Amsterdam

[magikfanfic]

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

In the bottle: Soft floral that makes me think of pink and, oddly, enough fabric softner. I can smell grass and water, but I'm unfamilar with either of the florals so they just strike me as floral.

Wet: Kinda spicy floral with the grass undertone. I can still smell the water, but not as much as when it was in the vail. This is just kinda there for me, unfortunately. It's not wowing me, and i'm not allergic to it. It's nice. It would be a nice room scent or a scent for fabric softner. It's just not something for me. Not something I think i'll wear.

Dry down: Still a slightly spicey pink/light green scent with the edges of grass and water to the smell. I'm glad the lab threw this in with one of my orders as I did want to try it. If I keep it, I'll probably use it in my oil burner to scent my room rather than as a perfume for my skin. It's really too pink to be me. I like most florals, but I seem drawn to ones that are crisp or a little heavier than this. This is light and airy, which is nice, but it's just a little too expected for my tastes.

Dry: This retains its scent nicely throughout wear. I still like it, but I don't really want to wear it. It's a little too girly for me. Too pink and pretty. It's a very nice scent, though. It just isn't for me. I'm thankfully that it didn't turn horrible on me as my skin is not always fond of the aquatic notes.

ETA: Oh, oh oh, allergic. Washing off and sending straight to the swap pile. Oh well. It would have been a nice room scent, but after a little while I wouldn't have even been able to smell it.

[Ariella]

This smells very fresh -- like springtime.

 

That's what it is, a sunny meadow in the first warm days of spring. I don't mean a real life soggy, muddy field. Like standing among the rolling hills of a storybook meadow, with a faint crisp breeze blowing your hair back (away from your face, of course =). All around you a clear deep blue sky and dew covered, shimmering bright green grass with just a few flowers poking up here and there.

 

This just *needs* a picture, and this was the best I could come up with googling

http://www.gregoryferdinandsen.com/HNL2004...Beach%20(1).jpg

 

Unfortunately, it doesn't last very long on me; an hour after putting it on I can bearly smell it. The fleetingness somehow fits, though, and I won't mind reapplying often. Like a truly beautiful spring moment - gone before you know it.

Edited January 1, 2005 by Ariella

[jj_j]

This is such a pretty scent - it's light, it's lovely, and very aquatic without losing the feeling of spring flowers.

 

Tulip - oh, yes. Not that cloying and artificial scent B&BW used to make, either. Transparent and full of the green freshness of spring, this is goooood tulip. I don't get much out of the peonies, but I have a wonderful mental image of ivy climbing a brick wall by a pool, complete with fountain.

 

Old Amsterdam is flowing. It's not what I'd call a blue scent, because in spite of the liquid feel, it's more like crystal clear - and very cold! - water in a small pool or duck pond. It's more of a colorless aquatic; invigorating, with glints of light reflecting every time there's a breeze to make ripples in the water.

 

I wish this had better staying power on me. My notoriously dry skin soaks up scent, but Old Amsterdam was literally gone in the time it took me to write this review. If I were going to wear it, I'd have to buy a 10 ml. and use half of it making lotion and a spray of the scent so I could layer. I don't know if that would get me four hours of this wonderful fragrance, so in spite of the beautiful blend, I'm going to pass on this one.

[Fulltiltredhead]

A beautiful light floral green. I will want this in the spring, and it's worth a big bottle purchase to make linen sprays, air fresheners, and bath products with, as well as to wear. It appears innocuous at first, tending slightly toward the generic, but there is something unique in the dry down that grows on you. An excellent fragrance for work, especially if your workplace is not scent-friendly.

[Northernminx]

I got very little floral in this, mostly just a deep green-blue aquatic note. This was cooling and soothing, like a slow moving river of icey water. I was sort of hoping for something a little more, but nothing else ever really rose out of the blend with my chemistry. While lovely, it didn't make me sniff my wrist a lot and in fact faded quickly on me. Off to swaps.

[rhubarbbear]

beautiful, springtime, light, clean, floral. amsterdam is perfect to help enable people who think they don't like perfume, and also just lovely to sniff. it really does bring windmills, wooden clogs, and tulips to mind! clear blue skies and white fluffy clouds.

