Amsterdam

[mooncityminx]

Tulips, peony, fresh flowing water and crisp green grasses.

In the vial: clean and green, astringent

Wet: really nice smelling soap, grass, aquatics, a white floral. This is very clean.

Drydown: This would make a great scent for a man who likes to smell clean. It is soapy, but again, in a nice way.

[tinyvulture]

I’ve never smelled actual tulips, but this is a slightly creamy floral, woven into fresh green grasses. It’s clean and energetic. Not picking up an aquatic note, which is good news for my skin which hates aquatics. This isn’t really “me,” but it’s pretty. It would make a nice shampoo or lotion.

[obsidienne]

Amsterdam starts out a bit sharp in the imp and on the skin; it must be due to the grass and aquatic nature of the blend. But it developed into a delicate, sweet peony with only hints of aquatic and grass. My kind of perfume! I tend to dislike the aquatic blends, but not so here. This is a beautiful, light springtime scent.

 

I'm in love with too many damn scents.

[MotherKat]

Ohhh this is beautiful! A little sharp at first, and very very greeeen. It smells wonderful and springy and flowery and YUM.

And very slightly of lily of the valley?

[Suu4LC]

Oh, pretty! I love peony!!! Soft, pastel flowers! Fresh and just a little green!

 

The grass note gets a LOT stronger on my skin and as this dries down, which is a bit of a bummer, because grass notes aren't really my thing.

 

This is nice-the greeny greeness fades on full drydown, but leaves a soft grassiness behind. Goes very well with the pretty pastel flowers. This is a nice springy blend! Like running through a clean grassy field in a flurry of pink petals in the spring! Lovely!

[frecklestars]

In the bottle: The first time I smelled it, it was fresh out of the box and had mingled with LOTS of other things (mainly Mad Hatter, which for me was a terrible combination). I set it aside, thinking it would be awful. Second time I opened it, far away from the other mingled scents that were totally overwhelming, I took a tentative whiff and immediately started smiling.

 

On my skin: Clearly it smells amazing. It reminded me of a formal English garden, with mostly tulips and roses, as well as peonies. It starts to smell less gardeny as the day goes on and is actually a pretty light scent; I slathered it on and was told it was just barely noticeable (in a good way). This one might be a 5 ml bottle order for next time. *squee* (And hell, if this is what Amsterdam smells like, I'm moving there without a backward glance!)

 

Last thoughts: This was the one that got me hooked on BPAL scents in the first place! Absolutely blissfully lovely florals.

Edited March 7, 2011 by frecklestars

[cinderfallen]

This is absolutely one of the most fresh, clear, pretty scents I've ever smelled, and epitomized my ideal signature scent at one time...before I realized that BPAL aquatics turned into flat air freshener and laundry detergent on my skin. But in the bottle, the tulips are so watery fresh and beautiful....

[milica]

this one starts as a nice aquatic on me, lots of fresh water, florals in the background. does not last for long on my skin, after about 1 hour it gets all floral and grassy, too much grassy and a bit soapy. I would have liked it if it stayed like the scent in the first half hour.

Edited March 16, 2009 by milica

[diamondstars]

This is very soapy. Blurgh. Swap box!

[Seismogenic]

Tapping into my love for the concepts of the Wanderlust category, my wonderful Winter Switch Witch Voodoocatwoman sent me an imp of Amsterdam with my reveal package. Many many thanks!

 

In the imp: Light and sweet: fresh water, grass, and a hint of floral.

 

Wet on skin: Hello, peony! That immediately becomes the most prominent note, though not in a strong or overpowering way. The grass and water are still back there.

 

Drydown: Freshly dry, soft gentle peony is the note most to the foreground, with grass supporting it. Not getting quite as much of water now, but something that's less sweet but still floral is starting to peek through - I assume it's tulips. One hour later, there's still a little bit of the peony and tulip, but really not very much.

 

Five hours later: Completely gone. It has been gone since about two or three hours in, actually.

