The Atrocious Attic

[tasty]

A shadowy shrine filled with forgotten toys, broken dolls. The altar: a collapsing trunk distended by a rotted wedding gown. The air of the room is dusty, laced with the scent of a child's perfume and the remnants of a dried, crumbling bridal bouquet: tea rose, violet, white sandalwood, French lavender, and Calla lily.

At first sniff in the bottle, I wasn't that impressed. It smelled dull, boring and unimpressive. I was crushed because this was the Haunted House blend I was really looking forward to receiving.

The second I put this on my skin, all doubts were gone because this is one beautiful blend.

On first sniff, the rose is the first note to come out with a bang. It's the same rose note in Hope, but slightly less sugared. The violet is the violet in Faith, my favorite violet of all. There is the linen note of Antique Lace, but instead of being in the forefront, in the Attic it's a soft side-note. This is like the beautiful combination of three of my most favorite scents, but with a twist. The dust is there keeping the florals at bay and it makes the scent a bit more grounded, less heady and so beautiful.

Gorgeous.

[jolarocknrolla]

My husband days it smells like "old lady perfume", lol. I smell talcum powder, violet and rose (very much like Hope and Faith only without the creamyness) and the same sort of "dusty" note that i'm smelling in the other blends from this series. Bottom line is that it's a sweet, dusty floral that gets sweeter and dustier as it dries - I never smelled any sandalwood by the way.

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Dusty strong perfume with lavender and lily.

 

Immediately on skin: This scent is dusty and very perfume-y. It’s very strong. The lily and lavender are definitely the strongest.

 

After a few minutes: This blend has softened… a LOT. It’s light now and has just a little bit of perfume in it. It’s very light, pretty, and has a dusty and almost creamy scent to it. Usually lily turns soapy on me, and it didn’t do that here. There’s even a light creamy note to it that’s very pretty which I think might be the sandalwood softening and warming the blend up a bit.

 

Overall Impressions: This would be great for anyone who likes floral, ethereal blends. It’s very light, but pretty. Warning, though: if you amp any of the florals in this blend normally, I wouldn't be surprised if it happened with this scent as well. It's well blended but I know a lot of people have problems with florals.

Edited September 23, 2007 by Delirium1009

[Koukla]

Oooh, this one is lovely!!

 

In the bottle I smell a bit of astringency that I'm sure is the lavender, and a sort of creaminess that I associate with vanilla, but maybe it's the calla lily.

 

Wet, the lavender and rose are equal players, and I'm amazed at this point that the rose isn't killing everything else, since I amp rose like craaaaazy. But then again, I amp lavender too, so maybe they're forcing each other to behave. So far this is a blend with quite close throw too, which is unheard of for these two notes on me. Now as it dries down a bit more, the lavender is starting to assert itself a little over the rose, and I'm also getting a really nice sandalwood. I have a moment of worry as I also amp woodnotes, but I shouldn't have - even the sandalwood is playing nice.

 

As it finishes drying completely, the sweet violet and lily notes briefly assert themselves, and then it all starts to blend seamlessly together into a sweet light floral lavender blend with the sandalwood supporting everything so very gently. This is wonderfully pretty, clean, and feminine at this stage, and I wish it would finish this way, but alas! Eventually it blends together a little too much for me and it seems like the perfume note comes out, which I just don't like as much.

 

I usually amp several of the notes in this to unbearable and unattractive results, but to my surprise they all seemed to cancel out each others' bullying in this one! Overall, with the lavender and white sandalwood, it reminds me just a little of Oneiroi but it's much more gentle and pretty and complex. And in Oneiroi the lavender and sandalwood notes were very strong with huge throw, whereas in Atrocious Attic I have to snuffle my arm and think about what I'm smelling in order to pick out the notes. I think I'm going to try heating a few drops of this in an oil warmer while I'm doing something quiet, or about to fall asleep, and see if it calms me better than that bracing lavender in Oneiroi did. Maybe that way it won't ever get to the perfume stage either. If that works for me, then I'm definitely picking up an extra bottle or two!

[alicia_stardust]

THE ATROCIOUS ATTIC

 

Wet: In the bottle I smell a touch of sweet rose, powder, and a light and fluffy version of lavender. It really reminds me of a toned-down cousin to TKO.

 

Dry on Skin: For the first few minutes this really reminds me of TKO. After that, the lavender fades a bit and the rose and violet come forward. They do seem to be similar to Hope and Faith. The rose and violet are not strong. Rather, they have a soft and sweet smell to them. They're powdery, fluffy, faded.

 

This scent evokes images of forgotten belongings and lost memories, left to fade away into obscurity. After the first few minutes this scent doesn't morph again until the very end, when I finally start to notice the sandalwood. It lends a light-colored, dry, dusty layer to the fading florals. This is lovely in a nostalgic and sad way. The description, when paired with the scent, is so powerfully evocative.

[alchemilla]

Wet on skin, it's a sweet creamy floral. The violet note stands out for me, which is great. No sandalwood and no strong lavender (which I usually notice).

