La Fée Verte

[slave1]

A variant on the absinthe theme. Sugared wormwood, hyssop and melissa with calamus, angelica and Dittany of Crete, blended with a Bohemian perfume of vanilla musk, honey absolute and Moroccan spices.

In Bottle: A sweet yet sour drink

On Skin: Hmmm… I am super excited for this one. I like the original Absinthe scent of Beth’s, but it was never a wearable scent for me. It just didn’t fit me, even though I like it on other people. This blend has the absinthe note, very green and sour… the florals bring an elegant feel, like drinking absinthe in a five star resteraunt. The honey sweetens it just the right amount, but still allows that trademark “tang” to poke through. The vanilla musk is sweet too, but offers a subtle musky base. Finally the spices, they seem more herby than sweet. I smell a bit of a soapy edge to this scent which I’m not to fond of. This is a complex scent and I love to sit here and smell and play with it, but I don’t think I’d wear it too often since it doesn’t quite fit my chemistry and personality. But it could be a special occasion or party scent, it would create great conversation. After an hour it develops into the most delicate and pretty scent. I really do love it. It’s nothing I’d wear every day, but I love how it’s such a different scent for me. I need it for my collection for sure. Edited September 21, 2007 by Shollin

[LittleGreyKitten]

Oh man. I LOVE the Green Fairy. The smell is just divine, and I'm pretty sure it's the honey absolute and the vanilla scents that are so divine in there. There's just a hint of herbal greenness to make a perfect background for the superb honey and vanilla notes. I accidentally put on A CRAPLOAD of this- exploding imp!- and man, it smelled good. Everyone who came near me loved it too, which is nice, since sometimes I've been known to like things which others find annoying smelling. I especially like the lengthy drydown period where the herbs and citrus fade and the honey absolute and vanilla come out to play even more- delicious sweet soft creaminess ensues. So anyway, drat it, but I had to order a Balthazar. No Seamus so far. No. Seamus smells nice, but not divinely delicious like Balthazar. (Can you tell I'm trying to convince myself? )

 

Defintely a 5 out of 5; this may very well be a top ten.

Edited February 5, 2006 by LittleGreyKitten

[harmonyfb]

Look at that description - doesn't it sound good? I love hyssop and melissa, I love vanilla musk, honey, and the spicy spices. Unfortunately, on me, this is just...stinky . Smells like men's cologne. Unpleasant, green, herbally men's cologne. Got a helluva throw, though, and it's very long-lasting.

[binkyboots]

ooh, this is fabulous!

 

sharp/sweet/herbal/musky and clean all at the same time....

 

it's as though dorian took you out and rolled you in the herb garden

[desu]

In the bottle: Pungent, warm. I'm not sure of everything I'm smelling, but I can definately pick out the honey and vanilla.

 

On my skin: This comes alive on me. There is a slight herbal, "green" edge to it at first, but it is then tempered by the warmth of the vanilla musk and honey absolute.

[wolfie13]

Upon initial application - this one is a bright, borderline soapy herbal a al Clairol Herbal Essences on me - and remains more or less the same.

 

As it wears it gets a touch spicier and a touch sweeter, but not enough on either count for what I was looking for. It really takes a good couple hours for this to mellow and blend enough to be even okay on me. (ETA: this actually bounces back to more of the herbal soapy phase after a few hours - not good on me.)

 

I think my skin chemistry is just not playing nice with this one at all.

 

(And I also must admit that I am dearly in love with a similarly intentioned perfume from a commercial house - and tend to compare all others to it, so this review is not entirely objective.)

Edited February 8, 2006 by wolfie13

[sideviewhotel]

Hm. This is very tangy. Sour. My lips are pursing just sniffing at my wrist. But, underneath that tangy sourness, is a tinge of sweetness and spice.

 

I like this, but there is barely an throw! Boo.

 

The sweetness gives it a bit of a perfume-y note. This might be a keeper, but I'm not sure. It depends on the final drydown, I guess.

 

Edit: This dries down BEAUTIFULLY! It goes very very soft warm sugary vanilla musky honey. Mmmmm The throw is still very low, but I enjoy this VERY much.

Edited February 8, 2006 by sideviewhotel

[sookster]

bottle #126 of 300...

