London

[ajansuz]

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

This was a gift from the Lab with my order. When I opened the bottle, I was instantly transported to my Grandmother's rose garden. Strong, old fashioned tea rose all the way. I dig roses, so that was a pleasant surprise. Good pick, Lab!

On wet, still tea rose, but there's something a little dry, a little astringent under it. It keeps it from being frou frou and stodgy. As it dried, it didn't morph. It stayed tea rose with that little something extra. My biggest complaint is that my skin ate it all within three hours. I prefer roses in a blend rather than as a single note, so I doubt I'd buy a bottle of this, but I'm sure I'll enjoy using the imp. It made me feel feminine and lightly flirty.

[tailoredshirt]

This is a nice straight-up rose blend. I found it a bit sweet and a bit strong, but still nice. I think the only thing I didn't love about it is that it doesn't smell particularly fresh to my nose, and I couldn't put my finger on exactly why I didn't love it. Definitely not an offensive scent, just not for me. When I want to wear roses, I will continue reaching for Victoria or Hope.

[reconditarmonia]

I can't believe how beautiful this is. Strong, pink-smelling rose. There's a sort of translucent feel to it.

[voorishsign]

I expect this to fail from the get-go. Rose is never good on me. But I adore London with all my heart and soul, therefore, I must try this

 

In the imp - dry rose, very nice, actually.

 

On wet - straight-up rose. Drier than the usual, but I still don't like it as much as I like damascus rose.

 

Drydown - rose continues but something resiny and dusty tones it down a little. Beautiful as far as rose scents go, and I'm happy to finally own an imp of London to compliment my love for the city, but it's not wearable for me - no worries though, I didn't expect it to be.

[animalcule]

imp: mm, rose.

 

wet: all rose - but old, dried roses, with a hint of mustiness/sourness I'm not crazy about.

 

dry: the same. Good staying power.

 

 

I do love roses, but prefer them fresh-picked. Won't be wearing this one again.

[MonkeysInk]

imp: nothing but rose. I grabbed this out of my imp box in the morning just based on the name, not having read the description and was blown back a bit by the intensity of the rose.

 

wet: not so sure about this one...I'm not a rose kind of girl and it was just so...well, rosy! Almost like a happy, smiley rose, wet and plump and velvety.

 

dry: okay, now this is the kind of rose that I can get on board with - several hours after putting it on, it's dried down into a dark, dusty rose. It almost smells like I pressed this in a book and found it much later. It's got a nice light wafting smell, nothing overwhelming.

 

summary: not totally in love with the fragrance of roses, but totally in love with the unfolding of the scent as I wore it - this is like a story in an imp.

[mxtine]

London smells like a perfume my great grandmother used. Surprisingly, the tea rose evokes fond memories of my Grandma. It also reminds me of a rosewood rosary my mom has.

[Suu4LC]

In the imp this is...SURPRISE! Tea Rose!!! Smells just like what you would expect. I don't really get a "twisted" or "blackened" sense from this. Just, tea rose.

 

Yep-this is the same on my skin-I classic, classy rose scent. Not too strong or sour, this plays quite nice on my skin. This mellows out a as it dries on my skin-maybe goes a wee bit soapy, but is mostly just a pleasant, pretty, rich pink rose scent.

 

This wasn't my favorite gc rose scent (I think Harlot and Othello hold those titles), but this is a great rose blend. Not too strong or sour, very classic and beautiful.

[ofthegood]

This might be a rose scent that even non-rose folks could like - it's very much a tea rose, very young and light and feminine. I'm remembering a corsage of tiny white roses at my 8th grade dance when I smell this, which still kept its rosy scent even after I dried it and kept it in my souvenir box. I can get a hint of that dried/antique smell that people have described, too. It's not a rose garden, or lush red roses... it's almost a singular tea rose note, with just a little more behind it. Nice.

 

However, it's a little generic for me. I'm glad that BPAL can do very simple scents, but I tend to fall in love with the complex one-of-a-kind blends that they come up with. I am also not a delicate rose sort of person. So while this is lovely, and mixes beautifully with my body chemistry, it's not me at all. I may keep the imp for when I want to pretend it's me...

