Autumn Coolness

[Tramp]

Heat lingers
As days are still long;
Early mornings are cool
While autumn is still young.
Dew on the lotus
Scatters pure perfume;
Wind on the bamboos
Gives off a gentle tinkling.
I am idle and lonely,
Lying down all day,
Sick and decayed;
No one asks for me;
Thin dusk before my gates,
Cassia blossoms inch deep.

The scent of wisteria, Cymbidium, lotus blossom, and cassia buds drifting on a breeze through gently swaying bamboo reeds.

Definatly get the lotus blossom and to a lesser degree the bamboo. There is a green juciness to the blend that always makes me think of bamboo. There are some late summer heavy florals and maybe just a hint of hard candy sweetness. I get a hit of lemongrass that mellows fairly quickly

[Wench457]

Fans of Beth's asian blends (which I am) and bamboo fans (which I also am) should definitely give this oil a try.

 

In the bottle, I mainly smell the wisteria, which makes me happy, as I love that note. I do also get the lotus blossom quite strongly, which makes me nervous, as I tend to turn lotus into bubblegum.

 

Once on, this is all about the bamboo on me at first, though the blossoms come out again once it has settled for a bit. For a wonder, the lotus blossom behaves without a hint of bubblegum and just gives the whole a hint of sweetness. The scent is light and fresh, like a crisp autumn day. Really lovely.

[Heavenlyrabbit]

Beautiful floral with an intrinsic, slight sweetness. Also, somewhat fruity (apple). And there's a touch of spiceness as well.

 

This works VERY well for Autumn.

 

I believe the fruitiness must be coming from the lotus and orchid varieties Beth picked.

 

There's a touch of woody-freshness.

 

Glad to have taken a chance with this. It's not hugely Asian or even Aquatic.

 

Highly recommend. This is very unique. Closest I can get is if Queen Alice was in an English Garden and fell through the rabbit hole and ended up on the other side of the earth in a Japanese Garden.

Edited September 7, 2008 by Heavenlyrabbit

[inurbanus]

For the first minutes, this was out of control cassia, but luckily it disappeared, revealing a lovely lotus-bamboo blend. This is very cooling and refreshing. I wish I'd had it this summer, as it seems perfect for warm weather. Those who like some of the other Asian themed blends might want to try this, although I will say that the BPAL scent Autumn Coolness reminds me the most of is Peacocks, one of the retail-only salons. I'm also reminded a little bit of Sea of Tranquility, which has the same relaxed vibe as this.

 

3.5/5

[edenssixthday]

Autumn Coolness - This is my 2nd favorite Halloween scent this year. I tend to really enjoy Beth's bamboo scents, but this one is probably the best of all the bamboo scents so far (IMO). The very first note I notice is the bamboo, but right behind that are soft, sweet florals that swirl in and around the bamboo and compliment it perfectly. When I smell it, I can almost believe I'm sitting in a Japanese garden with a fresh-water pond nearby, too. As much as I love the scent, it fades from my skin almost instantly. It smells truly remarkable for the first three, four or five minutes, but when it starts to dry down, it disappears completely. But I won't give up on it - that's what scent lockets are for!

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Very cool florals with a lick of cassia and hint of bamboo.

 

Immediately on skin: This is an interesting blend. It kind of has a cool/warm thing going on. It’s a mixture of cool florals, spicy cassia, and green bamboo. It’s a little fruity and spicy at the same time, but crisp.

 

After a little while: The florals in this seem to have faded a little, and now mostly what I get is a spicy and green cassia/bamboo combo. It’s interesting; it’s warm, but fresh and crisp.

 

Overall Impressions: Unfortunately the cassia and bamboo combination in this isn’t working for me. It’s green and spicy, but the two notes don’t really blend on my skin… they kind of clash. It’s an interesting blend, but it just doesn’t work with my chemistry.

[puck_nc]

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle

 

Initial Thoughts: If you say "wisteria", you definitely have my attention. Lotus has been hit-or-miss on me, but there wasn't anything that looked like a deal-breaker in the mix.

