strong and slightly sour. I'm getting nothing else. Not for me.

[orata]

Lemon Pledge, roses, and jasmine, with some sandalwood in the mix as well. I wanted to love this for sentimental reasons since I used to live in Venice (my main scent memories from that time are of the horrible sulfurous smells coming out of the canals, though) but it was kind of a kick in the face from brash, soapy florals with a cameo appearance of furniture polish. I'm not sure I can see how it dries down--may need to wash it off as I'm getting a headache.

[stellamaris]

Gorgeous, just gorgeous, in a very blended complex Caterpillar sort of way...

[puck_nc]

Origin: Frimp from the Lab

 

Initial Thoughts: I'm going to guess that either the rose, the red sandalwood, or the violet leaf has prevented me from seeking this out. Let's see if I was right.

 

In the Vial: Rich, deep, and floral, with the zing of jasmine and the underlying hint of water.

 

Wet: The lemon erupts and immediately after comes the currant. What was a rich floral is now thinner and frutier.

 

Drydown: The sandalwood comes out to tame the tartness of the lemon, and then keeps coming as sandalwood often does on my skin. At the moment it's a lovely faceted sandalwood scent, but I can't get a clear impression of my favorite florals, jasmine and wisteria.

 

Verdict: My instinct was right. The sandalwood amped. I'll toss this in with one of my current eBay lots.

[JazzieCazzie]

An imp that somehow slipped through the cracks when it came to reviewing it.

 

IN THE IMPL Fresh citrus but with a candied sort of element to it. Very fresh.

 

Dabbed on my wrist and in the crook of my arm.

 

WET: Kind of like lemon-lime lifesavers being carried on an ocean wave. It reminds me of a sweeter, stronger version of Val Sans Retour and is very evocative of an island vacation.

 

DRYDOWN: Sultry, sweet, fresh and fruity all at once.

 

OVERALL: I want to love this. I think it would be a great vacation scent. But in the end, it's just one shade TOO sweet and fruity for me to wear and goes into the swap pile.

 

On a scale of 1-5 a 4.

[Deliciousness]

In the imp: Fresh florals. They're blended just so, I'm having a hard time discerning specific notes.

 

Wet on skin: Sweeter floral, but with a fresh, almost watery feeling.

 

Drydown: Fresh green florals, with a touch of powdery sweetness.

 

Sorry this review is so generic. Only if I look up the scent description can I identify wisteria, jasmine, and roses the notes that I'm smelling. On the dry down the Florentine orris root seems to come forward more with a watery sweetness. It's a pretty scent, but for me, somewhat forgettable.

[lucycat]

In the imp: A bright, complex floral. There’s something almost astringent in here that must be the lemon.

 

Wet: The same candylike sweetness I got from Versailles. And the jasmine appears at the same moment it did in Versailles.

 

Dry: Rose and…is that violet? There’s so much in here, I have difficulty isolating notes.

 

I think Amaranthus’ review is spot-on here, because while they don’t smell identical, Venice is very similar to Versailles to my nose. It behaves much the same way on my skin, and they share many of the same notes.

[Lunasariel]

In the imp: A creamy and, yes, voluptuous floral. Jasmine is dominant, but definitely not the only floral in town. Interestingly, it has a hard-to-pin down "fresh" quality, which must be the lemon, although my nose isn't picking up any lemon per se.

 

Wet: Woooo, there's a lot going on here! The lemon is actually recognizable as itself, for one. For another, what I think is the violet leaf is coming on strong, giving everything a fresh, green, and slightly wet vibe. The other florals are coming out - rose and wisteria definitely, with the waterlily possibly lending to the above-mentioned wet vibe. Jasmine is usually a little too heavy to be worn in summer, but this smells so fresh and cool that it might go in my summer scents pile.

 

Dry: It's pretty much jasmine-dominant florals all the way down. There's a brief flash of something that may be sandalwood, but it's a sweeter and fainter sandalwood than I'm used to.

[Sarah Morehouse]

Ok, Venice, you're bound to smell intensely something on me, based on your scent notes, but I got you as a frimp, and I'll try anything twice.

 

Wet in the bottle: Oooh, lovely. A brunch table laid out in the late spring, laden with delicious fruits and bouquets of gorgeous flowers. The silverware is gleaming and the linens are crisp and clean in the breeze. I think if I were a bee or a butterfly, I'd be over the moon.

 

On my skin: OOMPH. Jasmine just hit me in the face with a sock full of nickels. Red currant rushes up to kick me in the ribs as I fall down.

 

Drydown: Jasmine... why do you hate me so? Where am I? Mother?

Wait a minute! Violets! Sweet, harmless, innocent violets! Hi! ... wait, what are you doing? Why are you taking my earrings off? Where are you going with those?! HEY!

 

Dry: I don't know. I washed this off before it gave me a headache. It's truly lovely in the bottle though. I might try to mix it with candle wax and use it on my tart burner. If you like sweet florals and red/purple fruits but your skin doesn't over-amp them, you will probably adore this.

 

ETA: After washing, I get lemon pledge. I LOVE lemon pledge. Just not on me. I feel so clean and homey... somebody fetch me a microfiber rag!

Edited February 14, 2015 by manycolored

[Veronica]

RED JASMINE from the first review describes this perfectly. Jasmine and red sandalwood. Not for me.

Edited March 10, 2015 by delighted

[DiesMali]

In the imp: Heady red and purple flowers.

 

Wet on my skin: FLOWERS. Lots of them. Bouquets everywhere! Also a teeny bit of lemon, but mostly FLOWERS.

 

Dry: This is a RED and PURPLE flower scent. Roses, jasmine, wisteria, and water lily take the reins, backed up by the red musk and red plum. There's just a hint of lemon taking the flowers from overly-cloying to just slightly tart, but this is still very much a summery, almost greenhouse-like floral on me. Not bad, but I'm not sure how often I'll wear it since this colour of floral isn't quite my thing unless I'm in a very particular mood.

[Ashinros]

Unfortunately not a scent that goes well with my skin.

It smells like the bar soap that old ladies have in their fancy bathrooms that no one's allowed to use unless you're a guest. It's super powdery, soapy, and flowery to me. I think I smell the wisteria which is a note I now know is not for me.

[LizziesLuck]

Wet: Bright, powdery, citrusy, floral. Primarily soapy/powdery, but not in a particularly unpleasant way. It smells clean.

 

The florals come out more as it's drying and the citrus fades. I don't get any fruit. Still mighty soapy.

 

Dry: Nice, expensive soap. Not something I want to wear as perfume, but not unpleasant either.