Celeste

[Heavenlyrabbit]

CELESTE
I have always been capricious and proud. No one, among women whose tendency it is to say 'yes,' derives more pleasure than I do from saying 'no.' So the men to whom I have given the most are those who asked least of me.

Elizabeth Venard, La Comtesse de Chabrillan, was known to her friends and lovers as Celeste. She first found fame as a dancer in Paris' Bal Mabille where her grace, beauty, and talent earned her the nickname La Mogador: the Moroccan fortress could not have resisted soldiers with as much skill as Celeste juggled suitors. She became a famed equestrienne at Paris' Hippodrome until an accident propelled her to move into the life of a courtesan in earnest. After many years of success as a popular demimonde, she entered into a tempestuous, passionate relationship with Gabriel-Paul-Josselin-Lionel de Chabrillan that culminated in their scandalous marriage. They loved each other without reservation, and she remained by his side long after he became destitute and had nothing to offer her other than his love and his name. They settled in Australia, and she pursued a career as an author until she was forced to return to Paris alone due to poor health. Lionel attempted to gain a post in France in order to be able to be with her, but was rejected because of his past indiscretions, and died in an accident while on his voyage back to Australia. Devastated, Celeste turned to the theatre for catharsis and consolation, and became a successful playwright and manager.

Madagascan vanilla bean, vanilla orchid, orris root, and saffron.

Celeste is pretty but perhaps a bit dry and less full bodied than one might imagine.

I took a chance with the Saffron. It combines with the Orris and makes me feel nostalgic with a tinge of melancholy.

This is not the Orris of Black Pearl, that's for sure. It's a bit rougher.

[*butterflybynight*]

Yes, Celeste is a true beauty whose reputation definitely precedes her... And she totally lives up to the hype! This is one of the sexiest blends ever, the musk is prominent yet ladylike, with a sweetened edge that makes me want to slather her in places other than the usual wrists and neck! The drydown stays true with a note almost like a long-forgotten linen or what the beautiful Herb Girl described as a leather. Oh my...eyes...rolling...back of...head......

After having a full day to wear this, I am ultimately overwhelmed with just how noticeable the throw is, and the fact that this is such a long lasting scent, especially for, what is IMO, a vanillic musk.

 

 

Edited to fix mistakes induced by the scnet-stupor.

Edited March 6, 2011 by *butterflybynight*

[cfrancesca]

This one reminds me so much of the Amaterasu prototypes. I get strong vanilla musk and orchid, some creaminess and saffron. I think I was expecting this one to be sweeter than it actually is. The blend has a slight sharpness (almost alcohol-like) which is reminiscent of vanilla extract, I also get an amber scent, but I'm sure it's the saffron fooling my nose on both counts. After about 20min. the vanilla gets almost fluffy and the vanilla musk gets a slight unisex-vibe as it usually does on me. I think this blend will benefit from some aging and the saffron and vanilla musk will hopefully loose some of it's sharpness.

 

Overall I find this a sophisticated vanilla blend, though it is feminine it's slightly tipping on the unisex side on me. It has a similar vibe to Amaterasu protos and CC: Female.

[nrludwig]

Celeste is a beautiful, creamy, sugary vanilla. Celeste is not nearly as sugary as I thought it would be, which is a good thing. I think this may be my perfect creamy vanilla scent! I will be needing many bottles

[absinthetics]

Celeste is the vanilla of XCDL13 and Elf, but it does have something in it that winds it down and makes it a bit more unisex, as said above. There is indeed some leather to her, and the vanilla is not as strong and powerful (and long lasting) as XCDL13. She is delightfully sugary though, and foody enough for this foodie!

[Penance]

Origin:

 

5mL's from the Lab.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I was really looking forward to Celeste when the Will Call reviews of the prototype started coming in. I'm not a huge fan of super sugary scents, but something about cotton candy musk sounded wonderful.

 

I took a gamble on three bottles (breaking my relatively new rule of only getting one of new LE's if I'll have time to try them and order more, unless they sound 100% amazing and perfect) when it went live at the Trading Post, in spite of the notes sounding somewhat iffy (I'm not a floral fan, although I do love the smell of Lush's Celestial moisturizer, which has vanilla and orchid in it).

 

I've been reading that Celeste's final incarnation smells like Love's Philosophy (which is bad, since LP doesn't like me) but also that it smells like vanilla cotton candy, which would be good, so I don't know what to expect from it at this point.

