Florence

[funkmoppet]

The pearl of the Italian Renaissance. Elegant iris, bright berries, gilded amber and velvety spices.

Florence, the blend that tried SO hard for me. *sigh*

Wet: Iris! Sweet, floral but with a spicy base.

Drying: Berries! The same lovely, spicy, tart berries I get in Black Forest, only lighter. At this point, I'm in love. The iris and berries and spice are gorgeous.

Then: Oh, hai amber! Yeah, you turn the whole lot to floral powder ick. Thanks.



Edited to add lab description. Edited September 22, 2007 by Shollin

[CrazyPretzel]

I don't get any berries from this at all! On me it smells of ambergris (which I adore!) and, yes, velvety spices -- it's got a little bit of an Oriental feel to it. The iris is very slightly bitter and lends the whole thing a regal feel. I could easily imagine a haughty Medici wearing this.

 

When wet, there's something in here that reminds me of Succor, which smells of olives to me -- maybe there's olive leaf in here? I'm just speculating wildly so don't take my word for it.

 

Smooth, elegant and haughty. Very nice.

[Miss Lynx]

I'm not sure why this one never made it onto my wish list -- amber, berries and spices usually rank pretty high with me. Maybe it was the iris that scared me off. In any case, it ended up being an accidental discovery at a meet'n'sniff.

 

And really, iris aside, it's quite nice. Lots of ambery warmth with a bit of a spicy edge, overlaid with a combined fruity-floral sweetness. The floral element gives it a bit more sweetness, or maybe a different kind of sweetness, than I usually prefer, but it doesn't amp too badly on my skin. Maybe there's not much of it, or maybe iris is a relatively non-evil floral for me? Who knows?

 

In any case, while not likely to be a top favourite, this is quite a lovely scent. The iris combined with berries, and the slightly edible aspect that amber has, make it almost-but-not-quite candyish, but the resinous warmth helps to moderate it. At times I seem to catch a faint whiff of something Play-Doh-ish, which is odd as it doesn't contain vanilla to my knowledge, which is usually what does that on me, but it's only a very faint trace. And the scent overall lasts for quite a nice, long time.

 

It's definitely got a late spring/early summer sort of feel to it, so I suppose I'm not exactly discovering it at the best time of year, but I will probably get some good wear from it in about 8 or 9 months...

 

Grade: B/B+

[Brianne]

In the vial:

Sugary sweet iris

 

On me:

The iris goes on super sweet like it's sugared. It quickly settles into a more golden, warm sweetness though. There is a definite spice here but it's hard to pinpoint - works beautifully with the iris though. But then the amber kicks in and starts making this powdery and very amber-like in general.

 

Final note:

This is really very nice - definitely will keep the imp but I think it goes a little too powdery for me to buy a bottle of it. Very pretty though!

[darkblade]

Bottle: (Imp) Definitely getting the amber and spices

 

Wet: Odd. It's gone quite creamy. It then goes to creamy amber.. I'm getting a smidge of floral intermingling.

 

Dry: A bit of the cream still, and spices with a bit of amber.. whoever is wearing this is probably in velvet or brocade. Heavier fabrics.

 

Verdict: I like it. I'm not sure that I need an entire bottle.. maybe an extra imp to combine into a shortie.

[aquazoo]

Just what I would expect! I'm not getting the berries, but the velvety spices, definitely. Something floral, too.

[taramarie]

I don't think my skin chemistry likes Florence very much right now -- I'm getting nuts and that's about it. I'll keep it for now and try it again sometime.

[aleciarivas]

Ick. This was great for about 5 minutes before it turned to straight-out powder on me. Note to self: Possibly avoid too much Amber in the future...... My imp will be finding a new home shortly!

[YoakeNoKami]

Imp: Musky-sweet floral and sweet spices

On: A faintly floral dragon's blood smell now. There are some berries, too, but they're sugary stewed berries… and now, leather. What on earth? After about 15 minutes it's all sickly sweet powder. *eyes arm in distaste* Ugh.

