La Belle au Bois Dormant

[Tesseljoan]

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.

A floral, a light one, so when it does turn sharp on my skin, it isn't so strong that it drowns out all the other notes. I can still smell the fruitiness of the pear and plumeria, very gently.

[cuervosueno]

I expected to dislike this because of the name--I hadn't read what was in it yet--which suggested to me floral.

but it starts quite interesting--green, and spicy floral, like a lily.

then I looked at the description:

And yes, I see that. The plumeria is the spicy floral I got, and the greenness resolves into pear. I also get some rose.

yes, I can smell many of the notes, and it is quite lovely, and more interesting to me than other florals...but its still a floral, and that doesn't work for me.

 

eta: yes, yes, the comparison to titania is right one. But I like Titania's sharper richer notes better.

Edited September 29, 2005 by Shollin

[Penance]

Origin:

 

Lagniappe from the Lab.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I've waffled over trying La Belle au Bois Dormant since it was released (love the name, not so fond of florals), so I'm really glad I finally get to try it. Even if I hate the smell, I love it for the name alone, although it would be wonderful if I ended up loving the scent, too.

 

First sniff:

 

Ooh, pretty! Definitely not my normal kind of scent, but beautiful nonetheless and so perfect for a scent named after Sleeping Beauty. I smell pear (a note I'm learning to love), plumeria and a jumble of other florals. It's not too floral for me, though, which is a huge surprise and a very good thing.

 

Wet on skin:

 

More floral now (which isn't a surprise since my skin chemistry amps up florals_ but it still has that lovely pear note that keeps this from venturing into "flower shop" territory. There's also something in there that smells quite a bit like white musk and that gives this more depth and character.

 

Dry down:

 

I swear, this smells like there's white musk in here...maybe it's the "evening dew" I'm smelling. Either way, I smell white musk, a bit of pear and some sort of heady flowers that still manage not to be offensively (to my nose, I mean) floral. I actually really like this quite a bit, surprisingly.

 

The bottom line:

 

I really like this. It reminds me of Juliet only more "me." I may get a bottle of this.

[cupide430]

La Belle au Bois Dormant

A frimp from the lab

 

Sweet cherry tinged floral. Its ozoney and has a heady/ripe undertone. There's something here that also smells like burning hair. Weird. This is another one that is fading fast. I tried it sorta near Tushnamatay. Maybe that part of my arm is just eating scents tonight? I can smell some tuberose, which just keeps getting stronger. Tuberose plus powder plus burning hair. This so isn't for me. I should've read the notes before I put it on.

[Julilla Regina]

This is very girly girl with a white lacy frock. The pear and plumeria blend really nicely, the sweet and the slightly tangy. I could swear though that after wearing this awhile, something woods-y comes out. There's an underlying tree-ness to this, very very subtle. It is very light and so you might have to reapply this a few times during the day. It really mellows into a light fragrance. Very pretty, and a must for floral fans!

[wickedgoddess]

Just when I decided that Maiden and Queen Mab would be my light scents for the summer, someone had to gift me an imp of this.

 

Wet - pear and lily.

 

Dry - hmm, looking at the description I see that it's not lily, but I am nut sure exactly what it is. The rose comes out as it dries, as does the magnolia, which is MUCH subtler here than in Black Dahlia. Lovely, lovely, lovely. It lasts a decent amount of time as well. Probably a big bottle in my future.

 

On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 4.

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: On first sniff, uberose and light aquatics; second sniff reveals the lovely, crisp fruitiness of the pear.

On me: Hmm, the skin where I applied this is tingling. It isn't turning red or showing any signs of distress, so I think it's OK, but a bit odd all the same.

The plumeria is so very strong, but it's backed up by mountains of rose petals. The fruitiness is still here, and assists in further sweetening the blend. I am very two ways about this. It is sweet, but is it too sweet? The florals are strong and the rose is quite pungent; but is it overwhelming? I can't make up my mind as to whether I like this or not. It is getting quite powdery on me, so I don't think I shall keep it. But the fragrance is so peaceful and beautiful that it was very difficult to decide.

