Silentium Amoris

[Polexia]

As oftentimes the too resplendent sun
Hurries the pallid and reluctant moon
Back to her sombre cave, ere she hath won
A single ballad from the nightingale,
So doth thy Beauty make my lips to fail,
And all my sweetest singing out of tune.

And as at dawn across the level mead
On wings impetuous some wind will come,
And with its too harsh kisses break the reed
Which was its only instrument of song,
So my too stormy passions work me wrong,
And for excess of Love my Love is dumb.

But surely unto Thee mine eyes did show
Why I am silent, and my lute unstrung;
Else it were better we should part, and go,
Thou to some lips of sweeter melody,
And I to nurse the barren memory
Of unkissed kisses, and songs never sung.

Unspoken love. Inspired by Oscar Wilde's poem. A scent brimming with pathos and memories of longing and loss. Rose touched with ylang ylang.

This is soft and gorgeous...the rose is very light, almost powdery....lighter than the other rose scents that I have tried so far. I dont really smell the ylang ylang but that could be the underlying lightness that sits beneath the rose.

[ipb]

holy fuck, this is way way way strongly floral wet. i want to wash it off, but it's been mellowing, so i'll let it be

 

and an hour later, i can still smell it, despite giving in and rinsing off my arm with some rubbing alcohol. overly sweet and strongly floral is a combination i don't really like.

[twistygirl]

Both wet and dry, this is a very sweet, sweet rose. I happen to love the smell of roses on myself, so I am loving this one, but if you don't like really like roses, and I mean REALLY like roses, I think you'd be disappointed in this one. Ylang-ylang is very sweet, so I'm guessing that is intensifying the already-there sweetness of the rose.

 

Rose lovers, however, should definitely give this one a try.

 

Definitely reminds me of the sort of rose smell one smells when you go to a funeral viewing. And I don't mean that in a bad way, although it does have the ability to evoke some sad memories of funerals I wish hadn't had to happen (my parents, my grandmother).

[Thanatopsis Azraelis]

Warning: Do not try this scent if you do not like roses. I mean, really like roses.

 

Fortunately, I do, so I quite like this scent. The rose remains dominant the entire time, but I can smell the sweet ylang-ylang under it. It's a little odd, because this scent is actually a bit *musky* on me, which keeps it from being too feminine or cloying It also remains strong for a long time. Yes, I really like this.

 

A must for any fan of roses.

[amberbella]

I'm going to disagree with the above. I think it depends on what rose is missing for you. I don't tend to like wearing rose as I find it a bit bitter and empty, but I think this adds a bit of sweetness that fills out the rose for me. I don't get any muskyness, just sweet rose. I think I may be getting more ylang ylang than others.

 

I like it very much....I think I'm going to keep the imp for a while it even though hubby just said "eh".

[jj_j]

I think Beth must have made this like the martini that simply toasts the bottle of vermouth - the ylang-ylang is so faint it's almost invisible. Because I have issues with ylang-ylang (particularly headaches), I was really delighted about this!

 

Sweet, soft, and true rose; I agree with other reviewers that the ylang-ylang seems to be intensifying the rose's sweetness rather than contributing its own scent. These are pale roses, too - light and fresh and sweet, without the lushness of red roses or the crispness of tea roses - more like pastel pink or white roses, to me.

 

I'm going to get a bottle of this for my mother, as I think it might fill in for the Rose Red she loves so, and that I just can't get my hands on any more of. It doesn't have the same clarity or intensity that Rose Red does, but it dried down on me to a true, true rose, which is what she's been looking for over the last several years.

[heartbeast]

The love that dares not speak its name...I'd love to smell this on a gay man.

 

On me, what a lovely, lovely rose. Like a few other folks, I didn't smell the ylang ylang at all, except I was aware that it was the thing making the rose so very sweet and...unassuming. Like violets are thought to be. This is a shy rose, a full-faced small sweet victorian rose tucked away in the corner of a garden in the mid-twentieth century, before everyone got so crazy about heirloom roses and apples and tomatoes, when the fashionable roses were the high-bred American Beauties and nobody looked twice at a little old-fashioned, full-faced pink rose like this one. It smells like Crabtree & Evelyn's Damask Rose product line.

