Alice's Evidence

[Emma E]

Containing nary a neutron of meaning: rum-quince-cassis with prune and a bit of black ginger.

 

So when I was young the family went on a holiday and we stopped by this tiny little place with a handchalked sign put out by the side of the road. FRUIT LIQUEURS, it said. "That sounds interesting," we said.

 

There was an extremely accommodating bartender, and I can confidently say she was extremely accommodating because it has been years and years and I still remember her generous hand with deep boozy fondness. How she poured, and how we drank, and how good the liquors were. All sorts of fruits, including cassis and quince, and the place had that pleasantly boozy air of plum and brandy pudding.

 

On my skin Alice's Evidence is the exact smell of that cassis liquor I drank in the mid-afternoon on that convivial, convivial, utterly squiffed day.

 

I think of this scent as fondly as I do of that bartender.

[mystery213]

I almost didn't even try this one on, because in the vial it is a sharp cassia smell with something a bit unpleasant lurking underneath. I have learned through the years, however, that BPAL is not always what it appears on the surface, so I went ahead a took the plunge.

 

I am glad I did- as it drys down, this turns into an almost-but-not-quite fruity cinnamon with a good shot of mulling spices on top. It is a lovely, warm scent that will be great for the cold days ahead.

 

When dry, the fruitiness comes out even more and this smells simply yummy! Spicy and delicious, reminiscent of spice cake and sweet juicy plums.

[agirlnamedfury]

I love the way this one smells (spicy and sweet, ginger and cassia) but unfortunately it gives me a rash when applied to my skin. I might have to try a scent locket or something for this one...

[strahlend]

I don't know why, but to my nose this smells like wet, milky, cinnamon bread. Not as sweet or as pleasant as one would wish. It doesn't have the sweet counterbalance that cinnamon scents usually have. There is something distinctly bland - yet still cinnamony. Not to my taste, but not unpleasant.

Edit: Also the only BPAL that has ever given me a red rash.

Edited January 19, 2015 by strahlend

[lady_pandora]

For the first ten minutes, Alice's Evidence doesn't quite hang together. There's a dusty note coming from somewhere, and the scent has sort of an "aftertaste" that's verging on being cloying.

 

But! After ten minutes, it calms down, starts playing nice, and doesn't morph much from there. It's boozy spicy plum to my nose. Like a plum cider. It's really pretty, though a little potpourri-y, and I think its destiny might be in my oil burner. It reminds me a bit of Autumn Cider in vibe, if not in actual notes, and that turned out to be a really nice room scent. Definitely one for fall.

[Veronica]

I love cassis, alas this scent was too spicey for me. Wet, I get a true spice note with a prune-y background (like plum, but something off). Later, it lightens up but it still strangely spicey and sweet in a kind of sickening way.

[DoktorDandy]

In the imp: Uh-oh. Another foodie one. These go very weird on me so far. I need a little grounding when it comes to sweet, too. Maybe this dark note I'm picking up will help. Scared to try this rummy-scented thing on, ack. But I'm going to put on every single imp that comes through the house.

 

Wet: Rum cake? No, rum raisin. Spiced, dark, fruity tarts or sticky stale/dried jam, smelling thick on their 2nd say sitting out. Spiced raisin now. For a moment there's a high note of red currant that lowers into black currant and goes more and more bass-y as if the black currants are dried and mingling with dried prunes and rolling about in spice. This curious spice note is becoming more present- can't identify it- it's not cinnamon, it's closer to clove or allspice or nutmeg than cinnamon. What in the world is that?

Looking at the listed notes now for the first time- I've been surprisingly on track! That spice must be the black ginger? I don't have experience with that- it's like a more aggressive, almost bitter or liquor-y dried ginger smell. Raisin bread toast and chai spice tea steeped too long. Did I mention RAISIN? Because yeah, raisin, dried out sticky rum and spicy spice with a side of dried currants. That's the jist of it, whouf! Too foody for me. Would be nauseating in a small space for a long period of time.

 

Dry: Okay, it's gone all cheap yankee candle on me! Nope, nope, nope. It keeps wafting at me. It's got a good throwing arm, let me tell you. I would consider trying this again, but the thing is, if I wanted a sweet, spicy blend I think I might have better choices that wouldn't give people the impression that I'd been scoffing raisins and hitting up the rum and cooking sherry. Yeah there are other spicy, craft-store-smelling ones out there, so I'll probably swap this. This should go to somebody to complete their cheery bakery smells and they can break this one out for Christmas dinner to go with the fruitcake. Not for me!

Edited May 24, 2015 by DoktorDandy

[alyelle]

This was just lovely - right up until the point where I started coming out in massive, painful red welts.

 

To the reviewers who smell cinnamon, you're right; Alice's Evidence is laden with it. I only ever have this reaction with cinnamon blends and to be honest, I'm slightly irritated that it wasn't listed as an ingredient on the website. I wouldn't have tried it at all, much less with the reckless abandon I did, if I'd known it was in there. It doesn't smell cinnamony in the imp, but good lord does it amp (and burn) once it touches my skin.

