Zephyr

[chai_girl]

Zephyr -- A gentle white scent, breezes laced with the scent of springtime blooms and citrus. Lemon, lemon verbena, neroli, white musk, white florals, white sandalwood, China musk, bergamot and a drop of vanilla.

In the bottle: yummm...soft, light with some high notes without being florally


On the skin: I'm still liking this. It almost...almost...reminds me of that sweet honesty perfume I used to wear as a teenager...but this has a bit of something that makes this not so innocent. Definitely a lighter springtime scent.


After about 30 minutes: Fading into a soft lemony, musky kind of scent. Very soft and feminine. It is beginning to fade a bit, but that may be because I only put the smallest drop on my wrists. If I were to were this all day, it would probably need freshening after a couple of hours, but definitely worth it... Edited September 17, 2007 by clover

[antimony]

Too bad I don't like white floral scents.

 

This is very delicate, very pretty.

 

This was one of those scents that didn't "turn" or do anything nasty, in fact if I smelled this exact scent on someone else, I'd be enchanted. But this just isn't me. It's girly, it's delicate, it's demure. I'm, well... not.

 

Though the lemon and vanilla are a nice touch that really make this a much prettier scent then your average department store floral perfume.

[ipb]

i raided my mom's imps this morning and picked this one... it turned into a lightly citrusy powder on me pretty much straight from the bottle, and it stayed like that all day. pleasant, and i'll probably order my own imp ear, but i'm not gonna go for a bigger bottle. i think it'd be a good summery or spring perfume, which is why i'll order my own, but it's still winter here (though the latest dump of snow is mostly melted now)

[Shollin]

I’m doing Zephyr backwards because I put it on in the few seconds I was home today before dashing off to work, so I wore it before I had a chance to sniff it in the vial.

 

Wearing: Very white musk – warm and soft and bright and very slightly sweet. It’s a heavier scent than I expected, and seemed to stay true all night (though I didn’t really have much time to pay attention to it; what with Golf Hell coming up we’re insanely busy at the paper).

 

Not-really-first sniff: There’s more of a fruity undertaste to the scent on the wand than there is on my skin. It’s definitely not a food scent, but it made me hungry when I put it on, and it’s having the same effect now. OK, having looked it up, there’s vanilla in it, and that always makes me hungry – obviously my stomach recognises these notes better than my nose does.

 

I like this one a lot more than I expected to - sandalwood in the ingredients still makes me a bit nervous, and from the list of notes it seems like it should be full-on citrus overload, but on me I didn't smell fruit at all, and it wasn't floraly either. Just very warm and very white - even though those two qualities seem like they'd be a contradiction.

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: Oh wow. This is just gorgeous. I'm a huge fan of sandalwood, and the lightly sweet lemon scent really makes this sandalwood special.

 

Wearing: With new scents, I always test just on my wrists prior to slathering everywhere. Unfortunately, I didn't follow that routine with Zephyr. I liked it so much after a half hour, I reapplied everywhere and skipped off to work. One hour later I think I'm smelling someone's deodorant. I keep getting whiffs of Secret Solid until I eventully figure out that it is ME! Sometimes I hate my body chemistry.

 

Final Impressions: I may have to see if I can't use this somewhere else - linen spray, room scent, whatever. It is just too pretty to leave alone.

[jj_j]

The notes on Zephyr that I usually have issues with were really well behaved the three times I tested this, "just to be sure." White sandalwood is definitely the good cousin, while regular sandalwood is the tough one who shakes your hand so roughly at family reunions it hurts for the rest of the day.

 

It's not heavy on the lemon verbena, by the way; this is delicate, pale lemon yellow, but it's not really lemony. The green, slightly powdery note that's underneath Unseelie is back in this one, and it's fantastic in this role as a clump of dried prarie grass waving in the breeze. White musk and vanilla are a nice addition, too ... this becomes more and more drool-inducing as the wearing goes on.

 

I'd like to know what the China Musk smells like - I may have to order an Imp to find out - because the others are all tied together with something airy and cloud-like, and that's not usually the kind of note that does that particular job. Regardless, it's light and lush, soft and full of strength, and very feminine without being foofy. Not lace and ruffles, but more like bottling Drew Barrymore's sense of fashion.

[Scylla]

Got my first order today! Unfortunately, my imp's ear of Zephyr was broken at the top of the vial, but it still had about 1/2 of the precious contents in it. As such, this is the one I had to test first.

