The Floating Market

[angelicruin]

THE FLOATING MARKET
It was loud, and brash, and insane, and it was, in many ways, quite wonderful. People argued, haggled, shouted, sang. They hawked and touted their wares, and loudly declaimed the superiority of their merchandise. Music was playing---a dozen different kinds of music, being played a dozen different ways on a score of different instruments, most of them improvised, improved, improbable. Richard could smell food. All kinds of food---the smells of curries and spices seemed to predominate, with, beneath them, the smells of grilling meats and mushrooms. Stalls had been set up all throughout the shop, next to or even on, counters that, during the day, had sold perfume, or watches, or amber, or silk scarves.

A cacophony of curious scents: copaiba balsam, petitgrain, citrus rind, sinicuichi accord, betel nut, wasabi root, coconut palm, and wattleseed layered atop innumerable strange herbs, spices, and woods.

I skin tested this at C2 and found it to be mostly citrus herb on my skin.

[ami226]

On the skin: Hmmmm, I was hoping for more spice, but instead this is quite herbal. A very green herbal. Definitely not for me.

[voorishsign]

This is one of Neverwhere scents I was most curious about. How would one put into oil the certainly mad, wonderful, at times festering aroma of the Floating Market? Well, I'm about to find out.

 

In the imp - balsam, coconut, wasabi and spices.

 

On wet - sharp, cooling, fresh! Woods, spices, definite balsam and definite wasabi.

 

Drydown - this turns into a pleasant mixture of foods, spices and herbs, maybe not a personal fragrance but a wonderful smell in and of itself, reminding me of my favourite Chinese buffet. Delicious!

[strahlend]

I was pretty excited to try this scent since I really enjoy scents inspired by an atmospheric feeling.

In the bottle this is a complex mixture of citrus and spice.

On my skin the citrus comes forward with a feeling of herbal greenery and spices right beside it.

I looked around for information about some of the notes I hadn't heard of and found out that copaiba balsam is said to have a warm honey-like scent.Petitgrain has a strong, bitter, floral, citrus scent. Sinicuichi is a perennial shrub with hallucinogenic properties - I couldn't find a scent description. Betel was described as smokey or peppery. And wattleseed is a spice (which seems to be in popular use) with a perhaps smoky or nutty type of flavor and is used in both sweet and savory dishes.

That being said, this is quite a unique scent in its variety and coheisiveness. It somehow manages to be both a deep, rich, spice and a light citrus at the same time... and for some reason I attribute compeltely to Beth's amazing skill... this blend is both at the same time and it WORKS. It's a beautiful blend and my words aren't doing it justice. My advice is to get some to sniff for yourself. It really is incredible.

Edited May 9, 2010 by strahlend

[edenssixthday]

The Floating Market - Oooh, I like! I really didn't think i was going to like this one -- it had too many odd and (to me) unidentifiable notes in the ingredient listing. In the bottle, it smells like a scent cacophony of mostly petitgrain and herbal/spicy stuff. But the instant it hits my skin, I smell a beautiful, sweet citrus, the nip of wasabi, exotic fresh greenery, and lots of delicious herbs and spices. I can't decide if I'd ever wear it as a perfume or not, but the scent is completely evocative of the inspiration. It makes me want to re-read Neverwhere right away!

[Dharklady]

In bottle: Hello wasabi!

Wet: A sharp almost grassy scent due to the wasabi, can’t miss this one! I’m getting some of the balsam, citrus, and the odd blend of spice.

Dry: It calms down slightly but I can’t escape the strong dominant wasabi.

Notes: It’s got a strong throw and good lasting power. Not really an attractive scent on me however which is disappointing. Definitely a fun try however!

 

[saralaughs]

In the decant: Lemon and basil

 

Just applied: Lemon and basil. Like, really fresh basil. You know how just cut basil will sometimes have that licoricey type of smell? Yeah, that's this here. And the lemon is sweet, almost candied. So far I'm not getting any spiciness or anything else, just the sweet lemon and basil.

 

Into Drydown: Now there is a bit of spice and something sharp coming into play. It tones down the sweetness that I was getting from the citrus.

 

So far this is a really pretty blend. I almost like it enough to buy a bottle (which is weird for me, I tend to avoid most citrus) but this is very smooth and well-rounded.