 

this isn't one of my very favorite blends, but there's nothing i don't like about it, either!

[sarada]

I like this conceptually a lot and I would enjoy having it around to inhale whenever I need to smell something fresh, like rain or dew-covered grass. It isn't a scent for wearing, for me, though I might try on an early spring day -- most likely it will go to my friend who loves aquatics.

 

Tulips have never had any scent that I can discern, though I like the Yankee Candle tulip scent -- I don't smell anything like that in here but I think the slight, faintly bitter floral hint in the background must be tulips. Mainly, it's the smell of fresh water and grass. Which is absolutely lovely to have in a little bottle for winter days when you're cooped up inside, or hot summer days when you're dying for a refreshing splash of water. It's more of a concept smell than one for wearing as a perfume, I think...something to keep for those days when you want to open a bottle and magically be transported somewhere else. I love scents that transport you to another place, and this is one of those, for sure!

[tempete]

Wet, Amsterdam is a light, slightly grassy floral with a translucence that does remind me of flowing water. As it dries down, the peony note becomes more predominant (it could also be the tulip note, but I don't remember what tulips smell like). This is very pretty, but I'm not sure that it suits my personality. I'll have to wear it a few more times before I decide on whether to keep it or swap it.

[requieminblack]

First sniff from the bottle- Yep, that's tulips all right.

 

After 10 minutes- This is spring time in a bottle. I smell Tulips, Lily of the Valley, fresh green grass and water. It does smell a lot like the flower District in Amsterdam.

 

After 30 minutes- Now that my body chemistry has taken hold of this it has turned to Irish Springs soap. I really liked this one wet. My body just won't tolerate florals on me.

 

Summery- In the swap pile it goes.

[pekeana]

Amsterdam in the vial is green, green, sharp, bright spring green. I smell the tulips and I smell the grass, but the aquatics are hiding.

 

On me, it's bright and sharp for about ten minutes, then fades into this soft, whispy, dreamy tulip and sweet grass scent. Which, alas, makes me sneeze like a lunatic.

 

I love it, but the sneeziness? Not so much.

[Lit Chick]

I love this SO MUCH!!!!

 

It's so perfect. I adore the grass, the aquatics, the floral - it's spring, and clean, and fresh - and there's not a hint of "glade plug-in". LOVE IT!!!!

 

Only thing, not so much staying power on me. But that's fine, because I think my favorite time with this oil is the grassy brightness when it's wet.

 

Beautiful. (Danube is jealous, though. I was in love with that, but Amsterdam stole me away... for now).

[anmorata]

Amsterdam:

 

Wet: perfume-y. soapy. meh.

Drydown: Water. Soap. Maybe some tulips, but not really.

Longterm wear: Too soapy.

[bellis]

Ooooh. This just became my favorite aquatic/floral scent. Just lovely, it smells exactly like sitting next to (or in) a crystal clear stream with lots of brightly colored, lightly scented flowers growing on the banks. This is essentially the same on me as it is in the imp, although the florals get a little sweeter and slightly less green as it dries down. Not much throw, but I can smell it on my skin for hours. It's gorgeous and clean and subtle. I need a much bigger bottle than this.

[elphaba]

My husband lived in Holland for several years so my first move, on applying Amsterdam, was to shove my wrist under his nose and say, "Do I smell like Amsterdam?"

 

He smelled and said, "No, Amsterdam smells like piss. You smell like a flower market."

 

It does smell like an outdoor Dutch flower market on a May morning. At first, the scent is very green like the cut stems of spring flowers but, as it dries, it mellows out into the light scent of tulips. I love both phases. It's gorgeous. I'm new to BPAL, but I can't imagine finding a springy scent that I love more. The order for a big bottle went in yesterday.

[Muppetk]

First impression: Pleasant, light. Reminds me of Estee Lauder's Pleasures. A good spring/summer scent.

 

Later impressions: This scent is remarkably stable on me. No morphing. But my skin does seem to be eating it up awfully fast. Quite nice though.

