Muse

[jj_j]

A light, invigorating floral and citrus blend. Tuberose, lotus and jasmine with a hint of lime.

Definite lime to this one, but it's the dark green rind of the lime, tart and zingy, along with the juice from the fresh half you're squeezing for the margaritas. It makes the lotus and jasmine absolute sparkle, with the tuberose still creamy and lush. This is a liquid smell, but not one of water.

I'm not a white floral fan, but the lime changes this into something I not only want to wear, I can. Never over the top, no small children fall gagging at the white floral cloud around me, and I don't smell like a department store counter; there's no headache or sneezing when I wear these scents tied up by the lime. I think this would be a distinctive, pleasant way to wear a white floral if your chemistry usually contrasts violently with tuberose or jasmine, and it's so different from regular white florals that you should invest in an Imp if you typically despise those types of scents.

Really in a league of its own.

[sarabeegee]

I love the zing of the lime--it reins in the sweetness of the white flowers.

[Scylla]

This is a very refreshing, interesting scent--seems perfect for summer, and appropriate for daytime/work wear.

 

On me, the lotus and lime are the predominant notes with jasmine next and tuberose WAY in the background.

 

A very interesting, long lasting scent. It lasts all day on me without needing to reapply.

 

While I'm keeping my imp, I probably won't order a big bottle.

Edited August 13, 2004 by Scylla

[aileen]

At first: sweet and sharp, like sour candies.

 

Then: sweet, fruity, and powdery. What's wafting up is the sweetness and the powderiness, with the sharpness of the lime. What's up with my skin making everything powdery? I don't like powder! Poop.

[TygherRayn]

I'm discovering I really like lime in a scent, and that seems odd to me at first, until I realize that I rather lime lime in things too. I will say that this scent I purchased simply for the name. I wasn't sure if the notes would appeal to me in the blend, but I was hoping for a scent to inspire me.

 

In the bottle: Sweet, but as others have said, it's a tart-sweetness. It's floral though .. I can just barely note the jasmine here at first, but, it's definitely there.

 

First 10 minutes: This is a rather powerful lime on me at first. I'm beginning to see that my chemistry draws out that note pretty easily. This starts to morph soon though, becoming almost smoky? Odd. But it continues to change, and I can really smell the jasmine here, and something else .. maybe the lotus? I don't know that note enough to tell. Definitely lime and jasmine still though.

 

Drydown: While this one seems to fade initially, it's not completely gone. It's just very subtle. It's a beautiful blend of lime and jasmine with other things mingled in there, making it a very dlicate and lovely scent. I was looking for something to inspire me, and I'm quite certain .. among others of course .. that this one will indeed fuel my inspiration.

[hypothermya]

Like Tygher, I'm really into having lime in my scents. So I went ahead and gave this one a whirl, hoping that the lime would make me partial to floral scents (which I'm typically not a fan of).

 

In the Bottle

 

Really strong jasmine, but who cares? The lime is right on top of the rest of the notes, adding a nice strong citrus zest. There's something softer than the jasmine, and I suspect that it's the lotus. Having never really identified a lotus smell before, I'm impressed. The lotus identified smell reminds me of gardenias once it's mixed with the rose and jasmine. So, lime and gardenias. There's a hint of powderish smell in there also, but in a very nice feminine way (you'll never catch me saying that about any other perfume with powder in it, by the way!). It reminds me more of powdered sugar than of baby powder. Yum.

 

Wearing It

 

When this first goes on, it's a bit sharp, like the lime's leapt for my throat. Not bad, all things considered, just not expected. The jasmine is once again making its presence known. As it mellows out, that sweet, soft lotus/tuberrose scent starts to mellow out the scent. Huh. I can see why Beth decided that this one would do a good job representing a Muse; she hits hard at first, but while you're recovering she comes on so sweet and gentle that you'll forget what a whammy she started out with!

 

As it dries out, the scent becomes much softer, almost light like early morning sunlight. The lime is what gets your attention though, cutting a clear path for the florals to follow.

 

When I made my scent guinea pig, er, I mean boyfriend, smell my wrists, he was unable to really identify the scent at all. He described it as being like a department store smell, but not...there was something in it that kept it from being a true department store perfume. (I'm guessing it was the lime and lotus.) He thought it smelled nice, but wasn't really interested in me wearing it more.

 

 

This is a good scent, a great embodiment of the concept of a Muse. While this is an inspiring scent, I don't think that it'll be an everyday sort of scent for me... It's just a bit too heavy on the florals. But unlike the other floral scents I've tried, this one really perks up with the addition of the lime. If only Venom had been as strong on the lime as this one was.