 

In the Vial: Hmm. Spicy cassia. Greenish bamboo. An off-putting sourness that might be the lotus. I can't find my beloved wisteria anywhere.

 

Wet: Well, it's a dry, dusty autumn scent. More like yellowed grass than the darker smell of fallen leaves. Still no trace of wisteria that my nose can find.

 

Drydown: The cassia comes back to spice it up a bit and make it a bit more like a traditional autumn blend. And there's something almost lemony happening, which might be the orchid-Cymbidium.

 

Verdict: I don't think this one works on me.

[neuilly]

Something in this hates my skin chemistry. I smell like plastic, with a watery backnote. How bizarre. I have no idea which note hates me in this

[tartchef]

In the imp & wet, Autumn Coolness is decidedly funky, an odd mashup of perfumed bamboo & the clove-y cassia buds... there's something faintly tangy & salty in there, too, like a bit of sea water. Things blend a bit better as it dries, the bamboo deepens & the cassia recedes, letting the florals float up. I don't wear florals as a rule, but this is very serene & botanical - very much capturing a sheltered garden surrounded by a wall of bamboo swaying in the breeze... the clouds are low, and there's a damp coolness to the air keeping the scent of the blossoms from getting too cloying.

 

Lovely. Worth a partial bottle, I think... Akin to the original Dragon Moon, Caliban and Tanuki, but with an added trace of spice, for anyone interested.

 

ETA: Left to age for a few weeks, Autumn Coolness is much smoother... the funkiness is gone, as is the initial sharpness - it goes straight to lovely damp bamboo & faintly spiced orchids, lush & succulent. Delightful!

Edited November 7, 2008 by tartchef

[plunderparlour]

This is so wonderful on wet, mainly lotus. Floral and very fresh. I've tried this three times putting on more each time but after about five minutes it is completely gone.

 

ADDED Dec. 7:

 

In the bottle this smelled sweet and candy like with some green notes.

On wet about the same as in the bottle.

Dry-this did not like me, very sweet household cleaner.

[savage_rose]

First sniff: that icy note that's almost woodsy, almost minty in Beth's winter blends

 

On: Bambooooo! And a woodsy bitterness is coming out, nicely balancing the sweetness of the florals. I've been missing all of the Asian blends that were released as Lunacies when I first began my de-scent into BPAL madness, and this is nicely nostalgic for me.

[fairnymph]

Sniffed at EC Will Call: Sweet and powdery floral, due to the STRONG lotus and wisteria which assault me immediately. I immensely disliked this one as expected based on notes. I couldn't pick up any other notes beneath the overwhelming force of those two florals. Definitely feminine.

[Schmoozy]

First Sniff: Wet, plump bamboo, lotus and wisteria.

 

On Skin: Soft sweet florals, touched by wet bamboo followed by air. I adore Beth's bamboo scents, and this is stunning. It is crisp and wet, and I want to say lush, but this isn't a spring scent. I can see how it encompasses the coolness of Autumn. When the night's are cooler and there is frost on the ground in the morning, but yet the blooms of summer are still full and robust. This is that scent.

 

Drydown: This doesn't change at all. It remains crisp and the bamboo is really dominant. The florals linger to the back and I am left with a feeling of sadness, as fall starts to fade, blooms die, and it gets colder outside.

 

Final thoughts: I have to get multiples of this. Weenies usually are not my thing but Autumn Coolness is a not so surprising winner that I covet.

[greenranger]

I thought I smelled a lemon note for a split second, but, it vanished. Wet, bamboo, and somehting slightly spicy...Cassia buds?

 

There is something hiding in the foliage that smells kind of like an animal. It is hiding behind everything else, but, there's a funky musky something in behind the other notes. It seems to leave, mostly, as the scent dries down.

 

Spicy, but cool scent; It's like spicy scented leaves in cool weather...with just a trace of wildlife passing by.

[Leopard403]

Something is definitely wrong with my sniffer, because to me, both in the bottle and on my skin, this is Juicy Fruit gum.

