The Perfumed Garden

[fairnymph]

The Perfumed Garden for the Soul’s Recreation. This scent is based on a venerable Tunisian perfume that was used to excite the senses, inspire sensuality and inflame passion. Myrrh and Moroccan jasmine with apple peel, Indian sandalwood, myrtle, quince, citron, and thyme poured over soft musk.

 

2007 version

 

In the bottle: This smells pretty perfumey, but in a good way. Very green/herbal, a bit sharp. Strong floral component, can't identify what. A hint of sweetness, maybe some fruit but it's light. Something citrusy - must be the citron; it's very faint though.

 

Wet: Still pretty green but no longer sharp. Sweeter. The floral is a bit heady now - strong jasmine. Can't smell any citrus anymore. Wow, over just minutes the jasmine is really taking over - I can barely smell anything else.

 

Dry: Mostly jasmine (it has calmed down a bit, or else I've become desensitized to it) with the faintest hint of soap (not in a bad way), and maybe a bit of the fruit. Can't smell musk. I think there may be some of the warmer notes lingering, maybe the sandalwood and myrrh? They're nice but very faint.

 

Summary: I like this but wish some of the greener, fresher notes had remained. Decent holding power overall. It's a nice womanly smell without being overpowering.

 

Much nicer than I would have thought, but not a keeper.

Edited March 12, 2010 by fairnymph

[diamondstars]

This smells citrusy to me..am I going mad? :/ It's okay but doesn't last long at all on me unfortunately..nevermind.

[hlinspjalda]

In the vial: Oh, lovely! Sweet apple peel, tangy fruit, jasmine, and a touch of something bitter.

 

Wet: Jasmine first, then quince! Hurrah! If this doesn't change much, I'm going to fall madly in love with it.

 

Twenty minutes: Myrrh and jasmine work well together on me: it darkens the jasmine and lightens the myrrh. This has a base layer of those two notes, with apple and quince on top. There's also some sandalwood and a breath of musk, but I can't make out the green or citrus notes. It sure is pleasant, though.

 

Hour and a half: Light myrrh-jasmine with sandalwood and very light fragrant fruit. It's really faded a lot since I put it on. That's too bad, because it was so fabulous! Now it's just pleasant. I'll probably save this because of the significance of some of the ingredients to me, but I don't think I'll have to pursue any more of it.

 

Three hours: this is no longer sweet, or juicy, or even particularly floral. It's a very nice subdued blend on me, nothing much worth repeating. But boy, that first hour was wonderful!

 

Four hours: Sandalwood and musk, faint and warm. There's an impression of something herby-fruity, but it's definitely a faded scent now.

[mgrazulis]

 

A decant from mimosatique. '06 version

 

In the vial: straight up jasmine, exotic and not soapy, citron

Wet on skin: lightly fruited by the quince and apple peel and herbed with thyme. The thyme is such a nice unexpected surprise

Drydown: The jasmine here is amazingly tame. Smells lovely and true. Here it never drowns out the other notes. This is seamless and incredibly well blended. A twinkle from the apple peel and citron, the herbal thyme--all grounded by the light sandalwood backdrop and earthy myrtle. In the end, a softly musked jasmine blend--very complex with a sparkly, herbal twist. Feminine and seductive without being overly powerful.

 

 

[WidgetAlley]

Swapped a while back for a bottle of the '06 version.

 

In the bottle: A beautiful, tangled melange of sweet, musky notes: mostly apple peel, a very tame jasmine, a little bit of brown, ripe fruit, kind of like dates, and a breath of thyme, all over a bed of transparent musk. This is fresh and feminine while still being sensual.

 

Wet: First I get more of the myrrh and the jasmine, leading to a lightly spiced floral. Then the apple peel comes through, then sandalwood and thyme and whatever that date-like smell is. This is very soft, a second-skin scent for sure.

 

Dry: This turns into a lovely, fruit-tinged, nutty, spicy jasmine on me, reminiscent of the very best soap without actually being soapy. This is beautiful, but it's also not terribly me-- I think I might end up swapping for something a bit more my style.

