Aeval

[LiberAmoris]

A raven-haired Fairy Queen of Ireland. One of her eternal duties dictates that she must hold a midnight court every season and hear the pleas of married Irishwomen. The court serves only to determine whether or not husbands are adequately serving their wife’s sexual needs. A judicious yet powerfully sensual blend, a mingling of justice and sexuality: sage, sweet pea, bold pale musk and warm tonka.

Aeval is very pretty, but I think I have learned that I am not a fan of sweetpea. On my skin it's all sagey sweetpea with a bit of a grapey note. The tonka and musk seem to be enveloped and subdued. I think it's just a bit too flower-ful and sweet for me. Will be passing it on to a friend who loves the florals. I have a feeling this will be amazing on her.

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

I am wearing this to the theatre tonight, and it strikes me as a perfect spring Event-with-a-capital-E fragrance. The sweet pea comes out soft and lovely, but the sage makes it more formal and not too cutesy--it's an unexpected, distinctive edge. The musk is faint, just enough for depth. I feel feminine and fae wearing Aeval, which of course is exactly what I am usually shooting for.

[isyche]

I really wanted to love Aeval, but something about the sweetness of the sweet pea and the astringency of the sage combined on my skin keeps bringing up unpleasant memories of some kind of medicine. I can't put my finger on what it is, but it's giving me hospital flashbacks, so it must go. Sigh.

Edited April 18, 2005 by isyche

[Molly Moon]

Just got this one today via eBay and I am soooooooooooo happy with it.

 

Never before has a scent given me such a clear mental image; before I may felt something to a scent, but Aeval gave me such a clear picture in my mind's eye that I can scarcely believe it.

 

The sage and sweet pea blend together into the wonderful chaoticness that is a Witch's Garden: Flowers and herbs that seem to have outgrown their earthly beds and become wild, trailing up a fence that is in dire need of painting and winding out to the cobblestones. Each step must be carefully taken through this place, poisonous thorns may be blocking your way to the sweetest berries. One must learn to look on the beauty of this garden with more than just eyes, for even the ugliest weed that will only grow in the darkest corner may be the most precious of all.

 

So yeah, I wax poetic to the point of purpleness. Sue me. I love this scent almost as much as Bliss, but for vastly different reasons.

[Lit Chick]

Oh, sooooooo amazing!

 

This is beyond gorgeous on me. It's balanced - sweet and airy, but warm and sensual, too. I feel stunningly beautiful with it on. And, it provoked my ONLY ooohhh aaaahhhhhh from others. When I slathered it on a bit and then got into a car with my hubby and parents, all commented on how lovely I smelled. My mom said I smelled like a goddess.

 

A big, big bottle is in my future.

[alizarin]

I ordered an imp of Aeval, only to cave to the loveliness of the description and order a 5ml about two weeks later. I am very very glad I did.

 

At first it is a bit too floral, the sweet pea kind of smothering the sage, but as it dries they kind of balance each other out and the tonka comes out to play in the background. It's simply gorgeous. I am a fan of scents that combine both light & heavy into a precarious single smell and this does it marvelously.

[magikfanfic]

In the bottle: Um...ew. Yes, that's sweet pea and sage in there. A bit strong in the vial. I was hoping for tonka love as sage hates me, and I have a slight grudge against sweet pea.

 

Wet: Oh no. Sage. I hate sage on my skin because it, like most of the herbs, turns completely funky on me. Also a little bit of the sweet pea.

 

Dry down: Sage with a tonka background note. That's a little more like it. I enjoy the tonka smell even if I have to get through the...oh no. Bye bye tonka, hello sweet pea. For some reason this is giving me a slight headache.

 

Dry: None of my pretty musk here. Mostly sweet pea and sage with a little bit of tonka in the background and a whole lot of headache. Sorry, eldritch I'm not interested in this one.

[Macha]

I had to buy this, just from the description, but I'll be honest: I had no idea what this was actually going to smell like. As I started to read through the descriptions, I smiled at some of the unexpected imagery, quite certain that _I_ would love Aeval.

 

In the bottle: Huh. Okay, yes, I smell some sage, and bit of sweetness, some herbiness. Okay, smalls promising.

 

Wet, on skin: I laughed as soon as this hit my skin. Holymotherfussingaroundthewillowtree: this IS the smell of an occult bookstore. On my skin it's all incense and old books, dust and the musty smell of ancient artifacts. I wanted flowers and herbs...that Witch's Garden that Molly Moon mentioned would have been fantastic. But no...this is Hogwart's Library.

