Calliope

[OriginalWacky]

The eldest of the Muses, she is Eloquence, and thus, governs heroic and epic poetry, and her eloquence has served to calm quarrels even amongst the surliest of Gods. She is crowned in gold, and holds a roll of parchment or stylus and tablet. Hers is the scent of creative inspiration, and it is a boon to writers, poets and arbitrators: lavender and bright mint with bergamot, verbena, thyme and a touch of sweet orange and warm almond.

Bottle (Imp): A fresh, sort of fruity scent, possibly with flowers. Maybe some herbs scattered in there? Fairly crisp. I sort of like it, but I'm a little leery of the flower thing.

Just On: Pretty much the same, with some kind of foody scent just barely hinting at being there. Citrusy? Maybe a touch sharp for me. Have to see how it dries.

An hour or two later: This has faded quite a bit, leaving a citrusy cleanser scent that I'm not so sure about. It's probably not something I'd wear if I was looking to feel sexy. It's sort of invigorating though. I suspect my skin will suck this one up and I won't smell it for long. One of my kitties really likes it, and spent a good while sniffing my arm, which he doesn't usually do.

Around 6 hours: Yep, this got sucked right into my skin pretty quickly. All that's left is a very faint fresh citrus room freshener scent, which isn't too bad. The cat liking it makes me want to wear it just for the cuddles. <g> My kitty named Calliope also likes it, so if nothing else, it's a keeper just for the kitties.

12 hours: It's totally gone, and even the kitties don't seem to smell it anymore. A couple of them have started to smell my wrists every time they get up on me, so I'll be noting their reactions in my reviews as well. (But I am NOT looking for tuna scented stuff!)

Overall: It's different than most of what I've tried, and the floral kind of throws me off, but all in all, it's a pretty fair scent. I doubt I'd buy a big bottle (unless The Mate decides he really likes it), but I'm glad I got an imp.

After reading other reviews: I see where the verbena and orange are probably the sitrus I was smelling, and the mint is the crispness, lavender for the floral part, and so on. I don't get any almond, and I really wish I could. I'm not getting rid of this, but probably won't wear it nearly as much as my foodier scents. At least I didn't smell like Pledge.

[yeahbutnobut]

Calliope

 

In the imp: sweet almonds with fresh green herbs and something lemony or citrusy.

Wet on skin: the almond begins to fade and the herbal citrus smell comes forward. It's lemon verbena, just like the one growing in my garden, and some mint and perhaps orange and thyme.

Dry on skin: the almond is gone, as usual, and it's verbena, thyme and lavender that are now strong on my skin-a herbal lemony scent with the warm and fuzzy lavender and thyme, and I think I can make fresh mint. It's like a Mediterranean evening, when the sun goes down and you can smell the herbs all around.

After a while: thyme and possibly lavender are dominant now-this is so herbal, like my mum's herb cupboard. Smells like dinner. There's a hint of something savoury in this, probably the thyme, but it also reminds me of olives or sea air…yes, this is the scent of an evening in Greece. This also reminds me of herbal tea-that could be the bergamot aspect, which is probably why I'm thinking of tea, because that's the smell of Earl Grey.

Verdict: this is a lovely, potent herbal blend. It starts off almondy, but then becomes very herbal and warm, and soothing. I love the way the smell reminds me of holidays in Greece, those warm evenings with the scent of herbs in the air, ah, pleasant memories…or like my mum's herb cupboard. It's a nice blend, because of the lavender, it's more of an aromatherapy blend than a perfume to me, and it smells like something I'd add to season my lunch thanks to the thyme. It's calming, warming and medicinal in a good, old fashioned herbal remedy kind of way.

[Emu Nymph]

I put this one and it turned to something kinda soapy. Sadly Calliope will be needing to find a new home here shortly.

[wickedgoddess]

Wet - a lovely herbal blend, I primarily get lavendar and verbena off the top.

