London

[rayvn1]

Venerable Victorian Tea Rose… twisted, blackened and emboldened with wickedness.

A basic red rose scent on me. Pretty, but fades quickly. Think I'll stick with Zombi or L'heure Verte for my rose needs. Edited March 24, 2009 by rayvn1

[binkin]

I wanted to love this, but as it turns out, it's the rose that turns to chemical hairspray acetone smell on me, and I could tell when I opened the bottle. Sad. Off to the swap pile.

[Veronica]

Not a typical rose! I put this on without reading the description and wouldn't have guessed rose was the main component. On me, this is a crisp, sharp scent, almost slightly aquatic, slightly lemon-y(?) with a floral-rose background that begins to bloom as it dries. The rose comes out more and more, but still remains very crisp and almost hard, if I sniff my wrist directly it almost feels as if the scent hurts. Image-wise, wet and in the imp this smells like crisp, hard rain drops falling on a cold, foggy, grey-silver day. After dry-down, a very "prim and proper" scent, like the sort of high society girl that looks down her nose at you. I like this scent: clean, cold and elegant, but I'm not sure if it's worth a bottle, as it's not something I see myself reaching for often. I get no leather/plastic at all from this.

 

On second thought, I think this shares the same rose as Peacock Queen 07--I can definitely smell a similar note between the two, but London noticeably lacks the "powdery" note of Peacock Queen and is much sharper. Probably not worth the bottle, as I like PQ more and already have a bottle. Maybe a GC equivalent of PQ for when/if I run out.

Edited April 3, 2009 by delighted

[anna1850]

I get tea rose but it's like a tea rose covered in chemicals and smells a bit like alcohol or something (and not in a good way).

 

Then it fades pretty quickly and is pretty much gone within half an hour.

 

2/5 Not the rose I was hoping for.

[hkhm]

imp: very light rose.

 

wet: tea rose. which equals soap on my skin.

 

dry: this fades pretty quickly, which is just as well. rose never works well on me.

[richaldis]

I really wanted to love this one. I love roses. But I was so disappointed.

 

In the bottle: Very heavy single note rose scent. Chemical, smells of cheap chain store shower gel.

 

Wet: Very strong rose, harsh and sickly at the same time.

 

Dry: The rose stays for about an hour then is replaced with a sort of chemical sweetness, something you might want to eat but you know however pretty it looks will be almost completely made from E numbers.

 

What I was looking for was a dry rose blend with the dust and smoke of London, a dusty rosewater type smell. And from the descriptions that's what I thought I'd get, something dry and old fashioned. Instead, what I got was brash candyfloss which smells cheap and artificial.

 

Pity

[dreadpiraterustypants2]

jolly good~

I feel I'm at a point with my sniffer that I can tell the difference between a tea rose and a hot-house rose!

smell's like the tannins in a cuppa, with honeyed dew dropped pink roses crawling on the fence~

grandma's house really~

tell I have a soft spot?

[donnatron]

Imp: Rose and... honey? The honey note from Jezebel and Skuld that I just do not like.

 

Wet: Sour rose.

 

Dry: Marginally less sour rose. Still sour. Still rosy. Not really working on my chemistry. It smells a bit like I just went running while wearing rose perfume. Rose perfume and skin still wet with sweat.

 

Throw: Mild.

 

Overall: Not a rose for me, sadly. Tea rose is hit and miss anyway and there are many lovely roses out there that like me back as well. This turned out a little too sour and musty for my taste.

[sylvanusurban]

In bottle: Smells like roses and something else that I like but can’t identify. Unidentifiable Scent is sweet and fresh.

 

On me, wet: Yup, that there’s a tea rose! I don’t smell any wickedness. Just the rose. It’s pretty – reminds me very much of the wild rose bush in my mom and dad’s back yard in Kenora. Evokes a vivid sense-memory of going down to the dock for a summer evening swim, and smelling the pink roses along the way.

 

I was beginning to think I wasn’t a big fan of floral scents, but this is very pretty – it smells less like a perfume than a real wild rose in liquid form. I could certainly see myself wearing this every so often.

 

On me, drying: Hrm, only a few minutes in and this has gotten a little soapy and very faint. Still nice, though.

 

Verdict: This is a thoroughly lovely, fresh, unpretentious rose scent. I’ll keep the imp and wear it with pleasure.

[Siberia]

Wet, this was a powerful, straightforward rose sent on me. It smelled a lot like Crabtree and Evelyn Rosewater. As it dried down, it seemed to become a little creamier, and reminded me a lot of Alice. It faded quickly, but I did apply it lightly.