[lorajc]

I bought this for a summertime scent. I tend to like my florals a little bold and this one is gorgeous. I like Lotus and Jasmine, but I wasn't sure how they'd blend together. I love the way this wafts from my body. The last 2 days, I wore scents that clung to me (I hate that). I have had this on for a few hours and it is a bluish/green lotus cloud of goodness. It sort of reminds me of candied perfume clouds. It is sweet, but the lotus keeps the watery tone to it..........so I guess it would be candied liquid clouds of goodness. I barely detect the lime. I did smell it when I first put it on though. This will definitely be a summertime favorite.

Edited June 4, 2004 by lorajc

[Northernminx]

In the bottle: Jasmine, strong and floral.

 

On me: ka-pow, lime layered over Jasmine really makes for a crisp, tart floral. I can't decide if this is reminding me of somethinig else so I'll use it a few more times to be certain it's a keeper but I really adore the splash of lime in this.

[Donnababe]

First Sniff

 

Lime fruit gums.

 

Drydown

 

The lime faded within a minute or so and the jasmine took over. It's a nice sweet jasmine but that's all I can smell now.

 

After a While

 

Very little change from the drydown. Poor lasting power.

 

Final Verdict

 

I was excited by this initially but it turned into a Nothing Special. Pity

[malanna]

I can't really describe the scent, because it wasn't very distinct to me at all. The only thing I can say is that it felt like I was smelling an air bubble. There was a scent beneath the air bubble, but what I was smelling was the air bubble.

[TheDarkMother]

This is a scent that I got in a swap with da Minx. She always gives me the best toys;)

 

In the bottle, all I smell is jasmine, and oh is that smell sweet! I love the smell of jasmine!

 

On me, that wonderful jasmine with a hint of tartness that must be from the lime. Yeah, the more I sniff my wrists, the more I smell the lime, so that must be it. This is simply gorgeous, but I don't think my husband will like it. He hasn't been theat partial to the floral smells, but who says I'm wearing this for him right now?

 

Another keeper! My goodness, I certainly have a lot of keepers!!

[BubbleDragon]

I just got this one out. From the imp, it just smells overwhelmingly incense-y to me. (Ave maria gratia plena does this to me as well.) When I put it on, it actually reminds very strongly of a solid perfume I got when I was in France - I think that's the lotus in it. I'm new, so I couldn't point out jasmine vs. lime vs. lotus. It's much too strong of a scent for me, and complex in that mysterious way that makes it not good as a perfume (at least to me). It reminds me of the local head shop for some reason - incense and tie-dye.

 

This is definately not a keeper for me, though it is an inherintly nice scent, just not my style. Feeling like I smell like a head shop in an IT/business/hospital setting just doesn't jive.

 

~bubbles

[summer]

Wow, jasmine just comes alive on me! What a lush, sparkly scent. This reminds me a bit of Venus, but it's crisp rather than golden-dappled. The touch of lime is just enough to make this otherwise smooth, feminine floral feel a bit more "awake."

 

I want a big bottle of this. I can see wearing it every day.

Edited February 25, 2005 by summer

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: Oh, I love Beth's lime blends!

 

Second Impression: It amazes me that lemon just hates me but lime works wonders for my skin and my mood. Muse is bright, lovely and very romantic. Lime and lotus work beautifully together. And tuberose is gorgeous.

 

Final Analysis: I really like this. I'm going to wear it a few more times to see if I love it enough to order a larger quantity.

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

A Lab freebie--I think Beth may have noticed my love of white florals.

 

Hmmm....Muse is indeed "light and invigorating"; I wish the lime came out more prominently on me, since tuberose and jasmine are a touch too sweet for my taste when paired together. Muse seems like a daytime version of Midnight, very classy and feminine. But I seem to like my white florals "dry", if we can use wine terms for comparison. Muse is for those who like a sweet dessert wine bouquet, whereas I am more of a dry chardonnay girl. I can see the loveliness of this, but it's off to swap.

[scourgeotheseas]

In th bottle: A very sweet floral. When I went back to sniff after reading the description, I picked up a whiff of lime, but a very sweet, candyish lime.

 

On me: It's starts out with a blast of bright florals, and an undertone of very light citrus. I think it's the lotus that has that sweet smell to me, and I really enjoy it. It's a bright and summery scent, and wears very nicely. Defintely a daytime scent!

 

Unfortunately, I felt compelled to give my imp to my tuberose-loving mom. Time to swap for another, I think!

[magikfanfic]

In the bottle: I don't know what tuberose smells like and I've also never been able to pick out lotus. This should be fun. This has an background note that's kinda waxy and a little unpleasant. The lime is very much present, and we all know how much I love lime. On it goes.

 

Wet: Very lime with that faint unpleasant smell in the background. I'm a lime freak. I'm gonna buy all the blends with lime now. Oh, jasmine. Jasmine with a kick of lime and that odd note still hovering. It's not unpleasant so much as just...I don't know.

