Queen Gertrude

[locuraelegantia]

Imperial violet softened by wisteria and chrysanthemum, but edged with the regal iciness of delphinium.

floral soap. most floral blends go soapy on my skin, but this one is special. It strongly reminds me of some pleasant childhood memory, that I can't really recall.

Not something I'd wear for myself, but I would definitely keep the imp just for sniffing purposes.

Very clean, very spring.

[juniperus]

Bottle: wisteria and violet

Wet: chrysanthemum note also popping up, but still mostly wisteria

Dry: the violet has really stepped up, very nice

Later: It's faded fast, although lovely. Sad, but perhaps it will have better staying power on someone else...

[mirutai]

Violets love me. On my skin, they tend to amp up until I smell like I've been lightly dusted with crushed Parma violet pastilles. This is not a good thing.

 

That said, Queen Gertrude nearly manages to survive the Sugared Violets of Death Ninja Attack; I get wafts of a gorgeous blue lilac scent fighting through the sweetshop aroma. Slightly powdery, but not too much. There's a vague feeling of slushy chill to it, like lilacs blooming through an unseasonal snowfall.

 

Unfortunately, the violets o' doom ultimately have their evil way with me. I imagine that this is gorgeous on someone who doesn't amp violets!

[Taniwha]

Queen Gertrude was a frimp in my first order; at the time I felt lucky that the freebie ended up being my favorite. I've tried it again, now, and am finding it strangely lackluster and unappealing. I was going to look for other fragrances that include violet. but may forgo that now.

 

In the vial and wet, I love it - very strong violet, overwhelming (in a good way) and heady. After it dries, though, it's a vague, soapy floral that I don't like.

 

I'll put it away and try it again in a few weeks - who knows?

[dragonryder]

Mmmmmm, wisteria is stronger on me than the violets, with a small bite of chrysanthemum. Not really a soft scent, but doesn't knock you down either.

[edenssixthday]

Queen Gertrude is soft, powdery violets with a couple other florals that I don’t recognize, and which sadly turn soapy on my skin at the point of dry-down. It’s got a moderate level of throw, and seems to last a good, long time. If it weren’t for the soapy factor, I really think I’d like this scent.

[nerdcraft]

in the imp:

Bright, candylike floral....super floral-y.

wet:

This blooms right away into a very nice, bright floral. It smells like a bouquet of freshly cut purple blossoms in a vase of water. It actually smells to me of lilac, although that's not a listed note. There's the tiniest touch of coldness that makes this feel more formal or mature than other florals I've tried.

dry:

Blends into my skin really well. A lovely, though slightly reserved-feeling, floral.

 

 

overall:

When I first tried this one, I thought of it as really mature and almost grandmotherly. Trying it a few more times, though, I really appreciate its beauty and softness. It seems like a very light purple scent, if I had to give it a color. Nice!

[fairy]

Still on the fence with this one. Very floral. Almost too floral...and I like floral scents. It just seems like a lot of smells all jumbled together. Doesn't have an OOOMPH to it but I do like it a little. Probably will keep the imp but wont buy a bigger bottle.

[Eunice]

Watery crysanthemum with just the faintest hint of violet. There is something a tiny bit biting in this but I can't figure out what it would be. This doesn't smell like anything I would choose to wear but it does smell very very nice.

[indicolite]

I think the Queen was a floral.

 

I think so.

 

She vanished on my skin within ten minutes.

 

Darn.

 

But I do not think she is my type.

[neuilly]

A really lovely soft floral! Doesn't seem cold to me...although it's nto a warm scent either. Mmm, wisteria and violet. It's pretty much pure floral though which I don't normally go for but I'm going to keep the imp and possibly get a bottle in the future.

[supremegoddessofall]

Violet, but less chemical-y than violet usually goes on me. It's okay, but not screaming "buy me, buy me."

 

My girlfriend says is smells like a new car.

[steffanina]

Queen Gertrude-

 

In Bottle: Strong florals; yes, I can smell the violets. I like violets.