 

Dry - as it dries I notice the thyme and a touch of sweet orange. After a half hour, I finally get a light trace of almond, but it's quite well-behaved. I am a big fan of herbal blends, and I like this one, but I don't love it. Which is good, since this is discontinued. I will definitely hang on to the imp, but I won't drive myself crazy trying to snag a bottle. However, if one were to fall into my lap, I wouldn't say no.

 

On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 3.

[Chantarelle]

At first, a lovely lemon tea scent, which would be the verbana. Sadly, the lemon disappears quickly, as it is wont to do. What's left is a sort of herbally green scent, fresh but not too strong. I don't get any of the orange or almond.

 

In the end, the whole thing fades really quickly, and is not really for me, despite my enjoyment of the initial green lemon.

[Blood onmy hands]

Calliope is mostly an herbal blend on me. The verbena is apparent and lemony at first, but it quickly dries down to a slightly soapy herbal scent. This is very faint too. Before I have even worn this for a full half hour, I can't smell it at all anymore.

 

Almond is usually pretty strong on my skin, but I don't smell any almond or orange. This is mostly soapy herbs and not very me...

[glittergal]

I got this imp in September. I completely forgot about it until the recent update. In fact, I had not even tried it yet! So, I tried it today.

 

In the imp, it smells bright, sweet, sunny. I smell mostly almond and citrus.

 

When first applied, it changes completely! To me, the lavendar and mint are most dominant (similar to Lush's Ice Hotel BBS). This is a pleasant, calming scent at this stage. A bit sweet, but not too much. There are still some lemony notes, but they are in the background.

 

As it dries, it gains complexity. It smells very herbal. The lavendar and mint gently make way for thyme (maybe that was the cold pizza smell someone mentioned earlier???) and almond.

 

It fades pretty fast. After about 45 minutes it is almost gone. I think I am mostly getting a whiff of almond and mint.

[malanna]

This starts out with a bit of orange altered by bergamot, mint, and a lot of verbena. The orange doesn't smell like orange in its original form, but its presence gives Calliope a smoother cleaner scent. I don't know why, but this really just smells like swimming pool chlorine to me. Several hours later, the bergamot and verbena calm down a bit and just smell like light chlorine.

[brownbear]

cool, the mint never becomes evil in this. In fact I hardly notice it. This reminds me of trix cereal. It's fruity. I get mostly orange, verbena, and something lemony. It's very sweet and clean and crisp as well. I like it!

[QueenFae]

A very clean. soapy citrus scent. This reminds me of a stink - covering ozone spray my friend used to spray in her dorm room to cover the smell of...well, you know It's bright, cheery, and very very orangey. I'm not detecting much of the almond, but there is an herbally undershadow. i don't dislike this scent, it's just not something that would appeal to me to wear as a perfume. Anyone wanna smell like a squeaky clean orange sitting in an herb cupboard? Here ya go!!

[slave1]

In Bottle: Lavender and Mint

 

On Skin: Zing! This scent will wake you up. Super citrus and herbal mint. I can see why it is a boon for creative inspiration, because this scent will wake you up from whatever slump you’re in. The sweet orange seems strongest to me, with the herbal mint and thyme playing close second. The almond is a lighter note, in the background offering a sweet base. Wow, not something I’d wear but it would be nice to keep on hand for aromatherapy.

 

I reviewed this again and got a little of a different feel from it... and almost no citrus:

 

In Bottle: Sweet and herbal

 

On Skin: This is herbal first and formost. The bergamot, thyme and mint and very bright and sharp but also slightly dirty and crisp. The lavendar is also quite dominant, it lends a comforting feel but doesn’t quite agree with my skin. The sweet orange tries to sweeten the scent… but only for a few moments because the herbs seem to edge it out. I can’t really smell the almond or it’s trademark cherry note, but there is a warm note in there that seems to keep the herbs from competely taking over so I’m assuming the almond is helping with that. I’m thinking that since this is a fairly old imp, maybe the almond has faded? All in all this is a complete herbal scent with a very light echo of lavendar and verbena. The orange and almond are non-existant on me. It’s not a scent I’d wear so I think I’d like to swap it. Light throw and short wearlength.

