Psyche

[malanna]

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.

I had placed this in my “don’t really like” pile, so I was confused when I first smelled orchid, a la Queen Mab, when I first applied this. After a few moments, the orchid is tinged with a green medicinal smell. This is starting to give me an imagery of an orchid surrounded by poison ivy (not that I know what poison ivy smells like, but a plant that’s green and leafy like that). Then, it gets a bit soapy, with the green getting stronger and the orchid impression receding. After a few hours, this makes me think of Midnight, the night-blooming flowers in a sea of green. This isn’t a very sweet scent, yet it’s definitely a floral scent. Psyche is pleasant enough, but doesn’t stand out enough for me.

[velvet]

im an orchid lover

i loooove queen mab

to me this is not just a rose scent

it is so well done, i want more!!!!

its not a very stand out sort of thing. its just beautiful, graceful and earthy.

the lavender and orchid stand out on me the most which makes this a very relaxing sort of blend. it doesnt last all that long, but i find reapplying a little does the trick

and yes, i want more!

[siriusstar]

In the bottle Psyche smelled like pure, fresh lavender. Lavender's one of my favorite florals, and I've never smelled a nicer one. On it was a lovely blend of lavender and rose, with a undertone of something deeper. I got this to invoke a specific muse of mine, and it's suits her perfectly. Serious and strong, but very feminine and romantic. It didn't last as long as the others I've tried.

 

I know I'll have to get more of this one for sure!

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: Lavender and frankincense. Very strange.

Wearing: This is actually not bad. Wet, it smells almost like carnation - a spicy floral. Dry, it is just a nondescript floral.

Final Impressions: This one really surprised me. I dislike: rose, white musk, and lavender. But I do not dislike this blend. It really is different. I don't like it enough to keep it, but I liked it much more than I expected!

[ianastar]

– Im not loving or hating this. At first try its very complicated, meaning hard to distinquish one scent or another.

 

But on the dry down its got more of the rose coming through and since Im not a huge fan of rose, I don’t think I’ll keep it.

 

But its weird because anything with rose turns me off right away, this is not that bad at all to me. Just not my thing

[grrrlennyl]

at first: the lab included this as an extra in my order. this is so well-blended that i really can't pick any individual note out.

on: a dusty, soapy floral.

2 hours later: still dusty, which i think is from the frankincense. i'm also getting a bit of the musk and orchid.

7 hours later: a nice floral.

overall: this is a nice floral, but not a stand-out for me.

[Faerykin]

Psyche

 

Swiped across wrists and along collarbone.

 

Initial Wet (8-8:30am): This is an unusual scent. Just as soon as I think it’s a bit overpowering, it calms into almost a wisp of fragrance. Right now it is primarily rose and musk – with an undertone of thick incense.

 

Initial Dry (8:30-10am): This remains wispy and begins to sweeten. It still reminds me of incense – but that could be the frankincense. I’m not certain if this is a scent for me, as it is still quite potent – aside from the fact that I never thought of myself as someone that’d want to smell like incense.

 

Throughout the Day (10am-on): This actually gets heavier as time goes by. Deeper, a bit darker … and a lot heavier. It is a gorgeous blend, just a little too heavy for me. I’m just not really a ‘wants-to-smell-like-incense’ kinda girl. So, off to the Swap Pile!

[aritei]

Very lovely! I don't know why, but it brings back memories of the Lush store. Of the imps I've tried today, this is my favorite, the perfect blend of rose and lavender. What a relief too, because I was starting to think BPAL just didn't suit me!

[lady_pandora]

When I first put this on, I thought, "Yum, it smells like O except with roses." A few minutes later, I realized it really didn't smell like O at all, but that it did have a warm musky note in it that reminded me vaguely of O.

 

A few minutes later, something sweet and fruity, sort of berryish, appeared to complement the rose nicely, with the musky note continuing to warm it up from underneath.

 

However, the fruity note vanished as swiftly as it had come, and left Psyche smelling like roses, baby powder, and musk. It reminded me of my grandmother. I don't mean it smells old-ladyish; I mean it literally smells like my actual grandmother. She's always worn Chantilly, so I thought maybe they had notes in common. I looked up Chantilly:

 

"This fine fragrance contains lemon, neroli, carnation and is accented with vanilla, leather and tonka musk making CHANTILLY is considered a classic fragrance."

 

I think it may be the floral/musk combo that makes me think of Chantilly. This reminds me too much of my grandmother for me to wear it; I love her to death but don't want to smell like her. Seriously considering mailing my imp to her, actually.

[shelldoo]

there is rose in this???

 

i am getting loads of frankincense, and a hint of the green ivy smell metioned by others, possibly a touch of orchid but it is almost not there, but no rose. however it is still a beautiful scent very mature.

