Leanan Sidhe

[draconix]

... Her perfume is a crush of Irish herbs and flowers, Gaelic mists, and nighttime dew.

In the bottle: Flowers mostly, with something else that I think is herbs... yes. There's a kind of freshness to it as well.

On my skin: Wet, I can't figure out what it is, but it's very clean and clear. The herbs possibly, because it's still slightly floral and earthy almost... but sweeter. Dry, there's something very fresh and feminine about this. It's oddly calming. It's a little floral and slightly powerdy/soapy, but only when I get too close to it. Just a passing sniff weilds a fresh scent with floral undercurrents and a bit of herbal smell every now and then.

Final Thoughts: A very pretty scent. Would I wear it often? I'm not sure. I like it, but I don't really think it's a "me" kind of scent.

[joiedecombat]

A lovely eBay seller whose BPAL auctions I've patronized several times threw Leanan Sidhe in as a gift in an auction that ended on St. Patrick's Day. It wasn't an oil I'd given much through to trying, but when I put it on, it reminded me of how much I like fresh, clean herbal scents.

 

Which is what it is, on my skin. I don't really get much of the florals from this blend. Instead, it's green, like fresh herbs, with a certain astringence to it, but with enough delicacy that it's never acrid or overpowering. The florals sweeten it a little without ever becoming quite recognizable on their own.

 

I quite like it. I haven't quite made up my mind whether or not I'll want a larger bottle, but I will definitely use up the imp. Leanan Sidhe and I get along quite well.

[mirutai]

When testing this, I misremembered the notes. Let me just say that this is a very suprising scent if one is expecting to smell milk and honey (Dana O' Shee)!

 

Anyway, I was hoping for a wet, green floral... but on me this goes straight to Ye Generic Commercial Floral Perfume smell. Strong, "perfumey" floral, with a piercing edge and fairly powerful throw. Unfortunately, it tickles my nose and makes my head hurt slightly. So sad!

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 1/5

Summarised in a word or two: Floral soap.

 

In the imp: Herbs and flowers.

 

On skin, wet: Flowers and herbs, emphasis on "flowers." Very light, soft and white flowers. Maybe jasmine?

 

On skin, dry: Bright, soft, white flowers. Nothing left of anything herbal, and no sign of mists or dew. It's also quickly becoming rather soapy. High-end, expensive soap, but soap all the same.

 

Conclusion/Notes: Flowery soap. Very nice for what it is, but it's not something I'd ever wear, floral girl that I most certainly am not. Floral-scent lovers will, well, love this, provided it doesn't go soapy on them, as it does me.

[Melantha]

In the bottle: Perfectly lovely, I can't quite pin down what it is I'm smelling, but I like it.

 

Wet: All florals. Rats. I hope this will change, cos I'm not a huge floral fan.

 

Dry: The green, herbal scent is starting to show through, with the florals fading into the background, but still present. Ah, this is more like it!

 

Throw: Medium. It didn't take a lot at all.

 

I like it, though I'll probably hold off on a bottle for now. It's a good outdoorsy scent, clean, and ladylike, without being girly.

[retyped]

scent, clean, and ladylike, without being girly.

 

 

I completely agree! I wore this scent to work today and got many, many compliments on it. I actually gave one customer the url to BPAL so she could get a bottle for herself! It's a light, fresh scent that has excellent staying power, I put just a touch on my wrists and neck at noon today and it lasted until probably eight o'clock when I decided to try Ophelia for the first time.

[The_Merf]

In the imp: This smells like fresh flowers. I'm getting a honeysuckle vibe for some reason.

 

Wet: I'm still reminded of honeysuckle, but not the honeysuckle of New Orleans and Eos. This is much cooler--like a honeysuckle that is growing in the middle of many other herbs and shurbs.

 

Drydown and wear: It's perfectly lovely, and I'm sure I'll use the imp, but it reminds me a lot of Dublin. Were I to get a bottle, I'm not sure which of the two I'd purchase.

Edited May 13, 2006 by The_Merf

[Delight]

My first impression was that in the bottle it smelled exactly like a perfume my irish mother had when I was little. I could swear there is some lily of the valley in it. Otherwise I can't pick out the other ingredients other than there is something floral tempered with something green and wet.

 

On my skin it is equally delightful. It isn't too strong or too sweet. I am unable to stop smelling myself. Long term use of this perfume may give rise to narcissism. Use with caution.

[kakiphony]

In the imp:

Generic sweet floral. I immediately crinkled my nose and sincerely did not want to put this on my skin. But, I'm committed to trying everything, so I buckled down and applied to one wrist (my right).

 

Wet on skin:

Still a generic floral. I sneezed three times in rapid succession. Between sniffles, I think I smelled honeysuckle.

