Absinthe and Lace

[Dark Alice]

Inspired by Edgar Degas' L'Absinthe, and created in the vein of the Dark Delicacies / Black Phoenix lace-themed collaborations. A scent of dissipation and ennui: green cognac and icy absinthe, louched, spilling onto lace that is drooping with neglect and darkened by tobacco smoke.

I can't believe I am the first to review this! I will do my best:

Wet: Fresh tobacco, absinthe, sugar, and something dark.

Drydown: Strong, stomach turning Absinthe. This smells like the real 100% proof Absinthe on my skin. (having had the opportunity to try and drink it..but I couldn't get past the smell)

Complete drydown: Absinthe, sugar, and tobacco. This is definitely true to form. Again, it's rare that a perfume evokes an image for me but this surely does: From the Dracula movie with Winona Rider and Gary Oldham when Dracula tells the story of the fairy in the absinthe. This scent evokes that image: dark, sweet, foreboding and mysterious. Beth has out done herself with this scent yet again. Edited May 20, 2012 by Belladonnastrap

[fetish911]

Wet- this is absinthe & a bit of smoke on me. Its a licorice-y kind of green, smells very similar to the Absinthe my brother brought back from the islands. And underneath is the whisp of smokiness i get. Not heavy but sweet kind of smoke, if that makes sense? I usually hate tobacco notes, but this one is gorgeous. I do get a darkness lingering, almost a resiny feel.

 

Dry- the absinthe and the sweet tobacco balance each other out perfectly. I love the way this smells on. Not too sweet and not too heavy. So glad I grabbed some! It will happily join my beloved Antique & Black lace btls :-)

4.5/5

Edited May 12, 2012 by Fetish911

[schackjj]

Wet: The absinthe is (no surprise) front and center, but cognac and tobacco are clearly there, too.

 

Drydown: The absinthe weakens considerably, leaving a sweet underpinning. There's a hint of cotton/linen in there, along with the listed notes. This scent is perfectly blended.

 

Late stage drydown: Very smooth. And it lasts for hours. Even next morning, I can catch a whiff of it on my wrist, and I didn't apply it heavily. 5+/5

 

Absinthe & Lace* is appropriate for any season/any place, and it's not so strong that it would offend anyone and yet it has impressive staying power. It's my hands-down favorite of the Laces; Beth would have to perform a lot of potion magic to knock this one out of first place. Give A&L a shot even if absinthe isn't a good note for you, because that does back off.

 

*Disclaimer: Absinthe is one of my best notes, so take that into consideration

[orata]

This doesn't beat out Black Lace and Red Lace, in my book, but it handily trumps Mourning and Pink Lace. It has a somewhat minty, licorice-y absinthe note--a little more green than anise, but it really smells mostly like strong black European licorice to me. The "lace" part of the scent--vanilla, sharp/smokey tobacco, cognac--is lurking underneath and persists after the absinthe part of the scent fades a bit. It smells kind of similar to Black Lace to me, but with the extra herbal-licoricey absinthe note on top. Smells refreshing yet mysterious, expensive, and complex.

[angelicruin]

I get swirls of tobacco, anise/licorice, and light vanilla. I like this lace as much as black lace.

[dawndie]

In bottle: astringent

 

On skin: light & airy licorice, not dark at all

 

Half-hour later: darker and sweeter, with lots of sugar. Nice Lace base too

 

In conclusion: I took the plunge on this one, even though absinthe isn't one of my favorites (too much like black licorice). But this is great -- sweet without being over-the-top, not too boozy and no overpowering black licorice. I've been wearing this one all week.

[lahdeedah]

I really like this one. Granted, I'm an absinthe fan, so it was unlikely that I wouldn't, but I wasn't sure how absinthe would meld with the other notes in the Lace base. Luckily, they work beautifully. It's a fascinating and dark scent, that lovely anise note on top, then a warmth and greenness from the cognac and more depth and darkness from the tobacco. All kissed with a bit of sugar and vanilla. My only complaint is it faded very very quickly on my skin-- I don't think I got more than a half an hour or so before it was pretty faint. I may have to slather, which is problematic considering the extremely limited number that were released. Ah well. Glad I have at least the one.

[Ilex]

Wet and in bottle- Ammonia? Very astringent and chemical smelling. There is some burnt plastic similar to what wound up happening when I tried Laudnum, this could be the tobacco going wrong.

