Ingenue

[cranberry]

A tawdry Hollywood tragedy, the essence of innocence lost amongst casting couch cushions. Wild clover and gentle melon interlaced with violet leaf, water lilies, smooth wooden notes, and blushing rose.

 

Generous gift from the lab - I'm thrilled to be able to try this scent.

In the Imp: Sweet, clean floral

Wet: Still a sweet, clean floral. It smells very innocent. The name is a perfect description.

Dry: Very strongly scented - you only need just a dab and it lasts a long time. Dry, the melon and a bit of the wood comes out, adding an element of sensuality and depth. Maybe I do get a touch of thrashing around on the couch. But at the same time, still very innocent - so maybe just heavy petting. There's a touch of powder but in a nice way - must be the violet.

Brings to mind springtime, lush green, cool breezes, languid, white eyelet fabric, and what I would imagine the deep, gentrified "south" 50 years ago to be like.

Overall, clean, mostly innocent, a perfect scent for summer.

[youhavenoidea]

In the bottle: A very strong floral. It's so strong it almost has a tinge of alcohol under it.

 

On my skin: Very pretty floral. It reminds of a scent my aunt wears (she got hers from Avon and I can't think of the name of it). I don't get the clover or wooden notes, but I get the flowers. It goes a little powdery as it dries, but I'm finding most Bpal does on my skin.

 

Once dry: This stays very strong on my skin. It doesn't fade like most of the other oils I've tried from Bpal. Even after a few hours it's still going strong.

 

This was a gift from a friend. I don't know that I would have bought it for myself. It's kind of weird thinking that I smell like my aunt. She's a nice lady and all, but we don't have similar tastes in anything. Come on, she's an avon lady! I don't feel like much of an ingenue wearing it, more like a woman having a mid-life crisis, but again, it's the whole reminding me of my aunt thing (I kid, I kid).

[Sheila]

This was a giftimp in my most recent order. Thanks, lab!

 

I see why this is such a favorite. On me, it's mostly melon, with a soft, gentle floral scent in the background.

 

This is cool and soft. Lovely!

[maewitch]

A frimp in my most recent order, and I don't know whether to say thank you or weep, knowing it is discontinued.

 

This is melon fading gently into a wispy bouquet of white florals, violets and the tiniest, most perfect of rosebuds.

 

This is the most delicate and lovely of scents, similar in some ways to Titania in its balancing of translucent fruit notes and white florals. The rose and the suggestions of something woodsy keeps it from being overly saccharine and girly; it is the encapsulation of that perfect moment of innocence and youth, trembling on the edge of discovery.

[herongale]

preconceived notion: This was a free imp with my first order, and it surprised me because this is a discontinued scent. After checking out the reviews, I've noticed that the lab has been including free imps of this in orders for several people... hard to say whether this is extra stock on the old version, or a new formulation under the old name. In either case, the name and description are very appealing, and I certainly would have wanted to try this anyway.

 

in the imp: cornseed-coloured oil. This is a bright, well-blended floral. I think I am finally getting the hang of what is supposed to be the violet note. It's a pretty, almost fruity scent, and although it smells natural it is not like violets in nature, which have a much more fleeting quality to them. In the vial, I am starting to recognize wood notes as having a quality that is seductively like paint thinner (except much better smelling), which is probably simply the resins from a sap-derived oil. Overall impression is both frisky and sweet.

 

wet: violets (okay, amazingly strong super violets) and clover. Not clover leaves, of course, but the flower... white straw-shaped petals with purple or reddish-brown tips, and a touch of sugar and bitterness. I can see using this scent almost exclusively while wearing filmy dresses, but this is not for a cocktail party outing... instead, this would be good for a ladies' tea while playing croquet. Well-heeled debutantes who are privileged beyond their years and afforded attention beyond their beauty would wear something like this, and feel proud doing it. This is supported self-confidence in a bottle.

 

drydown: soft, gently fades away into something that is like the ghost of Pink Moon (without the fruity or honey-like touches). I see the girliness in this, but I wouldn't call it that of an ingenue. This scent really reminds me of young girls, even more than Lolita, without any of the debauched sexuality. The Hollywood association is misplaced, I think.

 

verdict: I like this a lot. It's really quite lovely. I hope the lab does find a way to bring it back; it's a deserving blend.

 

post-conceived notion: getting the hang of violets! This deserves a celebration.

[LiberAmoris]

This was a freebie from the Lab in my last order---thanks lovelies!

 

Ingenue is totally gorgeous. The clover is really predominant for me, and it's one of my favorite notes. There's just something so perfect about the scent of clover. It's sweet but not cloying, fresh and herbal and green but not astringent. The melon rounds it out and then the floral notes support, but do not overwhelm. Violets normally overpower a blend for me, but here they are lovely, perhaps because this is violet leaf and not violet proper.

