Oberon

[furygrrl]

Description: "Orchid, white musk, and bergamot wafting over juniper berries, with a gentle touch of soft, earthy patchouli."

 

In the imp: Something sharp and fresh - I'm thinking it's the bergamot and juniper.

 

On wet: That same bergamot-juniper freshness, and a strangely overwhelming powderiness that I'm attributing to the orchid.

 

Drydown: Spicy, somewhat powdery, slightly sweet. It's driving me crazy at this point, actually, because it reminds me of something I've smelled before, but I can't remember what! (Don't you hate it when that happens?) There *is* a faint soapy element underneath the other notes, but it has an airy-clean quality to it, rather than an unpleasant cleanser/detergent vibe.

 

Overall: An interesting blend. I love white musk, so I was a little disappointed that it wasn't a stronger presence in this fragrance. This scent's not exactly 'me', but I think it may be gender neutral enough to pique the hubby's interest. Against my skin, however, it rates a 2.5/5.

 

eta: description

Edited January 12, 2007 by furygrrl

[jarvenpa]

Thursdae generously sent me an imp of Oberon with a bunch of other treasures.

 

I didn't even check the scent notes, merely slathered. And was humbled, because--truly, I hadn't the vaguest, faintest idea what this blend was.

 

I like it a great deal: soft, sexy, somewhat powdery, deeply lasting. It has a sort of "elegant vintage perfume" vibe to it, and feels..kind of quiet, with ribbons of gold woven through a velvety darkness.

 

I was floored looking at the scent notes. Well, white musk usually is good on my skin, but I would never in a zillion years have guessed juniper or bergamot...let alone orchid. And the patchouli is not evident, except perhaps as a dark sweet whisper. This is elegance, not "I'm off to the Grateful Dead concert".

 

How many favorites can I have??? This is surely one.

[moon_lemming]

A slightly floral powder on top of baby powder. That's all I get wet; that's all I get dry. I'll blame the orchid and white musk, both notes that don't usually work on me.

Edited February 23, 2007 by karen

[lapillus]

In bottle: traditional floral perfume

 

Wet: Oh, much better. A somewhat powdery mix with white floral (orchid?) and white musk in the fore, spiced up what must be, looking at the description, a combination of bergamot and juniper and patchouli. So far it seems to be a mostly safe patchouli.

 

Dry: Spicy musk with sharp floral notes

 

Later: Spicy musk, floral almost completely gone within 45 minutes. The rest I expect will stick around for awhile. It’s strong with a good throw. It stays quite true to the later phase.

 

Summary: I’m not quite sure what I think of this one; it’s a little sharper than I usually go for, but it’s really interesting. I think I may hold on to it for the moment and see if it seems particularly inspiring later on. This is the first one I’ve had where if I had a guy handy I’d slather it on him to see how it worked.

[QueenFae]

This is a clean, outdoorsy, earthen scent. It's hard for me to pick out individual notes, but I guess the bergamot is on top. The patchouli floats through the undertones, and gives this blend it's woodsy feel. This is what I imagine a sexy, mountain bred cowboy would smell like fresh out of the shower. It is indeed rather masculine, but not so much that a woman couldn't wear it.

 

This is a very strong blend, and extraordinarily long lasting. This is exactly how I would like my man to smell, so I bought him a bottle of this a year ago. I think I still like this better than him!

[captainoats]

In the imp: Lemony and clean, but a light, fresh lemon, very white and gentle - no Pine-Sol here. A little bit of powder, and something warmer underneath, a little bit incensey, maybe floral.

On, wet: Mmm, more florals are coming out now. Still clean, almost like a very nice soap (similar to those little Crabtree & Evelyn ones I love). Something spicey too, which is keeping it warm and from being too clean.

Drying: Getting more powdery, but I don't mind - I love smelling like powder, and this one isn't too clean or too young, it still has elements of florals and a little bit of spice.

Dry: A warm, clean, floral powder - it reminds me so much of Crabtree & Evelyn soap that I had to mention it again. There's still enough of the spice to keep it from simply being baby powder.

Verdict: I know some people don't like that powdery smell, but I love it (and this is a much nicer powder smell than I've gotten from other blends that have gone powdery on me). Soft and floral, this is a really pretty scent that is perfect for spring. I'll definitely use my imp. I'd give it a 3/5.

[maribouquet]

Very nice. Despite a strong floral start, this smells masculine to me when first applied. As it dries, it becomes feminine and softer somehow, reminding me of a perfume I have smelled before - something big label, like Amarige or Tresor...wish I could place it!