Edited May 25, 2010 by saralaughs

[zankoku_zen]

This is so odd - the wasabi, petitgrain and coconut end up smelling at least on wet, very much like lettuce, pickles and a dollop of citrusy white flowers. I kid you not, I do get a very watery aquatic feel from this on wet, but as it dries it becomes more floral and spicy.

 

This so didn't work out with my skin chemistry.

[countessmouse]

Whoa on the wet herbs at first, but then I amped the dreaded coconut so that now all I can smell is coconut sprinkled with herbs. Disappointing, really, because I had such hopes for this one. Meh.

[Little Bird]

Floating Market is very refreshing and heavy on the lemongrass. I've found it to turn more sour and lemony smelling over time. There are a lot of exotic notes listed for this, but it actually smells a lot like lemongrass + tomato leaves on me (spicy-green).

 

Herbal, very lemony, slightly sour, green...

Edited January 29, 2012 by Little Bird

[Iceblink]

I smell spicy herbs and citrus. This is SO foody...that bit of wasabi peeking through just makes it even more so. Like walking into an international food market! Good but I don't want to smell like a buffet.

[devilot]

The Floating Market

In the vial: Sharpness of petitgrain (I only know this scent from a discontinued hair conditioner called, "Tangle" made by LUSH's sister company B Never.). Probably the balsam is kicking in with some piney sharpness, too. 'M afraid I don't know enough about the other notes to guess if they have a presence in the cold sniff. But sharp and dry. Green. Dry green.

 

Wet: Insanely herbal! So much so, that I think I can feel it in the back of my throat now and it's clearing up my sinuses, which had felt a smidgeon stuffy before. Herbal, spicy wood. So herbal it's minty. Bizarre.

 

Drydown: A little less of the strange minuteness, but still herbal and the spiciness is kicking up a bit more. Now something citrusy. Odd because for me, citrus is usually a top note I notice first, but that burns off quickly whereas in this blend, I didn't detect in the beginning, but it's coming out a bit more now.

 

Verdict: Way cool "experience," but again, not a blend I'd ever think to wear as a perfume. BIG THANK YOU to the C2E2 sniff circle started by GypsyRoseRed!

Edited June 16, 2010 by devilot

[tartchef]

Oh yum I adore Beth's odd, herby blends, & this is no exception. It's green & bittersweet, with a jumble of woodiness & spices. On first wearing I got a fair amount of husky coconut, but that seems to have calmed down after a few days, & I'm left with a really unusual botanical scent. I vaguely reminds me of sweet woodruff, or scented ferns, but with something crunchy & seedy blended in...

 

Decidedly weird, but not at all unwearable - actually, it's quite pleasant, quiet & crisp. I'll be trying this again when it gets too hot to wear anything particularly "perfumey"...

[Xanon]

This is making me hungry for curry.

 

In the vial I get a lot of the citrus rind and wasabi root, oh and curry. Yes. Oddly I like it.

Wet: Curry and lime. Oh, I am getting REALLY hungry sniffing my hand. This is a really fun blend.

Drying down this starts to develop a bit more. I am getting more balsam and herbs and less spices. Still have the citrus rind, but I am also getting some of the advertised wood notes.

Dry: Light citrus and herbs, much more green and yellow in feeling.

 

Overall: I really am surprised by this. I liked it in the vial and thought that at the least it would be fun to have as an atmosphere oil. But this is actually quite wearable. Beth, mad props for creating something that captures so completely the feeling that I got while reading the scene of the Floating Market in the book. You are a gifted artist.

[bluerose]

In the bottle: Citrus, balsam, something sweet, and spices.

 

 

On the skin: Predominantly citrus with the smell of spices in the background. Refreshing in its own way.

[hereunto]

Imp: A warm golden smell. I'm definitely picking up citrus rind. Kind of like orange rind, freshly peeled.

 

Skin: This gets a little sweeter at first application. It's still very citrus-rindy with something that's almost menthol-like and woody. It's an odd combination but I'm loving it so far. I think this would make a great room scent. It totally smells like a tchotchkie shop I used to visit with my mom when I was little. After about an hour, the citrus is all gone and I'm left with spices. It's a very interesting scent that I really enjoy, but I think it makes a better room scent than a body one.