[Seismogenic]

So, today is July 3rd and I have a many-hour rehearsal of inane patriotic music later this evening. I'm getting paid for the concert, sure, but that doesn't mean I have to enjoy rehearsing "The Star Spangled Banner" for the umpteenth time. And so, I will subtly sniff my snark by testing London today.

 

In the imp: Roses, but different than the other BPAL roses I've encountered so far. These are sharper, and even somewhat tart.

 

Wet on skin: These roses manage to be drier than the usual ones while also being sharper. I don't get anything other than roses, but then again, they're the only note listed!

 

Drydown: Freshly dry is the same as wet - a fairly light, dryish, tart rose. Nothing has really changed by the one hour mark.

 

Five hours later: The tart aspect of the scent is hanging on stronger than the characteristically rose aspect, though it is still back there.

 

End of the day: A slight impression of tartness remains, though it's not particularly rosy anymore.

 

Overall: I don't quite understand what makes this a wicked and nasty rose, per the Lab's description. Perhaps the tartness? Or maybe just the inherent roses-have-thorns thing? Anyway, I did not find this to be particularly blackened and twisted smelling, though it was perhaps drier than other rose notes I've encountered. I found it to be a pleasant scent, though at the same time, I'm not really the kind of person who would choose to go around smelling like just plain roses. I was pleased in my expression of snark at the obnoxious patriotic music, but at the same time, I somehow doubt I'll wear this one again.

[caffinatedangel]

I know it's tea rose, and that probably has nothing to do with tea. But I kept getting wafts of something that make me think of when my younger sister gets out her tea set and makes us all drink tea. I dislike it, by the way.

 

wet: Soap. Like, sharp liquid soap. Not that powdery soap vibe.

Drying: oh no more soap, good.

drying..: omg where's that rose coming from? (forgot I had it on, suddenly whammed in the face with the amazing ROSE throw here. Nice. Made me happy, because rose is one of the few florals I like)

Gone: Oh. Rose. You're gone. *checks watch* what, not even two hours??

 

Overall - this rose was just beautiful to me. It boomed as well and was just rose rose everywhere, but not in an overpowering way. A lot of these oils don't really throw, you know? This did. But it didn't last very long. It was a very.. clean rose, to me. I don't really get the wicked twisting aspect. Hm.

[Sperling]

Wet: Definitely a nice, simple floral. There's a sort of sharp alcohol scent in the imp, though, that I hope doesn't show up on my skin.

 

Wet on skin: Roses after a rain. Very, very pretty. It's definitely a pink rose; if I try to imagine any other color, my nose gets confused. I'm reminded of the rose garden at the Korean War memorial nearby, where I always stop and sniff the flowers.

 

Dry: The scent remains fresh and rosey, but loses a bit of its wetness. I like this a lot, but the scent doesn't suit me... I'm more of a down-to-earth kind of girl. London is for Victorian nobility, lolita fashion enthusiasts, and perhaps my rose-loving gardening friend, whom I will gladly pass this imp along to.

 

Addtional thoughts: I love that it's just rose--it's quite unlike other rose-scented things I've encountered in that it's so real. This has inspired me to check out other BPAL roses.

 

Oh, and recently I recommended this scent to a girl cosplaying as Renge of the Japanese cartoon 'Ouran High School Host Club'. I think it'll suit her character well.

[redderz]

In the imp: Rose. Uh oh, I'm gonna amp this one big!

 

Wet: Yup, rose. I don't smell any tea, just rose. If you like roses, you'll love this.

 

Dry: Just a pure, fully-bloomed rose.

[claudia6913]

In the imp I get cleaning solution. O.o

 

Wet on my skin is all rose (though amazingly not baby powder rose, this is a pure rose - wow). I'm not getting any "wickedness" out of it. Just light, sweet rose. Very matronly. Dry this does not morph much - it's still a pure rose scent. Definitely not for me. Though this is the only scent with rose in it that has not gone to baby powder.

[muteddragon]

Rose. No tea, nothing else. Like Rose Cross, but maybe I just can't tell the difference between the roses.

ETA: Gone in a few hours (less than 5). I guess my skin just ate it.

Edited October 10, 2009 by muteddragon

[Stormslegacy]

In the imp: took a moment to register something beyond "oh, floral!" Definitely rose. Cloying.

 

Wet: This is ROSE. Like in Peacock Queen, it establishes itself, takes a chair at center stage and lets you know it's planning to stay awhile.

