Aristocratic Couple

[Veronica]

ARISTOCRATIC COUPLE

Bourbon vanilla, preserved apricot, and cardamom.

In the bottle, this smells like an juicy apricot floating over a spicy vanilla base, with a tickle of cardamom taking over at the end. Creamy and sweet with the nutty warmth of cardamom--absolutely lovely in the bottle. Wet, the cardamom comes out full force and this is all spice over a vanilla base. On dry down, the caradamom loses its edge and settles down into a barely discernable background note as the apricot takes center stage and I'm left with light, sweet apricot over musky vanilla. This scent hangs very close to the skin and dries down faintly on me (but I'm also not a slatherer). Really lovely, but the apricot note turns ever so slightly plastick-y on me, so I might have to give this one a pass after all.

[suki]

In the Bottle: Oh. Holy. Moly. There's apricot and vanilla and and and...

 

Wet On Skin: This is just so incredible. It's sweet without being cloying or candy-like and it's got a little nip of spice at the end, which must be the cardamom. It's soft and just sooooo goooood.

 

Dry Down: Vanilla-apricot ice-cream with a tiny dash of white musk. A little odd, but it WORKS.

 

In All: A close-to-the-skin scent, I could see this being worn for sweet seduction early in a courting. SO glad I got a bottle!

[Haltija]

I just had a feeling this would be the perfect scent for me and it is!

 

Bright, juicy apricot with a dusting of a little spice. The vanilla keeps it from being overly spicy but yet it doesn't make it super sweet either. It is honestly the perfect balance of sweet and a little savory. It is indeed a closer to the skin scent but in no means does it disappear within a few minutes. It lasts for a good 4 hours on me and I don't mind re applying. When I wear this I feel happy and I love that. It's just a scent that I feel was made for me and I think I may require a backup bottle. Gorgeous!

Edited February 16, 2015 by Haltija

[miss_rynn]

All the apricot! A very true preserved apricot note - it's not fresh and juicy, but concentrated and intense. The cardamom is pretty fierce on the skin to begin with, but settles down to a slightly spiced haze at the edges. The vanilla isn't very strong on my skin, at it is more a perfumey vanilla than a foodie one. If you liked March Hare, you will love this. It's like March Hare's sexy cousin.

[LiberAmoris]

Aristocratic Couple is truly cardamom-spiced apricot preserves...so delectable. Wet, it's mostly apricot and cardamom, and as it dries down the cardamom burns off a bit, leaving a yummy apricot-vanilla skin scent. I love cardamom, but like this best after everything has settled down. Uncomplicated and beautiful!

[Woozel]

Wet: Holy Apricot!!

 

Dry-down: Apricot is not planning to back down anytime soon! It's the star of the show!

 

Final verdict: Still apricot with the slightest hint of cardamom. I get no vanilla from this at all. My chemistry really amps the apricot and that is literally all I can smell. The apricot does smell delicious though. It smells so real it makes thirsty for fruit juice! If you LOVE apricot, get this! If apricot is your thing you will not be disappointed, it is a must have for your BPAL collection. I find the scent doesn't have much throw, it's very soft and close to the skin. It's a delicate, very feminine apricot scent that evokes thoughts of spring and sunshine. Beautiful bottle art! This is such a beautiful scent, but sadly not for me! I am a vanilla lover and I had hoped of course vanilla would be a prominent note(like I do with any scent with vanilla listed lol). I tend to like gourmand vanillas and this is just too fruity for my tastes.

 

This bottle is currently looking for a new, loving home where it will be appreciated!

[biocarolyn]

This is strong apricot in the bottle, with just a hint of spice. On my skin, the cardamom comes out. This isn't a sweet vanilla to me, supporting this, but one with more of a bite. The apricot stays strong and spiced, really delicious. This in certain ways reminds me of Ushi- not that they have notes in common, but the intensity of the fruit with something else underneath- as much as they should be seem like they'd be best in warmer weather, they are perfect this time of year. This is really delicious and not overly sweet or juicy, just intense fruit with the cardamom spice and vanilla rounding it out. I really like this.

