Ile de la Tortue

[moon_lemming]

Damp air trapped in limestone caverns, heady greenery, hothouse orchids, nicotiana blossoms, bois de chandel, elemi, palm wine, garambullo, pega-pega, flame of the forest, and a swirl of Haitian vetiver.

Not a bad floral -- I got a compliment on it just sitting at my desk -- but too floral for me. It's sort of a soapy clean cousin-to-jasmine that manages not to become JASMINE DEATH. That's the orchids, I guess. It does have the feel of a damp floral, if that makes sense.

As it dries, it becomes less HI I'M FLOWERS and more of a subtle aquatic with hints of its old self peeking through.

Pretty, but totally not me. It was worth trying just to know that there is more than one floral blend that will not kill me dead with detergent, though. Edited July 18, 2008 by karen

[xoe]

Ile de la tortue is all damp tropical orchid on me. Makes me feel like I'm in an old time zombie movie. Where they were on a tropical island or in southern florida ... the old black and white voodoo zombie genre. Yeah!

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Very green and soapy with a very dark undertone.

 

Immediately on skin: The main thing I get from this scent is a soapy green feel, but followed by sweet orchid and an undertone of what seems to be oakmoss. There’s an ozone type of feel to this as well, lying over the orchid. This is a thick scent, and rocky, but still very lush.

 

After a little while: This becomes such a cool floral scent on my skin. Basically everything fades away except oakmoss, orchid, and an underlying soft green note. This is sweet orchid and oakmoss… so pretty.

 

Overall Impressions: This blend is not nearly as dark as I was expecting. The orchid and oakmoss just come out and slap me in the face. This is a cooler blend, and on the sweet side. There’s a bit of complexity at first, and while it may stick around on other people, it certainly went away on my skin. Pretty, but I don’t think I’d wear it much.

[Iceblink]

Oooh! Yummy! I wasn't expecting this to be such sweet floral but it's absolutely beautiful. There's a rush of vetiver at first but that vanishes quickly. This reminds me of a more robust Tiki Queen or a Manila without the banana. I can't believe this isn't more popular! It's delicious.

[Ravenclaw79]

Intriguingly sweet and flowery, then briefly soapy -- and then gone, vanished, poof, nothing.

[femmefatale]

Ooooh, this is pretty! At first it's mostly orchid, but as it begins to dry a lush greenery comes out, along with some other tropical blossoms. I really can't pick out the individual notes, but this is absolutely beautiful. I think I like this even more than Tiki Queen (this is more exotic smelling). There is something in this that takes it beyond just being a tropical scent.

I love this and will need a bottle of it for the summer!

[voodoocatwoman]

This is a lovely fragrance- deeply tropical with heady florals. The orchid is damp and sexy. Beautiful!

[modillian]

Wet on skin: This is a frimp. I would never have ordered something like this for myself. That being said, this is gorgeous. It changes, gets headier and thicker, the florals growing, the light salty aquatics/"airy" ozone remaining in the back. Really, really gorgeous, and no vetiver or wine at all in the beginning. The scent layering here is incredible. Let's see what these mystery notes all are, shall we?

 

nicotiana: tobacco plant. Really? Yes really. Wiki tells me nicotiana is also a member of the nightshade family. Niiice. Nicotiana=nicotine. Fancy that.

 

bois de chandel: called dragon tree or candle tree in english....ah-ha. Some more fancying-up of terms here too. Wiki reveals: A bright red resin, dragon's blood, is produced from D. draco and, in ancient times, from D. cinnabari. Some species such as D. deremnsis, D. fragrans, D. godseffiana, D. marginata, and D. sanderiana are popular as houseplants. Rooted stem cuttings of D. sanderiana are widely marketed in the U.S.A. as "Lucky Bamboo", although only superficially resembling true bamboos. I've had Lucky Bamboo. I've also been peddled unrefined DRAGON'S BLOOD, my arch nemesis. I...can't tell if it's present in the scent though. Damn.

 

elemi: Aromatic elemi oil is steam distilled from the resin. It is a fragrant resin with a sharp pine and lemon-like scent. One of the resin components is called amyrin. Elemi is chiefly used commercially in varnishes and lacquers, and certain printing inks. Elemi is used as a herbal medicine. I do detect something like this here.

 

garambullo: The garambullo is a cactus that grows in arid and semiarid zones; it bears a purple fruit which contains pigments belonging to the betalain family. It also appears to contain some kind of acid used in scientific studies for food science. O.O

 

pega pega: a species of bamboo.

 

flame of the forest: also called parrot tree and Kinshuk. A deciduous tree with, surprise surprise, bright and startling red flowers. A floral note I suppose.

