Fairy Tales and Lies

[PrinceofcatS]

Why? Why must a woman always write about fairy tales and lies Ideal husbands or being rescued by a dashing young prince?

A proper Gilded Age Happily Ever After: lilac water and rose petals swirled with a gleaming amber chypre and a touch of Italian bergamot.

I can't get over the use of a chypre to denote the antiquated Victorian attitudes towards women Edith is expressing her frustration with in this line! It just feels out of place. Nonetheless, this scent is definitely evocative of everything Edith is rebelling against, resisting.

When I first put this on, I admit, I put on way too much in my eagerness to douse myself in this collection. If any of you have ever smelled Too Much Chypre then you know what I suffered for over a solid hour. That sharp, nearly sour acidic citrus note gleamed way too brightly.

It was over an hour in before it started to soften, and I got a hint of something else - amber, I think it was, a foundation for the scent to lean on and not bother me so heavily. Only about ten minutes afterward did it become this utterly gorgeous, sophisticated beauty. This scent is pure elegance - it brings to mind gleaming marble staircases and bright golds and pearls. I'm astonished it turned out so well for me, as this is nothing like what I usually wear. The chypre and bergamot are so soft and ladylike now, the amber is so bright and binds everything together beautifully, and the floral notes are so light and delicate, unlike my normal experience with florals (though I love a good floral, so I don't mind; but in my experience I need my florals with other notes or they won't even develop on my skin chemistry). That lilac note is especially addictive, I think it is.

It's hard to describe, but this really does feel simultaneously old-fashioned and modern, as though you're present and young in the turn of the century, back when everything was new and glittering with hope.

I was regretting purchasing this instead of one of the other scents I wanted just a little while ago, and now I think this is one of the most unique and loveliest things I've ever worn.

[absinthetics]

This scent is everything it says. It feels like two ideas trading back and forth. There is a warm and cozy hut in the woods, and a deep lurking darkness that stalks it.

[Mergekat]

I went with Fairy Tales and Lies today for work. I wanted a fresh scent that played well in public. Basically pretty, but not overpowering to the masses. Nose is still a bit congested, but I got that lovely lilac water that dries and softens to that amber chypre. I think the bergamot simply is there to brighten and enhance those prior notes. It somehow perfect for multiple ages. It is both endearingly sweet and girly; and yet there is clear, cool, and refreshing nature to it that makes it a perfect wear for an adult lady in the daytime. It's very much a step into childish memories of sweet stories. But underneath it there is the sense of newly refined tastes.

 

P.S. Got compliments, and gave out a couple BPAL sample imps to a fellow employee.

Edited November 22, 2015 by Mergekat

[Blood onmy hands]

I was hoping for more lilac, but I'm not really getting a noticeable lilac or rose from this. It kind of smells like green flower stems (like the frozen ones in a flortist's fridge) and creamy, white spring floral on my skin. As it dries down, there's a powdery amber, but it still smells like a chilly, clean, floral scent to me. The bergamot is bright, but barely there in the background. This one is nice enough, but not for me.

[Lilah Wrote]

On me: Mostly rose. Very pretty, and morph-y into more of a lavendar soaked rose.

 

As it faded, to me it smelled like the Strawberry Shortcake dolls I used to play with as a kid. Not a bad thing, but sort of a nondescript sweet as it died.

 

Sadly this is another with almost no throw for me. It is, based on plot point and formula, something I was SUPER jazzed for, but my skin won't let it stay.

[Musamea]

in the decant: lilacs and wood, with the barest hint of roses and cool bergamot

wet: lilac soap and baby powder

dry: oh man, this oil really falls apart on me, even though none of the individual notes are usually an issue! The lilac water goes to soap and the roses turn powdery, combining to form eau de wet wipes on my skin. If I sniff deeply I can sense the resiny amber trying to break through and temper everything, but the wet wipes are winning. Too bad!

[Haltija]

This turns out very soapy and sharp on me, almost smelling like a medicine. No, actually the more I smell it the more it reminds me of this lotion I smelled all throughout my Grandma's house when I was a kid.

 

That part of it is quite comforting but it's still very heavy and powdery nonetheless. I will keep my decant but not upgrade to a bottle.

[zankoku_zen]

Fairy Tales and Lies reminds me to a rose version of Belle Epoque. It's got that rich, gilded vibe but with roses instead of lilies being the predominant floral. Sadly, I am not a rose fan but its very much in the same vein as Belle Epoque.

[LizziesLuck]

CP has been full of so much win for me, I have recently decided I should try the whole line, or as much of it as I am able, even things I didn't initially think would work.

