The Perilous Parlor

[crushedstars]

A memory of pleasure passed. A ghostly rendezvous, delight beyond death. Faint echoes of laughter and the distorted music of a harp drift by, along with the scent of soft white pear and sweet vanilla.

This is nothing like I expected, but it is very beautiful and fruity - definitely pear, not so much vanilla, and somehow, I get a hint of strawberry in it's scent, though that's not listed as one of the ingredients. It smells candy-ish, but not sugary - just very fruity & sweet like fruit juice. I really like it, so glad I brought a bottle!

[mawaridi]

This is a really lovely, gentle, pear-and-vanilla scent but wow, it vanishes quick on me. It was a faint whisper of a scent to begin with, with no throw at all (I had to get my nose right up against the skin to smell it) and it only lasted about an hour before totally vanishing But it was so pretty in the bottle!

[Jenesis]

At first sniff, for some reason this smells like paint thinner.

 

However after a couple of minutes it mellows into, you guessed it, pears. But they're not fresh-picked juicy pears - to me, they're fermented pears that have been sitting in the cupboard under the stairs for a while.

 

Like other reviewers I found this very, very light (and my skin amps vanilla!). Strangely, I'm getting a "paint" vibe out of this at the moment

 

ETA: It's best to let this age. When I first got this it did this weird paint/plastic funk for the first hour before drying down to a sweet vanilla. I was mortified - I want my pears, not plastic!

 

However, applying again, when the oil is around a month old, is much better. The plastic smell is only there for the first few minutes and then the pear comes out, sweetened by the vanilla. A lovely scent, if rather simple, and well worth being patient with!

Edited November 26, 2007 by Jenesis

[greymatter]

This is exactly what it claims to be: a light, soft, sweet pear scent. It's a very gentle, fun scent and I enjoy it quite a bit. May be worth tracking down some more. . .

[hologhost]

In the bottle: there definately a fruit note here, but it doesn't say "pear" to me. I don't really like it.

 

On me - Goes plastic-y almost immediately. I can smell the vanilla, at least. But it's powdery. Just not my skin type I guess.

[spicyelenore]

This is wonderful! I somehow missed it when I first ordered my Halloweenies, then read the reviews and d'oh! What was I thinking! Managed to get a decant in a swap. I love it! It starts out sweet pear...kind of makes me think of a fizzy drink for some reason. A pear soda? Is there such a thing? The sweetness is nicely tempered by the juciness and something else I can't put my finger on...Then later it becomes sort of powdery, but not in the usual bad way...it's sort of a dark, creepy smell with sweetness around the edges...almost a little boozy maybe? Like a pear gone deliciously wrong...

[jewelbug]

Imp: Very strong vanilla, perhaps a bit of a darker tonka, and a frutiness, presumably pear. This has a distinct boozy note to me.

 

Wet: Still strikes me as boozy. A boozy vanilla with a non-distinct fruitiness. To be quite honest, at this stage, it smells like a nice candle--something I'd love my home to smell like, but not really myself.

Dry: A fruity boozy vanilla with hints of candle wax (could be my imagination) and a whiff of wet paint?! The wet paint phase is short, thankfully. Later, I get some polished wood (sandalwood?) scent from it (along with the vanilla candle fruitiness), fitting for a parlour.

Overall: I had expected this to be my fave of the new weenies. While its sweet and pretty, its not what I thought. It'd be a lovely home scent, but I don't see myself wearing it as perfume. Lasts 6-7 hrs.

Edited October 1, 2008 by jewelbug

[sarada]

I didn't give the Perilous Parlor a second thought at first -- pear and vanilla? Big whoops! I don't like vanilla, and while I like fruity scents I am not usually wild about pear.

 

Or am I? Oh dear, after I first smelled this I couldn't get it out of my head that I really wanted to smell it again. It's not a fresh and fruity or light and sweet as I had expected. This is a deep, smoky vanilla and a dark pear. It smells more like I'd expect a pear-scented tobacco to smell, than anything, really.

 

I put this one on at night because nothing helps me get to sleep better than something that is sweet and smoky. This is incredibly comforting to me. I agree with the comparisons to candle wax as well -- I'm seeing a recently extinguished pear candle in my mind, the scorched scent of the burnt wick and the hot wax.

