Klara

[pandorasmuse]

Honey dusting powder, mandarin, iris, ylang ylang, tea rose, and carnation.

In the decant: Lots of honey, but not overpowering honey. It is light, and powdery (imagine that). The only other thing I can pick out is the tea rose.

Wet: Sugared mandarin with tea rose as a backdrop.

Drydown: This is like Katrina Van Tassel with some carnation thrown in. I can’t smell the mandarin (but I can tell it’s there—there’s a bit of a tang in the back of my nose), and I don’t get overt iris or ylang ylang. This is well-blended, sweet, and girlish.

Later: This is pretty, but it’s a lighter rose than I usually go for. I liked Katrina more (come back someday, please!), but this is good. Don’t need a bottle, but I’ll keep my decant for days when I want to wear a less aggressive rose scent.

[moosue]

If I didn't know better, I'd think I was wearing Alice.

The same carnation is in here, and it's very pretty. The difference is that where Alice has milk and honey, Klara has powdery honey.

Wet, this smells like something I've had from Lush before. There's something very clean smelling about it. Behind the carnation is something snuggly almost, and something ladylike. The powdered honey and the rose, I guess.

This is one of those scents where you probably only need Klara OR Alice, not both. They are subtly different, but I think one or the other would be fine. I'd say Alice is slightly lighter and less perfumey, and that Klara is more grown up smelling, and more traditionally perfumey.

[Voleuse]

Oooh, this is very pretty. Honey and florals seem to balance evenly to my nose, sweet and golden. It's a little sharp, but I'm not sure if that's because of the mandarin or the carnation.

 

Over time, the rose becomes the dominant floral, though it doesn't overtake the honey at all--it's just the clearest floral out of the bunch. This is very feminine, but also very light. It almost disappears from my skin after a few minutes (the sweetness lingers, but I have to press my nose against my wrist to really get the essence of the scent).

[wheresyourshoe]

I have no way to test out the limited editions except by ordering an imp of the whole collection, so I ordered a bottle of Klara unsniffed just because it sounded so lovely in the description, and I was always curious about Alice but never got around to trying it. I am very, very happy with my decision.

Wet: Carnation and yang-yang. Yuck. Luckily I have some experience with BPALs now so I do not panic and wash it off.

After ten minutes: This is the point that the oils usually settle down on me and become wonderful works of art instead of weird and sharp and head-shoppy. The gentle honey powder starts to emerge at this point, and the yang-yang and carnation start to get to know one another and even to get along. There is something here besides the four of them but I don't know what it is, since it's definitely not rose.

Twenty: It might be the iris settling down, this mysterious yummy note that is now dominant with the honey powder. I am liking this perfume a lot at this point, and it stays like this for a few hours.

Finally, all that is left is this pure unpowdery honey which translates to my nose as sheer, unadultrated happiness. The first night I caught myself feeling unreasonably blissful and realized it was the scent of honey drifting up to my nose, I decided that this was going to be my go-to perfume for the rest of the winter. Who couldn't do with a little unreasonable bliss? Now I apply this once or twice a day. I don't know if it is "me" but it is certainly good for me.

On me, this is never sickly-sweet or little-girlish. Which is good, because I have tried a few BPALs that are too sweet for me, and they don't go well.

[DifferentDances]

Decant!

 

Imp: A sweet, light, youthful carnation. Atmosphere reminds me of the Persephone blend in a way. Loving it.

 

Wet: And there's the spiciness that happens when carnation hits my skin. Still with a youthful sweetness, though.

 

Drydown: Mmmmm.....Light spicy carnation. This is behaving much more nicely than Alice did on me. A teeny, nicely behaving hint of honey is coming through - and given that honey is normally a note o'doom for me, this is a nice surprise!

 

Dry: This is such a light, pretty blend. Hey, I found a blend with a honey note that works!

 

My rating: 4/5

 

Definitely going to get a bottle of this!

[deprongmori]

Definitely similar to Alice - very lovely, light, girly, and disappears into a "second skin" kind of scent where even though you smell delicious, it seems like that is just how you smell but better. Whereas Alice fades more quickly, Klara is slightly deeper and richer, and lasts much longer. Alice smells more like a baby and Klara more of a "girl" if that makes any sense.

