Wensleydale

[edenssixthday]

An immaculately clean scent: well-scrubbed soapy skin and fresh cotton.

Wensleydale - This is the best soap scent I’ve ever encountered. I thought it might smell a lot like Dirty, but it doesn’t. The scent description is dead-on and I can’t get any better at describing it myself. The soap is clean and pure and the skin scent is clean and pure and the cotton smells clean and fresh and it reminds me of a scent I knew many years ago when my nephew was young and I’d put him to bed after he’d just taken a bath. It’s lovely and one of the few scents of its type I will most definitely wear again.

[voodoocatwoman]

Wensleydale is a clean scent. Very pleasant but not remarkable. Freshly laundered cotton sheets, flapping in the breeze, is what this scent evokes for me.

[foxroses]

bottle: so clean! a total shock after putting on crowley! a little herbal or soapy.

just put on its very, very cottony and soft. so nice. soapy but not in a bad way.

soft like skin. i feel a little green but don't smell florals or herbs.

i will definitely wear this!

 

many hours later, it smells just like soft, warm skin. i don't get the cotton much but its still really wonderful. i want my clothes to smell like this after i wash them!

Edited September 7, 2008 by mitsukai

[zankoku_zen]

This basically became dryer sheets on me. Sad, since I was hoping for clean skin. It was definitely clean, and then it was CLEAN. I'm beginning to think that the BPAL linen note and I, well, it loves me but I wish it wasn't so aggressive.

[Suu4LC]

Oof, in the imp this is a very strong herbal soapy smell. A bit more intense and herbal than what I was expecting.

 

It definitely calms down on the skin thankfully. Still, smells kind of like expensive herbal soap that you'd find in a rich person's bathroom next to some of those expensive looking paper towels you aren't really sure if you are supposed to use or not. I also get a bit of that clean linen note underneath the soap.

 

This is alright. As it dries it gets less soapy and more linen/cottony. I can tell it's a fast fader. Kind of pleasant and fresh, but it's not something I would wear. The bpal "clean linen/cotton" note just doesn't do it for me.

[rayvn1]

Dryer sheets in a very good way I personally love the smell of some laundry detergents/dryer sheets, and this is the ultimate cozy one! Fresh and lovely.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

i imagine this would be a particularly American scent - but i could be wrong. i just remember all my friends from overseas, when they'd come visit, would always wonder why all laundry detergents and fabric softeners smelled the same (that was in the 90's and early 00's, mind you, so things have changed a bit since then)

that being said, this smells SO GOOD.

ever since the first time i read the book, Wensleydale was one of my favourite characters.

 

on me, this quickly blossoms into an Ivory soap type scent - but much stronger than any "pure soap" fragrance oil or perfume i've tried before!

i really like it, although it teeters on the brink, like it wants to morph into something lemony or otherwise dealbreaking.... but for now, i'll be adding it to my next Lab order

[PurringPulsar]

Wensleydale

 

In the imp: fresh and clean soap.

Wet on skin: floral soap and fluffy laundered towels.

Dry on skin: now this smells like bubble bath! Soft mounds of bubbles and the floral soapy scent of the bath foam, mixed with lily of the valley soap and rose perfumes, this really is the scent of a bathroom full of luxurious soaps and fluffy towels of fine Egyptian cotton. It’s the scent of soap and laundry, but it is different to Dirty in that this smells warmer and more evocative of soapy bath water than dry linens. There’s something in this scent that reminds me of the hand soaps they have in country hotels and pubs, it’s clean and soapy and approachable, but very traditional in scent as well. the warm clean powdery scent that I get is similar to Delousing Powder.

After a while: this now smells more and more like an ozone scent. less wet soap, less floral bubble bath, and now I smell more of the clean cotton, which, at this point, smells tumble-dried (in that there’s a hint of static to it). it’s a little bit more detergent-like now too.

Verdict: this scent really isn’t my thing. It is soapy, but a little too soapy. Though I rather like how it starts off. it smells like taking a bath with kid’s bubble bath, a slightly neutral floral-based scent, with a wet steamy warmth to it that makes me think of a warm bath and soft towels. I quite like it for a while, I even smell hints of clean musk to it. but then the scent goes way too ozone-y for my likings, and the ozone reacts badly with my skin, turning to the washing powder/tumble dried scent I’m not so keen on. So not really my thing at all. But it is very realistic as a soap scent!