[zankoku_zen]

Spicy jasmine. Admittedly this wasn't as sharp as I expected. I get more of a 'resin' tone (probably the myrrh). On wet, it had a nice apple note to it that I miss when it's dry.

[Tess]

In the bottle - Nice apple peel, very sweet. I'm also getting a lot of the myrrh and sandalwood, with a lovely bed of musk. Stay like this, if you please!

 

Wet - This really is a nice apple.

 

Drying - The myrrh is actually pretty strong, but I'm so far getting no jasmine at all, thank gods. The apple is faded away quite a bit, though, with the thyme coming out underneath the myrrh. Oh... wait... spoke too soon. There's the jasmine...

 

Dry (2 hours) - This became an odd combination of myrrh, jasmine and musk. The darkness and the floral just do not work well together on my skin. Of course, jasmine never does, but there you are.

 

Overall - Certainly not for me.

[rayvn1]

Woah! I'm getting a sharp nailpolish remover smell in the bottle that almost makes my eyes water. Once on the skin it mellows out considerably! This oil becomes a really sweet, light floral with a hint of juicy apple in the background. Smells like a fresh spring morning in an orchard. Good scent

[Eucatastrophe]

(2006 version)

 

In the bottle I'm getting a strong, but lovely apple scent. Mmm.

 

As it dries, however, the apple disappears completely and I'm left with a very, very strong floral women's perfume that is beginning to give me a headache.

[Saya]

2007 version - This is heavy on the jasmine. It's a very perfumey floral scent which is a bit overwhelming. I think this bottle will need to find a better home.

[edenssixthday]

The Perfumed Garden 2010 - My review for the 2006 version is here and my review for the 2007 version is here. I don't know if Beth changes the formulation or if my skin chemistry changes, but The Perfumed Garden is different to me each time it's released. This year, it smells like tuberose to me. I know there's no tuberose listed in the ingredients. I think it's the combination of jasmine, apple peel, and myrtle that, to my nose, mimics tuberose. It is sweet and pink and gorgeous. I can't identify the other resiny, woody, citrus, or herbal notes at all because the "tuberose" scent is so incredibly strong to my nose. This year's The Perfumed Garden actually reminds me a lot of Tiki Queen in it's "pinkness" and prettiness. (I still can't believe tuberose isn't listed in the scent ingredients!) It's very strong when it first goes on, but then lightens up significantly and doesn't stick around on me for very long.

[musichappens]

2010

 

Simply beautiful! Starting off as a very heavy floral that is very perfume-y, it quickly softens as it begins to dry. Jasmine is the front runner in this blend with the musk and sandalwood playing quietly in the background. This actually reminds me a lot of Emma: antique-ish perfume worn by the women of the Victorian era. Since I have a bottle of Emma, I don't think I'll be picking up a bottle of this.

[thekittenkat]

This is for the 2010 version.

 

The florals are the top notes. The fruits are in the middle, and rather faint. Everything else is like a wonderful but crazy combination of base notes. Sweet florals in the middle of dark and dusky, sweet-spicy-musky woods, that's a brief take on this lovely scent.

[kbrighton]

This is the 2010 version: Myrrh and Moroccan jasmine with apple peel, Indian sandalwood, myrtle, quince, citron, and thyme poured over soft musk

 

Wet this is all jasmine, all the time. An hour or so later the jasmine backs off and the other notes come out. The transitionary time, as the jasmine fades and the other notes emerge , is quite lovely. Unfortunately it does not last and another hour later the scent is gone.

 

I think I shall remain content with my decant.

[fairestrocza]

In the Bottle: Jasmine with something sweet and fruity

 

Wet: I pick up the apple briefly before Jasmine starts taking over. I amp jasmine like crazy, and this is no exception

 

Dry: Jasmine eventually dies off, and the residual scent is nice, but very faint. Not worth the wait.

 

Final Thoughts: I had low expectations for this one, and as expected, Jasmine jumped all over everything else. This is probably lovely on people who have a better relationship with jasmine.

