Les Infortunes de la Vertu

[Heretic]

A pain-tinged, pleasure-soaked blend of leather, oakmoss, orange blossom, amber, and rose with a breath of virginal French florals and a hint of austere monastic penitential incense.

 

In the vial: A sweet, slightly spicy floral.

 

On my wrist, wet: Whoa-- there's some sort of resin in there, too. And that's no uppity floral, either. There's something dark that's going to emerge, I think.

 

After 20 minutes: Getting a vaguely after-shavish scent, maybe a trace of leather. Truth be told, the scent's almost gone.

 

After an hour: Well, the scent came back, but as serious aftershave. This one started out with lots of promise, but it's leaning towards the "Get It Off Me" category. I'll give this one to someone I don't have to be around.

 

ETA: Catalog description

Edited February 2, 2006 by Shollin

[Pookstrell]

I noticed that the reviews for this scent weren't particularly glowing, so I wanted to just share my love for Les Infortunes

 

In the vial I can detect the leather note from DeSade, with a drop of strong orange blossom. If I sniff really hard I can detect the rose, but this is really leather all the way.

 

On my skin it is rugged leather with a whiff of orange blossom. The orange blossom plays second fiddle to the leather though, and I can now detect a smoky aroma which must be the incense.

 

As it dries it becomes a warm, rugged smoky leather with just enough floral to remain intriguing. Alongside the smokiness, there is a very slight soapy/cleaness which may be the rose. This is probably a traditionally masculine scent, but I'm keeping it for me as I like to smell 'rugged'

 

Gorgeous

[brownbear]

Starts out all orange blossom. Then it fades and blends a bit. Then the leather came out. It just isn't doing anything for me. It is kind of boring on my skin. Going to the swaps.

[LadyWilde]

When I smelled this in the imp, my first thought was that it would be incredibly sexy on a guy. Tart orange blossom, leather, and warm amber. Oh, yum. My second thought was "Oh how I hope this smells good on me." Amber is my favorite note of all time, I'm a fan of neroli/orange blossom, and I have recently discovered the sexy joys of leather (thanks to Loviatar).

 

Alas, it was not to be. Wet, it was all sharp neroli. After it dried, it smelled like something I knew but couldn't place. A little soapy, a bit spicy, slightly masculine in a generic kind of way. Finally it hit me: Head and Shoulders shampoo. It smelled exactly like it. Not a bad smell, per se, but I certainly don't want to walk around reeking of it (yeah, pretty good throw with this stuff, by the by).

 

Despite my less-than-wonderful experience, I am dying to try Les Infortunes on my guy. I've only tried one bpal on him (Wilde), but what was unremarkable on me was no less than unbelievably gorgeous on him. It's worth a try.

 

LATER THAT EVENING. . .

My guy stopped by tonight after work, and while we were on the couch watching television I remembered that I wanted to try Les Infortunes on him and blurted out, "Hey, can I try out more smelly things on you?" He didn't even look at me funny; he just said, "Sure." I just adore him; he never questions my little weirdnesses. Anyway, I ran into the bedroom and got the imp, swiped a little on his wrist, and sniffed him. Mmm. Orange blossom and leather and oakmoss (hardly any amber). After a few minutes, it smelled like. . .Head and Shoulders shampoo.

 

Oh well.

Edited February 6, 2006 by LadyWilde

[hypatia]

I love BPAL's orange blossom and it loves me back. I was debating whether to try this one in my next order or save it for later, but the labbies sent a frimp of it in my Lupercalia order, thus saving me the trouble of deciding. Thanks, Lab!

 

All the orange blossom blends I've tried so far have different personalities: Catherine is elegant, Vicomte de Valmont is hoity-toity, Dracul is seductive, Vixen and Jezebel are foody and cheerful. Les Infortunes de la Vertu is...stern. It's feminine but with an "I mean business" aura to it. It makes me think of a severe, terrifyingly beautiful French schoolmistress, raising a perfect eyebrow at you as she regards you from across her desk. There's something at once dominatrix-y and classic about it. It makes me pull myself up straighter and feel all assertive and intimidating -- and poised and sophisticated at the same time.

