Antique Lace

[m13]

Nostalgia encapsulated. A soft, wistful blend of dry flowers, aged linens, and the faint breath of long-faded perfumes.

To me this is comfort in a bottle -- hot milk sweetned with honey and sipped on a rainy, chilly night after a long but good week.

In the imp and on my skin it's vanilla with a backbeat of light musk. I don't get florals from this, and that makes me very happy. The scent doesn't morph at all on my skin, it smells the same right after I apply it until it almost fades away after about 4 hours.

Not something I'd reach for when going out because its not really me, but a lovely scent for a lazy day at home. I don't usually like sweet but I do like this. I'll keep the imp and probably add another couple of imps worth of Antique Lace to my collection as needed.

Bet this would be lovely added to a hot bubble bath too.

[harmonyfb]

Vanillavanillavanillavanilla. This is the vanilla of Snake Oil without the spices.

 

Honestly, I don't smell any other note besides vanilla. No flowers, no linen, no nothing. It's very nice, but it seems to be giving me a bit of a headache. I might put it aside to try again later.

[Edreaiar]

My first impression is vanilla- lots and lots of vanilla. Vanilla flooding a room made of vanilla with vanilla-scented wallpaper and just lots and lots of vanilla. The color that comes to mind is a very pale and faded gold.

 

It's not really just vanilla, though- it's a powdery vanilla that's almost candy-like (cotton candy?) but not quite.

 

Very creamy, now that I think of it.

[midnight_aeval]

To personify this scent, I see my grandmother.. I remember how she looked last time I got to see her before she passed away. And then time goes backwards, to when she was little; staring me in the eyes in an old black and white photograph.

 

The evolution of this scent was exactly like that. When I first applied it to my skin, it did smell antique, then the sweetness, that innocence, came out. The scent still holds onto the antique note (the linens and faint flowers), letting you know it's still there, but it's like it doesn't want you to worry about it. It wants you to smell the youth in it...

 

..this was the first BPAL scent that made me cry; and of course I will be getting a bottle of it.

[laochodia]

Vanilla and soft lace. This is slowly creeping into my favorite imp list. It stays sweet and light, with just enough throw that you can smell it when sitting next to me but only get teensy whiffs of it 2 seats away. This is a very soft, lush, sweet but not sugary scent that stays with you for hours.

[nightbird]

A friend of mine compared this to another of my favorite oils, Zephyr, so I leaped at the chance to try it. Unfortunately, I was disappointed; I get a very strong fakey-vanilla smell when I wear it.

 

rating: 0/5

[Caltha]

Antique Lace

Antique Lace was a freebie I would never have picked for myself. It's very creamy, like many AvaLuxe blends are creamy. Mostly vanilla and cream with a refreshing citrusy hint and perhaps some sweet, powdery florals, like violet. Very pretty, but not me. It's like vanilla ice cream. I'm not vanilla. Why pick vanilla when there are chocolate and booze and nuts and spice and... you get the idea. I didn't keep Morocco, which was a similar vanilla ice cream with a spicy oriental touch, so I'm not keeping the plain version either. But I'll say it again, it is very pretty.

[Ryokumuji]

Wow, bring on the vanilla! I don't smell the flowers or linens in the description. It's a creamy kind of vanilla with maybe a drop of honey but it doesn't smell "foody", if you know what I mean. It's nice, but it's not something I'd wear that often. I'm not a huge fan of vanilla scents, just the ice cream but I figured I'd give this a spin anyway.

[sofiaviolet]

In the imp: Sweet, pretty. Reminds me a little of Dorian.

 

On me, wet: It's getting sweeter and sweeter. I smell vanilla. This is probably not good news, because vanilla and I usually don't get along.

 

On me, dry: The vanilla smell is overwhelming. I find it nauseating.

 

Verdict: It makes me feel like I've eaten several tablespoons of sugar. No thanks.

[mountainwitch]

So this is what all the fuss is about . . . I don't think I would ever have tried this, if bloodlotus1 hadn't kindly included a decant with a purchase I made a while back. Linen? Perfume? Eh . . . How exciting could it be?

