Nocturne

[darkling]

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

I have no idea what was in this scent that reacted so poorly with my body chemistry. The Nocturne that I tried does not at all resemble the lovely blend described by others.

On me, it smelled oppressive like a perfume store and actually had a sharp, green tang to it when first applied. This vanished but was replaced by the soap smell that is caused by some flowers on my skin. I wish I could figure out the flowers responsible but the notes in the soap scents are largely different. I remain baffled but this phenomenon made Nocturne unpleasant for me

[aritei]

I think this one smells too sombre for me. What is the note that makes it smell "sad"? Anyway, it doesn't really work on me. On to the next!

[tinyvulture]

soft and floral. it might be nice to wear when you need help falling asleep. i prefer the stronger, more biting violet scent of bluebeard; this one is a little too delicate for me.

[Celogrl]

Oh. My. Goodness. This is so far my favorite scent of all the imps I have tried. It sounded like something I would like, but I am raving about Nocturne. I took a nice bath, then applied my Nocturne. Immediately I was surrounded by violets! Ooh...lilac, too! This is so absolutely gorgeous- I am stunned. I have had it on for quite a while, and the drydown is turning out to be powdery violet with a hint of the lilac. I was mentioning earlier today that I have had problems finding a BPAL oil that really lasts on me. This one has great staying power. It is dreamy, soft, and I am going to put more on before I go to sleep! It is comforting and a little pensive. I adore this and WILL order a bottle.

[helarctos]

Upon application I get a light sickly green smell. This fades somewhat to let the powdery violet breathe through, but the greenish smell remains. Is that the tuberose? I'm not familiar with tuberose -- maybe it is.

 

Not a keeper for me.

[yummysushitoo]

This is gorgeous. Right away, I get the violet scent. Behind that is the shyest hint of lilac, and something bright and green, which might be the tuberose.

 

Actually, this smells very familiar, like a favorite handcream I had once. It's very purple, and reminds me of the time of dusk when the deepest purples are in the sky.

 

This might be a perfect sleeping scent, or something to spray on your pillow to inspire good dreams.

[tempete]

I would like to find a softer violet scent than Ultraviolet, and naturally my search led me to Nocturne. Unfortunately, my experience with Nocturne was similar to helarctos and darkling's: a sharp green note predominantly initially, and it grudgingly gave way somewhat to the florals but never really disappears. I so wanted to like to this one.

[tesao]

i'm not sure why i got this one. i know i love tuberose. i'm thinking that i ordered this BEFORE i knew how much violets hate my skin.

 

in the imp: whoa. WAAAAAAAY strong florals.

 

on my wrist, wet: violet violet violet. made me SNEEZE.

 

on my wrist, dry: i'm getting tiny hints of tuberose and lilac now, but violets are still screaming at me.

 

i admit that i never got to the dry down phase. i had mr. hotbuns smell it, and HE sneezed and said, wow. now, that is some strong stuff. it was starting to give me a headache, so off it came.

 

one for the swap pile. maybe there is something else with tuberose that isn't paired with violets......

[Orodemniades]

I picked this out of my jar of 'to-be-tried's' and I am so glad I did!

 

Imp: Mmm, a heavy, sweet floral - but not heavily sweet, if that makes sense.

 

Wet: Strong...too strong?

 

Drydown: it's ! I went out to feed the birds, and all I could smell was this gorgeous, sweet, spring-like odor. I sniffed my wrists and could just barely smell Nocturne. Ladies and gents, that's a first for me - a perfume so skillfully blended that I almost could not tell the difference between my wrist and the smell of the earth around me!

 

Overall: Okay, I've been wearing this for almost two hours and it seems to be fading quite quickly, but that's okay. Nocturne is simply lovely. The lilac, which can sometimes be too strong for me, was perfectly tempered by the violet and tuberose.

 

It's on the list for a big bottle!

 

Oro

[wildeblack]

Nocturne is one of the first scents I obtained by imp and is one of my favorites as you see by my signature line.

 

The violets to me are not opressive but just a soft whispy slightly sad smell that mingles beautifully with the lilac and tuberose. I tend to think of Beethoven or Chopin when I smell this. Anyone see Immortal Beloved?

 

Right, on with the review.

 

In the imp: If the color "violet" had a scent, this would be it which I guess is appropriate since violets are a component and the color name came from the flower. I think of a big moon and a piano and starcrossed lovers and a garden with masses of lilacs overgrowing its walls.