 

First sniff:

 

Sweet! I mean that. This is sugary. Sugar and vanilla. Vanilla cotton candy with extra sugar. I don't get any florals or any saffron sniffing this from the bottle; it's pure sweetness. I'm liking it at this point, even though I'm not the biggest fan of sugary scents (things like Sugar Skull, for example, can get to be cloying very quickly, although I like them now and then).

 

Wet on skin:

 

More vanilla and less "Look at me, I'm sugar! SUGAR!" than it was in the bottle. That's a good thing, although I'm enjoying the smell of cotton candy these days. I think the slightly less intense sugariness that I get on my skin makes Celeste more wearable for me.

 

There is a passing resemblance between Lush's Celestial moisturizer and Celeste, but it's just that, passing. Celestial smells (to me) like slightly less sweet melted vanilla ice cream (Ben & Jerry's smooth vanilla to be exact) while Celeste smells like smooth, sweet vanilla, sugar (white sugar or cotton candy) and just the lightest touch of saffron, which gives it a very slightly musky, leathery smell (strange since saffron doesn't normally smell like that to my nose).

 

Dry down:

 

Lovely. The sugar/cotton candy continues to calm down as Celeste dries, although it never goes away, and I'm left with a rich vanilla with touches of sugar and saffron. Saffron is really hard to describe, scent-wise, unless you've smelled it, so I'm not going to have much luck describing it here except to say that this is going the more traditional saffron scent route as it dries, although I can still see where people are getting musk and/or leather.

 

The bottom line:

 

Definitely not like Love's Philosophy, at least not for me. I definitely get creamy vanilla, cotton candy or sugar and saffron. It's like a more grown up version of Aquolina's Pink Sugar, mixed with melted vanilla ice cream (the expensive kind, not the cheap kind) and a touch of saffron.

 

Pretty close to the original impression I had in my head after reading the Will Call reviews, although I was anticipating a muskiness that's not quite there in the final version. Definitely not a let down, just a little different.

[Dark Alice]

Sweet. Sugary tooth achingly cotton candy sweet! However...once it dries...this becomes a wonderful slightly sweet vanilla musk which I actually enjoy. So glad I got a bottle...but I won't be needing more. One will do me just fine.

[angelicruin]

I can certainly see why the initial reviews from the Will Calls described this as cotton candy. It definitely has that spun sugar vibe to it. A light, very sugary vanilla musk with just a hint of underlying floral note underneath.

[Leopard403]

I don't get "cotton candy" at all from Celeste. I get a very dry, VERY floral scent mostly composed of iris and orchid. There's a creamy note underneath, but you have to know you are looking for it to find it, and even as mellow as the vanilla and saffron are, this still socks you in the back of the throat like a bouquet of flowers slightly past its prime.

 

I wish I got the pretty, sweet vibe everyone else is getting.

[suki]

In the Bottle: I get the rich cream note of Love's Philosophy and just a hint of the saffron. the saffron comes across with a little more kick than it does in Celeste's bath salts, which immediately intrigues me.

 

Wet On Skin: the orchid note is doing something odd on my skin, and is making this smell, at this stage, like Love's Philosphy with a heavy dose of Rubbing Alcohol added in the equation. I hope this changes...

 

Dry Down: okay, the orchid/alcohol note seems to have calmed down some and is being held in place more by the orris root. it's still there, though, that rubbing alcohol scent, but if i don't put my hand too close to my nose, then the whole thing mixes more and becomes a vanilla-musk blend. Hmmm.

 

In All: Medium throw, I can see on casual sniff why this got the rep of Cotton Candy at Will Call. noy having tried the proto at the last WC I attended, I can't compare, but I can see how that would happen. However, this is not foodie to me, in spite of all the vanillas involved. this is a skin musk, first and formost. And, if either of the vanilla notes is the same as one in Love's Philosphy, then I predict this, too, will get richer and creamier with some age. I'm hoping that aging will aslo take care of that Alcohol edge that I'm getting, but if it's not improved on me in a month, then I may not keep Celeste around, which would be a pity to be sure.