[Malista]

Psyche

 

In a way, the progression of this scent on my skin is a little like the development of real love. I’m coming from the perspective of 31 years with the same guy, mind you, and that is bound to color my perceptions.

 

In the Imp: Floral. No stand out notes, just – floral. Huh.

 

Wet: A burst of lavender, followed closely by a burst of rose. First infatuation; almost overpowering, with sharp edges (lavender) and great sweetness (rose). On me this quickly deepens to something more interesting and complex as the musk and frankincense add warmth and spice to the mix and the edge comes off the lavender. This is the deepening of infatuation into real affection/friendship/complete love as we get down under the surface stuff. (I’m not familiar enough with Orchid as a note to say whether it plays a part in the deepening of the scent, but there is certainly a complexity to the floral notes, now)

 

Dry down: A perfectly blended floral (no notes stand out to me overall, although I can smell the rose as more distinct now and then, probably because it is a favorite note for me), warmed by musk and frankincense, becoming rounder and softer. This does partake somewhat of the sacred, as the Lab description mentions; I am one who believes that when we allow ourselves true intimacy and trust with a partner, we do touch the Divine (whatever that may mean to any given individual). There is a sort of incense feel to Psyche when dry, but it isn’t reverent, just hints at transcendence. It never stops being romantic, though – this is still a very human scent, tied to human emotion.

 

Fade: Alas, this comes all too soon. I would have thought with the musk and frankincense this would have more staying power on me, but unlike my relationship with Himself, it recedes into a faint memory within 90 minutes. Maybe slathering would help – I’m a dabber, when trying new scents. If it has any staying power when slathered I’ll get a large bottle, because we all need the essence of Romance in our lives, and this is about the most romantic scent I’ve ever encountered.

[ashtonrose]

This scent is a perfect blending of rose and lavendar. I always thought they would be too floral, but with the frankincense and musk they a blended just right.

[Eros]

In the imp and immediately after applying~light & fresh with definite muskiness(but not overpowering)...Orchid is dominating nicely, not getting *any* rose, which is strange since rose tends to be really strong on me. No lavender(yay!), a hint of frankincense, which I normally can't wear, huh...

Dried down to a woodsy, floral, spicy finish. Reminds me of some "designer" perfume but I'm drawing a blank on which....*Maybe* Pleasures???

Overall its *very* light on me, to the point that it was hard to smell anything at all.

Lovely, but too light and too...nondescriptive for me. Would be perfect if it stayed like it is at the wet stage

[zankoku_zen]

In the bottle: Floral. Very Delicate. Can you bottle 'pretty'? Because this is the image and feel what I get.

 

On Skin: Still floral. Still delicate. Fades fast and I got an almost medicinal smell to it. I reapplied 15 minutes later and it seems better.

 

On Drydown: I can smell a bit of the lavender now and it's very calming. I really do get a sense of delicacy and purity. After a while, I can smell the frankincense and its very warm.

 

Verdict: I'm very torn on the issue. Its very pretty and I do like it but I wonder if I can live with how delicate it is at the beginning and then how warm it becomes at the end. It's very lovely but not a stand out for me. It will probably end up in the swap pile.

[wickedgoddess]

Wet - this smells similar to Queen Mab. The predominant note at first is orchid. Mmmm, I love orchid. I slather more on.

 

Dry - this is so delicious and I absolutely love it, but there is such a slight difference between this and Queen Mab that I couldn't justify buying a bottle of both. Now the frankincense is coming out and this is just beautiful. Queen Mab's sandalwood gives it a slight edge, but the story is Eros and Psyche was my absolute favorite Greek myth. I really need to test these side by side, because I love them both.

 

After testing them side by side, Queen Mab is a richer scent because of the osmanthus, but the frankincense in this gives Psyche a different dimension. They are both lovely, but I still think I like Queen Mab slightly better.

 

On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 4.

[Stumbeline]

This was a freebie from the Lab, and not one I would have ordered for myself. Turns out I really like it lots. Wet it smells heavily of rose and frankincense, a little musk as well. It smells like a perfume I remember as a kid, but I can't identify it.

 

Drying it's still rose, but tempered by the frankincense and there's the orchid! It smells *GOOD*. Definitely grown-up, something I'd wear out to dinner or when I want to feel sophisticated. Not a big bottle at the moment, but I'll use up the imp!

 

Thanks, Lab!

[Savannah]

I am not a big fan of rose, but this scent sounded so interesting from the reviews that I got an imp. I'm so glad I did.

 

In the vial it smelled of nightmarishly soapy roses. I was hesitant, but put it on anyway. As it began to dry, the frankincense, one of my favorite scents, came out and ushered the other scents reassuringly to my nose. I'm not familiar with orchid, but the florals in this are quite lovely, and complemented beautifully by the other ingredients-- the white musk makes it feel fresh, and the frankincense adds an exotic note that keeps the whole thing from going soapy. The lavender stays in the background-- I can tell it's there, but the scent as a whole is not soporific the way I think of lavender concoctions as being. This is a truly lovely scent, even if it's not my usual fare. I'll have to sample it again before I decide whether to get a bottle, but I'm definitely keeping the imp.