 

Fairy Tales and Lies called to me from my very first read-through. I LOVE the name, and might have ordered it based on name alone even if the listed notes were "cow shit and turpentine". As it is, lilac is one of my absolute favourite florals, and there's not a ton of it in the GC, so I tend not to pass it up. Rose is a big yes, as is amber usually. Bergamot I'm not sure about, and I didn't even really know what chypre was, I had to Google. (If y'all were wondering, Google says, "Chypre perfumes are often described as mossy, earthy, warm, spicy and nature-smelling. The scent of a basic chypre base accord is reminiscent of the forest floor in autumn, of crushed leaves and foliage.")

 

Wet: I get something really green, which may be the lilac stems, or perhaps the chypre. It's nice. The lilac is present for sure, and the amber. Not getting a lot or rose initially. Really pretty. It feels timeless and classic.

 

Dry: Amber and lilac. I only tested a tiny amount, and it didn't last long. I need to do a full day test, but I really like this and may be tempted to get a bottle.

[SophieCedar]

Fairy Tales and Lies reminds me to a rose version of Belle Epoque. It's got that rich, gilded vibe but with roses instead of lilies being the predominant floral. Sadly, I am not a rose fan but its very much in the same vein as Belle Epoque.

 

I'd have to agree with zankoku_zen. The cascade and throw is similar to Belle Epoque, Good association.

 

The lilac is actually very prominent on me,sticking around way longer than I assumed it would. The rose is playing middle fiddle. The amber chypre is warm and resinous without any super sharp notes. The bergamont is a perfect supporter, adding brightness and a nice acidic note to prevent this from going mealy or flat. Overall, a beautiful warm clean perfume.

[dementia_divine]

In the decant: The lilac water and bergamot were the strongest notes when this first arrived, but after settling for a few weeks, the floral notes seem to be the strongest, with the amber chypre and bergamot residing in the background.

 

Wet: Lilac water reigns, but the rose petals gain strength over time. The combination of these two florals isn't very good on my skin. It's verging on being sour. D:

 

Dry: Okay, the floral notes have calmed down, and the sour vibe has gone away. The lilac water is still the dominant note, but I can smell the amber in the background now. I prefer this phase of the scent.

 

After a few hours, the amber becomes the dominant note on my skin.

 

Verdict: The wet phase was not a good one on my skin, and even though I enjoy the amber that is present during the dry down, and the florals softened significantly, the wet stage is enough to make me stay away from this scent.

[LiberAmoris]

Fairy Tales and Lies does smell classic. The amber chypre is a bit brassy and high-pitched on me at first, but it settles down relatively quickly into a beautiful, soft warm base, giving the impression of candlelight. The lilac and rose come forward on the drydown, and I get both in equal measure. There's really just a touch of bergamot, but it brings a spot of brightness. It smells like a still life by an old master: lilacs and roses in a vase, bergamot oranges on a branch with glossy green leaves, dark background, golden light.

 

This is beautiful, and it layers so well with both Edith and The Waltz.

[Aviatrix]

This is mostly straight up lilac on me. Maybe a little bit of bergamot.

It's very pretty, but my lilac needs are already fulfilled by Eusapia, so I will not be getting a full bottle of this.

[quickdrawkiddo]

This went on as a pleasant amber-floral blend and then turned straight to baby wipes. It doesn't have any of my death notes so I'm not really sure what the issue is, but I finally had to scrub it off, which I rarely do.

[freyasfae]

The citrusy bergamot is strong when I sniff in the imp, but only lurks in the background once it dries on my skin and the florals come forward, the florals are a touch powdery in the throw, but not up close on my skin - where the bergamot and amber cyphre are more noticeable. I keep sniffing my wrists so clearly I like it. It is feminine, yet sophisticated and old-fashioned in the movie Crimson Peak is - a period piece interpreted through today's eyes.

 

I don't think I will be getting a bottle of this as the powdery throw is not my favorite, but I still think it is a gorgeous scent. I have yet to find a CP scent that is not at least a 4 on my 1-5 BPAL scale (that I use on my dorky BPAL spreadsheet to sort my scents).

[Poenari]

Lilac-forward, with a slight powdery floral, and an undertone of something that makes me wrinkle my nose, as if it's almost sour. This is a very unusual floral scent with an old-world feeling. I adore lilacs, but the overall scent of this on my skin is not for me. I'm happy to have a decant and to have tried this. It's the "Push Me Pull Me" of Crimson Peak perfumes!

[VetchVesper]

This is all Fairy Tales on me. A beautiful, creamy lilac with a teeny bit of spice and warmth from the chypre and amber and a touch of bergamot, like a high end orange liquor, peeking out from time to time.