 

Drydown: It's a little dryer and softer than Peacock queen, but not by a ton. It's definitely related. I can smell the dew on the petals. There's something a little spicy in the background, I can't quite make it out. For a little bit I was wondering if it was opium.

 

Throw: oh yea. I only used a tiny drop, and my boyfriend noticed from more than an arm's length away.

 

Length: It really does simmer down by 2-3 hours. It's still there after 5, but nowhere near as strong--it also turns a little fruity/spicy? This is a scent that will need refreshing to keep it on.

 

It's very pretty, it's not unique enough to go out and get a full bottle but I will probably use the entire imp. It makes me want to try other roses, to get a feel for the difference.

Edited November 6, 2009 by Stormslegacy

[reynardine]

This is from a very aged bottle of London. I think I bought this in 2004 or 2005.

 

In bottle: sharp rose scent, very dry.

 

Wet on skin: same thing, sharp rose scent. Almost a single-note fragrance.

 

Drydown: Remains single-note rose. Very old-fashioned and feminine, womanly, not something a young girl would wear.

 

Several hours later: Still there. This one has staying power on me.

 

Obviously, I liked it because I got a bottle! More of a winter or perhaps early spring scent. Great if you like florals.

[MinxyMinou]

This is a single note rose scent on me. Very fresh and juicy like a bunch of red roses JUST cut from the bush.

 

It's not really ME as such but I can see it working with certain outfits/moods/situations.

[FathomBelow]

In the imp: a VERY pure, simple rose. Nothing much more to say than that!

On skin: became slightly sweeter, which I normally don't like, but was also very dry, and the combination was heavenly! I could definitely imagine a crumbling, withered rose...but in a good way. Definitely not lighthearted or girlish in any way, but very delicate.

 

This is the best rose scent of all the BPAL rose scents I've tried so far (i.e. better than Two, Five & Seven and Pride!). Plus, I love London. Of course, it doesn't last the whole day as I'd hoped it would, and its throw is miniscule (I seem to have that problem a lot with BPAL), but I would definitely consider getting a bottle.

[CitizenBree]

I love rose scents and while I didn't seek out to buy this imp, was glad to receive it. I may have eventually purchased it myself anyway.

 

Beth is great with her roses, but I'd rather choose the best and stick with it than have several rose scents. London is very heavy rose, but there is a little something extra too it if you really seek it out. Maybe it's the "tea" rose? I don't know for sure.

 

While it's a lovely rose scent, it's not anything more special from the other ones I've tried. Right now I'm loving Zombi and Whip more than this, so one of them will be my purchase for rose, not London.

 

 

[DeltaCat]

Very light tea rose. Pretty and soft.

 

After about 10 minutes, though, the smell is gone. My skin really absorbed this one!

Edited February 10, 2010 by DeltaCat

[lilwhiterabbit]

I purchased an imp of this for my boyfriend, as someone suggested it would be a good unisex scent. In the imp it's fresh and green with a hint of floral in the background. It reminds me of walking on the banks of a river in summer (the Thames, I suppose). On him though, it smells like he bathed in roses--definitely not a unisex scent for him! How funny is it that my boyfriend amps roses?!

 

Since it obviously wasn't working on him, I tried it and it smells exactly like it does in the imp. It's very refreshing; I don't get the sense of the 'twisted, blackened and emboldened with wickedness' at all. I like it, but it's very light and fades quickly. Pretty, but not for me.

[London]

It smells very happy on me..for being a twisted blackened wicked rose.

 

 

It smelled bright and rosey in the imp, then became a dried rose smell, but I still picture freash roses too when I smell it.

[ragged]

I've known about the Old London scent for -years- and I finally got to smell it a few days ago when I got my first order from the company.

 

What didn't make me try it out sooner was because I was worried it would smell too feminine for me, I only wear colognes. Well, kind of sadly, I was right, it is - but I know I'll use the imp for other things, like lightly scenting plushies with it, etc.. so I'm not so sad by it, no matter what it doesn't seem like a waste, and for how it works on me, at least I saw it coming.

 

It smells like soft, rainy antique roses, I noticed that the longer you wear it, the softer the rose got (at least for us). The longer the scent was on, the more 'aged' it smelled too, in a good, fitting way But the feminity was still undeniable, since no matter how faint and aged the rose got, it was still somehow the most notable note. It's seriously not a bad scent, actually I like it. Just... too feminine on myself, like I said.

 

I think this would be perfect for someone who was looking for the aspects I was looking for in it but liked that it was a perfume-y smell rather than a cologne-y one. And like I said, I'll still use it as a scent accent on things.. just not on myself, lol.