The Hesperides

[malanna]

The Hesperides are the Nymphs of the Evening who dwell in a verdant garden located in the Arcadian Mountains, guarded by the terrible three-headed dragon, Ladon. Within their garden lives the tree that bears Hera’s sacred Golden Apples. Their perfume is that of sturdy oak bark, dew-kissed leaves, twilight mist and crisp apple.

This is one of my favorite scents. The Hesperides is the scent of honeyed apples. I wouldn’t say that they’re caramelized apples, because that implies a, well, more caramel scent—butter, brown sugar and cream. The apples in The Hesperides are covered by a purely sweet scent, thus, a honey that’s a bit more sugar-based and not too honey-tasting, if that makes sense. The apples are fresh and have just been cut open, but they’ve already been covered with honey, so the honey’s more prominent. I wouldn’t say that the honey dominates the apples, but that the honey is more apparent at first sniff. The Hesperides is very consistent and smells the same during wear. After four hours, it fades, and gets a bit “drier.”

[etherealchild]

In The Bottle Apples... dark winding greenery, warm resiny note.... I'm intriuged!

 

Wet Apple always does a disappearing act on my skin... and here it is doing it again.... I am getting resiny smoke, dark woods, midnight woods..... there is power and force here....... raw mastery .... I'm getting that fire smell that have shows up in other bpal notes with resiny smells..... heh...... I like this one though.... interesting.... woulda made a great autumn fragrence....... too bad it's crappy january

 

Drydown Apple is trying to come back.... this one is so interesting.... makes me feel ornary and mischevious..... but when don't I? lol...... mellowing out, but there is still a very swirling warmth and playfullness.......

 

2 Hours Later It's gotten prettier...... it's a scent that makes you feel comfortable and playful...... I have never liked an apple fragrence before...... Kudos to Beth.

 

Verdict Although lovely, it's ultimately not me. It didn't have that wow factor, or the need to keep smelling myself that I have in my favorites...... not bad though...

[magikfanfic]

In the bottle: Huh. Apples and leaves. Crisp bright apples and the many falling leaves of autumn with a sharper background scent that it probably the mist.

 

Wet: That's a big juicy apple all right but with something else lurking below the surface. I think it's the mist. It kinda smells like apples and the mist that hung over England when it was about to rain. I don't really get the woor or leaf scents much, though.

 

Dry down: This is bright and crisp. Nothing in this is faded or dull. This is freshly cut apples and strolling beneath crisp skies in the woods. It kinda fades quickly on my skin, though, leaving my trying to find the smell on my wrist. It's not really apples so much as the juice that pours from an apple when you cut it.

 

Dry: Still that fresh cut apple scent, but it has all but faded. This is really lovely, but I don't know that I'd want to buy it. It lasts for such a short time on my skin that I don't really get to enjoy it before it's gone. There's just the faintest hint of trees at the end of it. Mmmm...apples. I may have to consider buying this one simply because it's so pretty.

[Theravada]

Woah! I smell exactly like the freshly peeled skin of a crisp, green apple! How does she do it?

 

As lovely as this is, I really don't see myself wearing The Hesperides very often. I think this one will work much better as a linen spray or a springtime room scent. It's very fresh and inspiring, something I'd like my sheets to smell like in the mornings.

[Moonpuff]

This one is my favorite so far. The smell makes me feel so happy, earthy, alive and twinkly, that it had to be a winner. I was kinda shocked. Who knew apples and wood could be so lovely as a purfume? But it is.

 

For me it smells exactly the same to be in the bottle as it does when it is applied.

 

I can't stop smelling myself when I put it this one on. It is extraordinarily addictive. However, it does go away faster than I would like.

 

The decision: First non-LE bottle order, hands down

[Sara]

This one was included as a freebie in my last order and - wow! Again I'm pleased by the lab's ability to include scents that aren't at the top of my "to try" list, and make me love them.

