Ophelia

[jj_j]

Wistful and vulnerable: lotus, water blossom ivy, stargazer lily and white rose.

Ophelia is an aquatic floral that made my mother's eyes get that far-away, romantic, remembering look. I smell the wonderful flower moments in my life - wedding bouquets, the teacup filled with tiny flowers for my daughter's first day among us.

A five-star rating from someone who despises almost all completely floral scents should give you a clue how amazing and true this one is; six out of five might be more appropriate.

[Shollin]

First sniff: Feminine and floral. Very pastel, but blue, not pink.

 

Wearing: Very pretty. Delicate roses with a hint of something sweeter. It's a bit too girly-floral for my taste, but matches the character perfectly - water plants and innocent white rose. Very Ophelia.

[viciousviolet]

Perfectly beautiful. The water ivy adds a slight green note, and the combination of florals is simply lovely.

[misspissed]

i recieved a sample of Ophelia as part of my order, and decided to give it a go today.

 

on first impression - it was very "rosey" and light. i am not normally a fan of florals, especially rose florals because i find them too overpowering and heavy.

 

on initial wear - it was still very "rosey" but light enough to be pleasant. i felt like i smelled like a bunch of fresh cut yellow roses from my mom's garden, balanced with a little bit of green.

 

after dry-down - it is light, and still a pronounced floral. it is a very pretty scent, even though it is something i would never have chosen for myself. i will definitely save this for a bright spring day, when i feel like wearing something fresh and happy.

[Femke]

At first sniff:

 

Usually I'm not the floral type, but this is yummy. It's very fresh and floral. Very innocent. As a Shakespeare girl, I can totally understand why they called it Ophelia. It has an innocence to it, but it's also very confident.

[Koumori]

Of course, any fragrance called "Ophelia" would have to be heavily floral. I don't usually care for a lot of florals, but I have a longstanding policy of giving every sample I receive a try to see how it works with me. This one isn't overwhelming, isn't too sweet, is cut a bit by the ivy into something a bit greener and aquatic. I won't be buying a full bottle, but I'll use up my sample, which is saying a lot for something as flowery as this one. A light, sweet daytime scent.

[Pookymum]

This is a very delicate floral scent. At first, the rose is definitely the strongest scent in there but it dries down to let the other florals come through. It's very young and feminine. A lighter scent to wear during the day.

 

ADDED Feb. 29:

 

Oh I love this one. Who'd have thought when I first started with these scents that the florals would turn out to be my very faves when I though the more musky scents would be. This one is quite beautiful, delicate, sweet and feminine. A very light daytime scent that makes me feel quite girly. And although it is light, I have had more than a few comments about the wonderful scent. Really lovely.

Edited December 9, 2004 by Shollin

[shriekingviolet]

Initial Impression:

I'm not a big fan of florals but this smells really nice in the vial. A sweet floral. Smells hopeful, almost. Slightly wistful, so very appropriate for Ophelia.

 

After Wearing It:

I can really smell the sweet pea when I put it on, though as time goes on, it develops into a more complex, sweet floral. I didn't really think I'd like this one, but it's really pretty. Smells a bit too young and innocent for me, but that's appropriate for its namesake. Would work well for a young teen.

 

Final Thoughts:

Not my style really, since it's pretty girlish, but I'll definitely be using up the sample.

[Sierona]

very water floral ... soft and delicate, gives me a very feminine feeling (like Eve did). This is not for me tho... way too feminine for my tastes but a lovely scent nevertheless!

[pinky]

I'm wearing this as i type, and I feel really girly, but in a good way. I feel really feminine. This is a floral that's not cloying at all - it's soft and fresh and just sweet enough. when I first put it on, it smelled of fresh cut white roses, and has now developed into more of an aquatic floral. Very vulnerable and pretty.