 

whiff straight from the bottle: this is what the color green smells like...

sweet and sugary and boozey...good thing i don't have a straw or

might drink this potion

 

upon application the scent is uber sweet....honey, musk and wormwood...

the wormwood gives it a slightly bitter or woody edge that rules my world!!!

almost has a lime note but i think i must be confuzzling lime with an

actual tanginess that is just so wonderful

this is also very strong with my chemistry.....i like it .... no scratch that

i LOVE this a lot!!!!

Edited February 11, 2006 by sookster

[Fefferbella]

I feel like the only one NOT crazy about La Fee Verte... it smells like lemon-lime bathroom cleaner on me. *yuck*

 

No honey notes, no sugar or booze or wormwood... just Sprite-scented bathroom cleaner.

 

The bottle is *so* pretty... I absolutely *adore* all things Absinthe... and I love little statue... *sigh*...

[Voleuse]

In the bottle, this is really sharp to my nose, and the wormwood is quite strong. Upon application, however, it's immediately musk and sweetness. The vanilla and honey are evident, but not cloying at all. I'm not very sure what the other notes are, but somehow, they keep the blend from becoming too sweet or too boozy.

 

As it dries, it softens beautifully. Something herbal becomes more prominent, as well as a lemony note. It's definitely a close-to-the-skin sort of scent, and softly sensuous. I never get the pungent licorice I receive from the GC Absinthe, and as such, I like this blend fifty times more than I expected to. Yay!

Edited February 12, 2006 by Voleuse

[PurringPulsar]

La Fee Verte

 

In the imp: lemon! This is a greenish herbal lemon scent. It’s not as absinthe-like as I expected, I don’t get the boozy anise note from the BPAL Absinthe.

Wet on skin: honeyed lemon! This is like a lemon herbal tea sweetened with honey, it’s lovely.

Dry: oh, I like this! This is herbal, lemony, fresh, effervescent, slightly boozy (but in a clear, cool way-I think that’s the wormwood) and with a hint of honey and musk in the background. It does bear a similarity to the Absinthe scent but it’s much nicer-there’s no anise here, but there is a lovely herbal lemon (Melissa? I think this is lemon balm?) and other green notes, it’s a scent that makes me think of summer, and has a nice ‘fizzy’ feel to it without it smelling like soft drinks. I am getting hints of Antique Lace-style musk (no vanilla yet though) behind the lemon herb scent.

After a while: after 30 mins-1 hour, this scent is now very fresh, crisp and cool. I get a hint of clean linen to this scent-but not that of the soapy kind, this is more like Antique Lace’s linen note, along with the lemony scent. It’s a breezy, airy scent, it reminds me of ozone at times, but it’s different. I think that’s wormwood-it added a coolness to Absinthe which was clear, airy, transparent and a bit alcoholic. I also get something reminiscent of Black Opal, which I think is the musk, and the honey note adds its golden sunny sweetness to the blend. I also am starting to detect the vanilla; however this blend isn’t very sweet overall-it’s more of a bracing, bright scent.

Over time, it moves away from fresh lemon and clean breezy linen towards a more exotic scent…vanilla and sublime musk with honey and a hint of spice. It reminds me of Antique Lace, Dorian, Black Opal and Morocco (which is no doubt due to the Moroccan spices). The blend still retains its effervescence and breeziness, and its slightly tangy lemon and ‘clean linen’ scent.

Over the course of the next few hours, the scent moves from clean-lemony to vanilla musk then to honey and then back to vanilla musk...

Verdict: this is really lovely stuff. A bright, fresh, carefree blend of herbs, lemon balm, the slight alcoholic coolness of wormwood and a nice twist of honey, with a wonderful undertone of lightly spiced vanilla musk. This is a sunny, light hearted and airy scent, to me it fits not only the absinthe theme (the scent is similar to the Absinthe BPAL, only without anise and more complex) but it fits the image of a sprightly green fairy in flight amongst herbs on a summer’s day, but this fairy leaves her enigmatic scent of vanilla-musk and exotic spice behind as she flies. The blend goes through several stages-first, the effervescent herbal lemon stage, a summery scent of greenery and gentle tanginess. Second, the ‘clean’ stage, cool, bracing, reminiscent of clean linen left to dry in the breeze, with a hint of musk peeping through. Then the drydown…this is where the scent fits in with the vanilla-musk/spicy musk classics of BPAL-it reminds me of a combination of Black Opal, Antique Lace, Dorian and Morocco. This is my favourite part-it’s a gorgeous vanilla musk with hints of honey, spice and clean lemony linen. I wasn’t keen on Absinthe but I am very fond of this scent-I may not need the entire 10ml, but I love it nonetheless, and this will be something I will be wearing a lot in summer.