 

I think I'm in love with it. I'm going to wear this to work the next time I feel like I need an extra shot of backbone.

[mandragora]

In the vial: Initial thought, very soapy, would smell great on a guy.

 

Wet on me: Doesn't change much from the bottle. Orange blossom, leather and incense.

 

Drydown: Now this isn't so masculine anymore. Lovely, smokey leather and floral but still smells fresh at the same time.

 

Verdict: I like it. Might have to try it on hubby next time.

[AlaskaSnows]

Mostly leather, with a tinge of orange and amber, and yes, a bloom of florals all around it. But everything is based in leather. Too strong for me, maybe a "Get the Man to wear it" scent.

[Voleuse]

On first application, this is actually rather generic. Dusty and floral. Huh. As it dries, however, it blooms into leather tempered with a floral note. It's warm, and the floral notes balance the leather perfectly, never overtaking each other. (With Whip, I felt like the leather and roses were at a bit at war with each other.)

 

Over time, I get a bit of warm incense in the background, but it never overextends itself. This is perfectly blended to my nose--sensuous, warm, and light enough to be worn by either sex. 10 out of 10.

[gingersnapp]

This started out sweetly floral, but the oakmoss (which is always dominant on my skin) has toned it all down to soft and dusty. Not powdery, though... just kind of dusty dusky musky.

 

I don't get any leather, but the amber and the rose are swirling around delicately with the oakmoss. I can see this being used as an incense. It is very reverent.

[PurringPulsar]

Les Infortunes de la Vertu

 

In the imp: dark, masculine, orange blossom cologne.

Wet on skin: leather comes out now, deepening the tangy orange blossom.

Dry on skin: mmm, leather! This reminds me of Bow and Crown's leather, a soft, rich, sexy leather-only this time it's with sophisticated fresh orange blossom cologne instead of vanilla musk, and also has a soft mossy base. I don't get too much rose or floral notes here, but I'm getting hints of amber and smoky incense coming through. It's a complex scent, but very nice.

After a while: despite the scent's many notes, this stays very consistent on me. It's still delicious black leather with moss, and also hints of orange blossom and dry incense smoke, and a hint of something woody reminiscent of the cedar in Bow and Crown. I don't get any rose here at all, which is a shame but I like the scent as it is anyway. The leather now reminds me of a lighter De Sade, but slightly more grown up and a little bit dusty (in a good way).

The scent is masculine, indeed…I think this will be very, very sexy on a guy (I need to get one soonish, even just for experimenting with smellies!)

After about 5 hours or more, a sweet, gently powdery scent appears and softens the deep leather. I'm wondering if that's one of the floral notes. It's not as masculine now…and I think now, the rose finally shows itself.

Verdict: I am very fond of Beth's leather scents, and this is no exception. Although not my favourite of the leather scents, I really like this sophisticated, smooth, dark leather freshened by orange blossoms, deepened by incense, and softened by oak moss and, by the end of the scent's drydown, the rose and other floral notes. Despite mentions of florals, this scent is very unisex, veering towards masculine, and this is something I'm sure would smell delicious on a guy. I like this a lot, but not as much as some other leather scents like Dee and Bow and Crown…but I think I'll keep the imp.

[arabella]

First Impression: Aquatic, ozone and maybe, musk.

 

Dries down to: No change.

 

Additional Comments: Reminds me of "high-end" dryer sheets. The listed notes came as a total surprise. I can't detect rose, amber or leather, which are, normally, quite obvious to me. I'm totally baffled by this one - yet, I think I like it.

 

Lasted: An hour or so.