 

Dry, on skin: As the fragrance ages, more of the Tonka and Musk comes out, and it really is quite pleasant, but I can never escape the feeling of walking into a store that has been there for a very long time, where the books were all published before I was born, and where an insense stick has been burned and replaced continuously (like the sacred flame of the Olympics) since the Victorian era.

 

Conclusion: This is the first time since Snake Oil that I've come across a scent that I think I might need to age before I can enjoy. It doesn't smell bad per se, but it's not at all evocative of what I thought it would smell like, and I find that I'm not really interested in smelling like "old occult bookstore."

[sarahjay]

I first tried this along with all the other blends in my order (yes, I know that's not ideal) and it wasn't that special to me - I was blown away by silk road...

 

but having tried it on its own, it's lovely. the sweet pea is really very nice on me and the other notes stop it from being too too sweet. very spring & summery. I will enjoy wearing this this summer.

 

took it along on a lunch arrangement today & my friend (who's not into bpal) thought it was lovely too

 

so pleased I took a risk & bought 5ml unsniffed!

[amrita]

This starts out very gentle and sweet (sweet in character, not in scent). I get lovely light fresh blooms. (Must be sweet pea? It does not smell like sweet peas that I have grown.) I really like it. Within about 10 minutes, it dries down to heavy powder with a hint of ylang ylang in the background. Kind of reminds me of ylang ylang Neccos. I'm pretty disappointed... I wanted this to turn out on me! The damn Powder...

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: Sage, sweet pea, musk, tonka... what a strange blend!

 

Wearing: The sweet pea and sage dominate, making this a beautifully sweet herbal blend. The musk appears on the drydown, adding a nice warmth. It has decent lasting power.

 

Final Impressions: I like it! I was scared that the tonka would make this go all nasty powdery on me, but it doesn't. A really different sort of floral.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: i can smell sweet pea and sage. this is great. i'm so happy i got this.

on: very pretty. a light, fresh, sweet, watery floral. i think all i'm smelling is sweet pea.

1 hour later: the musk is coming out more now, but it's still mostly sweet pea.

3.5 hours later: much muskier. a good balance of musk and sweet pea.

13 hours later: just a generally sweet, powdery scent.

overall: who needs a sweet pea single note? i wish the musk and tonka were stronger, but i like it anyway. i don't think i'd buy a bottle, but i'll definitely enjoy using my imp.

[slave1]

In Bottle: Sage and sweet pea.

 

On Skin: The sweet pea is so dainty but I smell it right away. And the sage gives a beautiful herbal back note. The musk gives it some depth which is a nice contrast to the light sweet pea. Not smelling the tonka yet sadly, since it was the note that drew me to this scent. This scent is very girly, not sensual to me as described. Sadly this scent is staying completely floral on me. I was hoping it would be a more tonka/musk scent but it isn’t on me.

[summer]

Mmmm, lovely. I loved this one right away. Creamy, creamy sweet pea and tonka, which to me, smells like something warm, round, and light pink -- LOL -- the association I have is the smooth, creamy skin of a woman's bosom.

 

There's something a little bit naughty and herbal weaving through the background.

 

It's like post-coitally throwing open the windows to inhale the damp air and the green trees and grass.

 

Love it.

[Capriquarius]

I hope everyone can bear with me as I do my first review! I committed to not letting myself read the description or reviews of Aeval today as I began testing it...here goes!

 

First Impressions: ooh, yummy, this smells like purple flowers to me. As in lilac, violet, or iris? I don't know what flowers I'm smelling, but they are definitely there. Not too cloyingly sweet, though, just a like a warm spring breeze of flowers.

 

Second sniff: ok, now I smell a little something warm and sweet in the background, like vanilla or tonka? Whatever it is, it is the perfect heart note to give the floral some oomph without overpowering it.

 

Drydown: white flowers and musk! smells to me like white musk, in a warm sexy glowing-skin way, not like a yucky baby powder musk.

 

Bottom line--for me, Aeval is a creamy, smooth floral with some nice staying power. Sweetly sexy, and not too much for me to wear to work. Bravo, Beth--I love this oil!

[Splendid Molerat]

Aeval did need to sit and rest for about a month before I could get a proper feel for the blend.

 

Like the other fairy fragrances, this one just wafts lightly, smoke and air. Sage and sweet pea are fresh green, calming, and the musk and tonka are like a warm presence.

 

It's sexy, but the sex is once-removed from the business at hand. I like the ambiguity.

 

 

ETA: It turns out I really, really like this one -- just ordered another 5 mL bottle, first one is nearly gone...

Edited July 12, 2005 by Splendid Molerat

[Ishtar]

At first, Aeval was very fresh and slightly sharp, an interesting mix of floral and herbal with a faint medicinal undertone.