[zankoku_zen]

On Bottle: Pears and flowers

 

On Skin: Juicy pear. Very fruity. There is a soft floral undertone to it. After a while, the pear dies down a bit and it becomes more floral.

 

On Drydown: Definitely floral now. I can smell hints of rose and magnolia.

 

Verdict: I'm not big on the initial fruitiness of the scent. I do agree that it is a lovely scent although it feels almost a bit too girly for me. My feelings on this scent are neither love it nor hate it. It might end up in the swap pile. It might not.

[clstal]

At first: Sweet and traditional somehow. Musky a bit. Rose isn't bad AT ALL.

 

Later, after a couple of tries: I keep wearing this and wishing it stuck around longer. It's loverly and I want a big bottle of it. I DON'T hate this rose, which surprises the hell out of me (as it's something I'd hated before BPAL). I still plan on avoiding 'rose' scents in the future but won't rule a scent out if it's got rose accents.

[elphaba]

Scents like this one make me feel like a bit of a stupidnose because I have no idea what things like magnolia or plumeria actually smell like. Those aren't things that grow anywhere I've lived. I do recognize the rose and pear, though, and I could find them in this blend. The other notes mostly blended into something generically "flowery" to me.

 

Just on, the sleeping beauty was all juicy pear and light flowers. A few minutes in, the pear faded for me and left the flowers. I really can't emphasize enough how lovely and light the florals in this blend are. The fruit is just the right touch to sweeten them and make them quiet and innocent.

 

It did go a tad bit soapy-smelling on me, but not enough to really be an issue. The only reason this isn't for me is that I like a bit more bite with my flowers. You'd think someone who's in love with Chaste Moon wouldn't have a problem with innocent scents, but this one is a bit too pretty and pure for me. It's just the kind of beauty you would associate with a sleeping fairy tale princess, though, the type where you can imagine whatever sort of personality you want to complement the unsullied image before you. Pretty.

[olympia301]

 

This is such a pretty pretty perfume! It is profoundly pretty. Floral as you can make a perfume, utterly feminine this is perfect for flower fans in the audience. I would love to say a "white flower" blend, but I swear this is a white and pink blend, there is a lot of sweetness but no ironic animalic undertones as you find in some white flower mixes.

 

The only thing that would keep me from buying a bottle of this is it doesn't have much personality. There is no one note which sticks out and says,"...but..." no hook, no snarky in-joke, no squirter hidden in the flowers. This is just an unvarnished and uncomplicated bouquet and if you are wanting something acceptable under all conditions, a highly versatile scent for any circumstance you find yourself in--La Belle au Bois Dormant is a good choice.

[feline.by.design]

This was sent to me as a free imp by the Lab. Very awesome and appreciated, since this is a scent I wanted to try on my Rose Quest :::huzzah!::: and I'm a bit of a fan of pear.

 

On the skin, I first smell the nice, icy chill of pear! Oh pear, I love you! Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! The light florals creep in shyly. I do smell the rose, but it's mingling with other lightly sweet (but not overly so) florals that are unobtrusive, but at the same time notable. The sweetness is likely due to the contribution of the magnolia, but this isn't as strong or sweet as, say, Hell's Belle magnolia.

 

Moments later, the pear note does fade too quickly (noooo!), leaving me with a fragrant bouquet of flowers. The Damascus rose is asserting itself more, and so the fragrance loses its sweetness and becomes more powdery/soapy. I can still smell the pear in the background, however. Oddly, whenever I smell my arm and am beginning to think that La Belle au Bois Dormant (hereafter La Belle) may not really work for me, the pear note erupts for a bit to change my mind.