 

What a surprise. I was expecting something purely floral with a bit of air freshener or dryer sheets. Instead this is a warm, rich vanilla scent at first--almost like a creamy caramel. For a few moments the scent is almost edible--but not quite--until the linen smell comes out, giving it a hint of that strange clean-summer smell of line-dried laundry. NOT dryer sheets, not air freshner, but a scent that I honestly thought could not ever be replicated in a bottle.

 

The scent that results is one that I feel as if I could literally wear almost anywhere: dates, work, meetings, church, you name it. And the scent lasts, too . . . it still lingers, just as fresh as when I put it on, almost twelve hours later.

[Eros]

Not one on my list to try(even though it's a favorite for so many)..Frimp from wonderful LJer =)

 

In the imp~Rich vanilla with a slight smokiness to it.

 

On skin, rich and creamy vanilla with something rather like fresh, clean soap in the background(linen??). This reminds me quite a bit of Dorian but lighter on the tea. The man sniffed my wrist and said, "Mmmm, caramel apples? I like it!!"

 

It started to go way light shortly after application but has strengthened since. No dry flowers but that kinda soapy smell lingers. About an hour after application he sniffs again, "Vanilla and...something...nice!" Unfortunately, this has started to REALLY tickle my nose and I can't stop sneezing. Might have to try it again in a couple of weeks, it's lovely.

[fairy]

This one was a decanted imp I got in a sale and one I was really interested in trying. In fact, this is the very first bpal oil I ever smelled. I was a little disappointed though.

 

To me it smelled like church. Heavy perfume coming from the person next to you while sitting in church. And it stayed strong. I tried washing it off several times with no luck.

 

This one made me sad because I loved it by the description and was hoping it would work with my chemistry...but alas it wasn't meant to be.

[roesmoker]

I can't believe I haven't reviewed AL yet!

 

I got hooked on BPAL right after AL was discontinued, so for a long time it was just a legend. Then it came back and I ordered a 10ml unsniffed, I just had a feeling it would work on me from reading the reviews. Thank God I was so right! AL is one of my all-time favorites, a classic that I come back to again and again. It's the one I wear when it's disgustingly hot out and I need something cool & creamy to keep from melting into a puddle of sweat. It's the one I wear when I'm in a foul mood and nothing will please me. It stays the same from the first wet swipe to the very last fading whiff, wafts like a mother and makes me smell like a delicious marshmallow/vanilla frosting all day long - even through a shower!

 

I you, Antique Lace - don't ever change.

 

ETA - that is a terrible review. But I don't know what I can add that hasn't already been said. The vanilla in Snake Oil made me nauseous. Same with the buttery cream note in Chaste Moon. There's sort of an orchid musk similarity to Snow White, which worked on me for a while until it too started making me feel ill. AL somehow manages to be the ultimate sweet & vanilla soft-as-a-cloud scent without being sickeningly foody. Maybe it's because there's no butter note. But it's also a vanilla for those who can't do most of the other BPAL vanilla notes. And I also don't know how the light musk works when the White Musk SN went to hairspray on me and then vanished within minutes.

Edited November 26, 2006 by roesmoker

[urbanruralferal]

When we first received this well-swapped around imp in a swap, I sniffed it at the post office counter (and my postmistress fell in love with it...) and it seemed pleasant enough.

When we got home my daughter tried it on and I barely noted it.

But when I got home from an outing yesterday and walked through the door, I was bowled over by a most unpleasant sharp vanilla odor. It was extremely pervasive, and it smelled EXACTLY LIKE the super institutional vanilla air freshener we use at my work. You know, the one that I put my respirator on around.

I asked my daughter to please wash it off, and furthermore, I did a load of laundry that contained the clothes she was wearing. She was going to order a 5ml, but we switched the order to a 5ml of Alice. I will be giving the imp of Antique Lace to the postmistress.

 

There is NO WAY I will try it on my skin.

 

 

 

ETA: I love Dorian, and we compared the two while we were trying to get the AL smell out of the house. I would say they are definitely in the same family, the same shade of yellow-white. I just can't handle the Anitque Lace...

Edited July 31, 2006 by urbanruralferal

[sestina]

I was certain, positive, had no doubt at all, that I would love this one. I love vanilla. I love all the scents that everyone seems to find this reminiscent of. But on me, Antique Lace is a combination of hair spray and cake icing. I want to like it, but it just won't work. I'm thinking of combining it with Sudha Segara to see if that tones it down and brings up the soapy freshness in Sudha. Maybe that will work.

