Klara

[sighanne]

KLARA
Honey dusting powder, mandarin, iris, ylang ylang, tea rose, and carnation.

I ordered a bottle of this one unsniffed, as I am a huge fan of sweet florals named after ladies such as: Katrina van Tassel, Zarita, the Doll Girl, Hope and Faith, and of course Alice, who is the queen of this group.

I must say that Klara absolutely reminds me of Alice. Both have a beautiful underlying base of rose and carnation, with hints of honey. I think Klara is sweeter, and Alice smells woodier to my nose (from my 2005 bottle), but they are extremely close in scent. All lovers of Alice should try out Klara!

[thekittenkat]

In the bottle: There's a feeling as though honey (not too sweet) has been dripped over a floral bouquet that contains quite a bit of tea rose and carnation.

 

Wet: I was worried about the dusting powder aspect, but I needn't have been. It's a nice semi-tart honey, with lots of tea rose and carnation, but the other florals help keep this scent from being too sweet.

 

The dry-down: As this wears on, it becomes softer and sweeter. It's still a skin scent, but there's a lovely honey scent wafting all around. It lasts for a good while, too. There's a touch of brightness from the mandarin and the ylang ylang, but the iris is kept in check, thankfully.

 

As sighanne mentioned, if you like Alice, Hope, and Katrina von Tassel, you will probably like Klara. I'm going to add to those listings by saying if you like Lady Una (but find it too rich at times), you may like Klara. And if you like the White Rose scent from the Unity set, you should give Klara a whirl around the dance floor.

[Heavenlyrabbit]

Klara is gorgeous. Floral Honey without being cloying or piercing.

 

Speaking frankly, Klara makes up for the loss of three of my favorite florals this week (Shadow Witch Orchid, Moon Rose, Regan).

 

Yes, she's that endearing.

[Lorelai1945]

This smells like femininity personified in the bottle- light and sweet and slightly floral. When I first apply it, it smells nearly dead-on to Alice. Same type of honey for sure. It dries down very quickly to a rather soft scent that is mostly the tea rose (darn skin and the floral ampage, but it's not bad), but also a smidge of the honey- and thank goodness for carnation! I'm pretty sure that's what's keeping this from going tea rose- crazy and adding a bit of spice to the mix. It is a teensy bit soapy on me, but I'm willing to give it some more time, since it's not nearly as soapy as Dawn:Maiden or Katrina Van Tassel on me (That also may be coming from the other scent on my hand now that I think about it). It does, however, have a VERY similar feel to both of those scents. I think that I will grow to like this very much, especially when I give it the chance to shine on its own; right now it has another scent crammed up right next to it since I couldn't be patient and test my new scents one at a time. It is definitely representative of the Klara character, and very pretty. This may end up being the winner of this round of Yules for me.

 

ETA: I tested it again today. No soap, and a bit less tea rose. I can see myself wearing this when I want something soft and feminine. I really like it.

Edited November 21, 2010 by VioletFemme

[DeltaCat]

Definitely amping the rose and carnation in this one. It also has virtually no throw for me and is done in about an hour. It was good while it lasted.

[kikithepirate]

When I heard people comparing this to Alice, I knew that I would love it, because Alice is my 'signature' BPAL scent. Klara has a TON of similarities with Alice, so I definitely agree with the comparisons. However, Klara is stronger in the rose department, so I would advise staying away if you're not a rose person. I, however, am a rose person (very much so!) and I find Klara to be a sophisticated version of Alice -- something for a work meeting instead of a picnic in the park. It is dainty, girly, and pretty, so if those aren't your things, then Klara probably isn't for you. However, I agree with above posters -- if you like Alice, Hope, or Katrina van Tassel, then you should definitely try Klara before she disappears.

[edenssixthday]

Klara - This smells so pretty in the bottle and when I apply it. It smells like beautifully dusky tea rose, powdery iris, has the brightness of mandarin (although I wouldn't have identified it as mandarin if I didn't know the ingredient list), and sweet baby powder. It's highly feminine and youthful. As it dries, the powder becomes the top note and overwhelms everything else. I can still smell the tea rose far beneath the powder, but mostly, it's just a sweet powder scent on me after drydown. It's still pretty and feminine, but probably not something I'd reach for with all that powderiness.

[childdoll]

IMP: Strong honey, tea rose and carnation notes. Very sweet smelling. Remind me alot of Alice.

 

WET: While wet, the honey, tea rose and carnation notes are still very strong on me, but not as strong as the initial whiff in the imp. It starts to settle down a bit.

 

DRY: Now the morph begins. Honey, tea rose and carnation are still the most prominent notes, but they are not too cloying. It's alot like Alice, but softer and a bit more floral. There is a powedery floral to it like a honeyed tea rose. I think I can detect a bit of the mandarin and ylang ylang back there somewhere. It's sweet, but not too sweet. Floral, but complex.

 

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I LOVE this scent. I am a huge fan of Alice, but I think Klara wins out here. Alice has more of a cloying sweeted milk smell... a tad too sweet and foody at times... like a cupcake. And as much as I love Alice, sometimes that can be a tad too sweet for me. But Klara... oh my dear Klara... you are a perfect alternative as something I can wear on any occasion without worrying about it being too sweet. There's sweetness there, yes, but the soft, powdery nature of it makes it light enough to enjoy at any time. Ultra feminine and dainty. As already mentioned, highly recommended if you already love Alice.

