La Belle au Bois Dormant

[Northernminx]

The Sleeping Beauty. A gentle, lovely scent, slightly soporific, but beautiful in its quiet repose. Plumeria and white pear, Damascus rose, tuberose, magnolia and evening dew.

I have to say Beth totally outdid herself in the last batch of releases. This is the third that I've tried today and every single one of them has me giggling and smelling my skin every three seconds.

A very light, fresh fruity floral in the bottle, this reminded me a younger sister to the lush juciness of Titania. Lots of pear, light and crisp and sweet, that faded a bit as some plumeria and magnolia came out. There was not a lot of rose in this, though it's in there. Sweet, beguiling, and light, this is another one I think I'm going to have to add to the "to buy list." Edited September 16, 2007 by Shollin

[hypothermya]

La Belle Au Bois Dormant

 

Some History: An anthology edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling mentions in an introductory paragraph that the oldest version of Sleeping Beauty features a maiden who is awakened not by a kiss, but by the birth of twin sons -- apparently Prince Charming had his way with the sleeping girl, no invitation needed. Thank the Gods that the Lab chose to feature this scent based off of the retelling of Charles Perrault, La Belle Au Bois Dormant. This version is much closer to the Disney telling of the tale, and features a chaste kiss to awaken. As typical of the French, this tale is very romantic, and, as typical of fairy tales retold or created at that time period, it is more complex than our modern fairy tales. Which makes it perfect for this blend, since it manages to capture that romanticism and complexity.

 

Initial Impression

 

How sweet and romantic! I can place the tuberose, that dreamy sweet floral -- so much like a rose but with a watery undertone to it -- and several other of the florals: the rose, the juicy plumeria, and the watery tones of the scent. But what strikes me the most is the pear that is used in this one. Unlike the single note D'Anjou Pear, this pear is not grainy and crisp; instead, it is the juicy, ripe pear that melts into your mouth. Overall, this immediately brings to mind sweet, lush scenery and dew glistening webs. Power of suggestion, perhaps, but this scent is both pale and twilit, bringing to mind the "once upon a time" of a fairy tale.

 

Wearing It

 

I admit, I did not order this scent for me. The reason? My skin does very bad things when rose is in a blend. And sure enough, this scent turns to pure rose on my skin in a matter of seconds. However, in the few seconds where it maintained its purity, the blend reminded me of both Titania and Endymion -- two other scents which use florals and pear. La Belle Au Bois Dormant is actually the more romantic and vivid of the three, with more sophistication and dreaming than the lush and fruity Titania and more lushness and color than the more classic and floral Endymion. While all three blends smell quite delicious, I truly think that this sleeping beauty manages to make herself more unique than "just another pear blend" and manages to convey and dazzling sense of romanticism, longing, and wistfullness. The fairygodmothers of the Lab have indeed gifted her with beauty, grace, and whatever other magic they use in these perfumes.

Edited January 21, 2005 by hypothermya

[magikfanfic]

In the bottle: What is that? It reminds me of something. Oh, god, I had medicine that smelled like that once. I don't know if I can put it on now. This is sickly sweet and cloying in the vial, and I don't know if it's the pear or one of the florals that's doing it. I can only hope that it calms down a little on my skin.

 

Wet: Pear coupled with something in the background that still produces that visceral medicine reaction in me. The pear is nice, but something is lurking that makes me a little ill. I'm beginning to think it might be tuberose as I had the same reaction to another scent containing that note. The pear is very prominent, though, and this has one hell of a throw for something that sounds so light.

