La Belle Dame Sans Merci

[magikalbrownies]

The name translates to “the beautiful woman without mercy”, and is the title of an old French court poem that was later revamped by John Keats. A bewitching, seductive scent, rife with mystery and foreboding.

after i received an imp of this stuff i bought the bottle...

its absolutely wonderful. smells like roses...but sweeter. not sure what it is but its YUM. maybe orange blossom? dunno. YUM. Edited April 11, 2009 by magikalbrownies

[crebbsgirl]

This is predominantly rose on me, with a hint of green and I think I'm getting a little incense here too. It's very mysterious smelling. Like a haughty woman. I feel almost regal in this, and it seems to have a very unforgiving vibe to it. It's harsh in vibe - but not in smell. I'm not a fan.

[Argentwolf]

A sweet, almost cloying mix if rose and other florals. Not really my thing. It has decent longevity and some moderate throw, especially if, like me, you tend to amp this certain kind of rose. (Now if only I knew just what *kind* of rose it is...)

[donnatron]

Imp: Tea rose and greenery.

 

Wet: Sharp greenery and slightly sour rose.

 

Dry: I'm not a fan. There's something in this giving it a very sharp, biting edge and I can definitely smell that when I lean in to sniff. The rose is not one that really agrees with my skin and it smells kind of flat on my chemistry. The more I sniff it the less I like it.

 

Throw: Average.

 

Overall: Not my style. It's not really jibing with my chemistry. Sad, because it's a wicked awesome perfume name.

[redward]

In the imp: An herbal floral, kind of lame, I know, but that is what I get. It has a sharpness or crispness to it and I wonder if there might be some citrus in there somewhere. It is a floral blend - rose and something white, like lily of the valley or jasmine.

 

Wet: Pretty much the same as in the imp, but the nice crispness disappears right away.

 

Dry: It has warmed up some on my skin, but it has also gone soapy. It is just a slightly soapy rose. I am disappointed by how it dried on me. I liked it in the imp better. But, even in the imp, it just made me think, "hmm, that's kind of nice." Why bother with it when there are ones that make me think, "OMG I LOVE THIS."

[topazphoenix]

Reminds me a bit of Wicked. Sharp, slightly powdery, generic rose. It's not unpleasant, and the lab does do better rose notes than anyone else, but still.

[angelicruin]

Roses definitely. And something herbal mixed in. A little too blah for me.

[Lorelai1945]

I ordered an imp of this based on the name solely (I love the poem and the Waterhouse painting), and I do think that the subject of the poem is captured quite nicely. At first, it smelled rather strongly floral to me- I got a lot of rose. However, after wearing it for a while, I get the green, more earthy scent. It's almost like it's made as if the rose is covering up what's really underneath? Hee- it's tricksy. I don't know if it's something that I would wear on a regular basis- a little too sharp for my tastes- but I'm glad I got to try it.

Edited September 27, 2009 by VioletFemme

[AMaskedMistress]

I wanted to love this scent solely based on the name alone... Unfortunately it did not agree with me. Wet in the vial, it smelled so...proud. But when applied, it turned into soap. Dial soap with green herbs and a lime twist. Not bad, but not what I'd hoped for. It's very strong and makes me feel like I need to go re-rinse the soap off. *sigh* Oh well, can't wear them all, I guess.

[Veronica]

Mmmm this is realllllllly pretty! I've been moving out of florals lately, but this is just too pretty. Sweet, a little strong, with the same rose note as Peacock Queen and London, but notably less strong. It's something I imagine a young princess wearing--soft and pretty, but so regal and almost arrogant. I don't know about a bottle, but this is gorgeous!

[Invidiana]

I had to try my imp of this asap because I absolutely love that poem. It's mostly rose, I'm not getting much of the bewitching seductiveness, mystery or foreboding. Based on the poem I would have imagined it to be more sinister, deeper, muskier, possibly with a cold note since she does leave the narrator to die in a cold cave at the end...ah well.

[rayvn1]

Woah! Sweet honey overload. This is a syrupy golden scent on me. Roses come into the mix right away. Beautiful, but not something I'd wear very often.

[Magpie]

In imp: This is a scent I could never work out. Pretty, but like some kind of household cleaner. There's a mossy undertone I hadn't noticed before, like ivy, so it kind of smells like Robin Goodfellow. There's also a lemony zesty freshness that is, as other people say it's acrid or sharp, perhaps with a touch of lime underneath for uber-sharpness.

 

On: Wahh, farmyard. That's weird. Not that it smells like animals or anything, just reminds me of farmyards. Or a Calippo ice lolly. With an undertone of Refreshers sweets. I'm really not sure this is for me. It's very floral but not accessible enough - I like spicey, aquatic or soft florals, but this is a bit sharp for me. I agree with the neroli thing, but it is tempered as it warms and dries by the florals.

 

Over time, a soft rose scent emerges underneath, reminiscent of The Lady of Shalott, but this doesn't have the melancholy fragility that just makes me want to read Keats and moon about like a romantic heroine. 'm not getting forcefulness, surprisingly, but the self-confidence to be otherwordly. There's violet there too, and the way it always goes powdery on me, but the other florals means it isn't monotonal, as violet just tends to end up dominating on me.

 

My boyfriend loves the smell of this, and that's what made me try it. It's pretty on me, but not something that's particularly 'me', like Lucy's Kiss. Over time, it fades a lot. It's sort of still there, but after a couple of hours, it becomes powdery.

Edited May 2, 2010 by Magpie

[Saya]

Soapy roses. Not for me.