[macabre_fae]

Mmm vanilla soaked apricots, yum yum!

 

The apricot in this blend is very persistent and doesn't want me to pay any attention to the cardamom apparently, because I can't smell it at all. I get soft ripe apricots glazed with vanilla. It's warm and comforting, and yummy. It makes me think of Summer, and how nice it ifeels to take a bite out of a tasty fruit (apricots in this case) while feeling the warm sun (that would be the warm vanilla here) on your skin.

[KitCroupier]

When I open the bottle, it smells so much like I remember March Hare smelled! Bright and fruity apricots, spice, with the addition of vanilla.

 

Sadly, once on my skin, this almost disappears. Instead of being in your face with lots of throw, like March Hare, it dries down to something I can barely smell. Hardly any spice, just apricots and maybe a light vanilla.

 

I LOVE this scent, it just doesn't last on me. I'll still keep the bottle and maybe consider trying it in a scent locket.

 

(The staying power is disappointing. I tested March Hare at the same time and even after 24 hours later and a shower I could STILL get a tiny whiff of March Hare on my wrist).

[Alaeidrel]

In the bottle, I mostly just get apricot, a little floral, a little fruit.

 

As it dries it gets creamier vanilla and apricot, but with an odd high top note that reminds me of the vanilla orchid HG. There's maybe the tiniest hint of cardamom.

 

Dry, it's still pretty floral and high. Here's to hoping it ages to be a little more musky - I ended up swapping away the aforementioned HG because of that note. I love apricot so I want this to be stronger, muskier and spicier.

[Lorna Brigid]

I was worried about the cardamom in this, because I didn't much care for Sachs.

However, I love this!!!!

Aristorcratic Couple is everything I wished of Love's Philosophy, or Harp of Corvair or something or nother....

It's like Underpants's innocent younger sister, that was brought up on the Upper West Side.

Soft, sweet and sophisticated without being cloying. Yum!!

 

I'm amending this initial review because this morning when I put this on for a full day skin test, it smells so much like my beloved Haloes!! This must the same apricot note.

LOVE THIS!! It is so soft it fades fast on my skin, though. I just put my nose right in the crook of my elbow where I applied it generously this morning, and it is already gone. It's 12:06 pm.

Edited March 4, 2015 by Lorna Brigid

[zankoku_zen]

Juicy apricot, vanilla and a hint of cardamom. It's like a peachy creamsicle. I really sort of love this. I'm worried that overall it may be too cloying, but I think I love it enough to get more. This one is beautiful in its simplicity. Candy and fruit lovers, take note. Good throw, good wearlength.

 

Peachy, creamy, sweet.

[Myrrha]

Peach, apricot, nectarine, these always seem kind of innocently sexy to me because something about the smell of these fruits is reminiscent of skin. This reminds me of The Temptation, that same pastel gilded apricot and delicate vanilla. It is truly gorgeous. On my skin it lasted about four hours. On my second test I put on more but it smelled a bit sharp close up so maybe wearing less and reapplying after a few hours is a better idea. It is lovely but I'm not sure yet that it is for me.

[kajacana]

In the imp/initial application: this is EXACTLY the bourbon vanilla of the Trading Post's bourbon vanilla bath oil. A really perfumey, non-foody, rich vanilla.

Drydown: the fruity sweetness from the apricot comes out. I'm not getting any cardamom, just this really nice mix of bourbon vanilla and apricot (I'm guessing the "preserved" apricot could translate to "apricot preserves," because it's definitely got more of a jam vibe than a fresh fruit vibe for me.)

It softens quickly, leaving that beautiful bourbon vanilla with a boost of extra sweetness. Not a lot of throw, but I could definitely see myself slathering this one in the summer.

