Alice

[messiahcomplex]

Curiouser and curiouser. Milk and honey with rose, carnation and bergamot.

The initial scent in the bottle was a sweet (almost cotton candy sweet) scent the melted into a honeyed flora. There are undertones of milk but nothing too sharp.

On my skin the scent is a bit musty--a bit like an old bookshop, that dries into a waft of sweet baby power. Not bad, but it smells entirely different in the bottle. Edited May 3, 2010 by Shollin

[ahoythere]

In the Bottle: It smells wonderful! Sweet and clean and the honey (I think) is wonderfully bright, though now I'm thinking it's a lot more like clean lemon. It smells like pure lemon candy sugar (from the bergamot) or maybe even lemon drops. I'm getting only the barest of florals. I hope it stays this way!

 

Wet: Wow, I've only ever had bergamot in Earl Grey, which I'm not too fond of. The bergamot note here, however, is nicely different! Bergamot is definitely the top note, followed by milk. I'm wishing there was more milk and definitely more honey, since I can't even smell it. I'm getting a hint of florals, which seems to be more musky and muddled than strong and sharp. It's all very light and close to the skin.

 

Dry-down: Half an hour later and damn, the bergamot is too sharp. It's no longer a light, lemony note but deeper, more mature. That citrus note is making it start to get a bit soapy on me. I'm finally starting to pick up a bit of the honey, but it's not strong enough, unfortunately. Ew, ten minutes later and it's gone completely soapy.

 

Final Thoughts: It became so painfully soapy I had to wash it off. Dang. Mo' honey, plz!

[LaurenO]

I expected to love this, and I do, but it's very different from how I thought it would be.

 

In the imp: honey, with something else that's a little fresher and zingier.

 

Wet: It's kind of smoky - I totally didn't expect this. I actually didn't really know what carnations smelled like before I tried this, and I'm pretty sure that what I'm reading as smoky is actually the spiciness of the carnations. Honey is still very present, though. I think I get some rose too, but it's not strong.

 

Dry: Mostly honey with bergamot peeking out from the background. The milk in this isn't very strong on me. The whole thing is just lovely and well blended.

 

I need a bottle of this! Preferably more than one, in fact.

[skylarkza]

In the imp: Rose, HONEY and another flower. Hmmmm.

 

Wet: Rose and milky, sweet tea.

 

Dry: In Japan there is Royal Milk Tea, which is a sweet, mlky tea bought in the shops and is cold in summer and hot in winter. In spring, they brought out a seasonal variation that was Sakura (cherry blossom) flavoured. THIS smells like that if it were rose instead of cherry blossom.

 

A while later: A good 8 hours later, my skin smells like Royal Milk Tea (not the special flavour, just the normal one). Exactly. Wonderful. Except now I WANT Royal Milk Tea and you can't get it here. Oh well.

[Venneh]

Got this as a tester in a recent swap. I'm getting a milky scent in the imp, along with sweetness and what I think is tea. Again, I think I'm going to go with an imp to test it further.

[arsenicsauce]

Wet this has a strongly fruity roundness that I didn't expect. It fades quickly, and what's left is sweet honey with a powdery spice of carnation over it. The milk note fortunately is absent, as bpal's milk note goes very sour on me, and in fact two hours later it still hasn't shown up. This is less foody than it sounds, I'm not sure why. Throw is very minimal but it stays on a long time.

[theandorran]

In the bottle: I was both cautious and optimistic to try this, because honey and bergamot are just some of my favorite things. But then... anything overly floral and I run for the hills... Not because it necessarily smells bad, but because they never seem to fit with my scent "personality." Luckily for me, I don't really get florals from this. In the bottle, it's sweet and citrusy and yummy. Like Earl Grey with lemon.

 

Wet: On my skin, it's more or less the same as in the bottle, but slightly creamier. That, I'm guessing, is the milk coming through.

 

Dry: Ahh, on the dry-down, everything really starts to come together. Alice is sweet and creamy and citrusy, with a hint of spiciness (carnation?) and yet girliness (the rose?). I don't really pick up the notes of the florals, but more of a feel that they give the scent, just a touch of sweetness and femininity that makes it really lovely.

 

I have to consider whether I want a big bottle of this or just want to hoard imps. HMMM.

[distracts]

In the bottle this smells gross to me. Very floral and aquatic and I loathe floral aquatics.