 

As it dries down, the musk and tonka warm up the blend, imparting a light powderiness to it.

 

After complete drydown, some of the herbal sharpness comes back, verging on soapiness, but not enough to become unpleasant.

 

Aeval is a nice spring fragrance, but it is nothing outstanding on me.

[Aurelius]

Mmm...sweet pea. This is so lovely. Green and "floral" without being flowery. I love it.

 

Sadly, as the day wears on it becomes plastic-y and waxy smelling. I've tried it several times and every time it morphs into nastiness.

 

But don't fret; I've found a way to use it! It fills my oil burner and damn, it smells lovely!

[starrykitten]

Very sweet pea on me. The tonka and sage just seem to ground the sweet pea more, and make it fade gently rather than seeming loud.

 

Aeval feels light pink to me. It feels like a pretty subtle scent and seems to last less long than I would like, but I am a slatherer and I like perfume that screams from a distance and lasts all day.

 

I'll use up my bottle and be happy, but I doubt I'll buy again.

[Ajila]

In the vial to me this was a sweet, herby floral, with the same sherbetiness that I smell in Chaste Moon in the back ground. At first on my skin I was horrified because it went rubbery. Fortunately that didn't last very long and when it dried I was left with the tonka bean, and what I presume was the sweet pea in the background. Next time I'm at my grans I must smell her sweet peas, because I can't for the life of me remember what they smell like.

[Julilla Regina]

I've been reading the other reviews...and this is really a blend for the Folk, I guess! It's shifting and moving and smelling like one thing to some and another thing to others. Ephemeral.

 

I can only say what this is on me, so here goes. When I first smelled it in the imp, it's soft and lightly floral. Hard to pin down. When I put it on, I was immediately mindful of baby smell. Not the smell of the baby itself, but the smell of a place that has a baby in it. Powder, cotton, laundry, baby bath, etc. Hmmm...I don't really want to smell like baby's room. It's nice and soothing, but still. Now that I've worn this a few hours, it's soft and gentle and lullaby'ish. I think it would make a good relaxing sleep blend (especially if you are upset and need 'mommy' comfort). It would also be nice for new moms or nursing or something. I just really get that whole mom vibe with this. I didn't get the tonka at all, or the occult store smell. This is just pure, unadulterated new mother to me.

[Imbrium]

In the bottle: More sage than anything, very pleasant.

 

On: As soon as this hits my skin, it's nothing but sweet pea. Oh boy. I like sweet pea, but this is so incredibly strong and sweet, though not the foody sort of sweetness that I love.

After a half an hour or so, the sweet pea isn't as strong, and I can smell a the sage again, which helps balance out the sweet pea. At times, as this continues to dry, I think I can smell the tonka, but it's not very prominent at all. Too bad - I was hoping for very much tonka.

 

Overall: I was afraid, based on the way this smelled when first applied, that Aeval was very much not going to work on my skin. I do, however, like what it dries to, as eventually I get sage, and more tonka - it's sweet and spicy, and more wearable than its sweet pea stage. And, it has tons of throw.

[Medici]

What a wonderful surprise!

 

I got a frimp of Aeval with my most recent order (alongside Dublin, which has proved to be equally as impressive) and I have to say that right now I feel wonderful in this scent.

 

"Gossamer" is the best way to describe it, very light and airy and it feels as if its full of white flowers. I get a bit of sage and a lot of sweet pea in the dry-down, and the overall impression is that of something otherworldly.

 

A very delicate, mysterious scent that still grasps at innocence (with just a touch of faery mischievousness behind it).

[enderfem]

In the bottle: uh oh, this smells a bit like Undertow, which I wanted to like, but was all funky on me and broke my heart.

 

Wet: A little sweetpea, but not overbearing. Almost smells like sandalwood. Maybe that is the tonka I am thinking of? Not too familiar with tonka. Just a hint of sage.

 

Dry down: Turning powdery. Threatens to get soapy on me, and then the sage and the musk come out.

 

It ends up being a little feminine and dainty. I like it, but won't wear it much as it borders on too flowery for me, and I am worried about that threatening soapishness. Will definitely use the rest of my imp, though.

[fragrantgrasse]

After reading some of the reviews I will cast my lot with those who also went on a sweet pea overload.

 

I applied twice to the back of my hand and as I type I can smell those sweetpeas and they are screaming for attention. I keep smelling and searching for the tonka or musk to moderate the sharpness of the sage & sweetpea.

 

After about a half an hour it has softened a wee bit but not enough for me to be able to wear Aeval.

 

 

Okay, off tho the compost with you!