 

Dry down: Um, pear. I can detect a little of the plumeria as well. I love plumeria and was so happy when Beth brought it out with this blend, but I don't know if I can handle the rest of this scent or not. Magnolias. The magnolia scent reminds me of the trees in New Orleans and the heavy, white petals. I love magnolia trees. I want one so badly. i'll have to move somewhere they can grow and fill my yard with their sleek petals like artifical snow. More of the plumeria now, which is overriding the pear. I don't like this pear scent nearly as well as I do the ones in Titania. This is kinda heavy on me. A smell like fancy dresses and big golden curls falling over closed blue eyes. The magnolia seems to be in the front here, which isn't what I was hoping for but has at least covered up the medicine smell that was making me ill. No rose in this yet. My skin is not picking up the roses recently as much as it is wont to. I'm gonna blame it on the time of the month. I may even blame the time of the month for associating this blend with medicine.

 

Dry: I don't know. I don't like this on me right now, but I'm more than willing to blame that on my body chemistry. The plumeria and magnolia are nice. I wish there was a bit more rose, and I still think that tuberose makes me a little ill. And then I rub some of the oil onto my right wrist and the rose suddenly blooms out like it's been waiting for a ray of sunshine. My skin is oh so weird. I'm undecided about this one. I'll give it a week and then try it out again.

[Red_Hot_Mama]

I think you have to be "in the mood" to wear La Belle Au Bois Dormant. It's very sweet on me & as a result, I tend to wear it in the evenings. The pear note is particularly strong in the forefront. (Note to self: my sister would absolutely LOVE this!)

 

The magnolia & tuberose blend beautifully with the plumeria. Plumeria can easily be overdone & has, in the past given me headaches. Not so, with La Belle Au Bois Dormant! All of these sweet florals are anchored by the Damascus Rose. It's the rose which gives this blend it's extraordinary staying power & silage.

 

I've not particularly noticed the "morning dew" note. Aquatics, in general do well with my skin chemistry but then again, so do florals.

 

If you don't usually care for aquatics but love florals & pear, this is the blend for you!

 

Update 6-3-05: LBaBD has become one of my absolute favorite BPAL blends. I reach for it most often just before I go to sleep. This is one of only TWO blends which has gotten compliments from my husband.

Edited June 27, 2005 by Red_Hot_Mama

[Morrighana]

I ordered a 5mL of this immediately because of the pear note, and once again, I have not been dissapointed!

 

In the bottle: Delicious sweet pear. It is softer and sweeter than Beth's D'Anjou Pear single note, though...it may be a different pear, or it could just be the other notes rounding out the crisp pear sharpness. I can detect a hint of the rose and magnolia, but in the bottle, the pear dominates.

Wet: The moment it touches my skin, the rose leaps to the forefront of this blend, as roses have a tendancy to do on me.

Dry: After a few moments, the rose settles down nicely---in fact, it almost fades completely---and the blend becomes anchored by the magnolia. The pear is very much in the background, but it brings a mellow sweetness to the whole affair that is quite refreshing. Other reviewers have compared La Belle au Bois Dormant to Titiana, and I while do detect a logical comparison in the bottle, once dry this scent is a bit less sweet and has more floral notes on my skin.

 

Overall: I this blend! The pear note has much more strength and staying-power when I scent my hair with it, but the drydown on my skin is utterly lovely as well. Of course, the teensiest dab of D'Anjou Pear single note does wonders to amp up the pear, but I think I will end up wearing this scent both ways.

[Donnababe]

La Belle au Bois Dormant

 

I don't have much luck with white florals but the description of this just made me swoon.

 

Out of the imp this is sweet and calm but doesn't scream pear.

 

On the skin the pear is there but it's not like the wet uber juicy sweetness of Endymion, but the rough skin of a pear that isn't quite ripe. Behind the fruit I can definitely smell magnolias.

 

After just a few minutes the pear vanishes and I'm left with a fragrance which it similiar on me to Black Dahlia, but with an unpleasent metallic twang. I'm guessing this is probably the Tuberose. This continues for the duration of the scent and makes it a miss for me.

[UltraViolet]

Wet

Nice pear scent.

Something acidic is interfering with the pear though. That acidic smell went away.

10 minutes

It more fresh and almost milky now, it's quite a comforting smell.