 

Wet on my skin it smells a little bit warmer, but still sort of icky and watery. As it dries, the tang of bergamot comes out with something else spicy that I assume is the carnation and honey. And, surprise surprise, it turns into something fabulously sweet and spicy that is probably one of my top ten BPAL scents. I think I may be getting something far spicier than most other reviewers are. It smells to me a tiny bit like Diary of a Lovestruck Teenaged Cannibal in that it's similarly sharp and spicy and delicious. But UNLIKE that one, it doesn't make me sneeze! I barely smell anything powdery at all, not even from farther away.

 

On me this has pretty fantastic throw and lasts quite a while, though it washes off much more easily than most BPAL scents do on me, meaning I have to be careful when washing my hands not to rinse it off my wrists!

 

And actually, I JUST NOW realized what this smells like to me - a hair pomade I used in high school as my on-the-go because it came in a tiny bottle that fit in my purse! It was hot pink and super-goopy and smelled amazing, and whenever I used it people would tell me I smelled fantastic. Alice is a little milkier and less sharp, but generally the same scent.

[Sawasdee]

Mmm.. what a pretty floral. Unfortunately, I don't get much of the honey or milk, just a hint of creaminess to the spicy carnation and innocent soft rose. Upon the drydown it does turn a bit powdery, which is what keeps me from buying a 5ml, but I will definitely use up my imp.

 

[Acushla]

Out of the bottle: I'm getting a somewhat fruity smell I can't place, possibly cherry, with this creamy/powdery softness around it like a cherry in a bowl of milk.

 

Upon application: the florals really kick in and become an almost spicy powder.

 

Drydown: still quite powdery and (to my nose) old-fashioned, like something Alice Liddell might have worn. It's very sweet on me, which I'm not fond of. Towards the end it picks up that subtle spiciness again and smells sort of homey and comfortable.

 

Overall I'm not so sure how I feel about this one. I'd like to give it another go but I think the sweetness is just too much for me, and it might be a bit too "old"-smelling.

 

 

[girlinredshoes]

A lovely creamy scent in the bottle, that immediately went from spicy (love!) to soapy (no!). Need to go wash it off.

[reynardine]

From the creamy fruity scent in the bottle to the roses 'n' cream w/ a touch of something citrus after two hours, Alice is PURE WIN. Those who like florals and fruits should give this one a try!

[fairestrocza]

In the Imp: sweet, creamy, a little bit spicy

 

Wet on Skin: a bit spicier than it is in the imp, less creamy. If the spice is coming from the carnation, I love carnation.

 

While Drying: I don’t smell any rose, and the honey is well hidden - maybe adding just a touch of sweetness but not nasty like it usually is on me; I think I am getting mainly carnation and milk; a friend says it smells like 'the holidays.'

ETA: Coming back to this with a more sophisticated nose, the rose is there, lending a slight lemony scent while wet.

 

After a Little While: there is a very subtle floral aspect, but more in a supporting role - the main focus is on the foody side of the equation, but not blatantly so; the spice has died down.

 

Later: Just a subtle, mellow, creamy blend with the barest hint of spice. Not much throw. Comforting. I like it.

 

Final Thoughts: I liked this one much more than I expected that I would. A good scent for days where I want something comforting and not overpowering.

Alice earns a 4/5

 

ETA: I didn't think I was in love with this scent, but it got into my head... My original tests were from an imp that was a year or two old. I finally ordered one for myself, and was surprised to find an entirely different scent in the lab-fresh imp. The good news is that fresh or aged, this is fantastic. Fresh, carnations and bergamot dominate (with an emphasis on the carnation). Unfortunately, it was the creamy, spicy tea scent that I was craving. Luckily, I was able to talk my friend out of her aged imp to keep me going while I wait for my bottle and my fresh imp to age. With age, the carnation becomes more spicy and less floral, the bergamot switches from bright to tea-like, and the creaminess comes out and supports the whole in a delicious cloud.

Edited March 18, 2010 by Rocza

[papermaker]

This started as super sweet. then in about two minutes it calmed down. Once calm there was milk, and slightly spicy carnation. It goes a smidge powdery until the rose makes its appearance, and helps the powderiness vanish. This is a very innocent scent. Much like Alice herself.

[LadyLuckless]

Starts as a sorta-semi-pleasant powder/cherry/flower confusion, then turns into essence of bug spray. No thanks.

[atyourcervix]

Starts as a sorta-semi-pleasant powder/cherry/flower confusion, then turns into essence of bug spray. No thanks.

 

to me it smelled like bug spray right out of the bottle. I'm beginning to think BPAL isn't for me..