[orangepoppy]

This is beautiful! I was so happy when rose made its appearance after drydown. It's like I'm not wearing "perfume" ~ on me, Psyche takes on a "second skin" quality. It's sort of strange, but the area of my wrist right before my hand (where those "bracelet lines" are) smells like wonderfully sweet airy rose, and then farther away from my hand, the white musk is stronger and pulls it back to earth. Maybe the skin is thinner there, I don't know. I can wear frankincense well, but I can't really single it out....there's just a whisper there. I tend to avoid incense/resins in the summer because my body heat turns them into smothering blankets and then I scream. Aside - I'm not sure what orchid smells like, so I can't comment on that part, but something tells me it's a bit of a "sparkly" scent?

 

I'm a huge fan of good rose scents and it doesn't matter if it's an airy rose or an earthy rose, if it's good rose, I'm going to like it. Psyche is both airy and earthy. I'm amazed. This is a rose scent that I can wear even on the hottest day of the year (which I think is today). Kudos to Beth for such a beautiful creation. Wow.

Edited July 13, 2005 by orangepoppy

[cupide430]

Psyche

 

Light lavender at first with something else behind it that is very warm smelling but difficult to pick out. The florals start coming out in a sort of sharp way that reminds me of the florals in Hymn. Maybe that's the frankincense. And I can definitely smell the rose, unfortunately this isn't the rose that works on me. A sweet, almost fruity floral is coming out as this dries down.

[Sheila]

This was a giftimp in my latest order; it was also on my wish list. Thank you, lab!

 

In the vial and on wet: ugh, strong lavender! (I'm not a huge lavendar fan.) *cough choke*

 

After about 15 minutes, the lavender calms down a bit. Phew! Now it's a lovely, slightly powdery floral (I like powdery florals). This is very pretty--delicate, with the white musk in the background. Neither the rose nor the orchid--both of which can be very strong on me--are overwhelming this blend. It's soft, soothing, and feminine.

[dreadeddragon]

In the bottle: Rose, musk, and the lavender is very acidic

 

First on: The lavender has calmed now and is balanced with the rose, and the other florals are starting to show. Like someone said though, it is rather powdery.

 

Drydown: It's a nice powdery floral, but nothing really strikes me as special about it.

[harlequin]

Well, this one pretty much stays the same on me the whole time, so...

 

Rose and Lavender... lots of it. the poor chinese white musk is the tiniest bit noticeable, but so overwhelmed by the other two, I really have to get my nose right in there to detect it.

[sookster]

I love this one!!!

Bulgar rose, Chinese white musk, lavender, orchid and frankincense all come out with this heavenly blend!! Lavendar and frankincense are most predominant after about 1/2 hour or so.

Quite unique and different...I can see myself wearing this to help me sleep more soundly.

Beautiful.

[PurringPulsar]

Psyche

 

In the imp: lavender and a bit of rose. Very nice.

Wet on skin: mmm, lavender! I think I can also smell the white musk and orchid, and possibly the rose.

Dry on skin: lavender, rose and orchid, possibly musk and frankincense too. This is a very soothing scent, soft and floral, gentle and feminine. It's lovely. Reminds me of Magdalene, Queen Mab and Sophia, it has elements of those scents.

After a while: the orchid and musk are now more noticeable, the orchid has quite a green scent to it, I think. The rose and lavender are in the background with the musk, creating a soft, slightly powdery backdrop. I'm not sure, but something in this scent smells a bit dark maybe even smoky, but that could be my nose/skin acting weird. It's not unpleasant though, this is still a lovely soft scent.

After a short while, that odd scent disappears, leaving a gentle lavender musk scent behind. It hasn't got much throw but I really like this stage of the scent.

Verdict: Psyche is a mixture of different elements of Queen Mab, Magdalene and Sophia. and This is a gorgeous floral fragrance with a strong lavender note, with orchid and sweet white musk, and a bit of rose. It's a soothing, feminine scent, a very pretty fragrance. Despite one moment when it turns a bit odd on my skin, I really like it-especially the wet and just-dry stage, although I prefer Sophia as my soft lavender-musk-floral scent, and Mab as my white musk floral.

[Monster]

Out of the bottle this one almost smells like pure lavender...and I LOVE lavender ^^

 

On my skin...still lots of lavender. I'm not really getting anything else.

 

The dry down is still very lavender and maybe just a *hint* of rose.

 

Overall, I love this scent. I'm definilty going to be needing a larger bottle of this!