La Primavera

[evanescence]

Plum blossom, tuberose, oakmoss, violet leaf, jasmine, ylang ylang, lemon peel, orange blossom, and lemon peel.

In the bottle, this is a sweetly balanced fresh scent. The plum blossom and tuberose seem prominent at first whiff, but not overwhelmingly so, and there is a definite hint of fresh citrus that gives a lovely brightness to the blend. Each time I sniff from the bottle, I get a different impression - one time, lemony, another time fresh floral, another time a more rich floral.

As it dries, the greenery of the oakmoss and violet leaf start to emerge and give it some depth... I'm finding it very hard to "label" this scent. It's not "floral", it's not "green", and it's not "citrus"... it's very balanced on me after about an hour of wear.

I find it to be very pretty, and thankfully the jasmine is not overwhelming.

[nekogrrl]

I got my Inquest today (La Primavera and L'Autumno), and decided to test out La Primavera first. (I mean, taking a test is easy, but writing a sestina is a little harder, so that's how I chose).

 

I did sniff the perfume first, and I definitely smelled the florals, but the oakmoss and violet leaf helped to ground it so it wasn't OMG jasmine/tuberose/plumblossom. The two greens weren't obvious, but I could tell they were there. No sign of the citrus.

 

I took a bath with the bath oil first, so this review is probably going to be a bit skewed, as I didn't test the perfume straight up.

 

I really like this perfume. It's a soft floral - all the notes blend so well together. Add in the mint from the bath oil and it's just terrific. I love this type of scent - the green/earthy and citrus notes tone down the florals and deepen and enrich the entire scent palette.

 

With the layering from the bath oil and perfume, I really enjoy the whiffs I get. There are (obviously) enough repeated notes in each scent palette that each works well with the other, but they're different enough that you can catch the differences between as they dry down and burn off.

 

I think I'm going to have to go to the Talk Me Down thread.

[Sistinas]

La Primavera

 

In the bottle- the very first time I smelled this from the bottle I was a bit put off. It smelled like a floral perfume, too strong and pungent for me. Second time I gave it a whiff I was able to discern some of the seperate components. The plum and violet come across the strongest to me, with just a touch of lemon in the background.

 

Wet- On the back of my hand, it smells completely blended, no one component is coming across stronger than another, it is floral (well, duh!!!!), kinda powdery.

 

Drying – As it starts drying on my skin, the violet is coming out more, it is really lovelly.

 

Dry- Now it has settled down, violet stands out the most with plum blossom coming in a close second.

 

 

This scent does stand out as an excellent representation of spring, it takes me back to cooler days (since it is the dead of summer now) and the smell of blooms. While I am not an overt floral fan, I do have to say this one is very nice, I love the violet and plum. On a scale of 1 to 5 -> 5

[alicia_stardust]

La Primavera presents as a low, smooth floral blend at first, then it brightens a bit as it settles. To begin with, the plum blossom and tuberose jump out at me. The violet leaf adds a nice depth and there's a general twinge of oakmoss that mingles with the aforementioned blooms.

 

After a short while the orange blossom, ylang ylang, and lemon peel are noticeable as accents to the above notes. I don't really ever detect the jasmine outright though I'm sure it's there.

 

The first phase of this is kind of low, smooth, floral, and a bit perfumey. It brings to mind dusky hues of purple and green. But as the scent morphs I start to get little flashes of brightness: spring colors of pale yellow, pale orange, pink, and a touch of velvety white blossoms.

 

This is a very beautiful and complex scent and it really encapsulates the essence of springtime. I am especially impressed with the way it is complimented and enhanced by the La Primavera bath oil.

[savage_rose]

I was expecting a strong, aggressive floral, but that's not this blend at all. I tend to amp rose, but the rose here is very light, and very balanced with the other notes. The other florals are equally as light, even jasmine! It's a sweet, gentle fresh scent, with just an earthy hint of oakmoss and the tangy ylang ylang and light citrus notes. This is absolutely gorgeous, and was well worth the wait.

 

With the bath oil: It smells like sugared florals...still clean, but with that extra bit of sweetness that makes a great perfume spectacular.

[PersephonesChild]

I have to say, I was surprised to check the notes and find that this didn't have the sugar cane that's present in the bath oil! It smells a lot like a faintly sugared floral to me-- a distant cousin of Sugar Moon, which is a favorite of mine. Actually, come to think of it, it might be the violet leaf that the two have in common that's making me think of that connection.

 

The jasmine is wonderfully subtle, the citrus splashes on the florals, but this isn't a battle between fruits and flowers, but a very complex blend that fuses this two elements into something else entirely.

 

I love it. Really, it's going to quickly become one of my favorites.

[greenranger]

Mostly, it was the completist in me that made me get this one. Primavera is so floral all over, I might have skipped it on my own...except...I had to try all of them if I could.

