Paris

[Shollin]

Sensual, decadent, and enigmatic. Lavender, softly underscored by lotus and spice.

First sniff: Soft, light, round and very wet. This scent doesn’t seem to fall into any particular category – the closest is fresh, but that’s not quite right.

Wearing: I’ve put Paris on just before work, so I hope the lavender doesn’t make me sleepy… whoops. I can smell the lavender more distinctly on my wrist, but the whole scent is very subtle and light. It’s a very calm scent, which I really hadn't expected from Paris.

[inkstone]

Argh! I just wrote a review and then lost it when I hit the wrong button! *headdesk*

 

In the vial

Lavendar with a bit of lotus and spice in the background. I don't know what the spice is though, since it seems intent on dodging my nose.

 

Wet

Pure lavendar. Er... I have nothing against lavendar, but this isn't quite what I was expecting.

 

Drydown

Slightly bubblegummy lotus with a hint of spice. The lavendar's faded well into the background, but it's definitely still there.

 

Final thoughts

This is a calm, soothing scent. It's demure, but has a hint of sexiness lurking below. I don't think I like it enough for a bottle, but I'll be keeping this decant.

[LaLisa]

Super sweet in imp, so much so I couldn't bear to put it on. Friend of mine who is a floral/sweet freak thought it was sweet as well, but tried some. She wasn't thrilled by the way it smelled on her, but after about 20 mins it was okay for me smelling it on her (she handles florals well), but she still didn't like the way it smelled on her.

 

We LOVE lavender, so not sure what was up, maybe the lotus just took over from the spice and lavender...

[Lit Chick]

Wet - SWEET! Very, very sweet. But there's no powder, which is good. I have skin that powders most everything.

It smells like the Mulberry potpourri I used to make candles with one Xmas. I do not smell the lavender at all.

 

Drydown - Powder, please come and save me. The sweetness did not calm at all - it got more intense. There's a backgound of spice that's nice, but it's not enough. It's very potpourri. ICKY!

 

It would be a lovely scent on someone else - I think I'll pass my imp onto a freind.

[nevermore]

I so wanted to like this one, but I need to learn that there are some notes that just don't work with my body chemistry - lotus being one of them. In the vial, it's a very strong lavender, with a touch of fruity-ness fromthe lotus. Once it hits my skin, the lotus takes over, and I smell like bubblegum and nothing else. I ended up giving this one to my mom, and it smells lovely on her - lavender and cloves with the lotus in the background. *sigh* I wish it smelled like that on me.

[shelldoo]

In the vial, i get bubble gum...hubba bubba from the early 80's.

 

wet: what are the notes supposed to be? I am smelling gum. No spices grape bubble gum? but w/ an astringent bite. odd

 

dry: more astringent but has a definite bubble gum undertone. gonna let my dd try this one.

[Suntrails]

When I opened the bottle, Paris was candy-sweet, almost medicinal smelling to me. Sloshing a bit more on than I planned to, the icky sweetness (lotus?) stayed until the oil completely dried on my wrist. It's now morphed into a more mature spice, though some of the sweetness is still peeking through. I honestly don't smell any lavender, which is disappointing because I bought this scent because of the lavender. The spices sort of smell like nutmeg and maybe a little kick of cinnamon, but I'm not sure. It's a dark, mysterious scent, but not musky at all.

 

My body chemistry is a little off today (even my deodorant smelled weird on me) so I'll have to try Paris out again.

 

Ew. Ew. After a few hours the candy sweet smell is back. Not good. Not good at all.

 

Sigh. I *really* wanted this to work on me.

[inbigtrouble]

I must have whacked-out chemistry because on me this smells strongly of cherries. I get a cough-syrupy smell from this one. I can't imagine where that is coming from. I get a little bit of spice in the background, but not enough to counter the stifling sweetness. It does mellow out after an hour or so and lose some of its cherry pungency, but I will not purchase this one.

