A Blade of Grass

[Lit Chick]

Autumn leaves scattered among blades of grass.

LOVE

Yes, grass. But I also get an equal amount of leaves. I tried a few of the 'weenie leaf blends, and they all smelled like the composting dampess at the bottom of an old leaf pile, not happy autumnal goodness. But this is just grass and leaf!
Happy dance!

I made my husband smell it on me, in the dry-down stage. He said "familar....what is that.... (thinks)... it smeels like leaves...and something a little grassy????"
HEH. He is usually so bad at putting names to smells. It is a testament to the blend that it's so very clearly leaves and grass that even DH could get it.

It made him want to go apple picking. We miss New England. Sniffle.

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Crunchy leaves and grass.

 

Immediately on skin: This smells like summer melding into fall. It smells like I took a big handful of fresh grass and crunchy, dry leaves and mushed them all together. It’s fresh and green but dry and autumnal at the same time.

 

After a little while: This doesn’t really change much on my skin as time goes on. I think that at most, it becomes a little more blended together and the leaf note fades a little. What I’m left with is a fresh grass scent with a nice amount of dried leaves to temper that sharp greenness.

 

Overall Impressions: Grass and leaves. Leaves and grass. Dry, crunchy leaves and fresh, fragrant green grass. This is nice and simple but with a good balance between the two aspects of the blend. If the description sounds nice to you, you’d probably enjoy this.

[Ohmaude]

Why write a review after Galleywest's? So awesome.

 

A Blade of Grass is the smell of mowing the lawn while wearing nothing but daisy chains. Yardwork on the commune. With incredible throw, this is bitter grass, dandelion sap, my compost bin and the slightest hint of something floral and lemony-sweet. I can't believe how spot on this is. Truly literal perfume.

[obsidienne]

In the imp: exactly fresh cut green grass and autumn leaves.

 

On me, wet: ... see above, but just a little less green.

 

Drydown: The scent sweetens and lightens considerably, coming to a soft balance of the grass and leaves, but a hint of sweetness develops as well, which keeps it from being too, um, real, and makes it more like a perfume (in the best way possible). The grass smells a little more like was cut a couple of hours ago instead of just now.

 

This scent is truly a testament to Beth's artistry. I love it and will keep the bottle; I am not sure I'd wear it enough to order a backup for when it's no longer available. That said, it's definitely a perfect autumn scent!

[tinyvulture]

a perfect, idealized green grass scent. so bright and bold. a lawn full of healthy green little blades soaking up all that early-autumn sunlight. there is a slight sharpness or bitterness in the background that i guess might be the autumn leaves. it certainly doesn’t seem like the same sweet autumn leaves note from samhain. to me, this is a more unisex version of last year's october, which was too masculine and cologne-like for my taste. a lovely tribute to nature and Indian summer.

[voodoocatwoman]

This starts out as freshly mown lawn after a summer shower. After it dries, it turns just a slight bit sweeter. I am not sure that I want to smell like my back yard, but it is an amazing scent.

[yeahbutnobut]

A Blade of Grass

 

In the imp: holy crap this really, really does smell like fresh grass and autumn leaves.

Wet on skin: huh? Now there’s a weird funky pungency in here…other than that, it smells of leaves.

Dry on skin: other than that strange, decayed and pungent musky note that I smell here (almost like valerian?) this smells spot on, and I mean spot on, like the autumns of my childhood. Crunchy dead leaves, damp earth, grass, the remaining hints of green, tree bark…this is the scent of early October when the days are still fairly mild, but the seasons are changing-it’s not an Indian summer scent as such, but it’s not a cold autumn scent either. The weird pungent note disappears about 30 seconds after application, merging into the decayed vegetation scent.

After a while: the scent is a little more ‘blurred’ now, and has turned just a tiny, tiny bit soapy, but not in a bad way-it doesn’t detract from the fact that this still smells like the perfect autumn scent, like crunchy leaves and dry mossy bark and a hint of the last grass of summer. Now I smell more a mushy leaf scent, like wet leaves, and more a tree-like scent (not wood, but bark and twigs).

Verdict: this is the scent I wanted to get from October. This is the scent of autumn, bottled. Or rather, autumn days. This lacks the smoke of an autumn night, or late autumn. But it smells like early autumn days, so much so that it sends shivers down my spine. It smells like walking through Hampstead on a sunny day when the leaves are falling. It smells like exploring the woods and the smell of the earthy woodland floor and the grass of open parkland. It smells like the bark of the trees and the decaying leaves and earth. It smells of conkers and acorns. It smells like running into piles of leaves and messing about in them, I can almost hear the leaves going crunch underfoot. It’s so impressive, and it smells so accurate, so natural, I’m floored by how authentic it is, and so happy to find an autumn leaves scent that works on me and smells just like it should. Bravo Beth!

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Yes!

If you like this, try: Graveyard Dirt, October, To Autumn, Dog Days, School House

[Juushika]

In the vial: The spicy, musk, wet, red-blue scent of the leaves in To Autumn with just a hint of sharper greenness.