I smell the tuberose and magnolia now which is lovely.

I don't smell the rose though.

20 minutes

The pear and this acidic smell are primary in the blend. I love pear blends.

I'm not sure if I'd buy a larger size of this but I'd have to use it more to know. I could change my mind about this one.

[allidavie]

I always test things without looking at the description, which I think did a disservice to this one. I just got a light, fairly sweet, unremarkable floral that disappeared almost immediately. Maybe I'm in a BPAL rut, but I'm at the point where if I don't immediately love something I have about ten others in the "same" category that do the job better, so I may not be giving new imps a chance. But I'd say that empyreal mist has the same "feel" for me as la belle (shall we call her Patti for short? ) even though they don't smell alike. E.g., if I were in the kind of mood that I wanted to wear a light, sweetish but not sweet floral I'd wear Empyreal Mist, which I love, and not La Belle, because while I like La Belle it wasn't anything special to my nose.

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: Plumeria and sweet pear.

 

Second Impression: Oh, gorgeous. I love this. It's like the scene in Sleeping Beauty (yes, the Disney version), when Princess Aurora is drawn up to the tower to prick her finger on the spindle. It's dreamy, ethereal with that sharp bit of magnolia sitting in the background like Maleficent and her evil spell.

 

Final Analysis: A beautiful drydown, good throw and nice staying power, this scent is a triple threat.

[Sheila]

Oh damn, another one for my big-bottle list. This scent is truly beautiful. The best words I can think to describe it are gentle, pretty, and delicate. The pear and plumeria combine in a slightly fruity, light floral. I can't really smell the other notes since they're so well blended. I wish it lasted longer, but this is worth reapplying.

[anmorata]

La Belle Au Bois Dormant:

 

Pear. Pear pear pear. My skin loves pear. Sadly, I do not like pear as much as my skin does, so this one's off in the swap pile.

[ChupaChup]

La Belle au Bois Dormant is a beautiful, soft, light perfume. I mainly get rose, plumeria and pear, in that order of strength. The pear is not too fruity and the notes blend almost immediately. I only wished it lasted longer, it's all gone within half an hour. Lovely .

[thespring]

Let me start by saying I dislike rose. I do not dislike La Belle.

 

Tuberose is the strongest thing I get here followed closely by the pear. The best word to describe this scent is "Gentle". I recieved a nice little compliment when I wore this too.

 

Not something I would automatically reach for but nice to have.

Edited April 7, 2005 by thespring

[inkstone]

In the imp: Pear and florals.

 

Wet: Very sleepy, somnolent florals. It's very light and not cloying.

 

Drydown: Tuberose and plumeria.

 

Final thoughts: The pear never comes out all that strongly. It's a nice scent. Very light but not wispy. But while it's nice, it's not one that I'd reach for so I think this will go into the swap pile in the hopes that it'll find a better home.

[Batgirl]

When I first tried this on I thought it quite similar to Ophelia - nice enough, but since I already have a big bottle of Ophelia, no need to try any further. But about an hour or so later I started smelling a juicy, fruity smell under the florals, which has to be the pear. The overall effect is a fragrance that is rounder and more full bodied than Ophelia. I'm on the fence about a big bottle, I really like this, but I still wonder if it isn't too similar to other florals I have to buy a big bottle. I may have to try Endymion to see if I can get this yummy pear note with a slightly different floral base. Oh, the throw and lasting power on this one is also excellent.

[helarctos]

A light and sweet floral -- unobjectionable, perhaps a bit too quiet for my tastes; but shouldn't the Sleeping Beauty be nothing other than quiet? What makes this blend delectable is the pear. Unfortunately that note didn't last long on me.

[ashtonrose]

I loved this scent as soon as I opened the bottle. Plumeria and damascus rose were the first scents that I picked up on.

 

Wet: Plumeria, pear and the dew - smelled so fresh

Dry down: Plumeria, pear, damascus rose and magnolia

Dry: Pear, damascus rose, plumeria in the background and a hint of magnolia. the dew had left the scent by this time.