 

Dried a bit - okay, there is some minty herbal scent happening and sugar. If the ammonia/chemicals would back off this would be wearable (I'm sorry, but its reminding me of... the smell of urinal cakes? industrial bathroom cleaner?)

 

Long dry down - Gummi bear fruity with burnt plastic, with an occasional waft of minty herbal. I get hints of what this is supposed to smell like, and it'd be lovely if it actualized that (a delicate scent, I think) but it didn't make it.

 

I'm always on the hunt for the perfect absinthe scent, but this isn't working for me. I prefer the GC Absinthe.

[Blood onmy hands]

I think that this is my least favorite Lace so far (eta: not true, Autumn Lace is now my least favorite, this series keeps getting worse)

 

I slathered this on and it doesn't seem to have much throw on me. It starts off as a sharp, chemical-y, drugstore musk smell with hints of something minty and something like dead leaves or dry wood. As it dries down, it smells exactly like nailpolish remover, but with an undertone of sharp smoke and black licorice :/

 

I've had scents that started off smelling like nailpolish remover, but that went away in the drydown, but this actually turns into a nailpolish remover scent and sticks around for a good 3 hours (though it doesn't have a lot of throw on me, at least). I guess that it's realistic in that it actually smells like alcohol, but I don't find it wearable.

 

I'll see how my bottle ages, but I'm not a fan of this one at the moment. I love black licorice, but the hard alcohol side makes me smell like I've dumped a bottle of nailpolish remover on myself, which is way too harsh and chemical-y for me.

 

ETA: I'm getting rid of all of my Lace bottles, except for Black Lace. Absinthe & Lace is getting worse with age instead of better. It's very wormwood dominant (which smells so weird on me, like rotting wood and taco seasoning and just all around bad). Drydown smells like burnt rubber, nailpolish remover, and weird spice. Very gross on me...

Edited March 22, 2013 by Little Bird

[Kayah]

Wet, dry, in bottle and on skin, this smells like absinthe. I don't get any other notes on my skin. I might add that it doesn't JUST smell like what absinthe smells like, but it smells like the alcohol itself - this is as if I were sniffing it out of the bottle. It stays very close to the skin, but stays for a long time - I could still smell this hours and hours after initial application.

 

So yeah - alcohol fans, this is for you.

 

I don't particularly like the smell of absinthe - thankfully I didn't get it for myself but someone who does like the scent so yay for her

[Gateau]

I tested this last night, and my 10 year old came over and sniffed me, then pronounced the smell as "toxic licorice." Exactly! I said. Totally nails absinthe.

 

Wet, I get a lot of herbal, licoricy, minty absinthe. While I was never much into mint scents, anise has been growing on me, and this blends those and the alcoholic hint perfectly. It's very cool smelling.

 

As it dries, I smell a lot of sugar, which really helps evoke that sugarcube on the silver absinthe spoon with liquid pouring over it.

 

Fully dry, I get the smoky underpinnings of tobacco and the vanilla Lace base. It's a fantastic blend that really evokes the idea behind it. It's like a fresher, more herbal Black Lace.

 

Sadly, this doesn't last terribly long on my skin, so I'll have to experiment with slathering and scent lockets. I'm glad I got two bottles.

[AnyseLawsBray]

In bottle: Sort of a sweet, frothy aroma. Slightly herbal.

 

Wet: A tinge of something bitterly green (cognac?), then a wave of dark anise. The foamy aspect is decidedly gone, and a ramped up, hard liquor scent pervades the throw.

 

Dry: As the absinthe fades a bit, the tobacco & lace are there, smoky & creamy. It's similar to the other lace blends, of course.

 

Verdict: I prefer Red Lace's dirty raspberry and Tattered Lace's opium coconut to this blend's boozy brine.

[zankoku_zen]

Strong licorice/anise note, hints of herbalness, tobacco and sugar.

 

If you love absinthe and absinthe-notes, give this a whirl!

[Circaea]

This smells almost exactly like absinthe spilled on stale smokey lace. What was I thinking when I bought it?

