Her Voice

[Limelight]

HER VOICE
Oscar Wilde
The wild bee reels from bough to bough
With his furry coat and his gauzy wing.
Now in a lily-cup, and now
Setting a jacinth bell a-swing,
In his wandering;
Sit closer love: it was here I trow
I made that vow,

Swore that two lives should be like one
As long as the sea-gull loved the sea,
As long as the sunflower sought the sun --
It shall be, I said, for eternity
'Twixt you and me!
Dear friend, those times are over and done,
Love's web is spun.

Look upward where the poplar trees
Sway and sway in the summer air,
Here in the valley never a breeze
Scatters the thistledowns, but there
Great winds blow fair
From the mighty murmuring mystical seas,
And the wave-lashed leas.

Look upward where the white gull screams
What does it see that we do not see?
Is that a star? or the lamp that gleams
On some outward voyaging argosy, --
Ah! can it be
We have lived our lives in land of dreams!
How sad it seems.

Sweet, there is nothing left to say
But this, that love is never lost.
Keen winter stabs the breasts of May
Whose crimson roses burst his frost,
Ships tempest-tossed
Will find a harbour in some bay,
And so we may.

And there is nothing left to do
But to kiss once again, and part,
Nay, there is nothing we should rue,
I have my beauty, -- you your Art.
Nay, do not start,
One world was not enough for two
Like me and you.

Hyacinth, beeswax, wild roses, vanilla amber, lily of the valley, tiger lily, honeysuckle, carnation, and heliotrope.

Ahh, Her Voice, and my first lead review. In the bottle and wet on my skin, there's something positively...reedy or stemmy about this one, slightly green. I would imagine that's the beeswax and/or the influence of the lilies. Along with that I get the spicy sweetness of the vanilla amber with carnation and heliotrope right behind.

As it dries, it becomes less stem-like and moves into a fresh floral stage which is dominated by roses and the vanilla amber with lily influences. I suppose the hyacinth is hanging about somewhere! This gets better as time goes on and it has a light throw. A charming scent, an olfactory picture of laughter on spring breezes and innocent seduction (despite the sadness of the poem).

[Leopard403]

Upon first whiff from the bottle, this is very green and somewhat reminiscent of Rose Red.

When wet on my skin, it is a green floral with a hint of sweet honey-ish beeswax.

When dry, I find the beeswax somewhat off-putting: It is a rather unnatural scent on my skin. Coupled with the loss of the green freshness and the bloom of the white florals, this is too perfume-y sweet for me.

I am disappointed in this one; it'll go up for swaps.

[heathercaley]

My skin loves to amp of Lily of the Valley, but not only amp that note, but change it into a sickly astringent scent.

 

I am hoping that the lily of th valley will be crushed down by the mounds of other notes that I loveeee (Rose/Carnation/Beeswax/vanilla amber)

 

On Application - astringent Lily. Wow what a surprise!!

 

As it dries down, yeah this is a Green and yellow scent. Im getting a mix between Lily and wild rose mellowed with a bit of amber maybe.

 

 

Though it is nice, it's not making me dance around the living room in a circle.

Edited February 13, 2008 by Purrsnikety

[bellis]

Absolutely gorgeous. I love this scent. The beeswax and hyacinth are the dominant notes on my skin, backed up by a little vanilla and other spring-y florals. This lasts ages on me, and the beeswax anchors it and keeps it from being simply a floral smell.

[alicia_stardust]

HER VOICE

 

This one surprised me good. It's a pale, wafting floral aquatic, but this isn't the sort of floral aquatic that goes high-pitched or soapy. Instead it is a gentle, dewy, water-drowned hyacinth that is grounded out by beeswax. The lilies and honeysuckle add their sweetness but they are subtle and seem to be countered by the heady spiciness of the carnation and the expensive-perfume fragrance of heliotrope. There is a hint of rose in there, and the amber and vanilla just barely warm this cool, spring-like floral.

 

Something about this brings to mind pink hyacinth, pale blue and white petals, spring rain, light and dewy florals, and a touch of melancholy and longing.

