Celeste

[Evilynn]

Madagascan vanilla bean, vanilla orchid, orris root, and saffron.

in the bottle: boozy vanilla and saffron
wet on the skin: vanilla and saffron and a bit of orris
drydown: vanilla and saffron.

This is like Love's Philosophy (which I *love*) without the cream on me, which means it's wearable at work/during the daytime. Saffron works really well on me (it doesn't turn to winter greens or anything like that, just adds a bit of spicy bite), and I'm very happy I bought a bottle!

[theseagrows]

hmm, this smells fairly unremarkable on me, unfortunately. it's a dry vanilla and saffron. i don't get any of the vanilla orchid, which i was hoping would be the most prominent note, because i love orchid and vanilla combined. bummer, i'll have to swap this one. not that it's terrible or anything, but my skin chemistry makes it very meh.

 

 

[thekittenkat]

In the decant: Vanilla bean and vanilla orchid! Lovely.

 

Wet: Mostly vanilla bean at this point.

 

The dry-down: The vanilla orchid has made a comeback, and there's perhaps a hint of saffron. If I'm lucky the orris root will stay far away. This is not a foodie vanilla, but more of a floral vanilla. A little sweet, a little dry, certainly an elegant scent.

[Tiada]

The vanilla in this is sweet. Very very sweet. I almost can't handle it at first, because it's a bit cloying (hubby announced that it's "too much" for him and he doesn't like it, so I can only wear it on days that he's not around). It also has a lot of throw so you can't avoid this phase if it gets to be "too much". As it dries it mellows and takes root, bringing it down into a more grounded sweetness that's easier to handle. I don't really start to LOVE this until about 3-4 hours after application. I love foodie scents, so I'm not sure why the sweetness here is so overwhelming at first, other than the fact that it's NOT foodie.

 

I do quite like the vanilla of Celeste, and I think it's the saffron that comes out after a few hours that brings it down into a scent that I really enjoy. If only it weren't so cloying at first it would be perfect.

[prettybird]

I just love this! It smells just like cream soda on me- fizzy and vanilla and super sweet. I don't get much of the saffron at all, but I don't really mind, since it smells so pretty. It didn't change much on the dry down- I actually got more saffron in the imp than on skin. It's got a fair amount of throw, even with just a little on.

 

Definitely a keeper!

[thelaurenator]

I must have gotten a bottle heavy on vanilla orchid, because this is allllll vanilla orchid on me with some underlying saffron. It smells quite like Regan did on me, only slightly sweeter and more interesting because of the saffron. Exactly what I hoped it would smell like!

[miaa]

Warm -sunny vanilla.. It reminds me of... Something.. Let´s put it on...

On skin So warm So deep so sexy.

Sexy as O with honeyed-vanilla.

 

This has so many levels. I do not get Love´s philosophy at all. More grown-up,less sweet. Strong evolving.

[Victory]

Oh wow, yum. Celeste is delicious and totally living up to the hype. When I opened the bottle, I thought, yes, I can see how some people would draw a similarity to Antique Lace. The scent wasn't the same, but had a similar feel. I could almost smell linen in with the vanilla, although it was a cooler vanilla. On the skin, that similarity goes away and Celeste starts reminding me of something else. Boo, maybe? I'm not sure. I don't smell any saffron, and I'm not familiar enough with orris to pick it out, so I can't tell if it's there. This is a really wonderful vanilla, though. Sometimes it's more floral, occasionally almost a vanilla extract, then a sweet, dry vanilla. Celeste doesn't have the thicker, heavier, not quite cloying feel of Love's Philosophy (LP's saffron is also much stronger), and the orchid is much much much more subtle here than in Regan. Celeste is a perfume that is reminiscent of many vanilla perfumes that I own, but definitely deserves its own place in my BPAL box. Very happy with it.

 

Edited to mention that I agree with Excetra- sometimes it does have a boozy feel to it.

Edited May 24, 2011 by Victory

[Amoraexcena]

In the bottle, this one definitely has a rich booziness to it. I think it's the saffron's fermented-honey-like quality that's adding that liqueur element to Celeste.

 

It doesn't morph too much on. Up close, it's got a bit of bite to it -maybe saffron's the top note- but the throw, the throw!!! Soft, snuggly, smooth, cuddle-worthy vanilla spun sugar. An adult version of Aquolina's Pink Sugar. I LIKE.

 

Celeste has fantasitc throw and higher-than-average longevity. The scent lingers for hours on end. I've used orris root powder as a scent fixative, maybe it's contributing to the wear for this oil or something. It's pretty powerful stuff too. A little dab on my neck is plenty to last me 5 hours. I'm glad I got a few bottles because this is definitely one of my Antique Lace/XCDL13/Elf v4 replacements! Hype? There's not enough of it yet, this girl's beautiful.