[erraticprophet]

Initial Impression: berries and spices

 

On Wet: amber, spice, berries, hint of iris

 

On Dry: iris, spice, amber

 

Final Impression: Although I wish the berries stuck around longer, I do really like this. It's very exotic.

 

Rating (on a scale from 1-5): 4

[Pendragon]

In the imp: sweet and smokey, I can smell the berry but it's not sickly sweet, it just gives it a 'brightness'.

 

Wet: Creamy smokey berries. Quite nice, very rounded scent. Earthy would be a good way to describe that smokey part.

 

Dry: Same as wet, but I can barely smell anything.

 

Verdict: Fades very quick... perhaps I didn't put enough on? Jury's out on this one.

[Stormslegacy]

In the imp I loved this, sophisticated berries. I was intrigued by the notes in it and couldn't wait to try it.

 

Wet: a floral berry scent? Interesting.

 

Dry: Sickly sweet. Powdery. Ick. It honestly is making my stomach turn. I've have Hymn to Proserpine turn to exactly this on me before, so I wonder if I react badly to amber sometimes (despite the fact that Blood Amber is dead sexy on me...) or maybe only when mixed with fruit?

 

I feel like a sickly sweet vanilla candybar that's melted in the sun and has too much sugar.

 

I'm going to try it in my scent locket but I have a feeling this one will end up frimped to someone who may like it more than I do.

[voodoocatwoman]

Damn damn damn.

 

Just when I thought I had already found MY scent, I try another of Beth's wonderful concoctions. Florence does spectactular things on my skin. It starts out very amber-y (and that's a good thing for me) and then it slowly morphs into a deliciously sweet and spicy blend. It is one of my favorites now.

[Acedia]

I wanted so much to like this, but it was not to be.

 

In the imp, it smelled lovely -- florals with a touch of spiced wine. Very rich and smooth.

 

Within minutes after application, however, it turned into thick, powdery, grandmother perfume. *MOURN*

 

I wish I knew which note was transmogrifying into powder, so I can avoid it in the future. (I'm getting a headache as we speak. So to speak.) It's not the amber's fault, because the other day I tried Verdandi (amber and apples), and that remained clear, sweet, and strong for hours. Ah, well.

[sadtomato]

amber and honey, yum.

this is a delicious combination.

i got this in a lot i bought on ebay, never would have tried it otherwise because of the berries (not a fruity person), but it's really gorgeous.

the berries don't ever come to the forefront on me or make the blend overly sweet, just lends a nice, light sweetness to the florals.

nothing is overwhelming in this scent.

evenly balanced and very pretty.

[iiinterstate]

Recieved Florence as a frimp from a forum sale, and I am glad because I probably wouldn't have tried this on my own. My luck with florals is rare, and I think when I was going through the GC blends I wrote this one off.

 

I was wrong, Florence is very very very nice. The berries and flowers are perfectly balanced, and the spice is just there enough to keep it interesting. The amber behaves on me too!

 

It smells feminine (but not toooo feminine) and sophisticated, and is a serious contender for my wedding day blend. Yay!

[hkhm]

imp: a spicy, juicy amber scent.

 

wet: the iris amps like crazy when wet, i can smell little else.

 

dry: the iris fades quickly enough and it's back to a spicy, yet subdued, amber.

[donnatron]

Imp: Mainly amber resin with a touch of floral (I can't identify it AS iris, but I'm going to assume it is). A soft hint of spice.

 

Wet: This goes weirdly floral on me--for a second I thought there was freesia in it. Then it gets warmer and the spice starts to really come out.

 

Dry: Super. Sweet berries, a touch of floral, and a spicy, golden, resinous amber. It all melds together perfectly into a really sexy, adult, in-control scent. It's not ladylike--this is a scent for one hell of a dame.