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? not really.

If you like this, try: Dirty, Delousing Powder, Pool of Tears

[Chapanis]

Wensleydale fresh clean soapy perfection! Not to crisp or bright, and not too flowery or soapy. I need a bottle.

 

[AnArtfuldodger]

I expected this to be similar to Dirty, but I was quite surprised to find that it's sweeter. Dirty has a sharper edge, while Wensleydale is much sweeter, but not in a sugary way.

 

It's like a soft scent of liquid detergent that's had a floral scent added, and I absolutely love it! Very soft, not loud at all. Quite like Dove soap, really.

Edited March 18, 2009 by AnArtfuldodger

[caitilarkin]

As previous reviewers have mentioned, this is a lovely blend for those of us who love clean, soapy scents. Wensleydale evokes clean cotton sheets drying on the clothesline in the backyard, the smell of skin just out of a shower with Ivory soap...very soft and innocent. It didn't go lemony or herbal at all on me, and lasted for over twelve hours. This will be another great one for hot weather or long days in stuffy rooms (i.e., at my dismal place of employment).

 

[angelicruin]

My initial impression after sniffing the imp, is it's a milky soap scent.

 

Wet on the skin, herbal soap with a sour milk quality to it.

 

It's that sour note that is keeping me from really enjoying this scent.

[topazphoenix]

I like Wensleydale. It's all soap on my skin, but in this case that's a good thing One of the things that kept me from enjoying Dirty was the overpowering florals. This has a sweet aspect that comes out in the drydown that's lovely and yet more evocative of laundry than flowers, which is nice. Overall it's a very good representation.

[Lavada]

There are some BPALs that only come into their own when you get down and dirty in hot and humid conditions (see Crowley, War, Hell's Belle). Wensleydale is... not one of them.

 

It was really really stinking hot a few days ago, so I decided to give my decant of Wensleydale a whirl. It starts if sharp and clean, but eventually settles into a slightly creamier and muskier sort of soapy. Nice. It doesn't stand hot and sweaty well, at least not with me... but, actually, it really does turn into clean and soapy skin. Just with an emphasis on the 'skin'.

 

Overall, I'd wear it on a hot day if I was in a very well air conditioned igloo. (:

 

Subtle throw, ridiculously long wear length (10+ and a shower later, I could still smell it).

[pandorasmuse]

In the imp: Gentle soap, a bit of cotton. Very clean and light.

 

Wet: DISH SOAP. Nothing but.

 

Drydown: Dish soap and dryer sheets. Clean, yes, but it smells like chores!

 

Later: It smells better after it's been on skin for a while. Floral, but not aggressively so.

 

Eh. It smells quite nice after it dries, but it's still pretty soapy. I don't think I'll be keeping this one. It's nice soap, but it's soap. And dryer sheets. I'd love for my laundry to always smell this good!

[FathomBelow]

This is one of my favorites of all the stuff I got at Sakura-Con!!

 

In the bottle, Wensleydale smells like delicate flowers. Like what white flowers should smell like. Wet on my skin, it's pretty much the same.

During dry down, the cotton note (which smells to me a bit like ozone) comes out just enough to smell but not strong enough to drown out the flowers. This smells like heavenly dryer sheets!

After it dries, the cotton note fades away again and I am left with faint, sweet flowers.

 

I love Wensleydale! I can see where the comparisons with Dirty are coming from, but Wensleydale is a milder, softer, sweeter version of Dirty without the unpleasant astringency Dirty has on my skin. This is a gentle, simple, innocent, baby-clean kind of scent that is a great daytime scent. Like Dirty, it also works for those who don't like to smell perfume-y, and it should be more popular than it is!

[Chiri]

i've just received my first bottle so i'll add a review

 

in the bottle: like being in the back room of a flower shop with no discernible floral scents, just cut green stems. fresh and green.

 

wet: cologne and/or old fashioned perfume. quite strong, aged perfume - vintage. no soapiness just yet.

