Viola

[themerrybaker]

Gentle tea rose, lilac, Calla Lily, and Somalian Rose layered over golden Peruvian amber, Spanish moss, red sandalwood, rosewood, and myrrh, with the lightest touch of Mandarin.

Viola is very strong rose on me. I like rose, but associate the scent with bath products as opposed to perfume. This one is just not my type.

[WidgetAlley]

Frimp from LUSHarick. Can't thank her enough. I love the character Viola, and I love the description for this one, but rose is pretty much a no-go on me, 24/7, and mandarin turns into weirdly slick, spiced baby powder 99.9% of the time... so testing this is the triumph of optimism over experience. *sigh*

 

In the Imp: Ohh, that's nice. Roses and florals and amber, intertwining gently and creating a very luxurious, clean sort of scent. There's a touch of spa-like mandarin, a bit of earthy moss, and some faint incense, which must be the myrrh and the sandalwood. It reminds me a bit of Baghdad, but more womanly and without the scorching heat. This is so much richer and lovelier than most florals-- I really wish it would work on me. But I'm not getting my hopes up.

 

Wet: Gorgeous, spiced soap. Damn you, rose! It's the nicest soap ever-- and actually, it smells like rose soap rather than just soap-- but it's still.... soapy. Overly clean. Kind of dryer sheety. *weeps* It's really too bad, because every other note seems to be working well (for once, the mandarin's not making a fuss-- probably 'cause it's a bit lost under all the SOAP.)

 

Dry: Rosier and more complex than most rose/soap blends go on me, but still not what I wanted. I'm probably kidding myself, but... I may actually hang on to this and give it another try; if I could just get past the soap, I know it would be gorgeous, and if it just tones down the tiniest bit more, it might be tolerable.

 

[edit] The late, late drydown of this is a soft, second-skin scent that smells like a heavily spiced O. I can still smell it after a shower if I press my nose right up against my wrist. Gorgeous! Viola's so mercurial, it seems, I may just have to keep her.

Edited July 9, 2006 by WidgetAlley

[edenssixthday]

Viola is another gorgeous BPAL rose and lily blend. I love the way BPAL’s roses and lilies swirl around one another in perfect synchronicity! There’s also something just the tiniest bit juicy in the background, like a pinch of fruit juice. As the scent dries down and warms up on my skin, it gains an incredible amount of depth for such an initially soft floral. It’s a beautiful blend and one that I wear fairly regularly.

[czuba]

Procured: Frimp

 

In Imp: Roses!

On Skin, Wet: Lilac, Lillies, and citrus

On Skin, Dry: Soapy roses.

 

Won't be wearing this...swap or give it away.

[spark]

I'm trying Viola from quite an old imp, and perhaps that is the problem. I am a rose junkie, and this has rose... but it's sort of a pale watery rose. Viola requires quite a heavy hand for me to smell much of anything, and when I do it only reminds me of a paler version of Zombi -- rose and moss. Not worth keeping.

[PurringPulsar]

Viola

 

In the imp: tangy mandarin with roses and other florals, hints of wood, resin…a complex, rich scent!

Wet on skin: mmm, this is nice. The mandarin is nice and tart, with the roses and florals following…

Dry on skin: this is gorgeous! Predominantly rose, enhanced by rich lily, a hint of citrus, and with a lovely background of woods, amber, myrrh and a little hint of moist moss. This is such a pretty scent, very feminine and grand, with a lovely complexity to it. It's almost traditional smelling but also with an innovative mix of different notes behind the florals.

After a while: moss, lily and lots of rose are the dominant notes after a while, there's a slight greenish quality surrounding the rich floral notes, but I can also make out the dry fragrant woods underneath, maybe a hint of sweet amber gilding it all. Very pretty.

It's much greener and mossier after a few hours. Not as complex and rich as it was before. Very moss-rose at the end.