 

Throw: Good.

 

Overall: There are times in my life when I feel like being one hell of a dame. Florence is definitely one of those scents that can take me in that direction. It's an absolutely gorgeous scent and it's sassy and bold without losing a sense of tradition. I can't say it evokes Florence for me (for that to happen it would smell like dog doo and rain), but it's simply gorgeous. Another entry on the ever-growing list of big bottles.

[thatpirategirl]

Fresh berries and mellow spices, like a fruity tea! I only get a little bit of amber, and I don't know about the iris, since I'm not quite sure what iris smells like... But this is a perfect springtime scent for me. It's sweet and playful, with just a little bit of mysteriousness to keep it from being all berry-sweetness.

 

I think this is the first scent I've liked enough to want a bigger bottle!

[ouch!]

This is really nice!!! But not..amazing enough to warrant a bottle for me!

 

Yes...when it's wet it is floraly and a bit spicy..tiny bit of something woodsy in there too.

But it changes ever so quickly for me and goes very very sweet.

The spice stays a tiny bit and the Iris goes.

 

It does fade quite quickly though and then just sweetens up into this soft sugary berry smell. Almost as sweet as Bordello. Which is lovely but no wear near as strong as I like!

 

I'm glad I got to try it, but it's not one of the oils that sticks out..

[Diva Urd]

This was a generous frimp from the lab in my last order. Thank you!

 

In the vial: Very sweet fruity/flowery mixture.

 

On me: Upon dry-down, the sweetness lets up a bit, turning the mixture into something resembling a sweeter department store perfume.

 

It's not bad, and I'm happy I got to try it. I think I'll just keep my imp for now, though.

[lookingglass]

I am not getting a floral, spring/summery feel at all, which is what I was expecting. This is a thick, syrupey sweet berry note, not tart and "fresh" (like in Bewitched). It is if patchouli oil was infused with overripe berries. I love iris, but am not really getting any strong feel of it. There is a wonderful "old world powdery" note that reminds me of Shalimar (that I get with Snake Oil to a lesser degree) that must be the amber. It evokes Annik Goutal's Eau de Charolette (which is a department store natural perfume-notes of blackberry jam and chocolate) but this is much richer, denser, longer lasting, and more "mature". She is instantly in my Top 10 for the dark berry/powder combo. Love, love, love...

Edited January 19, 2009 by lookingglass

[couscous]

I am ashamed for not reviewing this one until now. I've burned through close to 25Ml of this stuff since 2004, and I love it now as much as I ever did.

 

Beth's description may be leaving some things out, but what she gave us is pretty much all you need to know. Very amber, intensely creamy berries, and lovely, solemn iris. The berries are not tart AT ALL, they are not "crafty" or candle-like...they are jammy and rich and sweet and burnished gold. Mildly sweet from the amber.

 

Honestly, this is just a gorgeous scent. So opulent , but so wearable and feminine. It's an absolute essential BPAL experience. 5 million stars.

[Iceblink]

I was worried about the iris and I needn't have been. Florence has a gorgeous deep amber note with rich juicy berries and some spicy-sweet yumminess blended in. It smells *rich* and heavy; I was expecting something lighter but I like it!

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Very sharp herbs and light berries.

 

Immediately on skin: This is a very light pine scent to my nose, with hints of berries. I don’t get the floral scent that I usually get from the lab’s iris note. There’s a harsh sharpness to this as well.

 

After a little while: That pine feel I get settles pretty quickly, though there is still an herbal undertone to this. After a while I get a slightly bitter powdery floral and berry scent. It’s a warm scent, and has a little sweetness from the berries.

 

Overall Impressions: This scent didn’t seem to work for me at all: there’s an odd sharp herbal/pine thing I get from this, and the amber seems powdery. I’m not sure why it’s going so wrong, but I just don’t like this one on me… the notes don’t seem to be playing well on my skin.