[Sarah]

What a pretty floral! I've tried two aquatic type scents this week, and they're both lovely. Ophelia comes on very strong when you first apply it. Even on a person like me, where scents literally disappear within hours, a few drops should do the trick. I want to say it's either the lily or rose that does it for me, but I am not an expert at detecting single notes so I'll just say that if you're feeling rather girlish, dab on some Ophelia, and go dancing in the rain.

[Ms. MSGirl]

I just put this on and couldn't resist putting it all over! At first it's a very sweet soft floral, a sweet pea like scent, and I can smell the water blossom ivy making it even sweeter and softer.

 

On my skin it is already mellowing into a more complex scent and I can smell more rose developing out. It gets less sweet as it dries. After several minutes I can hardly smell anything but the rose any more, and it's an extremely pretty, light, appropriately watery rose (wow, I haven't worn rose perfume in years, this makes me feel 13 again! but in a good way, when putting on a dab of perfume and a touch of blush to go out to dinner with your family made you feel so sophisticated).

 

I liked the initial extreme sweetness of this one better than the pure rose, but I still love it. And now, even later, I can smell it getting all aquatic and lily-full (new word, but that's how it smells) and soft and sweet again. Perfect. I'm going to go put more on.

[darkling]

I usually do not like florals but Ophelia has become one of my favorite BPAL scents. It is exquisitely light with a hint of water and greenery. It smells exactly like delicate flowers drowning in a clear forest pool.

 

I love this scent even more because it brings to mind the painting that John Waterhouse created based upon the character of Ophelia. It is one of my favorite pieces of artwork.

[friendthegirl]

I really want to like this one and I will probably try it again, but it just was too watery for me. The flowers were nice, but the green ivy smells and the water were just overpowering!

 

Perhaps I'll give it another try.

[Northernminx]

So I nab Ophelia out of my box of imps today. Thinking something nice and light for today will be good. I got seven hours of sleep but the deprivation has kicked in and I'm exhuasted.

 

The cap fights me.

 

So I pull harder.

 

PING goes the cap across the room.

 

SPLASH goes the essential oil right into my left eye.

 

SCREAM goes I as a tremendous sense of burning occurs.

 

Right.

So.

Ophelia:

 

In Eye - BAD. DO NOT TRY.

 

First sniff - Don't know was too busy rinsing eye out. I think it was strongly floral, almost sickeningly so, but I can't really recall through my contact scrunching up under the impact.

 

On skin - nice and lightly floral. I was a little dissapointed with this one. Maybe it was the extreme pain that made me bitter but I preferred Queen Mab. Ophelia was nice and pretty but nothing hugely special in my mind. It mellowed quickly into a strong sort of lilac/honeysuckle scent that is nice but it seemed a little better as a room scent rather than a perfume.

 

Or I could still just be bitter about my eye being red for half the day.

[amberbella]

Ever since playing Ophelia in college I've been obsessed with her.....so of course this had to be in my first purchase. I'm so glad it lived up to my hopes and expectations.

 

Sweet and innocent smelling…Watery and green for a floral. It smells to me quite a bit like my avatar might. I smell rose, but it’s actually a rose that smells like something I’d wear….very rare indeed! Spring. Definitely a great Spring scent. Subtle and quiet, but bright. It's so beautiful and hubby likes it to.

 

This is how I imagine Ophelia would have been remembered, beautiful, gentle, and sweet.

 

On a sad note, it dies much too quickly....but then again, so did poor sweet Ophelia.

 

I LOVE IT! Big Bottle please!

Edited May 8, 2004 by amberbella

[Pandorra]

OPHELIA

 

Initial: Very sweet floral.

 

During: Rose is coming out. Definitely rose with other sweet flowers dancing around it. This is a pale pink, almost white scent to me. Very young. Like an innocent girl not yet polluted by people or the world. There are flowers stuck in her hair and birds and small little animals come to her for the food she offers as she sits in the cool shade by some sort of water. A fountain. No a stream.