[inurbanus]

I have been looking for a BPAL reminiscent of a florist's shop, and I think I've finally found it. Her Voice is absolutely beautiful. It reminds me exactly of a bouquet misted with water. The beeswax and vanilla amber add a nice depth without making Her Voice too sweet -- this one is wonderfully spicy. The hyacinths, roses, and carnations are definitely the most prominent flowers, but I can smell the lilies in the background as well. I can't recommend this one enough to those who like florals. Seriously, you won't want to miss this one.

 

5/5

[Christine Daae]

In the bottle this is very “fresh” and green – like green stems, more than the appley vibe I get from Rose Red.

 

Wet, on my skin, I get the greenery with a hint of the beeswax. This is really pretty and fresh – there’s a similar vibe to Poisson d’Avril here, though they don’t smell the same, exactly. It’s the springy flowers plus the beeswax and vanilla, I think, that’s giving me that vibe. I am really okay with that because Poisson d’Avril is one of my favorite BPALs of all time.

 

As this dries, the vanilla amber and the beeswax lend ‘grounding’ notes to this sweet, green, springy floral. The lily of the valley lends the blend the pretty greenness, the honeysuckle lends a sweetness – really, this smells like what a field of flowers does in one’s dreams. It is so pretty. A hint of spice from the carnation, the sweet flowers, and the greenery just make this such a gorgeous blend.

 

This one has probably moved into my top ten already, just on the first try!

[CrazyPretzel]

Heavens, this isn't nearly as sweet as I thought it would be! Very interesting.

 

In the bottle, I can see the comparisons to Rose Red for the green stems and Poisson d'Avril for the damp flowers. On my skin this becomes much less light, however. After about 15 minutes I've got a dusty honey scent combined with slightly woody green stems. It has a very wild and natural feel to it. I think the lilies are strongest, followed by the carnation.

 

Not your run-of-the-mill floral and it won't be to everyone's taste, but I feel it has a weirdly beautiful and slightly untouchable quality. A feral wood nymph would smell like this. Not what I expected from the listed notes but it suits me.

[sfsassy]

Her voice is like stepping into a spring flower garden. It smells like stems and petals.

It's very spring to me too. I will wear this one a lot in the coming months.

 

The other thing I would like to add is that I never thought of myself as a floral fun, but this is one that breaks through!

[moonarcana]

This is my favorite scent from the Love Poems...absolutely gorgeous and I'd highly recommend to any lover of heady fragrant florals.

 

The sweetness of the hyacinth and honeysuckle are perfectly balanced by the sharpness of the rose and lily of the valley while (thankfully) the beeswax and tiger lily don't go overly waxy on me at all. Oddly enough, two notes I can't specifically pick out are favorites of mine - carnation and amber...even though it's listed as vanilla amber, I'm usually like a drug sniffing dog when it comes to amber :::drool:::

 

All in all, it's a lovely stroll through a gorgeous full blooming garden in early May. This scent has leaped right into my Top Ten and I'll be latching onto a back-up bottle before the Lupercalia scents are taken down for sale.

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Roses, a hint of lilies, and a warm base of carnation and heliotrope.

 

Immediately on skin: This smells like a mix of rose, sharp lilies, and creamy warm flowers. The roses are strongest, and the lilies are soapy, but very fresh smelling. The carnation hasn’t shown up on my skin, but the heliotrope is lingering softly in the background.

 

After a little while: This has definitely turned into a thicker scent… the vanilla amber and beeswax are evident now. The rose and heliotrope blend with this almost resinous amber and beeswax combination to create something deep, warm, and sweetly floral.

 

Overall Impressions: This definitely improved as it sat on my skin, but the rose is just a bit too strong for me. It’s a very sweet and thick floral blend, not as light as I was expecting. Overall, though, it just didn’t impress me too much.

[sookster]

straight sniff from the bottle will put some spring in your step for sure...

hyacinth, honeysuckle and lots of dew-kissed green leaves

 

wow

once applied the beeswax with all the flowers is phenomenal...this is superbly

feminine and gorgeously blended...great throw, too...