[jett perilous]

Definitely a green, fresh scent. I can smell grass and what I believe to be the tulips, and also running water. I'm picturing a little valley with a stream amidst grass and wildflowers. Very nice. Makes me feel cold, which will be prefect for the impending summer.

 

On drydown this gives me a bit of salt, which I don't mind at all.

[stardreamer]

In the bottle: Enh, floral. Rose? I hope not...

 

Fresh on: Very green! But still a lot of floral. I'm not terribly thrilled with this.

 

Drydown: The aquatic notes come out after it's been on my skin for half an hour or so, but the florals are still very evident. This is an excellent example of a scent I might have liked a lot early on, but now it just doesn't hold up against my established BPAL favorites. It's light and pretty, but something I'd hardly ever wear any more. This is one for the swap pile -- someone else will like it better.

[eadavenp]

I can't believe i hadn't written this a review yet!

 

This is the epitome of spring. It is fresh, clean and cool, when all the greenery is new and sparkling with dew. It has a very green scent, but also softened by the floral notes. I thought i loved venice, but when i got amsterdam,i sold my bottle of venice and will be ordering a bottle of amsterdam (if i haven't already, must go check pending orders)

 

All in all, its one of my favorite bpals. It smells almost like a commercial fragrance, but more hip, edgy and cool than anything you could buy in a dept. store.

[quimerula]

A floral-aquatic perfume with a green bottom line.

 

Wet it's tulips, grass and water, precious.

Dry the peony come out, I love this uncommon florals, and I love this one very much! Just perfect!

[shelldoo]

ummm, well, aqua note. which doesn't get along w. me...aquas never do *sigh* i am a bit disappointed because i adore peonies, but i just can't get to them the aqua watery note is all i get, and i am not a fan of them

[Redon]

Fresh, rainwashed flowers. Bright and clean, a perfect spring scent. The scent is remarkably stable from imp to skin and over time. I really like it.

[yummysushitoo]

Oh, I am in love with this. I have finally found the perfect aquatic scent.

 

The tulips and peony blend together to make a lovely, light floral, with the grasses to temper the sweetness of the two flowers. The water flows quietly in the background, giving me the impression of a small spring garden growing beside a quiet stream.

 

Soothing and calming. A perfect Springtime scent, for either day or evening. I would say day is better, on second thought, because it's a lighter scent.

[LunaSea]

I'm so happy that my imp of Amsterdam arrived yesterday - my search for the perfect springtime scent is over! In the imp and wet on the skin, I mostly smell the green-ness of the grasses, with a hint of the flowers behind it. As it dries, the floral notes come out, and they are lovely sweet florals - not powdery or heavy at all.

 

After about half an hour, the green grass has faded to the background and the aquatics have come out, and I can still smell the lovely, sweet flowers. I didn't apply too heavily, so after only about 2 hours it is mostly gone. But I am absolutely in love with Amsterdam! I only wish I had bought more than an imp! Big bottle for sure.

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

A gracious frimp from the Lab, perhaps because I had Dormouse in this order and they have noticed me clamoring for peonies.

 

And...I just dumped it all over my arm. Luckily, this is a light one. Amsterdam does indeed have some of the clean, fresh, pale green/floral quality of Dormouse. It is the scent of early spring flowers and thawing rivers. Very bright and airy. However, it's not as distinctive as Dormouse, since there are no stand-out notes like tea to make it "pop". This will make a nice room scent or perhaps a gimp for a friend who doesn't like heavier notes.

 

ETA: I suddenly realized this reminds me of Jessica McClintock, which I wore all through high school. It has that young, clean, yet sophisticated vibe. I tend to go for richer florals now. Guess I'm no longer so young...or so clean.

[lokelani]

Oh, yeah. A fresh, translucent, springtime scent. If it were a color it would be a pale, clear green. It reminds me of the first days of Spring, when all you can see on the trees are little tiny buds, and the first flowers are making their tentative debut. It's still chilly, but you can definitely smell Spring in the air. I got Amsterdam in late March/early April and when I put it on I was like: "I smell exactly like this day!!"

 

The only problem I have with this lovely scent is that it fades rather quickly on me. But that's okay; I just reapply a lot. I will probably be getting a large bottle of this.

Edited May 21, 2005 by lokelani