Alice

[Veronica]

Curiouser and curiouser. Milk and honey with rose, carnation and bergamot.

 

First and foremost is the cream from the milk--thinner and a little more sour than a true cream note, but this could also be because the second most prominent note is the bergamnt, lending the scent a slightly sour, soapy herbal note, spiced up by carnation in the background.

 

Initially, this is really good on me--creamy and spiced florals, but the bergamot comes out far too strong in the dry down.

Edited April 17, 2015 by delighted

[Malaena]

My very first review. I got Alice as a frimp and after looking it up expected to like it. On first sniff I detected almonds and honey. After I put it on and allowed it to dry it was all bergamot. I'm not a bergamot fan so I'll be setting this one aside.

Edited April 29, 2015 by Malaena

[suki]

I have this special tea that I spent far, far too much on, called Milk Oolong. the reason- the whole reason - that I purchased an entire tin of this loose tea, is that the first time I opened the glass jar in the store to smell it, this glorious and surprising and delicious scent wafted out. It indeed smelled like milk, as well as like a good, lightly aged oolong. I knew instantly that this tea would be tasty and magical and so I threw caution to the wind and purchased the 8 ounce tin.

 

This perfume is the equivalent, in scent, in feeling, in essence.

 

I keep sniffing my skin where I placed a drop of this scent, this oil that somehow missed me in spite of my obsessive involvement for nearly 9 years, and I find that every time I bring my hand up to my nose to smell again, it has the uncanny ability to be a surprise each and every time.

 

I'm so glad I finally procured a bottle!

[h_yeti]

In the Imp: I can smell a sweet, spicy floral scent with a hint of citrus (I think that's the bergamot). It smells pretty good!

 

Wet: The spicy smell is becoming stronger. I can definitely smell roses now as well. It smells a little like a cup of spicy chai tea without the cinnamon.

 

Dry: As it dries the roses become more prominent. I can't really smell the fresh citrus now at all In fact, this smells just like spicy rose soap. Weirdly I asked my boyfriend what he thought it smelt like and he said soap but then I asked my mum and she said gingerbread so who knows?!

 

I have mixed feelings about Alice! Sometimes I think it smells too soapy and sometimes I think it smells just like a cup of yummy chai and roses. Either way it is a nice soft, comforting scent so I really like wearing this one to bed but I'm not sure I'd buy a bottle of it.

 

ETA 21/4/18:

 

Ok, have to give credit- Alice has become one of my all time favourite BPAL scents and definitely taught me a lot about the power of aging! Fresh it does have a tendency to be a bit sharp and soapy, but aged it's just the most wonderful smooth, sweet, cosy, comforting scent. It opens with the bergamot, but quickly dries down to a sweet, soft honey and milk scent with a hint of rose. It's my favourite sleepy-time scent but I wear it anytime I need to feel comforted. Can't say enough good things, love love it!

Edited April 21, 2018 by h_yeti

[Trebuchet]

This came as a frimp, and I was a little hesitant to try it as honey doesn't get along well with my skin. When I first put it on, it was all CARNATION for about 30 minutes and then it vanished entirely. I couldn't find the spot where I put it on my wrist, even with my nose right against the skin. Very odd.

[paperdollsandbpal]

Milky tea with crumbled carnation petals and a dash of spice. I want to drink this!

[Aviatrix]

Can't remember if I already wrote a review for this….? Anyway, here it goes!

 

This is a review of a bottle that has aged for a couple of years.

I get mostly milk and honey, both very pleasant and not as cloying as they can sometimes be on me (especially honey, but here it really behaves), plus a little bergamot and carnation. I am not getting much in the way of rose at all.

This scent is definitely perfect for a curious little girl, and it is one of my all-time favorites!

[Teamama]

Alice is all foody on me? Where's the rose? The carnation is lightly spicy, like cinnamon, so on me, this was cinnamon-honey cookies and milky bergamot. Not a success for this rose-lovin' gal.

[Winterbelle]

I got this one awhile back to try, but for some reason out it off thinking it wouldn't work. Silly me

 

Alice is perfection on me, my new favorite. It doesn't really morph at all, from wet to dry its a sweet, creamy floral, with a good amount of the carnation coming through to add some spice. It smells like sugar cookies and tea next to a bouquet of soft pink flowers. Very girly and young, but I don't get little girly like some folks have mentioned, at least on me.

 

Ordering a bottle ASAP!

[LizziesLuck]

Wet: Sweet spicy carnations with a touch of honey.

 

 

Dry: Gorgeous. Sweet, creamy, spicy carnations. The milk note doesn't go sour, which is awesome (it sometimes does on me). I adore Alice, but I must admit I love Queen Alice even more.

[kaykers]

In the imp: Spicy and floral - very nice!