 

Upon initial sniff this one was a very crisp, fresh apple. On my skin it doesn't change too much, just a little more "rounding out." It became a little softer, sweeter, and..just lovely. I think "country apple" and could definitely see this burning in my mother's house. Perhaps for her birthday I should get her an oil burner and this scent, eh?

[Lucretia]

wow, apples alright! Smells just like biting into an apple at the farmers market. Cold, wet, clean, apples! I don't really get any of the other parts of the scent, just the apple, which is really strong on me. Not something I'd wear really, but would make a lovely room scent.

[sun_set_bravely]

In the bottle: straight up apple. It's amazing! Not the sweetness of the apple, but the essence of the apple. It's a solid smell, like an apple orchard in full bloom. The apple note is so strong I can't smell much else.

 

Wet, on skin: Yep, more apple. It turns a little tart on my skin. This would make an awesome apple candle scent. It smells like late summer, but not yet autumn. Thick, sturdy apple scent.

 

1.5 Hours on skin: Gentle apple scent. My partner says it smells really clean. I got a sense of returning to school in the fall, but to a small, one-room classroom on the frontier.

 

Conclusion: Jury is still out!

Edited November 3, 2005 by Shollin

[silverangel]

Oh boy, all apple all the time and I love it! the other notes are faint, mingling in the background, and the apple is up front going "Show me love!" must get bigger bottle....

[Finny]

Out of the imp... apples and herbs.

 

On, it smells like early autumn. Apple picking on a fall afternoon.

Woods, green herbs and grasses, apples, and damp earth, what a wonderful combination.

 

It is absolutely beautiful. I will be purchasing this in a 5ml in late spring, so it arrives for summer and fall.

[Aurelius]

This was a gimp from the lab.

 

Wet: Wow! Apples! Crisp, tangy apples. Very tart.

 

Drying/Dry: The once crunchy lovely apples are now jolly rancher candies, sickly sweet. Then they fade and turn plastic-y. Boo.

 

I sent this off in a swap. I hope it works better on her skin than mine!

[Serenity]

I was expecting this to be a very juicy apple and, instead, it's rather dry smelling on me. It's a dried apple slice instead of a fresh apple dripping down your chin. I think that I like it though and can see myself ordering a larger bottle in the future.

[warmfuzzies]

i tested this without looking at the reviews. i realized i had ordered an imp of this from the lab, but recieved it in swap before recieving my lab order. so i knew i wanted this, but couldn't recall why/what was in it.

 

ok, in the vial & first on me while wet: CHOCOLATE MELON FIG? there was something i was VERY familiiar with but yet couldn't place. then as it dried, CANDY APPLES?! i broke down & reviewed the hesperides: APPLES, indeed!!!

 

this is sooo damn delicious i don't ever want it to go away! (yet as i write this, it is quickly going away, after only 5 minutes...) so weird, in a million years, if you told me i'd like an apple perfume, i'd say go flush yer head, but this isn't your B&BW artificial-candy-sweet apple, it's smells the way a very ripe pie-making apple tastes (i got no crisp or tart). and it makes my mouth water, without being overly foodie.

 

this is the BOMB. like a magic potion & I LOVE IT!! :wub

Edited February 24, 2005 by warmfuzzies

[autumnviolet]

Wet; bitter oak and apples? I smell chocolate and almonds with a fruit smell.

On me/dry down: faded fast. Fruity

Re-applied. Oak, a harsh scent with almonds and fruit.

[Barb25]

This is the perfect fall scent. Lovely crisp apple overtop a wonderfuly woodsy, foresty blend. I'll wear it all year long, but it really is perfect for autumn.

[misfitroxy]

Wet in the imp, I’m taken aback by how much this resembles the smell of an overly ripe green apple’s skin drenched in honey. I can literally see the liquid oozing off the crispy, waxy-shiny surface. Yummy.

 

Once on, a kind of powdery sweetness comes to the foreground. Almost like a rich vanilla dusting powder. The apple’s still there, augmenting the sweetness and making it juicy tart instead of candy-like.