[puck_nc]

Origin: decant circle

 

Initial Thoughts: I adore carnation and will always at least try most blends that have it. However, with all the other florals, some iffy on me, and the honey dusting powder, I don't have high hopes.

 

In the Vial: Very honey and very floral and definitely powdery. It makes me think of a child sitting at Mommy's makeup mirror, wearing pink frills and sitting in front of many open perfume bottles.

 

Wet: I get mostly honey, but the carnation is stronger than I expected.

 

Drydown: I'm almost afraid to believe it, but the carnation is turning out to be the strongest note! It's a sweet carnation, with the dusty honey in the background, but this is actually working very well on me.

 

Verdict: I have a couple of other carnation-heavy perfumes. I think I'll do some side-by-side testing before I go looking for more, but I will definitely wear this again.

[theseagrows]

let me preface this by saying that i love rose and carnation, and i love alice and maiden and scents in that family, so i pretty much knew i'd like klara as well. in the bottle it's a slightly sugary scent with a hint of carnation, but i can't smell much else, much subtler in the bottle than alice, and on my skin as well. it kind of reminds me of a cross between pink moon 07, maiden and alice, and parts of it remind me of all 3. i really like this, and my only complaint would be that it doesn't have much throw on my skin, and i wish it were a bit stronger. all in all a lovely scent though

[donnatron]

Bottle: Mmm... sweet, floral candy. Definitely getting the honey dusting powder and the carnation and rose. The mandarin gives this a very candied edge. It's kind of like the teenage daughter of Alice and Kubla Khan.

 

Wet: Oops. Dumped it on me. At "dumped on" levels it is very, very strong but at normal application levels it is usually very soft and skin close. The honey dusting powder is definitely the top note. And it is also not powdery at all. This is one of the most beautiful honeys I've smelled in the bpal oeuvre. The florals are present but not overly so. Main notes are honey and mandarin.

 

Dry: This is just beautiful. Honeyed mandarin orange with a soft rose and spicy carnation. Iris is usually kind of stemmy on me and it adds a little lush green to the overall scent. Ylang ylang is always subtle on my skin and it is with this blend--just adding support. It is very sexy but also very innocent. Just a fresh, subtle, feminine blend.

 

Throw: Minimal. Very skin close.

 

Overall: Klara didn't really call out to me with the yules but as they were heading away I knew that I would kick myself if I didn't get a bottle. I am pleased with my prescience because this is a magnificent scent that is absolutely gorgeous, very seductive and coquettish and innocent at the same time. Love it!

[PurringPulsar]

Klara

 

In the imp: soft honey and rose…a bit like Alice and Sibyl.

Wet on skin: a sharp honey-mandarin-rose combination, like Sibyl.

Dry on skin: whoa, the rose and honey here are a tiny bit sharper than I expected. I was hoping this would be like Dawn Maiden or Alice or Katrina Van Tassel, but it reminds me more of Maiden and Sibyl. I’m one of the few who didn’t like Sibyl, thought the honey and citrus mix was too sharp, and it seems to be like that here. The rose is also quite tangy. It’s not as sweet as I expected, to be honest. I was hoping for the same creamy honey as Alice. Even the carnation has a biting sharpness to it.

After a while: after a moment of ‘huh? Not SOAP?’ this then turns to the velvety honeyed rose I hoped for. Sweeter than before (though maybe a little insipid, that’s probably ylang-ylang, this flower can be a little cloying sometimes) the honey has lost the mandarin sharpness and has turned into a womanly, musky honey, blending nicely with the rose and hints of carnation. The effect I get is similar to the vanilla musk in Victoria. But I think the ylang is making the scent a little too much for me.

Verdict: Klara let me down-I really wanted to love this one, the name reminds me of one of my best friends from childhood, and I also love the Nutcracker ballet, and theoretically all the notes here should have made this scent absolutely perfect. But sadly it wasn’t to be. The mix of rose with tangy honey made sharper by mandarin reminds me very strongly of Sibyl, which I didn’t like, though I must say this one is a little bit nicer. I think the problem note is ylang-ylang, which does sometimes have the habit of turning cloying (sometimes the pure essential oil is too much for me). I think I’ll stick to Katrina Van Tassel or Dawn Maiden as my girly honeyed rose scents.