Edited September 26, 2006 by slave1

[cupide430]

Calliope

 

A hint of citrus and a lot of herbs. This is one of the most herbal blends I've tried so far. I just get hints of citrus and a touch of lavender. I think the lavender and some of the herbs make it a little bit burnt crayon on me somewhere in the middle. As it dries further, that fades off leaving just the scent of herbs.

[PeshaRocha]

Calliope is difficult for me to describe, because all the scents are so nicely balanced and combined that I can't really pick out individual notes. Very herbal and spicy. It also seems a little medicine-like to me, but not unpleasantly so. And warm, like a summer day in an herb garden. When it was wet, it smelled a little piney to me, but not after it dries.

 

I quite like it, and it's mysteriously evocative. I'm just not sure it's "me". I'll have to give this a few tries to make up my mind about it.

[Macha]

I previously reviewed the discontinued version of this here.

 

And...what a difference a year makes. Fall of 2005 seems to have been the season of upheaving my expectations of what I do or don't like, marking the re-release of several fragrances that I had convinced myself that I loathed (Samhain, Snow White) only to discover that I now fancy them quite a bit. When my box of BPAL goodness arrived this morning, I tore through all the bottles, but stopped cold when I reached Calliope. I stopped, because she did not smell at ALL the way I remember last year's version. The discontinued version was syrupy sweet almonds in the imp, and lemon pledge cleaner on me, and generally not my cup of tea.

 

But this? Ah no. My second visit from the lovely muse of eloquence is a brighter and more gracious affair. Swoon worthy, in fact.

 

In the bottle, Calliope smells to me of bergamot and thyme, with a bit of orange. On my skin it becomes this gorgeous, bright lemon with bergamot and mint (which is exactly, exactly what I always hoped this would be) and as it dries down gives out hints of thyme and orange. It does grow more herbal as it dries down, losing those brilliant but fugitive citrus/mint top notes, but what remains is still quite pleasant. There are elements to this new version that remind me of the Twilight Alchemy Blend oil Concentration -- it does seem like a very good oil to use while writing. And because I love the early stage so much, I suspect I'm going to be slathering this.

 

Verdict: I ordered Calliope, not because I thought I would like her, but to complete the collection. I am VERY glad of that, because it's a delightful surprise to discover that this new version of the muse is a fragrance I would chose to wear on her own merits.

[Ajila]

In the bottle - lavender and sweet citrus, more like candied peel than the fruit itself.

Wet on me - Warm and golden, if reminiscent of lemon and honey cough sweets.

Dry on me - Very warm and rounded, soft and golden, citrus remains the predominant feel, but it's not at all sharp. It fades quite quickly, but the faint scent that remains on my skin lasts all day and more.

[Savannah]

I actually really like this one, which I didn't entirely expect. I was afraid of the lavender, verbena and almond, but it's just really pleasantly sweet and fresh and bright, with a touch of coolness from the mint, like a beautiful summer day with a touch of cool breeze. The bergamot is as bright and lovely as it was in Alice, and it blends with the verbena (which usually goes all furniture polish on me) and orange to sweeten and soften it till I just get something wonderfully fresh. I don't get any almond out of this, for which I am thankful.

[Voleuse]

This is sweet and herbal on first application, a cottage garden in the sunshine. The lavender is predominant on first sniff, with a sharp burst of citrus behind it. As it dries, I can smell the verbena and thyme. Over time, this actually gets more citrusy on me, and lemon instead of orange. It's quite sharp, and though I don't get the mint at all, it's an invigorating sort of scent.

[desu]

In the bottle: A rush of notes: verbena, mint, lavender, and almond.

 

On my skin: The brightest note isn't the 'bright mint,' but the sweet orange. The herby verbena and lavender lurk just beneath the surface to round this out, so it's not all about the orange.

 

Later on: Continues to be a bright, herby scent. The almond has started to come out more as it dries down.