 

This is the summer scent to end all summer scents. It’s bottled golden sunsets and adventures in orchards. I’m inspired to run through endless fields and make angels in the grass. I couldn’t love this more if I tried. Definitely bottle worthy. It makes me feel innocent and light-hearted and gloriously in tune with nature’s elements. An instant favorite.

[Julilla Regina]

This was interesting on me. At first, the apples were crisp and red and really strong. Then it smoothed down into a more wood scent until the wood really took over and obliterated the apples.

 

It's very pretty, but I wanted a little more of the appley goodness and not so much the trees. If you enjoy wood scents, definitely try this! You will love it if you're looking for the nature type smells. It had good staying power as well.

[nhough73]

The throw on this one was amazing - I got wafts of it for hours.

 

Wet - Tart here, green Granny smiths with the sour tang that makes your mouth pucker

 

Dry - Golden apples, the kind with the flesh that is slightly over ripe and the scent bursts out of the skin when you bite into it.

 

Its almost too sweet on me, but there is something about it that is really appealing - maybe best as a room scent in my house.

[Ajila]

In the bottle I didn't like this, there was a sharpness (the oak moss I think), which put me off. On me it's gorgeous, it reminds me of the smell of my Grans kitchen when she's cooking down wind falls to make a sauce, it's a very comforting homely smell, but still light enough to be worn out on a summers day. I don't get the Honey I Washed The Kids bit that others have, which is a pity as it's one of my favourite soaps, but its still a wonderful scent.

[inkstone]

Courtesy of the Pumpkin King circular swap!

 

The Hesperides are what I consider vaguely soft foody. It's not as strongly foody as other blends from the Lab, but it's not entirely a fruity scent. The reason why I say this is because when I first put it on, I got a chocolatey almond-type nut smell. The caramel apple smell didn't really start coming out until the drydown. In the imp, it was very dry, which looking at the description now I can see why--it's the wood. This is a very autumn-type scent. It's nice and I'm glad I got the chance to try it.

[theshapeshifter]

In the imp: Appley goodness!

 

Initial application: It's not the sharp tangy apple I expected; it's very creamy, and there's a note of something like liquid honey.

 

After half an hour: I smell like an apple danish. Baked apples and sweet pastry. I like it, but I think I'd enjoy this more as a room scent - it's got a vaguely candle-esque quality to it.

 

By mid-day: It's gone.

 

I'll use up the imp in my scented oil burner, most likely, but I don't think this is a must-have scent for me.

[oatmealneko]

It smells like tart apples & honey, maybe a bit of oak bark. The oak bark is much stronger when wet, it gives this scent as odd smell I couldn't figure out when I first wore it. Unfortunately, this scent lasts a few hours on me, before I have to reapply. Finishing the imp, but I won't buy it in the bottle.

[Electra]

I *know* I wrote a review for this, but apparently it didn't take. Huh.

 

Wet: Caramel apples.

 

Initial drydown: Apples. These are real, fresh apples, not the B&BW fake apple scent - you can even smell the skin.

 

Later drydown: a bit of a sugary scent is coming back. Candied apples, maybe? Smells less crisp.

 

Nice, but fruity scents aren't my thing.

[cricketshay]

Ahh the lovely smell of fresh crisp apples contained in a vial. Lovely. I'm not sure it's me since I don't like to smell fruity. I'm more of a musk girl. I will try it anyway.

 

Wet~Apples!!!! I smell like a candy apple. Reminds me of country fairs and cotton candy.(is there a blend that smells like cotton candy? I could wear it on the other wrist)

 

Dry~Still apples, but a softer spicer version. If you love the smell of apples this is the blend for you. Myself, I would rather smell like white musk or chocolate.

[shelldoo]

wet a buttery caramel apple, still warm from being dipped

 

as it dries it loses the buttery caramel scent and becomes fresh sweet apples, they smell just picked, sweet and warm, then it slowly gets a bit spicy i am thinking candy apple, this is a great apple harvest scent. i like