Edited January 23, 2005 by inbigtrouble

[phaedrine]

I really adore lavender, so I'm trying to test all the lab's lavender blends.

 

It's listed as lavender, lotus and spice. In the vial, I can smell lavender, and I can definitely smell lotus, but there's no spicy. Just juicy and fruity (not like the gum, though).

 

The moment it touched my skin, though, it went pure bubblegum. Bright pink sugary bubble gum. It's got to be the lotus. No lavender whatsoever.

 

After about a half hour, I gave up and washed the bubblegum off, as it was giving me a headache. :/

[darkitysnark]

Paris

 

A swap from phaedrine, and unfortunately I got the same result. This blend is bubbalicious!

 

In the bottle:

Lavender and something very sweet. It smells pink.

 

Wet:

Lavender infused bubblegum.

 

Dry down:

Let's just say I did the Mr. test and got a crinkled nose and a "eeeew!".

 

So, I didn't make it to "later". I washed this poor lady right off of me and spent the rest of the evening enjoying my Darkswan pear soapy hands, and just a hint of the non-rage-inducing fallout of Djinn.

 

Sigh. I sent her off as a gimp for another swap... hope she finds a good home.

Edited February 10, 2005 by darkitysnark

[requieminblack]

First sniff from the bottle- Lavender

 

After 10 minutes- Yuck. This smells like lavender and Old Spice mixed together.

 

After 30 minutes- This is too sharp and sour for me. It does get better as it fades. The spice comes out more, and is quite nice, but I can’t get past the nose offending wet stage with this.

 

Summery- This one gets swapped asap!

Edited February 18, 2005 by requieminblack

[Northernminx]

I actually would have liked some more lavender in this, but mostly I got tons of lotus, fruity, velvety and a little sweet. Lotus is pretty but can be really overwhelming on me in some blends and this one sorta socked me over the head. The lavender made an appearance at the drydown but it ended up just smelling a little powdery after all the lotus. Pretty, but not totally my speed so off to swaps.

[warmfuzzies]

hmmm... this was a freebie from the lab & i tried it without doing any research. i smelled juicy fruit gum. and then maybe some soft grapefruit without too much tart. it seemed to get away from me at some point within the hour, so i will try it again & edit. wet on my arm it was lovely. i am a massage therapist & work with lavender oil on a daily basis & wouldn't have guessed this had *any* lavender in it!

[isyche]

I got a freebie of Paris in my most recent order, so I'm trying it although lotus isn't my favorite note.

 

In bottle: that lotus bubblegum/candy smell mixed with lavender. it's an odd combination.

 

On me: sweet sweet sweet sticky candy, with a little spice behind it from the lavender, like lavender-flavored fruit snacks or something. lotus just goes crazy cloyingly sweet on my skin. off to swap with you, Paris!

[Guest ExquisiteSiren]

Haughty and sophisticated....well kept woman in a very big crisp hat. Modern, stylish, and a bit stuck up.

 

Yup...thats paris alright.

 

But good god...when I first tried this on wet i got an astringent cold dont touch me smell...almost like toilet bowl cleaner!?? I was very disapointed...but then from far away it smells chic...but still upclose....too bitter.

I don't smell anything sweet on this at all

 

I might purchase more than an imp...for when I have a job in a corperate office or something...and people won't come within 5 inches...let alone feet of me.

 

WOW...epiphany......

 

Dominique Francon from the Fouintainhead would wear this.

 

Dear god....*evil laugh*.....thats worth a 10ml as it is......

 

Bah....I thought I would hate you le paris....

[couscous]

The "sticky sweet" note, Lotus, goes on as just mildy sweet on my skin. Plus, its smells naturally sweet, which makes a big difference for me. Its the difference between perfume-appropriate sweetness, and....lip gloss. I never, ever thought i'd like Lotus, but there you have it- I like it

I do get a bit of bubble-gum, but for whatever odd reason, I never feel like a teenager with it on.

 

I'd also like to note that I am extremely headache-prone, and a bad scent can give me a pounding headache faster than the oil absorbs on my wrist. Lotus doesn't do that on me.