The Perfumed Garden earns a 2.5/5 on my skin.

[fairnymph]

2010 version

 

Very pale yellow oil. Super tart (almost sour), juicy fruit - lots of citron especially, but citron quince and apple aren't far behind. I think the myrtle is the sour, citrusy-green note, and it's quite strong, as is the bright green thyme. The sandalwood and musk here are super sexy, warm and creamy - but the myrrh strong is killing this blend for me - it's strongly dusty and bitter and oppressive, and combined with the cat-peeish AND soapy jasmine note - I'm not hopeful.

 

More apple - it was clear in the imp, but it really pops beautifully on my skin, and is very tart and crisp and fresh, like sour green apple candy - and it almost has a candied feel, too. The citron and myrtle soften a little to be still very bright and tart green citrusy notes, but much smoother and better integrated. The quince is jammy and sweet-tart and gorgeous as always, and the sandalwood has amped noticeably to be really sexy and creamy and not too dry or woody. The dusty, dark myrrh and cat-pee jasmine are lighter, but still a nagging presence that ruins this otherwise stunning blend.

 

QUINCE! This is very similar to if not the same not from Autumn Moon, and my skin loves to amp it, though amazingly the apple is still holding on very well too, and apple usually disappears rapidly on my skin. The thyme has amped up too, it's ALMOST a bit too much herbal-medicinal, but not quite - as it is, it gives a strong outdoorsy/garden impression that I enjoy. The citrusy notes and creamy notes are still strong and gorgeous, too. Unfortunately, the jasmine is really amping too, and it has a sour sharpness that reminds me of a certain type of gardenia, as well as cat pee and soap undertones...eek, this is such a shame! The myrrh has backed down enough or been overwhelmed as other notes amp that I could maybe handle it, but with this jasmine too - no way.

 

Later it's faint sweet-tart fruit, light green herbs and deliciously smooth and creamy sandalwood & musk with sour, urine-tinged JASMINE SOAP and some dusty myrrh. Once again, evil fucking jasmine and nasty fucking incense ruining a blend of notes I adore. Very strong throw at first which fades a bit, but then this blend holds reasonably well.

 

[Invidiana]

This was one epic fail after another on me. I have come to the very accurate conclusion that 99.999999998567% of the time, The Great and Highly Revered Imperial Jasmine of Doom will do one of two things on me, depending on the type; either go to straight cat pee or start off as cat pee and quickly morph into rancid banana. Apparently I'm looking at the sad reality that I must amp the stuff too. This jasmine was the rancid banana variety, sickeningly sweet and cloying enough to overpower every other note while still retaining something of a cat pee undertone. I had to scrub it off.

Edited March 12, 2010 by Invidiana

[Iceblink]

I've been trying to get to grips with jasmine, which used to be one of my Notes of Doom, and I think I'm making progress because I really like this even though it is some serious jasmine overload. It's very sweet, almost candied--there's a fruity tang to this when it's wet but that fades fast. There is a more grounded base here from the myrrh and sandalwood that keeps this from being way too pretty-sweet, but it's still veryveryvery jasminey. I do like it but probably won't need a bottle.

[azurephoenix]

2010 version

 

I apply a regular sized testing patch on my arm and….

 

HI FLOWERS!! Whoa! I wish I had put on half the amount! >.<

 

At first all I smell is a flower that we use a lot for lei’s here in Hawaii, but I can’t remember the name of the flower – I do some research on Jasmine and bam…Pikake!!! No wonder you smell so familiar! And no wonder you are king of the hill on this scent, you are scarily overpowering in lei’s too! >.< I am now edumacated.

 

So tons and tons of Jasmine, you smell good but damn you’re really strong, under that top note I get a fruity goodness, must be the apple peel and quince though I’m not getting tart citrus notes, then at the bottom a faint muskiness holding the fort down. At this point you are a high pitched diva scent, screaming "look at me" and all I want to do is shove you under a pillow.