 

Wet: Baby powder with a slight hint of spice that disappears pretty quickly.

 

Dry: It's gone completely powdery on me, with none of the spicy/floral notes.

 

If Alice managed to stay spicy and floral like it was in the imp I'd definitely buy a full sized bottle. However, it's all powder on my skin, and I'm not a fan of powdery scents so I'll be gifting the imp to a friend.

[PeculiarHeroine]

I picked up a bottle of Alice, as yet unsmelled, purely on reviews and its popularity, and I am so, so glad I did.

In the bottle it doesn't overly impress me. Creamy, a touch of something spicy, and honey. All scents I like. I'm not getting any rose out of it.

But on me, oh on me. Both wet and dry it turns into a plate of tea cakes, with honey and spices. Its creamy, rich, warm, and sticks around all day (Seriously, applied yesterday at 6:00 a.m., and the ghost of milk and honey was still around me at 11:00 p.m.).

This is beautiful, innocent yet mischievous, and I feel its going to quicky turn into one of my go-to's, especially in colder weather.

[darklines]

When this is wet, it's pure honey on my skin. Sweet and delicious honey. As it dries, the honey fades to the background and the rose, carnation and bergamot come to the forefront. It becomes a really nice blend of florals that is sweetened by the honey and made smooth and creamy by the milk. I wish the honey was more prominent when this was dry but other than that I really like it.

[freyasfae]

Well, this is telling of my BPAL journey. This was one of the first of my BPAL imp collection, and I originally rated it as 5 (which means need bottle), but now that I have either amassed or tried well over 150 BPAL scents at this point, Alice is not as highly regarded for me. Oh, don't get me wrong, it's delightful - feminine and sweet with a touch of mischievousness from the spicy carnation and a dash of citrus from the bergamot. It certainly feels very Alice, but the initial spice of carnation just really doesn't appeal to me like I thought it would as I love buying and smelling carnation bouquets. I have so many other scents that I would rather wear in place of Alice so I am sending her off to my swap box, but she really is VERY Alice.

[Cali]

Ok... so I might not be a foody person. At first sniff there's blueberry?! I don't know where I'm getting this.
It's almost like a sweet tea with milk and lots of sugar. Once applied on my skin, it goes waaay warmer, and it's mostly the creamy honey-milk combination. It's very cute and great for rainy days. ^^

[Kay Torres]

I've been wanting to try Alice since I first found the Lab, but for various reasons, I held off. I don't know what I was thinking.

In the Imp: Spicy roses. Have to admit that I was scared, it smelled a little industrial.

Wet: A very pretty, creamy rose, but a bit of something thin and sharp playing hide and seek... Can't identify the thin and sharp.

Dry: My mom used to make me angel tea in the mornings when I was very small. Angel tea is mostly milk, some honey, a dribble of vanilla and a very little bit of actual tea. Alice smells like Angel tea on my wrists.

On my chest, Alice is rose pudding. Not even kidding. I haven't thought of rose pudding in years, but the smell wafting up from my neckline is rose pudding - rose petals, powdered milk, honey... I smell delicious.

It's like the Lab bottled the smell of my childhood. It's magical. It brought back so many memories of being small and believing that absolutely anything can happen. I've found my happy scent. Alice, you're a beautiful girl.

 

*As my bottle of Alice sat, the rose note in it seemed to disappear. There's no more rose pudding from Alice. Sad face, sad face. So now I layer her with any and every rose that strikes my fancy, but mostly Hope.

Edited July 27, 2016 by SunsetKay

[Kmye Chan]

In the imp: mostly carnation and honey.

 

Wet: I immediately thought of Middle Eastern pastries - this is a sweet, foody combination of spice (from carnation), honey and rose-water. I can also pick out the creamy milk note, but not so much the bergamot.

 

Dry: this does not change much on me on drydown.

 

Throw: soft.

 

A nice comforting scent, although a bit too sweet and foody for me. If you've ever wanted to smell like delicious baklava, this is the one for you.

[Missa_Moth]

When I first open the imp I get spicy floral. On my skin it turns sharp, powdery floral. It smells a bit like old lady potpourri on me. Sad because I love rose and bergamot, although I haven't worn either in a few years so maybe my chemistry is different? Or maybe it's the carnation that is problematic? Either way this is a pass for me. Now it's giving me a headache! I've also tried washing it off three times. It has staying power I give it that!

Edited April 24, 2016 by Missa_Moth

[Jenjin]

This is another long-time favorite of mine. i have gone through so many bottles of Alice over the years, she is a definite partner in crime.

IN THE BOTTLE:

Lots of stuff!!!! Fresh, fat Pansy, Carnation, Pink Rose Buds, Bergamot, White Tea, Sugar Cookies, Cinnamon, Honey drip, melted vanilla ice cream.

