The Sluggard

[hkhm]

'Tis the voice of the sluggard; I heard him complain,
"You have waked me too soon, I must slumber again."
As the door on its hinges, so he on his bed,
Turns his sides and his shoulders and his heavy head.

"A little more sleep, and a little more slumber;"
Thus he wastes half his days, and his hours without number,
And when he gets up, he sits folding his hands,
Or walks about sauntering, or trifling he stands.

I pass'd by his garden, and saw the wild brier,
The thorn and the thistle grow broader and higher;
The clothes that hang on him are turning to rags;
And his money still wastes till he starves or he begs.
I made him a visit, still hoping to find
That he took better care for improving his mind:
He told me his dreams, talked of eating and drinking;
But scarce reads his Bible, and never loves thinking.

Said I then to my heart, "Here's a lesson for me,"
This man's but a picture of what I might be:
But thanks to my friends for their care in my breeding,
Who taught me betimes to love working and reading.

Pious frankincense, angelic gardenia, unsoiled pear, and staunch ho wood conflict with prickly, overgrown thistle, idle labdanum, and lethargic lavender.

Parodied in 'Tis the Voice of the Lobster.

imp: soft, sweet gardenia and pear. there's a nice soft woodsy scent as well.

wet: as usual, gardenia flares up strong and sweet. but it tames pretty quickly and makes this a very strong gardenia pear scent. i can also get a whiff of the lavender every once in a while. it's like that last part of the scent that leaves my nose, the scent of sun-warmed lavender in the distance.

dry: this is almost like flower candy once dry. the gardenia has dried to something candy sweet (i suspect the pear played a role) and the woods are more noticable (though very subdued). still that faint waft of lavender in the background. nicer than expected.

[Eutectic]

Bottle: Pear sweet tempered by an play of flowers and something slightly astringent--I would suspect the lavender.

 

Wet: Pear and florals jump out and have a tug-of-war with my nose fightling for dominence

 

Dry: The pear and florals are less strident with the wood note bringing all of the notes together in a soft warmth. It's not a woody scent but between the wood and the lavender the initial impressions of a floral pear free-for-all is much more muted. The pear holds on enough to make it a slightly sweet blend while the lavender is a bit of a kick to the sweetness and with the soft wood makes this a very interesting scent. I adore it in the dry down while the wet stage is a bit much for hot weather (will be fantastic for Fall however.) It settles beautifully and I'm thrilled with my bottle!

Edited July 24, 2009 by Eutectic

[loverstreet]

In the imp: sweet pickles?

 

Wet: Pickled pears! I agree that its the lavender paired with the fruit that gives it a very astringent smell.

 

Dry: MMMMmm, the gardenia comes out and blends beautifully with the lavender, while the pear takes off (ciao!)

 

Love this in the last stages, with the frankcense rounding out the florals.

 

Medium throw, 8 hour staying power.

[Heavenlyrabbit]

Another scent from MTP's that I'm glad to have waited for reviewing.

 

Didn't like this at first and I think it's because this is such a different take on Pear.

 

Generally, BPAL's fresh, crisp Pear note is really lovely and a favorite but I have come to expect it to be featured with either Florals or Vanilla so you end up with either a Wedding type scent or a Foodie scent.

 

The Wood and Resin notes in this blend initially turned me off completely. I turned my nose up and thought it was a dirty Pear. And looking at the scent description wondered why why why it was called "unsoiled Pear". However, a day later and disabused of my prejudice regarding what a Pear scent should be... this is genius.

 

Yes, you get the Pear/Gardenia but the Ho Wood and Lavender tweak your nose and dash expectations.

 

I'd say this is a Pear blend that breaks the rules and ends up being way outside the boundaries. This is unisex to me and another of the newer MTP perfumes that a man might try.

Edited July 26, 2009 by Heavenlyrabbit

[angelicruin]

Inside the imp, wood and pear. Very resinous.

 

Wet on the skin, this is a perfect balance of the pear, gardenia, and wood. The 3 notes just seem to blend beautifully together without any of them trying to drown out the others.

 

Oooh, and the more it dries, the lavender note emerges. And again, it's just this perfect balance of fruit, floral, and wood notes.

 

This is another blend that I think is going to age to perfection.