 

this bottle will get much love from me

[puck_nc]

Origin: decant from a circle by eviltemptressdq

 

Initial Thoughts: Hyacinth! Honeysuckle! Carnation! Three of my favorite flowers in one perfume! This was the no-brainer scent of my Lupercalia order, in spite of the presence of amber, which can be an amper on me.

 

In the Bottle: Mostly beeswax and amber, with some floral back notes. Uh oh...

 

Wet: Damn. Almost pure amber and beeswax. The florals are reduced to hovering around the edges, tormenting me...

 

Drydown: Thankfully, the amber sweetens up and calms down, letting the florals come out to play a bit. But there remains a strong undertone of the green-stem stank among the florals...I think the rose is being mean to my skin.

 

Verdict: Definitely maybe. I need to contrast it with some of the other florals I already have.

[tarotgirl99]

There is a grassy smell in this that reminds me of Beltane 05, which I loved (as opposed to Beltane 06, which was too green for me). The difference is Beltane 05 is sun on the green grass, and Her Voice is sun on the green grass that is filled with many, many, many flowers. It's not as creamy a floral as I usually like--it verged on the high ethereal end on application but mellowed quickly into a lovely, many-flowered scent.

 

I am trying not to buy more bottles than I absolutely have to (the 2008 Lupercalia is KILLING me), but Her Voice may be a necessity.

[maribouquet]

With two lilies in here, I'm expecting Her Voice to be a screaming failure on me...

 

Wet, this is like walking into a flower shop in early spring. Very pretty, yet not particularly floral - more like a pale green smell, like the insides of flower stems. As it dries I smell pea pods! So neat. The green stem smell becomes 'meatier' as it dries... Lots of throw, too.

 

I can't really pick out any distinct floral notes yet. I think I will have to let this sit and retest...on first impression it's very pretty and nothing at all like I'd thought/feared it would be.

[zankoku_zen]

At the beginning, the very predominant note is of lilies. And then it erupts into this bouquet of flowers, with rose being a predominant smell.

 

This is sweet, without being overly sugary or foodie, and floral in a light, spring walk among the meadows kinda way. It's a refreshing floral, with a hint of innocence, sun shining in her hair kinda way.

[euterpe414]

I am so sad, reading everyone else's lovely reviews I can only wish that I got the smell of fresh flowers and beeswax, like it smells to me in the bottle. As soon as Her Voice hits my skin it turns into a soapy, grassy scent and when it is completely dry it is soap + grass + sharp rose. So sad, I was really hoping this would work on me since I love the scent of fresh flowers. I suspect it was one of the lilies, since Tiger Lily, a blend I really wanted to work on me also turned to soap. Ah well, it will undoubtedly find a better home soon.

[Heavenlyrabbit]

Holy Hothouse! This is the Mother of all Florist Shop scents.

 

First up, the Hyacinth, which is the first note Beth listed.

 

Next, the Heliotrope with Carnations tucked behind and a couple of Lilies to anchor the bouquet.

 

Further intonto the drydown, the herbal/grassy touch of Honeysuckle brings a little sense to the whole thing and ultimately the sweetness comes out with only a suggestion of Rose.

 

This definitely required testing before purchase, cause no matter how much I love florals this has so MANY divas.

 

Going to get a bottle for sure. It's unique. It works. It is not a casual scent. It is not a young scent nor a man's scent.

 

This is to be used sparingly, for when you want to make a grand, feminine statement.

Edited March 1, 2008 by Heavenlyrabbit

[snapeophilex]

*wails*

 

My favorite florals...all in one gorgeous bottle. I've been craving this scent since it was released.

 

The floral part did not disappoint. But the beeswax was too overpowering on me just as it was in Chanukkiyaha.

 

Her Voice broke my heart, but if you're a floral lover who doesn't amp beeswax, this will be a big win for you!

[fairnymph]

In the bottle: Hyacinth, lily of the valley, and hints of heliotrope and beeswax. Very green and a little sharp.

 

Wet: Beeswax stronger (a caramel note on my skin as in Channukiyah), carnation, tiger lily and honeysuckle peek out. Hyacinth and lily of the valley dominating. Green-white floral.