[maewitch]

This is so awesome!

 

At first, I'm getting a lovely mix of lemon, herbs and vaquely musky vanilla. I think if I was wearing a softer version of Dorian and chewing on one of those Ricola honey-herb lozanges, it would smell a little bit like this.

 

The herbs and citrus fade, and I'm left with a very soft, honey sweetened vanilla. The musk is there, but it is so much softer than Dorian.

 

FOr some reason, this is really making me think of Switzerland. Maybe it's that original Ricola connotation. But it just smells like a romanticized version of a Swiss milkmaid - herbal freshness, sweet honey and creaminess, and clean skin.

[bellis]

Wet, this is sharp, lemony, and very alcoholic. Once it dries, though, it's the most beautiful herby vanilla musk. Sweet, warm, and relaxing. This is the scent version of how it feels to drink a strong spirit: it's bracing and stings at first, then you feel all warm and goooooood.

 

I love this, and I love my adorable little Balthazar as well!

[merebrillante]

Vial: Fruity and green.

 

Wet: Greener, with a sharp tang, but not quite aquatic.

 

Drydown: Oh, wow. Something dark and warm and sweet is struggling to the surface.

 

Dry: Holy cow, this is complex. I can smell the honey, but it's tempered by all the herbs and spices. Oh, God, I am in love. I want I want I want, oh please oh please let me have it! I promise you my first-born son if you will let me have a bottle of this!

 

Twenty-four hours later: This is it. My One True Scent .

[tartsquid]

I, too have been drawn in by the sugared sweetness of La Fee Verte.

 

In the bottle it smells very green and herby. On it starts off smelling a bit like lemon and powdered sugar with a tinge of herbs. Dry it smells like honey, vanilla, lemon and sugar. It's incredibly sweet but soft enough not to be overpowering.

 

Initially I wasn't too impressed with it but after the dry down started I just had to go order Balthazar and his big bottle of this.

[GemmaCat]

Wow! This has very impressive throw and great staying power. It's almost as powerful as Misk U.

 

If you like Absinthe, this is the scent for you. It's more complex, more lemon-y, and with a really lovely sweet note that brings a great deal of warmth to an otherwise crisp and bright scent. I bet this smells great on other people, but it's not for me.

[Alchemy21599]

I am so happy to have found some decants of La Fee Verte.

 

In the vial: wormwood and sweet vanilla.

 

Wet: Very complex. Herbal, yet sweet at the same time.

 

Dry: The sweet vanilla and musk really jumped to the fore front. I've learned that vanilla does not mix well with my chemistry. I enjoy the catalog Absinthe scent, so I will stick with that.

[luxuria]

I didn't know what absinthe smells like--either BPAL's or the real stuff--and I didn't even know what most of the first half of the ingredients were. However, the "Bohemian perfume of vanilla musk, honey absolute and Moroccan spices" made me not buying this an impossibility. That was a bit of an expensive gamble, but it paid off.

 

In the bottle: This smells really bizarre. Very green and herbal but not in the way that reminds me of the outdoors like the other green scents I've tried do. There's some citrus peeking out, too, and somewhere in the background, a whiff of sweetness. Definitely not something I'd want to wear as a perfume, but I put it on anyway.

 

On my skin: This warms up immediately--thank god! I smell the 'Bohemian perfume' in full swing but it's quite light, not at all heavy and syrupy like those notes might imply. It's a touch powdery, and the citrus (and to a lesser extent greenness) are still hanging out. The notes are actually quite pleasant once they play a supporting role rather than dominating the fragrance. It's sweet but not candy-like, and a very, very good scent for spring and summer. If you're a vanilla gal but find it suits the colder months better, get your hands on this stat.

 

As for Balthazar himself, he fits in surprisingly well on my dresser. I'm now wishing I'd ordered Hellion just because the pair of statues would be adorable together.

[Medici]

Origin: A decant from shay off livejournal a few months back.

 

In the imp: Honeyed florals with a bit of lemon pledge.

