Impressions of the Floating World

[suki]

Vanilla silk, patchouli leaf, sweet benzoin, and smoked honey.

This was one of the ones I was MOST excited about. Let's see if my premonition holds true!

In The Bottle: Sweet without being cloying and, yes, I detect that silk note that was in Black Silk. And it's just as lovely and hard to pin down as before.

Wet On Skin: The benzoin is showing up now that it's got a surface to bloom on. The vanilla silk is holding steady. It's *really* hard to describe- something like if you put vanilla musk in a steamer and then steamed your delicate underwear with it. THAT'S what it would smell like.

Dry Down: The smoked honey and patch combo has, strangely, made this go a bit powdery on me. I don't mind, because I can tell that when this scent has had a chance to warm up and age a little, that it's all going to meld and blend a LOT more.

[Nepthys]

Regrettably, this one was all smoke and old wood on me, like you'd imagine a closet in an old pub would smell. No vanilla silk and the honey flickers in and out. It's surprisingly masculine on me and smells a lot like my Yankee Candle "Cozy by the Fire" - definitely a hearth smell. It's not bad, just not my thing.

[LizziesLuck]

A very kind friend allowed me to test her bottle of this, before she even had the chance to test it herself!

 

 

This is vey benzoin dominant on me, with quite a bit of woody patch, and some faint smokiness. It's quite nice, but my tendency to amp benzoin, along with the honey, is making it very sweet on me. Only faint hints of the vanilla come through. This is nice on me, but not wowing me, so I doubt I will purchase more of it. Really grateful to have gotten to try it!

[Spaztic]

This one!

 

In the bottle: a dry slightly dark vanilla

 

On the Skin wet: Oddly I get a soapy woody vanilla?? Not bad but kinda weird, kinda like an old fashioned soap in a wooden drawer with a nice vanilla candle...

 

Dry: No soapiness anymore, no idea what was causing that on my skin! Now it's more vanilla/benzoin and a smokey-ness, but still creamy

 

Total dry-down: Like someone soaked some wood in creamy vanilla until the wood was sodden with it and you began to burn it, like incense

 

This one is excellent!

wanted to add that I also get VioletChaos' description of it smelling like fancy underwear steamed with vanilla

Edited February 20, 2016 by Spaztic

[gentle-twig]

disclaimer: i have never ever tried any of the lab's "textile" notes or patchouli leaf, but i do like regular patchouli. so i have no idea how this is going to be.

 

in the bottle: strong but light vanilla and honey, not heavy like O is to me. there is also something just a tad barbershoppy to this blend... not sure if it is the leafiness of the patchouli leaf or the silk. all of this is positive to me even though i wouldn't usually go for and wasn't expecting a barbershop blend. it smells good.

 

wet: wow! this really is a "floating" smell. so light yet not exactly bright and clean with good throw. i'm getting a vanilla / honey / patchouli blend right off the bat. no smoke, which is a little bit of a disappointment, but this smells pretty good. there is something almost humid about this blend? i would definitely echo the "steamed" comments of some of the previous reviewers. actually, there might be just a little smokiness that is blending with the patchouli, but it definitely isn't prominent. i'm wondering if i'm getting benzoin or not. it could be part of the vanilla/honey accord i'm picking up, but it's not sticking out too much on its own.

 

drydown: not much is changing, but it goes through a patchouli phase and then a benzoin phase

 

this is nice and very unique! it is sweet and maybe even cloying to many, but it is so interesting to me despite the sweetness.

[yakiguri]

Out of the bajillion honey+patch+vanilla blends I own, Impressions of the Floating World is the foodiest. It starts off as a chewy, nutty patch that strongly reminds me of peanut butter (!) but more complex. Within a few minutes this aspect scales back dramatically as benzoin shoves it out of the way and steals the spotlight. As benzoin is soft on my skin it steals the spotlight...only to mumble and not look anyone in the eye, though refusing to leave the stage. The nutty patch is still there, but benzoin is ensuring it gets smelled first and most.

 

I'm hoping more aging will make the benzoin chill out and let more of the peanut butter patch element step forward, as that stage was GLORIOUS.

[Blood onmy hands]

The 'silk' thing is a note that I keep having pop up in indie perfumes and it's a very dry, stiffly starched, scratchy, slightly soapy fabric smell. I find it really unpleasant and reminiscent of dryer sheets. I definitely get that scent as the core of Floating World, surrounded by a nutty patchouli and dry vanilla. I like the other notes, but that scratchy, soapy, dry fabric smell really ruins this for me.

Edited September 12, 2016 by Little Bird

[Christina Huizar]

Smoke and vanilla. Underpants on Fire. Double entendre fully intended.

 

This is lovely. So dark and smoky and mysterious. I loves it. Need bottle.

[AmyO'Shields]

This is so similar to a certain BPAL favorite of mine that I had to check the label after a few hours. Pure love here, and to think I almost passed it by because of the honey, which I never really smell. There is certainly a smoky aspect to this but it is very light. Wowza. This may be my other backup bottle purchase from this Luper update!!! Chewy patchouli and vanilla with just a hint of smoke.