[Anadira]

Wow, if this isn't a kick of citrus, I don't know what is!

 

In bottle: Strong, strong citrus and lavendar, with just a tiny hint of mint. Mmm.

 

Wet: Lavendar and citrus explosion. It's a little too strong right now (maybe too much, but I accidently spilled a wee bit while trying to pry it open, oops), but I can see how it could invigorate and calm a person...it almost reminds me of those lemon-honey cough drops. And oh, there's the mint sneaking in - really light, though.

 

On drydown: Sweetens up a bit, though is still very lemony, and mint starts to emerge. No trace of almonds, but that's plenty fine by me. I'll keep the imp when I need a pick-me-up, but I doubt I'll be getting a bottle of it.

[gingersnapp]

This was citrus, and slightly herbal. But it faded very quickly, and I don't really recall much else. It was a dry scent, and I got a dusty parchment smell out of it, but looking at the list of the notes in the blend, there's no parchment... that's Clio. Maybe the labels on those imps got switched?

 

Either way, it's dry and dusty and orange-y, but no throw and no staying power. No mint, no lavender, and no almonds.

[jidabug]

Wet: Lemon? Sweetly spicy and definitely a bit of citrus.

Dry: Sweet like an exotic honey, not in a cloying way, more like a fragrant tea with lemon and honey, I just want to take a sip.

Final: Nice and refreshingly cheerful. Like sitting in a sun-drenched morning room with a cuppa and biscuit.

[Miyabi]

This is all "whoo, citrusy!" in the imp and later when I put it on. It smells a lot like lemon drops, even through the drydown. Getting a peek of the almond, though.

 

Smells very clean, sweet and fresh. I think a big bottle is in my future, along with London.

[jewelbug]

Imp: An amazing herbal teases my nose. Lavender with a lemon zing a creamy almond in the distance. Mmmmm….

 

Wet: First on, I get a dusty earthen note. Like a light soil smell, and I love Beth's soil notes. There is also a wonderful lemon orange combo. The almond is bitterer on my skin wet than it was in the imp. Wet, this is a little fume-y, but I imagine that will settle as it dries.

 

Drying: By 5 min in, the earthen note is lessening. This is a lovely citrus lavender and the almonds are starting to give a creamy depth to the herbal blend. It's invigorating and comforting all at the same time. There is just enough mint to give this zing, but not enough for me to actually pick it up as mint.

 

This is an amazingly dynamic scent. 15 min in, and there's massive thyme. Thyme and lemon, which is actually what I use to season my roast chicken. Luckily the sweet almond rescues it from the fate of poultry. Still, very much a kitchen smell. 25 min, and its almond with a bit of minty thyme. 40 min and its more mint, supported by thyme with little hints of lemon and almond. An hour and its almond/lavender with the other notes in the background. I could go on, but….

 

Overall: Well, you get the point. This just keeps changing. It's amazing, and I couldn't think of a better blend for a muse. It continues to inspire. The throw in the beginning is quite good, but by 3ish hours, it's faded to a slight herbalicious skin scent.

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 1/5

Summarised in a word or two: Citrus/herbal soap.

 

In the imp: (Evil!) Lavender, orange and strong mint.

 

On skin, wet: Thyme, bergamot, mint and that evil, evil lavender lording itself all over everything. This is already becoming a strong citrus soap. I have a sage & lemon soap bar that smells almost exactly like this, actually.

 

On skin, dry: Thyme and a bit of bergamot. Citrusy, herbal, and distinctly soapy. There may be just a bit of mint somewhere far below, but it's a fleeting thing if that's really what I'm catching occasionally at all.

 

Conclusion: I had such high hopes, but alas, Calliope is not for me.

Edited February 15, 2006 by Aredhel

[ocicat]

Lemons. And then more lemons. And,as it dried down? MORE LEMONS.

 

Grr arg. I got none of the lavender or mint or thyme or ANYTHING except lemon.

 

Boo