 

The lavender is what it is- if you think "bathroom cleaner", then shame on Procter & Gamble or whoever it is that keeps putting this fantastic note in their cleaning products. A damned shame, because I think lavender is one of the most beautiful herbs around. I love this note!

 

So, Paris was fantastic, and very ladylike. I'm definitely putting it on my short list. Spicy, sweet lavender-yum!!

 

Give this one a try-but make sure you are familiar with lotus and what it does on your skin, otherwise this gorgeous concotion is going to suffer more undeserved bad reviews.

Edited March 14, 2005 by couscous

[Penance]

Origin:

 

Lagniappe from the Lab.

 

First sniff:

 

This smells similar to Somnus to my nose. Lavender and spice but no lotus, which is good. I really expected something more...lotusy from this, I think...maybe something vaguely bubblegum like with a hint of herbs and spices, but this is almost strictly herbs and a hint of spice.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Now Paris smells more like Temple of Dreams...very similar, in fact. I don't now what spices are in this, but to me it smells like basil, which could very well be my imagination running wild since spices normally means something like cinnamon or clove or fennel. Either way, this smells quite nice in the same way that Temple of Dreams smells nice.

 

Dry down:

 

Paris is almost identical to Temple of Dreams on me. I happen to really like Temple of Dreams, but that's sort of the kiss of death for Paris, unfortunately. I'm trying to cut down on extremely similar scents because my collection is getting out of control, so Paris would have stood a better chance if it had been a little more unique.

 

The bottom line:

 

This is practically identical to Temple of Dreams on me, so while I like it, it's going to have to find a new home since I don't need two almost identical scents right now with my collection expanding at an exponential rate.

[Faerykin]

Paris

 

Swiped across wrists and along collarbone.

 

Initial Wet (8-8:30am): Out of the vial and directly onto the skin, this is bitter and earthy. But, that quickly begins to soften and sweeten. The spice really plays around in the background here adding a morphing dimension to this that I really like – enigmatic is right.

 

Initial Dry (8:30-10am): This is all sweet and spicy. I am really liking it. The spice is unlike any other spice I’ve experienced, and it provides a very nice depth to the lavender and lotus.

 

The way the scents mix so differently depending on whether I am smelling it in the air around me or on my skin – I can see the sensual and decadent aspect of this blend.

 

Throughout the Day (10am-3pm): This continues to lighten, becoming more airy. It is a very pleasant scent. I can see wearing it in the warmer months. It almost conjures images of open air cafés and bustling streets. A shopping scent?

 

By 3pm this has nearly completely dissipated in the air around me. My skin holds a spicy powdery scent that is completely unlike how it smelled in the air. I’m going to have to keep the imp for Girl’s Days.

[aritei]

Paris starts off smelling like cough syrup in the imp. I was rather reluctant to try it on because of this initial impression.

 

Fortunately, it smells much nicer once it's dried on my wrist! I smell the lavender every now and then, but not quite as much as I'd like. It's a little spicy, but mostly very sweet. I think the lotus note is quite strong, so I'll be putting it aside for now in hopes of finding something better suited to my skin chemistry.

[magikfanfic]

In the bottle: Ugh. Very strong lavender and just an background note of the bubble gum sweet lotus. I can detect spices in it, but I'm not sure what kind they might be. Lavender note of doom! Maybe anise. It kinda smells like licorice.

 

Wet: Lavender. And it's already turning kinda rotten and disgusting on me. This is kinda rank. The lavender is really killing the sweet lotus and everything seems to be rotting on my skin.

 

Dry down: Lavender is my doom note. Nothing with it smells good on me except Envy and that's not even "good" just bearable. I can pick out the nice, bubblegum sweet note of the lotus but the lavender is just not helping matters at all. The throw is nice and sweet but on my skin it's this horribly rotten, rank smell that's just...I don't know why my skin hates lavender the way it does.

