La Belle Dame Sans Merci

[Meg]

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.

In the bottle: Green! It smells literally like pure green. There's a promise of flower and... an astringent, medicinal scent that I've smelled in nose drops. Weird, in a good way.

Wet: Sweet greenness! This becomes sweet immediately and smells... like a flower, I can't name it, though. Freesia, maybe. Oh, and a touch of daffodil. Now it's yellow and green.

Drydown: Narcissus! It's lovely. Unfortunately, it smells slightly like soap, hmm. Still, I'll repeat the yellow and green idea, and there's a slightly medicinal touch to this. And perhaps a hint of sweet pea. And I can smell... tears? That's what the nose drops scent is - they were salty water.

Overall: I've found an aquatic that doesn't hate my nose! It's delicate, flowery and actually not that intensely green once it's dry. It does have some kind of mysterious aura to it, it certainly has me sniffing my wrist to understand why I like it. It wavers between being gentle and being melancholy and being biting. I think that it probably sums up the Belle Dame Sans Merci quite well. A great spring perfume! Edited January 20, 2006 by Meg

[lookingglass]

Very floral...like a strong Eve without the apple. Kind of reminds me of scented Platex tampons.

[Thaleia]

La Belle Dame is green! And strong! Not in a bad way; she's a beautiful woman without mercy and it shows. The scent wafts up to me from the open bottle on my desk and, after not being able to smell Queen Mab or Jacob's Ladder in their bottles, I am glad to say that I haven't lost my sense of smell after all.

 

This is a clean, green scent - aquatic and evocative of nature at the same time, without very many flowers. It's very sharp, too, like freshly cut grass by a clear flowing river. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to get florals from this, like everyone else has been, but -

 

Hey, daffodil! There are a bunch of big yellow ones growing by the river now, and Bridal Crown double daffodils, the ones I loved when I was about five. It's definitely an early spring scent, when the snow's just melting and the first spring flowers are beginning to peek their heads out. The daffodil then gives way to a hint of rose. Wild roses in the snow. La Belle Dame is cold and calculating, and yet she's still a woman deep down. It's the cold of winter giving way to spring.

 

La Belle Dame sans Merci hath me in thrall. 4.25.

Edited January 27, 2006 by rabid hauteur

[jazlyn]

La Belle Dame Sans Merci is a green scent (blue aquatic notes and yellow flowers haha (also, is that a tiny bit of lemon that I smell?))… a kind of soapy one and clean… and without mercy! There’s something about this that makes me think she knows how to get her way and always does. If she doesn’t, look out! Oh I’m getting rose from this now… I won’t be wearing this; it’s giving me a headache.

[Rhowan]

In the vial and wet on my skin, mmm... I don't get green like everyone else. I am getting lemon and what smells to me is just a hint of vetiver. After the drydown it is a soapy clean lemon that is dirtied with vetiver. Has anyone else smelled veitver in this?

 

maybe my sniffer is off today...

[Caltha]

La Belle Dame Sans Merci

A freebie I wouldn't have picked up by myself, too flowery, and I was right. It's a sharp, classic, soapy old ladies floral, lily of the valley perhaps, drying to even more soap, a mild and floral guest soap but still soap.

[jarvenpa]

I'm in love. I haven't the faintest idea what I'm smelling, but I'm in love...

 

*pulls self together to write coherently*

 

I ordered an imp of La Belle Dame sans Merci in my second order from Black Phoenix, which arrived a week or so ago (glee). Tried it for the first time this morning (I like to space my testing of fragrances, because my naive nose is already too confused).

 

As usual, I haven't looked to see what's really in this blend (though it must have something I believe I like in it, or I wouldn't have ordered it). First sniff on wrist: white and green, sweetness.

 

(okay, a moment of full disclosure here: years ago I walked to stand outside a place John Keats lived for a couple months--he lived there, I didn't stand there that long. It was closed when I got there, but I picked some violets beneath the window of his room, and pressed them. I love this poem dearly, and know it by heart.)

 

So, perhaps I was expecting to smell what I believe I smelled, which was green, crushed grass and those little white musk roses that smell of spice more than of rose.

 

But in a few minutes there was just a wave of loveliness, a mixture I can't identify. I find myself guessing wildly--clover? hyacinth? (sniffs wrist again and sighs).

 

I love this fragrance, and my budget is getting more and more destroyed by the seduction of beautiful perfumes.

 

I've only been wearing this one about an hour and a half, so no clue as to how it will last. But I love it so much that if it doesn't last I will just get an extra large bottle and apply at hourly intervals or something.

 

Purest beauty (but without the little bit of cruelty one might expect from La Belle Dame...)

[Magda]

In the bottle: cold roses

 

Wet on skin: bitter, herbal rose--almost medicinal

 

15 minutes: It smells like an amped up version of my moisturizer, the rather mundane Oil of Olay. This is not a bad thing, as I'm quite fond of the scent and I love the stronger rose/herb kick of La Belle Dame Sans Merci.