 

Dry, the distinct violet fades and I'm left with a sweet well-blended floral. Sweet, but not heady. And the lavender doesn't turn powdery like it sometimes does.

 

Overall, if you like sweet florals, this is nice. There's no strong rose or lavender, so don't let those keep you away if you normally avoid them. If you're looking for violet, though, you should probably go elsewhere.

[CrazyPretzel]

In the decant: mmm, interesting! A little sharp-smelling. I can smell the lavender.

 

Wet on me: How is it that this smells spicy to my nose? It's a strange scent right now, almost a little prickly. I need to wait for it to settle.

 

After a few minutes: Strong and a trifle soapy, but with lovely tea rose struggling to come out. The lily seems slightly bitter on me - I think I have to admit that I really don't do too well with lilies. *sigh* There's a very pretty soft, sweet note in here - the child's perfume from the description?

 

Drydown: And then like whoa it suddenly becomes really nice! The soapiness vanishes *poof!* and I'm left with a very sweet, wistful floral. The tea rose is not dominant -- in fact, none of the notes are really dominant; but the overall blend is extremely pretty. Even my BPAL-challenged boyfriend likes it to the point of wanting a dab for his own wrist.

 

Hooray

[Finny]

The Atrocious Attic, sweet floral. I don't get any individual flower, just the scent of a dried out bouquet. There is a sweetness and earthiness under the blend that makes it wearable, even for me, a floral hater. Surprisingly I like it, I got the whole set for the labels, but it is a keeper for scent not just the label.

 

ETA 10/15/07: Today when I wore this, I smelled Alice. It was a bit more of a grown up Alice like scent, and no milkiness. But it was very similar. It must be the tea rose.

Edited October 16, 2007 by Finny

[requieminblack]

This is what a babies room should smell like. This is so soft and sweet and innocent. Like French violet candies and vanilla with just a soft hint of clean fresh laundry right out of the dryer. It's not as vanilla as Hope and Faith, it's more the violet candy smell I am getting. This is not a strong smelling floral at all, it is very soft and faint. It fades out lavender talcum powder with a hint of faded tea rose. Yep, a babies room all the way (minus the poopy diapers thank goodness ).

[grifyn_whiffs]

I get the astringency when I first sniff this one, too. I suspected from the notes that this one wouldn't work on me, but I do like how that faint linen note is behaving with the dry florals. I'm really liking both the rose and violet in this, so it's useful to know that these notes are similar to those in Hope & Faith.

 

This one doesn't really "work" for me. Conceptually, it's a nice floral, not "atrocious" at all.

[Heavenlyrabbit]

Atrocious Attic the smell I often find in antique, Victorian perfume bottles.

 

A very old fashioned, gentle scent which I adore.

[puck_nc]

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle

 

Initial Thoughts: This sounded utterly sweet and feminine...if the violet will behave on my skin.

 

In the Bottle: Wow...soap. 100% soap. I've heard of the soap issue on people's skins before, but I've never smelt it in the bottle like that.

 

Wet: Lavender and sandalwood with an undertone of florals. The soapy impression lingers.

 

Drydown: It blends together some, and the florals bloom more. The violet does not come out to stank up the place as it often does with me. It stays a quiet and feminine scent, but that soapy edge remains.

 

Verdict: I may use up the decant, but I already have several light florals that don't remind me of soap.

[zenvodunista]

Weird....

 

This smells like chocolate on me and the BF. To the point where I'm wondering if we got the right thing! It's like an herbal chocolate blend like one of the 13s or something....

 

I'm....

 

confused.....

 

N.

[euterpe414]

I have to agree with the previous reviewer that I smell something really really similar to 13 (the orange label Oct 2006, to be specific). I cannot believe that there is tea rose in this b/c it is one of my most dreaded notes (and I am masochistic for getting a decant of this, lol) and I don't smell its sharpness at all. This is very soft, creamy and delicate- definitely evocative of an old wedding gown and other victoriana. I can definitely detect a soft lavendar, lilies, sandalwood and violet, but they are all blended together very very well.

 

This is not my normal fair- it's very delicate and girly, yet I find my nose permanently stuck to the spot where I spplied it on my arm! It's an incredibly calming scent and makes me feel graceful and at ease. I am definitely buying a bottle of this- who would have guessed??

[zankoku_zen]

This is a floral that turns to powder on me. I don't know why. Slightly dusty and it kinda does make me think of cocoa. Lily smelling cocoa powder. Weird, now that I think of it.

[Blood onmy hands]

I love tea rose and I'm fond of certain types of violet, sandalwood, and lavender. Calla lily smells like soap and dryer sheets on me though, or at least it did when I tried it in single note form.

 

In the vial, this smells disappointingly sharp and perfumey with an undertone on soap.

 

After giving the Atrocious Attic a moment to settle on my skin, the sharpness calms down a bit and the soapiness disappears entirely (yay). The tea rose hops to the forefront for a few minutes and tea rose is one of my favorite lil scents. It always smells like a bit of a sugary-sweet rose on my skin. There's still an aged, almost-musky perfuminess that I'm not crazy about, but it doesn't overwhelm the lovely rose note. The lavender creeps around a bit in the background, smelling a bit astringent and herbal. And then the powdery notes come in. Sandalwood and violet both have a tendency to go to baby powder on my skin, and they amp up like mad in the drydown of this scent.