 

In some ways Ingenue reminds me of Danube, sans grapefruit. In other ways it reminds me a bit of Pink Moon, as herongale mentions above. It's so sparkling and fresh and uncorrupted, just like an true ingenue. This is the actress arriving in Hollywood fresh off the bus from Iowa with her suitcase in her hand and nothing but $50 worth of pocket money from her parents and starry eyes. It reminds me of Lynch's film Mulholland Drive. This is one end of that sliding scale of dreams and embitterment.

 

I hope that the recent profusion of imps means that Ingenue might come back some day.

[aidenraine]

Wet, this really goes make me thing of children, of youth. The floral is a touch baby-powdery on my skin.

 

As it dries it becomes more like a bouquet of all of the floral ingredients. I can smell the rose, lily, and violet equally, and it's not too strong. Really understated and kind of nice, a gentle perfume.

 

It's very relaxing, really. The smell of clean young skin (which is sketchy-sounding, but I swear it's in a nice way.)

 

 

The violet becomes a stronger note as time passes, eventually evolving into something like a violet-rose powder.

[yeahbutnobut]

Ingenue

In the imp: oooh, sweet mild violet and rose.

Wet on skin: now the cool, moist, sweet melon comes out and joins the florals.

Dry on skin: wow, this is gorgeous! A light melon note mingles with the perfect violet scent, rose and waterlily. This is a really nice fresh fruity-floral scent with a hint of the sweet aquatic about it and I think I can make out the woody notes in the background, which adds a contrasting dry background to the scent.

After a while: the notes blend together a bit more, but otherwise, this is really consistent. A sweet, full, yet dry combination of florals, melon and woods. Lovely.

The drydown after about 2 hours or so is rose, violet, and possibly waterlily-a smooth, gentle floral scent.

Verdict: this is a wonderful scent, smooth, sweet, and more than just your average violet-rose scent. I love the way the melon adds a sweet juiciness, as well as the woods adding a dry base. I am very glad I tried this scent and I will cherish the imp I have of this.

[QueenFae]

Ooooh, what a lovely blend, now I know what all the fuss is about. The top note on me is definitely the melon, which is sweet and lovely like honeydew, and just under the melon lives the lily and blushing rose. I can't smell the wooded notes at all, just lovely, fruity/flowery goodness. This one is just screaming naive young waif, I can just picture the young ingenue. There is also a hint of sexiness and seduction, the ingenue may appear quite innocent, but she has many secrets as well. A gorgeous, feminine blend, I feel lucky I got to try some.

[Scarlettfish]

Got this as a lovely frimp in one of my recent orders, and didn't try it for ages because with that description, the chances of me not loving it were very thin. And I was right, of course. This is an absolutely beautiful fruity, floral, aquatic, feminine blend. Going on, the topnote is the melon, but as it dries down the violet, water lilies and rose come out. The wood notes lie underneath the flowers, and complement them beautifully. This is very dreamy, innocent and utterly gorgeous. I am going to horde my imp something fierce, and if Beth wants to bring it back, I'll buy two bottles straight off the bat, promise!

[wingedcorset]

Light aquaticy floral. Violets. (Which I DO NOT like at all.)

-------

WOAH! Floral.

-------

Powdery doom, almost immediately.

[Orodemniades]

A sweet and gentle aquatic that remains true on my skin from imp to drydown. I'm bummed it's discontinued! This is just lovely, perfect for spring...gah, must search out more, methinks.

 

Oro

[wickedgoddess]

Origin - part of the discontinued circular swap.

 

Wet - soft and pretty.

 

Dry - I smell the violet leaf, it has a violet scent and yet is softer, it isn't hitting me over the head with its violetness. I could wear this. The rest of the notes are an indistinguishable blend of soft, pretty florals. This is something that would be appropriate for young girl, but is a bit too innocent for me.

 

On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 2 .

[Voleuse]

I get aquatic florals and melon on first application, sweet and watery and clean. This has a lot of throw on me, and it's delicious.

 

As it dries, the florals become more pronounced, but the overall tone of the blend stays juicy and sweet. The aquatics give it a pale turquoise feel, which is interesting. I like this.

[jewelbug]

The lab sent me this as a frimp with a recent order. I love when they send discons/unreleased's!!! Thank you!

 

Imp: Sweet, clean, aquatic floral. The sweetness is presumably coming from the melon--but its not a bubblgummy melon, it’s just a really natural green type melon. I’m gonna qualify this whole review by saying that rose and I generally don't get along, and I'm not typically the "light floral" type, so take my comments with a grain of salt…

 

Wet: First on is bitter cold violet, which I usually don't like. Luckily, it tempers and fades in a matter of seconds. I can smell a light rose (hoping it doesn’t amp), and that vegetably melon--more like a cucumber than a melon, actually. So far, this a sweet clean smell, not overly floral, and kinda aquatic.

 

Drying: Rose is amping a bit. Uh-oh….