[arithmetock]

For me, this scent will always serve as a reminder to actually TEST a bottle before making a judgment. I'm really new to BPAL, and at first I didn't realize how much a scent will morph on your skin. When I first opened the bottle, I didn't like it at all. I'm still not very good at identifying notes, but something about it smelled definitely off to me. But since I bought a whole bottle unsniffed, I thought I better give it a try before selling it. And...what a difference! Once it's dried on my skin, it smells so lovely. Floral, with a slight hint of powderiness (which totally works for me). I'm definitely a fan of this one.

[Blood onmy hands]

I wasn't sure how the mix of dry, spicy cassia and wet, green bamboo would work for me. And, in short, they do not work on me. My skin amps up the almost-cinnamon spice of the cassia (which I like in certain foodie or resinous blends). In the drydown, the cassia mellows down slightly and the bamboo pops up, and it's just too weird and disjointed for me. Bamboo smells green, pulpy, wet, and slightly lemony to me. I usually don't care for it in blends. The cassia and bamboo seem to war on my skin for about an hour, with no trace of lotus or wisteria, and then the whole thing just vanishes.

 

I could see this being beautiful on someone who doesn't amp up spicy notes. Unfortunately, that person is not me

[sookster]

straight sniff from imp is cassia and something like dandelion...huh??

 

once applied hayoogely lotus and bamboo...cassia is blended perfectly in this blend...

 

very pretty but just not working with my chemistry....

[Coldfire]

Bottle: Wisteria and the lotus blossom first

Wet on me: plenty of wisteria wowness! And the lotus Blossom is not shy either

Drying Down: There is something keeping the lotus and wisteria from being too sweet or floral-y. I think that is the bamboo reeds. This just keeps getting better and better.

Dry: I can be in love with this. It’s soft floral tempered by that bamboo and reminds me of a wonderfully cool autumn evening.

[siddal]

When I first smell this, I get a big blast of green and floral. It almost reminds me of jasmine, but I think it is the combo of bamboo and lotus that just doesn't work for me. I have a slight hint of the cassia on the drydown.

[Dark Alice]

I love this. Wet: a fresh bamboo with a touch of something fruity Drydown: It settles down into fresh cut bamboo with a light cinnamon note. I am going to keep this imp, I just don't think I will wear this enough to warrant a bottle, but it is absolutely gorgeous!!!

 

I lied. I caved. And after wearing this scent for a whole day, I bought the bottle. Gah!!!

Edited October 13, 2008 by Dark Alice

[waternight]

In the imp: Cassia underneath sweet florals

Wet: CASSIA. It's strongly cassia at first. After a few minutes, the other notes start appearing. Sweet florals and bamboo soften the cassia, but it's still a dominant note. When I sniff at my wrist, I get the cassia first, then the other notes, but both elements have equal strength and throw.

Dry: As it dries, the sweet florals continue to grow in strength, and the cassia softens even further. It never goes away completely though - it keeps contributing a nice spiciness to the blend.

[gwynhwyfar]

Wisteria and lotus and bamboo. I love this oil. It's light and sweet and floral and not at all overpowering. I wish that I got something more complex than I do, especially since there isn't a lot in the way of base notes that I'm getting, which makes me worry about how it'll age, but for the moment, I love it.

 

The drydown makes it slightly powdery, but not at all unpleasant.

 

ETA: This smells lovely with Fearful Pleasures. Just sayin'.

Edited October 19, 2008 by gwynhwyfar

[Lucretia]

This smells so gentle and cool. I think I can smell the bamboo and then the florals. It reminds of a distant cousin of the original hamadryad. The lasting power isn't great on me sadly. I'm all torn about if I need a bottle or not!

[Ohmaude]

A cool, soft bamboo and lotus scent. I too love Beth's bamboo note.

 

I'm not really getting much of the cassia at all. This is almost all bamboo, with a hint of wisteria and lotus. I totes agree with Lucretia, this does have an old hamadryad quality to it. Maybe that is from the very soft cassia?

 

It is very evocative of a early autumn breeze, where the air has just a tinge of cool to it. It's very pretty, but has a very light throw. This is a great scent for days when you want to wear something subtle and light.

 

OK, OK, I'm loving this more with every hour. Maybe I do need a bottle..