[opticnerd]

I really love this scent! It starts out kind of sweet/creamy vanilla and then a brief period of something harsh and bitter (almost leathery, but leather hates me and amps to high hell, so I will say that there is no leather to this blend) comes on for just a minute in the wet phase. It eventually dries to a sweet, slightly floral, vanilla cotton scent on me. It smells just like a cross between AF1 and...Antique Lace! I'd love more of that cottony note, but I definitely get cotton/vanilla, with a hint of a light musk similar to the pale musks in the Girl or Aeval.

 

Throw is light but the scent sticks to my skin for a while with a good slather. I had applied it at the beginning of my day and was complimented about 9 hours later without reapplying once.

 

Backup worthy.

[hlemonds]

I love Celeste! I am a huge fan of vanilla musk scents, orchid and orris are usually quite nice on me, and saffron is the sort of note that isn't really make-or-break in a scent for me. The vanilla (in combination with an unlisted musk note?) reminds me a little bit of several things....XCDL13, Antique Lace, Joyful Moon, Gypsy. But it is not identical to any of those. Celeste is her own woman! I really enjoy the orris and vanilla musk combination in this. I can see where folks get vanilla cotton candy, although I don't find it to be overly sweet on my skin. This really is wonderful. This blend is also long lasting and has great throw. So far I am amazed by how successful the courtesans are for me!

[Lorelai1945]

I'm not surprised at how differently this reads on my skin than it does for most people (although I see a couple of people having similar experiences this time), but I don't get cotton candy or sugar..or really much sweetness at all, especially when wet. In the bottle the scent is rather faint, but I get a hint of vanilla, something musky/boozy, and a LOT of what smells to me like sandalwood (orris?). On my skin, it's much the same, except there is also something that pushes through when it's wet that bares a lot of resemblance to rubbing alcohol. It's very dry, quite musky, slightly dusty, and has a lot of that sandalwoody smell. It reminds me of a dried bouquet that's been hanging to gather dust for a very long time. In that sense, it has similar qualities to Antique Lace- except the vanilla is less prominent for me in Celeste and never fully asserts itself, whereas when AL is dry it's all vanilla. The scent that this reminds me the most of is The Harp of C'noc I- this is very similar to that on my skin. When it is totally dry it sweetens up a teeny smidge and the alcohol goes away, but this is not the amazing scent I was expecting it to be..at least not with my skin chemistry. It's more musky and dry/powdery than anything else. I don't dislike it, but I don't think it'll ever be a favorite unless aging does it a lot of good.

[boxinghelena]

I received Celeste today and the moment I dabbed it on my wrist, I knew it was instant love. I can't pinpoint exactly what it is I'm smelling but it's very unique. I think it's the vanialla orchid. it smells fantastic!

~

[vowsatsea]

As soon as I sniffed this in the bottle, it was love. I put it on and prayed that it didn't turn plastic on me, as any scent with vanilla has a tendency to do. Thank goodness, this is just as beautiful wet and dry as it was in the bottle. I mostly get soft, feminine vanilla musk, and I LOVE it. I was really trying to see where people were picking up cotton candy, but I didn't get it at all. This is definitely a favorite and backup worthy for me.

[Melenass]

Toasted vanilla sugar, subtle, but lasts for hours. A comfortable aroma. Nude color. Pretty

 

Eta: and a month later ..... vanilla is growing and is really delicious ... dark, alcoholic, perhaps similar

to Love's Philosophy, less creamy, but more dark and deep, I love it.

Edited May 26, 2011 by Melenass

[starpixi81]

I really liked the prototype I tried at Will Call, which seemed more vanilla-y on me and less sharp, but maybe my chemistry changed.

 

This has all the elements that should make it work on me, yet somehow it is too sharp. The vanilla is really lovely. There is an ambery/musky quality that takes on a bit of a strong front with my skin which I think is the orris mixing with the saffron. I think if my skin didn't amp the orris this would be a creamy vanilla delight, it reminds me of Underpants in that boozy/saffron way. Time for Celeste to find a new suitor!

[Belladonnastrap]

I have whacky body chemistry because I get absolutely no vanilla in this. Saffron yes, cream yes (and a cream that doesn't go sour on me! Praise Gackt!) but no vanilla whatsoever. I can see where the comparisons to Love's Philosophy come in, it does have that bit of creaminess with "other" but it hasn't gone bad on me the way LP did.