 

Dry down: Jasmine and the other note. My lime has forsaken me. No, there it is. The lime is in the throw now. Mmmm. This blend is very light and puzzling at the same time. Lotus. I bet it's the lotus. It smells the way the lotus flower looks, kinda heavy and white and waxy. There's stilla nice kick of jasmine to it. I love jasmine. This is lighter than both Ave Marie (my first jasmine) and Eos (the brighter Ave). It all mixes together very nicely. I don't love it. It's not a scent to be loved, tough. It's a scent to chase down avenues in the spring. It's a flower that gets caught up in the current of the stream.

 

Dry: Lime and jasmine with most of the lotus having faded away into the background. I feel very comfortable in this scent. It's not one of the ones that bothers me, and it also doesn't capture my attention the way Boabhan Sith does. It is quite pleased with being appreciated rather than adored. It is fine with being occasionally forgotten because it's always lurking in the back of my scent box for the day when I need to feel light and unearthly. Very jasmine dry but then my skin amps up jasmine like nothing else.

[tempete]

(I thought that I had reviewed Muse already, but apparently not...)

 

My hopes were not high for Muse. Jasmine routinely and reliably turns soapy on my skin, and lotus tends to be too cloyingly, nauseatingly sweet for my tastes. But lime is the magic ingredient here... I can smell it most strongly during the wet stage, but its imprint is definitely felt during the drydown: there's a clean freshness that seems to cut right through the soap and the sweetness. The end result is a white floral without any of the negatives that typically accompany pure floral scents (at least with my body chemistry).

 

I used to think that I only liked florals when they were encased in amber and drowned in musk (preferably red), but now I can ask for them with a wedge of lime.

[byrdie]

Bottle ~ A warm, sweet citrus smell -- like those Brachs sugar-coated orange jelly candies, or citrus Jolly Ranchers.

 

Wet ~ Lemon pledge and something else, something sharper. Orange?

 

Drying ~ Definitely orange or grapefruit with a musk underneath it.

 

Dry ~ It's fading into a citrus, cloying musky smell.

 

Fade ~ The citrus note is far more cloying now.

 

Final thoughts ~ Either my chemistry is off and I'm turning everything I test into weird lemon smells, or my previous go at some of these oils was a warning to stay away from them. This could turn into a good scent for anyone who does citrus and musk well, and it could be a fun bath oil for me, but not as something for directly on my skin.

[amunnefret]

Its always a surprise when people refer to rose as an old fashioned scent. While growing up I can never recall anyone wearing anything luscious and rosey. Muse on the other hand reminds me very much of the type of perfume the mum generation wore on special occassions - light (but not insipid) fresh florals.

 

Muse dates very well though - an excellent fragrance for the briskly efficient business woman. The kind of scent that keeps the mind sharp and focused.

 

ETA: This one stands its ground - after a full day's wear its still going strong.

Edited February 14, 2005 by amunnefret

[Splendid Molerat]

Muse begins with a mouth-watering, glossy green lime.

 

For me lime oil is a kissing cousin to turpentine, a pleasant nostaglia scent for me. The white florals are there, but they aren't as heavily sweet and funereal as they would normally turn on my skin.

 

I'll be wanting a bottle of this in future.

[Etaven]

In the bottle, I can just mostly smell the lime. There's a hint at what else is beneath it, and it's pleasant, but I'm not so sure it'll work well on me at all.

 

Well. On me, this is, perhaps, the first floral-type-scent that I like. It's a bit strong, and the lime vanishes almost immediately, and can only occasionally be picked up underneath the rest. Not sure if it would be something I'd want to wear often, as florals still aren't my thing, but it isn't nearly as clashing as I thought it would be on me.

 

After a bit, the lime once again comes out a bit, mixing with the flowers this time, instead of overpowering them or being overpowered by them.

 

Later, when it's mostly faded, there's just a pleasant reminder of flowers, with a nice hint of lime.

 

Yes, this is the first floral I'm considering keeping... as it surprisingly seems to work for me.

[Faerykin]

Muse

 

Swiped across wrists and along collarbone.

 

Initial Wet (8-8:30am): This is light, cool and bright. A very distinct citrus floral. Very spring-like.

 

Initial Dry (8:30-10am): As this begins to dry, the floral really comes to the forefront – almost overpoweringly so – and it is mostly jasmine. I hope this calms and the lime comes back.

 

Throughout the Day (10am-on): Sadly, this is all floral – a very strong floral. I was so hoping the lime would come back. Poopy-poop-poo.

 

This would be wonderful if I was looking for a jasmine scent. But, I was looking for a lime scent – so off to the Swap Pile!

[shelldoo]

i do not get along w/ jasmine, it always goes painfully sharp, metallic on me. but the lime must stop that from happening, when i open the vila lime is there teasing me wet it is lime and a tad of jamine, as it dries it becomes more jasmine, but w/o the metal edge. intresting

[quimerula]

Wet it's an intense perfume with jasmine and tuberose.

 

As time goes by the jasmine goes stonger, and it still has a lot of throw.

Keeps being very true on my skin, without changes.

 

Really lovely jasmine. I'm in jasmine heaven!