Nocturne

[lainevierge]

An olfactory serenede. A somber, contemplative scent -- dreamy and subdued. Deepest violet touched with lilac and tuberose.

this smells so similar to LUSH's Bathos bubble bar!

I knew when I put this one on last night that it reminded me of something from Lush. It definitely has a fizzy, powdery smell of violets (and some other flowers) to it. I love violets scents, so I was enjoying sniffing it as I drifted off to sleep. Edited January 19, 2008 by lainevierge

[ClareN]

This is a good one for violet lovers. The violet is the most prominent note at first, and it's deep, strong and sweet, occasionally becoming almost a candied violet, but mostly remaining a sophisticated floral. The lilac is there in the background, but gets stronger as it dries down. I recognize it as the lilac note I love in Whitechapel; the two scents seem like cousins, Whitechapel being much more citrusy of course. Tuberose makes a faint appearance, and I don't really like tuberose (it smells like a creamy, buttery jasmine), but it's not strong enough in this to bother me. I usually prefer my violet scents without competing floral notes, but this is very pretty.

[coldandsleepy]

In the imp: not sure what this smells like. A little like the violet note in Veil. Strong, but not overwhelming. Nice.

 

On me, wet: oh, no. This goes into a phase that i can only describe as pickles and honey. It smells really, really awful and i consider washing it off. But i persist!

 

On me, dry: whatever the pickles and honey smell was, it's gone now. This mellows into a nice calm violet scent with just a hint of lilac in it.

 

Throw and duration: both about average.

 

Overall: My spouse kinda summed it up better than i can... on me, Nocturne smells "generically pleasant." Not bad, but not amazing. I'm glad i got to try it, but i think i'll pass it on to someone who'll love it more.

[LadyLuckDoubt]

In the Bottle

Heavy, lush florals; all the scents listed in the description, and they're all things I love, so YAY!

 

On Me

I swear, this just gets BETTER. There's an almost jasmine edge, too, leading me to be reminded of Joy perfume. It lasts on me, as well, and it stays fairly intense.

 

I wear it when I'm feeling a little bit maudlin, a lot contemplative, and kind of moody and distant. It's beautiful and intense and classy.

 

Funnily enough, I let my Mum have a sniff, because I though she'd like it (she wears Joy) and yep... she Gets It.

 

I'm probably going to get a bottle for myself.

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Deep smoky violet.

 

Immediately on skin: This is a very deep violet scent with the sweetness toned down a bit. The lilac adds a cool tone to the blend and really meshes well with the violet.

 

After a little while: The tuberose has come out a bit and now this is a very deep, dark and exotic violet scent. This has the creaminess of violet, the depth of lilac, and the light headiness of tuberose. It’s really nicely blended together.

 

Overall Impressions: Violet is one of the notes that usually go super sweet on me and dominate blends, but in this one the violet is nicely restrained by the other floral notes. It’s a very sweet and almost smoky blend and is a “darker” violet than a lot of others I’ve tried.

[donnatron]

Imp: Sickly sweet lilac tempered by a mystery scent. Maybe tuberose? I'm getting no violet from the imp at all.

 

Wet: Ay, that's the stuff. the violet leaps out all cheerful and bright and clean, tempering the lilac and sweeping the tuberose right out the door. Initially very sharp and reminiscent of (you guessed it) Ultraviolet.

 

Dry: Gorgeous, darlings. Perfectly gorgeous (and, apparently, morphs one into Joan Rivers). The lavender stays bright and clean, the lilac lurks in the background creating a soft bouquet-y scent and the tuberose lends a general white floral scent. Lovely lovely.

 

Throw: Pretty good. I put this on last night and could still smell it on my wrists this morning (so of course had to touch it up ). It has the most throw in my hair or if I'm doing some sort of physical activity that heats me up.

 

Overall: I definitely put this in the same category as Ultraviolet. Were they related, Ultraviolet would be the cold, no-nonsence sister while Nocturne would be melodramatic and a bit mopey. This is a gorgeous blend. I was afraid to try it because I figured it would have no throw or lasting power on me, but now I want a big bottle. Love it!

[Suu4LC]

Mmm. Beautiful, dark, almost creamy violet scent in the imp. I love violet, so this is gorgeous.

