Mouse's Long & Sad Tale v5

[schackjj]

I don't have the released version of this blend to do a direct comparison, so my impressions are stand alone.

 

In the bottle: Lemon and something sweet. Cake? It's very pretty, anyway. Sniffed it next day, though, and didn't smell any lemon, it was mostly tea and the sweet note.

 

Wet: The lemon note sharpened at first, more like zest than juice or lemon candy, and there was still cake. The lemon retreated within the first half hour. A murkiness was underpinning the scent, perhaps tea and something else. IIRC, the released version is lighter, has more sparkle. This has a somewhat gloomy feel to it. Initially, the throw was amazing; I was walking around in a Mousey cloud for the first 15 minutes

 

Drydown: This is a bit of a morpher. If this Tale were a horse race:

 

Lemon was an early favorite, but just can't go the distance and is falling behind, so you might as well flush those tickets, folks. Cake is in front, followed strongly by Tea. Yes, that's right, folks, I said Tea. But where is Murky Gloom? Oh there he is, you never seem to see him, but he always seems to be lurking, doesn't he? What a dark horse, that one! And here they are coming up the backstretch aaand it's POWDER and SWEETNESS in a photo finish!!!

 

Wearlength: 2-3 hours.

[scrappy]

I have both the released version and the prototype on the same arm to do a direct comparison.

 

The released version is a dry, more incensey scent on my skin. I find the prototype to be a much sweeter scent. I'm going to guess that there is more vanilla/sweet pea in the prototype and I personally like it MUCH better than the released version.

 

 

[fairnymph]

Sniffed: Slightly paler than the released's light gold colour. Something tart-sweet, almost fruity - maybe a soft orange citrus? Slightly creamy, but less strongly vanilla than released. No amber.

 

Wet: Tea! A definite tea note, I'm pretty sure white tea, which is a little 'slick' smelling. Here's it's a little piney and grassy, too, almost like there's a drop of green tea as well - or something like osmanthus, or chrysanthemum - something fresh and Asiatic. Still a little sweet and creamy, but not sure I would call it vanilla - basically this smells nothing like the released version, which I'm testing on my other note - I can't pick out any shared notes.

 

Dry: Okay, I think the fruit note is lemon - but a very sugared lemon, and NOT verbena - but juicy and fruity and edible.There is a vaguely foody/cookie/crust sort of smell - the roommate says 'buttery cake' which I find to be a stretch, but there is something of that nature.

 

Later: Something in this goes a little dry/powdery, so I do suspect an amber - but it's not horribly strong. I get a little musk on the drydown, and overall this sort of reminds me of Dorian, but with a more grassy/bright tea note.

 

Summary: The lemon/fruit (which is almost berryish on me), sugared white/green tea, and light cake note hold well & true on my skin, with an undertone of slightly powdery amber. I prefer it slightly to the released version, but it's still not my thing. Decent throw & longevity.

 

 

[zankoku_zen]

Haha. This totally makes me think of Dorian. It's got a highly sugary tea - perhaps white, maybe a drop of green) and lemon. I also get a hint of white cake. I prefer this version to the released kind. This blend is like Dorian's little sister. Perhaps a tad too sweet for me, but I'd definitely think appropriate for a young girl.

[angelicruin]

Inside the imp, light lemon and sugar fragrance.

 

On my skin, this reminds me of lemon pound cake.

 

The released version is one of my favorite GC blends.

 

I'd say definitely more vanilla in the prototype than the released version and I don't get the lemon note in the released version that I am getting with this prototype.

 

 

[Little Bird]

Mouse's Long & Sad Tale is one of my favorite GC blends, so I was excited to try the prototype version. Plus, the lemon & cake reviews made it sound like something that I would love. Unfortunately, this scent is really pale and barely there at all on my skin, and what I can smell of it isn't that good on me.

 

In the decant and on my skin, this is like a pale sugared tea with a hint of sweet fruit (maybe lemon, maybe citrus, but not strong enough for me to really tell). After a while, it takes on a chemical sharpness that reminds me of harsh lemon cleaning fluid. Sharp lemon and lightly sugared white tea. I have to press my nose against the skin where I applied this to smell anything at all, though. It's not really cakey or foodie on my skin. More like clean tea, sharp chemical lemon, and a hint of sugar. It goes powdery after about five minutes and disappears entirely before it's been on for even fifteen minutes...

 

This doesn't smell anything like the current Mouse's Long and Sad Tale to me (which is rich, sweet vanilla, candied pink floral, and smooth sandalwood-amber on me). I'm glad that this prototype version didn't get released, because the current GC version is gorgeous and perfect. This version is a major letdown for me.

[edenssixthday]

Mouse's Long & Sad Tale v5 - I was excited about the lemon & cake descriptions this was getting, but what I smell is more of the lemon-sugar icing that's often served over a bundt-type cake. It's very sugar and lemony and there's not much else to it, with the exception of something faintly sour in the background, as if it's about to turn on me, but it never does. It remains the scent of slightly sour, sugar-sweet lemon icing throughout the life of the blend.

[saralaughs]

First applied, this is lemon sugar. As in you just took a fresh cut lemon and dipped it into sugar. Quickly, a floral note asserts itself. I'm guessing sweet pea but I could be wrong and it's possible it could be actual lemon blossom itself. Still sweet with the sugar and lemon, I do not get any cake with this but it is creamy-like so maybe some of that or perhaps a bit of vanilla. This is really nice but totally different than the released version, which I love.

[cfrancesca]

On me, this starts off like a slightly creamy, soft melon sugar (maybe watermelon?) with a hint of vanilla, it's very well-blended. I also get a little of lemon, but it doesn't amp on me. Quickly I also start to get some florals (sweet pea!), with a little bit of greenery and maybe a bit of berry, there's also something watery? This is sweet and pretty. It settles into a soft, well-blended, sugary melon/berry floral (sweet pea and maybe a little bit of lily) on my skin. I get a medium throw.

[mymel0dy]

I saw this and since my nickname is mowse(mouse) I wanted it and then I read the reviews and really wanted it.

 

In the bottle I get mostly sweet lemony tea. Almost like a mix of sweet tea and lemonade. The moment it hits my skin the tea becomes cakey and lemon becomes much more floral. More like lemon blossoms than actual lemon. As it dries the floral lemony notes take over and that is pretty much all I get, and that is pretty much how it stays.

 

I much prefer this unreleased version to the released one which does not work on my skin.

[donkehpoo]

Wet: Lemon tea with sweet pea, and maybe a tiny bit of vanilla. Sweet, but not candy-like.

 

Dry: Similar to the wet stage, but less of the "tea" note I was getting with the lemon; I still smell the lemon, but it's more like.. a fresh-cut lemon. The sweet pea and vanilla are still present, with the vanilla smelling just a touch stronger than before.

 

As a lover of lemon scents + the original ML&ST, I'm really happy to have this in my collection. 

[follis]

Decant from someone who has labelled this as version 4. There isn't a thread for 4 so I assume she had incorrectly labelled this?

Smells almost foody initialy. Something lemon/orange and sugar. The released version didn't work for me so I'm excited to try this one. I'm guessing a hint of amber in this and maybe sandalwood (based off the original). As it dries it becomes a little powdery. Much later it morphs again and it's like the blend has become something new and complete. It's creamier here, resinous, and slightly fruity almost in a currant way. Still not love but I do much prefer this to the original. Low throw.