 

At first whiff...it reminded me of Coppertone suntan lotion. I can also smell why someone else mentioned Sweet Honesty.

 

On drydown...the sharp "Sweet Honesty" note (which I believe is neroli) is gone, and it has faded down to a lovely, soft white floral with citrusy accents with a hint of musky powder.

 

This would definitely be a good spring or summer perfume, and will definitely be on my "10 ml list."

 

This turned out to be my favorite of all the imps I ordered.

Edited April 14, 2004 by Scylla

[TygherRayn]

Received this in a swap .. and oh so glad I did .. it was on my list anyway, and now I know why.

 

In the bottle it's very light, very sweet. I can catch the vanilla, and the lemony scents, but little else. I don't think I really notice the sandlewood then.

 

When I put it on though, it warms a bit to my skin, so it's not everyly fruity or light. It's got a muskiness I really like. The vanilla is yummy, not sticky sweet and overpowering. It doesn't even seem overly floral to me .. just light and crisp. Like .. well .. like linens dried in the sunlight .. almost. But that nice. That crip and clean-smelling.

 

It has lasted a good while too .. it's now about 8 hours after I applied, and it's still there. As with most scents, I find myself constantly sniffing my wrist, loving the subtle changes .. and it's not different with this one. And it's a good thing.

[Ms. MSGirl]

This is a quite unexpected one for me to like. It smells like clean laundry when I put it on, very soapy and with a incensey twinge that made it almost sharp, so I wasn't sure about it at first. It had a "generic BPAL" kind of smell on me, kind of like lots of the other "clean" ones I've worn and kind of like my box of imps.

 

Intermittently, I catch some lemon wafting from my wrists which is nice. And then, about 30 mins. after putting it on, I smelled the most gorgeous sweet smell and literally thought "WHAT is THAT, THAT is the BPAL vanilla scent I've been looking for," and lo and behold it was on my wrists, the drydown on this is an absolutely lovely pure vanilla.

 

I would recommend this as a "clean" scent for people who don't like florals, and a way to wear vanilla for people who don't like blatantly sweet and foody smells. I will definitely finish my imp on the days I feel like a less girly, fresher scent. This would also be extremely interesting on a guy!

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: Another gorgeous clean white floral from our Lab Goddess.

 

Second Impression: If Queen Mab had a king, Zephyr would be it. The musk is more prominent as is the sandalwood maiking this a more masculine scent.

 

Final Analysis: I adore anything musky and this is the clean light side of musk. As Ms. MSgirl stated, this would be extremely interesting on a man. It's well balanced and just a little sexy.

[Astarte]

This is wonderful! On me it smells like a hardcore version of Johnsons Baby Powder, the white musk is enchanting and the vanilla is so endearing. The sandalwood makes for an interesting counterpart.

 

I am so ordering a 10ml of this for the summer.

[Vaniclion]

Lemon verbena and white musk. This just must be the key for me. I love it in Phobos and I love it in Zephyr, although here it's darker and muskier... must be the china musk. I'm also getting the florals coming through, which I like because it's not FLORAL... just floral. Perhaps bergamot, which I know I like I just can't remember what it smells like. Anyway... this scent smells blue to me. Dark, rich velvety blue. Star Sapphire, there we go. It's deep and rich, and I thoroughly enjoy it. The first time I wore this, Tygher Salice and I all wore it to go to a concert. We were all sniffing each other's wrists all night. What's so funny is that it really was different on all of us, so... I guess it's one you have to try to find out about for yourself.

[any_old_actress]

FIRST SNIFF: white flowers with a kick of lemon

 

WEARING IT: the sandalwood and vanilla come out more with the lemon and white flowers fading in the background. i can still smell the lemon though, which makes this scent truly a unique one.

 

FINAL VERDICT: i really love this scent and find it extremely feminine, will definitely use my imp

[isyche]

When I tried this, all I could smell was the same bitter/sharp note that disagreed with me in Succubus - which I have deduced must be neroli. No vanilla or lemon or floral, just that. Oh well.

[shriekingviolet]

Initial Impression:

Light, sweet and pale. Suggestions of lemon, vanilla and something else...

 

After Wearing It:

First on this smells like a clean sweet breeze, very faint traces of lemon topped with sweet flowers and vanilla. It was utterly enchanting in its light, airy texture.

 

However the sweet vanilla edge faded back pretty quickly, while the lemon note gained more strength. It was still light and fresh, but I missed the sweeter edge. I got bored pretty quickly. I was in a pretty decadent mood that day, having gotten tarted up that day for fun, and wearing Zephyr (which felt like the "anti-perfume" on me at this point) just was suiting my mood. I ended up layering O over this because I just felt rather naked wearing such a light scent that day.