 

Drying: Well! All that certainly explains the tropical juiciness of this blend. And oh, how it is juicy, and light and sweet. A few heady flowers and the sweet saps of these plants. Wonderful, exotic, refreshing. No wine and only the lightest, most pleasant vetiver, yes! The fresh dewy quality is similar to citris with the elemi, but more akin to the yuzu acting in Night-Gaunt or Aizen-Myoo. It's a totally different green scent than the fir-y Nocnitsa or ephervescent Hemlock, and it's one that I really enjoy.

[waternight]

In the imp: Strangely enough, bananas come to mind. Don't know why. On a second, deeper sniff, it's light tropical fruits (palm wine, maybe?), vague aquatic notes, and the barest hint of damp stone.

Wet: Wet limestone blossoms on the skin, as well as fleeting glimpses of a light wood (bois to chandel). The greenery and orchids are here too, but in a light, floating way, not a BAM!ORCHIDS way. I swear I still smell bananas. Thank G-D, no vetiver. Hmmm... I think I'm getting the elemi too, lightening up the blend and making it sparkle a bit. This is an interesting blend - heady and tropical yet light and bouyant. Fruity-floral, yet with wisps of cool, damp stone in the background. Very evocative.

Dry: Glorious. Beth has done it again. This is like Kumari Kandam's young, carefree cousin - if she rolled around in a fruit salad and then went skinny dipping. There's a hint of the damp stone, but this is primarily a light, bouyant fruity-floral, with just a hint of tropical headiness. Just beautiful!

[rayvn1]

Hm, nice, very light aquatic-tinged floral. A little too heavy on the flowers for my taste. Think I'll stick with Ulalume.

[Ajila]

In the bottle – Sweet, slightly peppery, green plants

 

Wet on me – Sharp florals with a slightly powdery back drop

 

Dry on me – Warm, dry florals

 

Overall – There’s nothing offensive about this blend, but it’s not really me

 

[Bluestocking]

In the imp: Lush, exotic floral. As you might guess from the long list of components, it's hard to pick them all out, but I do get the orchid and nicotiana in the forefront. It's feminine, tropical and dense but not overpowering, and really… mmm, sensual might be the word. Maybe even erotic.

On, wet: Oh, wow, I'm surprised by how beautiful this one is. It might be named for dirty, wicked pirates, but it smells like sitting out in the sunlight on a tropical veranda—some ocean breeze, some dense jungle greenery, some white linen, loads of big blossoms. I'm particularly getting the amazing orchid note and something that smells like gardenia (bois de chandel?), which I love.

On, dry: More of the same, with a subtle hint of the earthy damp stone and greenness promised by the description. Still, the overwhelming impression is floral, sunny and lighthearted. If I didn't know that vetiver was a component here, I wouldn't guess it.

Later: The same, but just more subtle and with an added hint of sweet richness, which I'm guessing is the palm wine. Bliss!

Overall: Paradise in a bottle, making your troubles melt away. It's totally gorgeous, and I can't stop wanting to sniff it. Given the rate at which I'm using up my imps of this, this is a big bottle purchase. A big, big bottle.

 

 

[Argentwolf]

I don't get any darkness from this at all -- nope, this is a bright, sunny, lush jungle scent. It's extremely evocative of someone sitting by a waterfall, sipping a rum-based drink, and inhaling the rain-kissed scent of jungle blooms. And, later on, I really do get the scent of stone -- as if our intrepid hero sauntered into the limestone cave behind the waterfall to check on his chest of treasure and sleep the afternoon away.

 

Alas, it dissipates pretty quickly on me, but it's a very fun little mind-trip while it's there!

 

It's a really great scent for summertime!

[ladyl]

This is a free imp from the lab. I'm still new and still exploring, and never heard or experience all those scents listed in the description. This turns out really nice on me. It kind of smell like gardenia (I think). Very fresh like coming out of a shower, not cloying. It reminds me a bit of Gucci Rush without the very overpowering base notes that Gucci had. This ranks 4/5. Going into the 5ml list.

[annanwater]

Beautiful scent. Just got it as a frimp from the lab, and I am in love. Heady and tropical, definitely a jungle scent. Brings to mind hanging vines and large, colorful flowers, and perhaps an emerald snake slithering through the greenery, flicking out a bright tongue to taste the warm wildness of the air.

 

Absolutely on my 5ml list.

[tajana]

Wet, it smells... wet. Damp. It has a chilly vaguely sweet, vaguely mineral quality... when I read the scent description of "damp air trapped in limestone caverns" I totally got what Beth was going for! As it dries down on the skin, the next notes to unfurl are green, leafy, waxy, and dark. Then, floral notes, soft and clean, tropical, and undeniably pretty. The orchid is the only thing I recognize, but it's lovely! I wouldn't call this scent too sweet, but there's a sticky element lying low that I'm tentatively attributing to palm wine, offset by swirls of smokiness, and the prevailing deep greenness. Weirdly enough, after the oil has been on my skin for an hour I suddenly get a distinctly citrusy note that plays well off the damp jungle notes. The tail end of this scent's existence on my wrist is all smoky vetiver, wet leaves, and flower petals starting to curl up... it's a little sour in an bad way, which is really sad since up until the death throes, it's quite lovely. That's certainly the fault of my unforgiving skin chemistry... I bet this'll smell divine all the way through on a lot of other people. It's not terribly strong: I applied generously, but the throw is very light and it didn't last more than a few hours before it was a pale whisper. Apart from the wonkiness in the far drydown, this was really lovely to wear... it was very evocative, a real scent experience!

