The Queen of Hearts

[autumn24]

Lily of the Valley, Calla Lily, stephanotis and a drop of cherry.

The Queen of Hearts, when first sniffed out of the bottle is a bold, haughty red floral scent. To me, the calla lily and lily of the valley produce an almost aggressive, yet clean floral-- one that is weighty and anchored, and red-seeming. On, it tames down quite a bit to a wisp of a flower, with a powdery cherry behind it. It disappeared quite quickly on me, and I sort of longed for the boldness of the top-note flowers.

[Ypres Eep]

I love this! I am not a big fan of florals, but this is so beautful and lady-like on, I just had to buy a big bottle for my girly days. Queen of hearts is a fresh, springy clean smell. It dries to a sweet, springy wisp that is just perfect with a sundress.

[plumlicorice]

it's funny... the queen of hearts does not smell red to me at all. my nose says it's more of a crisp white floral, very feminine but not at all wishy-washy. i could see myself wearing this to a business luncheon or something similar, because it has a powerful, womanly beauty to it while still being fresh.

it smelled a bit sharper in the vial than it did on my skin, where it mellowed and unfortunately, faded quickly. still, it's gorgeous and i like it a lot. i would definitely consider getting a 5ml of this one.

[Ms. MSGirl]

*my first-ever BPAL review.

 

when I sniffed it out of the vial, it was one of those smells that brings back an overpowering association: It reminds me of being in a beauty salon, having all kinds of yummy treatments put on your hair. It smells like facial cleaners or moisturizers or shampoo or some beauty product that I have smelled before, you know the really good smelling ones that you just sit there sniffing and wish that they would use more and more on you?

 

On my wrist, at first I'm getting the same floral-y cleanser fragrance. After a few minutes it mellows out to a softer, more golden-y smell and it reminds me of perfume I've smelled on elegant women -- it has that vibe all around, that this is the perfume of someone who gets her hair done by a professional, wears designer suits and soft designer sweaters, no one's ever seen her without without perfect makeup (i see flawless powder and chanel lipstick) and classy gold earrings.

 

After a bit longer on, it's fresher and sunnier, less sweet, and I like it more and more. This is the scent of supreme girliness, of getting all done up at the beauty parlor... It's a classic boudoir table with all the mysterious little glass bottles and pots (bought in Paris in the old school gold and crystal packaging, this is the original ) I guess that would make it powdery? floral? I'm sorry I have no idea what any of the notes actually smell like to pick them out. I'm also sick AND just started my period, I'll try this one again when I'm back to normal and I'm sure it'll smell differently.

 

It's rich, classy, and elegant, yet at the same time fresher and lighter the longer it stays on, so not in the least stodgy or oppressive. Prettiness itself.

 

Edited to add: after a bit of dry-down, it's a lot younger and less "perfumey", even a little bit hippie shop -- the coolest, unexpected turn from this elegant lady smell, like you look closer and she's wearing an annointed crystal or some sandalwood beads under that blouse...

Edited March 12, 2004 by Ms. MSGirl

[Koumori]

This one didn't leave me with any strong impression either way. I'm not a big fan of lily, as I find the flowers themselves usually way too overpowering. Queen of Hearts did not distinguish itself on me; a pleasant, moderately light "white" floral scent, but nothing that said "Off with her head!"

[Belladonnastrap]

Inital Sniff

A very very white floral...I can smell the lillies and it also smells like..the color white. I can't go into any more depth.

 

 

After wearing it

For some insane reason whenever I smell this I get visions of a classic Victorian lady serving tea and finger sandwiches on a beautiful spring day. It's a very feminine and lovely scent but it doesn't drown you in it. Very lovely and white...I would scent my linen with this. Doesn't invoke images of "Off with her head!" or anything.

 

 

Very recommended...a beautiful scent for spring.

[blackrayne]

Of all the Mad Tea Party scents I have smelled, this is the only one that agrees with my body chemistry. Very bold, agressive floral. I *love* it.

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: This is a royal beaty. Fresh and clean without being green or powdery.

 

Second Impression: This is not the Queen of Hearts as we know her. It's the Queen of Hearts that lives in her distant memory...a princess playing in the flower gardens of Wonderland.

 

Final Analysis: Innocent and fresh but definitely regal. This smelled so good on me, I sniffed and sniffed until there was nothing left.

[shriekingviolet]

Initial Impression:

reminiscent of the white flowers the the Cards tried to cover up. This is the scent of a woman of good breeding. Not enough bite though, as I might expect from Carroll's timeless tyrant.

