Lace Lichen

[doomsday_disco]

Everybody knows their state flower and state animal —but do you know what the official LICHEN of your state is?

 

Ramalina menziesii—the lace or fishnet lichen—is an unusually sexy bundle of algae and fungi. Fashioned into elegant, delicate patterns up to a meter long, it is a nest-making material for birds, a vital food source for California’s deer, and is considered to have sorcerous properties that protect against the ravages of lightning.

 

A pale green filigree: oakmoss, orris absolute, ylang ylang sap, green patchouli, ambergris accord, and sheer vanilla.

Edited January 16 by doomsday_disco

[surlygurl]

This arrived earlier today, so aging is going to change things.

 

This starts out with a strong chemical note when sniffed up close. Ready to be disappointed, I then got a whiff of the throw.

 

It's a delicate scent with a pale green, earthy vibe. Memories of walking in coastal redwoods through morning fog and damp. The Ylang Ylang, vanilla, and whatever else are lost in the fog; it's just me and the cool green life all around.

 

Eventually the sun comes out and other scents stir, creating a more complex blend. Orris and Ambergris bring a clean sweetness while green patchouli add a slight earthy spice. The longer this sits on my skin, the more beautiful it is.

[theseagrows]

this one sounded really intriguing to me. it opens with oakmoss, ylang ylang and ambergris. sheer, green and a little floral. then i get a lot more patchouli/ambergris and the oakmoss amps up. it's quite green but also the sheer vanilla rounds it out nicely. i am not sure about this one, it is pretty but it needs another try for me, in warmer weather i think. nonetheless, interesting perfume!

[gentle-twig]

On me this is all about the orris. The powder quality has calmed down since it arrived, and this is no longer conjuring images of green rooms and boudoirs quite so insistently, but pearlescent white orris is still the main player. I get a fascinating twang of green patchouli up top, quite distinct from the husky, nutty thing most patchouli does. Slightly fruity ylang ylang is lending a humid quality—I can see the suggestion of fog mentioned by other reviewers. At times there is also a sappy quality, a smooth greenness that is not a bit weedy. Ambergris, vanilla, and oakmoss are all there as well, but this is far from a vanilla or moss bomb. I think the base notes might give some people soap associations but on me they feel like luxurious vintage perfume.  More white than green, more lace than lichen on me. And still more dressing room than forest—but I like these mixing of fantasies! Lace lichen smells like a fairy performer powdering her face before treading the boards of a sylvan stage. This one is fairly quiet but getting stronger since it arrived, I think aging will work wonders. 

[bheansidhe]

Sexy lichen indeed! This starts as a soft and nymph-like oakmoss draped in ylang-ylang and a very foody vanilla. Something about that combo plus the orris and ambergris gives it that distinctive "BPAL Lace" quality. It stays sheer, delicate, and low on the skin. Forest fairy face-powder is spot on! 

Edited Tuesday at 10:34 PM by bheansidhe

[Vaudenilla]

I totally agree w/ the fairy face powder assessment!!! This is the sweet and silky (kind of porcelain/powdered) vanilla from violet & vanilla chiffon rounded out by a milky oakmoss. I love the sheer green ambergris. I don’t get much patchouli which is absolutely alright with me because right now this is a sweet, milky, pale green fragrance I forsee myself wearing frequently during the breezy spring days. 
 

Wear time: 5-7 hours

Sillage: medium cus I definitely catch whiffs frequently 

Edited yesterday at 03:05 PM by Vaudenilla