[mistressfizz]

Sniff: Yup, definitely tea rose! Very strong floral, it kind of smacks your nose

 

Wet: Bright tea rose. Quite a lot of throw too.

 

Dry: Borders on soapy for me, but manages to avoid becoming powdery. After an hour, it mellows to a pleasant, soft, dry rose and lasts a long time. Classy, mature, and feminine, without being too prim. This is a lovely scent and definitely a staple for me!

[girlcalledmoment]

A pretty, true rose, which is voluptuous but somewhat linear. I really like rose fragrances and so I like this one also, but not as much as some of my very favourite rose scents. This is a contender though. It's got that juicy rose element to it I struggle to find in fragrances - unlike some other reviewers I don't find it dusty in the least.

London has just the right amount of sweetness; just as sweet as a rose. Catching the scent of this on the breeze would be a wonderful thing.

3.8/5

[frecklestars]

In the bottle: light girly roses. like someone lit a pale pink rose on fire, blew it out, and then rubbed the ashes on the pulse in their neck. it's a little evil, though still decidedly floral. it's a strange combination, but an interesting one.

 

On my skin: turns even ashier and more like smoke on my skin. not smoke from a major fire, but like when you blow out the candles on your birthday cake. kind of like Zombi, but more unnatural.

 

Last thoughts: wicked and girly! such a combination. this is a cemetery perfume, a scent for mourners.

[Tudor Rose]

My favorite Bpal rose ever was Moon Rose...I was devastated when it was discontinued! Rose Red was too sharp on me...London is light but I like it almost as well as Moon Rose...Used to wear The Perfumer's Workshop Tea Rose but couldn't stand it after my first pregnancy. Just now trying to get back to the rosy scents...my bottle is almost gone, so I will be placing another order for London and trying it over the summer...

[icarus suraki]

I went for this scent in an imp pack mostly because I loved the time I spent in London. The funny thing is, as lovely and delightful as this scent is, it doesn't remind me of London at all!

 

In the Imp: Roses! Roses, roses, roses! Specifically, pink roses. I'm not sure why I'm seeing pink roses so particularly, but this smells of pink roses or tea roses. There's also something sharp or astringent in the background which I wish would come up a little closer. I hope it's not just roses on roses on me.

 

Wet: Roses upon roses! That "sharp" smell (for lack of a better term--I'd say "sour," but it's not quite sour, even if it does remind me ever so slightly of the sharpness of lemon or lime or even evergreen) is still there, but the pink tea roses are just conquering all. They're lovely, but they're powerful things. There is some tasty throw on this: I have it on my wrists and it keeps drifting up to me unexpectedly. Unfortunately, I don't get anything "twisted, blackened" or "emboldened with wickedness" in it, outside of that hint of sour. If anything, this seems just sweet and rosy and a little Jane Austen-y. Maybe a little like "My Fair Lady." It seems less London and more English Countryside, somehow. It's still absolutely lovely, though.

 

Dry: Still pink roses, and lots of them, though the sour smell is completely burned off now. There's a very faint "powdery" smell in there, but it comes across as "softness" to me and kind of tempers the otherwise overwhelming sweetness of the roses. However, I have just realized what this smells like to me: rose-flavored Turkish Delight. And you must understand that I love Turkish Delight to excessive and Edmund Pevensie-like levels. So that "powdery" smell now makes me think of powdered sugar and the rose is the rosewater of the Turkish Delight.

 

Later: It's been about two hours and it's still hanging on, but only if I keep my nose to my wrist. I think it stuck around for a decent amount of time, I think (a few hours) and faded gradually--what's left is still soft roses, a little powdery. I'm being picky about how it doesn't remind me of London, so ignore that. Still, I'm not sure I'm the kind of person who can wear rose scents easily or well, but I do like this scent--Turkish Delight in a bottle! I do think it's lovely and it puts me in mind of rose gardens and ladies in white gowns and so on. I enjoyed it, but I'll have to think about whether I'd wear it again.

[aleciarivas]

This is a very nice rose scent! Roses are usually a no-no for me- I amp them like CRAZY and often they turn powdery, plus to top it all off I'm just not that crazy about the scent anyhow. But if I were tempted to wear a rose scent, this would be it! It really does have a hint of wickedness to it- something I can't quite put my finger on, but it really is nice!