 

Early Dry Down:

After twenty minutes, I finally stopped sneezing and could sniff my wrist without an allergy attack. I got a very specific floral note that drove me nuts because I couldn't quite place it. My first thought was honeysuckle, but then I second guessed myself and wondered if it's lilac? In any case, it's a sweet, fresh floral that I KNOW I've smelled in my garden. It's quite pretty, and very feminine, which is usually the kiss of death for me.

 

Late Dry Down:

After two hours, this was still floral, but developed a powdery undertone. It reminded me a bit of how I used to smell after staying the night at grandma's and washing with her floral scented soap. I'm almost positive the floral is honeysuckle, and, aside from the fade and faint powder, it stayed amazingly true on my skin. I had no more sneeze-attacks after initial application, which proves to me that it's the combination of florals and alcohol in traditional perfumes which do me in, not the florals alone.

 

The boy's comment on this one was, "It smells like my mom." This is not a good thing. (She's partial to cheap commercial perfumes like White Diamonds.)

 

Conclusion: I have to admit that this is a pretty scent. It's not overpowering or obnoxious, both of which I tend to expect from florals. However, the Irish muse is still, sadly, not for me. I'm just not a girly-girl or a wearer of florals. On its way it goes. Hopefully, it will find its own true love somewhere along its route.

[filigree_shadow]

While the scent is strong, it's quite herby and green. Reminds me of Irish Spring soap and dryer sheets. It smells bright, clean, and fresh. It ends up (after an hour or two) smelling like a faint green floral. So when it's strong it's herby, and when it's faint it's floral. Interesting.

[HennaFairy]

bottle:

almost a watery (not ozone) light floral

 

wet:

a little lemony. Lightly floral and herbal

 

dry:

lovely light scent! Light herbal/floral, hint of water I think

 

overall:

I adore this.

 

rating: 9/10

[juniperus]

Bottle: very light herbal floral and, yes, dew.

Wet: a very light ozone-y after affect on the floral greenness. hauntingly lovely.

Dry: very subtle indeed, a very light ozone-y herbal/floral, not one note overwhelming another, so I am having a difficult time picking them out. It reminds me of the chill dampness of twilight at Diana's Grove (in May, I think, or early June - before the Missouri heat of the summer really sets in)...as the wall of mist moves across the meadow, the unearthly sparkle of the lightning bugs behind it. It's a magical place.

Later: oh my, faded very quickly, but so very nice until it did..darn my skin, anyway.

[edenssixthday]

Leanan Sidhe smells very aquatic on me, although according to the Lab description, it is not. It’s highly “perfumey” and cloying. It’s stays very close to my skin, and lasts a long time. Unfortunately, the scent isn’t going to work on me, and I hope it finds a good home with someone else.

[selkielass]

Hmmm this smells familiar to me, but I can't quite put my finger on exactly what... It does smell herbal, but the associations keep bringing me back to soap or shampoo. Perhps, as some other poster commented, this is reminding me of some soap or shampoo out of my past.

It's pretty, but not something that I want to keep on smelling all day long- it reminds me of the showers at summer camp, so I'm pretty sure it is triggering memories of some shampoo.

Alas.

[Meg]

In the bottle: Soft white florals.

 

Wet: It gets a bit sharper, smelling like wet florals. It gets a bit sharp for my sinuses.

 

Drydown: It dries down to a very soft, creamy floral scent. I don't know which floral this is, but it's the same as in Asphodel. There's a misty air scent that wafts above it, very much like dew. After a while, it gets a bit dry, and there's a definite hay scent to it, like dry grass in the sun.

 

Overall: It's a pretty blend, but it keeps on making me go "who's wearing sun cream"? It smells just like the floral used in Nivea sun cream, but it's a bit sharper and has a bit of a wet feel to it. It's pleasant, but not something that I would wear regularly.

[cranberry]

when I first apply this, it reminds me of old style perfume, not super floral, but a bit musky, a bit floral and a bit herbal, in cut crystal bottles. it has that timeless feel to it.

 

after it's been on for a minute two, that old-style perfume smell goes away and it smells slightly floral; it has elements of jasmine with some kindof herb back there that I can't identify. as it wears, the florals amp up and become more forceful. there's also a note here thats a bit powdery, maybe the image of old style perfume isn't too far off after all.

 

this reminds me of other BPAL floral scents that I can't remember - I'm not a super big fan of florals and they all seem to blend into one. it was good to try but I think I'll mark this one down as tried and pass on my imp.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

sniffed from the bottle...

this smells so yummy, floral but not.

and very familiar...

 

as soon as it hits my skin, it changes just a little and becomes a (drugstore) perfume i wore when i was wee (well, i think i was 7)...

Vervé in either Mist of Spring or Twilight Mist, i can't remember which one it was that smelled like this, but it was one of them.... if i can find my old bottles, i'll check.

 

LOVE this. love. so glad i have a bottle.

[Galatea]

In the Imp: Light, barely there herbs and aquatic notes.