 

Wet: This is one that I really pretty much slathered on where usually I dab. The fragrance comes on pretty strong, and I bet for some it smells like "old lady" depending on what things smell like little blue-haired women to them. It's a little bit powdery but not intensely so, the main thing I'm smelling is the lovely lilac fragrance. More purple!

 

Drying: The strength is fading and the color sense I'm getting is more very pale purple rather than a more intense shade. The sadness seems deeper and a bit more woody than previous but otherwise, it's still holding beautifully.

 

Later: This fades on me but my skin rarely holds a fragrance for more than a few hours. Reapplying wasn't a problem for me since I loved the precious purple lilac yummy romance of the blend. Aces from me.

[Eris]

Whoa, violet and tuberose. Hardcore.

 

Despite the immediately overwhelming power of this as it goes on the skin, I will say that this is one of the better violets on me I've tried. The tuberose seems to save it from getting too out of control, though they still pack a mighty punch. On the bright side, the strength dims pretty quickly and hangs out at a much more tolerable intensity for a few hours before disappearing altogether. Another perk of this one is that the scent doesn't morph or change; it stays pretty consistent from wet to dry, which I like. Unfortunately, while not exactly opposed to violet, I'm just...well, not a violet person. So, this little frimp will go off to swap for me, but for a fan of violet and tuberose, this is about as good as it gets.

[Raygun]

This was a frimp from the lab and I'm so happy that they picked this out for me. The only note I really recognize is the violet, but they are cool, dark violets. This is very feminine without being candy sweet, and makes me feel elegant and sophisticated. It IS rather strong, but applied sparingly it's lovely.

 

I haven't seen anyone else mention this, so it must be a quirk of my skin chemistry, but several hours into wearing this, the violets disappear and leave behind the aroma of freshly baked bread. Very odd, but I enjoy the phenomena.

[Shollin]

First sniff: Floral edged with… lemon?

 

Wearing: Powdery floral. Violets and I just don’t get along.

[Dark Sparkle]

I bought this imp from a fellow forumite, thanks .

 

In the vial: Strong lilacs and violets, it is the same violet I got from Saturnalia, only without the vetiver .

 

Wet on skin: My sinusses just got a lilac/violet overload - I cannot smell anything right now!

 

Two minutes later: Oooh, this is nice... I definetly smell the tuberose now and Nocturne is definetly becoming sweeter now as it dries - close to skin it is tuberose, but the waft is definetly lilacs, violets are in the background.

 

Overall verdict: This actually morphs a little as it wafts, occationally tuberose, occationally lilacs and violets, but definetly mostly lilacs!

 

I might probably edit this post after it has sat on my skin for some hours to see if it changes.

 

Later: I have been wearing it for a couple of days now - basically. it dryes down to a sweet, slightly powdery purple floral on me - very pretty, but maybe I would like something with a bit more 'bite' on my skin - I am used to spicy perfumes so it might just be a case of adjusting to a new scent .

Edited June 20, 2005 by Dark Sparkle

[zankoku_zen]

In the Bottle: I smell violets and a hint of lilac.

 

On Skin: This has a strong floral smell. The violet smell is pretty strong like in Ultraviolet and the Raven.

 

On Drydown: Still very violet and floral. It's very sweet. It lacks the spiciness of neroli. It fades fast from my skin though.

 

Verdict: Again, I feel the same way about Nocturne as I do about the Raven. This is a lovely violet scent but Ultraviolet works better on me. Off to swap so that it will find an owner that loves it more than I do.

[dcmo]

I've been looking for a lilac scent because they are one of my favorite flowers, and I was lucky enough to get this as a gift in my recent order from the lab (Thank you so much!!). This is a gorgeous blend of lilacs and violets. It is haunting and dreamy, and does feel a little sad. The scent is too beautiful to even describe though. I just love it!

[isyche]

Nocturne is very strong lilac on me, with this overpowering heavy floralness that I also get from jasmine and gardenia. I love the smell of lilacs on the bush, but the lilac note seems to go all wrong on my skin. The drydown is powdery violet, but it's still kind of oppressively strong.

 

Damn, I was hoping to like this more...but Midnight gives me the same dreamy moonlight blue quality without heavy jasmine or lilac, so I guess I'll stick with it and swap Nocturne.

[OriginalWacky]

Bottle (Imp): Quite flowery.

 

Just On: Flowers galore.

 

An hour or two later: Sweet woodsy flowers.

 

Around 6 hours: Still sweet flowers, kinda woodsy.

 

12 hours: It's barely there sweet flowers.

 

Overall: Pretty damned nice scent, I'd say.

 

After reading other reviews: Apparently violets work well on me, and I'm not complaining, I love them. However, I really don't feel somber, sad, or wistful with this scent, I just feel peaceful and calm.