 

3/5 for the scent, it is actually lovely and foodies, especially the Christmas fruit lovers, should really enjoy it. But a definite 1/5 for the wearing experience. I shouldn't have to check reviews as well as the site itself to be warned that a common allergen might be an ingredient in the blend I'm trying, but after today, I think I'm going to have to just to be safe.

[LizziesLuck]

Wet - Mulled apple cider??

 

Dry - yup - mulled apple cider. Apparently either the quince or prune read as apple on me. It's lovely. I think I may order a bottle for fall. Mmmm!

[themeaningofV]

So, this smells wonderful. It reminds me of the mincemeat pie we'd have with my grandfather over the holidays - the cassis, fruits, and rum are so balanced. I'm iffy on foodie blends, but this is something I would wear...

 

... were it not for the fact that it burned the heck out of my arm where I applied it and left a nice itchy disc as a gift. BOO. I'm gonna have to investigate which cinnamon blends cause irritation and which ones don't, because it's like playing roulette sometimes.

[LexieBlom]

Alice's Evidence imp

 

Wet/Bottle - This smells like...Joann Fabrics? Like the first scent that hits you when you walk in, almost like scented pinecones. Dark fall spices, ginger and sugary plum are definitely noticeable.

 

Wet/Skin (5 minutes) - Very similar to the imp, with more quince...This isn't really foodie to me, and yet if they made a quince that tasted like this smells, I would totally eat it.

 

Dry/Skin (30 minutes) - Still the exact same as the imp, with a little more hearty quince.

 

I really want to like this, but all I'm getting is Joann Fabrics. I just can't.

[evilbee]

Without knowing the notes I smelled baked apple, thick and sweet and a little spiced. This is yummy! Doesn't last long though.

[Soupy Twist]

I'd call this "mulled prune juice." The sweetness of prunes which dries into the lovely dusty spices of cider, with hints of tea. Much nicer than I anticipated. Warm and comforting.

[dementia_divine]

I tested this a long time ago, but I forgot to put my review on the forum!

 

In the imp: Lots of cinnamon! And what I believe is the prune note.

 

Wet: Cassis dominates, but it doesn't burn my skin where this was applied. The rum note is second in command for a while, but then the prune note takes its place.

 

Dry: The cassis is still the most prominent note, and the ginger is far more prominent on the drydown. The rum part of the rum-quince-cassis has returned, and the fruit notes, while still present, make up the background.

 

Verdict: I like this one, but I think the imp will suffice.

Edited March 23, 2016 by dementia_divine

[Casablanca]

This smells like its description. The ginger was the last note I found, and seems the least strong at first, but the developing spiciness seems to go beyond ginger into cassia or cinnamon and maybe even a little pepper. If so, the pepper stays subtle, and I like it OK when slight.

This free sample isn't one I would have ordered, and is clearly foodie, but it's cozy-nice, and would be a good autumn scent. It reminds me of Halfling in these ways.

 

If I turn to it enough this fall, I might get a bottle.

Edited June 29, 2016 by Casablanca

[lucycat]

This was a frimp from the Lab.

 

One sniff from the imp and I’m reminded instantly of the “country” stores of my childhood in the 80s, the ones that sold painted wooden cutouts, stenciled everything, candles, rag dolls, and sometimes actual antiques. They all smelled of the same fruity spiced potpourri (or candles or scented oil) and it smelled just like Alice’s Evidence.

 

These are dark fruits, the prune and the blackcurrant from the cassis especially. On my skin it smells like a spiced fruit compote bubbling away on the stove. I detect a little cinnamon in here, in addition to the ginger. Funnily enough I can’t pick out the rum, a note that’s usually super-sweet on me, at all.

 

Alice’s Evidence is a perfectly pleasant scent, though because it has such very specific association for me, it feels more like a room scent than a personal one.

[Kay Torres]

In the imp this smells like a spiced cider. On my skin it smells like an alcoholic is eating stewed prunes. This one is a pass for me. I'll use it as a room scent for fall.

[Coldfire]

Imp: spicy dark fruit
Wet on Me: getting the ginger before the fruit notes
Drying Down: mostly ginger. All GInger All the time.
Dry: None of the fruits or rum. Just Ginger. Really heady ginger

[Mermaid-on-Land]

Ok mostly what I notice first is the cassia and quince. This is a spicy cinnamon-y scent without being cooking cinnamon. It's holiday-ish to me, the cassia reminds me of the scented pine cones so I wore it while decorating the house. The quince gives it a fruit-juicy edge, reminding me of almost a fruit punch cider. I've never smelled quince (or eaten it) but after looking it up, apparently it smells like a cross of apple and pear, which makes sense where I get the apple cider vibe from. I think the prune combines with that general fruit scent and adds a bit of richness. The black ginger is probably combining with the cassia lending it some bite. The rum doesn't make an appearance on me. Overall I like this. It's somewhat foody but quite spicy. The wear length is average, so is the throw. Eventually the spice wears off and its mostly just the fruit.