 

On me: On wet it's a bit of rotting vegetation and too-sharp grass, but upon drydown this is lovely. I was expecting (and wary of) crayon-bright red leaves and green grass, but this is a beautifully subdued and more realistic interpretation. To my nose, the leaves are predominant: deep red edged with purple-black, gently spiced, dusty dry but also damp—they remind me precisely of the maple leaves that fall from the tree at my house. To the boyfriend's nose, the grass is predominant: green but not sharp or bright, more like the rain-fed and rain-hushed lush grass of autumn. There's nothing but the leaves and grass, but they are wonderful together. Unfortunately, the throw is very low.

 

Verdict: I'm in love—my only wish is that it were stronger. Blade of Grass is a natural, artistic, beautiful rendering of autumn leaves fallen on grass—shades of deep red, muted green, and tinges of purple-back, a touch damp, a touch dusty, softly spiced. This one is worth slathering to make it stronger and longer-lasting, and I'm very glad to have my partial bottle. Exquisite.

[kjirstiben]

This is the greenest of grassy scents that I've ever tried--and I've been trying for ages to find something that smells as lovely as fresh-cut grass.

 

Grass and leaves, leaves and grass... from when it's first put on to when it fades away, it hardly changes at all, save to become a mellower version of itself. I found myself searching for any other adjectives to put to it than "fresh, green, grassy," and so on.

 

If you like green scents, you'll like A Blade of Grass.

 

I suspect, too, that it would be fun to layer with other simple scents... to give an authentic green note in the background.

[Saya]

In the Imp

This smells like dying grass. You know that time in the fall when the grass in your yard is starting to die, well this smells exactly like it.

 

On My Skin

The leaves are coming out a bit in this making it a bit more manageable. I can’t decide if this is a bright grass scent or the smell of a dying lawn. Strange.

After a Bit

The leaves become more prominent the longer this stays on my skin. It has turned into a very fresh smell, it reminds me of spring.

 

Rating 1-5 (5 being the best)

Scent - 2.5 Throw - 3 Longevity – 3.5

Overall (not an average) – 2.8

 

Final thoughts

Interesting scent, but I think I’ll have to pass. This does have a decent throw and good wear length.

[dawndie]

In bottle: crunchy green grass

 

On skin: pure summery grass (I'll geek out and say it's St. Augustine, like one-half of our front lawn)

 

Half-hour later: red, gold and brown leaves have started to fall, plus a teeny bit of sweet yellow floral, like dandelion dust

 

In conclusion: I bought a bottle of this on a whim after I received a sniffie of the Schoolhouse. I realized, "I don't have any green grass scents, this must be rectified." I really like the additional dust from the autumn leaves, and this turned out sweeter than I expected, plus it lasts and lasts.

[gingiemay]

Wet in bottle - Definitely a leafy green freshness. It reminds me of the Chaos Theory I got that has a tinge of green peppers. I get that same peppery undertone from this scent.

 

Wet on skin - A bright, green freshness on my skin, like green peppers.

 

Dry on skin - A grassy, leafy, pepper note that smells cool and fresh. This still smells an awful lot like my Chaos Theory, though, so I might swap this away.

[Caerphilly]

In the bottle: Does anyone else get apples from this? Soft yellow apples, bitten into... I smell fresh cut grass, but not the grass in the Gap scent someone else mentioned, or the grass in Squirting Cucumber (that I was hoping for). It's not as crisp and fresh, but sort of old and dying. It's dying autumn grass as the leaves fall....and definitely apples...

 

Wet & Dry: Same as in bottle. A good autumn scent. Doesn't change at all, actually, from bottle to drydown to two hours later.

 

Overall: It lasts a long time on me, which I wasn't expecting. And it has ok throw. But it wasn't the grass I was expecting. I wanted something more crisp and fresh and this is a bit too sweet and I get apples for some reason!!! I'll keep it for the label, and I'll use up the oil just for an occasional change in scents. But it definitely isn't my favorite.

[stillalive]

goes right up there with Lucy Westenra and The Phoenix for my all-time favorite LE's. it smells soapy on me, though this is definitely not a bad thing in my book, and it's a lovely grassy/citrusy scent with something smokey. I got it today and it totally fit the mood-- a coolish, wet late autumn day with crows calling from the dying trees. Might actually slather this today to set the mood. I'm in love, very much so. Hope this one comes back eventually.

[Seadreamer]

I wanted to love this, perhaps more than any other oil I've ordered from the lab. Let me show my age and tell you that about, oh... 30 years or so ago there was a perfume that I THINK was by Perry Ellis that smelled JUST like fresh cut grass. I was head over heels in love with it, and wore it through most of high school. In fact, it was the last perfume I wore before the migraines started. I wanted A Blade of Grass to be this perfume. And it was oooooooooh, so close. Unfortunately that sharp, crunchy crackle of dried autumn leaves was the doom. Within moments of applying it I was singing the "Helloooooo migraine" song. It's such a shame, because I truly did love it. It just didn't love me back. So I very sadly sent it away to a new and loving home. *sighs*

[faerywolfe]

In the bottle:

Wow. That is sharp, and very pure, bitter grass.