[Trish]

In the imp: soft vanilla with some light florals. Actually the florals smell dusty, which really does conjure up the image of antiques. I'm not a floral person but I do like this. It's soft and romantic.

 

Wet: Very similiar to the imp, except the florals become a little clearer.

 

Dry: Same.

 

After an hour: Almost pure vanilla, albeit a soft gentle one.

 

Two hours: Vanilla.

 

Four hours: Still vanilla, but getting faint.

 

 

This isn't surprising really. Vanilla loves me and although I don't amp it, it stays very true and tends to last a fair while on my skin. I like it normally, but of late I've become extremely sick of it thanks to a merchandiser at work who drowns herself in The Body Shop vanilla perfume oil.

 

I'll keep the imp but probably won't get it again. I just wish the florals would last longer (now that's a first for me!!).

[Miseraya]

In the imp: Sweet and heavy. My first thought is amber. My second is vanilla and my third is cotton candy. I'm not getting a linen smell from the imp. This is incredibly sweet and feminine. I am concerned with what my body chemistry will do with this. Anything this sweet has a tendency to go insane on my skin, making me smell as though I fell into a vat of perfume, rather than dabbed some oil on my wrists. Hopefully that doesn't happen here.

 

On the wrist, wet: Too strong by half, already, but I'm going to see this through the drydown at least. Past all the chokingly sweet vanilla scent I get this clean laundry smell trying to fight it's way through. Alas, my chemistry won't allow that to happen, but it's a nice thought.

 

On the wrist, dry: The linen scent lost the fight, TKO. My skin sucks. Pure vanilla now, and hella strong bad ass at that. Bleh.

 

Final Analysis: This has got to be a gorgeous scent on people who can do vanilla, alas, I am not that person. Swapping this to Eoife, because I told her I would.

[Eunice]

This reminds me of Victoria's Secret's Vanilla Caramel perfume that I had years and years ago. I don't get the linens and florals at all. This is all vanilla caramel on me. Very very lovely but too sweet for me to wear.

[astridclaire]

This scent is so lovely and comforting the first 15 minutes it's on-- it's absolutely perfect: vanilla mixed with marshmallow root and the prettiest, most delicate 80 year-old lace.

 

And then it disapears completely.

[Neely]

In the bottle: soft vanilla.

 

Wet:: vanilla powder, like you would add to a glass of milk.

 

Dry down: same, soft vanilla powder.

 

30 minutes: the same powdery soft vanilla. I am guessing the linen is registering on my skin as powder. I am not really getting florals, which for me is a bonus. I am not much for florals.

 

Conclusion: this is lovely. It is very soft and sticks close to the skin, very much like its name. I like this, but it is not me.

 

Rating 1-5 on my skin, this is a 3.5. For just being a lovely perfume I give it a 4.

[Dandelion]

Nice, pretty, lovely vanilla and dried flowers that smell a bit like potpourri. I don't get any linen, but that's likely because I don't know what linen would smell like in a scent. The florals are a bit perfumey, and would be headache-y if they weren't so soft. The vanilla smells powdery, almost like a vanilla cookie. It definitely isn't the liquid straight-from-the-bottle vanilla extract smell I was hoping for. Still, something in Antique Lace just does it for me, and I'll probably be using my imp up.

[themerrybaker]

Serious vanilla - as in the vanilla fabric softeners. So, the impression is clean fresh clothes. Very work friendly.

[gaai]

Yes vanilla. Such a lovely, sweet, comfort scent.....

At first there's this faint smell of floral perfume.....but it's *very* faint and after that it's all creamy vanilla.

Very light, very every day, very good!

[Gladtobemom]

Wow--really wonderful.

 

I've got to make a perfume spray out of this and I'm ordering more. Very feminine.

 

It's so pretty, vaguely floral, a teeny bit of that white musk smell, and sweet and just wonderful.

 

It really sticks with me too. I put it on this morning and I can smill smell it.

 

This is my favorite so far. It's going on my "always have to have it" list.

 

Gladtobemom

[Scrangie]

I get strong vanilla and amber.

 

It's really pretty, but a little matronly.

 

It has a lot of throw and seems to last a long time on me.

 

Very smooth, and smells to me very similar to Morocco.