 

I can even see the paint thinner comparisons as well, especially at first! There is something strong at first that burns off quickly, but don't let that scare you. The drydown reveals all of the warm and sweet layers.

 

It is not what I'd call a foody scent, and since I don't like foody scents that is a good thing. Sweet, smoky and fruity, with a strange layer of tobacco, candlewax and woodstain. A surprise hit for me!

[The_Merf]

This is very definitely vanilla and pear combined--the pear note is very much like the SN when I first sniff it, but it blends so well with the vanilla that the mixture is nice and creamy (with just a hint of sugar). This is really evocative--it does smell like something you would get from a well-kept parlor, with hints of baking from the kitchen and fresh fruit that has been placed out for consumption. Both notes really remain balanced and the perfume doesn't get overwhelming either way. Oddly enough, this was the Haunted House scent that I was most iffy about trying, and it's clearly been my favorite.

 

Oddly enough, as the scent continues to dry down, I smell more pear than vanilla (Pear SN did not last long on me, which is why I find this surprising).

[alliekat13]

I was so looking forward to this one. In the bottle I get a sweet sweet pear candle smell, but on my skin it turns into a french vanilla candle. It smells so artificial and fake on me. I'm sad since pear and vanilla are my favorite notes, so I don't know what went wrong. Even in the bottle it smells kind of wierd and sour...oh well. Let's see how it ages.

[Carolyn]

I was really looking forward to this one, but it didn't work on me at all. I didn't get pear. It wasn't the least bit fresh or juicy--it felt more stale, and, well, sort of like a cheap vanilla drugstore scent. I usually love Beth's vanilla fragrances, but this just didn't work.

[QueenFae]

OMG I love this!! Let's just make that clear!!

 

This is an amazingly beautiful, haunting, addictive vanilla pear blend. I expected this to be really fruity, but the pear is soft, creeping, and lovely. The vanilla/creamy quality to this blend reminds me very much of the one in Antique Lace. In fact, this smells very much like Antique Lace with a creamy pear overtone and a smattering of creepiness. This is so exquisitely lovey, I am blown away by how much I love this one, I am totally hooked!!

 

Gorgeous, wonderful, a definite new favorite for me!!

[taramarie]

In the bottle and wet on my skin, The Perilous Parlor is pear and sunblock. Then it became pear and vanilla. Then just pear. Finally, it started to irritate my skin so I had to wash it off. Someone else can enjoy this one.

[PurringPulsar]

The Perilous Parlour

In the imp: a soft, sweet pear scent. more like a pear flavoured sweet, but it’s very nice.

Wet on skin: a very pretty sugary pear scent.

Dry: mmm, I like this. Now I smell more vanilla, and it’s a creamy vanilla, not a vanilla like Underpants or Snake Oil though, this one is softer and more gourmand, I’d say this vanilla is more like the one in Snowblind or the original Beaver Moon. It makes the scent smell like a pear cake or pear ice cream. There’s a slight toasted/baked aspect to it though, in fact, it smells a little bit like vanilla biscuits or cake batter (this isn’t a buttery scent though). The pear is gentle and a little bit tart, it smells more realistic now as well, though more like cooked pears than fresh ones. This is a very gentle scent.

After a while: there’s an intriguing, almost smoky aspect to this vanilla, and yet it also reminds me of custard or sponge cakes. The pear is still hanging about, but it’s pretty much all vanilla, but such a lovely, delicate vanilla that smells almost biteable. It’s a whisper of a scent-clinging to the wrist, rather shy, a little coy, but so lovely. It’s a very innocent, youthful vanilla…though it does remind me of the vanilla in Golden Priapus, without all the ‘man woods’. It also reminds me slightly of Dana o’Shee.