 

Final: Very soft, pale, innocent, pretty. I feel like a little bluebird will land on my shoulder if I wear this. It makes me feel soft and young and want to smile sweetly at people. But it’s not really me. I have never been into dainty rose scents. I would prefer the rose of Othello that has a little more mystery to me. But I certainly would be willing to finish up my Imp’s Ear.

[janelle_hell]

i got an imp's ear of this one because i like the name (i have a huge painting of Ophelia on my bedroom wall) and because stargazer lilies are my favorite flower. Unfortunately,i couldn't smell them at all in this oil : < all that came across to me was a faint rose and a 'watery' smell. Too bad,because i really wanted to like it.

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: Ahhhh watery roses and lotus.

 

Second Impression: Very innocent but with romantic promises like a beautiful white wedding.

 

Final Analysis: This is nice, pretty and soft. It hasn't captured my heart and imagination like some of Beth's other florals, but this one is lovely for spring days.

 

ETA: I've just worn this again and it's gone terribly sharp and biting on me. Oh well, perhaps in the swap pile.

Edited May 18, 2004 by andrabell

[renaissancerouge]

Ophelia is such a poignant scent, it's so amazing the way Beth has captured the essence of a broken flower this way. It is definitely a soft and powdery floral, and not to be banal but this reminds me of a summer when I wore Nivea Creme with the original scent. It's deffo way more fragile and translucent and haunting. This is for introspective, melancholy days when the rain is hitting the windows...you won't be devastated but if sadness can be bottled, Ophelia is it.

[Witch Baby]

 

First Sniff: Yummy! Very sweet and perfumey. . . .with an almost candy like note to it.

 

 

Wet: Wow, it's very very strong and rosy. . .like a little girl's perfume that you'd imagine her wearing to her best friend's tea party. I want all of my old stuffed animals to smell like this.

 

Dry: I think I'm in love! Its a very misty delicate scent upon the dry down. The lily comes out beautifully, and complements the rose perfectly. I feel like taking my hair down and to go and pick wildflowers until my one true love comes to rescue me!

 

I'm going to get a million bigger bottles of this

[any_old_actress]

FIRST SNIFF: woah florals!

 

WEARING IT: water logged roses. this is VERY strong on me and is giving me quite the headache! it is an all-out floral & green scent and just not something i'd normally wear.

 

VERDICT: happy to have tried it but sadly, ophelia just isn't my cup of tea

[isyche]

Ophelia is extremely sweet on me, in a candy way, not a floral way- it almost reminds me of Hawaiian Punch. (My little brother liked it, probably because of the candy association.) I wish I could have gotten the water/ivy/rose smell others described from it, but no.

[Astburygrrl]

I really really wanted to love this scent..but alas, all is lost w/ this one.

 

It smells like watermelon Now & Later candy laced w/ white roses..which doesnt sound all that bad, right? Well, after applying it to my skin it just got TOO sickly floral-y on me & had a slight baby powder smell also. *sighs*

Although i must say, it lasts a LONG time..i washed it off to find it still there!

Woe is me! I shall not be buying this again..but I highly recommend it to ppl who love strong florals.

[TheDarkMother]

I recieved this imp in a swap and was very HAPPY about it!

 

In the bottle it is very heavily floral, which I was surprised that I liked it because of that. It smells like roses and lilies, things that one would through on a grave. Being one who really doesn't like rose scents, I was surprised that I liked this as much as I did. This totally reminds me of a painting that I have on my wall of the Lady of Shalot, with petals floating past her boat in the water.

 

On me, this is one of those few scents that actually true to thier bottled scent. The rose smell actually comes out quite intensely and then begins a soft lingering sensation. Paired with the lily scent, it is extremely light and feminine, which is also something that I'm surprised that I like.

 

The imp that I have doesn't have much left in it from a spiteful attack on minx's eye (bad imp!), but I have a feeling that I will be buying a larger bottle of this very soon.