[Lethran]

In bottle: Absinthe is dominant, but not by much. The cognac and tobacco are strong enough to darken and temper the green fairy. The lace is soft, tying elements together. Full disclosure: I’m not good with absinthe scent, as I’ve drunk to much absinthe in the past to not have strong associations. This may be understated enough for me. Fingers crossed. Wet: mmmm…The cognac really comes out on my skin. The absinthe plays beautifully with it, the hint of licorice adding depth to the dominant sent. The tobacco blends beautifully as well. The lace is stronger on the skin, and plays beautifully with the other elements. The result is luxurious and a little dangerous in a 19th century sort of way. My skin loves this. Dry: More Absinthe on the dry down, but pleasantly modified by the supporting cognac and tobacco. The perfect absinthe blend.

[ljaylh]

There's definitely an icy edge to this - it's a little sharp at first, bordering on smelling a bit chemical-y, but I think that's just the 'high' point of the absinthe because after only a few minutes on my skin the sharpness settles down. Then this lovely smokey absinthe comes out - I can almost visualise it rising from my wrist.

 

From what I know about absinthe, louching is said to unlock the power of the green fairy - as the cool water meets the absinthe it's supposed to release the essential oils from the herbs that the absinthe contains, and it's those herbs that are said to be responsible for the intoxicating effects of the absinthe. And that's kind of how Absinthe and Lace works for me - over the drying-down period, a definite herbal tone emerges and the scent becomes quite intoxicating.It's the same absinthe note from La Fee Verte - rich, dark, smokey, gorgeous.

 

The green cognac adds an interesting element of booziness that kind of balances the licorice-y flavour of the absinthe - and the tobacco smoke is just kinda hanging around in amongst all that.. not in an obvious way, but the tobacco is definitely there - and I would say that this is a 'smokey' scent. The only thing I really can't find is the lace! I'm not picking up anything 'lace' like in this at all at first - unlike others in the Lace series, it's not until about an hour later than I get a hint of the 'lace' element. And that's also about the point where I realise this is very much like Black Lace, with the addition of Absinthe.

 

This is probably the least wearable of all the Laces - not because it's horrible or anything, but because it's kinda potent. It's a bit.. naughty. And nice

[calivianya]

I have been letting this mellow a while before reviewing, so here it goes!

 

If you haven't picked out the Lab's lace note yet, try this one and Tattered Lace. This blend has a lot more in common with Tattered Lace than the other lace blends, IMO. I love how blends smell different to different people! However, this one is stronger and sharper. It gets positively smoky on the drydown, almost a sniffing an ashtray smokiness that you can almost feel in the back of your nose better than you can smell. It has to be a part of the absinthe note for sure - tobacco, even tobacco smoke, doesn't usually do this on my skin. It's a little too acrid for me, to be honest. I was hoping a few months' worth of aging would mellow it, but so far it's a no go and I think this one is going to need to part ways with me.

[milo]

Wow, this one is faint on me from start to finish. I'm just getting a very light incense at first, and so I slathered. Still pretty light, and I'm not getting any absinthe. Dry, still a faint incense, though it does remind me of the other laces, especially Black Lace, though it is definitely 'Black Lace Lite'. There may be a faint whiff of absinthe now, though if I didn't know it was there, I wouldn't have been able to detect it. I do like this, I find Black Lace too overwhelming at times, but have unable to part with my bottle. I find this more of a 'day wear' kind of blend, where BL is midnight to dawn. I'll certainly use up my decants, but I don't think I need more.

[Eemia]

This practically blew the roof off of my skull when I smelled it. The absinthe is so strong and sharp that I can't safely wear it unless I dry-dab it on one wrist, otherwise my eyes actually water. I like the smell of absinthe but this is really sharp and intense. It just drowns out anything else in here so that all I can smell on my skin is burning hot black licorice and alcohol. Eventually it wears down to a strongly masculine woody musk. I've loved all of the laces, especially Black Lace and Tattered Lace, but this just doesn't have the same sultry, nuanced quality that those have on my skin. Maybe it'll age well but I'm giving it away instead of holding onto it.

[aphrodite]

This is just extraordinarily lovely. I do absolutely love absinthe – I keep a bottle in my house and drink it straight up – but the Lab’s Absinthe oil smells like a nightmare on me, so I was a bit nervous. I like the other Laces I’ve tried and really wanted an absinthe scent I could wear, so I gave this a try, and wow. I just love it. I actually don’t think of absinthe per se when I smell this, although I have been craving my Pumpkin Tart candle more than usual this week (I’ve been wearing this all week) and the candle includes “an anise seed crust”, so I guess I am picking that up after all. For me this is rather minty smelling, and I even feel a cool mintiness that’s been keeping my eyes clear and open, if that makes sense. The lace note is its usual loveliness. Overall this is basically a My Little Pony that washes its hair in vanilla oil and has been chewing wintergreen mint leaves to try to disguise the face that it’s been tasting its parents’ absinthe. I have a decant from a forum member and it’ll probably last me a long time, but I ordered a bottle today because I never want to find myself without the option to wear this.