 

This winds up smelling like a dry, dusty, nondescript sort of floral bouquet with a background of baby powder on me and just a hint of rosy sweetness. I don't get the chocolate or cocoa that a few other people have mentioned. It does have a feel of a dried wedding bouquet and aged floral perfumes with lots of dust and powder. Interesting, but I probably won't wear this much.

[filigree_shadow]

This is beautiful. A light, gently floral creamy scent with wisps of old linen. It smells dreamy and innocent.

 

It reminds me a bit of Beatrice (my favorite floral) but even more gentle than that one, without the slight spiciness. This one is all soft, lovely, and nostalgic.

 

Stunning. I love this. It's definitely my favorite of the Haunted House.

[Emma2403]

THE ATROCIOUS ATTIC

 

In the bottle: it smells "old" (that's not a bad thing), very floral, a bit powdery. Interesting.

 

On my skin: violets and sugar. Some roses too. I'm not a fan of roses but this is just a hint and it gets along very well with the violets.

 

After a while: that might be the most beautiful floral I've ever tried… it morphs into creamy violets, with a hint of lavender, it has a nostalgic power and… I'm in love.

 

Verdict: bottle, I say!

[Eemia]

This is so lovely and fragile. It reminds me of Antique Lace because they both have a similar malted smell to me. But this is more dry and musky, and I don't smell a vanilla note as I do with Antique Lace.

 

The violet adds that soft powdery touch that perfectly suits the overall dusty/dry feeling. None of the florals stand out on my skin...they are very unassuming. There is a sweet creaminess that is very pretty and clean. It doesn't have a strong throw but it does last on my skin for a good two hours before I have to reapply.

 

This does feel reminiscent of faded belongings and keepsakes. Like all of the Haunted House series, I'm thrilled with the atmosphere it evokes.

[Medici]

In the imp: Light, creamy florals.

 

Wet: Beautifully creamy, white florals – calla lily dominating the blend. Smooth, feminine and very floral.

 

Drydown: Tea rose gains amperage in the first phase of drydown, and there’s a light bit of crispness that I attribute to the lavender. Dominating, however, is that calla lily which I adore more than I can put into words. This is exactly how I like it too – creamy, pale, a little sweet and a little dry. I get hints of sandalwood grounding the blend, but on me, this is predominantly white floral.

 

Verdict: Must get a 5ml.

[dronzeka]

In the imp: OMFG this is gorgeous! Lavender mixed with rose and violet!

Wet: OMFG this is gorgeous! Lavender mixed with rose and violet!

As it dries: Mmmmm. Still lovely lavender. Still sweetened by rose and violet. Eventually, it becomes heavier on the rose and violet, with lavender in the background. Calloo callay, I get no calla lily! I also don't detect sandalwood, although it may be grounding this a little. Overall, it's a beautifully sweet floral. It actually reminds me very much of Victoria, with a little lavender added, and violet instead of vanilla. They seem related, though. Which is cool, because I love Victoria. My only dilemma now will be whether I want a big bottle of this, or of Victoria. (Oh, who am I kidding, I'm sure I'll buy both!) Atrocious Attic really needs to be a big bottle, though.

[olympia301]

What Anna D. said. This is really well done floral perfume, but please don't think "Floral, oh no!" It is gorgeous and everything is so well blended together that the whole is really better than the sum of the parts. I do need a big bottle of this and I am very sorry this isn't a permanent part of the GC! It's that good. So if you are interested in owning something which is a wonderful LE, The Atrocious Attic is pretty amazing!

[PersephonesChild]

This was such a difficult decision to get, and I've finally made the difficult decision to pass it on to someone else.

 

I love Marie (tea rose and violet) and Belle Epoque (sandalwood and lilies, among others).

 

But my deal-breaker scent is lavender. So I agonized, and decided to go for it. It really is old lady-ish, but then, people say that about Marie and Belle Epoque. I'd say this scent is less similar to those two lovelies and has more in common with Antique Lace. It's nice, but it doesn't excite me, and it makes me feel kind of dusty.

 

So much for my first LE bottle...

[theseagrows]

wow i love this one. it's a creamy-violet-rose to my nose. it reminds me a LOT of arcana soaps rapunzel, too. the calla lily comes out more as it's faded and adds a slight floral-sweetness. i dont get any lavender from this at all, like others have. i'd put it in the category with hope, faith and pink moon 07- sugary/creamy-florals.

[TheIceMaiden]

This such a lovely, well-blended, old fashioned perfume, perhaps something you'd find on a Victorian dressing table (or forgotten in an attic). It starts off lavender, calla lily and rose and dries down to a powdery, almost dusty, sandalwood floral. Its so light and fades so quickly that its almost the memory of a scent rather than a proper perfume. I guess that fits the theme. I really love this scent, although I wish it was a bit stronger.

 

ETA: Aging has made this stronger! Its become one of my Top Ten scents.

Edited October 7, 2010 by TheIceMaiden