 

Long drydown finds the orchid fading, and this becomes almost a little peppery...a touch masculine again, even with the lingering floral notes. Perhaps that is the juniper and/or the bergamot.

 

I like this and think it would be great for a hot summer night with satiny air and bare skin. Very lush and soft.

[Diana]

wet: detergent-y

 

drydown: light florals, slightly sweet, fairly powdery. it reminds me of an avon soap from childhood. it's a nice, clean scent, and a nice, inoffensive scent.

[bryghtrose]

This was a nice floral, but nothing about it stood out.

[Neely]

In the bottle: faint green floral.

 

Wet: green, light masculine floral. Smells like Spring in a bottle.

 

Dry down: green floral, and pickles? And I was worried about amping the flowers, HAH!

 

30 minutes: ok the pickle smell didn't last long. Apparently the picnic held in the woods moved on and I am left with flowers and green grass and herbs.

 

Conclusion: I wasn't sure about this one. I tend not to wear florals, as they smell like old lady and ass on me. But thanks to Beth and the labbies, I am rethinking my absolutely no florals policy. I kept catching wiffs of something beautiful throughout the night and realized it was me. A big bottle of this one is called for.

 

Rating 1-5: on my skin this is a 4.5.

[Extispex]

This is one of those that surprised the hell out of me. It was frimped to me by a lovely forumite, and its a scent I never would've bought for myself. Just the orchid would be enough to terrify me. But wow, is this beautiful.

 

This is one of those rich heady scents, a floral that truly works on me without going sour, powdery or soapy. The bergamot manages to deepen the aroma, and the patchouli doesn't stand out at all. There's just enough earthiness to prevent it from being an over-the-top femme-fest. Its sensual and immersive without being overtly sexual; it has a brazen glow to it.

 

I think I need a bottle of this one

[500ml]

This smells so strongly of white musk, I love it. The instant I put it on it reminded me of something, but I wasn't sure what. I then realized it reminded me of the perfume my grandmother used to wear, she was crazy for white musk and her house constantly smelled of a mix of white musk and magnolia. I've noticed that I've inherited her love for these two scents. Most florals work for me, anyway. She stuck with these two.

 

Oberon is a delightful light floral scent with a twist. It's earthy while at the same time being floral. At first I wasn't entirely convinced, but I might have to get a bottle of this one.

[Naamah_Darling]

White musk and orchid weave together in an ultra-light blend that is ever so subtle.

 

Even on, there is very little to this. It's not strongly rooted in any one category, it's really a medley of all its influences, and no one note dominates. This is soft, and less masculine than you might think. The top half is very light, almost powdery, and the body of it has a faint earthy undertone that is nonetheless moist.

 

It's not vivid, it's very understated, a perfume to wear when you don't want the scent to be noticed, you want you to be noticed. This would be an excellent choice for everyday wear. It's light, clean, and inviting, but subtle enough to remain appealing even on drydown.

[brit_brat100]

This is very fresh and earthy, with a touch of musk. I didn't think I'd like it much, but it's pretty nice. I'll have to see if I warm up enough to this one for an upgrade.

[taramarie]

In the imp, Oberon is just juniper. Wet on my skin, the orchid and white musk come through and they play very well with the juniper. Whether or not Oberon is gender neutral or masculine probably depends on a person's taste and body chemistry. To me, it's neutral bordering on feminine.

 

I love this scent! It's so fresh and different. I definitely need a bottle of this.

[Miseraya]

In the imp: Ok, that's odd I just got a note that reminded me of Embalming Fluid, that can't be right. Hmm, I think the bergamont and the white musk are trying to confuse my poor nose.

 

On the wrist: Ok, no more Embalming Fluid. Now this smells like something familiar that I can't quite name.... It's nice, not me, but nice. I'm not really getting individual notes in this though....

 

Drydown: Old Spice! This smells sort of like Old Spice to me. Which is cool, but not for me. It didn't work on the boy at all and it just doesn't suit me, but it is very nice! It also got a bit powdery on me towards the end, but that's because musk doesn't like me much.

 

Overall: Nice, clean and slightly masculine scent that might go wonky if you have issues with musk, reminiscent of Old Spice (though not so much like it that you can't smell the difference). I never really got patchouli out of this nor was I really able to make out single notes, but I'm not very good at that anyway.

[JennyGardener]

At first, I loved this scent, because it reminded me of my favorite smell in the world... dryer sheet exhaust. But on my skin, it quickly dissolved to soap. It smells much nicer on Faerygirl, but for some reason, I can't remember the scent at all.