[blu°]

Ok, I've tested this several times, and it is another forum favourite that seems not to work for me... It has an emptiness that I felt also in scents like Signor Dildo, like a lacking heart or something... The vanilla/floral vanilla feels a bit too insubstantial to me, while at the same time being muddled by something that I can't quite put my finger on. It might be the saffron. I think I've got a blind spot where the scent receptors for saffron should be working, so I'm not sure it is it what I don't like in here. What I seem to get in Celeste is some kind of liquorice or leather underneath the insubstantial vanilla-cotton.

 

This morning I put on a sweater that I had worn when testing Celeste a few days back, and it's definitely not a skin chemistry thing, because the scent on the sweater is just as disquieting to me. Disquieting is a good work. It's not actually unpleasant, but I don't feel quite right smelling it on me or my clothes.

[Incendiare]

Celeste is a blast of sugary vanilla in the bottle. It's not a warm vanilla though, but rather a lukewarm vanilla, although the saffron adds a bit of warmth. Wet, a soft floral protrudes. I find that all of the notes in Celeste stabilize early on in the wet phase. I'll admit that I also find the vanilla to be on the slightly plastic-y side, probably due to its lack of warmth.

 

Excellent throw. This lasts for hours. I think I'll have to start experimenting with layering this one with others, as it's a bit too sweet on its own.

[EmmiKristiina]

I found a vanilla scent I liked! Finally! Most of the time vanilla scents just make me sick to my stomach, but this one is really yummy. Sugary and sweet, fluffy and warm

[Gateau]

This is a new favorite for me. I very much love vanilla, and find it's often either underappreciated as a subtle and complex note (that "plain vanilla" connotation), or splashed around in a cheap and cloying way. This vanilla is dry and complex and sophisticated.

 

In the imp -- vanilla and a light somewhat sharp and herbal note.

 

Wet -- dry vanilla and that boozy or green sharpness, not at all foodie.

 

Drydown -- the dry vanilla stays dominant, but an almost woody note emerges (orris root?). The vanilla orchid is there but it's not a heady floral.

 

Dry -- as this wears, the sharpness and woodiness mellow and combine beautifully with the vanilla, giving a softness and warmth that never strays into overly sweet foodiness.

 

What I particularly love about this scent is that it tells a story as it wears. The initial phases are a little showier and throw-ier, as you imagine a courtesan might lay it on a bit thicker to get your attention. As you get closer to her, though, the scent calms down and becomes warm and intimate and comforting, but without ever fully enveloping you. It's sophisticated and complicated.

 

This is one worth collecting for me. I'm just sorry I missed it by a hair when it was introduced right before I got interested in BPAL.

[porcelina]

celeste is very musky (a powdery sort of white musk, though not as sharp) with delicious vanilla notes. it's soft, just slightly sweetened fluffy vanilla cotton. it's very dry. i do like it, but i honestly can't decide if i would wear it or not!

[distracts]

Wine. This smells like wine. I don't know much about wine so I can't tell you what type but uh, dry? Dry wine. The farther from my wrists, the more it smells like vanilla instead of wine. It has HUGEMONGOUS throw.

 

Hmm. I keep retrying this because I'm not sure what to think of it, but if I retry it every week, it'll end up getting worn far more than some of my favorites. So take that as you will.

[Eemia]

One of my favorite vanillas. It's rich and heavy but never suffocates with the sweet notes. I never feel like I'm wearing an obvious vanilla scent when I put this on.

 

It is very strong on the creamy vanilla at first, and there's a quiet vanilla musk at the drydown. But for most of the wear length it's more of a tumble. There's a dry spiciness that floats around in there, and it doesn't remind me of any of the saffron notes from anything else I've tried. The orchid is beautiful and adds a sort of milky quality on my skin.

 

I love it alone, but it pairs so well with other fragrances too, something I don't often do. Usually I pick one fragrance for the day and that's it. But with this one I'm constantly pairing it up with Ninon, De Sade, Marie, and Robotic Scarab. I've actually started leaving this one out on my dresser because I end up with it at least once a week.

[Schmoozy]

A vanilla I can get behind. It's slightly floral, a little spicy and definitely dry. It's such a beautiful blend and I adore how it starts off really strong, and then slowly fades away until I barely detect unless I huff the scent lingering on my skin. At any rate, I am glad I had the good sense to buy this while it was live, as I have almost used up my decant.

[myth]

I remember when we got this proto at DSWC, we all thought it smelled like waffle cones. So, I was quite surprised when it was released and I saw the notes. They really made me wonder if there had been a change of formulation. Vanilla orchid? Orris? Orris is a DOOM note for me, so I wasn't hopeful.