 

The lilac comes out a bit strong on my skin, which I'm hoping will calm down a bit, since I preferred that rich violet that I got from the imp.

 

This dries down to something very pleasant. I don't LOVE it. It reminds me a lot of Lush's discontinued Gratuitous Violets soap which I enjoyed. Basically, I like this one and think it is a very nice deep violet scent, but I don't really think I need a full bottle of it.

[Honeygirl]

Bottle: Violet

 

Wet: I'm not usually a fan of violet, however, this is certainly the best violet I've ever sniffed.

 

Drydown: This is very pretty and grown-up floral, very feminine as well. I think it's the lilac that makes it more grown-up and less candyish.

3.0 outta 5

[DarkClarissa]

In Imp: Violets, but not overpowering or too sweet.

 

Wet: I can smell the violets and lilac equally, its a sombre combination for sure.

 

Dry: The combination of the violets and lilac have become quite cloying, although its not a heavy scent. It feels a little oppressive, like tragic memories.

 

Verdict: Sad, wistful violet. Smells like being alone in the middle of a beautiful garden at night. I have a feeling that I won't wear this again. Its not exactly that I dislike it, but it just really doesn't feel like me. It feels a little old and not warm/embracing enough for me.

 

Marks out of 10: 4

[djsiberia]

in the imp: florals

wet: violets and lilac.

dry: violet and lilac, the tuberose is adding a very unpleasant note that makes it appear green and baby powder like.

[melrose]

First on - lovely, the lilac and violet meld beautifully.

 

Middle drydown - a little generic, but still nice.

 

Far drydown - methinks I have a problem with tuberose. A strong, sickeningly-sweet aquatic note has overwhelmed the rest.

[lilirose]

In the imp: Whoa! Strong, tangy floral, almost fruity.

 

On skin, wet: Wait, what? Violets? Lilac? This wasn't what I was expecting at all.

 

On skin, dry: soft and flowery. Reminds me a lot of Numb,

 

Later: Soap. Meh. Not for me, thanks.

[InvinciChicken]

This Nocturne belonged to my friend and I sniffed it when she brought it to school, so I had no idea what it was supposed to smell like.

 

In-bottle: Oooh, flowers. One of those night-blooming flowers (duh). It smelled a little like jasmine and a bunch of other sweet, ethereal floral scents all thrown together but in a very tasteful way. Of all the scents my friend let me sniff, this was my favorite and so I put some on.

 

Dry-down: For some reason I smelled cream in this...? Still smelled mainly of jasmine, florals, and more florals. Still pretty. Still has that mysterious scent that only night-blooming flowers have. But with cream. Maybe my nose is bonkers, lol

 

Dry: The cream faded away after about an hour. So did the rest of the florals, so it smelled basically like jasmine with a hint of greenery. Now, about 7 hours after applying, I can still faintly smell flowers and greenery. Very long lasting, but the complexity fades pretty fast.

 

Overall: I was really happy when I smelled cream in this perfume, even though it might have been my imagination, since I'm a foody-scent kinda gal. I like florals, but I don't really wear them. This would be an incredible potpourri scent, though. Highly recommended if you like florals, mysterious scents, or lovely room scents.

[Happicuppa]

In the vial, overly floral but has redeeming lilac quality.

 

On. ACK! No! The violet has turned sugary and powdery and disgusting! Ack! *coughs* I can't take this overly intense floral sweetness. Where did the lilac go? Swallowed by the evil violet and tuberose no doubt...

 

Off to wash my wrist.

 

1/5...Nocturne, get thee away from me!

 

Edit: Now I'm having a lovely asthma/allergy attack. Lovely. F-

Edited June 24, 2008 by writergal969

[eatingthesea]

i really adore violet scents so i was glad to be frimped nocturne. it is so obviously violet, lightly kissed with lilac, but i noticed after some time that it is a bit loud for a violet scent, so i had to consult the description. yeah, thar be thee culprit: tuberose! oh, how i dislike tuberose. i was formally introduced to BPAL's version of tuberose with the scent delight, and i vowed to never encounter it again, for it induces a very distinct trail of B.O. on my skin. so yeah, unfortunately, somewhere in the background, there is the hint of sourness that reminds me too much of icky sweaty dirty stinky skin. too bad, because the marriage of lilac and violet is a good one, and i'd really love to see how these two would sidle up to each other. tuberose just had to butt in to create a "bizarre love triangle." i might be able to get away with sniffing the imp now and again, for the bitch seems to be quieter when not near my skin...

