Noche Buena

[edenssixthday]

A celebration of the Nativity: the light, uplifting incense of the Misa de Noche Buena, purple sage, and a vibrant bouquet of plumeria, chrysanthemum, tuberose, Angel's Trumpet, Mexican tiger lily, dahlia, and azucenas.

Noche Buena – This is a sunny, bright, dry floral. It’s not a tropical blend in the typical sense, but it is abundant with the sense of heat, dry air, and a party atmosphere. It reminds me somewhat of the bright, dry florals from DDLM’07, although if I recall correctly, there are no common notes between the two blends. This is the sultry scent of a Mexican fiesta that has lasted long into the night, with brightly colored dresses and shoes, the sweat of happy, drunken dancers, and the sound of snappy, staccato mariachi guitar. The various florals blend together to create a stunning overall effect. This is a highly feminine scent, but not in a soft, delicate and demure way. Rather it’s feminine in that bawdy, raucous, fun-loving sense that accompanies festive celebration and party spirit. This is one of the best floral blends ever.

[Astarte]

On testing, there was a very prominent green note keeping the initial burst very green, as the flowers begin to bloom for me it becomes slightly overwhelming.

 

As a blend it flows very nicely but I can't ever see myself wearing a scent like this.

[Tulliver]

In the bottle, this is a lovely mixed floral blend. I can't pick out many individual notes, but I do get a hint of the spiciness of the sage.

 

Wet on skin: Eh. I'm fairly certain this is going to be one of those that disappears on me quite quickly, but fresh on my skin... oh my. There's a lovely waft of tuberose which carries even when the scent is nowhere near my nose. Carnation, too. And, I think, lily. I confess I don't know what plumeria smells off. But this is a very very VERY lovely true floral. It's the sort of floral that isn't just for Christmas, if you know what I mean. This wouldn't be out of place at a summer garden party. Infinitely feminine, it needs floaty chiffon and large-brimmed hats..

 

Dry: Eh. It does last a little longer than I first thought, but it's still too short-lived, although the floral wafts in the air do outlast the scent on my skin. Something goes a little soapy on me, but it's only for a few moments then it's all lovely and girly again. I like this a great deal. I'll keep the bottle and use it every time I feel the need to belong to the set that wears floaty chiffon and large-brimmed hats. This could actually be more often than I might realise.

[taramarie]

Wet on my skin, Noche Buena is a wet floral. It smells almost exactly like apples. Dry, the wet part is replaced by an herbal note, which I guess is the sage. I like this a lot, but I think I'll save this for the warmer months.

[QueenFae]

Gorgeous!!! I'm not usually a huge an of florals; the only two I've ever loved were Rose Red and The Bearded Lady. Now I can add Noche Buena to that list!

 

A beautiful, strong, girly floral. Dark pink, penetrating, no nonsense and intoxicating. This is a very strong blend for a floral, which is great in my book. I think this smells mostly like tiger lily and plumeria on me; two of my favorites. This could replace Sleepy Moon for me as my night time blend, since I have such a hard time getting my hands on that one.

 

Fabulous! Try this one even if you think you don't like florals.

[girlygirl]

In the bottle: plumeria grounded by green notes

Wet: plumeria and mum, plumeria is dominant

Dry: mum and plumeria, evenly balancing each other.

 

I have never smelled anything like this. The mum keeps the plumeria from being cloyingly sweet and the plumeria keeps the mum and sage from being to harshly green. I don't really get incense from this, but my nose is not very good at identifying notes yet.

 

Verdict: a unique blend. Feminine in a very sophisticated way.

[filigree_shadow]

In the decant circle I was in for Yule blends, I tacked on a decant of this at the last minute. At first I wasn't going to try it because there's a few no-no notes in there, but I was sort of swayed by the mention of tuberose. So I decided to give it a go.

 

Well, I guess I could have passed on it after all. The sage in this one is just too strong for me. (Sage is one of my no-no notes.) Gives the scent a dry sharp-ish herbal scent that's pretty much exactly the reason why I avoid sage. I like the flowers in this, although the plumeria isn't my favorite. But the sage will keep this from being the sort of floral scent that I like to wear.

 

Oh well. Can't win 'em all.

[arabella]

First Impression: Chrysanthemums.

 

Dries down to: The plumeria joins the chrysanthemums at center stage and the rest of the notes form the choir.

 

Additional Comments: This is another very pretty floral but it's not quite unique enough nor does it last long enough to warrant a full bottle purchase. I'm pleased that the tuberose doesn't amp up too much on me and I quite like the underlying smoky feel of this blend. If I were just starting out with BPAL, I would get a full bottle but I already have several pretty florals in my repertoire.

 

Lasted: 2-3 hours.

 

Rating: 4 out of 5.

[Rheliwen]

In the bottle this smells like Vicks Vapor Rub.

 

On, I get a blast of green, sappy florals, a lot like dandelion (which does not like me). It hovers on going cloying/soapy on me but manages to settle down into a creamy/sweet floral candy scent.

 

I don't like it as much as I knew I would but I'm going to give it a shot.