 

dry: soap, soap, soap! everyday soap, nothing fancy - soap rubbed across the skin. i don't think i get linen at all, i thought i got a tiny tiny hint of floral but it may still have been the soap... soap!

 

i don't use generic white soap in the shower as it's too drying but i do love the fresh and clean association with it, so i like having this without the tightening feel on my skin. i have yet to try "dirty", can't wait to see if i get that linen scent!

[milo]

This really doesn't smell like soap and cotton to me, it's more a strong floral heady soap. The kind that you'd find in a expensive hotel. Too strong for me, I kind of wish I got the cotton. Oh well.

[moonslipper]

I was really looking for a fresh, clean scent for the summer as I work in a dusty, hot, stuffy office. I like musky, sexy scents (Spellbound is a fave) but they're just a wee bit heavy for summer in the workplace. I had tried Dirty but hubby had said too soapy and I thought it was too sharp. After reading all the great, detailed reviews here for Wensleydale, I took a gamble and ordered a 5ml bottle unsniffed! I'm so, so, glad I did. I can't better any of the descriptions here except to add a couple of words of my own. Fresh laundry - soft, neutral soap - clean and sexy. So delicious and the great thing is it lasted for 5 hours in aforementioned office, just mellowing down a bit. I always put scent on my hair and it smelled fresh and crisp all day. It's wonderful. I love it!

[biocarolyn]

Totally as describe. Scrubbed skin, soap and cotton. Clean and crisp. Relative to Dirty, this has more...presence. It is something more than soap- I think of sheets hung on the line, you know? Dirty smells like a bar of soap to me. This is "sheets and people who have been cleaned by a bar of soap." Or something. Refreshing and light.

[sariasister]

This scent is so fresh and clean smelling. I think I get the laundry scent from it more than straight soap, but there's also a bit of a depth to it, at least in the bottle.

 

At the end of the day, there is still a faint whiff on my wrists.

 

This scent is just pleasant. It's simple, clean, basic, and unoppressive.

[LizziesLuck]

Wet: As advertised, a fresh, clean smell. There's something a bit breezy and outdoorsy about it too - like fresh cut grass, but not quite. I like it a lot. It's less sweet than Boober, I think. Different enough that I feel I have room in my collection for both.

 

 

Dry: Yes, this is lovely if you like clean scents (which I never did before, but have a new appreciation for them). This is clean without being aquatic, which I love, as classic aquatics are rather headache inducing on me. Smells a bit like fresh laundry on the clothes line, in the best way possible. Will get a bottle eventually.

[Casablanca]

My laundry but better, Wensleydale is a breezy, pale floral, cottony scent. I get an aquatic hint, like a little clean water. He has none of the cheap or powdery qualities of dryer-sheet smells.

 

I love to wear this next to Cottonmouth on my arm. Cottonmouth's linden blossom, calla lily, passion flower, and narcissus seem to have something in kind with the floral aspect of this blend.

 

I've tried Dirty and Boober, and prefer this one's classy-but-comfy vibe.

[Aveya]

CLEAN.

 

I'm clean now, thank you Wensleydale. It's actually a white floral, aquatic kind of clean. Makes me think of sun-dryed sheets. They don't get that fuzzy warm dryer smell. They get a sort of crisp clean.

 

I'll sniff myself one moment and get an almost cucumer-aloe vibe, then the next moment get MUSK like I literally just inhaled full foamy soap up my nose. It's interesting. If you love the clean smells you'll want to add this. If you don't, this isn't going to magically change and be something new lol.

 

That said, I'm not a huge fan of being so clean. I'ma go roll around in Depraved now, thank you.

[doomsday_disco]

In the decant: Exactly what it says in the description! Fresh cotton and soap.

 

Wet: I am getting a lot of the linen and the soap. It really does smell like well-scrubbed soapy skin and cotton. I am testing this against Boober, and Boober is much softer and more floral with less linen. This is a bright scent.

 

Dry: I can still smell a lot of fresh cotton note and soapy skin. It’s interesting to smell the variations between these clean scents. While Boober features very realistic soap suds, Wensleydale features a bar of soap.

 

Verdict: The scent description is spot on! It’s not something I could see myself wearing, as clean scents aren’t generally something I reach for (and I do prefer Boober over this one), but I am glad that I got to try it.