 

After Wearing It:

This was a strong, yet subdued white floral on me. The Queen smells very strongly of the lilies, and is almost oppressively elegant and reserved. I saw tight smiles and razor straight positures, it's regal, yes, but in a way that reflects someone whjo doesn't have the luxury to relax her stance, or possibly doesn't even realize that such a thing is possible.

 

It reminds me of my grandmother, who is very prim and old-fashioned, with high expectations and allows very little room for misbehavior. I can see this as the Queen of Hearts in that way, a very singleminded energy who doesn't tolerate opinions or actions that don't meld with her sensibilities. Still, this wasn't what I had hoped the scent to be. I wanted it to have more temper, a bit of rage, and to be more red. Occasionally I caught a whiff of the cherry, but it was barely a suggestion. It needed more.

 

Final Thoughts:

I hate lilies and that's primarily what the Queen smelled like on me, so it wasn't fated to work out. Damn, I wanted to like it anyway!

[Dispatcherbert]

This scent probably more than any other in my imp's ears set intrigued me when I ordered it because lily of the valley is one of my favorite scents (second only to lilacs) as well as stephanotis because both were in my late mother's wedding bouquet.

 

This is definitely a very sunny scent. I've had it on now for just over 12 hours and it's only lingering a tiny bit in my clothing (I wish it had a tad better staying power). The initial scent was lily but on me it's dried to cherry (my favorite fruit).

 

I very much like this and would definitely consider getting it in a 5ml bottle.

[any_old_actress]

FIRST SNIFF: sweet cherries

WEARING IT: cherry fading with lily of the valley doing her part...

 

VERDICT: i'll have to give this one another chance later, it's beautiful - but something just isn't working with my skin...will update

[Fulltiltredhead]

This was my wedding bouquet too - mine was blush pink roses, lily of the valley, stephanotis, and ivy.

 

I love this perfume. Timeless, classic, subtle, well bred. The immediate image I got was the young Katherine Hepburn.

 

http://www.imdb.com/gallery/mptv/1119/0722-0082.jpg

 

http://www.imdb.com/gallery/mptv/1119/0722-0006.jpg

 

Something about the classical composition of this scent comforts me extremely.

 

 

Edited, looking for just the right pictures.

Edited May 14, 2004 by Fulltiltredhead

[Pauline]

I really liked this one. The lilies were not overpowering, the cherry was not overpowering. In fact, nothing about this scent is overpowering as I would have expected from the name. Definitely not an 'off with her head' type. On me, the cherry was evident, but not very sweet. It just soften the floral and added innocence.

 

While not overpowering, it was not a push over either. It is regal... as a woman who draws herself up high, walks with her head up and back straight. An independent woman. But there is something mischivious about this scent. I think it's unexpected red cherry...it's playful. It's a flirt. With the floral and the strength behind it though... I'm thinking Queen of Hearts as in "Heartbreaker".

 

I'm getting a 5ml bottle in my next order.

[Becky]

on me this was a very crisp and clean floral. to my nose it was quite green, almost like fresh wet flowers and stems. I really wanted there to me more cherry, but I never got a hint of it. it lasted about an hour and then faded to nothing. too bad, I really liked the sound of this one.

[TygherRayn]

jj_j sent us a diluted roll-on of this, but I got an imp from clover in a swap, so I can get more of a feel for it now.

 

In the bottle: Kinda green to my nose. I can sniff out some cherry, but this oddly smells green to me, not red as I expected.

 

Wet: Where'd that rose come from? Wierd! It smells like roses, but there's not roses in it. It calms down pretty quickly though, which is a blessing. I had lilies in my wedding bouquet too, but they never smelled like this.

 

Wearing:This softens nicely. It's a very 'pretty' smell, and while I don't want to smell 'pretty' a lot, I can definitely see myself pulling this out of the box to wear when I'm in the mood. Wearing a flirty sundress and heels. But it's wierd that it still smells like roses to me.

[amberbella]

I also smell green. It's almost grassy on me.

 

I was really expecting to love this one, but sadly, it's a no for me. It's too sharp for my tastes. It actually reminds me a lot of a hairspray I used to use, can't remember which one, but it's not pleasant.

[Tesseljoan]

This wasn't for me, unfortunately. It was a bit like a perfume that you can by at a drugstore, one of those that they don't bother to put behind glass. I doesn't do anything for me - and turns rather sharp after about an hour.

[iris]

First impression:

Lovely fresh very green scent.

On skin:

A very zesty one.Not sweet atall,I can't make out any individual notes,but its still good.Not one of my favourite though.