[ResinManiac]

First sniff: Teeny tiny tea rose (hooray for alliteration!)

 

 

Wearing: I really don't get even a hint of the sinister from this at all. In fact if this scent were an animal it would be an adorable baby kitten with the hugest eyes and gigantic pink ribbon around its neck.

 

Much later, the scent's character hasn't changed. But now I'm reminded of a scene from the old war flick, The Great Escape wherein the Nazi POW guard asks the captive British CO what he's growing in his garden (he's getting rid of excess soil from secret tunnel digging in actuality) and he answers evasively, "The English have always been fond of gardening."

[Ghost of a Rose]

In the imp: Oil is clear and colorless. The scent is an unusually light and gentle rose. It has a teeny bit of fruity sweetness - not citrus fruit, something else, maybe currants? It's almost like black cherry, but I don't think that would fit the London theme, and currants would. And perhaps a touch of other florals as well. A bit of hazelnut in the background, and maybe some sweetened black tea? I'm really stretching my imagination here, as this is a very subtle and unique scent. I'm not sure about anything except the rose, and even that is different from most rose notes. One thing I can say for sure is that it is just beautiful!

 

On me, wet; Pretty much the same, except that now the rose note is stronger although it's still less strong and less sweet than rose usually is. There's still that hint of mystery sweetness that seems fruity rather than floral.

 

On me, just dried: Already it has become pretty much a single-note tea rose; albeit a dried rose potpourri rather than a heady bouquet of fresh roses. I adore this! It just might be my new top favorite. I don't see anything twisted, blackened, or wicked about this at all. To me it's gentle and old-fashioned, dainty and well-mannered. Just like an upper-class Victorian lady.

 

After 1 1/2 hours: Now it's a papery rose.

 

After 2 hours: A classic but understated tea rose scent.

 

One of my favorites! I definitely want a bottle of this!

 

My rating: 5+ stars.

[Corvidchaser]

I think this scent actually turned me into a rose fan. Ive always associated it with "old-lady" smell but this is a lot more dainty and delicate when wet then as it dries becomes more fuller and classy.

I didnt notice any change in the notes as the day went on. It suits more of an evening perfume to me, not fresh roses but like one you would wear on a lapel to impress someone.

[hanabi]

To me this is a single note dry rose scent. It's nice, but it's nothing special. I like to use it to give a touch of rose to my other perfumes.

[milo]

Sweet pink rose, from start to finish. I get no wickedness here at all. In fact, a lot of roses go 'pickle juice' on me, but this one stays true. Not a rose fan, but rose lovers should take note, this is a nice, soft feminine rose.

[Drae]

Very rosy. I picture London to be a delicate pale yellow rose, not a pink one because there is something sharp in it that keeps it from going soft or powdery, so for anyone wanting a non-powdery rose, London is for you. I also think this is a pleasant single-note rose and might try layering it with other scents for some depth.

Edited December 29, 2011 by Drae

[elfnwitch]

I'm sooo loving BPAL's roses! This is the perfect tea rose--light, clean, and not overbearing. From wet through dry-down, it has been a clean rose without much else coming through. It never turned acrid, soapy, or overbearing. Just lovely!

 

I have not really been a fan of other roses as they have given me headaches. Now, I'm trying to find more (as I spin around, twirling, tossing rose petals in my wake!) Many thanks from a happy convert!

[becca_s]

This is a delicate tea rose on me. Very subtle and light, not an overpowering rose. I was looking for a softer rose scent after I found other rose scents like Eve & Delerium too strong, and London definately fits that description and was what I was looking for. I would have ordered a bottle of London if it didn't fade on me within half an hour. I like this scent, but my skin eats it.

[ami226]

On the skin: This is a lovely rose scent! Very light/delicate. Reminds me of this red rose I planted in the front yard of my childhood home.

 

Huh, this one smells a little weird on me suddenly. Kind of... buttery?

 

I like how light and lovely this is, but it just turned a little weird on me.

[whitsunweddings]

In the imp: Tea rose. Quite bitter.

Wet: The same.

Dry: The bitter note buggers off, and I'm left with pure tea rose. I used to wear rose scents a lot when I was a young'un, so I'll keep my imp around for the nostalgia factor.