 

Dry: Something rotten and decayed again. Not a good smell at all. My skin and lavender do not get along, but lotus is growing on me.

[leapylees]

Lavender?.... erm, well.... I have to say that Paris didn't change from the moment I applied it till it faded away, and it smelled like apples or apple flavoured sweets. This was actually a good thing as it smelled really nice and juicy. A bit unexpected but I liked it, and a pleasant surprise as lavender tends to just vanish on my skin.

[PurringPulsar]

Paris

 

In the imp: warm lavender with something sweet and spicy underneath.

Wet on skin: the lavender is strong in this, there's also a hint of warm spiciness, maybe cinnamon or cloves? It's also got a sweet light note which may be the lotus. This is a very calming, comforting smell.

Dry on skin: ooh la la, this is really nice. A lovely strong lavender with a soft sweet spice. This would be perfect to wear to bed or just to relax, and the spice makes this even more cosy.

After a while: there's a lovely, spicy, even slightly buttery smell that really makes me think of French patisseries-French toast, pain au raisins-I don't know if my skin's acting weird but I'm sure there's a slight whiff of croissants creeping through every now and then! Yum! It reminds me of the 'spicy pastry' smell of March Hare, without being sickly, thanks to the lavender. It's weird because it seems I'm the only reviewer getting this pleasant skin reaction-maybe it's to do with the fact that I'm half French?

After an hour, I think I can just about smell the lotus mingling with the lavender and spice, and lotus is lovely on me. Now the smell puts images in my head of a sophisticated, stylish, slightly coquettish French lady strutting around on the Champs Elysees.

Verdict: how does Beth do it? This is French-ness captured in a gorgeous smell. Sophisticated lavender and lotus mingled with comforting spice gives this an air of sitting in a café in Paris eating some delicious French pastries and croissants on a warm spring day. The perfect thing to wear before bedtime or when I need some relaxing or comforting. Magnifique!

 

Edit: just thought I'd add that this lasts ages on me. And the smell, strangely, has become something very much like 'spice and croissants', there were hints of this before, but now it's more prominent. My skin chemistry must be weird but the buttery croissant smell fits in perfectly with the Parisian theme.

Edited May 6, 2005 by yeahbutnobut

[cuervosueno]

Lordie! What IS in this? I open the bottle and the most appalling plasticy perfumy scent wafts out, quickly doing in all the other scents I'd been experimenting with.

This never happpes with BPAL--well, when it has, I usually end up liking the scent on: Iago, Loviatar, hellfire.

Course, not always. I hated Zombi in and out of the bottle.

But I'm game so I put it on.

I smell like some evil scented plastic, but I don't wash it off yet, because what is in it?

Lavender? Lotus? Huh. I only know what lotus incense is like, and its ok, if not my favorite. I don't enjoy lavender scented perfumes, though I adore the herb itself.

Either way, I'm not getting those scents.

Oh well.

Now I'm washing it off.

[Little Bird]

I've tried Paris several times now, and it just plainly doesn't work for me. This scent went horribly awry on my skin. I thought that I would love spicy lavendar, and I'm usually okay with lotus... but this just turns into a strange bubblegum mixed with chemicals scent the second it hits my wrists. It was so sharp that it made my throat feel like it was closing . I never really made the connection between bubblegum and Paris either (unless it's Paris Hilton?)... this one perplexes me, lol.

[rainbow]

Oh wow, this is lovely. I had no particular expectations for this oil, but I've been overwhelmed by my joy for it.

 

In the bottle- smells like lavender and lime. Fresh and yummy. I love this scent combo.

 

Wet on skin- It's lavender and lime and something yummy underneath- I suspect that's the lotus (sort of a flowing, almost watery scent).

 

The tart fruitiness of the lime scent (I swear, I can smell lime, I know it's not listed in the ingredients) mixes so well with the herbal scent of the lavender. There's something that smells like bubble gum in here too, but that's a good thing for me.

 

Overall, I really enjoyed wearing this, and it lasted a long time. Excellent.