The cardamom barely peeks out after several minutes, not super detectable but serving to round everything out very nicely.

Edited March 5, 2015 by kajacana

[unxolve]

In the bottle this is warm and gooey, on my wrist it because a lot lighter, brighter, and sweeter. Definitely a creamy vanilla with a side of apricots.

Soft and pretty.

[aiobhan]

Apricots and cream! Wet and dry, those are the notes that I get strongest. Dry, it becomes a lot more soft, and the cardamom keeps it from being cloyingly sweet.

[karykeion]

I'm really excited about this fruit + cardamom combo after Venus Obsequens.

 

In the decant: A veritable army of apricots.

 

On me, wet: Apricot and...smoky? Maybe that's cardamom? Soft apricot and cardamom. I think I was expecting this to be spicer, but I like it fine.

 

On me, dry: Okay, well, this is weird. It smells like...dusty apricots. I'm getting the apricot and the cardamom, and they're good, but there's something else in here that isn't playing nicely. I assume it's the bourbon vanilla, but it doesn't really smell like bourbon or vanilla to me, so i'm not sure what's going on here. It's a soft, unobtrusive apricot scent, and I feel kind of "eh" about it.

 

Probably going to give this another go, since Lovers and a Fan was really odd this afternoon too and I think I'm just having a weird skin day, but I don't really think it'll be my favorite.

[agirlnamedfury]

In the imp this is all cardamom, but once it hits my skin it gets quite floral. Interesting, since there aren't any floral notes listed. I don't seem to get any of the bourbon vanilla or apricot while wet.

 

After a few minutes the apricot starts to come out, but it is almost a dried apricot and is very subtle.

 

Almost no throw.

[steelgoat]

So glad I decided to spring for a decant of this! I wasn't too sure how the apricot would play on my skin, because I'm not sure I have tried any other bpal with apricot as a main component. But I had no reason to fear, because it's amazing. Of all the decants I got, this was the one that really sang to me from first sniff.

I applied a little bit a few hours ago already and it is still going strong. It's a light, sweet, almost floral scent. It's hard to describe. I don't really get much vanilla, at least not any vanilla I'm used to. In fact, I wouldn't have known there was apricot, vanilla OR cardamom in this if I hadn't read the description. It's so well blended, it's just a pretty, girly scent that is unique and sort of playful. It's not stuffy and it isn't too perfumey.

 

I really like this one! I may just need to pick up a bottle...

[barilace]

I love this so much. It's creamy, slightly spicy apricot. So lovely. I hope it comes back in stock.

[TriGirlJ]

It smelled like a bit of apricot over vanilla with a hint of spice in the bottle. On my skin, it smells like apricot. Just apricot.

[ElinaMakropulos]

Slightly more intriguing in the bottle than on me; in the bottle it was spicy vanilla whereas on my skin it's all apricot, all the time. Not unpleasant, but I had hoped for less fruit and more vanilla. I'm going to keep trying it though and give it some time to mellow out.

[Suusje]

It's a really pretty apricot on me with a tiny hint of cream and cardamom but it's sooo light. It really has to be slathered and it still doesn't last long.

[izile]

In the decant: dried, intense, super sweet apricots, maybe a little vanilla?

 

Wet on the skin: powerful apricot jam and smooth creamy vanilla, bit of spice, oh this is luscious - *slathers*

 

Dry down - 2+ hours - it's still there, but a lot calmer than it was when I left the house - it's a slightly creamy apricot, maybe a hint of spice, but fairly indistinct at this point, if I hadn't been sniffing it through it's evolution, at this point it might just smell faintly like fruity-sweet something.

[sailthetethys]

This, to me, is Katharina's sultry big sister. It has the same sweet, lush apricot that I love in Katharina, but the cardamom and the bourbon vanilla warm and spice it up a bit. It's absolutely delicious. Not too sweet, but softly sexy and close to the skin. This is the perfect snuggle-up scent.