Ode on Melancholy

[Voleuse]

...Beauty, joy, pleasure and delight: devastated. This is the scent of the hopelessness, torment and despair of love. Lavender and wisteria, heart-wrenching pale rose, desolate white sandalwood and thin, tear-streaked white musk.

On first application, this is a sweet and solemn floral. I catch the lavender right away, but it's rounded by the other floral notes. The musk is subtle but evident, and there's a dry note that I presume is the sandalwood.

After a while, the musk and wisteria (I think) win out, though the scent overall remains clean and sweet. The solemnity of the blend stays true, though--this isn't bright and cheery at all. Edited September 30, 2007 by Shollin

[LittleGreyKitten]

*Sigh*. Lavender is not my friend (unless it's in Ides of March)! It is almost acceptable in this blend but yet, not. Too sharp, too... lavender. The other notes are nice- soft florals, no evil rose, but the lavender trumps all and must get off my arm now. Sorry Ode! I loved your name but didn't care for your lavender-y essence.

 

For me, 2.5 out of 5. Not horrible, certainly not stomach turning, but not for me.

[LiberAmoris]

I love the Keats poem that inspired this blend, so I've been aching to try this ever since it was released. I mean seriously, how gorgeous are these lines: Though seen of none save him whose strenuous tongue / Can burst Joy's grape against his palate fine... Only Keats could make melancholy so sensual.

 

Ode on Melancholy surprised me because I'm used to an aggressive lavender top note whenever I see it listed, a note that I enjoy and that fades quickly, but always seems to be readily apparent right away. Here, the lavender is very subtle, and it's actually the wisteria that's strongest. Even the rose is very subdued.

 

I don't quite know how to describe how wisteria smells to me, but it seems like a dry 'white' floral. It's fresh, but pitched 'high' and has a slightly watery component to it. It's the kind of floral I associate with the smell of hair spray, except that Beth's note is way more dimensional than that.

 

As it dries and mellows, the white sandalwood and musk appear. They last for hours and hours, mingling with the remnants of the wisteria.

 

There is something melancholic about this, and very restrained. I'm not sure I'll ever need a full bottle, but I'll treasure my imp.

[Katinka]

I would have NEVER chosen this for myself (can't do rose...don't care much for lavendar...etc...), but I felt obligated to test the Lab's kind frimp. I dabbed a bit on, and didn't think much about it until several minutes later, when a sweet, lovely fragrance began to waft up to my nose. I definitely did a double-take then!

 

This would be great at bedtime -- it's very soft and calming.

[storme]

In the imp: lavender and rose and musk, wow. this is nice, but it smells a bit like pot pourri.

 

On me, wet: lavender and rose, but sweet rather than sharp. the sandalwood is warming it, I think - this melancholy has a shard of hope in it.

 

On me, dry: hm, there's a hint of citrus behind this, but otherwise it's a genteel, sophisticated floral. It fades a bit quickly for my taste, but while it's around it is so beautiful that I don't care. Makes me think of a solemn, dignified woman writing poetry.

 

Verdict: If anything this may be too sophisticated for me, but it's lovely. It doesn't seem *purely* melancholic to me, due to the sandalwood, and I think i may have to get a big bottle of this.

[jeanniel]

It's smells really familiar to me, like a certain perfume I used to adore so much a long long time ago. Brings on quite a bit of nostalgia.. and just love!!

 

When wet it's really rather strong, though that could be because I accidentally put on too much in my excitement lol It smells so good though I just can’t take my nose out of my wrist, it just automatically transports me to when I was 7 years old sitting in an oversized fleur-de-lis chair in the middle of a red room and pretending to wipe my face just so that I can get more of the wonderful scent I used to love. *BPALgasms*

 

As it dries, I think I’m starting to distinguish the musk from the rest. And there’s this very cool light note, I think the florals are coming through. And the sandalwood I think is starting to warm gradually on my skin, sweet and musky like the air smells like, filled with pollen on a warm summer’s day.

 

After 4 hours, it’s still there. Excellent. Definitely a keeper.

[PixieSkull]

Imp: There's and astringent scent like vetivert or lemongrass. It's slightly citrus but not over-the top. A nice light floral somewhere, slightly familiar.

Wet: This was dry. It's a wood table or chair wiped down with some sort of wood polish in a room with an open window. There's dust and lilac and the loveliness of sandalwood. Soft and light.

Dry: Thisis sweet and soft and clean. It's very innocent and non-judgemental. This is the epitome of a lackluster and melancholic spring Sunday. Beautiful!

 

Category: Sandalwood/Light

Rating: 5/5; This was an insane hit, I thought I'd like it a lot!

Overall: This is a scent I've been lusting after for a while now and I'm very glad I ordered it. It reminds me of when I mix Hymn and Seance; there's a warm dusty room full of polished wooden furniture. It's got the lightness like Hymn and the etherealness of Seance. I love this, it may become a bottle.