 

End of the day: It was gone at five hours, and it did not come back.

 

Overall: I think that Amsterdam beautifully captures the scent of early spring. There are lots of tulips and peonies in northern Virginia, where I grew up (there were even some in my parents' yard), and this oil smells like a cool spring morning with dew on the grass and those flowers. It even brings up some specific memories of going to a family friend's house on Easter when I was very little, and searching for eggs in the elaborate garden. So yes, extremely beautifully evocative. It also lasts an extremely short time on me, though, but then again, I am not particularly the smells-like-flowers type. I am seriously considering some attempt to use this as a room scent, though, because it's gentle and reminds me of happy memories and because it also might last longer that way.

[GardenCat]

A light aquatic on me - but green and also floral. Seems to be fading a bit, but a perfect scent to wear with my green & purple skirt & green scarf!

[Aldercy]

Spring water, greens, and a little whisper of flowers. It's very... April rains and wilting tree blossoms. I can't say I sense any tulip or peony specifically. Not unpleasant by a long shot, but Amsterdam is very weak and short-lived on me. It's hard to get much of a hold on it. Sweet, fresh scent, but I just wish it had more power.

[anna1850]

Soapy florals and a bit of grass. It's not bad but it's a little bit soapy and there's nothing to really ground it. I can kind of detect the aquatic note but for me I think it just makes it slightly soapy.

 

3/5 Meh

[andnothingghurt]

Amsterdam is... just perfect. Crisp, green, fresh, lightly floral. Like laying in a beautiful field of grass and flowers with the warm sun shining down upon you. SERIOUSLY, I AM IN LOVE.

[ShadowsDance]

Hmm.. grass? Grass and.. chemicals. Not that great, and then toss in some soap.. This isn't working at all.

[MissMercurial]

Very clear, fresh floral! Not too flowery since it has a nice grassy/aqua note. Pleasant enough to wear, just rather generic. Really consistent, didn't morph once on me. Google "sphene;" that's the color and clarity I think of when I smell this.

[djsiberia]

this is very soap smelling to me. i can't quite pick out individual notes...its just soap

 

[caitilarkin]

In the imp: Grass and fresh water

 

Wet on skin: The florals have appeared but they're drowning

 

Dry on skin: Apparently peony and/or tulip do not like me. And I need to accept that most of the Lab's aquatic notes don't like me either. This blend, so fresh and springlike in the imp, turned into acrid soap on my skin. Ah well.

 

[Coldfire]

 

 

 

 

 

Imp: OMG GREEN! TULIPS! WATER!

Wet on Me: Oh I love tulips…and peonies and aquatic….and grass. Just lovely. Perfect for a spring day.

Drying Down: this blends together so well and makes my nose wax rhapsodic!

Dry: lovely, delicate but not frail. This is made of win!

 

[redderz]

In the imp: Ooh, freshly cut grass with a hint of flowers!

 

Wet: Still grassy, but I think that's the tulip poking up there!

 

Dry: Watery and aquatic, like dewy grass! The flowers are still there, but only slightly. Reminds me of a shower gel I've tried before, 'Cool Breeze' or something like that! Refreshing!

[HamletsKeeper]

Bottlesniff One of the least inspiring scents in the bottle. Very faint kind of non-descript wateryness. I almost didn't bother putting it on.

 

Wet On Skin Surprisingly powerful, I smell bulb greenery and an aquatic note. It's a very non-florally floral. If you are looking for a floral that doesn't punch you in the face with it's bouquet or go powdery this would be a good choice. It has that fresh, watery, airiness about it. There is no astringency or sweetness to this scent. It's got that very faint almost-soap edge that all bulb blooms have.

