All They Had Seen, and All They Had Lost

[jrk1857]

As they stared blankly in dumb misery deepening as they slowly realised all they had seen and all they had lost, a capricious little breeze, dancing up from the surface of the water, tossed the aspens, shook the dewy roses and blew lightly and caressingly in their faces; and with its soft touch came instant oblivion. For this is the last best gift that the kindly demi-god is careful to bestow on those to whom he has revealed himself in their helping: the gift of forgetfulness. Lest the awful remembrance should remain and grow, and overshadow mirth and pleasure, and the great haunting memory should spoil all the after-lives of little animals helped out of difficulties, in order that they should be happy and lighthearted as before.

Mist and dewy roses, aspen leaves, and translucent yellow blossoms.

My husband, who is made slightly nervous by BPAL, encouraged me to buy this one because of the aspen leaves. He has a tree thing, with which I am completely sympathetic. Also, roses and yellow blossoms sounded pretty nice. After this one, I'm considering collaborating with him on all my perfume purchases.

As it goes on this one is mostly what I would consider to be "translucent yellow blossoms"--a beautiful golden floral. After a bit of drydown the roses and leaves show themselves, but they stay firmly in the background. The rose note is quite faint for me.

This is golden autumn light in a bottle; the sun shining through yellow leaves, interpreted perfectly into perfume.

[Kippy]

It was the aspen leaves that got me. I was desperately hoping for the scent of decaying aspen leaves, the smell of the forest in fall under a golden cathedral of quaking leaves. I just knew I'd get my package today, and when it was, this was the first bottle opened and slathered on my forearm. It's not quite living up to my desires, but I'll give it a day or two to calm down and try it again.

 

There's some aspen in here, herbalish, clean, but it's really subdued. We need MOAR ASPEN up in here. I can't smell the roses at all, no great loss. Mostly it's a flower, I can't pick out which one. To me, it's more evocative of the color of aspens in fall, rather than the actual scent.

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Roses and other fresh, golden florals.

 

Immediately on skin: This is a floral scent, but there’s a clean airiness laid over them. I think it’s the mist, but it smells very bright, but thick. The rose is the most identifiable flower, but there are other soft, light blooms there too.

 

After a little while: The roses come out more as this dries, and it becomes a very dewey and slightly cool perfumey rose scent. I also get a touch of orchid from this.

 

Overall Impressions: This is a lovely, feminine scent. It has other things going on besides the rose, though; the mist note is slightly cool and perfumed, but separate from the yellow blossoms. It smells golden, but cool and bright at the same time, though not sharp. This blend is very wearable and wistful.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

initial sniff: smells like The Unicorn. (which i adore)

 

on skin: where are the roses? i want dewy roses! i don't want gardenias!

but apparently my skin has other plans.... this smells like a single note gardenia, with a leetle bit of White Shoulders. no, thanks!

[Kimocean]

This scent is a totally unexpected winner for me. Jrk1857 summed it up perfectly with the image of "golden autumn light in a bottle; the sun shining through yellow leaves, interpreted perfectly into perfume." This is warm and feminine without being an in your face floral. It feels elegant yet accessible. I was afraid that the mist note would feel aquatic but it just adds a touch of depth, like breathing in moist air. The rose is present but not at all dominant. I don't get any soapiness from this. Overall I'm quite enamored with this blend!

[PersephonesChild]

I'm kinda getting a rose single note. A light, faintly powdery rose, that isn't going too sharp or sour on me-- kind of like how Waters of Notre Dame smells before it goes on my skin. So it's a nice rose, but definitely not living up to what this blend should be.

[innocent]

I agree with the reviewers who liken this to the color gold, but for me its golden morning light shining through the perfume bottles on my grandmother's dresser. Golden. Warm. And evokes "old-lady perfume". I got not a hint of rose (one of my favorite notes). Not a winner on me, much to my dismay.

[sookster]

straight sniff from imp is golden rose....

 

not my cup of tea...

 

ADDED Dec. 4:

 

straight sniff from imp is way too floral...

 

and once applied, same deal.....this reminds me of lauren by ralph lauren from the 80's ....

does not work at all...

[hlinspjalda]

In the bottle: Rosey, but with another fleshy floral cutting the sweetness. A bit tart, or tangy.

 

Wet: Instantly sharper and more pungent, but still very floral. I wish I could figure out what that second floral is!

 

Half an hour: Kind of ethereal. It smells like outdoors under trees, with floral. I don't so much get the roses as I do an impression of other flowers, though, I'm just not sure what kind. It's just the faintest bit headachy on me.

 

One hour: Still ethereal, a bit headachy. I don't think this one is going to work out.

 

Two hours: Funny thing. When I went into another room, this smelled amazing. It's gentle, but very pleasant, almost wistful. I guess I won't get rid of it after all.

 

Three hours: Yes, still very gentle and wistful.