 

Definitely will be getting a bottle soon.

 

I just can't seem to stop huffing my wrist with this scent.

[GoldenRubee]

When I first opened the bottle there was such a modge podge of smells that I could not distinguish the different notes coming to me. I ordered the bottle after reading the description-every note listed work on me. So why could I not tell what was in here and have to go back and read the listing?

 

I ordered this based on the pear and wood which I love. I dabbed some on and the lavender immediately came out (I do amp that though). Once everything dries down all the other notes start making themselves known. The gardenia and pear are very mild, the gardenia takes a backseat, and the wood is there but very mild. It is more floral than I thought it would be, I had hoped for more of a pear presense. I suspect that once this ages a bit and the wood notes appear stronger it will be even more lovely than it is now.

[greenranger]

Yum.

 

Oh, I need to actually review? Well...um...

 

Right now this is a wonderful herby golden scent. It was sharper when I put it on, but, it is smoothing out...

 

I really really need a garden that smells like this. This is golden summertime in a bottle. Summertime, in a hammock, under a pear tree.

 

 

~editing for more detail~

I'm loving this one. I have worn it several times and I have to keep myself from slathering it on, as I adore the scent, but, others might not. So I am trying to keep a lighter hand on application. The throw is pretty decent without slathering. =)

 

Wet, it is all resin and lavender. Soooo much lovely resin and all the lavender I could wish for(I love lavender, though).

 

Drying, the lavender takes a huge step back into the background and the gardenia and pear take the stage.

 

Dry, it is mostly lush gardenia and tasty pear, grounded with the golden warm resin, with the lavender only detectable as a bit of color and contrast in the background. I would really love to have a garden that smelled exactly like this.

 

It lasts and lasts and lasts on me. =) I can still smell it on me in the morning after the day I have worn it. At that far deep drydown, most of what is left is the sweet golden resin with only a hint of the pear and gardenia, but, ooooh, I like this scent!

 

 

If you love the resin part of this, try Penitence.

 

If you love the gardenia part of it, you might try Euphrosyne.

Edited August 4, 2009 by Aerinha

[Iceblink]

This morphs interestingly and nicely. Wet it's all nose-wrinkling woods and lavender and a bit unpleasant. Dry, the gardenia and pear have taken center stage. Lots of depth from the frankincense and woods to keep this from being just another fruity floral. Great throw!

I'm really impressed with all of the new Mad Tea Party blends; there's something for everyone and they're all really well-executed.

[TPOD]

Initially, this smells strongly of beer. Like I just dumped a whole mug on myself. After a bit, it settles down to a crisp, green that kind of reminds me of Roadhouse.

 

There's a very nostalgic undercurrent that I can't quite place. It could be a cleanser or a candy even. There is a bit of licorice there . . .

 

The throw is light, I have to sniff my arm quite closely. This is intriguing and I think the dog days of summer are perfect for trying out this scent.

 

Marge! Beer Me!

[PurringPulsar]

The Sluggard

 

In the imp: lavender and monoi! This has the same gardenia as Tiki Queen!

Wet on skin: fruity gardenia with a resinous-herbal touch.

Dry on skin: this is really nice. There’s a lavender note here that’s herbal and a bit dirty, in a pleasant way. Under it I smell rich gardenia, very monoi-like, a tropical bloom filling the air with scent. It has a fruitiness enhanced by juicy sweet pear. And then there’s frankincense, which in here is stunning and a lot deeper than the one in, say, Christine. The combination of frankincense and gardenia reminds me of Ecstasy of St Theresa. And then another comparison comes to mind-Lune Noire. The pear, floral and resin blend here reminds me of LN, and I love that.

After a while: the lavender fades, leaving that glorious monoi tiare scent behind, gilded with frankincense and labdanum resins and with that gorgeous fruity pear making it sweeter. I don’t know what thistle smells like, so I don’t think I can smell it. it now reminds me less of Lune Noire and more of Tiki Queen with added resin.

The drydown is a sublime sweet gardenia which reminds me of vanilla and jasmine (good jasmine, that is) with a resinous backdrop and also a dry, brittle, hay like scent which may be thistle. But I can’t get over how wonderful the tiare-like gardenia note in here is.