[innocent]

A soft, lovely violet scent... I get more hints of lilac than I do of tuberose, but this is mostly straight violets. I am getting the powdery undertone that other reviews have mentioned, but its not at all unpleasant.

 

This is a very simple scent, something to wear with a white dress or a long nightgown. It reminds me of something the heroine from a Gothic novel would wear. Very nice, but I have so many violet scents that I doubt I'll need more than an imp of it.

[cam]

This is beautiful. Very feminine and pretty. I don't usually like too much floral, but this is very nice. Not heavy or sticky-sweet. A keeper.

[Myrrha]

Wet -- Violet

 

As it dries -- Tuberose and violet. It is a very elegant scent. I can’t quite make out the lilac but I think it is giving the scent a creamy softness.

 

Drydown -- It stays consistent as it dries. BPAL tends to stay close to my skin but this one has some throw, wafting around in a cool, elegant indigo cloud. I like that this is cooler and darker than many florals. It feels calming. The only thing I don’t like about this scent is that on me it fades completely in about an hour and a half. It doesn’t go through changes as it dries so I suppose I could just keep putting more on.

[maika]

In the imp, all I can smell are lilacs...

 

Wet, the lilac settles back, and blends with the tuberose. I think I like this.

 

Dry, still no violets, and the tuberose is deepening. This is gorgeous though...definitely not light by any stretch of the imagination, but not overpowering or forbidding either. Shallow as I am, my mind is racing to the perfect outfit to wear with this...it's screaming boots, fishnets, a hobble skirt, and something black velvet on top. Oh yes! I do believe this is going to the top of my must buy list! Oooh (this is a work in progress, I keep adding to it as my day progresses) the violets are here, and now, it's absolutely perfect! Definitely must order now!

[taramarie]

On me, Nocturne is heavy on the lilacs with slightly powdery violet in the background. It's lovely and a definite keeper.

[Champagne]

It`s violets sweetened by tuberose, the staying power is unbelievable on me, 10 hours until I took a bath, and yes, it reminds me of bathos. I loved Nocturne from the start to the end, it`s a calm and sweet floral that doesn`t become my grandma perfume as I feared. Elegant and dark as a magical night.

[Coldfire]

Imp: Mostly lilac on top….then faint tuberose. No violet yet.

Wet on me: WOW POW! Intense Floral. Lilac heavy

Drying Down: man do I amp Lilac big time. It’s taken over everything else.

Dry: Total lilac air freshener on me. Re-home!

[heathercaley]

At first this was a creamy violet with a razor sharpness that was almost intolerable.. but as it dries, the lilac and tuberose lie back and give way to the lovely creamy violets with just a dash of sharp that is not as overwhelming as it was wet. Overall.. it is very feminine and lovely in a southern belle type of way. I probably wouldn't wear it enough to purchase a bottle, but I will probably pick this up on a day where I want to feel lady like.

[voodoocatwoman]

This is one huge lilac and violet bouquet. It goes on strong and has incredible staying power. I do like it but don't see myself reaching for it very often. It is THAT strong.

[Dianora]

I'm not a big fan of floral perfume, but I was feeling adventurous and decided to give this imp a shot since BPAL has tricked me into liking things I thought I didn't like before (Dorian, I'm looking at you). In the imp this is pure flowers, old lady perfume and something so sharply perfumey that it makes my head spin. On my skin, something really strong and far too floral instantly give me headache warning signals. It almost smells like intense jasmine, is that the tuberose? I could really smell the lilac as well, it made my eyes water. I almost gave up and washed it off right then, but I left it on just a bit longer for experimentation's sake. Dry on the skin, that intense scent has mellowed, and now I'm just getting floral old lady scent, with something almost cardboard-ish in there too.

 

The final verdict on this one is a definite no, and a mental note to stay away from tuberose and lilac.

Edited October 29, 2008 by Dianora