 

Wet: Violet and something sharp.

 

Dry: The sharp recedes, and I'm left with violet. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to last. I wanted this to be the violet scent for me, but it's not.

 

Overall: Unremarkable.

[supremegoddessofall]

A violet that's actually not overpowering. The other florals are balancing it out nicely.

[hologhost]

This is a nice light floral. Floral for people who don't want overpowering. Although it has a good throw. Violets and water. Very soft and pretty.

[klavierbarrette]

i was so surprised reading the description of this after wearing it. it reminds me a lot of the tempest, only not as soapy. very green, and ozoney. i don't get any flowers at all from it. *sigh*

[Dinerdulcinea]

imp: a beautiful warm blend of florals. Very welcoming...like a garden under the warm (not hot!) sun.

wet: a beautiful blend of soft florals! Lovely! Is that lilac?

Dry: soap! Dammmmmmmit!

[wikkidraven]

i was excited to get this as a freebie with my lab order, and since i sit and sniff with my boyfriend he got a whiff of it. he immediately very politely said it seemed a bit too 'mature' a perfume, which in Brit means it smelled like old ladies and mothballs.

 

still, i love violet, i just think that this one is too over the top of a violet for me. put it up for grabs in a swap, and hoping someone else can get some use out of it.

[sookster]

straight sniff from imp this smells like violets...once applied a lot

of white florals intermingling with the violet note...this perfume

is a strong one...and i think this would be just perfect for a warm

spring day cruising about in my own new england town in my convertible...

yes, that is how i will wear this one most certainly

[Luhtarian]

This actually smells like White Moon on me. A pale floral blend. It's nice, but unremarkable... I don't think I'll wear it that much, so off to the swaps!

[Elemcee]

Gertrude is pretty and cool. But it's not a young, fresh scent, but a cold, elegant one. It is most definately violet. Luckily, I don't have a problem with florals.

 

It suits the confident lady who doesn't need to make a spectacle of herself to have all eyes on her. I'm picturing an older lady than myself, but perhaps I could pull it off on a particular day, with a particular outfit on, whilst in a particular mood.

Edited January 8, 2007 by Elemcee

[dorothy humbird]

This is certainly a strong floral, with the potential to give me a headache... but if I avoid sniffing heavily I can make it.

 

I'm intrigued by the smell of violet -- that's the most prominent smell here. Although I detect something leafy green that settles the almost fruity periwinkle quality of the violet, it doesn't define itself as any of the other notes listed (I worked in a flower shop for 5 years, and I never noticed delphinium having a smell... o_O). Someone else mentioned water, and I can see that, too -- this is a cool, fresh scent.

 

It's pleasant, but I see myself wearing it layered with other blends to temper the floral quality.

[valentina]

In the imp, I know that Queen Gertrude is a floral. I'm not a great floral nose, but it did seem rather purple smelling and I suspected violets or lilacs. When it went on my skin, and through drydown, it's a floral fragrance, but not an obnoxiously strong one. My ability to wear florals is very, very limited, but this isn't that bad -- it does have a sweetness of violets, but I think the chrysanthemum is cutting the sweet florals.

 

I would simply love to smell this on someone who could wear florals well, because I think it would be divine -- and I associate violets with spring and mums with late summer, so I think it's a great juxtaposition of scents and seasons.

[darklorelei]

This is suuuper watery. But in the floral-watery way, rather than in an aquatic way.

 

Reminds me strongly of melon, as well as the other girls in the Illyria line: Ophelia, particularly.

 

Fades away quickly, and is very close to the skin. It reminds me a lot of commercial bath products. It's not offensive, and is quite nice if watery florals are your bag.

[theseagrows]

i love queen gertrude. at first i thought i was smell violets and rose with some greenery, but then i read the description and realized there is no rose. perhaps it's the wisteria? i love florals and all the florals in this, so it works for me pretty well. only thing is, it fades quickly and gets a bit powdery for my tastes when dry. i'd still get a big bottle though.

Edited April 19, 2014 by theseagrows