Verdict: this is surprisingly beautiful! I was expecting this to be a dirty-earthy herbal resin scent with a smidge of floral and fruit, but the gardenia just glows here. and it’s the best kind of gardenia, the monoi tiare variety which smells like holidays in Tahiti and grass skirts and flowery garlands and paradise and all that. This sluggard seems to be lazing about on exotic islands, taking long holidays chilling out in tropical climes, it seems. The resin makes this even more beautiful and this actually smells like what I wished I could have got from Marae-gardenia and incense. This also happens to be a great replacement for when I run out of Lune Noire, the frankincense and floral blend with pear is similar, though a little headier. An unexpected hit from the new MTPs!

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? yup. I’ll use up the imp and maybe get a bottle.

If you like this, try: Lune Noire, Tiki Queen, Marae, Ecstasy of St Theresa, Christine

[Dark Alice]

I am saddened by this blend as it was one of the ones I was most looking forward to trying. Wet: Gardenia and frankincense are battling it out on my skin. And now the neroli and gardenia are battling it out. No lavender just gardenia and neroli. *sigh*

[crebbsgirl]

The pear and gardenia are most prominent when wet. There is a sweetness that doesn't scream fruity. I quite like this, until frankincense takes over. Without fail, if a blend has a predominant frankincense component, my skin turns the scent to play-doh. And that's exactly what happened here.

[Little Bird]

In the imp, this smells like it has a lot going on. It smells sweet and softly fruity, but also herbal and floral. It's a dark, muddy sort of smell, if that makes sense (doesn't smell like dirt, but just seems dark and muddled). It's weird.

 

On my skin, this reminds me of Eternal, which must be the gardenia. It has that ultra-creamy 'flower milkshake' smell. Gardenia is one of the few floral notes that I actually like, because it goes all creamy and sweet. And it isn't sharp like most florals are on my skin.

 

The Sluggard is tons of creamy, sweet gardenia with a little hint of pear (and it isn't going sickly sweet like most pear notes do on my skin, it actually smells like real pear), with the sweetness calmed down by an awesome, resinous frankincense note. The frankincense comes out more in the drydown, as does the prickly thistle. It really smells like a prickly plant. I kinda love this blend.

 

Creamy gardenia, sweet pear, prickly thistle, and resins make for a really unusual, unique fragrance, but it somehow works for me. I might have to get a full bottle of this.

[Diva Urd]

Vial: Lavender, fruity sweetness and a fresh overtone

On: Lavender at the base, providing sharpness, pear in the middle and frankincense wafting from the top. Very relaxing, not extremely strong but not too weak. The scent feels purplish-green. Upon drydown, I get a woody note - possibly the ho, but I'm not sure.

Later: Gone very soft after about an hour. Was sadly not interesting enough to warrant slathering. Swap.

[tartchef]

Oof, conflict is right - the gardenia & lavender are battling it out in a thick cloud of soapiness Ho wood & labadnum are egging them on, while pear & frankincense are hiding in a corner with thistle.

 

Yipes. What a cacophonous mess. I'll try this again in a few days, but it's not looking promising...

[caseys]

The Sluggard

 

Snap Judgements: I very rarely purchase imps directly from the lab. I usually just like to be surprised by whatever frimps I get with my LE orders, but I made an exception and ordered an imp of this when the new Mad Tea Party update went live. I love the ho wood in Habu, gardenia is a floral that I can usually wear, and pear is good on me as well. Anything with lavender will always get my attention.

 

In the Bottle: Pear and frankincense. I'm sad that I can't detect any lavender.

 

Wet: Frankincense has a tendency to smell mildewy on me, and it's really skirting the edge right now. However, I'm getting some nice gardenia and pear, so hopefully the frankincense will behave. Still no lavender.

 

Dry: The lavender has finally emerged! This is incredibly well-balanced and creamy when dry, and the frankincense loses that musty vibe. The sweet pear takes some sharpness out of the lavender, and the frankincense spices it up a bit. Gardenia lingers in the background, giving The Sluggard a creamy and feminine undertone. I actually get a mental image of pouring purple and green paint into a can of white paint and then feeling the thick, slow texture as it is stirred.