 

2 hours in, bye bye jasmine – you have faded to a soft accent. What I’m left with is a fruity goodness over soft musk that has strengthened. I’d say that both fruit and musk share the scent equally now. Now this is a round full semi-heavy scent… languorous and lazy.

 

The Perfumed Garden definitely has presence in all stages and I like this and will definitely use my decant, albeit with a very light hand.

Edited March 16, 2010 by azurephoenix

[donnatron]

Imp: Apple and myrrh and jasmine.

 

Wet: Crazy bright apple and jasmine with a little musk. All things considered this isn't nearly as complex as I anticipated.

 

Dry: Warm apple and jasmine, touch of myrrh, bit of musk. This reminds me a little of Peitho--even the musk seems similar. It's less sweet and more floral. This is a very golden scent--like crushed gold velvet but not as tacky as that image conjures up. Simple, warm and skin close. It's womanly and definitely very adult but isn't necessarily a smutty scent.

 

Throw: Moderate.

 

Overall: It's pretty. A very warm and luxurious jasmine scent with a bit fo fruity interest from the apple and a bit of sultriness from the musk. Don't need more but I'm glad to have tried it.

[metaldog32]

2007 version

 

I think I had purchased this for my sister but she decided she didn’t like it so she gave it back to me. Let’s see if I can make this work for me

 

Initial sniff from bottle: I smell something fruity..and it’s a bit tart so I’m thinking it’s quince instead of the apple peel with a wisp of some floral.

 

Applied wet on skin:Hello there jasmine..it’s in the forefront with the fruit..

 

Couple of minutes on skin:Jasmine is softening and working really beautifully with the myrrh that has now decide to make an appearance and it’s working in tandem with the jasmine..I’m liking this vibe..slightly heady..kind of lazily seducing me a bit. Fruit has softened considerably to the background but it’s not invisible.

 

10 minutes laterWonderful jasmine blend with notes of myrrh, sandalwood and the soft musk making it’s appearance in a subtle fashion. Lovely sensual floral that doesn’t scream it’s vibe but just wafts lazily around you. Fruit has kind of become MIA but I’m okay with that.

 

30 min later -This has become a very muted but not invisible jasmine with the sandalwood and interestingly enough the thyme backing it up. I wasn’t too sure about the thyme..I mean I registered it’s herbal presence but I couldn’t really figure out what the point of it was in here..but maybe with the sandalwood it kind of grounds this..so it doesn’t become this huge terrifying jasmine but instead is the lazy somewhat sensual waft of jasmine/sandalwood/myrrh cloud that just hangs about me.

 

Lasting power is average 4+hours with the throw starting off moderate and ending soft and close to the skin.

 

Bottom Line: The Perfumed Garden is a jasmine blend that I quite enjoy because of the threads of fruit, sandalwood and herb. It’s incredibly feminine and a gives off a slightly lazy sensuality. I think this would work well for evening but I wouldn’t say no to this if I wanted really embrace my feminine side at work either. The throw on me is muted enough that it could be work appropriate. Night blooming jasmine to me almost always triggers to my mind summer evenings so I think I’ll be reaching for this often in the upcoming months.

 

 

[anomie]

Imp: Whoa, that is FUNKY. Apple and quince over MUSK and JASMINE. Oomph.

 

Wet: Jasmine! And fruit. Definitely girly.

 

Dry: Jaaaaaaasmiiiiiiiiiine. It's eaten everything else. Much like actual jasmine does in a garden.

Edited March 22, 2010 by Nomie

[angelicruin]

Soft musk, jasmine, and apple on my skin. The apple seems to be keeping the jasmine from going cat pee on me. I do rather like this one, but I believe a decant will suffice.

[ami226]

On the skin: Apple mostly with a floral hint. Huh, I like this one! After a bit, the florals threaten to turn sour.... It is a beautiful scent, but the florals overwhelm too much. The apple has pretty much disappeared. Very feminine!

[ellebelle]

Apples and jasmine, which is beautiful on my skin. Then, the drydown? SANDALWOOD OF DO0M! The sandalwood just dries out this scent for me and overwhelms the more delicate scents of the fruits and florals. Will pass this on.