 

Rating: 3 out of 5

[themerrybaker]

This one was really disappointing on me. Normally, I love Beth's leather scents and this has a gloriously complex description. I love citrus blossoms on th plant, too.

 

 

 

Unfortunately, I got no leather and nothing else discernable. It just smelled like Generic Aftershave. And didn't really change with time.

 

 

 

So, yeah. Probably great on a guy, but gender equality only goes so far.

[Eunice]

Very very strong florals in the bottle and when I first put some on my skin. I couldn't smell anything but floral for the longest time. It's been about 2 hours now and finally this has toned down and become a lighter floral scent with the leather coming out stronger. There is just the tiniest hint of incense also. Much nicer once this has had some time on my skin.

[Elrianra]

In the bottle, it's slightly bitter; the incense rides out calmly and brings all the florals with it in a decadent array of solemnity. The amber and leather aren't detectable to me, in the bottle. Once on, the smoky incense and soft amber are the highlights. I can pick up whiffs of floral one moment and then it's all smoke the next. A second later, the leather is on top of it all; I think that's the oakmoss too, oh my. Urngh. It heats up and the leather comes out, this isn't as rough as I expected, it's more like a memory of rough - it's harsh and smoky but residual. The amber and florals are a high note in the background but the foreground is smoke and leather, with the amber supporting in on a smooth glass surface.

 

This is both calm and violent; it has a vicious tenderness to it that's both arousing and subtly menacing. This is an absolutely brilliant scent, bringing both cruelty and class out in one fell swoop.

Edited May 22, 2006 by Elri

[Naamah_Darling]

Ah. A Sade blend. Well. Let me rub my hands together, cackle wickedly, and get to work.

 

This is sharp and crisp in the bottle. I pick up leather right away, with a deep note of oakmoss sharpening the orange blossom. There are florals hanging around the citrus, making it sweet, but the predominant note is leather. And we all know what leather does to my hormones. I hope the flowers don't ruin this one.

 

This hits and softens just a bit, the leather and orange blossom and oakmoss soaring along together while the rest of the smells just sort of cruise in their wake. It's a very, very masculine scent to me while it's wet. The oakmoss is, I think, what makes this smell so green, and mixed with the orange blossom it's very manly, reminiscent of a very expensive aftershave.

 

As it softens further, it never becomes feminine, but it does become sexy. VERY sexy. Yes, I realize I say this about every perfume with leather in it. So sue me. This is a very traditional blend that stops short of being overwhelming, and I think it would smell positively devastating on a man. I'm turning this one over to my husband at the nearest opportunity to see what it does on him.

 

The florals never mess this one up, and its extreme weardown is leather and amber. Guh-lorious.

[selkielass]

Whoah! Leather!

My skin has been amping leather the last few days, and with this oil it really jumps up and slaps me in the face!

 

I can barely smell the florals- as the leather quiets down I can tell they are there, but no one note stands out- very well blended and very masculine.

I want to try this on my husband- it smells like a very traditional mens fragrance to my nose, and I think it would be very sexy on him.

[edenssixthday]

Les Infortunes De La Vertu - Until I read the Lab description, I couldn’t identify a single note in this blend aside from the leather and incense. I would call this a “handsome” scent – it’s really nice, but not “pretty” like the scents I prefer. This is another one I can’t wear but plan to pass along to my husband. I think he’d smell really, really nice in this!

[provocateur]

In bottle: amber? soap? It's so faint it's hard to tell.

 

On skin, wet: Soap.

 

On skin, dry: Leather and amber, that morphs again to a soapy powder.

 

Conclusion: While I could see this as a more effeminate version of Loviatar, it doesn't love me like Loviatar does. 1/5

[juniperus]

Bottle: slightly sharp floral (lavender?), with a bottom note that's not quite clear yet.

Wet: that bottom is the leather. hints of the oakmoss. none of the amber or rose or incense.

Dry: oh, that cheeky leather. it's amping, and that floral is an enabler. none of the notes I love best, of course, have made an appearance. crappit.