 

Wet:

It's still pretty sharp, but it's softening up a bit. It's a little sweeter now, and I can smell cold wet leaves and chill autumn air. The bitterness has gone, thank goodness.

 

Dry:

Clean, in a dirty way, and very darkly green. It's cool and sweet and actually nice, but still not something I can see myself wearing.

 

Overall:

This one is very true to its description. I wasn't expecting it to be quite so dark, but it would be handsome on a man. I'm glad to have tried it, but it's not, unfortunately, for me.

[MisterShrapnel]

Grassy perfection. Lush green grass on a warm afternoon. It's not sharp like a freshly-mown lawn (I actually detest that smell, to tell the truth...), just... grass with the sunlight shining through it just so to illuminate it. The little bit of this that makes it even better is the slight "salty" hint of crispy brown autumn leaves--it's so dead on and a friend of mine keeps asking to sniff the bottle because of that leaf note.

I wore this as a scent for the first time today, not really expecting to enjoy it as much as I did.

I've been missing out.

Because really, I could wear this all the time. Fresh, natural, and cheering without being sharp or soapy, and the oil lasted for a surprisingly long time on the spots behind my ears. I'm stuck inside for most of the day and I enjoy sitting outside in my backyard as relaxation when I have the time--A Blade of Grass very much reminds me of a pleasant afternoon lazing about barefoot on the lawn. This is so simple and happy. I'll be rethinking clean scents from now on.

[sadtomato]

mmm. loving this.

at first, it was very strong, spicey and peppery with a wet, grassy undertone.

the peppery scent faded quickly, though, and the smell became more of a cucumber/grass smell...a very fresh scent.

[forspecial_plate]

I never reviewed this?? Inconceivable!

 

I really like Blade Of Grass. It is definitely realistic, and I can smell both the snappy green grass and the mellow autumn leaves. However, it's light and subtle enough that I can wear it to work and not make people think, "Why do I smell grass??". I read some other reviews that mention soap, and I didn't think so, but at least one friend of mine did say it reminded him of soap.

 

To me, it's like a lighter October, and I already have a full bottle of that. I think this could work for those that found October too cologney or after-shavey (if I remember correctly, that was a common complaint). I like both scents, though. This one has a light green and gold feeling.

[boxinghelena]

I bought a bottle of Blade of Grass for my boyfriend because he's a landscaper & thought he'd get a kick out of smelling like grass.

 

It does smell like grass but a tad bit soapy sometimes that is too overpowering on both of us.

 

I won't wear it but my boyfriend does on occasion. The name is enough to hold onto the bottle.

[Voleuse]

This is so very, very, very green grass, barreling out of my wee vial to tell me it isn't quite winter yet. I don't get leaves very much at all--there's a hint dryness, of sweet warmth, but the grass is rather overpowering.

 

[Invidiana]

This one turned out to be really surprising! It starts out very sharp to the point that I thought it wasn't going to work, but like Oborot, it needs to be allowed the chance for a full drydown for its beauty to come out. After it's completely dry it's like a lovely sweet and slightly dry summer field mixed with that crackling dry leaf scent that I love so much. It's actually an unexpectedly "clean" end-of-summer scent that has a certain warm allure, and I'm so glad I have a bottle.

Edited December 10, 2009 by Invidiana

[tajana]

Wet: Green grass, recently mown. And orange and red leaves... definitely autumnal, but not damp and rotting... dry and crunchy. Huh... this is strikingly true to the official description.

 

Dry: Doesn't change much. Maybe the leaf and grass accords kind of mash into each other more, and the sharper edge of the grass smoothes out. This smells clean, but also crazy authentic... seriously, this really smells like an autumn day. It fades fast, though. It's barely there after an hour.

 

Overall: It's really cool that a smell like this can be bottled and worn, but I guess in the end, I don't particularly want to smell like a pile of leaves on grass.

[Xanon]

Santa Stellans was much to kind to me! THANK YOU!

 

This is BEAUTIFUL!

In the imp: clean green grass with leaves crunched in.

Wet: Stays true to the imp. Oh, love!

Dry: Lightens as it dried, but it is essentially the same.

 

Verdict: This is exactly as described and I am in love! I really like green grass notes, and the depth added by the leaves is just lovely. Not really a dirt scent, but it's green and earthy. I have to hunt down a bottle now!

[caseys]

A Blade of Grass

 

Wet: Wow, this really does smell like freshly-cut grass! It's not overly complex, just grass all day long.

 

Dry: The leaves definitely emerge as this blend dries down, and add an earthiness and distinct 'crunchiness' to the grass. It actually smells a little peppery to my nose at this point.

 

Overall: This blend is really quite beautiful in its simplicity. It is completely true to the concept, and makes me think of the scent of the breeze on a sunny day in early fall, when the chill is just starting to creep into the air. Sadly, it is just a little too bitter for my tastes, so I don't see myself wearing it a lot.