Edited April 30, 2006 by Shollin

[melrose]

Why, yes, it does put me in a melancholy mood - because my skin eats it up just at the drydown stage.

 

I had high hopes, because I love all the listed notes, especially the sandalwood and musk.

 

On, wet - lovely herbs and grass - I smell mostly the clean, sharp lavender with a touch of wisteria. Then - 30 minutes later nothing - not even a trace.

Edited April 30, 2006 by melrose

[kunoichi]

I can smell the lavendar in the vial, now that I've read the ingredients, but on the skin it turns into a soft, sweet floral. Very pretty and delicate, a beautiful scent. It's got the beauty of Bess and Les Fleurs Du Mal (after the soap-like scent fades). Just lovely and lingering!

[elspeth]

Ode is very warm but also soapy when I get my first whiff after putting it on. I can smell what I believe to be the sandalwood and a light hint of floral. The sandalwood totally dominates the scent of this however. The lavender is starting to pop up and seems to be a bit powdery on me and could be what is causing this to seem soapy. The smell isn't very strong though and I think I would end up going through quite a bit in a day. It is a lovely and sad scent that I wouldn't mind having a bottle of, I'm just not sure how much I would wear it. Definitely a wonderful thing!

 

After wearing it for a bit longer the soapyness lessens and I like it even more.

[BlueSakura]

First on: Wow~ I'm immediately hit with an herbal blast.

 

After a few minutes: The intense herbalness has faded, and I'm getting a greenish, cool floral~ it reminds me a bit of Vinland, but the florals are stronger in this one. It's also not as headache-inducing on me as Vinland was~ always a plus.

 

Verdict: A nice scent, but as I'm not a fan of green notes, this one's going to the swaps.

[opaleyes]

Oh WOW. I forgot how much I love Wisteria! There's a bit of rose and sandalwood hiding in there, but mostly just the Wisteria. Mmmm... wow. This makes me really nostalgic. I used to go to a small all-girls private school, and certain areas of our campus were just draped all over with wisteria. *sigh* This really takes me back.

[Shollin]

First sniff: Sharp and cold and sad. Frozen flowers over a tentative base of pale musk or aloe.

 

Wearing: It’s so very cold. This is the scent of someone who has withdrawn into an icy shell for fear of being hurt again by someone he loves… Vanyel Ashkevron before the thaw. Verdict: Not an everyday scent, but a keeper for certain moods.

[edenssixthday]

Ode on Melacholy is soft, subtle and completely unimpressive. It’s so soft that immediately after applying, it has the strength that most BPALs have on me after about 4 hours – which is virtually none. The only real scent I picked up was musky B.O., and I know that wasn’t me because I had just come out of the shower and was smelling sweet and clean prior to putting on this scent. My first round of testing was so underwhelming that I won’t even put this in the pile to try out again. It’s a definite swapper.

[catrinella]

Imp: Salt and lavender and a wisp of wisteria. High and grey and airy.

 

Wet: Lavender and wisteria, braided together (not mixing, but wafting alternately), with that salty tang that's common in Beth's oceanic scents. Gorgeous. I could smell like this forever.

 

Drydown: The musk is coming up, but the lavender is keeping it restrained. White rose has just appeared, and a warm undernote that's the sandalwood (not identifiable, but sandalwood goes warm on me).

 

1 hour: White musk and nothing else - I could be wearing Body Shop White Musk and not tell the difference. Drat - I was loving this when it was more ethereal and herby/floral. Since musk single-notes give me headaches, I'm going to wash this off in hopes that it at least mutes a bit (my skin amps musk like crazy and the throw has actually built over the past hour rather than diminishing).

 

Verdict: One more try in case it's my skin chemistry acting up, but likely that it's not for me. Something like this without the musk would be fabulous.

[dnipbhsw]

Ahh, this is the scent of a cold night in a castle garden. It's gloomy, cold and hopeless, but the full moon is shining and the flowers are in bloom. This is soft and beautiful, and I can definitely sense the desolation in this blend. Absolutely beautiful!

[Shannihilation]

received this as a frimp with an Ebay purchase and I was intrigued as soon as I sniffed the imp. And now that I'm wearing it? I'm still intrigued. This is such a pretty blend. It's very light and airy, and it is somewhat "sad". The term "tear-streaked" is perfect.

I mainly smell the lavender and the white sandalwood with brief wafts of the rose coming out to say hello. This is a perfect spring scent. Very light and floral and clean... It's wistful. That's it exactly. It's a very wistful scent.

[Eros]

This is a very light, airy perfume both in the imp and on skin. There's a candy-like sweetness to it, not overpowering but always in the background. After about thirty minutes I started to get a headache but it subsided soon enough. The sweetness has morphed into something that almost but.not.quite. reminds me of the honey in O.

Very nice blend but a bit too light for me.

