Psyche

[Christine Daae]

The tale of Cupid and Psyche is both a perfect love story and an allegory for the soul's search to reunite with Deity. This is the scent of true love, your heart's deepest, purest desires. Bulgar rose, Chinese white musk, lavender, orchid and frankincense.

In the bottle: WOAH, lavender! Really, that's all I get.

Wet: Still WOAH LAVENDER, but not icky lavender that I'm used to, not as sharp and manufactured-smelling. A very pretty, still sharp, lavender - I like this a lot, and I usually can't stand lavender.

Drydown: Oh yay, it's become a rose-lavender smell -- one of my favourite combinations, ever, and so beautifully done here. There's I think the orchid weaving in and out, but it's mostly the rose and lavender on me.

While wearing: Oh, I think I'm in love with this. It's absolutely gorgeous. It becomes powdery and sweet eventually, the lavender fades slightly, and the frankincense comes out...This is beautiful. Mum likes it on me, too...I couldn't stop smelling myself! This is beautiful - a Fall scent on me, I think, or maybe just a scent I'd wear out. It's a sort of womanly, grown-up innocence in a bottle. Edited October 4, 2005 by Shollin

[Little Bird]

First on, psyche is all musky rose. It's very perfumey and I'm not liking it at all. Sometimes rose is very sharp and has an almost burnt sort of smell to it. That's the rose that I'm getting here.

 

After about 15 minutes the rose is going soapy and the lavender is coming out and dominating the blend. In the drydown I smell like lavender soap. It's so rare that roses really work out well on my skin, this is another one that just doesn't work

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 0/5

Summarised in a word or two: Rose!

 

In the imp/bottle: Rose and lavender, both very strong.

 

On skin, wet: Both rose and lavender love to dominant blends on my skin, so they've edged out everything else. I don't like either of them together, and I don't like them together.

 

On skin, dry: Incensey (frakincense) rose. Very heavy and dark, as rose tends to become on my skin.

 

Conclusion: Rosy, so not for me. Another victim of Rose Super-Amplification Syndrome.

Edited December 19, 2005 by Aredhel

[brownbear]

In the imp this one smells like a cold floral. I think the coldness is due to the white musk and lavender. It doesn't go too herbal either, like lavender sometimes does to my nose. The rose softens it out very nicely.

 

I really thought I'd like this, but when I put it on it went very musky, then totally disappeared. Then five minutes later a hint of rose came out and then it all disappeared entirely. It is so lovely, but there is no way it's working on my skin. oh well *sigh*

[ChupaChup]

It took me a long time to get around to trying Psyche and I'm so glad I did. I was worried about the lavender, which can be sharp and astringent on me. But in this blend, it's softened immediately by the creamy white musk. Eventually it tones down even more to allow some rose to peek through. The scent pretty much faded away after about an hour although I could detect it if I jammed my nose to my wrist. But wow, after five hours, the orchid came out and it was very strong! What a lovely surprise, I really like this scent .

[urraca]

I get very huffy when people compare Beth's creations to cheap drug store perfumes of the 70s but I have to admit that the first time I tried this on I thought "OMG, Love's Baby Soft!" I think it was the combination of the lavendar, rose, and white musk that gives it the slightly fizzy scent I remember form my youth. In any case, the lavendar is fleeting, to be replaced by a lovely heavy sweet orchid. All the stages are lovely but together they are a little incongruous so I think I'll enjoy my imp and not buy more.

[Phaedra]

Wet this smells like soft spring flowers. When first on it's warm, powdery and faintly sweet. After a few minutes the floral note stregthens- violet maybe or lilac? There is also a light incence note which might be frankincense. This blossoms into a lovely soft rose- very nice! I will keep wearing the imp and then decide if I need to get a bottle.

[Fefferbella]

This is a lovely scent, but on my skin it turns to baby powder and flowers.

 

I like to apply a drop of this to my pillow at night, there it smells like warm thick lavender. Very pretty and comforting.

[polydactyl]

In the beginning, sharp, heady, herbal lavender that is gradually sweetened by a light floral note. I think that it's the orchid and it reminds me of the scent of lilies with that honey and pollen smell. The combination of these two notes makes me think of butterflies in a garden - delicate-winged butterflies fluttering over budding purple flowers.