Wait a second. After re-reading the scent description before posting I realized, it's not CASSIA. It's CASSIS. As in currant berries…? But…but…I smell cinnamon! Well, my review still stands. I would swear I smell cinnamon. Must just be the ginger creating the impression. I guess the cassis is combining with the other fruit notes to add to the 'fruit punch cider' effect.

Edited November 25, 2016 by Mermaid-on-Land

[Lunasariel]

In the imp: Fruity fruity fruit fruit fruit! I've never smelled quince, cassia, or prunes IRL, so the first scent association I had was some sort of bubble gum - it even has the same sort of powdery edge to it.

 

Wet: A BIG hit of ginger (I agree, Mermaid-on-Land - if I didn't know better, I would say cinnamon) that overpowers everything at first. On second sniff, I get a pleasing undercurrent of varicolored fruits. No rum yet, but I'm liking this much more than I thought I would. I tend to amp fruits to high heaven, so I'm pleased that I got a fun, kicky ginger with fruity embellishments instead. Most Mad Tea Party scents lean foody, very young (think Marc Jacobs Daisy or any other perfume marketed towards girls and young women), or both on me; I haven't decided which one this is yet. Maybe both?

 

Dry: Ah, there's the rum! My skin loves rum, and generally turns it into a generalized, warm sweetness as opposed to actual alcohol. The ginger hangs around much longer than I thought it would, but does little more than give the rum some texture and kick. The fruits fade almost entirely, leaving only the barest whiff (and that's if I really go looking for it!).

[qveenmab]

Alice's Evidence was a reminder not to put my chickens on the full bottle list before they hatch.

When my box first arrived I made my girlfriend wear this one while I tried on Queen Alice. I fell in love. On her it was everything I'd hoped for, subtly boozy and fruity under a layer of spice, not overly sweet and beautifully balanced. It reminded me a bit of Alice; a richer, foodier Alice.

A few days later I tried it on myself. CINNAMON. Not sure if there's actually unlisted cinnamon in there or if it's perhaps an oddly-behaved ginger, but mainly I smelled like a walking sugared cinnamon stick. The boozy undertones were still present, but I could only detect the fruit if I sniffed my wrist up close. Overall too one-dimensional for me. I think my imp will be going to Madeleine so I can keep smelling the version I love.

[achildoftime]

Opening the imp was like being ambushed with a fruity plum pie. Very potent.

 

Applying it just brings out what smells like pie spices. My gran used to cook prunes for herself with cinnamon sticks, a little cinnamon sugar, and some nutmeg. This smells like that while it was stewing plus currants. I think my brain is adding an uncooked crust under it all because it really does smell like baking day before everything goes in the oven.

 

I get no rum and a suggestion of quince. it really does just feel like a plum berry pie before it goes into the oven. While it's not unpleasant, it's not for me. The only time I like to smell like I was in the kitchen all day is when I was in the kitchen all day and have the treats to show for it.

[renfair]

This came as an imp in a bunch the I bought from a member on the FB group.

First Sniff Impression: Tart, like a sour-category cocktail

Wet in Vial: Very tart berry or other fruit, slightly boozy.

Drying Down on Skin: Ooh, this mellows out almost immediately. Now it reminds me of a berry tea. There's a tiny bit of an almost "holiday" smell, which is maybe the ginger.

Dry on Skin: The ginger is a little more prominent, giving a spice to the fruit smells. It's still really nice, and I think it's light enough that it could work for any season, but I think the fruits and spice put it in an autumn camp.

Conclusion: This is a really nice scent. I don't think I like it enough to shell out for an entire new bottle, but if a partial bottle was available I might scoop it up. I feel like it would be really nice for a holiday party or date.

[Lucchesa]

Warning! Something in this one may burn you! The only other oil I've had this problem with was Inferno, and it was much worse; I am fine with Wrath and Sin. Cinnamon is not listed here though it may be at fault. This was fruity in the imp and wet but, as another reviewer said, got weird and dusty as it started to dry. That review advised patience as it got lovely after ten minutes, so I slathered a bit more on my wrists and also dabbed my inner elbows, where the more sensitive skin immediately started to tingle. I washed it off shortly thereafter as the sensation became more burning. I think I could wear this on my wrists, cautiously, but I don't love it enough to bother.

[sunreon]

YIKES

 

so much cinnamon.

 

I've yet to try a cinnamon note that didn't turn to those gross cinnamon-scented pine cones from christmas time or red hots on me, and this one seems to be no different.

 

Hubs says the dab on my neck is really fruity, no cinnamon scent up there.

 

I can tell the sweet fruity smell is underneath, fighting to get out, but oof. so much cinnamon.

 

Right after application, I was getting a strong sense of "black spice" which must have been the black ginger (it felt peppery? but once i reread the description I think it's the black ginger) but now it's... almost all just sweet fruity cinnamon. It's not burning me or driving me crazy though so I'll let it dry down and give it a chance today.

 

edit: well the cinnamon did go away with the drydown, which is good, but i spent all day smelling like everything i hate about "christmas" or "holiday" scented candles.

 

Thick syrupy overly heavy fruity with a touch of spice.

 

bleck. not for me.

Edited July 2, 2018 by sunreon