 

The components cause La Belle to morph around during my trial period. Every time I lean in towards my arm I get a different pale flower dominating. I'll smell the light powder of the rose, then I'll lean in a minute later and catch magnoila again, then later smell what might be either the tuberose or plumeria. I'm afraid I'm not sure what plumeria smells like, though.

 

Altogether, this is a very cool, refined scent that seems well-suited to frosty winter days, pale spring mornings and/or summer nights under the moon and stars. I'm not sure if La Belle works for me really, since its changing scent persona makes it difficult for me to make a strong decision about it. Even in its powdery stages, however, La Belle manages to be unobtrusive to the point that the powder doesn't bother me, and the oil still manages to be quite posh, perhaps even a touch regal. Fans of Endymion, Juliet and Black Dahlia should really try this. I'm not saying it will work perfectly, but it may possibly be up your alley. It captures the same aura of feminity.

 

As for me, I may keep the imp or I may swap it, since I think I like Endymion a bit better, but I'm glad to have the experience to try it. This is a case where I don't dislike the oil, just that I don't really see myself grabbing this scent as much or over others. Still, I find the scent comforting, and the drydown contains a wee bit of green in it, like a rose stem, so there may be some hope. The powder level for me is rather mild, yet still notable.

 

I'll have to think it over, perhaps after a sleep.

 

-doreen

Edited July 14, 2005 by feline.by.design

[darkling]

La Belle was a freebie with my Clubs order and not something that I would have tried on my own.

 

This is a lovely, delicate scent. I tend to rabidly dislike florals but these flowers are gentle and sweet. It has a faint aquatic tinge, perhaps from the moring dew. Adding to its beauty is the faint hint of fruit edging up to the florals.

 

There is something soporific about this scent that made me wear it to bed. It was very soothing and I slept deeply and without nightmares. This one is a keeper to add to my bedtime scent list.

[slave1]

In Bottle: A very juicy fruity floral.

 

On Skin: The pear is so juicy! And the florals compliment it so well. I get a nice white wine scent from this, very bright and strong. I normally don’t like florals, especially rose, but this one is so commanding and full of life, I’d love to see what reaction I’d get while wearing it. This is not a scent for the timid, it grabs you, but in such a feminine way. So yes, I don’t think it’s gentle, but that’s just me. Sadly, the rose does end up taking over and it becomes much too tart and sour on me.

Edited May 2, 2006 by slave1

[gangstaknitta]

In bottle: plumeria is the strongest, sweet (tuberorse, magnolia)

 

Wet:lots of plumeria, a little sweet too--magnolia comes out more, but it's not overpowering like a lot of magnolia scents

 

Dry: plumeria and powdery rose…a bit sharp; the magnolia is so light that it fades into the background

[isyche]

in vial: Fruity, kind of like fruit punch.

 

on: Very light pale floral, mainly pear and plumeria...I don't get the rose. It fades really quickly.

 

La Belle au Bois is nice but unremarkable on my skin, one of those light girly florals that are pretty but just not me (see also: Juliet, Endymion, Thalia, Pele, Desdemona). Sleeping Beauty was never my favorite fairy tale princess anyway. Off to swap.

[PixieSkull]

Random try, wanted to smell like flowers. Mixed it with my unscented lotion for body application, smelled nice in imp.

 

In imp: strong, sweet florals. Can't pick out any specific smells, but at least one smells very familiar (grandparent's garden, I swear.)

 

Wet: Soap. Intense flowery soap. Faded to a nicer darker flower, a late-blooming one perhaps sitting on a bar of soap.

 

Overall: I don't like it. I've found that lots of florals don't make me feel as pretty as I want them to... high standards I guess. I'll stick to Xiuhtecuhtli for me sexy flower smell, and throw La Bella in the swap pile.

[Little Bird]

I find that I don't do well with a lot of the Love Potion blends, because the fruity-floral blends here tend to go sharp, soapy, and cheap smelling on my skin.

 

La Belle is another that doesn't work out.