[valentina]

In the imp, Ode to Melancholy is mainly lavender to my nose, but there's a sharpness there also. On my body, the lavender gives way to florals! Woo-wee, it is floral -- my body went into the process of burning off the wisteria and rose, which made them amp like crazy for an hour or so. Then, everything calmed down and I was left with lavender, sandalwood and the barest trace of musk. Then it is very thin, very airy, very wispy. While my body chemistry isn't able to hold the complexity of this blend, I think that it's a beautiful blend that would work very well for someone who can wear lavender and florals.

[red colored stars]

I'm new here so I apologize in advance for not being too familiar with the different notes and whatnot. I was wearing this today, though, and I felt inspired to do a review!

 

In the bottle: A light floral blend. Very light! I can't pick out any of the specific notes but it does smell very white to me.

 

Wet: It starts to bloom more when it's on my skin...it's a much fuller floral when wet. I think I catch a bit of the rose mentioned in the description. I'm not too familiar with my chemistry yet when it comes to BPAL but I've discovered my body seems to amp up the rose scents...sometimes for the worse. This, though is a lovely, soft rose scent.

 

Dry: This smells almost exactly like the Philosophy scent Amazing Grace, which I am very familiar with (my aunt wears it all the time) and I absolutely LOVE. I know it's supposed to be a melancholy blend, to me it smells very bright and beautiful. Even though it doesn't have very much throw on me, I may make this one of my first 5 ml purchases.

Edited August 17, 2006 by Lauren

[SultryWolf]

Somewhat like a(n expertly blended) conventional perfume, only without the headache . The florals, perfectly balanced, dance over the sandalwood and musk.

Wears close to the skin.

[alston78]

Finally getting around to reviewing scents again after a long break...

 

First impression - light, floral, lovely in the bottle. Very gentle, and the lavender is strongest to my nose.

 

Wet - the floral notes were strongest on me at first, but not "strong" in the sense of other BPAL notes. The overall scent remained light. The blend did change in terms of the mood it conveyed once on my skin - in the bottle I didn't pick up on the gently despondent air that Ode has, but it comes out more on the skin. Very nice and very descriptive of the name and poem, but perhaps not for everyday wear.

 

Drydown - After about one to 1.5 hours, I was in class being drowned in a vale of tears! The floral notes left quickly, which was surprising since lavender is usually long-lasting and strong on me. I was left with what I think was the white musk - whatever it was, it was aquatic to the nth degree! The throw was quite strong as well, at least to my nose.

 

3.5 hours and running - Unlike some of the other reviews, Ode to Melancholy is lasting on me - just not the notes I'd prefer to keep around. The aquatic note (musk?) is still rather strong. I can smell the sandalwood in the background, which lends a helpful spicy note but can't quite balance out the aquatic scent. ETA: After huffing my wrist for a second, the lavender is still present. Just a thought - it might be the lavender/musk combo that's giving off the aquatic scent.

 

Overall - if you enjoy aquatic notes, this is probably a nice one. The initial blend was beautiful, and it might just be the specific drydown on me that is throwing the scent off - but this one just isn't going to work for me.

Edited September 7, 2006 by alston78

[minnalavender]

Ode on Melancholy was the first BPAL scent I ever smelled, so it has a special place in my heart.

 

Wet in the bottle: Lavender predominates, but with wisteria crowding right up behind her and white rose clinging to an arbor. They combine to form a beautiful, old-fashioned garden behind a picket fence, in spring.

 

Wet on my skin: very true to the bottle. It has medium throw, which doesn't surprise me, knowing how the three floral notes amp on my skin.

 

Ode on Melancholy is the ONLY "white" scent my head and nose can tolerate. Maybe it's that lavender loves me and counteracts the headachy aspects of the white flowers, sandalwood, and musk..? However, it's the sandalwood and musk that anchor it to my skin, and they're the notes that linger for 8+ hours - the flowers are long gone.

 

Drydown: it's the garden at twilight in winter, all the flowers long dead. There's nothing left of the roses but the bare canes. The coldness is so sad.

 

What a beautiful, haunting fragrance. I'm glad I can wear and enjoy it!

[QueenFae]

At first sniff, I immediately notice the lavendar. But when applied to my skin, the rose quickly becomes the top note, and it's a lovely, pink, sweet rose note. The florals are nicely balanced with a shimmering white musk note, and this gives the blend a sexy, womanly feel The longer I wear it, the stronger the white musk note becomes. This is a beautiful blend, but its strength is fleeting, and alas, it fades quickly on me as most florals do. Very pretty just the same.

[blackfelicula]

In the bottle: I smell lavender in this imp, and something creamy and woody. There is a bit of soapiness too.

 

Wet: This has a clean smell to it, but it is not as invasive as the soapiness in the imp. It is a wet scent. The lavender is just discernable over the other notes.

 

Drying down: I get the impression of fragile flowers crying. The combination is almost evocative of the scent of apple. It is an interesting combination.

 

Dry: The apple-like scent remains. The flowers meld together in a delicate mix. Beth has done it again: another floral frimp that proves that I can get along with flowers and wear them well.

 

Later: This is light, but enchanting. I will be wearing this again.