 

However, I was surprised. Somehow, this still smelled like waffle cones on me. I have no idea why this is the case, because normally anything floral I amp to hell and back; I am renowned for my ability to ruin a blend with a flower in it.

 

Anyhoo, I really like my waffle cone scent. I usually prefer sexier, heavier, incensy blends, and this is quite delicate and girly. I keep it for when I have to go to client meetings, because I figure no one is going to object to someone who smells like waffle cones. Delishus.

[crebbsgirl]

This should be absolute LOVE on my skin, and something here is going to funk. I don't know what happened! I think it may be the orris or the saffron!

[n3m3sis42]

In the decant:

Sweet, boozy vanilla with an unusual depth to it.

 

Wet:

Ohhhhh. This is what I wanted Love's Philosophy to be. It's a rarity for me to apply any vanilla blend without it going to plastic doll heads in half a second. This doesn't. It remains sweet (but not cloying), and I'm getting the cotton note that some other reviewers have mentioned. I'm really hoping this continues to work on me as it dries down, even though that would mean having to hunt down a bottle.

 

Drydown:

This is the best throw any vanilla blend has ever had on me. I'm still getting a cottony note. I think I am falling in love. Celeste, please, please work on me. I will follow you to the ends of the earth.

 

Dry:

This dries down really nicely on me. It's a vanilla that is not necessarily foody, anchored by that cotton note. I think I am going to need a bottle.

 

ETA:

WTF, body chemistry? After about two hours of wear, this smells just like the original Lick It on me. How is that even possible? Oh, well. I guess that's one more LE bottle I won't need to search for.

Edited January 27, 2012 by n3m3sis42

[OctoberGwen]

I've been dying to try this and was thrilled to get a sniffie/tester from schackjj's forum sale.

 

Celeste turned out to be not so great on me, which I'm actually thankful for since it's well nigh impossible to get one's hands on her. There was a weird plastic note in there, not so bad as what I've experienced with the Monsterbaits but similar.

[sharkdiver]

Ok, I've tested this several times, and it is another forum favourite that seems not to work for me... It has an emptiness that I felt also in scents like Signor Dildo, like a lacking heart or something... The vanilla/floral vanilla feels a bit too insubstantial to me, while at the same time being muddled by something that I can't quite put my finger on. It might be the saffron. I think I've got a blind spot where the scent receptors for saffron should be working, so I'm not sure it is it what I don't like in here. What I seem to get in Celeste is some kind of liquorice or leather underneath the insubstantial vanilla-cotton.

 

This morning I put on a sweater that I had worn when testing Celeste a few days back, and it's definitely not a skin chemistry thing, because the scent on the sweater is just as disquieting to me. Disquieting is a good work. It's not actually unpleasant, but I don't feel quite right smelling it on me or my clothes.

 

THIS. I know this blend is a favorite, and I managed to snag a decant from another lovely forumite - For me, I think the combination of the saffron and the Orris root, kills the blend. Blends with Orris root are generally pretty good on me, and blends with Saffron are pretty good too, though mostly when the saffron behaves. This combination of the two though, kills any loveliness I would get from the vanilla. To be quite honest, I don't like Celeste much...BUT, Love's Philosophy is quite another story!

[ami226]

On the skin: This is a very light scent on me. I can barely smell it... What I can smell, though, is a beautiful vanilla. Very very rich and yummy!! Thankfully I can't smell any of the orris. It always seems to ruin blends for me.

 

After a bit I get a slight plastic note. It isn't too strong, more of just a tinge, but I can definitely smell it.

 

Hmmmm, I think I will need to test this one again!

 

-ETA- Trying again:

 

Mmmm, vanilla! I just can't make up my mind on this one. It smells good and slightly reminds me of Love's Philosophy, but for some reason it just isn't wowing me. I still get a slight hint of plastic.

Edited August 22, 2012 by Catseyes

[Alethia]

Thoughts before testing: Vanilla is one of my favorite notes, and I'm really excited to try Celeste!

 

Wet: A floral vanilla with a backing of spice. I really love saffron in perfume, and it's just to die for here. Celeste isn't foody, but still sweet.

 

Dry down: It's a little sweeter and more foody now but still floral. This is really pretty.

 

Dry: A beautiful mix of floral and foody and sweet. The saffron mostly stays in the background after the wet stage, but it grounds the whole blend and turns it into something really spectacular.

 

Final thoughts: I completely understand why Celeste is so sought after. This is a beautiful perfume, and definitely worth the trouble of tracking down.

 

Verdict: Keeping the bottle!

[Ajila]

In the bottle - Sweet sugary vanilla musk

 

Wet on me - Clean, cottony, sugary musks; chewable and sweet

 

Dry on me - Gorgeous, warm golden pink sugary vanilla musks with whisps of clean cotton

 

Overall - Pretty damn amazing sugary warm and pink but totally adult and very alluring