Verdict: at first, I was delighted by the rich rosy scent accented by a complex and diverse range of notes like amber, moss, woods, myrrh and lily. It had something almost traditional to it but not old fashioned. A very feminine scent with a nice depth to it. over time it became greener and more mossy with hints of rose, though not as glorious as the first stage. I'll keep the imp but I don’t know if I'll get a bottle.

Emoticon rating:

If you like this, try: Thanatos, Sepulchre, Three Brides, Zombi

Edited September 28, 2006 by yeahbutnobut

[theseagrows]

this smells lovely on me, but it's not really me so much. i think i am mostly getting the tea rose and lily with a hint of rosewood and amber. however, i am not the best at picking out notes, so who knows

 

it's a sweet, creamy white floral mostly, and smells very similar to other white florals i've tried. i think perhaps my skin amps the lily, and they all end up smelling similar because of it. definitely a pretty floral though!

[steffanina]

Viola-

 

In Bottle: Lily-floral and I think there's a bit of the sandalwood there.

 

Wet: A bit of aggressive, exotic spice--is that the amber?

 

Dry: Sadly, this is a fairly nondescript floral for me. Florals are frequently a little dull for me. Not the scent's fault.

 

Overall: Not for me.

[supremegoddessofall]

Fairly generic floral, mostly rose. Innocuous and nothing special, but pretty.

 

Score: 3 out of 5

[Babylon]

I can't really smell anything but the rose, lilac and lily. Disappointingly, the sandalwood and moss don't ever make an appearance, leaving Viola too floral for my tastes.

[Medici]

In the imp: Lilac, tea rose and calla lily.

 

Wet: Mostly calla lily, slightly powdery with a touch of green. The lilac starts coming up strong during the drydown.

 

Drydown: Lilac and baby powder.

 

Damnit. Baby powder!

 

That's a no-go. It usually doesn't happen with florals, but Viola seems to have taken the downswing into powdery fluff with my chemistry.

 

Started pretty, though.

[PirateMaggie]

I really wanted to love the perfume Viola as much as I love the character from Twelfth Night, and wet I did: the rose is balanced by the lily and lilac, the amber is golden and not at all powdery, and the sandalwood and rosewoods ground everything out. Unfortunately my skin's tendency to amp rose and turn it into powdery soap took over as it dried down; it became too cloyingly floral for my tastes. It is pretty, but not for me.

[phedre]

In vial: Like everyone else, I get tons of lilac, rose, and lily, but also some of the woods to keep it grounded.

 

On skin: a burst of wood. Tons of rose, with the lilac almost disappearing. Very floral still, maybe a little too much so.

 

Drydown: this has taken a turn for the worse. Rotting flowers. Off to the swaps with it!

[addictedtotea]

The rose and lily scents are the strongest notes on me. I really like this; it's feminine and floral, but with a strong "bite" to it.

 

The scent of Viola makes me think of something a teacher or authority figure would wear. It clearly says, "I am a nice, easygoing, well-mannered lady. However, should you attempt to screw with me, it will be your LAST mistake. *Sweet smile.*" I've already ordered a bottle of this one.

[Joke]

I love Viola. I'm really upset dh thinks it stinks .

I get a very warm gentle rose scent that lasts for quite some time on me.

Dh thinks it's an old lady's perfume and altho I have to admit I do get a little bit grandmother's batroom from this, I think it's nice and sweet and I'll continue wearing it.

[cranberry]

In the imp: rose, flowers, but tempered and softened

 

On the skin: mainly a soft rose mixed with some other flowers. The resins and woods soften and moderate the flowers, adding a richness and sensuality to the blend. It’s a quiet scent and it stays close to the skin. This is really pretty scent, soft and gentle. I doubt that I’d wear it much but I’ve enjoyed trying it.