Later, I can detect the zing of the rose (some rose notes smell like static to me) mixed up with the orchid. Very strongly floral at this stage. I hardly detect any frankincense except as a sense of there being something "golden" in the background. In a couple of hours it fades away to a light musk with a tiny, subtle spiciness.

Very nice, a sad and beautiful scent.

[Wench457]

Lavender makes her stand. Rose and Musk join her to add their warmth to the alliance. Alack! Here enters Violet, not like a shy, small flower, but like a warrior upon her steed, her sword brandishing defiance at those who would keep her from total victory. And the other florals and their ally the musk rise up and vanquish the evil violet usurper!

 

Then they quit the field of honor to hit the local pub for a celebratory round or two.

 

Leaving the faintest hint of forlorn frankincense to waft across the deserted battleground.

[klowey]

First out, frankincense and lavender.

 

On dry-down a softer scent comes out.

 

A little spicy, a little lavender, a little violet, and a little orchid, not much rose at all. Soft and warm.

[ebbtide]

At application: Whitish floral. Lavender, violet and rose. Tiny hint of spiciness in the background.

 

Later: Mostly frankincense. It smells a little like these frankincense tears I bought covered with a violet-scented powder. It reminds me of a Catholic church.

[hangingfire]

Ah, lavender, my archnemesis. Sigh.

 

In the imp: A pretty, delicate floral.

 

On, wet: Still pretty and delicate, until...

 

The drydown: And that's where lavender goes bad on me. The familiar sour note makes its appearance.

 

Sigh. I love lavender; why can't I wear it?

[blu°]

Psyche

 

I think I like this, but it's very very light.

 

First it's all lavender and not much else.

 

I get a weird sour smell in the beginning when wet, but that vanishes within a couple of minutes.

 

Drying this turns sort of powdery-diffuse. There are no sharp contours whatsoever in this scent.

 

I do catch something sweet every once in a while behind all those powdery mists which must be the two florals. I especially like the orchid sweetness and think I can trace it in here.

 

The rose in Psyche is a fresh and juicy one, but it's not quite detectable most of the time. At least not to me.

 

I'll have to test this again at day-time.

 

ETA: This does have immense staying power despite it being so light, I just woke up and I can still smell a faint but definite trace of white musk with something sweet behind it on my wrist and arm where I put the oil. That's a good 10 hours ago now.

Edited December 20, 2005 by blu°

[AngellicMystique]

The frankincense takes over on me, and the florals meld with it to give the idea of a pure love, bordering on holy reverence with definite lust mixed in.

[Imptress]

This went on as a strong combination of lavender and rose, both of which I like. On drydown those two notes faded and I got more of the creamy, rich orchid tempered by the white musk (which makes things seem cool to my nose). Every now and then I'd get a whiff of the frankincense, which kept things nice and grounded. This is a lovely floral but it faded way too fast for my taste-- after 4 hours it was completely gone. I'm going to try it again on a workday (I'm sure no perfume would have much lasting power while I'm preparing a holiday meal!) to see if it has more staying power, but this really doesn't seem like "me".

[couscous]

The lab threw this is as a gifty imp- thank you, guys!!

 

I was very excited to try it, because I love lavender but usually dislike rose on me. Would one of my favorite notes triumph over my nemesis?

 

The short answer is: yes. Psyche is soft rose, but mostly lavender, and I definitely smell the frankincense (or some blend of resins. Something in midnight mass is here), as well.

 

As it dries, the lavender and incense stay and the rose has disappeared- a first for me since many rose blends go on fine wet, but get more "rose-y" with time. It was a great choice to ground this with incense, because the wafts from my wrist smell solemn and rich.

 

It's very, very pretty, but, as reviewers have said, it fades VERY quickly. It's also a bit too classically feminine for my taste- I like my lavender to smell almost medicinal. Still, I love the idea, and if I ever go through a very "pretty" phase, I'll keep this on the backburner for a bottle.

 

Psyche would be GREAT for an "enabling" gift. I've found that many people are shocked that bpal's oils are "so strong" when they are used to EDT sprays and the like. It's a lot to wrap their noses around right off the bat, and so this scent- light, unabashedly lovely and soft- would be an ideal introduction to the world of perfume oil.