 

At first all I can smell is slightly musky pear. Then the florals come out and do what white florals do on my skin... turn into evil, bitter, sharp notes that make me nauseated. Luckily, La Belle is a light scent, which keeps it from giving me a headache.

 

Within an hour it has pretty much faded away. Sharp, bitter, light, artificial smelling floral.

Edited April 3, 2013 by Little Bird

[muselette]

Wet, this has a bit of an alcoholic tinge, which along with the pear is somewhat reminiscent of cough syrup. As it dries, the sharper smell goes away, and it morphs into a flowery carmelized pear scent. The rose in this is one of those deep red spicy smelling roses, with just a bit of creamy magnolia and green tuberose to round it out. It's a perfect scent for a brisk, sunny, early autumn day.

 

I noticed a few posts of people who had worn this to bed- a day or two after I got this imp as a freebie, I spilled half of it all over me right before bed. It was one of the best nights of sleep I had had in a while! There's definitely a soothing, gentle quality to this scent, and on me it lasts for a few hours. It's not something I think to put on before going out, but I like having this smell around me. It's very evocative and dreamy.

 

reread the actual descrition, and what I'm calling tuberose is no doubt the plumeria, which is also a pale green tropical smell for me.

Edited August 23, 2005 by muselette

[Ishtar]

It is not often that a BPAL blend smells artificial to me, but it is what happened during the first half-hour of wearing La Belle au Bois Dormant. A big, bold, unapologetic artificial fruit note. Hrm. I do not think we are going to get along.

 

However, after wearing it for a little longer, the blend opens up and I can now smell some individual notes. The pear, always elusive on my skin much to my despair, is long gone, but I can recognise the plumeria and the magnolia. Added to the tuberose, they make for a really sweet floral reminiscent of Black Dahlia. Not bad and definitely a pleasant surprise after the overwhelmingly artificial first stage, but not one of my favourites.

 

If you like sweet florals, I would definitely recommend that you give it a try, though.

[urraca]

I really liked this one.

 

It is fruity the moment I put it on, but it's not a scent I can immediately identify as pear. That fades quickly in any case and I get a somewhat tropical sweet heady floral mix. As someone else noted, I also get a faint cocoanut vibe from this. I believe it is a mixture of the tuberose, plumeria, and magnolia that are coming out most strongly on me. This may be a big bottle purchase.

 

But man, is it ever soporiphic. I haven't been feeling well lately so I don't know if it is a virus or La Belle at work but I spent all afternoon in bed and can't wait to get back. This is the bouquet of tropical blooms Malificent put by Sleeping Beauty's bed to keep her asleep --- and give her nice dreams. :

[AlaskaSnows]

In the Bottle: Flowered sugary sweet pear.

 

Dry: the pear is more balanced and equal with the flowers now, and the whole scent is more subtle. The pear has added a bitter note, like the skin of the pear when you bite it.

 

All in all a 5 on a scale of 1 to 10.

[13bodies]

I got this in a swap; I was a bit leery of the plumeria because I'm not a big fan, but...

 

Wet this is floral, but not too sweet or strong. I can make out the pear lurking in the background.

 

Dry the pear is a bit stronger and the scent is a little fruity but not overpowering; it balances out the florals nicely.

 

Drydown similiar to the dry stage.

 

This was nice a light with pretty good staying power. I did re-apply at noon but I'm not sure if I'd have needed to. This is a definite contender for my spring scent. I was very pleasantly surprised.

[siddal]

In the imp I could smell a fairly even blend of fruit and flowers, but on my skin, I had only the slightest scent of pear, and mostly white flowers, that, when dried down, reminded me of gardenia. Perhaps it was the magnolia mixing with the other flowers. Alas, alack the day, I wanted to love it but not for me. On to the next :-D

[lohengrin]

In the imp: Sweetly floral, a touch fruity.

 

On, wet: Same as in the imp.

 

Later: REALLY fades, to almost nothing. Faint whisps of sweet fruit & flowers, but not enough to really accomplish anything.