 

EDIT: I changed my mind. I have been sitting, basking in the beauty of this scent for a while now. It is rich, sophisticated and not at all cloying when dry. Truly lovely.

Edited January 11, 2008 by Rheliwen

[Honeygirl]

Bottle: Strong floral

 

Wet: Very pretty floral with a hint of dandelion to make it less girly.

 

Drydown: I like this much better than I thought I would. It's very wearable!

3.5 outta 5

[kirakira]

Noche Buena starts out a strong sage floral. After it dries, it becomes a soapy sage scent on my skin. I never get any of the tropical flowers or incense. I has great throw, but since my skin turns it into soapy sage, I'll probably just use it in a scent locket.

[Brianne]

Very very floral - and in a tropical way, it makes me think of islands and summer. I don't get anything else unfortunately, this blend is too floral for me!

[delicate_fangs]

Wow. I never would have picked this to be one I liked, but I love it! It starts out with strong sharp high plumeria, but it's so lovely. There's green in there, but the sage is not overpowering as I feared. There's something lilylike, which I suppose is the Mexican tiger lilies, but it doesn't go bad on me like most lilies do. Altogether it is wonderful and complicated and it's that rare miracle: a high floral that smells good on me and that I love.

 

Must have bottle.

[mothglitter]

Noche Buena irritates me because I can't describe it. Mainly, it gives me a mental picture: a tropical abstract of deep purple, hot pink, lemon yellow, grass green, small splashes of turquoise, and a big abstract tiger lily right in the middle.

 

It also irritates me because I feel bad for not wanting to keep it. It smells gorgeous, and smells pretty decent on my skin, but...I don't know; I just don't think it's "me".

 

But I'll do my best to describe it, even if I can't pick out the individual notes: weedy floral (not in a bad way), kind of like flowers that aren't meant for their fragrance, even if they don't smell bad, i.e. tiger lilies, marigolds, tulips, etc. does that make any kind of sense? Stems still attached for a slight undertone of green. Sprinkled with a hefty dose of spices.

 

I guess another image, more concrete, is of a bed of bright, mixed non-fragrant flowers stirred up & slightly mashed by a tropical rain, petals splashed with the spicy soil that's been stirred up. Retarded, yes, but like I said, this one was hard for me to describe! A little too complex and "warm" for my taste.

 

Sadly, though I like it, it just doesn't really "fit" me.

Edited February 11, 2008 by Scylla
removed swap offer outside of swaps

[euterpe414]

Noche Buena brings to mind a gorgeous bouquet of tropical, bright flowers. At some points on my skin it brings to mind more generic 'designer floral' perfumes, which I think is the fault of plumeria, but when it dries fully the 'generic' girl smell seems to go away. Once it is dry it really reminds me strongly of the floral component in Dia de los Muertos, which is a good thing since I love that blend. It is not incredibly strong, but seems to last for quite a while. If you like blends such as Hi'iaka, Pele and Dia de los Muertos, I definitely recommend this blend!

[yeahbutnobut]

Noche Buena

 

In the imp: floral sage. Like the sage in Corazon, but with flowers instead of mango.

Wet on skin: sweet, sweet floral nectar with green sage. Lots of plumeria and tuberose here.

Dry: this is very pretty! It’s very floral, and the flowers here are very sweet and have the potential to turn cloying, but for now this is a lovely scent. the sage adds a green, herbal edge to the scent, but isn’t as dry and desert-like as I expected, this sage note gives a scent more like the leaves and stems of the flowers with a hint of herbs. I don’t smell much of the incense, but I can smell the plumeria, tuberose and a hint of chrysanthemum.

After a while: this gets drier and greener and the sage note smells less like the balmy, herbal, warm sage I expected and more like the bitter scent of dried flower stems, with a hint of something lovely and balsamic behind it which may be the incense. I’m not sure what I think of the bitter greenness though. The floral notes have also toned down-it’s now less dominated by the heady plumeria and tuberose, and now I smell more of the chrysanthemum, which enhances the dried plant scent this has. I think I also smell lily at this point, the kind of lily with a strong stem scent. It reminds me of Allison Gross now, but a lot more pleasant than that scent-it’s not as soapy.

Eventually this settles into a gorgeous, but slightly faint, herbal incense scent. It reminds me of something else, probably a mix of elements from Coyote, Tzidakim Nistatim and Ahathoor. It’s a round, soft, balmy and very slightly resinous incense edged with sage. I get little to no flowers now. It reminds me of the slight hint of chrysanthemum I got in Death of Autumn mixed with dry warm notes. Now I get more of a desert sage feel from this.

Verdict: even though this feels more like a spring scent than a winter one, I like this one a lot. It starts off as being very green, almost grassy, with fresh flowers that smell just like a florist’s, except these flowers are much richer and headier. Though this certainly isn’t as headily floral as Dia de los Muertos. It’s a gorgeous bouquet of a scent, and thankfully, the flowers don’t turn too bad, the greenery doesn’t turn too bitter, and the drydown is really lovely, even nicer than the just-dry stage. That’s when the incense comes out, a soft, subtle but warm and gently resinous scent mixed with a drier sage note. I love that stage but I wish it were stronger, with more oomph to it. I still prefer Midnight Mass as my festive incense scent, but I’m keeping the decant of this to age and hopefully the incense will come out more.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Just the decant.