 

In the bottle, leaves.

 

On me, the flowers rise up.

 

I can't pick the notes out. It's a nice enough floral...but, it is still floral. I'll try it again on a day when my nose isn't as overwhelmed, but, I suspect there may be a happy swapper out there soon.

 

Very VERY floral.

[fairnymph]

In the bottle: Soft, fresh, clean, bright. Floral, mildly sweet, and a touch herbal. The citrus, plum blossom, jasmine and tuberose are all I can distinguish. Nicely balanced and much less overwhelming than I would have thought.

 

Wet: Stronger, but still far from heady. The lemon peel keeps the florals nicely in check, and the orange blossom emerges more distinctly. I can pinpoint the herbal edge of the violet leaf now, too, and the grounding oakmoss. Amazingly, the plum and orange blossoms are stronger than the jasmine and ylang ylang.

 

Dry: Wow, how is this possible? Ylang ylang isn't heady - it's just deep and a bit sexy, summery almost. Jasmine is likewise, and has not gone soapy; it's fresh and fragrant. And tuberose, which nearly always goes unbearably soapy, smells like TUBEROSE. Not soap! It's the first time I've smelled it on my skin in its natural form. I'd say in fact it's amped to reign with the blossoms and the lemon which is holding nicely.

 

Later: This evolves very naturally. It's balanced to begin with, and the notes merge even more harmoniously over time. The fruit seems to be emerging more now, as if Spring herself is progressing; juicy oranges and ripening plums bursting over the rich, creamy floral base as the violet joins the fray without the slightest hint of powder. It's quite like Kitsune-Tsuki, but much more complex, and lacks the sharpness. This is more luxurious and languid.

 

Summary: Sweet navel oranges, meyer lemons, and dark plums rule over a completely seamless bouquet of bright, intoxicating flowers; it's nearly impossible to pick out individual floral notes, as they each shine equally strongly and truly. Straining, I can just barely pick out the herbal touch of violet leaf and smooth, earthy oakmoss, but these blend with the rich florals for the most part.

 

This is not early but late Spring, with a heavy golden sun high in the sky over vast acres of cultivated flowers, trees laden with ripe fruit, the soil moist and fertile. This is a scent pregnant with life, glowing with quiet power. An utterly feminine, richly complex masterpiece.

 

I am so very happy I made the plunge despite the terrifying trio jasmine, ylang ylang, and tuberose.

Edited July 28, 2008 by fairnymph

[grashopper8]

A clean smelling floral, but with something more going on - there's lovely fruit sweetening up the floral bouquet, and the soft citrus is refreshing but not zingy or zesty.

 

I am totally in love with this scent, as I am with all Four Seasons! Gorgeous label, too!

 

Seriously I LOVE this!!!!!!!!!!

 

:D

 

4.8 out of 5

[Blood onmy hands]

This was the season that I was least excited for, but so far it's my favorite (granted, I still haven't received L'Autunno or L'Inverno, which I was more excited for, but I like La Primavera more than L'Estate, lol).

 

I was pretty sure that this would be awful on me, because I hated its soap version (headache inducing florals and dish soap), and I *hate* tuberose, jasmine, and ylang ylang. I don't have good luck with lemon either. I only bought this so that I would have a complete set of the inquisition. Somehow, though, this actually smells rather nice on me.

 

In the bottle, this is exactly what I was afraid of. Perfumey florals that make my head ache. On me, though, it quickly mellows down and loses all of its sharpness and its perfumey muskiness. It actually smells like sweet citrus on me. I keep thinking of pink grapefruit with extra sugar on top. There's also a soft, floral quality here, almost like dewy, wet flowers. La Primavera is a fresh, wet, surprisingly soft, citrus-floral. It's clean, soft, and slightly sweet... in the drydown it's sort of like a lemon pie with extra sugar and the soft floral. I was surprised to go back and see that this didn't have a sugar note in it.

 

I'm amazed that this doesn't give me a headache. La Primavera has three of my most feared notes in it, and I'm actually liking it. I'm still not sure how often I would actually wear a scent like this, but it's a floral that I can actually wear without getting ill.

[ivyandpeony]

Even though I took the quiz three times and got three different results, none of those results said that I was a Spring personality I wanted the La Primavera set worse than anything, though, and luckily the goblins saw fit to let me have it.

 

Like nearly all of the reviewers, I had a fear note or two here - for me, the ylang-ylang, which sometimes likes to get sharp and sassy on me and on occasion will actually drill a hole into my brain, and the plum blossom, which can go too candylike and fruity depending on its companions. But when I see the word "tuberose" I usually put my blinders on no matter what other notes are there. In this case, my fears were unfounded and this is one of my absolute favorite BPAL perfumes of all eternity. Seriously.