[ribcaged]

I quite liked this but I did lather it on without realising such a delicate floral scent in the vial could be so strong!

It is herby and floral and is very feminine but with a masculine edge.

 

However, it does seem to sour after about 5 hours

[constantdistraction]

Oberon was one of the freebie imps I recieved, and it deserves its full credit for making me fall in love with BPAL, even after the initial lust. I had no idea what notes I preferred or what worked on my skin, and even some of the perfumes that most people gush about weren't working on me. Then Oberon saved the day!

 

In bottle: Sweet, flowery, and feminine. Even without knowing the notes, I knew that this was something delicious.

 

On skin, wet: Much like it was in the bottle. A little stronger than I'm used to, but very girly.

 

On skin, dry: Still very sweet and feminine, with a hint of something spicy and ethereal. Oberon brings to mind midnight woods and moonlit flowers. It's not overpowering or in your face, but it's definitely there. It does fade after a few hours, becoming more of a pleasant citrus powdery smell, but it's worth reapplying. It brightens my mood every time I apply it!

 

I asked a lot of opinions on my first two batches of imps, and Oberon was one of the only ones that got a thumbs up from a variety of people. As for me, it's my first BPAL love.

[Rouge]

I have a very Shakesperian theme to the freebies in my most recent order. I haven't had much luck with this sub-category so far, so let's hope the fairy king can enchant me!

 

In the vial - Strong orchid, with a hint of something lemony. It's quite otherworldy.

 

Wet on the skin- Again the orchid takes centre stage, but it's softened in a gentle cloud of musk. I fear it may be a little masculine for me.

 

Dry down - A few minutes into wear the orchid is giving me a bit of a headache, and I'm going to have to wash it off. Ill met by moonlight, I'm afraid.

[Czarina]

Very fresh and soft. The orchid came through very cleanly for me but I couldn't catch the juniper berries at all.

 

This turned rapidly into baby powder for me. True, sophisticated, elegant baby powder, but baby powder still.

 

Sigh. I'm too old for Love's Baby Soft.

[modernsaints]

Oh lord.

 

I am super behind on reviews - a ton of things have felt "off" lately, or just really "meh" - but I feel the need to rave about Oberon. It is GLORIOUS. The lab sent it to me as a frimp, and how the hell did they know? I never would've touched this (sounded horribly manly.) But I love it~~~

 

It is all sweet, sugary orchid - and for some reason it reminds me of Caron's Fleurs de Rocaille, though I have no idea if that's got orchid or not. As it dries down, it gradually gains this skin-scent base (with just a tint of salt) that I think is the white-musk/patchouli combo. Feminine and gentle and absolutely lovely.

[AmyAngel]

On, I get sweetness first – orchid, maybe? It's almost berry-like but I can tell it's floral. Then the white musk shows up, and there's something that's making me think of moss, but it might be the juniper berries. I'm not getting any patchouli, unless it's what is grounding this just a bit. It's not the “smells like lumber” patchouli. As it's drying, it's warming up, and maybe starting to go soapy? It's also starting to fade. It's definitely a clean scent. After about 10 minutes I'm getting a sort of strange soapiness – definitely the orchid. It's not entirely unpleasant, but not something I'd want to wear, either. It's staying a slightly soapy light floral sweetness over the course of an hour or so. Nice, but not great.

[radishbaby]

In the Imp : There's something slightly tangy in the oil - juniper berries perhaps?

 

 

Wet : This has a remarkably short "wet" time on me before my skin soaks it up. At first there was a small hint of patchouli that went like harsh smoke on me but when I checked a few minutes later it was gone. Now this is pure orchid.

 

 

Dry : Big, buttery white orchids. The musk and juniper berries add a slight tang. This is gorgeous! A very white, gauzy scent - I've been looking for a good orchid scent and I think I can say quite confidently that the search is over.

 

 

Over All : The is a really nice scent - wonderful representation. Nice throw, good stay.

 

 

Big Bottle Worthy : Not full. More like partial bottle or a few more imps to my collection worthy.

[Kimiko]

Oberon caught my attention for the name, upon receiving it in the mail I took a quick sniff, LOVED it! Very sweet, flowery...

 

So after putting it on... the orchid came out like crazy.

It was ok there for a bit but reduced to making me smell like strong dryer sheets. Also ended up giving me a massive headache.

By the end of the night I smelled like a mix of dryer sheet and baby powder.

 

Maybe I'll get my boy to try it, but I think he's going to say it's too flowery and sweet.