 

Final Thoughts: This is beautiful. It definitely has a lazy feel – like something you would wear on a summer weekend with jeans and a t-shirt. To echo previous reviewers, the creaminess of this blend is really what makes it shine, and what ties it in perfectly to the concept of a sluggard. It fades a little faster than I'd like though (about 3-4 hours), so I'll let it age a little and then test my imp a few more times before I commit to a bottle.

[Schmoozy]

 

Lavender, woods & resins. Kinda herbal, kinda earthy. I can't detect pear or gardenia, and frankly thats ok. I like not smelling them, because then I think this would become to sweet and too floral. This has possibilities to become my new sleep blend.

[zankoku_zen]

Oh god, this is a bit of a mess.... and yes, the blend gives the impression of 'sluggish', like it just drags on.

 

So on me, the frankincense and gardenia tag team this into some sort of dirty, resinous blend. There might have been the hint of pear here, sometime. Not now. Perhaps a whiff of lavender.

 

Guh. If you like slight fruity frankincense, give this a whirl.

[edenssixthday]

The Sluggard - This is a really strange combination of notes, but as odd as it is, it works. I mostly smell pear, gardenia over a woody base with a hint of frankincense and lavender. The scent is quite strong thanks to the gardenia and frankincense. Also, thanks to the gardenia, I can't abide to wear this scent. Without the gardenia, I would likely have fallen in love with it. It's very unique.

[missastro]

This isn't anything like what I thought it would smell like.

 

Wet: something herbal - i'm guessing thistle, frankincense and labdanum mixed together, but i can't pick out any one note - with a background of lavender. smells like a vegetable garden sitting next to a flower garden, planted next to a wood. not getting any pear.

 

Dry: basically the same, a tiny hint of pear has come out to play now and gardenia is wafting like crazy.

 

This is pleasant and interesting, but not a full bottle scent for me. Very glad to have an imp, though. It'll be nice to revisit this once spring rolls around.

Edited October 20, 2009 by helsabot

[Aldercy]

Mm, I like the combination of the sooty, gritty, spiced resins with the herbal fruits and florals. I think I can get a sense of almost all the notes. It's white gardenia, dry thistle, woody pear, and astringent lavender all smoked and aged in the fumes of labdanum and frankincense. The gardenia is not heady or perfumey at all combined with the more wild, natural plant scents and the dark, peppery incense. Kind of like the clear, windy scent of a vegetable garden (a bit like The Witch's Garden) but awash in fragrant woodsmoke. It's a serious, studious, unisex scent to me, and quite beautiful.

[ami226]

Wet: Pear and what I suspect is gardenia... Very.... strange. Also slightly herbal.

 

Dry: Pear disappears. This scent is just very strange and is starting to lean towards the herbal side. I don't think I like this one...

[septima_pica]

It's rather pretty, but the lavender and pear dominate a bit more than I'd like. Definitely going to Kalirren for testing -- probably much more his thing than mine.

 

I do like the thistle note, though, and would love to see more of it in other scents. This one's just a bit too flowery-fruity for my tastes.

[moosue]

See I didn't mind this in the imp. Mostly I got pear, which was good.

On, gardenia immediately began to rear it's ugly head and I got a strong, astringent odor reminiscent of nail polish remover.

Wood slowly creeped in (it didn't smell like ho wood to me, it was more like the cedar note in Intrigue. It could just be the ho wood mixing with the thistle that made it smell more cedary)

Pear backs off into the background and is only there if you sniff the skin.

 

Mostly, this is slightly sweet, woody nail polish remover on me. This was a frimp from the lab, so I'll frimp it along to someone else who will hopefully love it more than me.

[surf-tormented]

Morphs into a not too sweet yet smokey pear floral on me, I know it is gardenia, but not GARDENIA, as many other perfumes do on my skin. There is a good backdrop of herbs like lavender and wood to this blend, but pear and gardenia are the stars of the show. I finally found a pear perfume that isn't completely sweet to me, most of the other ones I have seen have honey, sugar or cream in them. So I am happy I found this one.

 

I would recommend this to people who like garden scents, along with lavender or pear lovers. Or those who like unusual scents, for this one is very unusual in its notes and scent.

Edited May 21, 2010 by Madame Nyx