 

ADDED Jan. 4:

 

okay, I was a little quick to reply seeing as I tried it right when I got it in the mail. perhaps it was too cold.

 

in the bottle: really sweet, not in the cotton candy way, but not in the bad way either. and the slightest hint of bug spray.

 

wet: same, with some talcum powder.

 

dry: BRUT??? man, my chemistry is insane.

[ami226]

On the skin: Sweet and feminine. I am definitely getting a creamy floral. It reminds me of this rose gelato I loved in Italy. I think this is very tasty!! I don't remember liking it this much the last time I tested this imp.

[SophieCedar]

In imp: sweet milky with slight floral. I can smell the bergamont.

 

Wet: very sweet, very milky and the carnation popped right out. The bergamont is still there.

 

Drydown: ok so my chemistry didn't like the whole innocence idea so it morphed it into a floral. I totally lost the sweetness and it's just creamy carnation with a citrus waft at this point. Kinda soapy.

 

Cute, but my skin had other ideas and rejected it.

[changeling]

In the bottle: Sweet with an edge

 

Wet: Milk and honey and flowers. Light and a little sweet but fun.

 

Dry: Alice veered toward soap but steered away as the spicy carnation note came out. It is a lovely, honeyed milk-and-spicy carnation blend now, with the rose note taking a back seat. This blend is a delightful surprise. Some time ago, I tried Alice and found only soap. Now, I keep stopping my work to sniff my arm.

[thestrangeheart]

This was one of the first imps I got when I started full-on into my addiction and I didn't realize that you should test everything . . .

 

In the vial: Yuck. Spicy, spicy carnation and bergamot. This was not what I wanted Alice to be at all. Put it away and returned to it months later.

 

Actually testing it. Carnation plays really nicely on my skin. It smoothes out and is just a soft, creamy touch. Bergamot vanishes on my skin. Mostly I get the milk and honey mixed together, with a bouquet of pink roses nearby. It's definitely very girlie, sweet and comforting.

[CitizenBree]

A very sweet and delicate scent. To me, it is mixed very well and it's hard to pick out any notes individually. I get creamy florals but not necessarily milk and carnation.

 

On the skin, it smells very doll like, like a plastic strawberry shortcake doll (but not strawberry shortcake and not plastic in a bad way). Just, very child-like. Very much how I'd imagine Alice to smell, I guess.

 

I bought this for the milk and honey and I love rose too. I think this would be great if I was still in school but I just don't think it works as an adult scent on me. It is too "young" and "innocent" for me.

[doublehelix]

in the imp: sweet milk and honey... with alcohol

 

wet on skin: OH! More honey... it's soft, light and sweet. Not as sweet as I was expecting, almost a tad soapy on me.

 

dry on skin: still honey goodness with a touch of soap. It's yummy soap, though. I'll wait and let this age and see how it does.

[FathomBelow]

Another freebie from the Lab, thank you!

 

Wet: this smells exactly like marzipan! A nice scent, but not what I was expecting.

Dry: this morphs completely...into cinnamon. Spot-on cinnamon. That's odd. Maybe it's from the carnation? Everyone describes it as "spicy"...

 

Overall, this is another in a slew of scents that turn really weird on my skin. I was looking forward to it so much, too! It's pleasant enough, but on me - no rose, no honey, no milk. Sigh.

[loubric]

In the bottle it has a trukish delight lind of candy scent. On me it is very sweet and very strong. Honey, rose and a slight hint of powder. I smell alot like those Valentines Candy hearts! Powdery candy honey goodness. Edited May 3, 2010 by Shollin

[moosue]

In the vial, this is sweet, creamy carnation and rose.

On, the spiciness of the carnation comes out a lot more. Rose is a sweet contrast to the spicy carnation, and honey and cream lighten the scent. On my inner arm, where it's warmer, bergamot is very pronounced, however I can't smell citrusy bergamot on my wrists.

Overall, this is very pretty and I think could be suited to fall, spring, or winter. May be a tad heavy for hot summer days. I will get another imp of this one.

 

I fully intend to wear this when I go see Alice in Wonderland in theatres on Saturday.

 

Later: This sweetens right up on me as time goes on (most things do). It's absolutely gorgeous. On my inner arm, bergamot remains present but things threaten to go a little soapy. They haven't yet, but it's hovering on that line. On my wrist, the scent is absolutely divine, creamy, carnation goodness. Like a cup of warm milk and honey next to a big vase of red carnations.

Edited March 4, 2010 by moosue