[raisin]

Well, bummer. I'd really liked the way this one smelled in the bottle, so I got an imp. It goes on kind of nicely spicy, a little bit haughty. Before I could really evaluate the notes, though, this becomes pure rose on me. Maybe a little green, a faint spiciness (more like carnation-esque spiciness than cinnamon), but mainly ROSE. Quite a bummer... I'd really liked this one wet.

[venusinfurs]

This was a freebie. Based on the reviews, I never would have tried it. But, it was nicer than I thought.

 

 

In the bottle: smells like a standard floral...and vaguely familiar, like some kind of commercial soap or perfume I have smelled before.

 

Wet on skin: smelled really green, like fresh picked flowers. i don't really like florals, but it is kind of nice.

 

Dry: a little sweet, lots of floral, very soapy/powdery smelling. I thought I would hate this, but I really don't. It's feminine but not warm at all. It doesn't really fit my tastes or personality, so I don't know if I'd wear it, but it's very green and floral without being too girly or sweet. It does have a bit of a throw - a drop will do!

[la belle dame sans merci]

Imp: Strong; sharp floral; green; can't pin it all down exactly

 

Wet: Strong; tea rose with greenery

 

Dry: Strong; definitely tea rose with the sharp tang of metal

 

Throw: Lots!

 

 

My overall impression is this is a brilliant olfactory interpretation of the poem!

Intense, youthful (but certainly not innocent) femininity represented by the tea rose and the green scent (can't place it). Then after a while, the metallic note distinctly reveals itself. Now whether this is a ladies' dagger or the knight's own sword, I'll leave to your own predilections.

 

I seem to do well with the dark(er) rose notes. The tea rose in La Belle Dame Sans Merci, however, is far too potent with my skin chemistry. But if you love tea rose, this one is a must.

Edited September 15, 2010 by la belle dame sans merci

[mxtine]

Sharp rose and fresh greens that dries down to a watery white floral with no sweetness. Very perfumey and familiar.

[Aether]

Dear lord this is a REALLY CLEAN scent mixed with some kind of floral, the scent is a bit cold and very assertive as well.

[SophieCedar]

Biting tea rose maybe mixed with jasmine. green edge probably just from the tea rose. This one is filled with venom. Proceed with caution through public crowds.

[Suu4LC]

In the imp this is a pleasant, classic floral scent. To me, smelled like mostly tea rose and something fresh and green.

 

Yep, on my skin this is a warm, lovely tea rose scent. I detect some spice in there as well. To me, this is very elegant and refined. Proper ladies sitting in a parlor sipping tea and whatnot. This dries beautifully. Doesn't go soapy or sour or sharp or powdery. Just a rich, slightly spiced tea rose. Wonderful! Rose scents are hit or miss on me, and this one is a winner! I still don't actually own a good bpal rose blend-will have to test this next to Harlot to see which one I need more!

[ajansuz]

This was a lab frimp.

 

In the imp, fairly generic tea rose with green herbal underneath, not quite grassy but close.

 

Wet: Floral hand soap. Seriously soapy smelling, like generic rose soap.

 

Drydown: Pure rose soap. It's a shame. I love the name but it doesn't evoke anything on me except an old lady's very proper washroom. It also goes sharp and nose-stingy.

[MaritzaCardona]

In the bottle: Bright and green. Even thought I've smelled this before I can't say from where.

 

On Skin: Oh yes, there are definitely flowers in here. I can still smell the 'green' but the flowers are more diminant in this one.

 

Drydown: Yep, definitely flowers. I know this because it's turning into powder. How sad. I enjoy the smell of it. The greeness, the cleanliness, etc. I just can't do bpal flowers, or at least there's one that's making my life hell.

 

I'll enjoy the imp but I know I won't be buying a bottle.

[frecklestars]

In the bottle: sour woods & soap, something that's a bit like meat rotting. yech! there's strong florals too, like roses and lilacs, but with that spoiled smell layered over it. how I hate the vaguely described scents - I want to know what the notes are, so I can identify what engages my gag reflex. this one is definitely hitting it!

 

On my skin: luckily that rotting element doesn't come through nearly as strongly on my skin. it's jasmine but sharper, roses but sweeter, and perhaps a hint of lilac or wisteria. once it dries, it calms down to a lovely if common floral blend. just feminine - nothing particularly surprising. but that dry-down phase... to the swap pile with you!

 

Last thoughts: if by "foreboding" you mean "the promise of meat yet to spoil fully", then sure. swing and a miss!

[Klolly]

Received this in a swap. I have loved the painting of this since I was a teen.

.bb

In imp: Smells very pretty, faint and victorian. Like dried up rose petals mixed with freshly picked ones.

 

On wet: This smells exactly like sweet tarts right now.

 

Dry: I am having a hard time smelling anything but the rose. I think my skin amps rose quite a bit. In the background, when I put my nose close to the scent I get something that leaves a soapy taste in the back of my throat but that seems to already be going away. Hmmm. This is basically all rose on me. A baby pink tea rose still on the stem and the leaves around it are torn and releasing some of their tangy green aroma. I don't think it's that great. Kind of a boring scent to me. My daughter said it smelled sweet and like flowers.

 

Later: I tried twice to wash this off. I definitely am getting that same rotting meat smell someone else mentioned. Gross! It's making me nauseous. It's not the rose that stinks, it's something sweet and musky behind it that I only seem to smell far back in my sinuses. Maybe La Belle has no mercy because she's actually a zombie using a ton of rose perfume to hide the stench of her decaying flesh.

Edited September 2, 2011 by Klolly