In 20 minutes, I can feel the aquatics and sweet melon trying to get out. Unfortunately, rose is stepping all over them and turning the blend a bit soapy.

 

After 1-2 hours, the blend re-balances, and the rose is less overpowering, but still very much a key player. This is a light, sweet, green rose scent with just a bit of melony fruit. Something even strikes me as just a hint spicy, I'm guessing that’s the woods?

 

Overall: This mellows into something quite lovely, but I just can't deal with the amping soapy rose for the first two hours. I can see many people loving this. Its gentle, its clean, its fresh, and it’s a different type of rose--melon and aquatics really make it a stunning and surprising combo. I'm quite glad I tried this unique blend, but I'm gonna gift it to a friend--I think she'll like it more than I!

[grrrlennyl]

at first: this is very wet. there are lots of violets and a bit of wood.

on: pretty violets. a bit wet.

2.5 hours later: musty violets. not so good.

4 hours later: generally floral and a bit sweet.

overall: this just didn't work on me, which sucks, since i reallly thought i'd like it.

[zankoku_zen]

I've been craving to try this ever since I read about the discontinued scents and jewelbug was generous enough to toss her imp my way..

 

 

On imp: Clean floral, I can smell a biting violet there. Otherwise, the impressions are cool, fresh and aquatic.

 

On Skin: I don't get the violets so much, but a sweet and soft floral. Almost too soft, it seems to fade right into my skin. I can see this being a very comforting scent when one is feeling introspective.

 

After a while, I smell the lilies. It's still very much in the soft aquatic blend.

 

After 30 minutes, I get the violets peeking out and the rose is coming to play. If I sniff long enough, I get a hint of sandalwood.

 

It stays on for a couple hours, between 4 and 6. I was a bit busy that day and didn't go sniffing my wrist as often as I normally do.

 

Verdict: This is a very violet sort of scent - but yes, it does evoke feelings of innocence and careless summer days and just sort of hanging out by a river, collecting flowers. The intermingling with sandalwood just makes the innocence a facade that you indulge in to try to get away from bitter reality.

[filigree_shadow]

The violet scent was a bit strong at first. However... the melon makes it sweet and interesting. And after 20 minutes or so I can't even really smell that violet any more, and now I can mostly smell rose. It's a soft, pretty rose with a little bit of a woody scent underneath it, and just a hint of something watery. I like this a lot. It's really too bad this is discontinued -- I'd probably buy a bottle of it if it were available.

[Blood onmy hands]

I really like Ingenue for the first few minutes on my skin, it has a wonderfully green sweetness to it that I am guessing is the clover. It's very refreshing and summery.

 

However, after about 10 minutes, this morphs into a bland aquatic floral on me . It does not smell like violet or rose on me specifically, just has that nondescript powdery floral scent with what smells like a base of powdery light sandalwood.

 

I wish that I could find a blend that has the same green notes that this one does in the beginning.

[edenssixthday]

Ingenue is an incredibly woody scent, but it’s soft and pretty. The clover is a very strong note in this scent, and sadly, I don’t note any of the melon and only the slightest hint of rose. This scent has the tiniest bit of sharpness, and I’m thinking it must be the greenery of the violet leaf and the clover. It’s a really pretty scent and I’d put it in the same scent family as Xiuhtecuhtli, oddly enough. Unfortunately, on me it has very little throw and stays extremely close to the skin and it fades quickly. I like it enough, however, that I think I’ll hang on to it and wear it in a scent locket and in my hair to make it last longer.

[scourgeotheseas]

Ingenue - from the DC imp swap.

 

In the imp: Oooh, pretty! Brightly floral, yet aquatic.

 

On me/wet: Violet mellowed by melon and something else (clover? water lily? I don't know). Not bad at all!

 

Drydown: Melon-y at first. A sharp biting scent jumps in soona after, which I think is the violet. Definitely an aquatic background, though. Is it coincidence that I'm getting a headache, or is it the violet???? Sadly, I'm not getting much rose.

 

Headache...ok, this comes off now.

Edited July 31, 2006 by scourgeotheseas

[sofiaviolet]

A light, pretty, soapy floral. I don't smell any melon, which surprises me. The violet is strongest on my skin, though that's not saying much because this has very very little throw. But it's sooo pretty. I'm undecided on whether or not I'll keep my imp.

[supremegoddessofall]

Mostly lilies with a touch of rose. The florals aren't going to chemical hell on me, which is nice for once. I get a decent amount of melon here too which is providing a softening/sweetening note.

[emzebel]

DC Circular swap -

This is a very bright sweet floral that pretty much stays that way. Very pretty, but not my thing.

[wikkidraven]

wow, this is STRONG for something that reads so very feminine in the scent notes. a very tiny dab and i immediately got shocking lillies, with melon undernote. i get a hint of rose and violet too in the drydown...this is very nice. it makes me think of summer