Later: hints of the incense, but most everything is hidden behind a near-opaque screen of leather.

[Meg]

In the bottle: Orange blossom and a hint of rose.

 

Wet: Orange blossom shining through amber, with oakmoss coming in, as well as leather. Rose seeps through, too.

 

Drydown: A warm blend, but with an aftershavey breath, perhaps from the incense and oakmoss. I get mostly amber with hints of rose coming through. The orange blossom has died down, probably a good thing because I tend to make that scent turn. The leather is there, but rather discreet. Rose and leather end up by actually dominating the blend, finally.

 

Overall: This reminds me a bit of Whip, leather and rose, with added aftershave and smoke. It smells fresh and a bit decadent at the same time, and it's quite an enjoyable blend. I still prefer Whip, which doesn't have the cool side to it, but this one is a more unisex blend, less rose. Nice, but not something I'd wear.

[The_Merf]

In the bottle: Leather and orange blossom combine for a very clean smell.

 

Wet: It took me a second, but I think I've nailed this: this smells like my leather riding tack when it is being cleaned with glycerin saddle soap. The question for the drydown stage is whether it will choose to go soapy or if the incense will show itself.

 

Drydown and wear: Man, my skin must be rude or something, because it seems like all these scents are disappearing rather quickly. This takes on a clean masculine edge (I know instinctively that there's leather at work here, but I'll be darned if I can describe it). The incense starts to creep out a bit. Since I just used a test spot, this incense stage is hard to detect, but I figure that once the oil is working on its own, I should quite like it. I have a feeling this could become a quirky favorite of mine.

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 1/5

Summarised in a word or two: Incensey oakmoss.

 

Hopes & Thoughts: A little leery of the leather, rose and oakmoss.

 

In the imp: Rose, oakmoss and leather. Eep.

 

On skin, wet: Strong, this one, primarily oakmoss and rose.

 

On skin, dry: Incensey oakmoss and rose, with occasional drifts of leather. Thick and smoky, almost heady. I don't do incense notes well, nor rose or oakmoss, or even leather most of the time.

 

Conclusion/Notes: I'm not sure what I was hoping for with Les Infortunes, but it wasn't for an incensey, rosy oakmoss scent.

[theseagrows]

the incense comes out a lot in this, and overwhelms a bit. i also can detect the leather and florals, maybe the orange blossom. i can wear some incensy scents, but generally the more 'churchlike' incenses dont work on me. this one is ok on me, but far too masculine for my tastes. i think i would love it if it didn't contain the incense note.

[forspecial_plate]

Les Infortunes de la Vertu is bold and masculine, in the wet stage it smells very similar to the men's cologne Drakkar. As it warms up the leather comes out more, and I'm getting the oakmoss and incense too. Actually I can smell the orange blossom too. Quite an assertive scent. This is a keeper I think.

 

edit: Tried this again almost a year later, and I no longer think it smells like Drakkar. I think it's a nice balance of light and heavy notes, kind of tickles my nose. I like how it smells and I may end up getting a bottle.

Edited July 14, 2007 by Forspecial Plate

[Miss Lynx]

I had no idea what this would smell like from the listed notes -- they're so diverse that it could smell like almost anything, depending on which notes came out strongest.

 

But really, I can hardly pick out any of the individual notes in it -- it's very well-blended. But it's also very much a men's scent, at least to me. From the first sniff in the imp, and evenmore so when it hit my arm, it sort of reared up and said "I belong on a guy!" It seems like it would be quite a nice men's scent, but it's not so nice on me. I think leather nearly always results in that men's-cologne sort of impression for me, and this comes across as sort of a clean citrussy leather scent.

 

I tried to get Nikos, our other partner, to try it, and he sniffed it and pronounced it to smell like Aqua Velva, then handed it back to me without trying it. Oh well.

 

Grade: C