The Hanging Gardens

[odalisque]

This perfume is an interpretation of the Hanging Gardens by night, based on further accounts of its fruit and flora: date palm, ebony, fir, pomegranate, plum, two pears, quince, fig, and grapevine with plumeria, three gardenias and dry rose.

In the vial Hanging Gardens is ... round. Round and soft, and satisfying in the same way that a fig feels rich and satisfying in my mouth. But not sweet, nor dry, just very well-balanced.

It sweetens up as it goes on the skin for a short time. There's a couple minutes where I can definitely pick up a coconut smell. I don't like that, so I appreciate that it fades pretty fast.

Dry, the deeper notes come out. It's still well-balanced, really beautiful, lush, soft without being girly, powdery or sweet. I don't get pear, or plum or pomegranate at all from it; it ends up a wonderful floral-ed woody viny scent. I can definitely see how this is a balmy evening in the Gardens with the scent of the flowers and vines gently carried on the breeze, not the riotous perfume of the Gardens in the mid-day sun; the air is just moist enough to feel like a soothing caress on the skin. I imagine I can feel the comfort Amyitis must have felt surrounded by the air and scents that meant "home" to her.

The amazing thing about this scent to me is that after the coconut stage is gone it smells like it's part of my skin; like it's coming out from the inside of me. This is the first scent that's done that for me.

ETA: I really like getting to know this scent and being more familiar with the accords. In the vial and wet I can definitely find the crisp pear now. It's definitely fruity wet, I think what tripped me up was what an unbelievably dry, warm fruitiness it is. I can smell something as it dries down, behind the fruits, that must be grapevine; somehow it's green without being sharp. After that there's a spicy woody scent that has to be ebony, and I adore it. And I do believe that dry, it has the slightest bit of the same plum as Bathsheba. Completely dry I can definitely detect gardenia, the first gardenia ever that hasn't yelled CLOYING PERFUMY FLORAL! at me.

I can't believe this scent has all this sweet, floral sounding stuff -- plumeria and THREE gardenias? Pomegranate, plum and pear? -- and yet somehow is such a warm, soft, well-blended creation. I think I more impressed with this than any of the blends I've tried so far. Edited August 1, 2008 by odalisque

[WickedQueen918]

I LOVE THIS!!

 

In the vial: Smells like a hodgepodge of flowers and something spicy. I know this sounds weird...but it smells..."juicy." That's the first word that comes to mind...I can definitely imagine the lush gardens right by a crystal-clear waterfall.

 

Wet: BEAUTIFUL. Floral but not in a girlish way, nor in a matronly way. It's tropical, exotic...very nice.

 

Drydown: There's a dry, spicy scent, similar to potpourri (but not in a bad way) masked behind the loveliest arrangement of flowers. It smells divine!

 

Conclusion: I wish I was able to pinpoint which note (or notes) it is that's so lovely on my skin, but there's so much in here that I don't really know. All I do know is that I love it! Definitely buying a full bottle of this.

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Lots of fruit and sweet florals. I can pick out the pomegranate, plum, gardenia and plumeria.

 

Immediately on skin: The first thing that hits me is the sweet, thick, and almost gummy floral scent I get from the gardenia in blends like Marae and Unheavenly City. Blending into that is a mix of juicy fruit: pomegranage, plum, and pear. The plumeria is here as well, sweet but not as thick as the gardenia. This is a very sweet fruity blend with the gardenia as the main note.

 

After a little while: As I wear this, the gardenia comes out and the plumeria recedes. The gardenia isn’t just the main note any longer: this is a gardenia blend with the fruit just lingering in the background. The pomegranate, plum, and pear are strong and sweet, but not tart at all.

 

Overall Impressions: This smells very red to me… a very bright fuschia/red blend. This is strong on the gardenia, and has a very strong throw as well. This is a very in-your-face sweet gardenia and fruit blend. Unfortunately though, this doesn’t seem very well balanced on me; I don’t really get anything to temper that sweetness.

[mazikeen]

The words that come to mind are : lush, fruity, sweet, ripe, red. Like some mythical fruit that is just so plump and bursting that its juices run sticky down your chin. This must be what the Forbidden Fruit tasted like.