[virusq]

This one actually works really well for me!

 

It’s much softer than Tin Locomotive, which I enjoy the sharp tones of. Absinthe & Lace’s softer tones are nice and airy. It is strangely difficult to describe, other than possibly “white and lacy” and then maybe a bit “smokey.” But it's more steamed, like hot tea, than smokey like tobacco.

 

There is a green in there, something more like spearmint than absinthe or licorice. I don’t get the boozy note at all, either.

 

It’s overall very delicate and clean without being overwhelming at all. It reminds me of Victorian themed tea parties with white lacy dresses and big frilly umbrellas, really. (And those cucumber sandwiches that are cold and crisp!) Very nice!

[mymymai]

ITB: It's absinthe, but much softer from the lace and the tobacco smoke.

 

Wet: The scent is almost fruity when I apply it to my skin. I think this is from the green cognac, which is followed by the absinthe and then the tobacco smoke. I don't get the same softness from the lace as I did in the bottle.

 

Dry: The tobacco now emerges as the primary note, which melds beautifully with the green cognac, light absinthe, and sugared lace.

[crimescenecleanup]

So, out of all of the hundreds of perfume samples I have tried, this is the first that contained a "fabric" note that worked on me. Usually, anything with a cotton, linen, or silk note ends up being harsh somewhat acrid.

 

But here, the fabric component of the "lace" accord smells exactly like clean cotton thread. But that is only half of it - the rest is a delicate vanilla.

 

This is the soft, faded memory of a vanilla perfume spilled on your best handkerchief.

 

There is a slight anise/licorice/citrus kick to it from the absinthe, but it is very faint.

 

After drydown, the tobacco emerges, very dry and light.

 

 

Overall, this is soft, almost dreamlike. It is never overpowering, but haunting. When you take a well-loved quilt out of a hope chest and it still carries the scent of herb or flower petal sachets in its fabric, that is the sort of impression I get from this perfume.

 

The tobacco and herbs really do make this seem like an herbal sachet or a natural perfume blend you could find at a hippy headshop, there is nothing artificial about it.

 

It is the sort of perfume that could be worn anywhere, and would offend no one. It is the sort of thing that everybody likes, but can't quite put their finger why or define the ingredients.

 

It also makes me sleepy. TKO has nothin' on Absinthe & Lace. So soft and cuddly! Just testing it makes me want to go curl up under a quilt and nap.

 

To be honest - I'm not crazy about it. But I wasn't crazy about Antique Lace, either. I don't get excited about wearing Absinthe & Lace. However, I feel like it is the sort of perfume that everyone should have in their scent wardrobe.

 

It is like an outfit you save for weddings, or funerals, or job interviews, or when you take your conservative grandmother out to dinner for her birthday. It may not be a strong statement of your personal style, but it is what you wear when you need to be beautiful for the sake of other people, and not for yourself.

 

Absinthe & Lace is like that outfit - comfortable, always appropriate, it puts others at ease, and it is timeless in its simplicity.

 

My only real complaint is that it fades quickly, and needs to be reapplied every couple of hours. Keep a bottle and applicator with you if you wear it out to an event, for touch ups.

Edited November 25, 2013 by crimescenecleanup

[theseagrows]

starts of sweetly, effervescently herbal and green. i definitely smell the anise/licorice but it is not overpowering. after awhile the sweet effervesence calms a bit and it's a cool, green anise. something in this seems almost fruity-like, but in a subtle way...not sure where that's coming from, but it's there. like not quite ripe fruits or berries with some unripe greeness.

[bellumed]

Very evocative: Absinthe & Lace smells like stepping out of the minty cold and into a bar, inhaling the scent of smoke and liquor (sharp and astringent in the bottle, a softer booze note on skin). I am not a fan of licorice or anise, so I didn't think I'd care for it, but it's actually quite likeable. Definitely don't turn your nose up just because of the absinthe.