niobe

in the bottle: sharp but fresh, with strong citrus and rosemary wet: immediately florals bloom, but are nicely balanced by a hint of the citrus/rosemary/mint drydown: smoooth and lasting, even seven hours later. orange flower comes forward a bit, as do grape spirits, softening and sweetening the blend. overall impression is VERY favorable. it's a mature, sophisticated and bright scent. it speaks of intelligence, good humor and cleverness, but with a dash of wistful longing. oddly enough, this is actually what I expected of Acqua di Parma when I first read about it on a duty-free card coming back from Europe a few years ago; I bought some based on the description, but it smelled NOTHING like what I'd imagined. Bess does, exactly. Here's from the Neiman Marcus web site about Acqua di Parma: "The fragrance's composition—unchanged since its debut in the '30s—includes lavender essence, vervain, rosemary, and Bulgarian rose." Bess fulfilled my dashed hopes for Acqua di Parma. I really dig it and will grab a few more 5mls for gifting! Beautiful Bess!

In the Imp: sharp, a lot of green over the roses. On the skin, wet: lingering sharpness, but roses are already blooming. dry on skin: rrrrrrrroses. Oh so many glorious roses. just a touch of green. This is still going strong (figuratively speaking) 4 hours later. I adore it -- it's a beautiful rose scent without the cloying sweetness of a rose fragrance like, say, Crabtree & Evelyn's Evelyn. It is also less green and sharp than Creed's Fleurs de the rose Bulgare. Just a soft, gorgeous, fresh rose. I quite love this and plan to buy a 5ml!

Exactly! This is precisely how I experienced Two, Five & Seven. I was hoping for a lovely rose scent and it just ... faded. Thank jeebus I have an Imp of Rose Red!

Wow, this is quite nice. In the bottle it's sharp and lemony, with muskier undertones -- wasn't sure i'd like it. But on the skin it warms immediately and the amber and vanilla begin to rise, just a little -- and the carnation adds just a touch of round yummy spiciness to the sillage. The citrus fades on me in the drydown, and it's just very warm amber/musk with a light touch of something sweet. I can't pick out the heliotrope at any stage, but what I do smell is really quite gorgeous. it's a very soft, lush, happy scent, and a really wonderful blend! I am glad I got a bottle rather than an imp! This reminds me of my grandmother, who was quite a glamour girl in the 1940s and has always worn Shalimar, and who is not at all old-ladyish. Love it!

In Imp: Wow! Smells almost exactly like Tabu. Well, maybe it will mellow in the wearing ... On skin (wet, dry and next morning): Nope, still Tabu. Not for me.