This gets a little smokier, a little warmer and les sweet, and I swear I smell something almost woodsy to this, reminiscent of GP, but not as evergreen and masculine. The pear does disappear but the vanilla-wood scent, with a hint of something almost like tobacco smoke (not like cigarettes, but like the smoke in Devil’s Night) is very inviting and intriguing. Maybe there’s a little musk now? It’s not as foody at this point. It starts to smell even woodsier and smoky and even starts to veer towards smelling a little bit masculine, but thankfully it stays more unisex on me. Something about it reminds me of Dorian or Theodosius without the tea and lavender/lemon/bergamot notes, with a hint of the vanilla woods of GP.

Then the scent regains it’s fluffy vanilla sweetness again, and at this point there’s something about it that’s reminiscent of Fairy Market, which I love.

Verdict: this is a very pretty and uncomplicated scent, a soft vanilla mixed with pair, quiet and shy but quite delightful. from it’s fruity start to it’s vanilla stages to it’s sophisticated end of gentle vanilla incense or woods, this is a gorgeous fragrance all round. Not one to hoard, but definitely one to get a bottle of. I think this will get stronger with time.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Yes-I’ll get a bottle, I have a feeling the vanilla will get better with age.

If you like this, try: Thalia, La Belle au Bois Dormant, Golden Priapus, Dana O’Shee, Dorian

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

bought a bottle, never bothered to open it until today when i was decanting some out for someone else.

 

sniffed from the bottle: cream and pears

on me: cheap waxy vanilla candle

 

i've tried several pear-based scents in the last year and all of them have turned *off* on me in one way or another. and the Lab's vanilla almost always turns to plastic on me.

 

this is why i hadn't bothered to open it, i was afraid it wouldn't work. and it didn't.

 

ADDED Dec. 10:

 

wow! so few people have reviewed the other scents from this collection, but everyone and their uncle has reviewed this one!

 

sniffed from the bottle: coconutty suntan oil (eww)

on skin: coconut or pina colada scented cheap candles where you can smell the wax just as much as the "scent"

[girlygirl]

In the imp: sweet pears with cinnamon

 

Wet: pear/vanilla/cinnamon

Dry: same

 

Long wearing. Excellent throw. Approved by my husband, who normally hates foody blends. He says it smells "spicy".

[tartchef]

Yeah, coming in waaay late on this party... I ordered a bottle of the Parlor on a whim with some other last-minute Weenies. I knew it was a forum favorite, and figured I'd keep it on hand for decanting, at least. The vanilla/pear combo sounded nice, but I was expecting it to be a little too sweet & cloying for my taste.

 

Dammit Beth. You & your genius brain.

 

Wet, the Parlor is just was I anticipated - sweet & innocuous, with a hint of plasticy pear. Given 5 minutes, though, it totally transforms into a smoky, dry vanilla with an undercurrent of rich, roasted pear - I get the same pear here as in Block Buster. The longer it wears, the more smoke I get, until it's almost pear-&-vetiver - nose-tickling & spicy, fruity but dry, like burning pear wood & leaves. ETA: The late drydown is almost a dead ringer for Bonfire Night - that same smoky vetiver with a bit of sweetness underneath...

 

I love the imagery here - it's late evening, & you're invited into the parlor to wait for the mistress of the house to descend. All seems nice & normal at first, with a merry fire burning, a dish of fresh pears on the mantle & lots of pretty doilies. As you wait, though, a sense of dread & forboding creeps over you. The fire smokes & spits, the air grows thick & heavy, and the pears begin to writhe in their bowl...

Edited November 21, 2007 by tartchef

[ChloeKEvil]

I've been so excited for the Perilous Parlour that I had to put it on almost as soon as I got it.

 

In the bottle, it's very sweet but quite faint- pear and vanilla perfectly mixed and gorgeous. Even if it didn't work on me, I would keep it so that I could smell the bottle every time I feel down. It's delicious.

 

On, it's definitely pear at first, fading to a sweetly sort of plastic tang that I honestly don't mind. Then the vanilla starts to come out, but it's a little spicy, strangely. I've only been wearing it about half an hour but I will update if it changes. So far, so very, very good.

[Pepperminx]

I thought I would like this, so I ordered two bottles immediately. Unfortunately it doesn't really work on me. It's pear and vanilla alright, and I can imagine this being really good on the right person, but it turns play-doh on me. The pear turns funky and plastic while the vanilla just kinda sits there, doing neither this nor that to help the scent work on my skin.