 

Ten hours: Gently and deliciously floral, I wish I could identify that flower. It's sweet like a lily, sort of.

[rayvn1]

Not much rose here either. Mostly a sweet, light flower and a nice freshness to this one. Very low throw and died pretty quick though I'll test it again soon. I still think it's a keeper, though.

[femmefatale]

At first this is a slightly soapy smelling rose scent with a bit of...some other floral I can't identify. As it dries all that is still there, but the aspen leaves come out a bit more. It's not a complex scent (which I like) but a bit perfumey (which I'm not crazy about).

Yet, I actually think I like it a bit, though not enough for a whole bottle. I'll keep my decant and will probably wear it more during the spring.

[cecelle]

I didn't expect this to bowl me over, but it did. It's a quiet, warm scent - I've been finding myself going for it a lot lately. I can definitely smell rose, but it isn't at all overwhelming, and nicely balanced out by the other florals and green notes. It has quite nice staying power on me - I put on a small dab three hours ago, and I can still smell it. Very pretty.

[ivyandpeony]

This is very pretty and feminine on me - the florals really come out, lots of sweet, light rose (maybe yellow, like the rose note in Schlafende Bagneuse, or white rose? Definitely not the diva that is red rose.) I think the comparison to The Unicorn is good, there might be some linden blossom in here too. I don't get much in the way of mist notes, aspen, wood, or anything like that, just a hint of brightness, coolness and dampness. I am really fond of light, sweet rose notes, so this is a winner for me. I probably won't wear it a lot until the weather is warmer, but it will be a perfect spring and summer scent.

[zankoku_zen]

This is a sweet, yellow rose. It does remind me to the GC Unicorn. I seem to really amp up the sweetness in this blend, which is disappointing, since I had high hopes for it. Ah well.

[stefrand]

ITI: Oscar by Oscar de la Renta*! It smells like traditional perfume in a light and lovely way.

 

Wet: Pleasant aquatic floral. Pretty, generic, and still very much like Oscar. It's difficult to pick out any individual notes at this stage.

 

Dry: Sweet and rosy...definitely not bad for a rose scent, which are usually too cloying on me. Still rather generic.

 

Drydown: Settles into a light, rosy floral.

 

Final Thoughts: Pretty, light, and nice enough, but not a favorite.

 

*for those of you interested, the notes in Oscar:

"The top notes include orange blossom, basil, coriander, galbanum, peach and gardenia. The heart of this composition encompasses ylang-ylang, jasmine, tuberose, rose, rosemary, cyclamen, lavender and orchid. The base includes opoponax, carnation, patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver, lavender and amber."

[moon_lemming]

In the imp, I smell cologne. This is a dead-on "hi, I am aquatic" hint. Bad sign, aquatics usually turn to soap on me.

 

Omg yes, soap. Holy crap, that was fast. It's Irish Spring with a spearmint feel? Like those white chalky mints, not red-and-white.

 

It's not changing as it dries, it stays right there. Bye, imp.

[Shadowdawn]

err, i did not particualrily like this one.

Bottle: Smells airy and sharply fresh, rose and yellow blossoms prominent.

Wet: very similar to the in-bottle scent but with a heady more incense-oriented background

Dry: Faded fast, smells like old crumbling wilted roses. Not unpleasant necessarily but definitely hit me as a "granny" fragrance, or something aged. Dusty, powdery, fumey...

[fairnymph]

In the bottle: Very pale yellow oil. Soap, wet leaves, roses and other intense flowers. Vaguely sweet.

 

Wet: Soapier. Whatever those yellow blossom are, they're soapy-powdier, and the roses have that powdery edge too - they're not the fresh, lush sort.

 

Dry: The aspen leaves remind me almost of root beer. They're foresty and leafy in a pleasant deciduous manner, but they're so soft they can't stand up to the soap and flowers.

 

Later: Sweeter, more of that woody-soda note...but the flowers are also mostly just soap, now.

 

Summary: Gently sweet, root-beerish aspen leaves, a soapy aquatic note and even soapier, powdery roses and other florals. Definitely feminine. Strong throw and lasting power.

 

Soap-powder-yech.

 

 

[Blood onmy hands]

In the bottle, this smells like sweet, creamy, cool florals. I keep going back to it, because it's such a pretty scent. I can pick out a fresh, soft rose as well.

 

On my skin, this reminds me a bit of a clean rose perfume that came along with one of my Barbies when I was little, but this takes on a sharper, more perfumey edge. It seems like it wants to go soapy in its sharpness, but it never does go to soap on me.

 

Over time, this takes on a strong, heavy, sharp, musky feel on me. It's like one of those musky-floral perfumes that you can find by the dozens at department stores. It's a sharp, serious, woman scent - classic, fakey, powdery rose and sharp, cutting musk (which may be aquatic or ozone going wonky on me). Unfortunately, I can't pull this type of scent off and it starts to give me a headache after a while.