 

Drydown Well I have to say this is a somewhat strong scent with excellent hold. Not at all what you would expect from the notes. I didn't expect to like this one but it seems to be very true to the concept on my skin and is surprisingly strong. I feel like I'm doomed to only being able to wear florals and fruit. It keeps its character well and much to my chagrin smells great on me....*sigh*

 

Overall Although this doesn't smell like Kenzo's Flower its of the same style. Airy, strong and non-sweet floral. If you like that style of scent then I highly recommend this one. The longer I leave this on the better it smells and it's got great throw from the tiny amount I'm wearing. I didn't expect to like it at all but it looks like I may in fact be purchasing a bottle of this. It's just that good on my skin. It's now wafting a very exotic, fresh aquatic from my skin that doesn't smell in the least bit floral. Attention aquatic lovers...on extreme drydown you wouldn't know this was a floral at all.

 

Second Wearing I often find my true feeling for a scent the 2nd time around. And on this one I have to say it's the first BPAL I'm in love with. It lasts and lasts on me. The notes are perfect and it's a smell that's got me burying my face into my cleavage when no-ones looking. Today I'm not getting even a int of soap, just fresh beautiful crisp aquatic. It actually reminds me very much of a favoured scent that's now out of production, only a much, much better version of it. I would never have picked this scent for myself but just threw it in with another order and it's the only scent from that order which I like.

 

If you like Anais Anais and other similarly soft florals then this is one you should try.

 

Edited October 7, 2009 by HamletsKeeper

[Janegodzilla]

Amsterdam came to me as a frimp in my first order, and I was initially hesitant about trying it, if only because floral scents are so hit-or-miss for me. Some smell great, some go cloyingly sweet and overwhelming, and some give me a raging headache. I never know which it's going to be, so I find I approach florals with a little more caution than I might otherwise.

 

And in the imp, Amsterdam is DEFINITELY floral. I was pleased to note, however, that it wasn't a "punch you in the face with flowers" sort of scent, but rather something a lot more refreshing. It's like having a warm breeze carry the scent of meadow flowers over to you, as opposed to sticking your face into a vase and inhaling. On my skin, it's still very floral, but to my pleasant surprise I also got a hint of pollen and lots of crisp, green grass. This scent is refreshing and pretty, and although it doesn't last as long on me as I would like, it's certainly not something I mind reapplying. It never went to soap, which was a huge relief. I would've been heartbroken.

 

Final Verdict:

This is going to get soooo much wear in spring and summer. I can also see myself wearing it a lot on days when I want to feel pretty -- not sexy, just straight-up pretty, because there's something about Amsterdam that makes me feel like I should be wearing a cute little skirt and kitten heels, and I absolutely adore that I've found an oil that makes me feel that way. I love this scent so much!

[hkhm]

imp: this is that scent you get whiffs of in springtime; it's fresh flowing water next to neatly fresh-cut grass that's still wet from a watering while the gentles breeze carries the soft scent of flowers.

 

wet: a crisper, watery scent. it's not quite as sharp as an aquatic, more soft and sweet. there is a hint of soapiness but it's not overpowering.

 

dry: this goes on soft and stays soft; watery soft florals. this is a scent for spring and summer, a scent for soft flowing clothing and afternoons with nothing to do.

[saralaughs]

Please know that I have an aged bottle (about 1.5 years)

 

In bottle: Shampoo. Specifically Pert Shampoo.

 

On: Right after application the green scent of grass gets sharper and more prominent for awhile. Water, flowing water to be specific (I know...Beth is a damn genius), joins it shortly afterward. After a bit, they join together and the sharp freshness of the green grass goes away, leaving a pretty fresh aquatic smell behind. The peony (LOVE) springs (ha! like that?) forth and intertwines with the other scents to smell just like a fresh bloom, a bloom that just woke up after winter while the melt is still on the ground. It's a beautiful evenly balanced scent.

[ianastar]

At first, wet on the skin this is very soapy smelling. Like a larger lathering bar of Irish Spring.

 

On the dry down it becomes more floral, like a small bouqet of white florals. This would be a great Spring fragrance. Although I dont usually like florals, this one is actually very soft and wonderful smelling.