 

30 minutes: It's nearly gone, now. I just tested this from the rim, so maybe it will have more staying power if I slather it. I hope so because I love the dark green and rose combo. It's elegant without being overpowering, confident and feminine without being sweet.

 

1 hour: I can smell it if I put my wrist to my nose, but otherwise it's gone. What scent is left is just lovely, though--bright, clear rose and dark herbs (and maybe a little hint of muguet, I can't quite tell).

 

Verdict: I'll slather it next time and see if the scent lasts longer that way. Even if it doesn't, it's worth topping up during the day. I love this--it's definitely something to wear when you want to feel cool, confident, feminine, and a bit ruthless.

[filigree_shadow]

I liked the way this smelled in the imp, so I gave myself a good going-over with it instead of just a test spot on a wrist. ("Good going-over" = put lotion in palm, pipette oil onto palm, rub hands together, rub all over insides of arms, run hands through hair.)

 

Impressions when drying: Drat. Roses. But green. So I'm thinking more of rose stems -- with thorns -- than rose petals. Kinda watery. And then that vaguely sour milk scent that precedes soapy. And then the inevitable soapy. And then suddenly green and sharp. What is going on with this?

 

I usually stay away from florals, so I am no good at picking out any notes in this. The only one I know is rose. And it's prominent enough here that I can't wear this. I really want to find a floral I can wear that isn't too soft and girlie for me, but sadly, this isn't it.

 

By the way, the good going-over was not entirely remedied by a liberal application of Lust. I'm still a bit rosy, which surprised me. Only now I don't mind it so much.

[girlmadasbirds]

sharp. green. aquatic.

and very strong.

it's not agreeing with me.

[nancybridget]

From what I can see everyone's getting green from this. I see your green and rise you some cherry, or something fruity like that. There's definately something luscious and ripe in there. This is an exotic scent and I'm also getting a bit of leather or something of that nature. Sexy and earthy.

[slave1]

In Bottle: Herbal and green

 

On Skin: This is a very clean and soapy scent, with a slightly sharp herbal note. Not really my kind of thing, but not unpleasant at all. Soapy scents just seem to be too sharp and bright on me. They overwhelm me I guess. But I would love my towels and sheets to smell like this, so clean and fresh. Maybe make this into a linen spray? I can’t really pick out any specific notes, this is blended very well. I would say a slight floral, a citrus… maybe lime? Something herbal and maybe a wood note as well? Very pretty but I don’t find it fits the description, at least not what I had imagined.

[marzstar]

first thoughts: strong flowery.

purple - and green - ooh maybe fuscia. !

rose and maybe jasmine. with lemon. and a bit of warmth that might make this wearable. not an instant love, nor a hate. don't know if i will wear it though. depends on how it ages on my skin. so far it's turning more lemony. actually do like this more than other flowery smells, but at the same time it does remind me a bit of household cleaner and i could see it being headache-y. only time will tell.

 

funny because, as i do with most bpal oils, i love the name and it is very womanly in a strong way i don't quite have the words for. perhaps sharp is the word.

interesting, too, that i also just tried on casanova (which i fucking love! (am i allowed to say the Fword on here? well i haven't yet so tell me if it's shunned and i won't do it again )) and casanova is so MAN while this is so WOMAN. and they are both so different, perhaps opposites!, yet somehow i am digging smelling the two of them one after the other. perhaps i will experiment with wearing one of these on each wrist (instead of on different parts of the same arm) . . .

 

(probably more later)

Edited March 10, 2006 by marzstar

[MistressTera]

Fresh From The Imp: Floral, hint of lemon.

 

Wet On My Flesh: Very strong florals; possibly lily?

 

Drying Down: I'm reminded of dishwashing detergent; a strong floral that will cut through even the toughest grease.

 

Hour To Integrate: Though mellowing a bit, this is still mostly floral, and I'm not a big floral person.

 

End Of Day/Final Report: Swap it.

[juniperus]

Bottle: both sharp and fresh. aquatic, no particular note hitting me immediately

Wet: a white flower, I think, although it's not as sweet as I might expect. still very wet and sharp..and by sharp I mean has an edge that could cut.

Dry: opening into a rose, still a sharpness to it, and there are other florals I'm not quite picking out yet.. lily, perhaps?

Later: the rose run neck-and-neck with the other floral..I smell lily and something else I can't quite put my finger on. the sharpness has softened some, but it's still not a run-of-the-mill generic floral by any stretch. It's grown subtle, but not soft. I rather like it, I think.

[yeahbutnobut]

La Belle Dame Sans Merci

 

In the imp: neroli! Lots of orange blossom here…

Wet on skin: still neroli, and now I think rose is creeping into the scent…

Dry on skin: mmm, not bad! The scent is mainly orange blossom, maybe orange fruit as well, with a little bit of rose. It reminds me of Catherine and Bess but without the rosemary…though there's a slight herbal scent now to this, possibly camomile? I think there may be a little bit of jasmine but I'm not sure yet, there is a greenish scent here as well. But it's mainly orange blossom and rose.

After a while: eventually the orange blossom takes a step back and now the rose takes centre stage. it's a bold, yet traditional rose, with a hint of citrus to it…it's not a dry rose though, but there is a hint of bitterness behind it, reminiscent of citrus peel.