 

It's a nice scent, and a bit flirty. After awhile, there's something --a spiciness? an earthiness? I can't pinpoint it-- in the background, but it's slight. It remains juicy and bright.

 

It's not something I'd buy a bottle of, but I will keep the imp for whenever temptation strikes.

Edited August 21, 2008 by mazikeen

[Emera]

IN THE IMP: Rounded, fresh fruits and spicy-fresh florals, especially gardenia.

ON SKIN: Creamy, fruity-fresh, tropical – the plumeria has come out to play, though the gardenia is no longer so evident. The initial stages are not at all red/purple in feel as I expected, but golden-white. Definitely heady, but not heavy – spicy, crisp woods keep it cool and give it a dry edge. The fir is particularly evident for me, and is the most successful piny note I've tried so far. While others have typically become overwhelmingly PineSol-ish, the fir here is (to repeat myself) crisp and spicy, and provides a lovely contrast to the smooth, soft fruits and florals.

LATER: This has SO many dimensions; it's definitely one of the fullest scents I've tried, as befits its inspiration. It's ultimately very similar in feel to Yerevan, thanks to the plum and rose combination – and the rose does seem dried, rather than fresh, however that works – but Yerevan became very matte and milky on me, like a slightly cloying lotion, while the many notes in this continue to shift precedence, giving the impression of a full, varied orchard and garden whose many blooms and fruits showcase their scents in a shifting evening breeze. An incredibly atmospheric experience, both lush and exuberant.

SUMMARY: Deep plum and dry rose backed by creamy, tropical plumeria and spicy fir, over a variable bouquet of sweet, heady fruits and florals. Strong throw, short wearlength.

Edited August 22, 2008 by Emera

[djsiberia]

wet/in imp: fruit stripe gum. pears, plums, gardenias dominate. wow, this really reminds me of fruit stripe gum.

 

dry: still pears and plums...not much else. oh wait, pomegranate is peeking out.

 

i wasn't sure what to expect. i kepting thinking "the hanging gardens" by the cure and it would be dark and brooding with a swanky bass line. then i thought the hanging gardens in new orleans...nope...instead this turns into a happy fruit stripe gum scent.

 

hrmfp.

 

 

yup..still pears and things purple and red.

[mylogicsaysburnsendmeaway]

On me, this is a heady floral with the fruits way, way in the background mostly indistinguishable. I thought pretty, but not me. Well I dug it out of a drawer 3 months later, and thought I'd try it again. That time I got juicy pears, and tart pomegranates at the forefront, with some fig and the florals underneath the fruit. Well I thought, that was yummy but still not really me. I hope with some more age, the woods will come out and the fruits will stay strong but not turn sour.

[milo]

This to me is a fresh, strong heady floral. Gardenia's usually kill a scent for me, and this is no exception. Very tropical, kind of reminds me a bit of Tiki Queen. Not a win..

[Lamia]

Fascinating.

 

Wet, it was quite fruity, but dried to a sharp floral scent. Sniffing my skin, it's quite acrid and floral, like a dried bouquet that's spritzed every so often to "refresh" it, but the throw is remarkably fruity.

[ErinZ]

Woody, pine-y fruit early on, but the rose and gardenia pop out very strongly later. There's also a bit of spiciness in there, somewhere.

It smells Christmas-y, like a nice gift shop around the holidays. I'm amping the flowers a bit too much for my liking. This would make a dynamite room scent for the winter!

[tigerfish]

Wet on skin: Candy-sweet and fruity but also a bit sharp... very much like kids toothpaste, actually! Not a bad smell, but then not what I expected either.

 

Dry: The scent becomes much prettier after the oil has warmed up for a bit. The initial sharpness recedes and I get a whiff of flowers in addition to the fruits. It's a very gentle, female scent that lingers close to my own skin, but nothing special.

 

Unfortunately, after an hour or so, it is all gone . So far, I've had no luck with the fruity/flowery scents: 51 and Aglaea didn't like me either...

[Iceblink]

Mmm, fruity floral. The plum and pomegranate are sweet and juicy here, and the gardenia's not killing the entire concept like it tends to. Rich and tropical. If I had one complaint it would be that this really smells like nice potpourri--there are a lot of notes here and they're just smelling kind of mushed together. It's nice but not amazing.