 

The saffron is really the star player here on me, it's a bit unexpected. It's a fairly strong scent, I keep getting whiffs of it when I turn my head or scratch my nose (who keeps thinking about me today?!) but it's nothing overpowering. It's very sweet but not in the way say Midway is, it's not super cloying.

[violetblue]

I have no idea what the heck is in my bottle but it smells chemically and strange as soon as it dries, almost like how new tires smell, with this hint of sweetness. I am going to have to try to test it again later because this is making no sense to me.

[jizatt]

Oh Celeste.

 

I bought this immediately, and wished for a dry sexy vanilla, like the slightly husky voice that is so irresistibly sexy. On first application, the saffron is strong, almost leathery as some have noted. But it calms down. The vanilla bean is the almost boozy, dry vanilla bean that I love. The orchid doesn't make this smell floral at all to my nose, but may be giving the sophisticated grace to what would otherwise be raw sexuality. The orris I cannot specifically pick out, but does not smell violet, which I was worried about. This is not super sweet, girly, or foody at all. This is lovely love love lust.

[ljaylh]

Hmm.. much hype to live up to, oh noble Celeste.

 

My initial take on this oil when first applied was that it had a very sharp, chemical-like top note - almost bitter. I could smell the vanilla underneath, but I pretty much let it do its thing for 5 minutes or so and didn't really lean in for a big huff because it was that sharp.

 

The vanilla here has a boozy side to it but also a floral aspect - the two seem to clash in a way that leaves the vanilla kind of stuck in the middle, unsure about whether it wants to be sweet or flowery. It's not creamy - I do get the comparison to Love's Philosophy (and I agree the saffron is very similar), but it's not as creamy and smooth as LP. Actually.. Celeste reminds me a lot of Antique Lace - the vanilla is very similar to my nose - she has far more punch at first than AL, more overall 'strength' to the scent and a much more 'sharp' tone, but once Celeste has fully dried down (about 30 minutes in) then I really do find this to be very Antique Lace-ish. As in.. seriously - anyone mourning the loss of AL needs to try Celeste.

 

Celeste is reminiscent of a few other vanilla-based BPALs, although she's not an exact match.. she's very similar to blends like Antique Lace and XCDL13 and Love's Philosophy, and I'm picking up a very subtle undertone of 'pink' almost berry-like sugar which makes me think of Gothabilly and Marshmallow Poof. Unfortunately for me Celeste never quite loses that sharp/chemical air it had at the start, and the vanilla with its weird identity crisis is just not really working for me. It also doesn't stick around very long - one hour on my skin, and it's become very very faint. So overall - I don't hate it.. I just don't love it.

 

Edited, because things changed later - after I'd had Celeste on for about two hours, she finally did lose that sharpness and became a beautiful deep and dry vanilla and I found myself liking her a lot more. And at that stage, her resemblance to Antique Lace was uncanny - maybe it's just the way my skin handles the two blends but I swear Celeste is almost a dupe for AL on me.

.

Edited March 19, 2011 by sunshinedaisybliss

[edenssixthday]

Celeste - This is a super-sugary vanilla scent with a strong blast of vanilla musk and something nauseatingly chemical about it -- someone else said it's similar to new tires, and someone else said the saffron was giving it a bit of a leathery scent, so maybe that's the saffron doing it, but it's definitely the smell of new tires coated in sugar and vanilla. It's *so close* to being awesome on me, but doesn't quite do it, sadly.

[tarotgirl99]

For me this is similar to Tetramorph (which I love)...but I also get a chemical plastic smell. Not for me, even if it improves vastly on drydown. The chemical plastic thingy is too off-putting, esp. when I have Tetramorph to call my own.

[LunaLovegood]

Utterly dissapointed.

I was the most exited about Celeste as soon as she was posted. But when I got her I was scared of it. I let it settle before trying. But that didnt help.

I dont know why but I get this weird honey scent. I dont get vanilla at all, or even anything boozy. All I get in the bottle and on my skin is honey.

 

ETA: Well almost 3 hours later, Celeste is now sweet soft vanilla. It has morphed beautifully but its so soft you barely know its there.

Edited March 21, 2011 by LunaLovegood

[Venneh]

In the bottle, I'm getting an amazing vanilla musk infused with saffron, and the orris supporting it underneath. On my skin, absofuckinglutely amazing; the vanilla musk is actually similar to XCDL13's vanilla, and the orris and saffron nicely support it. Oh wow. MINE.