If you like this, try: Dia De Los Muertos, Swan Maiden, Hi’iaka, Allison Gross, Thalia, Coyote

[tinyvulture]

a bright, festive floral bouquet of chrysanthemum and plumeria. the flowers are so sweet, they’re almost fruity. there’s also a green, grassy note, which i'm guessing is the sage. noche buena is lush and cheery, one of my favorite floral blends.

[fairnymph]

In the bottle: Herbal-floral, slightly sweet - definitely sage coming through.

 

Wet: Quite light. There's something in here that reminds me of Snow White, and it's the same thing I don't like. Sort of a green astringent wintry smell. The sweet note is definitely the plumeria.

 

Dry: Sage, plumeria, now the LILY - yay, and still that astringent note. Other florals too, including a lovely spicy not reminiscent of carnation - I think chrysanthemum. I'm still not getting any incense. The tuberose has gone a bit soapy on me, but it's not terrible as it can be.

 

Summary: Complex herbal-floral. It's amazing how this oil morphs, revealing its constituents over time! Not something I'd wear, though.

[themerrybaker]

I can't believe that I haven't reviewed Noche Buena yet, given that I've used about a third of the bottle.

 

NB is what I wear when I want a light, fresh, herbal scent. It reminds me a bit of my other similar faves: Garden Path with Chickens, One to Tie, and now Mictecacihuatl but for some reason the level in Noche Buena keeps dropping a lot faster.

[samarablackcat]

I am not a floral girl, but this is heavenly!

 

My nose recognizes something as apple. I am unable to pick out any individual notes, probably because this is outside of my normal choices.

 

Very sweet as it dries, and to me, definitely not a winter scent. Like walking through a garden in the spring with all the vines and flowers bursting out with flowers after a gentle rain shower. Very pretty and feminine, and on my skin, no hint of sage. Perfect for daytime.

[tajana]

Wow, I've been having good luck with florals lately. Maybe my tastes are shifting a bit? Anyway, Noche Buena is very good indeed! At the outset, it has a fruity tone, perhaps apple, perhaps a squeeze of some sort of citrus, perhaps it's just the sweetness of the floral medley... but it's nice and tart and offset with a bit of fresh, vibrant green, so in the opening stage it calls to mind the ridiculously cheerful feel of one of my favorites, Aizen-Myoo, without actually sharing any notes in particular. It is really lovely. The sage doesn't really stand out to me. As it dries down, the greenness stays true, like the green stems of flowers that were cut just moments ago. The florals bloom, and it's a bouquet of greatness. Lush, sweet plumeria (I was just sniffing some plumerias the other day at a greenhouse!), fresh lilies, velvety tuberose, a touch of chrysanthemums... lots of florals that behave on me, none that amp or warp! After hours of wear on the skin, the flowers have died down and melded with the incense for a light, close-to-the-skin, pleasantly smoldering scent. It's very nice, and feels appropriate for spring and summer, yet I'd totally wear it in winter if I needed something jubilant and bright. I don't usually want to smell like straight-up florals, but for days that I do, I can reach for Noche Buena. This is definitely a keeper.

Edited November 26, 2009 by tajana

[tragedy]

Without looking at the notes on this one I was guessing, purple friuts and florals.

It is very purple, and the plumeria wafts heavily, but in the background theres a good bit of chrysanthemum

(funny how I go from "floral" to reading the notes and YUP chrysanthemum!)

Its very energetic and pretty.

A good "for work" blend

[Schmoozy]

 

Noche Buena is an odd scent to describe. It is vibrant, and very floral with hints of incense wafting throughout the background. It feels very lush and very green. The florals could be very overpowering together, but somehow the incense manages to temper them. Tiger lily and purple sage at are the forefront, while plumeria and chrysanthemum are at the back. The mums also lend a spicy touch.

All in all, Noche Buena feels outta place. Perhaps it is because I have always lived in places that have snow all winter, so to smell so many florals in the dead of winter feels off.

[devilot]

Noche Buena

In the Vial: Smells like fig to me. And something else sharp. Oh, it's a lot of the florals.

 

Wet: Still figgy to me. And now the florals bloom more. Strong plumeria. I'm not sure what tuberose smells like, but that's a strong floral, right? I wonder if that's what it is that I'm smelling.

 

Drydown: Thank goodness for the sage, I think that's the only note that's helping to mellow out the really strong florals. Minutes later, it's a very tropical floral, definitely the plumeria.

 

Verdict: I'm intrigued, I'm going to keep this decant for sure, but I'm so grateful for having been frimped this and now I know I don't need to seek out a bottle. I think it might be nice to layer this with some sort of a creamy vanilla of sorts.

[gingiemay]

A very light, sweet floral with the figgy undertone that some have mentioned. I can't discern specific notes, but it is pretty. Very feminine, no incense to my nose.