[Champagne]

Wet is my beloved pear note mixed with florals, and when it starts to dry the plum and the pomegranate notes from Dionisia really stand out, making this blend juicy and kaleidoscopic. The floral stay in the background and don`t bother me a lot, but the rose is definitely present.

This is a must for the fruity lovers like me!

[hlinspjalda]

In the vial: Oh, delicious! Juicy pear and fragrant quince, gardenia, and plumeria.

 

Wet: Pear and plumeria, with something woody.

 

Twenty minutes: There are several sweet ripe fruit notes, but it doesn't smell as juicy as before. Several floral notes are evident too, but there's a gardenia note that's giving me trouble.

 

One and a half hours: Fruit, fruit, fruit, and it's only in the second deep inhale that I notice gardenia. I like this one.

 

Four hours: Still fruit, with a layer of warm fleshy flowers in the background. Keeper.

[kjirstiben]

My first impression upon putting on Hanging Gardens was of undifferentiated fruit and flowers... lots and lots of fruit and lots and lots of flowers. At first it seemed mostly floral--was that plumeria I was smelling? Rose?

 

As it dried down, it became much sweeter. It must have been the fig I was smelling--it's a rich, fruity scent but not one that's immediately familiar to me.

 

Over time, it smelled fruity, almost buttery-sweet fruity. Very tropical fruit in nature.

 

I'm not sure if I like this--while the tropical fruit is interesting, it's not exactly what I care to surround myself with, or smell like. What an interesting and exciting conglomeration of scents, though! Fun for the experience.

 

ETA: Nearly three years later, I retested this scent and found it truly wonderful. The sweet fruit that sticks is definitely the pomegranate, and the gardenia and plumeria merge with it into a sweet, gardeny, tropical fruit-floral scent. No rose ever really emerges - a good thing because it could easily overwhelm the blend. This scent never goes through an awkward / bitter / burnt phase the way that so many sweet scents do on my skin, and for the summertime, I think this is a lovely scent to have around.

Edited June 9, 2011 by kjirstiben

[vegasblueblood]

A warm, lush, blooming fruity floral. This is rather damp and you can almost feel the breeze gently blowing through the flowers in this blend. I swear there is amber in here. It has that slightly powdery golden sweetness that I find in amber blends. It is not overwhelmingly floral and not at all soapy. I can't really pick out individual fruit notes, it's like one giant fruit basket. I am a fan of BPAL's gardenia note but even that I have trouble picking out in this blend, everything just fits together perfectly.

[Saya]

In the Imp

This smells very floral to my nose. I’m not getting much fruit except for the plum.

 

On My Skin

The dominant dote is the gardenia, it’s a light and sweet smell rather than heavy and cloying. I think the other notes must be keeping this from going over the top floral, but I’m not able to pick them out.

 

After a Bit

The pear has come out a bit but otherwise this is pretty much the same as when I first applied it. It’s a floral blend with some fruit in the background.

 

Rating 1-5 (5 being best)

Scent - 3 Throw - 2.5 Longevity - 3 lasted about 6 hours faintly

Overall (not an average) - 3

 

Final Thoughts

This is a nice scent, but not something that I think I’d reach for often. I’ll wear the imp but don’t think I’ll get a bottle. Okay so I’m coming back to this review 5 hours after the initial application to say that it’s really starting to grow on me. Not one of my favorites, but really good.

 

 

[sunshinedaisybliss]

 

OK.. I'll just join the fan club! I was frimped The Hanging Gardens.. I don't think I ever would have gone for it myself because of the gardenia and rose combo, although I am a fan of other blends with the pomegranate/pear partnership.

 

This is absolutely beautiful - as others have mentioned.. it's definitely sweet and fruity, but not in a candy way, and I agree a little with the 'tropical' thing. This actually reminds me of when I was in Bali and there was one particular street with massive frangipani trees in full flower.. and on hot nights when the warm wind was blowing around, that street was the best smelling thing ever.