[malanna]

This was another, "Ahh, I love this!" on the first few applications. The white floral (lily of the valley, I s'pose) is what's predominant, with it getting softer over time. It seems rather like being at a tea party, with your back ramrod straight, but over time, it's like the person is fading away. Not so much in that the person is quiet, but like a photograph of that event, fading over time, with the details not quite as easy to make out.

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: Very fresh, clean scent. Reminds me of Calgon's Morning Glory but with a more refined formula.

 

On me: Lovely. It still reminds me very strongly of Calgon's Morning Glory. A very fresh clean scent – I'd like my linens to smell like this. I wouldn't wear it on me, because it's going sharp even as I type, but it's still a nice smell that I'd like around the house.)

[Faerykin]

Swiped across wrists and along collarbone.

 

Initial Wet (8-8:30am): Lilies! This is definitely the scent of lilies. It reminds me a bit of the initial wet stage of Ulalume – only, without the watery overtone. There is certainly an underlying sweetness … more than likely the cherry. Overall, a very nice beginning to a clean, sweet, feminine scent – very white.

 

Initial Dry (8:30-10am): There isn’t much change from wet to dry. It is still a fresh, sweet, flowery scent. I am unfamiliar with stephanotis (but a google search gave a common name of Madagascar Jasmine) so, it may be hidden among the lilies. Either way, this is a very definite floral scent. I like how the cherry sweetens it. I can see this as being a scent of spring.

 

Throughout the Day (10am on): Conjuring images of little girls in pretty sundresses frolicking barefoot (or sandaled) through a field of white flowers. With the sun high overhead, in a clear blue sky peppered with wispy white clouds. Yeah, this is a scent of childhood innocence; this is a scent of spring.

 

This scent lasted all the way up until I left for home at 5pm (and beyond), leaving wispy reminders of fields of flowers in the springtime. Incredible staying power! This is another imp that I borrowed from The Kim. If she doesn’t let me keep it, I shall have to order an imp of my own … maybe even a big bottle.

 

EDIT: At home, I subjected my hubby to the daily scent test. His verdict: it smells soapy. Hmmm … maybe I won’t ask to keep the imp.

Edited September 8, 2004 by Faerykin

[sihaya09]

On me, this was a very thorny, greenish-herby floral. I definitely picked out lily, but sadly, not enough of the cherry came through to make it much more complex. Very feminine, though. A nice girlie scent for more "perfumey" occasions.

[FireInCairo]

This scent starts out smelling like Cherry Cordial. The drydown is quite a different thing. It becomes very heady and floral. This scent is just addictive. It is very vivacious..and alive. Perfect for winter days that need brightening!

[Caitfish]

Scent Name: Queen of Hearts

In the bottle:

Dominant notes: Lily, definitely. I do not know what stephanotis is, but there is something that gives this an air of freshness, like soap, but in a good way. Doesn't overpower the lillies. A very, very small bit of sweetness from the cherries.

Impressions: Fresh, light - I'm afraid it might be a bit too light, but we will see.

Initial On:

Dominant notes: Okay, this is lily all the way. Can't detect cherry and the "fresh" scent really goes away when I put this on.

Impressions: Lillies, and it's strong - I thought it would be light, but it isn't.

After a while:

Persistent notes: Lillies

Notes that fade: Cherry, stephanotis?

Staying power? Surprisingly, very solid in this department. Wore it for hours, and it was very prominent with good throw.

[/u]Summary: This is definitely the definitive lilly scent, but unfortunately for me - that scent is heartwrenchingly sad. I seriously wanted to cry when wearing this. It's so beautiful, but so completely evocative - I don't think that I could wear this every day, but I'll save the imp for very sad occasions.

[Penance]

I got this as a generous freebie in my latest order.

 

First sniff:

 

Cherry! It reminds me of Luden's Wild Cherry coughdrops, which isn't at all a bad thing. This is so different from The Red Queen, which I absolutely despised, that it's amazing. If I get my nose right down to my wrist, I can smell the faintest whiff of flowers.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Cherry, but more natural smelling now and less like artifical flavoring, with a flowery undertone. The flowers are coming out more strongly now that it's on my skin and, surprisingly, I like what I'm smelling. I don't normally care for fruity scents or flowers, but this is quite pretty.

 

Dry down:

 

The cherry and floral notes have balanced each other out now and it's much lighter than it was in the bottle. This is surprisingly nice in spite of my aversions to fruit and floral notes in my perfumes.

 

The bottom line:

 

This may end up being too light of a scent for me, but, for now, it's a keeper.