 

La Primavera is a lush white floral that manages to have no sharpness - it's just sweet enough but not cloying, just floral enough but doesn't fill the room, just bright enough but not veering into sharpness, with a hint of green that makes you think of spring. On me, the prominent notes are the jasmine and tuberose, which are gorgeous together. Even as it dries down, this one stays very floral on me, although it gets a little greener - probably the oakmoss and violet leaf coming out as some of the bright ylang ylang and citrus backs off a bit. This is one I will treasure for as long as my stash lasts!

[inurbanus]

Oh man, this is gorgeous. Serously, this is like the perfect floral. This *is* Spring, or at least it embodies everything I love about the season, with its gentle heat and blooming flowers. While this is definitely floral, it's not in your face -- this is quietly beautiful, which I realy appreciate. There's something creamy in this that reminds me of Cockaigne and Haloes which is really intriguing me. It's like a sweet beeswax note that immediately tells me I'm going to love something. I really need to find a bottle of this.

 

4.5/5

[dluszcz]

This is all pink icing sugar, to me. I don't think I can wear this without the bath oil, to tone down the carb count....

[ForeverLastcXs]

In the bottle: Soft florals jump out at me. Very pretty!

 

On skin: I smell the leaves first, that's how green the scent starts out. But what I'm getting right now is a generic floral scent, and nothing is really wooing me right now.

 

I'll come back to this one later, when I'm not testing out three other perfumes at the same time.

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 4/5

Summarised in a few words/smilie: Spring!

 

Preconceived notions/pre-review thoughts: This doesn't seem like my sort of thing, but how could I try the other three and ignore LP?

 

In the imp: Plum blossom and the dread ylang. Eep.

 

On skin, wet: Surprisingly bright and, dare I say it, pretty! The plum blossom and lemon peel are the most prominent notes, and they're both soft and beautiful.

 

On skin, dry: I hate to admit it, but this is gorgeous. I was prepared for a kick-in-the-face floral, but that's not what Spring is like, so it's not what La Primavera is like. Like Tania, there seems to be a dewy, almost wet quality to this -- like flowers in a mid-April shower. The orange blossom and lemon peel give the scent a wonderful, faint sweetness, and I don't think I'd care for this scent nearly as much as I do if it weren't both both notes. There's no sign of ylang-ylang, and just the barest hint of something warm and slightly darker than the rest of the scent, which I take to be the oakmoss.

 

Conclusion: La Primavera is definitely a winner. I never, ever expected to like LP, so excuse me while I go try to build up a stash.

[Suu4LC]

Man, I was kicking myself for not ordering this inquisition (I picked up L'Inverno instead-love the perfume oil, hate the room spray and bath oil). I got the soap set a few months ago and had loved the La Primavera soap, so I was very excited to see how the perfume would compare.

 

Thankfully for me, the most recent will call I was at had these inqusitions available for sale, so I snatched up a bottle of the perfume oil and I am SO glad I did.

 

This is a GORGEOUS floral. The plum blossom is the strongest note, which makes me happy because I LOVE bpal's plum blossom. The rest of the notes play in the background and are extremely well blended. Certain notes that can sometimes be a bit too intense for me (like jasmine and ylang ylang) are very well behaved in this blend and add to it instead of overwhelm it.

 

I am in love with this blend-it is a beautiful fresh sweet floral and I will covet my bottle!

[filigree_shadow]

I saw jasmine, ylang ylang, and lemon peel in the description for this one, and I didn't think it would work for me. That wasn't very clever of me.

 

I actually don't smell any of those notes in this perfume. Florals, yes, and sweetness. It's not heady or overwhelming, though. It's bright and cheery, but it has some depth to it, too. I think the oakmoss and violet leaf in it are both particularly nice touches. They give it a soft grounding that I don't usually smell in floral perfumes. This is quite pretty.

[Schmoozy]

I never learn. I was worried about the evil jasmine note, but figured what the hell. I hoped the other notes would rise above and good ole' jaz would take the back seat. The atmosphere spray rocks my world, and even the hubby adores it. Surprisingly enough I was right. If there is jasmine inside I can't find it. Instead, La Primavera is a hauntingly beautiful floral. It comes across as heavy at first, and I think it is just all the notes fighting each other to come out on top. Plum blossom is most prevalent, and is tempered beautifully with lemon peel and orange blossom. It is sweet and very fragrant. Somehow it is also lush and dewy, and very pretty.

Edited September 29, 2008 by Schmoozy

[zankoku_zen]

I was also figuring on evil jasmine rearing its head up --- but evanescence nailed it. This is a smooth, spring floral. Very delicate, and feminine. It's very light, and it makes you think of sunshine, and flowers, and a pretty day in the garden.

 

I would consider this very appropriate for a young girl to wear.

