The Cold Hour of Dawn

[absalem]

But in the corner, at the cold hour of dawn, sat the poor girl, with rosy cheeks and with a smiling mouth, leaning against the wall–frozen to death on the last evening of the old year.

Esprit de eucalyptus, blue musk, davana, frosty iris, and tagetes.

A beautiful soft floral that lasts for hours. Bright florals and powder burst forth when freshly wet, a combination of the iris, tagetes, and blue musk at the fore. The scent barely changes as it dries, remaining neither warm or cold. The only change I detected was a softening and sweetening of the scent. It lasted forever on me, considering it seems like a light floral scent, and my skin absorbs perfume like a sponge. It lasted from about 930 to 4, and that's with me putting my robe on and off, thus rubbing it off my arms. The throw is decent as well, I could smell it wafting about me as I moved. It seemed feminine and clean. Definitely has a powder aspect, so if you're not into that, you may be disappointed. Although, I was expecting eucalyptus and I couldn't detect it, so that could be good or bad depending on who you are.

There was almost nothing icy or minty about this scent on me. I can definitely see something bright but cold about this, like seeing the bright dawn on a chilly day. It smells a bit like being out in the cold, but not in the way "winter" scents classically do. The following is going to sound incomprehensible: the way your nose closes a bit when it's chilly and makes everything smell rounder.

Over all, I adored this scent. I'm going to see how it smells in a month when it's settled, and hopefully I'll feel the same. 5/5, at the moment, though.

Edited to add: Every time I wear this, I fall a little more in love. The first few times I put it on, I couldn't smell much that was eucalyptus-y. Now, it starts with a little chilly minty/eucalyptus kick combined with that beautiful soft floral goodness. Still, mint haters need not be afraid, it's not overpowering.

[sharkdiver]

I think Absalem hit the nail on the head with this one...it's Gorgerous! The minute it hit my skin, I was like, "Ohh!" I also get this strange scent association with it, when I was almost picking up whispers of what could almost be a subtle mint note (I think it's the snow note?) almost reminded me of those minty chocolate non-perils I would eat at my grandmothers house that were pastel colored, and she would put them in her candy dish near Easter time. I'm not sure why, it doesn't smell like chocolate, or anything, but when I smell this on me, my brain brings up that association, as apparently, that's what this perfume reminds me of.

 

I think this is going on my life for a bottle purchase! 5/5

[strahlend]

Green, mildly soapy, somewhat floral, --- better than those generalizations make it sound.

 

On my skin this reminds me a lot of the sweet and floral-ish aspects of Snow White but with a more cool "green" backdrop.

 

It really is quite lovely.

[angelicruin]

This scent is green and frosty on my skin. The eucalyptus is pronounced, but not overwhelming and the scent definitely has a cold quality to it similar to other BPAL snow scents.

[Invidiana]

I was initially leery of this one because eucalyptus and I haven't always been the best of friends. However, this must be a different sort of eucalyptus note because it isn't a menthol blast in my face but a fresh burst of coolness that quickly fades to reveal a lovely ethereal veil of blue musk over soft and slightly sweet white florals, mostly the davana and iris. It does retain a delicate frosty quality throughout, reminiscent of frost-rimmed petals glittering in the early light. Definitely bottleworthy for me.

Edited December 24, 2011 by Invidiana

[patina]

At first I get a scent like lime candy which must be the davana. Almost immediately it turns into mint (later I can tell that it's really eucalyptus but only because mint isn't woody). Anything resembling candy has gone by this time and I smell subtle florals instead. There's still a faint lemon/lime smell that reminds me of a shaving cream.

 

There's some freshness to this scent, like a chill morning. I get the idea of strange greenish morning light washing over everything.

 

Nice enough, but I'd never use a whole bottle. Plus, I'd rather not smell like shaving cream.

[spiresinthesnow]

Cold Hour of Dawn is kind of pungent at first with a definite frostiness that quickly dissipates. The musk and the eucalyptus are running away into the distance leaving a trail of subtle iris with a cool balmy front. Balmy like big, thick, waxy leaves of a tropical plant. There is a soft powdery fizz of iris below these leaves. The musk and eucalyptus lend a light faraway chilly sweetness.

[gchris]

What a lovely cool scent with a hint of delicate floral as it goes on wet. Unless it turns yucky I can already tell this will be one of my faves. As it dries it is smelling a little greener and a little more floral. Still very delicate and lovely.

[Heavenlyrabbit]

Stunning. This is literally breathtaking. It was a complete wild card for me and I am so very happy to have a partial bottle.

 

The Esprit de Eucalyptus is ethereal. with just enough of the Blue Musk to keep it from floating away into nothingness. This is a cold breath of air from a muffled whisper, hovering in the netherworld just before it evaporates.

 

For me, it evokes the stories ending so completely and so beautifully. AND it smells divine.

 

I am over the Moon with this one.

Edited January 7, 2012 by Heavenlyrabbit

[zankoku_zen]

This one has a hint of cold air, the blue musk reminds me to Silence, with a hint of creamy iris. It's a little more floral than I expected.

 

Cool, green, musky.

[Blood onmy hands]

This starts off with a chilly blast of eucalyptus and mint on me, then quickly dries down to mostly blue musk with a sharp, perfumey iris. I really like the lab's blue musk note, which always smells cool, watery, and still to me (like a still, chilly pond in the middle of the woods), but the iris is a little more perfumey-floral than I'd like. It's a quiet, cool, musky smelling floral.

[milo]

At first, lots of eucalyptus, and it's not playing nice on me. It smells more like a rotting fruit from a distance, but up close I get the menthol of it. Dryer, much nicer. The lab's snow note with cool, muted florals, very little eucalyptus now. This is very pretty, and a nice variation of the cool winter theme. Though it's nice, it's not really me, I can picture a tall willowy, elfen blonde maiden wearing something like this.

[Lethran]

In bottle: The iris is dominant with musk well blended in support. The daisies and sunflowers are soft, but present. I’m also impressed, as this is the nicest use of eucalyptus I can remember. It’s beautifully understated and excellent support for the florals. I think the eucalyptus is functioning as a touch of frost here. No skin test for eucalyptus.

[thekittenkat]

In the decant: Eucalyptus, backed by blue musk.

 

Wet: Blue musk is the most obvious note now, but the eucalyptus is still in there, batting.

 

The dry-down: A hint of the ice/snow note from the frosty iris, but luckily not much iris (note of doom). Basically, the musk and eucalyptus have combined into something that one might indeed think of as evoking the spirit of that cold hour before sunrise in the winter-time.

[ellebelle]

This is a surprise hit for me. Do NOT fear the eucalyptus! It is not super strong, but a nice frosty note that reminds me of the snow note in Okayaki. Light flower with a cool winter chill, this is wonderful.

[ShannonElisabethJones]

I get a great sweet-piney note at first with this one, with bright florals. My fiancé says it makes him "pine" for the fjords.

 

As it dries, it's getting a dusty-cold feeling to it. Sort of in keeping with the Match Girl story - bright pine and flowers of her vision fade into a frosty memory as the cold Christmas in Copenhagen returns and she freezes to death. It's a sweet, lonely, girlish scent.

 

I really love it.