[Musamea]

in imp: tea rose that's slightly lighter than London

 

wet: initially it's all the roses, then the rosewood makes itself known to give a slightly drier overtone to the scent, quite like the wet stage in Come to Me

 

dry: sharp and somewhat department store perfumey, eventually grows into a softer rose overlaid with earthier notes -- the amber and moss, I think. Very pretty, second-skin kind of scent. I like the amber in this extreme drydown, and my skin definitely amps it, but the stages it takes to get there are a little too sharp and headache-inducing for me. Swaps it is.

[GoldenRubee]

I really wanted to love this because of the name. This is a no-go for me. The instant I opened the imp it was rose, rose, rose and more rose and an instant migraine for me. This one will be given to my daughter who likes roses!

[lapillus]

In bottle: Fruity floral

 

Wet: very light fruity floral with some amber and wood

 

Dry: almost completely fades out

 

Later: comes back a little but not much, which is too bad because what there is of it is very pretty.

 

Summary: I’ll use up the imp happily (possibly all in one go), but it’s too weak to make me want more.

[little_galaxie]

This one smells a *lot* like Queen Mab to me. Rich purple florals and strong spices. Purple florals = good and spice = mostly good, but together they're a mess on my skin. I tend to amp up both categories, and they just duke it out until I have to wash it off. The thing is, there aren't even any spices in here, and I love love love the florals so much!

Edited March 14, 2007 by little_galaxie

[Meg]

In the bottle: Definitely rose and a little bit of mandarine, and woods.

 

Wet: Ooh, mandarin and myrrh, an interesting combination. Spanish moss starts taking over.

 

Drydown: An earthy, slightly woody scent comes out - I can clearly smell the elegant rosewood and the rougher sandalwood, with some spanish moss. Rosewood really starts to dominate the blend, with hints of rose coming over it. Mandarin has disappeared.

 

Overall: This is a very subtle, warm and elegant blend. On me the woods dominate, along with rose, and it just smells like an elegant ray of sunshing, it's vary radiant and grounding. A very pretty blend.

[Pika]

In the bottle: Oh, yes! A beautiful rosy, but complex, floral smell.

 

Wet on skin: Lovely, like a spring garden, I think of lilacs, daffodils, hyacinth... a good antidote for the snow outside right now... Very light, springy, feminine, but not too cloying.

 

A little while later... Stays light and pleasant, feels livelier than a classic floral, but still very elegant.

 

Much later... Does fade considerably, but never got unpleasant, and felt so classy and refreshing to wear.

 

I like this one a LOT! It must be the other ingredients that lend the flowers depth, the earthiness, sandalwood, mandarin and such. A great perfume for work and day wear. I think I'll make a light spray out of it too, so I can get a light spritz when I need it.

 

ETA 6/2/08: I have a bottle of this now, and love it. It's the only true "floral" from BPAL that I've fallen in love with. Some days the rose gets pretty heavy, but unlike other rose-blends, Viola is never in danger of going soapy or powdery on me. The balance of bright mandarin, the golden amber, and grounding woods is so perfect on my skin. I get sad when I read other reviews of how this went so bad on people, because I love it and am afraid of the day it might go away!

Edited June 2, 2008 by Pika

[widdershins]

What a pleasant surprise Viola is! I received an imp of this in my order and I was a little timid about using it, because any kind of amber and sandlewood tends to disagree with me. The rose and lilac notes are wonderfully rounded out and the warmth from the woodsy notes actually make it very sophisticated. The amber and sandlewood lingers gently in the background and surprise! I actually love it. I might have to pick up a 5ml of this.

[rainbow]

A very pretty, powdery floral on me. The entire time I was wearing this I was thinking jasmine. I was actually shocked to look at the notes and see that there was no jasmine. I'm guess what I must be smelling is lily? In any case, a lovely floral blend- lots of flowers without being too heavy, and lovely for spring/summer.

[wikkidraven]

far too much rose, with a hint of lillies. i'm far too picky about rose scents, and this is one that doesn't work for me. off to swaps.