Two, Five & Seven

[Shollin]

A huge bouquet of squished rose petals: Bulgarian rose, Somalian rose, Turkish rose, Damascus rose, red and white rose, tea rose, wine rose, shrub roses, rose, rose, rose…
…and just an itty bitty bit of green grass.

I always love finishing off a category. Two, Five and Seven is the only Mad Tea Party scent I hadn't tried (as always, until Beth makes more!)

First sniff: As advertised, this is layer upon layer of rose rose rose. Sweet roses, elegant roses, soft roses, powdery roses. It’s a very textured scent – there’s a lot going on here, even if it is all rose. Rose Red is a singular red-velvet bloom in the snow, quiet and simple and so very, very elegant; this is a riot-of-color rose garden.

Moment of tangent: I totally have the “Painting the Roses Red” song from Disney’s Alice in Wonderland stuck in my head now. Anyway, moving on…

Wearing: The Wars of the Roses seem to have coalesced into a calm, gentle, slightly sweet amalgamation of roseness. Roses are very, very hit-or-miss on me. I tend to dismiss them as floofy powdery girliness, and most rose-based scents do seem to be floofy powdery girly on me, but there have been a handful (including the aforementioned Rose Red) that are So Freaking Great that I have to rethink my position… and happily, Two Five and Seven is one of the latter. Welcome aboard! Edited December 31, 2005 by Shollin

[Sheila]

I expected this to be ROSE, but there's a slight fruity or sweet undertone here that I don't like. Is it lotus? Some kind of fruit? I guess I prefer my roses dry, like in Seance. Off to swaps.

[Mountaingrrl00]

Interesting - this rose actually seems to ripen as I wear it. It starts out with a bit of a greenish sharpness. Then it softens to what I think of as the white-rose phase, where the perfumey aspect comes out. Then it gets really soft - velvety - and I smell something a little spicy underneath; I especially like this phase. The final phase, which lasts a long time, smells like a true, sweet fully ripe red rose - the kind where the sweetness reminds me of raspberries.

 

This is very pretty. I could see wearing this to a not-so-mad tea party, actually.

[Jocelyn]

In the imp: Rose, and fresh cut lawnness

 

On: rosey rose rose, with the promised hint of grass.

Rose works well with my chemistry, but in this blend it really amps up, its not as rich of a rose as whip, but more sweet and young.

I like it.

[TroubleDoll]

This is what I wanted Rose Red to be. A sweet breath of roses. I envision a rose bouquet of all sizes and colors. This is classic but not old fashioned. there is some sort of fruit way in the background that keeps it from smelling stuffy.

[alicia_stardust]

I have been searching for a good rose scent for a while. Most of them I reject because my skins amps up rose notes like nobody's business.

 

Two, Five & Seven is perfect! I have one or two more rose blends to try out but this one so far is the best.

 

In the vial: sharp rose with a slight greeny scent to it. There's something in the background that almost reminded me of cherry cough syrup.

 

On my skin: this drys down to a very nice menagerie of roses. They all mix together well and wowee! Do I ever love it. I can smell a hint of grass in there but I'm not sure if I'm imagining it or not. Mostly, it's just a beautiful rose scent. It had a good throw and lasted a number of hours. It wasn't too sharp, too sweet, or too cloying.

 

I gave this 4 out of 5 stars.

[feline.by.design]

On the first application, Two, Five and Seven smell rosey, fruity and... slightly toeing the "nail polish remover" scent I've experienced once or twice with BPAL. Oddly, on me, it seems more sweetly fruity than anything.

 

Hunh?

 

I had been neglecting to try out my frimp (thanks, Labsters) for a while now, thinking it will be either fabulous and a must-have, or positively awful super-soap-powder yegadsness that rose scents can sometimes be. I hadn't expected this fruit-sweat smell I'm getting in the crook of my elbow.

 

BPAL can sure be surprising.