WET:

Spicy, fresh carnation and a certain Bergamot Fizz. The spiciness sizzles your senses and ignites the imagination, while the milk cream swirls around and through to soften and subdue.

DRY:

The lovely part of wearing Alice, is that she stays fresh and consistent throughout the day. The florals never seem to get tired, just softer and dreamier.

NOTES:

Many of the Mad Tea Party oils have a certain complexity and multi-layered quality to them which I love. Each one is like examining a sparkling gem with it's dazzling facets and inner smokiness and power. Sparkle on Pink Diamond! Alice is the definite winner for me out of all of them-maybe because she has been with me for so long. As I am getting older, I'm not certain I will be able to wear her much longer. She is a more youthful scent I'm afraid, and might not be so pleasurable on a middle aged lady. Plus, I have many other BPAL scents now that have taken me deeper into the rabbit hole. Alice will always have a place within my spirit box, but perhaps for my daughters to explore.

RATING:

9.0

Edited May 1, 2016 by Jenjin

[Mermaid-on-Land]

OMG this smells amazing! I immediately get all the notes. Milk, honey, carnation and bergamot. The carnation switches between being more creamy and more planty. It's very fresh but also I'm getting the cinnamon spiciness as well. Carnation is the strongest note for me, with milk and honey to sweeten. Rose and bergamot are more in the background. The bergamot gives it a tea-like vibe without being overly TEA. The rose is soft and almost more rose-water like.The color vibe is creamy off-white and very pale pink.I wasn't expecting this to be a favorite because it seems very light from the description and I tend to like heavier, darker scents. And it is light and fresh. But I spent the whole drive to work just sniffing my wrist and going 'omg this smells soooo good!' This is sweet and clean, almost but not quite soapy. The throw is surprisingly good and so is the staying power. I really just love this one. Instant fave and I might even have to hunt down some more carnation blends. Innocent and whimsical yet mischievous as other reviewers stated. My favorite of the Alice in Wonderland blends so far

Edited May 11, 2016 by Mermaid-on-Land

[joopjoop]

On me Alice remains pretty consistent.

 

A strong Bergamot scent backed with milk and the spiciness of carnation. The overall effect is of warm spicy chai. I don't get any rose from this scent at all, which is disappointing, and like most 'tea' scents on me it lasts forever and has an impressive throw.

 

I find it very comforting and soothing but not a favorite - not really my thing.

[Bassmastadroog]

In bottle: something spicy/cinnamon like, with the slightest roundish milk note to provide creaminess. I can't smell the actual milk, but something is taking the edge of the carnation.

 

On skin: bergamot first and foremost. Bergamot, rose, and carnation. I was hoping for more milk!

 

Dry down: I want to try this a few more times, because I want more out of it. It's not bad on my skin at all, just isn't what everyone else is getting. It's just mostly creamy carnation after I apply it and after the initial bergamot, all the way to the dry down.

[roseus]

In the imp: a flurry of rose and carnation mingling with honey

 

On wet: bergamot forward, with milk and honey coming next. Smells a little like a tea cookie at this point

 

Dry: Similar to wet but softer, with rose and carnation.

 

So soft and pretty. Youthful and girlish, but never too precious.

[Candice Chen]

A honeyed rose with an interesting pepperiness from the carnation.

 

I don't get any noticeable milk in this, and if you want a less spiky, more delicate and tangy alternative to this, you might want to try the Tea Rose centered Dawn: Maiden. I personally far prefer Alice as Maiden has a more prominent milky note, which combined with tanginess creates a soured milk effect to my nose.

 

Alice is sweet but not foody, rich but not creamy, present but not cloying. I didn't love it when I first tried it, and I still find there is a slightly metallic tang to it if I put my nose right up to my skin to sniff. But thankfully nobody else smelt that when I asked. To them, what projects off my skin is just a gorgeous ambery-sweet spiced rose. If you've never smelt carnation absolute you might be slightly put off by the peppery opening of this scent. But give your nose a chance to adjust to new things. This flower has some thorns.

 

Only thing is this seems to be one of those scents that I get anosmic to after a few hours I don't smell much of it. But apparently it's still there cos others can.

[Convallaria]

I got a small sample with decant purchase, so the age might be affecting the scent. On me, the opening feels like cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom. Then it gets more like carnation...but with spices still dominating. Which is, come to think of it, similar to "carnation" in Taste The Cherries And Look At The Flowers, so I guess that's the Lab/Post standard. Honey and milk might be somewhere in there, but roses are silent. Afterwards, it morphs into Lab's usual sweet vanilla drydown. Both phases last very long. Pretty, but not for me.