 

Dry: Wow, the carnation is really amping - carnation lovers take note! Still quite sharp, green, floral and strong. It's turning a bit powdery, and the beeswax has receded. Sadly, I have yet to detect any wild rose.

 

Summary: Sharply green and floral - carnation, hyacinth, lily of the valley over a hint of amber and caramel-beeswax. Strong throw and lasting power.

[Dymphna]

In the imp: This is a sweet springtime floral, all pastel blooms and green stems and sparkling air. I smell the hyacinth most clearly, and then the lily of the valley (which is what I was looking forward to), and something a bit spicy (I didn't remember until I checked the notes that there was carnation in this), and those sweet, crisp, green stems, very much like in Rose Red.

 

Wet: The florals seem to blend together better on my skin. I can still pick them out individually, but they really just...blend into something that reminds me of a Victorian lady's perfume--sweet and spicy and floral and just so pretty. It's exactly the kind of scent I used to love when I was in my tween and early teen years. Not that I don't like it now, but I used to be very into the whole Victoriana thing. And is there vanilla in this? Yes, there is! The fresh green stem note isn't as strong, but I can still smell it a bit. I'm hunting for the beeswax, but I can't find it. Unless that's what's giving this a sort of creamy-but-not-foody vibe. Or maybe that's the vanilla. Happily, the rose and the honeysuckle, two troublesome notes for me, are keeping quiet. I think I can smell the rose, but carnation seems to rein that in, so it's just adding a bit of sweetness (and not going soapy, woohoo!). It smells kind of like the carnation/rose blend in Alice.

 

Dry: Argh, honeysuckle! It's decided to show itself after all and now it won't go away. That's it for this blend, everything else is swamped under it. I can just make out a feeble wail of spiciness from the carnation, but everything else is just gone. Well, shoot. After a half hour or so, I can smell the carnation and rose again, but they're still drowned out by the honeysuckle, and what I do smell of them is so similar to Alice that I can just wear that if I want to smell like it.

[MaeKitty]

In the Bottle: I was really excited about this scent, as it combines so many of my favourite things in one blend. First sniff reveals fresh velvety dark red rose petals, but close. I can almost feel them against my nose.

On Me: Roses, beeswax, some amber, lily of the valley and honeysuckle, maybe some of the carnation. This is a beautiful and bold rose scent, and is just so perfectly red and ROSE. I love it

[Jilara]

The hyacinth really hits out in front on this one, with a green note right behind it. There's an aura of a spring garden full of bulbs, cool and moist and filled with hyacinth and lily of the valley. The rose is only a vague background waft. As it dries down, the vanilla amber rounds it out, as does the heliotrope, which harmonizes well. It's a little warmer dry, like the spring garden has lost its dew and the sun is bringing out the sweet smells of all the flowers now. Less green, more floral. The hyacinth and lily of the valley are really the stars, all the way through, with the other notes just serving to round them out.

[sanachan1]

Man is this perfume pretty! I'm really liking the Lupercalia scents I've been trying, and I'm debating about putting a serious hurting on my bank account to buy some full size bottles.

 

In the bottle: Green! It smells like the stems of a field full of flowers, with just the faintest whiff of the flowers themselves.

 

On the skin: It starts out with a pretty sharp green scent, but it morphed slowly over a period of maybe an hour and became a lovely floral with a touch of green and something creamy sweet in the background. After a few hours the green pretty much disappeared, and the floral scent became a faint backdrop to the creamy sweetness, which I think is the vanilla and beeswax combined. It's a pretty smell, but I like the floral section more. Still, a very lovely and complex scent, that lasted for AGES. Seriously, I put it on at about 7 am, and it was still going strong by 7 that night. It would be and absolutely perfect spring/summer scent.

[soonyi]

out of the bottle, i am hit with green floral freshness, eyt there is something else in there that prevents it from being completely floral. is it the heliotrope? i dunno what that note is--anyway it is fuckin gorgeous

 

wet, it's a light non-incense version of Noche Buena.

 

dry, hyacinth, lily of the valley and tiger lily are the strong notes. they all seem to ring true on my skin the beeswax seems to come out over time. no rose or carnation in this one for me.