 

This melds beautifully with my skin, and goes all soft and warm. Such an eclectic mix of notes, but they all work together immaculately. I think I'll use up all my imp and see whether this is something I'd want to wear often.. as lovely as it is, I'm not sure a bottle of it would get much attention from me.. but I could be wrong

 

[femmefatale]

This started out very fruity (mostly pears, I believe), but then the florals came out. Surprisingly, I'm not getting much of the rose, mostly (I think) gardenia, but it's very subdued.

This is just a very pretty fruity floral. I like it a lot. I could see wearing this a lot during the summer. It's tropical, without being too lush or fruity.

 

It's just so...pretty.

[fairnymph]

Sniffed: Pale orange oil. Tangy, sweet medley of fruit and flowers. Quince, pomegranate, pears (white and golden), plumeria, gardenia, and a little fig are all distinct. Very light and feminine.

 

Wet: Much less tart and complex. I can only smell the plumeria and gardenia now. Where's all the fruit? There's some fir and other wood, maybe the ebony. If I sniff very hard and ignore the flowers, I get a tiny bit of pomegranate.

 

Dry: Plumeria is the strongest note here by far, which keeps the gardenia nicely in check.. Dry, more fruit has returned - I get the quince and pears now, and the fig, which is a deep note on my skin. The fir and ebony have amped.

 

Later: Fig amping, and this is turning vaguely spicy, in an herbal/floral sort of way - maybe it's the grapevine? The ebony is super strong. Also, I think one of the gardenias (at this point I can tell there are multiple) is giving me a headache. :\

 

Summary: Fruits gone; this is GARDENIA with fir, ebony, and palm. The deeper woody notes really build over time, and I still get that odd spicy-dry herbal note. To retest. Good throw.

[anna1850]

Nice floral but it smells a bit shampoo-ey. A nice shampoo, but shampoo nonetheless.

 

3.5/5 I'd like this as a shampoo, but not as a perfume.

[FallDaze]

In the imp-> Dry florals. Very sweet and a little shampooesque.

 

Wet-> The florals seem to be drying down and the sweetness is kinda softening. It's still shampoo like though. I think I'm getting a dry plum maybe?

 

Dry down-> It's definitely more fruity in the dry down stage. Still a dry, slightly grainy or harvesty fruit though.

 

After a while-> Slightly smokey plummy shampoo.

[catattack]

Imp: Fruit punch

Wet: Fruit and something I can't put my finger on. My son said it reminded him of the smell of the novacaine used on him at the dentist when he was small. (I didn't know that novacaine had a scent).

Drydown: It's fruity, warm and fuzzy. lter, became slightly spicy. I can't really pick out any of the individual notes. This is well blended on my skin.

Overall: Not bad. Don't want to wear it because my son hates it.

[devilot]

In the Vial: Smells figgy and earthy (in a subtle patchouli way). Mm, rich, plummy fig.

 

Wet: I know it's not listed, but I swear I smell patchouli! But despite being a patchouli amper/ hater, I really like the earthiness and subtle way it shows itself in this blend. Still a sweet fig, this is a very rich and "purply" fruity blend so far. To the point that it seems syrupy. Perhaps a bit too thick.

 

Drydown: I think the florals are peeking as it's getting, for lack of a better word, "perfumey." Still very sweet and fruity. WHOA! Rose is definitely in the house. And it is certainly a "dry rose" as listed in the lab notes. And then there's the gardenia.

 

Verdict: What an interesting, morphing blend on me. I loved it at first, then it got a bit too cough syrupy. Then it was nice to get some floral until it went into crazy floral mode. Now, it's just nice, but I dunno if I can handle that entire shift and morph every time I decided to wear this blend. Think I'll pass, but might eventually come 'round to loving it. Who know?

[ouch!]

Wowzers! So much stuff going on here. It's mainly smooth fruit to me. I'm thinking the fig is the main player, but it's backed up by a floral element. Soooo many notes my nose doesn't know where to look!

 

After it's had a couple of minutes to settle on the skin, I can smell a kind of...brown sugary element mixed in with all the fruit and stuff. This is a very complex perfume and way beyond my guessing!

I don't get the fresh fizziness of pomegraninte..this blend on me is all about a smooth fruit and floral.

 

Sorry I couldn't review better!