[aquazoo]

Boozy and complicated. The booze fades fast and I have a lot of spices. It's earthy and interesting. It's a great masculine.

 

[milo]

Wet, this is menthol and spice. As it dries, it is a pungent, acrid cassia blend. This is really quite awful on me at this stage, and I'm almost tempted to wash it off. It gets (just) a bit better, mostly just strong cassia and a bit of pungent herb. This still doesn't play nice on me, and I can't imagine this as a perfume or a room scent. It is reminiscent of a moldy flea market, actually, that has people that sell Watkins and such with unwashed moldy floors and lots of old stuffed toys and various knick knacks. Could be just a chemistry issue, and probably on the right person, this would be a lovely herbal spice, but unfortuneately, not me.

[whisperstilled]

In imp: Wasabi! Wow, definitely recognizable, it's even got that ginger-like tingle. Wasabi, balsam, and some other spices and woods I can't put my finger on.

 

Wet: Spicy and green and distinctly herbal! The wasabi has died back but the balsam is still staying strong.

 

Dry: Smells like an herb store, like a cooking store that sells dried herbs and spices, all in wood barrels. Interesting, but not for me. 2/5

[SophieCedar]

normally wouldn't have bought this one but it was in a pack with a couple other partials I really wanted.

 

Wet: petitgrain, you love to amp on my skin... sharp green underripe citrus brown and incense notes. the copaiba balsam is lovely though! Appropriately, there are many curious and unfamiliar notes in here, so I'm having trouble identifying whats ganging up with the balsam to give me this men's cologne smell. I looked it up a few unfamiliars (thanks interwebs): now understand why its sinicuichi "accord".. it's a hallucinogen...made from a flowering plant..hahaha. Betel nuts-carcinogen commonly chewed.. interesting. Wattleseed-I remember hearing this one before..australian seeds that smell like hazelnut-y chocolate.

 

Drydown: things are combining to give me an aquatic herbal smell with metallic ozone? This is a bizarre cologne!

[whitsunweddings]

I feel I should mention that I don't know what half these ingredients are!

In the imp: Definitely wasabi, greenery, spices & woods.

Wet: Citrus and ginger, with green herbiness underneath.

Dry: I'm mostly reminded of celery, ginger and citrus. Interesting, and certainly different! It's a nice scent, but not really something I could wear. Perhaps I could use it as a room scent when I have my own kitchen - it did make me a tad peckish, after all.

[crebbsgirl]

On my skin this is really green and herby. There's a bit of citrus bite, and the overall effect is a fresh cologne-like smell. As it wears, the woods come out and deepen this a bit, smoothing the scent out. It's a little too fresh for me.

[mymymai]

ITB: Oh, it's herby, acrid, and bitter. I wasn't expecting it to be quite so...pungent.

 

Wet: Wasabi, balsam, bitter betel nut, spices that remind me of nutmeg and turmeric, and a bit of citrus rind and petitgrain. It's interesting and a bit more agreeable on my skin.

 

Dry: It's very similar, but I can now smell the java-like wattleseed and coconut (although faint). I'm still up in the air with this one.

[BoneBone24]

Wet: Dry spices (is that you, turmeric?) with exotic woods and greenery. Perhaps some dry evergreen needles?

 

Drydown: The Floating Market smells like Christmas in a foreign land. They have their own traditions (and plantlife and spices), but the essence is there. I detect the familiar blue-green scent of bay leaf coming to the forefront. For a moment, a touch of creamy coconut gives the wood notes a more tropical vibe, and then the spices swallow it back up.

 

Dry: Bay, balsam, and spice. Smooth and dry/astringent, yet cool and tingly. There’s something quite bravado about this one. I keep picturing a gypsy or pirate walking around pelvis-first. Like some vagabond who has stolen Johnny Depp’s swagger. In three words...Exotic Christmas Pirate!

 

 

 

 

8 out of 10 bones

[LizziesLuck]

Wow. This is not what I expected. Straight up fir tree on me, initially. The balsam I guess?

 

This would make such a nice Atmo spray!

 

It smells like Christmas. Like a Christmas tree, and spices. I want my house to smell like this all of December. But I don't want to smell like it.