 

Ah wait, I can smell the roses now, though my arm is getting a bit sore and stiff from pushing the skin against my nose. Shollin's on point in calling this a "a riot-of-color rose garden." I get a little powder, but it isn't overwhelming at the three-minute mark, I get a bit of green (very tiny), some sweetness, dampness and some softness. I would argue that Two, Five and Seven is a very womanly scent; not feminine, but womanly, as in for a more mature (not necessarily older) woman. It would smell nice on a woman of quiet power. Freshly Victorian, although not stifling.

 

Two, Five and Seven is nice, but I don't see this as a scent I would wear often. I'm kind of "meh" about it, neither finding it exceptional or disdainful. It's okay, but not something I'd get a bigger bottle of. However, I'm always glad to try out whatever I get from the Lab, and this actually was a nice experience. I may wind up keeping the imp.

 

-doreen

[mandragora]

I must admit, I was never a big fan of roses in a scent. Smells good on the flower, not so much on me. But BPAL has proven me wrong on so many instances when it comes to florals so why not give rose a shot.

 

First sniff in the vial: Ooof :backs away for an instant:, smells like sour milk ?!? Not the usual smell that I associate with roses.

 

Wet on me: Sourness goes away (thank goodness). And the scent blooms right under your nose. This scent is ROSES with capital letters.

 

Drydown: Sweet, full bloom, blood-red rose. A great big bouquet of 'em. And now, it's giving me a headache (damn allergies)

 

Verdict: This would be lovely for someone who adores rose. Once again, my skin (and my allergies) has proven that rose and I do not agree with each other. Off to the swap bin.

[rhubarbbear]

i love roses, so thought i'd love this.

 

the first imp i got left my house pretty quickly- it smelled of weird, candyish soap roses both in the vial and on my skin.

 

then i was convinced to try it again, so i ordered it a second time.

 

it smelled exactly the same. why do other people get lovely rose gardens and i get wacked out candy?? it's not fair, i tell you!

[sofiaviolet]

I prefer the other BPAL roses I've tried thus far, Blood Rose and Rose Red, to Two, Five Seven. Two, Five & Seven is too sweet on me and seems to do a number on my allergies. It turns powdery on my skin almost immediately, which I don't mind - it smells as I would expect rose talcum powder to smell. I will have to test it again to decide whether or not to keep my imp. If I sneeze a lot the second time around, I know it's not for me.

[Brianne]

In the bottle:

A pungent, astringint rose smell

 

On me:

I'll be perfectly honest. I don't like rose scents and they don't like me. The only reason I even decided to try this is because I cannot resist trying every BPAL blend I can get my hands on, regardless of what's in it.

 

I am surprised about this blend for the reason that it's not TOO overwhelming, which I really thought it would be. And it has a soft vibe to it, rather than a harsh rose one. Usually rose gives me headaches, but so far I haven't gotten one from this blend. It's also got a great green note to it, and it offers a nice little contrast to the soft roses.

 

 

Final note:

For a rose blend, I rather like this one. THat isn't to say I'd actually wear this, because the fact still remains that roses aren't "me" and I generally don't care for them. But even as someone who doesn't like rose scented items, I can say this is a nice blend.

[ladynoah74]

I'm a mongo Lab rose fan, so I had high hopes for Two, Five, and Seven. As usual, the Lab came through!

 

I loved this scent. The mix of roses brought to mind a huge, bursting bouquet of blooms that is sweet and lively at the same time. If you're a rose fan, give this one a shot.

[seamor]

Wet: Rose. Very mild, faint, rose.

 

Five minutes later: Uhhh, raspberry syrup?

 

And it stays like that. And it stays for hours.

 

I smell like raspberry syrup. It’s oddly pleasant, but not really what I want to smell like, or at all what I had expected.

 

Sadly, this is the only rose-containing blend I've found so far that doesn't make me sneeze. But it doesn't smell like roses on me, either.

 

 

Let's hear it for the alien body chemistry!

 

[Mary Mayhem]

I'm a rose girl, much to my husband's dismay. And this is roseroserose. plus.

 

Remember when you were a kid and you had this barbie set where you mixed your own "perfumes"? And they came out really sweet REALLY sweet floral?