Edited March 12, 2016 by Herb Girl

[LiberAmoris]

Mmmmn, the smoked honey here is really awesome. Impressions of the Floating World is patchouli leaf and benzoin dipped in that smoked honey and the vanilla silk...very smooth and definitely in the patchouli-vanilla category that many of us here love. The vanilla silk almost smells like a vanilla-linen-rice note, which is lovely and adds complexity. I also get a subtle nutty under-note (as called out above) to either the patch or benzoin that adds something I like to the blend. The smokiness is just at the right pitch, adding sophistication.

[agirlnamedfury]

In the bottle, the patchouli is most prominent. Wet on skin, though, all I get is slightly bitter, resiny benzoin. A few minutes later, this gets quite woodsy and I guess there's something that COULD smell like silk? But I might just be giving into suggestion from the listed notes.

 

The vanilla comes out a bit more as this dries down, but it stays pretty true to its sweet, mellow woodsiness. I actually wish the patchouli came through more on me?

 

This reminds me a LOT of another bpal scent I have an imp of somewhere but I can't for the life of me remember which one. I'll have to update when I think of it...

[cyborgcaitlin]

Oh my god. Oh my god oh my god oh my god.

 

So I had made a list of all the scents I wanted based on notes and patiently waited for reviews. As soon as someone said this smelled like LUSHs Lord of Misrule, it had to be mine.

I got my order two days ago and only opened it today as I've been a bit busy so everything has had a chance to settle a bit. This was the first bottle I opened and yes YES YES. This is Lord of Misrule in a bottle.

Sweet baby Jesus!

I need a backup, maybe two.

[Smaragdina]

So I need to preface this by saying that I ordered ten decants from this year's lupers. Nine of them I applied, sniffed, went "eh," and didn't give a second thought. This? Insta-bottle. Insta-TWO-bottles. ...Do you know how many other bpal scents I have backup bottles of? Two. That's it. (Streets of Detroit and the Antikythera Mechanism, but I DIGRESS). I don't hoard.

 

Now I'm wondering if I should have bought three bottles of this.

 

I am terrible at picking out individual notes, so you're just gonna get my impressions. Tl;dr, VioletChaos' review of "putting vanilla in a steamer and then steaming your delicate underwear" is EXACTLY RIGHT. This literally smells like STEAM - I have no other way to describe it! The scent is very "high" (is the benzoin giving me that back-of-the-nose impression?) and slightly fluttery-damp in a very good way. It's steam, and vanilla-steeped silk. It smells like a wood drawer of fresh-washed expensive silk lingerie. Completely innocent and lovely except that it's a drawer of unmentionables. It is stunning.

 

It has good throw and lasts absolutely forever on me - I can put it on in the morning and still smell it at midnight. It's not really a morpher; by the end of the day it's a little sweeter (the silk lingerie has a light dusting of vanilla-tinted powdered sugar) but that's all.

 

This manages to be all at once innocent, feminine, unobtrusive and work-appropriate, and DROP DEAD SEXY AS HELL.

 

I AM IN LOVE

 

[milo]

I seem to be getting something different here. Chem 11 scent, ALDEHYDE, along with a lovely, slightly sweet patch. I think the vanilla silk is the culprit, as I'm familiar with all the other notes. Truly a fail, it smells like sickly sweet death, and although it fades, there's always a whiff in the background.

[theseagrows]

this starts off pretty smoky and i get some earthiness from the patchouli. the benzoin seems a bit more apparent than the vanilla silk to me, and for the most part this is a smoky patchouli-honey. others mentioned shalimar, and this reminds me of it too. i like this but i am undecided, it might be a bit too smoky for me.

[dementia_divine]

In the bottle: The patchouli was the most prominent note in this when it arrived, but it has calmed down after settling for a few days. It's still very prominent, and it has a slightly nutty quality to it, but I'm also getting a lot of benzoin now, along with that steamed vanilla silk vibe that some people mentioned in their reviews. I can smell the smoked honey note in the background, too.

 

Wet: The sweet benzoin reigns, followed by the patchouli leaf. I am still getting the vanilla silk and smoked honey. In the bottle, I didn't see the comparisons to Revenant Rhythm/Banshee Beat at all. Now that it's on my skin, I can see why some people think they are similar, although this doesn't have the awesome vanilla note that makes me love Banshee Beat/Revenant Rhythm. The patchouli leaf in this is light, and the scent is sweet enough to keep it from taking over. I'm getting more vanilla silk and smoked honey over time. The vanilla silk note really does give me the impression of steamed vanilla silk.

 

Dry: Vanilla silk and benzoin are the most prominent notes on me now, followed by the patchouli and smoked honey. The patchouli is pretty light now, and the smoked honey just adds a touch of smokiness to the scent.

 

Verdict: I told myself I'd only get one of the patchouli scents I was interested in from this update, but when To His Mistress Going to Bed was mostly smoky patchouli and fig on me, I decided to grab a bottle of this one after all. This scent is more up my alley (but it really isn't in the same league as Revenant Rhythm/Banshee Beat on my skin). I like this and am curious to see how it will age!

[nolifeking]

Like thatbrownelf, I got the nutty peanut butter patchouli when wet , strange but not bad The benzoin get along very well with the smoked honey...for a while.