Is it a keeper? Sadly not.

If you like this, try: Alice, Maiden, Holiday Argument Diffusion Spray, Dawn Maiden, Hope, Victoria, Katrina Van Tassel, Lady Luck Blues, Sibyl (if you can find it!)

[RedRoseMaze]

In the bottle: Sweet, powdery and clean. I smell a strong note of honey.

Wet: Honey and mandarine, with a little bit of iris and carnation.

Dry: Tea rose and ylang-ylang come out strong... maybe a little bit too strong.

Verdict: I don’t know, it’s just missing something. It smells like a Lush soap, or baby powder. I would have liked something more unique than that.

[Gold Dust Kitten]

Imp: Honey and something soapy

Wet: I amp rose, so here's some rose with a bit of honey

Dry: Same. Soapy, rosy honey.

 

I love me some honey and rose in small amounts, but this isn't doing it for me. It's very prim-girly and too soapy for my tastes.

[ami226]

On the skin: Honey, mandarin, and spicy carnation. Lovely!

 

After a bit this scent becomes a bit powdery on me. Hmmm, sadly I don't think this one is for me. Definitely similar to Sibyl and Alice.

[Alethia]

I have discovered that BPAL's honey is absolutely gorgeous on my skin, as is their rose notes, so I had to try Klara.

 

Wet: Lovely honey and juicy mandarin. This is really lovely. The honey isn't powdery, just light and beautiful.

 

Drydown: Honey, mandarin, rose, and carnation. The rose and carnation started to peek through, and I was about to start scouring the For Sale pages for a bottle because this was great. It wasn't overpowering but just perfect.

 

Dry: NOOOOO!!!! I can only smell the faintest hint of honey now and only when I press my nose directly against my skin. It's almost completely gone. This makes me so sad

 

Verdict: It was absolutely wonderful for an hour, and even though I prefer that my perfume stays close to my skin, I still need to be able to smell it. The imp will stay though, and I'll wear it on days where I can reapply frequently.

[Ajila]

In the bottle - A sharp, floral, honey

 

Wet on me - Soft, powdery manderin with a musky honey beneath

 

Dry on me - It begins to take on a surprisingly animalistic musk scent, and I think it must be the honey (I know some honeys seem to go that way on some people, but it doesn't normally happen to me)

 

Overall - An unexpected development of the honey note leaves me feeling non too keen on this blend

[sunlitgarden]

I wore Klara a few times when she was new, but kind of have ignored her for a while... Trying her out aged.

 

In the bottle: Sweet honey and florals. I am getting a bit of citrus from the mandarin as well.

 

Wet on my skin, it's much the same. As the "dusting powder" note implies, I am getting some powder here. Not really baby powder, though. Something a Victorian lady might have. I was hoping that Klara would be like Alice with the honey/rose/carnation, and I am getting a similar effect. Klara is very light on me, though, and fades fast even with a pretty good-sized patch of oil. I'm not sure I need to keep Klara when I have Alice, but it is a very light, pretty, feminine scent.

 

Edit: Completely dry, I'm mainly getting the rose from Klara.

Edited May 15, 2012 by sunlitgarden

[tinyvulture]

Creamy honeyed rose, similar to Katrina Van Tassel, but with the bright sparkle of mandarin orange. A bit powdery. It feels little-girlish, something I would give my daughter to wear. Very sweet and pretty.

[IambicDearie]

Light, clean, and one of the few BPAL scents that's succeeded in giving me dreamless, restful sleep.

[riddel]

Oh, this smells a bit like Alice! Like Alice wearing a purple dress and a light dusting of powder. Emphasis on the word "light." Not baby powder, thank goodness, but elegant powder. It has a fruity, candied undertone to it, as well. I'm thinking that's the mandarin mixing with the honey. This is very pretty, not to mention comforting. It feels... enveloping. I'm glad I have a bottle.

 

P.S. If you're honey-phobic, like me, don't let the honeyed dusting powder in this scare you. It's a light, girly honey; not a lusty, sweaty honey. This isn't O.

Edited October 1, 2014 by riddel