 

Wet: Honeyed florals, hyssop, anise, tangy lemon singer following it up... and a spoonful of sugar for good measure. Miam!

 

Drydown: It gets a little creamier with the vanilla - I only get a little, but its just enough, really. This really is a fresh one - its not too far a leap from Absinthe, but far enough to be comfortable which is nice. It is distinctly sweeter, though, and that I appreciate muchly. I could go for a 5ml of this, not a 10ml, because I probably wouldn't wear it that often, but a fiver would be nice to have on hand for hot days.

 

Mmm. Delightful!

 

3.5/5 on Medici's Scale o' Lurrrve

Edited April 26, 2006 by Medici

[CLFilm]

It's nearly impossible for me to describe the notes in this because it's so well blended - on me it just becomes this perfect, enveloping scent that is a little bit of everything - comforting, cheering, debauched, glamorous. This is, I believe, my number one favorite.

 

It definitely smells of the color green, and I do get the honey & vanilla musk, but there is something else here - a bit of magic that ties it all together that I cannot name. Maybe it speaks to me because I come from Bohemian/Gypsy stock.

 

The Rome scent in the Wanderlust category is nice, but I wrote this on my spreadsheet about La Fee Verte: This is the scent of my Rome. A drizzly February day walking through city center. The Trevi Fountain lit up at night. Shots of absinthe in the Campo de Fiori. Fresh crepes with Nutella at 2 am. Partying all night with amazing men, amazing friends, and feeling so alive you can barely stand it. With a whiff of the sadness of having to leave the next day.

[moon_lemming]

I guess I'm in the minority here, which I'm kind of glad of, as hunting down a bottle of La Fée Verte would be a pricey proposition at this point. On me, the fairy turns into a loud citronella candle.

 

After fifteen minutes or so, the bug spray aftertaste dies down a little and it's a green, honey-drenched vanilla-tinged drink. Good, but there are lots of honey-drenched scents I like better.

[Rhowan]

In the vial and wet on my skin, the first impression is a very cool and light It is a bit floral, a bit lemony, but I cannot pick out the different notes as of yet.

 

Drying down, I am starting to be able to pick out the vanilla, musk, honey and best of all, the Moroccan spices. The lemony florals are still the top notes to this blend.

 

Completely dried down and I am shocked because it has completely reversed itself. The light moroccan spices, and honey sweetened vanilla musk have become the top notes as the lemony florals have become the bottom.

 

My conclusion? LaFee Verte is a honey sweetened, brighter version of Morocco and it is absolutely gorgeous! This is a most delightful summer scent! No absithe smell here but then again it is an absithe "theme". Great throw and awesome wear - this would hold up in the summer heat well and also be a chilling winter scent.

[filigree_shadow]

I am trouting myself because of La Fee Verte.

 

At least three imps of this have come through my swap box, and I only held onto one of them because the first time I tried it I didn't like it. But I've tried it again tonight... and damnit, I'm gonna need a bottle. I can't believe I swapped away those other two imps, like an idiotic carefree fool.

 

I have no idea what I think this smells like, some sort of honey sweet spicy white musk combination... whatever it is, it works. And how.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: sweet woods and herbs, with a hint of spice.

on: lovely stuff. powdery and soft, but also sweet and earthy. wonderful.

5 hours later: i reapplied this because i love it so much. it reminiscent of tushnamatay on me, but sweeter and with more of a green feel to it.

overall: well, i went ahead and just ordered balthazar, since he'll bring a nice big bottle of la fee verte with him. i wasn't expecting to like this, but i really adore it.

 

update 06.09.2006: i got my bottle (eek! bathazar is so cute and the label is gorgeous!) and tried it out in my scent locket. it works way better on my skin, since it sweetens up a bit. so, i guess this one won't be going in my locket again.

[eviltemptressdq]

*note* I got this as a frimp from a girl that was in an untrustworthy decant circle... thus, she said it "smells like the bottle I have, but the person was not trustworthy, so I am not sure if it was diluted at all".

 

That being said, I will still review it, as it seems just like the bottle I sniffed at a M&S...

 

On my arm, this scent is very... herbal? pine-y, even. I assume this is the wormwood. It is turning a little weird on me, though... going a bit sour. Could be the honey absolute, as honey does not like me that much I smell the spices, too... j

 

Not sure if I entirely love this scent, but it is intriguing enough to give a second try soon!