 

After an hour, it became a powdery Shalimar-esque scent. and boy does it last, around12h!

Oh and fancy underwear steamed with vanilla is soooo appropriated hahahaha

 

Overall, I think this got the potential to be splendid once a little bit more aged

 

Edit 22/5/16

You know what? it did improved, exit the powdery final! This is gorgeous♡

Edited May 23, 2016 by nolifeking

[zankoku_zen]

Sweet vanilla honey with a touch of patchouli. In some ways, for me this is like a sweeter, vanilla-dominant version of Banshee Beat/Revenant Rhythm, with the vanilla taking center stage instead of the patchouli. It works as the other side to a BB/RR coin - vanilla with a touch of patchouli. Good throw and wear length.

[Glambie]

This, to me, is so very much like Clockwork Couture Female...which is in my top 10. Seriously, they are almost identical. It's a classy, luxurious scent with a rebellious edge. Instant love. ❤️

[Jenjin]

Blind bottle purchase from the lab.

IN THE BOTTLE:

Sweet, smoky with a balance of patchouli, vanilla and benzoin base.

WET:

The notes are very well blended at this point. The earthy patchouli swirls with the vanilla silk, along with dark notes mixed in. At this point, the benzoin gives off a slight camphor that is blanketed with smoked honey.

DRY:

The sweetness amps over time. Definitely getting strong benzoin and vanilla notes overall with smoky honey clouds. The patchouli fades into the background, providing a soft, herbal waft to the blend.

NOTES:

This was surprising to me after dry down. After my bottle arrived I sniffed it and thought, uh patchouli. I didn't apply any, yet thought I knew what it would become on me. Overall, I would describe it as slinky~~. It does have some similarities with Shalimar and BP Vasilissa for me, but it stands on its own.

 

It does have some risks while wearing-out of all the lupers, I suspect this one could be the one that drives men wild. I could barely keep up with my husband the other night when I wore it. Also, it simply makes me crave all kinds of sweets-especially those super soft sprinkle sugar cookies. Will probably keep this one for special occasions and date night me thinks. RAWR!

 

Impressions of the Floating World is classic, beautiful and pheromone inducing. Wear at your own risk.

 

RATING:

8.5

Edited February 27, 2017 by Jenjin

[chrisann]

The Patchouli Leaf in this smelled like peanut butter on my skin. I wish I could give you more information, but after an hour, I was starting to get queasy. I had to wash it off. We were just not meant to be.

[Missy_killer]

In the imp: First thing I smell is the patchouli with hints of... coconut? There's a smokey vanilla going on too. Honey doesn't smell like it usually does, this is not syrupy or goopy at all.

 

On: Smokey patch and vanilla. I'm not smelling any honey at all (which usually show up quickly on me). But then there's a faint smell of Play D'oh that scares me and makes me think this shares the same honey as Womb Furie does, and if so this will smell horrible on me.

 

After a couple of minutes I had to wash it off. It got so sweet and strong with the Play D'oh-honey that it made me nauseated. I also wonder if that type of honey always smell terrible on me, or if it has anything to do where I'm in my cycle when I try it? I shall have to test it again and report back.

[celestia]

♔ Impressions of the Floating World

In the Bottle: Slightly soapy, but beautiful, dry vanilla musk.

Wet: The patchouli that was super strong on me has COMPLETELY burnt off since the first time I tested it?!?! I got wafts of an incredible, slightly powdery vanilla orchid-like musk matched with a slightly soapy, and cold ricey clay-like texture that reminds me of the clay note in Clockwork Couture: Female... I imagine these notes interplayin together is the conceptualised vanilla silk?

Drydown: The patchouli leaf amped on me, it’s earthy and a little nutty- as did the smoked part of the honey, which seems to smell completely separate and individual from the aspect of honey. It comes off a little waxy, like beeswax. I seem to linger these final notes a lot more in the drydown. I don’t get any of the vanilla silk that was so dominant during the wet stage, it’s still lovely, but has pretty much showcased another dimensional facet which I’d have to admit is no longer ‘me’ anymore.

TL;DR: Clay-like dry vanilla musk and an earthy smoke with a hint of beeswax.

[Cassandra Dudum]

I have been wanting to try this one for awhile. I own many bpal patchouli scents and this one sounded quite unique compared to my other ones.

 

Dry on my skin I get a very woody patchouli scent. It is strange because it is reminding me a lot of a cedar type wood but there is no cedar in the notes listed. I am a bit sad because none of the other notes are showing up for me. All I get is a woody patchouli. The patchouli note is reminiscent to another patchouli scent I have. Impressions of the Floating World it is like a softer version of This is Your Wilderness (without the pine).

 

Overall, I don't think I would hunt down a bottle of this. I will probably keep my decant and test it again in the future to see if I am just having an off-day with my skin chemistry. I was really hoping for that vanilla silk note!

[Minh Scent]

First sniff, I was disappointed because it was so light. However, this quickly blossoms and deepens on the skin as a lightly honeyed vanilla with soft nuances of patchouli. Long lasting, low throw and oh, so lovely!