[wanderingredhead]

I really liked Psyche when it was wet. It was very distinctly lavender/rose and I thought that this might be a rose scent that I could wear. It gives an impression of cold/dryness.

 

However, on dry down my skin turned it strangely sharply herbal, and I don't like it anymore.

I'm amassing a lovely large swap pile.

[niter]

Imp

I smell Lavender, catch only a whisper of orchid, and lastly the frankinscence rounds out the blend.

 

Wet

My chemistry really pushes lavender forward, and this is no exception. However, the frankinscence is strong as well. There is a strong rose note vying for the top as well.

 

Hmm, after a bit this has turned into all rose. Soapy rose! Boo!

 

Dry

[jazlyn]

Psyche is mostly lavender on me, wrapped in rose and white musk. This is a springy/summer scent great for wearing during the daytime. It's very feminine and romantic. I let my mom and sister smell this and their comment was that this was the only decent BPAL oil I had tried on thus far out of quite a few; I'm a fan of this as well, but... well the downside is that [although I'm kind of sick] smelling Psyche has stuffed up my nose.

[Thursdae]

I didn't like Psyche. At first, it smelled great, then it began to smell like someone had pulled up a lavender plant and dumped it, roots and dirt and all, in the room. I think the frankincense may have been the note that turned me off.

 

For lavender, I prefer Temple of Dreams, which has a rounded, soothing aroma. For rose, I prefer Two, Five & Seven, a warm, enveloping rose.

[desu]

In the bottle: Straight lavender.

 

On my skin: What I guess is the musk and frankincense have come to the foreground to round out the lavender. I think I can also detect some of the rose as well.

 

Later on: The rose note has come out more, although it hasn't turned to soap like so many others do. Right now, the sample area smells like musky rose.

[Sycorax]

Hello lavender! Hello rose! Hello, heavy musky background note!

 

This is one of the only BPAL oils I've tried that was basically the same both before and after I put it on. There's lavender. There's rose. I would call it "lavenderrose", if that weren't making up a word. And also kind of stupid.

 

I'm really not getting frankinsence from this at all. I have an imp of Rose Cross, and Psyche and Rose Cross are very different in spite of their common notes.

 

I don't dislike Psyche - it's hard for me to dislike anything lavender-based - but there's something heavy about it that would keep me from wearing it very often. Maybe it's because rose and lavender both tend to be very dominant, traditionally "perfumey" notes?

 

I smell like a Crabtree & Evelyn store.

[sestina]

I'll preface this by saying I don't particularly like the scent of roses. Not even straight from the florist, fresh roses.

 

But Psyche is a lovely, lovely scent. I get no lavendar, no frankincense, nothing that other reviewers have mentioned. I get a very dewy green rose, almost like the scent of rosebuds right after a rain, when they are not so fragrant. And then, over the first hour or so, the scent blossoms slightly and then fades to a very lovely, soft, transparent rose-not-rose. It's really quite a beautiful fragrance, and I never would have ordered this for myself as I'm not one for pronounced rose notes.

 

The drydown is very subtle and tame - after an hour it almost smells like the remnants of a bubble bath. A very calming scent.

[jarvenpa]

Psyche came as a free imp from the nice, nice lab.

 

In the bottle: sharp, what is this, I know this scent very well. (I never read the notes before reviewing, but I realize I have an unsophisticated nose, and am slow to recognize things).

 

On wrists--oh, right, lavender. I like lavender, I use pure essential lavender oil in all sorts of ways. This is sharp lavender, but here comes something else, I'm not certain if I like it...incensey stuff.

 

Within a half hour I can't smell it, unless I press my nose to my wrists, whereon there is a vague sweetness.

 

I never know, when I get a fast fade, if it is that my nose adapts to a known scent quickly or if the oil has quickly faded. I let my son smell my wrist. He says there is a smell there.

 

I put more on. Doesn't seem to have much throw, but is that because I am so often surrounded with lavender anyway.

 

A couple hours later: maybe this is rose coming out? something sweetish. Kind of vague.

 

Overall, it is nice, but maybe just too familiar to me (I make sachets with dried rose petals and lavender every year, tucking in cinnamon for spice). Still, a faint, pretty, ladylike fragrance