 

Final Thoughts:

Might have to try this again, but seeing as how I do generally prefer heavier blends this probably isn't for me. I'll probably keep the imp though as it smells like it'd make a lovely linen spray.

[pekeana]

In the bottle -- Zephyr is floral and musk, with a high astringent note that almost hits the cool stinging feel of denatured alcohol.

 

On my skin -- wow, the musk is all there, with some floral slowly creeping up and making itself known. The almost-alcohol scent is there, stinging around the edges though.

 

Dry -- there's a sweet vanilla and lemon scent trying to overpower the almost-alcohol smell, and the musk is taking a back seat to... Call me crazy, but I smell like a spiced orchid.

 

I like this, but I'm not sure if it's going to work well for me. That almost-alcohol scent is really kind of turning me off. Obviously, my body chemistry is strange.

 

 

ETA: Ouch. This oil lasted 30+ hours on my skin. It faded into nothing but musk, and I tried to wash it off with everything from fels-naptha soap to an alcohol-laden cotton ball. Nothing got it off, and I had to wait till it wore off in order to apply another oil. I lost count at 30 hours, but it was still going strong.

Edited July 14, 2004 by pekeana

[hypothermya]

This was given to me by the generous folks at the lab in my last order. Coincidentally, this had been on my wishlist for a while, and I was really interested in seeing what this would be like. I've tried Embalming Fluid, which has similar notes, but I had no clue what a lemon/vanilla/musk scent would smell like on me.

 

First Impression

 

Hm. The lemon scent is there, as is the vanilla, but there are two scents that jump out at me beyond that: the bitter scent of neroli (I can recognize this one from Succubus, and others) and the scent of sandalwood. I'm beginning to think that I don't have a fondness for either, straight from the bottle. They just seem harsh. But I love lemon, and when I still had room to garden, the lemon verbena was my favorite plant -- I'd cut off pieces to put in vases with flowers, just for the scent. So hopefully my skin chemistry will bring that part out.

 

Wearing It

 

My skin is just amplifying the sandalwood! It's really amazing. And every time I get a whiff of it, I'm reminded of this delicate carved fan made out of sandalwood that my father gave me for Christmas one year. After a couple of minutes, it mellows down a lot, and starts to smell like a beautiful white floral with a splash of lemon and sandalwood. The musk is beautifully subtle, and the florals are rounded out by a sweetness -- I'm assuming this is the vanilla.

 

The longer I wear this, the more it seems like a seamless blend... As if there could be a singular flower that had a scent laden with vanilla and lemon and sandalwood. It's a very light scent, and not too overpowering (like Dragon's Blood or Wanda or some of the other BPAL scents when you sniff them up close). This scent doesn't seem to last very long on my skin though...

 

Hmm. I do like this. But I don't think I like it as much as Embalming Fluid, nor as much as Whitechapel. Embalming Fluid is a lot less floral, and a lot less woody. Whitchapel has the floral, but it retains the citrusy bite of lime (which I enjoy). While Zephyr still has that lovely sweet lemon scent that I enjoy in Embalming Fluid, and a more exotic musk than either Embalming Fluid or Whitechapel, I think that it's a bit too sweet/floral for my tastes. Eitherway, I think it's lovely... And if anyone's looking for a slightly oriental white floral, and is a fan of vanilla, I'd really recommend this. I think that I'll be trying Yuki-Onna, though, for a sandalwood & lemon scent.

[VelvetSky]

An absolutely amazing fresh, white floral. Clean without being soapy, sweet without being cloying.

 

When I first applied Zephyr from the imp, I was worried about the vanilla, which is one note that does not generally agree with my chemistry. I can faintly detect it, but it's blended so skillfully with the florals and the lemon, it's not turning weird on me. The neroli is just beautiful in this blend as well.

 

The sandalwood comes out really slowly for me in this. I don't really get the sandalwood until the very bottom of the scent

 

Zephyr goes on my big bottle list!

[Electra]

This is quite masculine on me. I smell no lemon or vanilla. I do wear men's cologne occasionally, but this one smells too much like deodorant soap for my liking .