[countessmouse]

In the imp and on first application, nothing but honey. Suddenly, there is carnation and rose, and just a hint of something plasticky. It's an interesting scent, not what I expected and pleasant. Too bad it has no throw past the initial blast and is fading quickly. Meh.

[Schmoozy]

Just stunning. So simple, yet so damn pretty. Klara is just the slightest hint of honey that mingles with tea rose and carnation. At the end of each huff, I detect a whisper of mandarin. I can't make out iris or ylang ylang, as rose and carnation are the standouts here. It's creamy, spicy and sweet. A little powdry (I love powdry) and very girly.

[Incendiare]

Klara is so gentle in the vial. The first time I smelled it in the vial, I instantly smelled mandarin. The second time, I could also smell a quick flash of rose. Wet, I can smell more of the rose and a hint of fresh carnation. I don't really get that much honey out of it, maybe a bit blending in with the florals, but it's not pronounced. The rose has intensified after a few minutes. The mandarin has disappeared. Klara has turned a bit powdery after ten minutes, but on me, it's barely even noticeable. A beautiful blend, but I was hoping that more of the notes would make themselves known.

[Champagne]

I`m not a big fan of the florals here except for the carnation, but I took the risk cause I love the mandarin and I must say this blend really works on me. It`s a delicate and cozy mix with carnation as main note and a little hint of tea rose with some sweetness and it dries with time. It`s unique and it makes me feel warm and loved .

[sea_stars]

I really love Klara! I agree with what many have said here...if you like Alice, you will most likely adore Klara! Very feminine and pretty floral with a bit of mandarin to spice it up. Klara is a bit more mature and cozy (Alice to me is very smooth and creamy). The only issue I have with her is, I wish she had more throw and staying power. On my skin she doesn't even last an hour. Been wearing her inside my scent locket and though she is lovely I don't think anyone gets close enough to catch a whiff but me :/

[tinylegacies]

I really wanted to love this. I enjoyed it when I opened my imp and when I initially applied it.

 

But it quickly turned

 

It appears that honey is a bad note for me.

[Iceblink]

Honey with delicate, powdery florals underneath. I agree that this is very Alice-like! The carnation is a little too strong for my tastes (as it is in Alice too) but it's perfect if you love the BPAL carnation note.

This has very little throw, though, and fades quickly.

[Blood onmy hands]

I'm not getting the Alice feel that others have from this (which makes me sad, because I love Alice, especially aged). The rose in Klara amps up on me instantly, so I get a strong, red, sweet rose. As it dries down, something in this is turning to pure baby powder smell on me . Sweet rose + baby powder.

[sqwook]

This is really beautiful, and I just wanted to share that if you *don't* like Alice (as I do not), you could still give it a try - I *do* like this! It has the lovely carnation note that I also have gotten in Maiden, a tinge of orange, and a really great sugar-sweetened warmth to it. Also, I tend to amp rose, and I don't get it here, or it stays in line, or something. Really liking it and debating a bottle. Beautiful!

[Invidiana]

When I say against all odds, I really mean it for this one! This one should have been a disaster with the rose and carnation, but surprisingly while they're there (mostly the rose--I barely get any carnation which is a huge surprise because I usually amp it) they take a backseat to the gorgeous honey and ylang ylang, which are really the main players. The most obvious note son my skin are honey and ylang ylang with a soft rosy backdrop--the rose isn't screeching dry rose but a soft pink tea rose. I get a tiny hint ofthe iris adds an additional feminine floral element. This i sreally a surprise winner and I'm definitely getting a bottle!

[grrrlennyl]

Klara

 

On: Very pretty. Lots of rose and carnation and I can really get the honey dusting powder.

1 hour in: This is far more floral now. Pretty, but not sweet.

1.5 hours in: Just flowers.

4.5 hours in: Powdery, slightly soapy flowers.

5 hours in: A bit sweet, but faint.

Overall: I really hoped that this would smell amazing on me, but it's just OK.

[SophieCedar]

Wet: smells exactly like Alice!

Drydown: smells like Hope and Alice mixed!

[milo]

This ends up being a honeyed, soft white rose on me, very reminiscent of Katrina Von Tassel. Pretty and girly. I can't remember Alice, so I can't comment on that, only that it wasn't bottle worthy to me. I had and liked Katrina, but it just wasn't 'me'. Though I do like, this, it's pretty and feminine, it's just not 'me'. I still may hunt down a decant though, as there is the odd time I like a to wear a delicate rose blend. Another nice thing about this blend, is that it doesn't go sour or powdery. Nice!

[angelicruin]

The honey note starts out pretty strong, but fades quickly and I am left with mostly tea rose and carnation notes with a faint bit of honey that just barely sweetens the blend. This is a very soft, delicate scent on my skin. Very nice.

[crebbsgirl]

I very much agree with the description that Klara is very much like Alice and Hope combined. There's a soft, sweet, girlyness to this blend. It's a little powdery on my skin. It's pretty, but it's a little too girly for me.

[taramarie]

On me, Klara is honey dusting powder, mandarin, and a hint of floral. It's pretty but I don't need another bottle.

[zankoku_zen]

Honey powder, rose and a hint of carnation. This is too sweet and powdery for me, but the rose note does remind me to Katrina Van Tassel.

 

Soft, girly, powdery.