[sarajane]

Oh hey vetiver. It's nice to see you again.. kind of. You know, I really would like you, in all your smoky goodness IF YOU MAYBE LET SOMEONE ELSE COME OUT AND PLAY FOR FIVE SECONDS. I thought this "Haitian vetiver", a cousin of VETIVER!, might be kind of a pal and calm down, but no. VETIVER! ruins my life again.

 

I LOVED this blend until I put it on my skin. Good thing I have a scent locket.

[donnatron]

Imp: Light, clean florals. Orchid dominates with a very faint hint of vetiver. It's a suggestion of vetiver it's so faint.

 

Wet: Bright florals and a slightly dusky orchid. It's really a floral explosion. Very sweet and clean--reminds me a little of The Isle of Demons without the violet edge.

 

Dry: Well, to start with it's a really incredibly light and skin close sort of scent. And then... it kind of has a hint of BO in it. I don't know which ingredient is causing it but there is something that definitely smells like unwashed skin here. And it's covered by floral perfume. It's not totally icky but it's not working wonders with my chemistry.

 

Overall: I like to shower and don't want to project the image that I do otherwise. I think I'll pass on this one.

[milo]

Why am I getting citrus here? This blend really smells like a sweet, fresh grapefruit to me, that does not go body spray on me at all. This is how Alien Invasion was wet on me, but went horribly wrong on dry. A beautiful, fresh, lush, clean blend with a touch of greenery. This blend is a nice surprise, as I don't like tropical florals as a rule, and this totally proves me wrong, which is what I love about Bpal, the great surprises! Kind of reminds me of Faiza, as well, only Faiza was too florally on me. This would be perfect for a hot summer day.

[hkhm]

imp: sweet, wet greenery.

 

wet: spicy flowers (i suppose it must be orchid but it doesn't really smell like it to me) of slippery green leaves. i can't emphasize how wet and clean this scent it. very pretty and very feminine. it is strong (and i put on a dab) but it's comforting and nice.

 

dry: this is a cozy floral scent once dry. the greenery is a feel more than a scent and it's perhaps more misty than wet. lovely.

[skylarkza]

In the imp: Green and damp with many tropical flowers. I see huge white tropical flowers in the middle of a dark jungle.

 

Wet: FLOWERS. Bit juicy, tropical ones. I want to go and grab a pina colada and find a sunset.

 

Dry: Wow! This scent is incredibly sexy, but in a totally different way to what I consider "normal" sexy scents. It is incredibly floral and tropical - the smell of lush jungle vegetation and an abundance of flowers - the orchids in particular are starting to peek out. And I also get the impression of a beach nearby - there is a tantalizing "saltiness" to this - perhaps the limestone? But STUNNING scent.

 

Many hours later: Orchids. My mom had a thing for orchids and this smells like a greenhouse full of orchids. And ocean breeze. I don't know how the ocean breeze got in there, but there it is there in the background. Tropical and quite lovely.

[amandette]

I had a feeling I would like this, because I'm obsessed with nicotiana, and boy do I ever! When I put it on, it was very strong, but in about 10 minutes it calmed down to just gorgeous florals.

 

I can't pick out the vetiver at all, it's just in there making this rich and yummy. It smells classy and elegant, but not stuffy or old. I definitely want a bottle.

 

I feel like this gets overlooked, so I recommend you try it!

[kohimame]

Wow, totally not what I was expecting. Instead of being a dark and sultry scent, Ile de la Tortue is a tropical floral with a hint of greenness under it. I can't quite pinpoint the floral aspect of it, mostly I get orchid and gardenia. Definitely a summer scent, something to wear while wearing a bikini and sipping a frozen drink.

 

The wear is fairly long, and the throw is amazing. And for people who are scared of Vetiver (like me), I didn't get a hint of it in this scent.

 

Very nice

[angelicruin]

I am getting mostly florals. Definitely orchids, and something like gardenia on my skin. Slightly smoky quality, but no heavy vetiver note in this one.

[girasol]

Wha-hey! A blend containing vetiver that doesn't make me want to hurl, who knew such a thing existed!

 

I really don't get anything damp or green from this, on me it is a straight-up floral. Heady and tropical. Nice, but not unique enough for me to feel like I need more than the imp.