Then I get rose and a hint of green, with hints of orange blossom. There's also a definite feel of powder to the scent-no bad thing. This to me seems very similar to Bess, but not as sunny/warm/fruity as that scent, this one's a bit more faded. I get none of the aquatics everyone mentions though.

Verdict: this is quite nice. To me, it's a less sharp/herbal Catherine and a more muted Bess. It starts off with orange blossom/neroli, which then moves into a soft, powdery rose scent. A full bodied rose with a hint of fruit, it's also quite a bitter rose, but softened by the sweet powder notes. It's a very pretty scent, but I do prefer Bess which is similar to this, but a bit more complex.

Emoticon rating:

[neuilly]

I'm going into this blind. I can't remember at all what this is supposed to smell like bt perhaps that's a good thing?

 

In the bottle: Green and floral and...like cleaning fluid? It got an almost piercing chemical note which makes no sense. Maybe lemongrass? (or I could have no idea what I'm talking about?)

 

Wet: This is so familiar but I can't find the words to describe it. Very citrus to me, and a bit green. The floral has all but vanished.

 

Dry: Just more lemon chemical scent. Really not enjoying this. I'm going to have to go wash this off...probably should wait longer for the drydown but if I don't like it now I don't see what could change it so much that I'd be willing to go through the unpleasant stages again.

[theseagrows]

this smells like green and powdery jasmine or honeysuckle on me. i don't get any rose or much else. it's an icky white floral on me. or maybe it smells good but just is totally not me.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

this was one of those ultra-full imps... so of course it spilled a little when i was opening it...

 

wet, dry, it doesn't change: hours later my fingers and the label all still smell like Old English Lemon Oil.

[Cupcakedancer]

In bottle: Like others have said I immediately thought of a cleaning product my grandmother uses. Has a bitterness to it and is very bold and strong.

 

Wet on skin: Floral notes are brought out but it maintains it's strength.

 

Dry on skin: On me it has a somewhat staleness to it.

 

Overall: I think on the right person it could be lovely but on me it's a bad combination.

[cranberry]

In the imp, I smelled mainly neroli. Once applied, it’s neroli, maybe a bit of lily of the valley. As it wears, this is strongly neroli. There could be a touch of rose in the background. This is not good.

 

After it’s been on a while, the rose comes out more and then all together. This is a powdery rose, soft and sweet.

 

This oil was interesting, it changed pretty dramatically on me, but, this is just not my style.

[Elrianra]

In the imp, there's something incense-ish about this. Not much by way of the florals I was expecting. On me wet? Soap and frankincense. It just keeps getting better and better... this is the most soapy blend I've encountered in a very long time. This is not at all likable. Ech. Drying, it gets an incredibly distinct roses and smoke flavor... Ironically this smells a lot like a rose soap bar I used to have. Unfortunately, this is a lot sharper - it makes my eyes water. This... this grows on you, it's powdered petals and soap resin; sharp, tangy, extremely powerful. And yet... ech. Echechech. Just... too strong. Warmed and aged, it is still floral-soap but is finally taming out to someting tolerable. However, this just isn't for me. This one died off after a final blasting of "I'M SOAP FEAR ME!!!" at which point my nose shut down in revenge for being subjected to that.

[edenssixthday]

La Belle Dame Sans Merci - Whoa, this is incredibly sharp and bitter. It's a very green scent with the a strong touch of soapiness. I had really wanted to love this scent, but I don't even like it. It's way to pungent for my taste. The scent is quite powerful and a tiny bit gives off an amazing veil of scent. I don't think I would ever choose to wear this over any of the other amazing BPALs that I love.

[blackfelicula]

In the Bottle: Right away I detect neroli and rose. This has some similarities to China musk.

 

Wet: It is a soft blend of floral and citrus, rose is nudging into the forefront for me.

 

Drying down: Now I smell a combination of rose, floral, citrus and powder. It is sweet, pretty, and feminine, but there’s a sharpness to it as well. There are other notes whispering in this blend, wafting up once in a while.

 

Dry: I think the citrus-like smell is neroli. I’m not positive on that. It’s still in the forefront. The rose smell is taking a back seat to a pretty softness. It’s rather a pleasant scent. It isn’t going soapy on me yet, which is a good thing. I’m also glad that the rose isn’t rising up to overpower the other scents.

 

I like it, though I don’t know if it’s going to be one of my favorites.

 

ETA: This imp was purchased second hand thus is likely aged.

Edited August 24, 2006 by Shollin

[Dinerdulcinea]

imp: this is complex. I can't figure it out. There is some kind of strong floral---maybe gardenia (?) maybe lily of the valley (?).

 

wet: this is beguiling and complex still.

 

dry: this becomes more floral but I still find it to be very complex and well-blended. I still have no idea what it really is, but I can say that I like it very much. Has good throw--7 out of 10.

 

Summary: I really like this scent and will keep the imp. As I don't have any bottles at this point, there are a few things in line in front of this one, but it is very nice!