 

I had the most interesting experience while wearing this scent--everywhere I went, men were extraordinarily polite and solicitous towards me. And--drum roll please--I got carded!! A month after my 39th birthday!

 

It reminded me that the rose is sacred to Aphrodite; not just the fluffy love-kitten as written about by the Helenic Greeks, but the Great Goddess born of Seafoam, the Eternal Feminine.

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: WOW! Roses, roses, roses and they pack a punch.

 

Second Impression: On the drydown this is much more balanced. The ylang ylang plays a vital role in this gorgeous blend. It brings sweetness and light. It also keeps the roses from being too rosy.

 

Final Analysis: Lovely, long lasting and lush.

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: Wow. Sweet rose. Strong rose. Rose rose rose rose rose overload!

 

On me: It isn't a fresh-cut rose; it's been made up into a bouquet and has been sitting for a while. I could see these roses at a funeral service. The ylang ylang seems to have the effect of aging the rose to me, and sweetening it. It isn't a pure rose scent; it's rose that is a bit past fresh but not yet faded.

Edited September 7, 2004 by k00kaburra

[pekeana]

In the vial, rose rose, overpowering rose.

 

On me, it settles down a bit until it itches, then burns. I have two red welts on my arm now -- one from Spellbound, and one from Silentium Amoris.

[nephthys_lvx]

Not sure if I like this one or not yet. It's *very* rosey coming out of the bottle (which is okay by me), but then something else, niaouli perhaps? That has completely taken over the rosey scent on me. I'll have to wear this one again before I'll make a decision on it.

[ChupaChup]

I don't usually do well with rose but this one is very nice. It's strong, sweet and sexy. I'm not sure about keeping it, though, I'm used to so much complexity from BPAL oils that this one doesn't really blow me away.

[Azrhiaz]

In the vial: roses, yes-- a not-too-sweet tea rose.

 

Wet: roses, still no ylang-ylang. Not that I mind. I love roses. Still, I was hoping for more complexity.

 

15 minutes: oh, *there* it is-- the ylang-ylang, and the complexity. They've blended together beautifully. Very nice.

 

Drydown: goes softer and warmer as the rose and the ylang-ylang blend melt together until they're indistinguishable.

 

Verdict: this is so incredibly beautiful. It practically aches with soft, warm longing for something you can never have, which I have far too much experience with, really. It's got wonderful staying power, too-- I put it on at eight last night and could still smell it on my skin at six-thirty this morning. I don't know why this one didn't sell better. My only theory is that it's too much rose for the rose-averse, and yet it isn't a juicy, thick rose for rose lovers-- the ylang-ylang tempers it out. It's just insanely beautiful, though, and I'm sorry it's going away. Going to have to get a big bottle-- the first BPAL I've really loved.

[nhough73]

In the vial: Soft, white, more ylang ylang than rose, the hint of roses.

 

Wet: UGH... turned right to ROSE ROSE ROSE up your nose rose. Roses crammed into a small windowless room. The creamy sweetness I smelled in the vial is totally gone. stupid chemistry.

 

Dry: All it is is rose but now its the dusty sitting room wilting roses in a bowl, cloying, as if the room needs a window open very badly. Musty.

 

 

If you dont like roses, really like roses - I'd warn against this one - I had to run and wash it off because it was giving me a head ache.

[JazzieCazzie]

OK, I admit I am probably not bringing much new to the party here but on my quest to review every new scent I try, here goes ...

 

IN THE BOTTLE: Rose rose rose rose rose.

 

Wrists only for this one, a little rose can go a long way on me.