[olympia301]

 

Now THIS is the most beautiful violet scent Beth has come up with. It is such a grand example of what she is excellent at concocting. First, her violet scents are outstanding, and they go the gamut from the almost military stance of Lex Talionis to this meltingly beautiful interpretation of all that is feminine and beautiful about violets. The other important part of Nocturne is the way that lilac is handled. Beth really gets all the best out of lilac. I am in awe of how well she understands what lilac is capable of, and how little everyone else can do with it. You haven't smelled the maximum fabulousness of lilac until you smell what Beth does with it in blends like Whitechapel and Nocturne. Nothing cloying, too sweet or empty-headed about lilac when Beth choses to use it. Somehow and some way she manages to find the note in lilac which fits into the place that violet leaves for it and presents the combination flawlessly.

 

Violet has a tendency to be overpowering/ volatile/ nose numbing/ metallic BUT here it's edge is blunted by the otherwise tooth-partingly sweet shot of lilac and they are put so well together. I suspect that part of the triumph comes from knowing how much of each to expose to the other. This alchemy works to bring out the best and most appealing notes and attitudes of violet and lilac while using their otherwise unpleasant aspects as assets, and therein lies the genius.

 

I used to think that Marie was all that you could get from violet, the most appealing and beautiful use of this little purple wonder, but now I am convinced that Nocturne is what violets evolved to be.* This one is never too strong or weak and is as beautiful as violet can get.

 

*don't get me wrong, I adore Marie and I will have a bottle of it as long as I live, and I love love love the combination of London-like roses and violets.

 

The icon is Turner's masterpiece Nocturne which is a painting of fireworks at night. It cause unbelievable scandal and outrage when it was shown at first, it broke every rule and ushered in the Abstract Expressionist Movement.

Edited August 1, 2005 by olympia301

[Lycanthrope]

Again, crossing the gender boundaries I smell like a bouquet of flowers. Heh heh.

 

In the Bottle or Imp:

Lilac and jasmine. Both are blended well, so it comes across as a sweet, balanced, slightly spicy and powdery floral.

Wet, on Skin:

Lilac, my word.

Drying/Drydown:

Something here grips my lungs, oddly... I don't know what it is. Regardless, it goes away (thank goodness) and now the florals suddenly combine to make a tuberose, lilac and jasmine blend... with a hint of something dour and wet. Wisteria?

Over Time/Longterm:

Muguet and a touch of lily (well, actually, I amp lily so it's probably not...) A very well blended, dark and moody floral.

Final Verdict?

Pretty. Keep imp.

[Splendid Molerat]

Nocturne reminds me of an odd moment -- when you wake up too early, and the sky is still purple-black, except for a colour change in the East.

 

Going outside, you can sort of see, but looking for detail is as slippery as trying to read in a dream. The violets and lilac are dewy-cool, and the tuberose is a soft pulse in the background.

[QueenFae]

Eeek, violet strikes again. Just not a good note for me. The tuberose and lilac are almost enough to overshadow the violet, but in the end the stink comes through. Does not like me, but I won't take it personally

[Little Bird]

On me, Nocturne was nothing but violets. Cold, somber violets. They turn very powdery in the drydown, but I didn't really notice after a few minutes because this is so light. I couldn't smell anything at all after 15 minutes.

 

2016 Frimp review:
Sweet violet pastilles candy, powdery and sweet, with a drydown of violet pastilles, lilac sugar crystals, and a sharp, clean, gauzy white floral feel from the tuberose. This scent is lasting a lot longer on me now, with pretty heavy throw. I also find it to be more warm and candy-floral now.

Edited June 14, 2016 by Little Bird

[dreadeddragon]

In the bottle: Violet & tuberose. It kind of smells like a Tutti Frutti Jelly Belly.

 

First on: The violet is definitely the dominating scent here, though it's not all that strong. It's a soft yet foreboding scent.

 

Drydown: It's mostly violet, but lilac is making a small appearance. It's a beautiful blend, and I think it's a very sophisticated floral. This is what you wear to a formal dinner.

[carolinachiquita]

This was a frimp from the lab and I really didn't expect to like it - for some reason I had in my head that I don't like scents with lavender in (I associate lavender with going to sleep as I have had sleep problems for so long this is the only thing that helps me to drift away!).

 

It is really nice though, it is a quiet and very calm scent that is quite relaxing (I was wearing it on a stressful day and I didn't come home tearing my hair out which was good!). The only thing was (as with all the ones I seem to like the most) it didn't last very long on me and I had to keep reapplying.