 

I wish that All They Had Seen was as pretty on me as it is in the bottle...

[filigree_shadow]

This smells like yellow flowers for sure. Not even just yellow flowers, either, it smells like yellow-flower perfume. There's something in it that has that particular feel/scent that I associate with perfuminess. It's perfumey. Doesn't smell like a bouquet of cut flowers, it smells like perfume. Can't really smell any rose in it, though. It just kinda reminds me of gardenia and Old Spice. As you can probably tell, this one is not working for me.

[Phaedra]

Wet this is dewy florals, it feels yellow. When first on, this is pale, wet roses; soft and dewy. After a few hours this hasn't changed much at all. It's a nice soft and lightly sweet floral. There's also something in here that smells like a purple, grapey floral. This stays a nice, soft, dewy floral. Pleasant but not a real standout.

[yeahbutnobut]

All They Had Seen and All They Had Lost

 

In the imp: roses and honeysuckle! Or frangipani? A heady yet delicate floral scent.

Wet on skin: so pretty! Delightful rose and a sweetish floral.

Dry on skin: now the rose develops crisp, sharp tones, but that’s not a bad thing. I have no idea what the yellow blooms are, but I can smell them in the background and they are gorgeous. They smell like a mix of gentle blossoms with heady sweet exotic flowers. I don’t smell anything leafy, I have no idea what aspens smell like. This is an incredibly pretty and luminous floral.

After a while: tuberose! I think there’s tuberose in here, maybe that’s one of the other floral notes? It reminds me of another tuberose scent, maybe La Primavera. This is a lot headier now, the rose has settled and the sweetness of the other flowers comes out. There’s a very sophisticated feel to it too, reminds me of expensive perfume…this reminds me of the Heroine scent with the rose and orchid now. I also smell something a bit green and earthy-the aspen?

Verdict: my decant and bottle smell slightly different…I prefer my decant greatly (which is what my review is based on), as it really does make me think of sunlight gleaming through translucent yellow petals. It's a warm yet ethereal scent. I smell tuberose and other heady yet delicate blooms mingling with roses and a soft hint of something green and leafy underneath. The scent is sophisticated yet airy and light, certainly not obnoxious. Though unfortunately, my bottle has floral notes so faint that they disappear quickly on my skin, leaving a strange green note underneath. I was a little disappointed by the bottle scent-I think it has a bit more of the aspen note. But I will cherish my decant.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? the decant.

If you like this, try: Epitaph, Magdalene, La Primavera

[theseagrows]

this is nice and soft, kind of powdery. i get a very soft rose scent-more like yellow roses than red ones. not sure what aspen leaves smell like, but this is a powdery floral on me. it actually smells exactly like oscar de la renta, which my grandmother used to wear, so it reminds me of her.

 

 

[obsidienne]

I get a sense of melancholy from this blend, which is very well-blended to my nose. Although it starts off slightly sharper (probably due to the mist) it dries down to a mellow, warmly sensual scent. Whenever I smell it, I think of the colour of molten sunset gold, or a deciduous forest at sunset in autumn. For rose haters (not me! I love rose!) the roses seem to me to be very gentle. I think they're yellow . I'm not sure what the yellow flowers are, but the aspen leaves are subtle and earthy and have a slight hint of that unusually beautiful smell that a leaf-strewn forest floor has in the fall. I tend to dislike those mist/dew/water notes; here, either they work for me and are very subtly blended in, or they just don't factor into the final experience.

 

Overall this is a soft and golden autumn scent, but with great throw and lasting power. It's one of my all-times favourites, although I don't turn to it as often as I'd like to, maybe because I'm afraid to use up my bottle.

[Ceisdein]

In Bottle: A moist, pale, cool floral. Roses are there but faint and well blended with other flowers. A bit of an aquatic bite and a slight hint of greenery. Very early morning in the cutting garden.

 

Wet: Same as in bottle but with a tea rose blooming up to round out the scent. Medium throw.

 

5 minutes: It has lightened up a bit. The aquatic is evaporating off quickly. Still slightly green. Otherwise, still the same rose dominated floral.

 

15 minutes: The aquatic is all but gone and the green has faded back even more. Now it's a full, sweet floral. Less like a flower garden and more like a bouquet of flowers in the sun. The roses are still pale though, not the super-rich blood red rose of some other blends.

 

1 hour +: The rose has finally calmed down, leaving a delicately blended floral. It's a warmer scent now with only the very barest touch of the aquatic and green freshness.

 

Overall: I'm so glad I didn't end up with soap, as I tend to send rose in that direction. The morph on this is interesting on me. It almost follows the progression of a day, from cutting flowers from the garden in the morning, to them heating up on a windowsill indoors. I prefer the early stages so this may be one for a locket.