[hellomoonglow]

I love love love this! In fact, I can't believe I haven't reviewed it yet! Got it as an imp first, then hunted down a bottle. What I like best about this is the overall bouquet of florals. I've tried L'Autunno and have the soap version of L'Estate. I didn't participate in the 4 Seasons Inquest because none of the notes appealed to me as a mixture in any one of those scents. But sometimes, something just falls into your lap (imp of La Primavera) and it is just what you love. For me, that's this. It reminds me of a perfume I wore as a teenager, although I can't put my finger on exactly what that is. Maybe I like it so much because it's nostalgic to me. But I really DO love it. Beautiful floral bouquet. Just perfect!

[cranberry]

Mmm, this smells amazing. This is a wonderful sweet, floral blend. The florals blend extremely well, and it’s difficult to pick out individual notes. I would say rose, gardenia, amber, neroli, a touch of jasmine.….I’m having a hard time here. The notes all blends together so well. It’s intoxicating. Smelling deeply, this scent transports me. It’s just beautiful. This smells like sugared flowers: sweet and floral, without ever getting cloying or piercing. I’m so glad that I have a bottle and can enjoy this.

[Hayet]

I thought I'd like this one the least, as it has three flowers that HATE me: tuberose, jasmine, and ylang ylang. However, this is the blend that makes me love even those usually too-sappy, sickly sweet flowers (just as Lucifer was the blend that won me over to vetiver). This blend is fresh and sweet and heady, perfectly blended to be a multicolored floral (seriously...bold, primary colors in this one, or bright shades of violet and yellow and green) that lasts and lasts on me. There's something in the background that gives it an almost minty zing without being minty- something breathy and fresh like wintergreen. I simply adore this blend. I'm finding that E Pluribus Unum is a similarly beautifully blended floral in the same spirit as this one, but in different shades. Beth has an amazing talent with florals that can turn even a picky floral curmudgeon like me into a raving fan.

[yeahbutnobut]

La Primavera

 

In the imp: this is so pretty. Tuberose and the most gorgeous jasmine note!

Wet on skin: gorgeous tuberose and jasmine, now with orange blossom and lemon.

Dry on skin: if the plum blossom ruins this I will scream. Because right now this is the most beautiful mix of tuberose, orange blossom and jasmine! So often, BPAL jasmine turns sour on my skin but not in here. Here it smells like jasmine should. The lemon and orange blossom add a sharp citrus scent with a hint of something sophisticated, like a cologne, to it. I can smell a bit of oak moss too, and I think the jasmine is fleshed out a bit by the ylang-ylang, but overall this really shows off the tuberose. It also reminds me of Hanami, one of the few plum blossom scents I can wear, which is a good sign.

After a while: it seems that the plum blossom in here is very much like the ume note in Hanami, which means it is not going cloying and doing the ‘Doom Blossom’ thing on me, but smelling light and fresh and airy. Now the PB is dominant, mixing with orange blossom and tuberose. The moss grounds the notes very nicely. This is so pretty! It’s delicate and fresh and a little bit watery, floral but not heady, a tiny bit perfumey in a sophisticated yet youthful way.

Verdict: it’s a miracle! A plum blossom and jasmine scent that actually smells wonderful on me! Usually these notes take over and ruin a scent, but not here. I think this PB may be a different kind to the usual, and the jasmine is also a nicer variety. The scent starts off as a wonderful sparkling citrus-floral fragrance, bright and playful and fresh. It smells youthful and feminine, a bouquet of happy spring blooms. The scent then goes into that same breezy yet sophisticated blossom scent I got in Hanami, which I love. This one is a little more complex with orange blossom instead of cherry blossom making this a little bit tangy, not sweet. As I was born in spring, the fact that this scent smells so lovely on me makes me very, very happy. I’m glad I managed to get a bottle!

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Definitely.

If you like this, try: Hanami, E Pluribus Unum, All They Had Seen

Edited December 27, 2008 by yeahbutnobut

[tarotgirl99]

Originally, I was primarily a floral girl, though BPAL has expanded my worldscent. I am picky about my florals, though, as many don't work on me, especially when they're too cool or green. The evil Ylang-Ylang is a particular nemesis, but hardly the only one.

 

La Primavera is, as named, pure spring. A garden of spring flowers that are gently warmed by the sun. Nothing too sharp, but definitely not bland. It's innocent, but never cloying. And I don't get the dread dead flower smell that usually accompanies anything Ylang Ylang-related.

 

All the seasons are wonderful, but La Primavera and L'Estate are hands-down my two favorites.

 

This one has medium throw and wear-length on me.

[Ravenclaw79]

In the imp: Anise? No... soapy. Strong floral soapiness.

 

Wet: Still very dishsoapy, Palmolive-y.

 

Drying: Still very soapy. Bummer.