[ViolentKitten]

First on, this so very clean with the lemon and white and China musks, and the neroli giving it a slight powderiness. It’s almost a bit much, like I just toppled out of the clothes dryer with a full box of dryer sheets. I also get a hint of a manly deodorant at this point too. After an hour or so though, it begins to soften to a light and fresh lemon musk, and another hour after that, the lemon and musk are still there, but vanilla is peeking through with the white sandalwood. I think that’s what makes this scent for me, that lovely white sandalwood. It’s now a gorgeous soft pale yellow skin scent, the warmth of it radiating from me. It’s beautiful and soothing and each time I put it on, I see a warm, deep blue sky and Zephyr is the fluffy clouds drifting lazily across it.

 

PS: This is what I thought Creative Scentualizations Perfect Veil would smell like, PV doesn’t seem to come to life as well as this one does, and it lasts longer too.

[TheDarkMother]

Ok, even before I open the imp, I am having an argument in my head. One part is going "Lemon Verbena always turns to bright lemon candy on you, and I think I've had just about enough of that. Put it back into the cabinet and pick another imp!" and the other half is going "Vanilla smells gorgeous on us and always comes through the most! Don't just put it on, SLATHER it! I LOVE me some vanilla!"

 

So, I guess I better at least try the imp before one of them shoots the other one.

 

In The Bottle: Zephyr is definately "purfumey". There is a light hint of lemon, but I think that the white musk is coming through more, giving it that "normal purfume" smell. I can certainly smell the vanilla glowing in the bottle there. So far, I love the smell. I'm cringing and putting it on my wrists now.

 

On Me: WOAH! NO LEMON SMELL!! I smell vanilla glowing on my skin again! In the background there is a distinct smell of white musk, and the two together are just blending perfectly.

 

Uhoh....a hint of lemon in the background. :Pushes the lemon down: Stay down!! Stay down!! This isn't your turn!! Its not so much lemon candy right now either, it is a light lemon fragrance. As long as it stays that way, we should be good.

 

Wait...the lemon must be playign peek-a-boo because I smell vanilla glowing again. No more lemon. And...now its coming back again all faint like. Its a lemon hunt! But, the white sandalwood is escorting it so it doesn't get out of control. The vanilla is still rocking the forefront!

 

I'm loving this! Pure love! I see a big bottle in the future for me!!

[Mandarin]

I got this in a swap, and like most of the swaps I've gotten as opposed to the ones I order, this is bloody magnificent.

 

First out of the bottle it's lemony-clean, like crushing a handful of lemon verbena in your hands and taking a deep breath while it's still wet. The vanilla's there, to sweeten and round things a bit but it's not on the forefront. The musk is hanging back, maybe waiting for it's musical cue.

 

On my skin:

 

Oh..oh..this is *beautiful*. Soft and feminine and powdery and just mmmm..it's lemon and musk and vanilla and nothing's 'bigger' or more than any other and the lemon's staying present, and not disappearing into the musk and vanilla as usually happens. I'm in love, this is so sophisticated and girly and clean. It's femme-y without having to try so damn hard, which is what I didn't like about Glasya.

 

I wore a bit of it yesterday, the barest trace and I was still catching tiny whiffs and thinking 'what is that' hours later. Now I've put it on, and I feel gloriously clean and sweet and smelling wonderful. Thank you Beth, for this and thank you my swapee, who kindly let me buy da BIG bottle. YES! ::does the happy dance::

[Lucretia]

First time I tried this I was not impressed. I can't remember why, but it smelled a bit to incency for me. Luckily I tried it again and now I really like it.

It smells like a warm wind that has somehow managed to pick up vanilla along the way. It is very much a comforting scent to me as I get all vanilla and musk and no lemon.

To me this is a very feminine musk.

Edited September 14, 2004 by Lucretia

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: Light spring fragrance. As I inhale I hear the Red Hot Chili Peppers song in my head. Fly away on my zephyr. Neroli, verbena, sandalwood and white florals. Very pretty and feminine.

 

On me: Smells a bit soapy to me. If this was a shape it'd be round...there's nothing sharp about this at all. It's a very mellow, peaceful fragrance. Something that reminds me of gardenia – perhaps that's one of the white florals? - musk and sandalwood mingle in this. It makes me feel very, very calm.

[omly]

It is interesting that some mentioned that they found Zephyr to be a quite feminine scent. To me it seems gender-neutral bordering on masculine, though that may in part be because I got little to no florals when I was wearing it.

 

I love lemon and lemon verbana. Bergamot and vanilla are both pretty high on my list of favorite single notes... But the musk took over This becomes almost a pure musk note on my skin with some added sweetness from the neroli.