 

I'm glad I got two bottles though because I'm keeping one for myself just in case it gets better with some aging, but I also have one to give away as a Christmas present! Yay for enabling!

 

- - -

 

It's been a handful of months now, and I decided to try this out again. I've been wearing it for a couple of days straight and not the slightest hint of funk or play-doh to be had anywhere!

 

The pear is soft and subtle, the vanilla warm and cuddly. Love it!

Edited March 10, 2008 by Grynet

[Indefatigable]

In the vial: pears. In ice cream.

 

On me: vanilla! It's a sweet, pleasant vanilla, but where did the pear go?

 

Drying down: mostly just vanilla. Maybe a bit of a smoky incensey undercurrent, which is nice.

 

I think I've discovered another of those scents that just blots out everything else when it hits my skin. Pretty enough, but I don't like pure vanilla that much.

Edited November 24, 2007 by Indefatigable

[dzurlady]

Very odd. In the vial and on me, it smells like that fake banana flavoured medicine. Straight to swaps.

[evilbee]

I can't believe how often I reach for this one. It's quickly entered into my regular cycle along with Dorian, Titania, Antique Lace, Hope, and Emathides. And it's different each time... well, almost. It seems to have a split personality on me. The pear is always there, pretty and juicy and never cooked (I'm not a fan of cooked pears unless they're poached in wine). The vanilla is dead-on to the Antique Lace vanilla to me, only less creamy and more nose-tickling with even more of that spice-non-spice (does that make sense?). And there's always been something else that added to the nose-tickling, but I couldn't quite put a finger on it... until I read Tartchef's review. YES! It's burning leaves. Not in the vetiver sense to me at all, which is all tarry sticky death on me. But more the crisp air, crackling and so dry leaves going up in puffs of smoke. This is incredibly autumn, more so than anything with pumpkin or the usual burning leaves.I feel so sad for anyone that this doesn't work on. That's okay... I'll love it doubly just to make up for it!!!I can't believe how often I reach for this one. It's quickly entered into my regular cycle along with Dorian, Titania, Antique Lace, Hope, and Emathides. And it's different each time... well, almost. It seems to have a split personality on me. The pear is always there, pretty and juicy and never cooked (I'm not a fan of cooked pears unless they're poached in wine). The vanilla is dead-on to the Antique Lace vanilla to me, only less creamy and more nose-tickling with even more of that spice-non-spice (does that make sense?). And there's always been something else that added to the nose-tickling, but I couldn't quite put a finger on it... until I read Tartchef's review. YES! It's burning leaves. Not in the vetiver sense to me at all, which is all tarry sticky death on me. But more the crisp air, crackling and so dry leaves going up in puffs of smoke. This is incredibly autumn, more so than anything with pumpkin or the usual burning leaves.I feel so sad for anyone that this doesn't work on. That's okay... I'll love it doubly just to make up for it!!!

[n3m3sis42]

In the bottle:

Something sweet and creamy, with a hint of pear.

 

Wet:

Pear, and a vanilla that smells almost a little coconutty.

 

Dry:

Vanilla with a hint of pear. I will need to give this a full wearing in order to determine whether this works on me without fading too much. If not, I think it will make a lovely room scent (if I ever get around to purchasing an oil warmer).

 

Edited to add:

This blend goes sort of odd on me. I don't know how to explain it, but it's sort of powdery and musky in a bad way. Like sweet pears and cream mixed with a hint of, um, sweaty crotch scent. It's not horribly unpleasant somehow despite this, but I can't help but think that it's nto what was intended. I can't decide if I want to keep this as a room scent or swap it away.

Edited June 25, 2008 by n3m3sis42

[jessu]

This is one that broke my heart.

 

Wet it smelled great, vanilla pears plain as day. As soon as it started drying though- HOLY PLASTIC. Seriously. No scent has ever gone as plastic on me as this one. I can't decide if I should swap it now, or give it time to see if it will chill the heck out.

 

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

I like pear; there should be more pear scents! I tested the Parlor and it was very sweet, like candied pears really, or pears poached in syrup. Yum.