 

This makes me think of airy, high ceilinged bedrooms with filmy curtains and white, rococo furniture. This is probably the best lilac scent I've sniffed up to date.

[Deliciousness]

Please take this review with the grain of salt as I evidently doused myself in this one. Note to self ... a little goes a long way.

 

 

On first application I thought - sh*t - Jean Nate or something akin to smelling like my grandmothers bathroom. From my past experiences, this isn't good. It's just too much lily or heady floral but then ...

As the cloud of scent starts to dissipate, I can identify the smell of lilac and roses ... and the cool water aspect of this blend is present too! Alas, I'm not getting much bergamot (I do love that note), and the chypre hasn't introduced itself yet.

 

Hopefully it was just my operator error (drowning myself in oil) that lead to my initial shock of LILLY ROSE EVERYTHING. I'll be patient and see where this blend leads.

 

UPDATE:

The middle of wear is just wonderful for this scent - it's fresh and slightly watery lilac and rose. This stage is not too sweet or too heady now and is just very spring-y feeling.

 

Toward the end of wear, the lilac dies off, and I'm left with a slightly dusty rose with an almost sour /metallic background. I'm not too sure what note is causing this, but it reminds me of the die down of Fee, as it had that same slightly off, sour-metallic on my skin - perhaps it's oakmoss?

 

Anyway, the dry down into the last stages of the middle of wear are really nice, alas the fading scent leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. This is truly the scent embodiment of Fairy Tales (beautiful lilac-floral) and Lies (bitter endings).

Edited February 13, 2016 by Deliciousness

[ShowOrchid]

I get lilies, rose and amber on this. For me, this reads a little like a feminine twist on Thomas Sharpe. I've had a lot of people compliment it on me. I'll definitely keep it and put it in my rotation. Beautiful scent.

[lady_pandora]

I'm not really knowledgeable about chypres, but I know they traditionally have oakmoss, and so I suspect that's one of the things I'm amping here: a green, herby, pleasantly bitter note. The other thing I'm getting is amber. This doesn't really morph much on me, and the oakmoss and amber are dominant enough that I can't pick out the other notes, but the overall effect is sophisticated, unisex, a little mysterious. I feel like I should be a dame in a noir film and probably have committed the murder. This isn't like anything else I have, and I'm definitely keeping this decant at the very least. I might need more.

[magelet]

In in the imp, it's a very pretty floral scent. My nose is still pretty untrained, so I'm having trouble picking out individual notes, but it's very nice.

As soon as I put it on, it smells exactly like a perfume my now-deceased grandmother had when I was a child. It instantly evoked memories of playing in her bedroom, standing in front of her bureau and smelling her perfume, trying on her jewelry...

It's definitely a bit powdery, so if you don't like powdery florals this is probably not for you. But its definitely a win for me.

[OctoberGwen]

The scent of actual lilac flowers is one of my favorite smells, bringing me right back to my childhood.

 

Sadly, as a perfume note lilac almost always goes sour on my skin, and the one in this blend is no exception. I was hoping "lilac water" would work somehow, but...nope.

 

With the correct skin chemistry, I imagine this is a delicate, old-fashioned scent of win, though.

[Cali]

This is so classy! It's a light scent with lilac and something bitter in there. The red rose balances it out cleverly and it gives it some warmth. Which can be represented as the fairy tales - the lies, I suppose is the bitter note (is that bergamot? I'm not sure what that's supposed to smell like). Very interesting.
On my skin, the rose amps up but the other notes are still evidently in the background, leering...
I don't need a bottle from this, but it's very well executed and really tells a story.

[celestia]

♔ Fairy Tales and Lies

In the Bottle: Ambery Floral Chypre

Wet: I don’t get the same kind of crystal shop rose I dislike, this is nice blended with the amber, the rose and lilac become non descript. It’s also a little sweet and a bit sour. It’s quite an old-classic take on the concept of a fresh scent, a little citric from the bergamot, but not offensive.

Drydown: The lilac and rose notes don’t ever seem to separate which is fine by me, but the citric quality from the bergamot amplifies moreso in this phase. Chypre adds a unisex quality to the blend and I also get a sweet water note coming through, which I suspect is supposed to be the lilac water. The amber is barely a glimmer, and in a transient moment, even slightly reminds me of the black amber in Sir Thomas Sharpe…but then it fades into powdery florals brightened up into freshness by citrus. Wew. The late stages of dry down smell a little metallic to me, probably because of the way chypre interacts with amber on my chemistry, eh.

TL;DR: Non descript blue, purple and red watery florals splashed with a bit of citrus.

Edited February 27, 2017 by celestia