 

That's what this reminds me of. I smell roses, but I also smell something fruity, and there's a tiny big of green in there somewhere.

 

I can't decide what to do with this. It just seems so strong and 7 year old-esque. It's very pretty smelling, and I like it to a degree, but it's a bit too juvenile for me. I'll see what it does as a room fragrance.

[storme]

In the bottle: rose rose rose rose.

 

On me: rose rose rose rose. I *like* roses, but this is a bit much even for me. It's very sweet, and I can't smell any of the grassiness above the roses bellowing in my nostrils. I don't smell any fruitiness especially, but there's certainly a sweet tang over and above the roses.

 

I think you'd have to be fonder of sweet smells than I am to like this scent.

[Magda]

I like rose, but I don't love rose. Rose can often turn overpowering on me, or soapy, and it often feels a little too elegant for me--like I'm a little girl just pretending to be grown up and posh.

 

I love Two, Five, & Seven. The rose is a sweet, sugary rose, and the hint of green grass grounds it and keeps it from being too glamorous for me. I feel like I could wear this to a nice restaurant with my best black dress but could also wear it with my overalls while working in the garage or digging in my garden.

 

Sweet, wet, fresh roses and grass -- this is my favorite BPAL rose so far.

[lvhelen]

i simply cannot live without two, five & seven!! my imp is 1/2 gone and i am rationing it to myself before bedtime. i know the somunus are supposed to aid in sleep but this scent calms me like no other. Please please please hurry and make my bottle!

 

i have spent a lifetime and a fortune and have collected scents from all over the world but this one is superb. thank you young elizabeth, you are brilliant, but then all the girls from coney are, right?

[batsy]

We're painting the roses red, painting the roses red...

 

In the bottle: Walking into a rose garden in full bloom in sunlight. Yay!

 

On the skin: There's so many types of roses I can't pick them out individually! All I can see is big red and white roses mentally crowding around me singing but I really love it. It reminds me of our small rose garden we used to have on the side of the house. I was worried about the grass (being allergic to freshly mown grass) but I can't detect it at all! Just gorgeous roses!

 

Whee! This is the rose scent I was looking for!

[dragonryder]

This is a super blend of roses. I'm not usually a great fan of rose scents, but this is really awesome.

[Cicely]

Two, Five and Seven is an unbeliably beautiful blend, and perfect for me since I adore roses and sweet scents in general.

 

Unfortunately, whether it smells slightly sharp and green or candied and rosy depends on my day-to-day skin chemistry. I obviously much prefer the latter, and when my skin decides to cooperate there's nothing (BPAL or otherwise) I'd rather smell like.

Edited March 12, 2006 by Cicely

[Naamah_Darling]

In the bottle, it's rose, sweet, sweet rose, with a cloying, fruity edge to it. I'm leery of trying this because it's so juicy and bubblegummy.

 

On, good God that rose is strong! It starts as an intense, spicy rose scent with more flair than subtlety, a charismatic, laughing rose with a heady and intriguing throw. It smooths to a silken red rose with a touch of dewy sweetness. That shades into a clean, white rose with a bit of blushing pink, a very new rose. It fades to a pale version of the initial spicy rose. It's interesting how the smell, while remaining essentially the same, slowly shifts as the oil wears down.

 

Not my favorite rose scent; it lacks the subtlety on me that I demand in a floral. Still, a wonderful exercise of the perfumer's art, a single-note symphony that changes a great deal within its boundaries. Those seeking a rose single-note on the sweeter and more full-bodied side might want to look into this one. It's powerful stuff as it opens, and the continuing orchestration is hardly what you could call understated.

[klio]

Last night I decided I'd be wearing Grand Guignol today. When I woke to face a dreary drippy Monday and the prospect of another lousy week at a lousy job, I decided I needed something simpler, easier, cheerier, and less demanding. Two, Five & Seven fits the bill.