 

WET: Beth does some amazing things with roses and can make even scents that are primarily rose very complex (all those different roses in Spellbound, for example). But to me, this is as close to a single-note rose as I've tried. I like rose just fine, but compared to many of the other BPAL rose scents this is just a little dull ... I suspect that is why this was discontinued.

 

DRYDOWN: About two hours after application I finally get a little zing of the ylang-ylang on my wrists (and to be honest that is the only reason I ordered this ... I'm not that big a rose fan but j'adore ylang-ylang).

 

VERDICT: I would never wear this alone, but I think it would be a great scent to layer with something else that needs a little ... dare I say it? ... rose!

[inkstone]

In the vial: Roses, roses, roses.

 

Wet: Very strong roses, with something sweet mingling with it. I assume that's the ylang ylang.

 

Drydown: Roses and ylang ylang.

 

Final thoughts: This is a very strong rose blend on me, but it goes to powder. Alas.

[FireInCairo]

Oh, I'm so depressed that this blend is gone... and I only have 50% of my bottle left!!! This is a goregous rose blend... softened by the ylang ylang beautifully. This scent really illustrates Wilde's poem. Oh I wish it could come back...

[isyche]

Silentium Amoris made me think of yellow roses - the ylang-ylang gave the rose this high-pitched loud yellow quality, and then it dried down to something kind of off and sour. I think ylang-ylang must really not work with my skin. Off to swap!

[shelldoo]

I do not get any of teh ylang ylang, just a very very dry powdery rose. Not to wild about this one.

 

eta i have grown to love this one, it is a soft soft sweet rose, that is very gentle and almost morthering.

Edited March 6, 2005 by shelldoo

[etherealchild]

In the Bottle Light powdery rose

 

Wet It is a cool solem scent, frigid white florals with gentle ylang ylang in the background..... doesn't quite shake the powdery dryness however. This is a dusty rose.......

 

Drydown There is a sense of calm release........ peace...... it has gotten quiter and softer....... a powdery waver of faint floral a hint of inscence and a touch of ylang ylang

 

Two Hours Same, but less floral and inscence...... almost completely soft powder and something else lingering..... not sure what

 

Verdict Beth really captured a distinct emotion in this one...... I had the sense of closure and release in relation to death...... there was something very funeral-esque...... not a scent I'd wear, but I'm glad I got to experience it

[ashtonrose]

This smells like rose scented powder. It is very soft and gentle.

[UltraViolet]

Wet

I was surprised to find that this is a nice rose scent. I have as my personal goal to get all of the rose scented imps and choose the best one(s) for a 5ml. Silentium was in the "keeper" pile. It's almost a pure rose but it's a little sweet and a bit powdery. I love powdery.

10 Minutes

It's not like a fresh bouquet of roses like a few others, it's sweeter and a tad softer which is nicer in my humble opinion.

I would've only suggested getting this if you really like roses though.

[Gin]

This is very strongly floral. I thought I caught a whiff of lemon underneath, which made me want to jump for joy, but I think I've imagined it. It's back to smelling simply rosy now. jj_j sums up my feelings about the ylang ylang pretty well:

I think Beth must have made this like the martini that simply toasts the bottle of vermouth - the ylang-ylang is so faint it's almost invisible.  Because I have issues with ylang-ylang (particularly headaches), I was really delighted about this!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

However, I think I still got a headache from this. Too bad.

[Morgan]

This was far too floral for me. It was SO rosey, it actually gave me a headache. It reminded me of a funeral parlor. I'm normally not a rose person anyway, but I thought the Ylang Ylang would balance it out. I was wrong.

This was the first and so far the only BPAL that I REALLY don't like.

[Shollin]

First sniff: I was expecting a soft romantic floral, but Silentium Amoris is very sharp. It’s almost green-apple-y. I guess ylang ylang is a sharper scent than I thought it was, because I’ve never smelled a rose this biting. Maybe if rose thorns had a scent of their own, this would be it.

 

Wearing: Frozen roses. The Lab has a few rose scents that have swayed me to their side, but for the most part rose isn’t me, and this isn’t either.