 

Wet: Very misty and sweet green smell, hard to describe really. Seems there is lavender in this and possibly some ozone notes too.

 

Dry: Woo! Powdery and very "clean". Somehow it got stronger in the dry stage. Given a little time the strong herb scent thins out and the perfume calms down considerably. This is still mainly a clean herbal blend.

 

Throw: Fairly good; but at first dry down it's a bit much. Just be aware it has a shortish stage of being almost overwhelming.

 

Overall: From the description I thought I'd like this a lot more than I do. It seems so light and innocent in the bottle and when you first put it on, but then Wham! The dry down knocks you down. I think I'd like this a bit more if it were a less "clean" and more aqueous. I have yet to find a watery BPAL blend I like, and from somone who loved Cool Water as much as me, that's weird.

 

Rating: +/- (neutral)

[moon_lemming]

Leanan Sidhe is definitely a "pretty" scent! In the imp, it's a white, clean floral, very crisp.

 

Sadly, on me, the florals amp (as usual) and it becomes a little detergenty. Too floral for my taste. I still think it's pretty, though, just not for me.

[seamor]

Wow, this one doesn't seem to work on me. Ain't body chemistry a hoot?

 

The first time I tried it, I simply couldn't smell it at all. It was as if I were wearing plain oil with no scent added. I let it rest for a couple of months and tried it again yesterday. It had scent this time, but it didn't match the description. Well, yes, it was floral, but it was thick and cloyingly sweet.

 

So, I guess I have the option of wearing it very lightly and adding a little at a time until I get scent, hoping not to be suddenly overwhelmed with yicky sweetness, but that doesn't sound good ot me. I guess this relationship is doomed.

 

I am sad. The description of Leanan Sidhe is so lovely; I really wanted to smell that.

 

On the other hand, some of the scents that don't initially sound as interesting to me have turned truly fabulous when I get them on. It's kind of a fun game.

[Elrianra]

Fruity/floral with a soft sweet kiss of aquatic notes in the imp. On my skin, this is sweetly floral... I can't name anything specific - clover or maybe thistles. Yummy. As it dries, there's a very faint almost citrus-y note... rosemary perhaps? Thyme? Whatever it is, it is delightful. I haven't encountered something so vaguely direct in a long time. Warming, there's a dryness to it, it reminds me of Lady Grey tea, a rich black tea with cream and sugar and just a faint touch of florals. This is incredibly versatile and classy. On the die down, this was mild florals again, with just a dusting of aquatic sweet notes, very pretty.

[sookster]

straight sniff from bottle is very floral...slightly green

 

once applied this little bottle packs some serious punch...s-t-r-o-n-g...

a little dab'll do ya for sure...

 

after 30 to 40 minutes a very pretty herby floral ... still going strong

 

i may like this for a springtime walk in the rain

[blackfelicula]

In the bottle: This one smells floral to me, possibly herbal, but not medicinal. In some ways it reminds me of "Ilaun" from the Burren perfumery, but since they share some of the same notes, that's not surprising. I'm a little nervous to try this one, since florals and I don't always get along, but I'm feeling adventurous.

 

Wet on the skin: This one is a very "quiet" scent. It's almost musky. I'm not sure what note does that, but it's an asset to the blend. There's a sweetness to it, too. It has a very feminine feel to it, yet it's not offensively "perfume-y."

 

As it dries: I think this is a floral I can wear. Though it goes on subtle, it seems to throw further than I thought it would. I'm glad I tried it. This one will stay on for the day. My other new imps will have to wait.

 

Edited to add:

 

Dry: This is sweet, yet almost sandalwood-y. It's soft -- yes, oh yes -- yet enchanting, like rising mist. I'm really enjoying this!

 

I should also add that I got my imp second-hand. It's likely aged a bit. If so, it does well in the aging.

Edited August 12, 2006 by blackfelicula

[porcelain72]

In the bottle: non-specific floral, not overpowering.

 

Initial application: more flowers, there's something aquatic about it, it makes me a picture a clean pond with wildflowers growing along the banks. I'm not getting that green herbal scent, which is good because that sometimes veers close to a dirt smell on my skin.

 

Drydown: oh dear, this is going fast, with very little throw. I guess it fits with the otherworldly description, this is something that is just supposed to linger lightly before disappearing into your imagination.

 

Final verdict: nice. Not thrilling, but nice. It smells like good quality perfume, but I'm not overwhelmed with joy for it.

[yellowrose]

This imp is circulating as part of the General Catalogue Swap.

 

In the interest of time and because others are patiently waiting, I'm just sniffing some scents in the bottle. This is one of those.

 

My impression of Leanan Sidhe is that it is an aquatic floral with a decidedly green note. Because I am leery of green scents (since they often = grass), I'm not going to apply this on my skin.

 

Safe travels imp!