 

In the imp: Tart roses, strong and tangy. I always think of it as boozy when I smell the imp, but it's not really an alcohol smell--the strength of the roses is in itself intoxicating, like a delicate pastry drizzled with rose water and bursting with sweetness. These roses are sharp and bright, nothing mellow, subdued, or mature about them. Someone has raked the garden into a deep pile of petals, and you're about to fall backwards into the mix. Spring, summer, and sun, all together.

 

On: Bright, sharp roses, exactly the same wet and dry. Strong but not overpowering throw, and on me lasts for about 3 hours before it fades into a memory. Two, Five & Seven reminds me of when I went to an otherwise underwhelming and overpriced spa, and had the "rosy toesies" foot wrap. Feet soaked in a bubbly hot rose-oil bath, then massaged with rose-and-aloe oils, then huge rose petals placed between each toe and laid carefully on top of my feet, and both feet wrapped in steamy hot towels. I felt like a newly bloomed rose all day and evening and into the next morning.

 

Overall: Mad, fun, and pure--for when I'm in the mood for madness. I wear Two, Five & Seven when I feel less sophisticated than Rose Cross (with or without Bon Vivant layering), less subtle than Rome, less mature than Whip, and less down-to-basics than Rose Red 04.

Edited April 24, 2006 by klio

[Isuke]

Oh! Oh! How lovely and girly and sweet! It's almost little girly in it's sweetness, sort of candy bright straight out of the bottle. But once it settles on my skin, it becomes a softer sort of sweetness. Not quite powdery, but that quieter kind of rose that rests on my skin until a breeze or the heat stirs it back up. Tea parties in a garden, very prim and proper. That's what it sorta makes me think of.

[Elrianra]

In the bottle: Rose buds and green leaves, extremely green plant, overwhelmingly sweet. Almost a tea-like smell.

 

On me wet: Grass. Lots and lots of grass with a variety of other green smells. I honestly feel like I just slid face first across the ground - it reminds me strongly of the grass stains on my jeans after they've been worn in for hours and hours. I expected my mother to chide me, I smelled like bruised green stalks so much.

 

On me drying: Nothing at all, just faintly green.

 

On me dry: Still just a soft green-ish scent and then, oh my! Roses! Sweet and velvety, the taste of rose petals actually tickles my mouth and nose! So soft and tender and lovely, I only catch a faint whiff every now and again - if the air blows towards my face from my hands or if I'm pushing my hair behind my ear yet again. Blossoms and stalks and stems, thorns and leaves, with grass and a touch of that earthy smell that comes from roots. It's a veritable rose-garden on my wrists and I'm in heaven.

 

Final conclusion:

1 Hour Later - No longer green, like a morning garden, it's afternoon or evening now but airy all around. Still soft and delicate, the oil leaves a soft finish on my skin like a goodnight kiss. Already fading but not too quickly.

3 Hours Later - Only so barely there, an extremely faint whiff of rose petals in the last rays of sunshine. No more grass or leaves, just rose petals very mildly there.

 

Finale:

Oh my lord, this is lovely! The roses are so tender and shy at first, only coming into awareness with a quiet "hello" and not the rambunctious "BOOYAH" that I had expected. It's a sweeter rose scent than some, not tangy and cloying but quietly lingering and waiting to be found. I adore this, it's so close lying, I'm telling you there's no throw to it at all and it's so patently "fresh cut roses" that it made me do a double take at my wrists. This one is definitely going on my "I love it and want more" list.

[columbus]

In the bottle: A very wet smell. In fact, I was sort of disappointed; to me, this imp smelled almost exactly like rotting vegetation. I have *no* idea why, but I figured I'd give it a shot anyway.

 

Wet on the skin: It was a good thing that I did! Once on the skin, you can smell the roses. Whew! That was a close one. While the perfume itself is still wet, it still *smells* wet, like rose bushes still covered in morning dew

 

Drying/dry: As it dries, the smell becomes softer and softer until it is the perfect rose smell! Such a nice sweet smell. I wish I went to tea parties, or even garden parties, for that matter, because this would make the perfect scent. : ) Until then, I think this'll make a good summer scent.

 

8/10