 

A great scent all around.

[babykitty]

Yea, baby. Pear.

 

Is good.

 

[Lit Chick]

Hmmm. I'll have to try this again.

I'm getting something creamy - and it's nice. Not at all what I expected.

Soft, sweet (but not too much), feminine.... soothing. It's a lovely sleep blend - alond with Maiden it puts me in a happy calm drifty state.

[diabolique]

so, i love plumeria, i dig pear, and i can be down with magnolia when the mood strikes.

 

this is a lot like thalia, but i don't like it as much (might as well be honest right off the bat). i recognize the plumeria+pear combination immediately, because beth does wonderful things with these notes together. the other notes, however, make this overripe.

 

the oil smells like i ripped into a juicy pear and went outside to play in the garden before washing off the nectar. i seriously expected this one to be sticky because it smells so juicy and heavy. this is sweeter than thalia and not as happy.

 

i'm trying to sell my bottle, but nobody seems interested. -sigh-

[etherealchild]

In the Bottle Magnolia...... mmmmmmmm

 

Wet Soft full magnolia, in the background unidentifiable florals . Shadows and dew. Lovely.

 

Drydown Pulmeria, shut up! Stopbeing so damn loud! get back in the shadows, damnit! lol. Ugh. Plumeria. ::tries to seek out Magnolia::

 

2 Hours After the ugly plumeria got quiet it became pretty yet faint.

I want to make a room spray of this one.

 

Verdict Lovely, but I need to keep reapplying. For the love of magnolia I would kill for a version of this without the plumeria.

[lady_pandora]

This went on smelling like roses and pears, but after ten minutes, something sweet and cloying and vaguely foody rose to the surface and took over. It almost smells coconutty.

 

Way too sweet even for me, and way too innocent.

 

ETA: Tried leaving it on a little longer. The sweet note--maybe it was the magnolia?--passes after a while, and the plumeria comes out and smacks me upside the nose. I liked the original roses and pears--and the too-sweet note--better, as I do not like plumeria much due to personal associations. Alas. I probably wouldn't have ordered la Belle had I noticed it had plumeria, but I was too busy being thrilled that there was a BPAL named after the Sleeping Beauty.

Edited May 8, 2005 by lady_pandora

[unmused]

In the Bottle: Fruity and Floral. Mostly fruit as the plumeria lends its juicy notes to the pear. Lush and exotic.

 

Wet: The fruit fades a little, sweet florals come out and the rose is there at the end of a deep inhale. Still loving it.

 

Dry Down: The florals loose their edge and the overall feel goes clean... too clean... An hour in and it's gone quite soapy on me. I don't know if its my nose or my chemistry but the soap thing haunts me. Blech.

 

Last Thoughts: I really liked it right up until the soapy stuff hit. I don't mind a bit of soap in a fresh, clean scent, but I was all set for this to be a lush and fruity thing. This went into the swap pile.

[mmcfa2]

I smell pear, and then pear and then..

 

slight florals...

 

and then nothing!

 

I thought I would love this, but there is nothing there after the pear to my nose

 

I'll stick with bolder non fruity florals if I want floral.

[LiberAmoris]

La Belle au Bois Dormant is another BPAL blend in which I can smell all the notes. Like others above, It also reminds me a lot of Titania. I'm not the hugest fan of tuberose, but the pear and plumeria really balance it out in this blend.

 

I wore this to bed last night (I thought Sleeping Beauty would be appropriate for one trying to get some beauty sleep) and it had a very lovely and comforting effect. I think I'll save my imp for a day in which I wear a floral, girly dress (currently penciled in for sometime in 2006).

 

Blends like La Belle au Bois Dormant remind me that I should have more flowers around the apartment. The floral oils and essences that BPAL uses as notes are so beautifully true that they really are uplifting harbingers of spring.