Your Salon Must-Haves!

[Amaranthus]

I recently bought Cupid Complaining to Venus and I highly recommend it. It's a light fruity floral, very well blended so no one note stands out. It is a light, gauzy scent that reminds me of peach blossoms. You may like it if you like The Temptation or Les Bijoux.

 

Three Brides is another gorgeous one I've been wearing lately. It smells like creamy florals, mostly pink carnations and orchid, with a whisper of incense.

 

I'm thinking about trying out:

 

The Penitent Magdalen Immortelle, lily of the valley, gaiac, amber, honey, white sandalwood, almond flower, blonde musk, and hyssop.

 

I don't know why I haven't tried this yet, because from the combination of notes it sounds like it would be my favorite sort of perfume- warm, sweet, and softly glowing.

 

Lucretia Iris, black amber, sage, Kashmir wood, vanilla musk, mandarin and violet.

 

I am intrigued by the amber, Kashmir wood, and vanilla musk combination. With the violets this sounds like an old fashioned perfume. I am intrigued by the idea of smelling like an Albrecht Dürer painting.

 

Schlafende Baigneuse Skin musk, white cream, honeycomb, yellow rose, King mandarin, chrysanthemum, golden amber, honeysuckle, and wide-throated yellow monkey-flower accord.

 

This sounds so pretty and clean. I love skin musk. I'm least sure about this one just because it sounds like it could turn out smelling like fancy hand soaps, but there's time to decide.

Edited July 5, 2012 by Amaranthus

[tacey]

I do have a question on Orpheus though.There are a lot of "crushed green stems" reviews for it, which I like the smell of but don't like smelling of. However, blends like The Unicorn and Berenice have been mentioned, both of which are keepers and The Unicorn being in my top three. Worth a chance?(Also, is it greener than Garden Path with Chickens?).

 

I just re-tested my imp of Orpheus, and I find it is quite strongly 'crushed green stems' on the waft. Up close, I can find other notes, but I keep catching the green stems note and feeling like I need to wash up after some weeding... It's not working for me, but I don't care for very green/fresh scents. I think I recall The Unicorn as being in the white floral family, right? It's not similar to my memory, but I can't find that one to retry.

 

Garden Path is distinctly IVY on me, and not generic/weedy greens. I prefer it vs Orpheus, but neither is a family I really love. Hope that helps your decision.

[angelamaria]

I do have a question on Orpheus though.There are a lot of "crushed green stems" reviews for it, which I like the smell of but don't like smelling of. However, blends like The Unicorn and Berenice have been mentioned, both of which are keepers and The Unicorn being in my top three. Worth a chance?(Also, is it greener than Garden Path with Chickens?).

 

I just re-tested my imp of Orpheus, and I find it is quite strongly 'crushed green stems' on the waft. Up close, I can find other notes, but I keep catching the green stems note and feeling like I need to wash up after some weeding... It's not working for me, but I don't care for very green/fresh scents. I think I recall The Unicorn as being in the white floral family, right? It's not similar to my memory, but I can't find that one to retry.

 

Garden Path is distinctly IVY on me, and not generic/weedy greens. I prefer it vs Orpheus, but neither is a family I really love. Hope that helps your decision.

Thanks! I, ah, did end up going ahead with an unsniffed bottle purchase >.< although that doesn't sound very promising now! D: And yes, The Unicorn is a white floral. Would you know how Orpheus compares to something like...hmm Parsifal? I think that's my "greenest" keeper.

 

Thanks on Garden Path as well!

[OctoberGwen]

I really want to try Schlafende Baigneuse and Carceri D'Invenzione.

[apathygirl]

Can anyone compare The Smiling Spider and Mourning Lace for me? Their notes aren't particularly similar but the review threads for both consistently mention smelling like clove cigarettes. I have (and love) Mourning Lace so I'm wondering if the Spider is too similar to bother with. Thanks to anyone who can help!

[OctoberGwen]

wickedgoddess just stated in the NE Will Call thread that the retail exclusive Salons are NOT being discontinued. Yay!

[tacey]

Thanks! I, ah, did end up going ahead with an unsniffed bottle purchase >.< although that doesn't sound very promising now! D: And yes, The Unicorn is a white floral. Would you know how Orpheus compares to something like...hmm Parsifal? I think that's my "greenest" keeper.

 

Woops! Sorry to come in too late! I've not tried/forgotten Parsifal, so I'm afraid I can't compare that. Mmmm... vastly more green than Planting Moon, which is one of my very few greenish bottles. Regardless, I hope it works for you!!

[tacey]

 

My big faves are:

 

And There Was a Great Cry in Egypt <snip>

The Fox-woman Kuzunoha Leaving Her Child <snip>

Three Brides <snip>

Itasô Kansei Nenkan Jorô No Fûzoku <snip>

Philosopher in Meditation <snip>

Schlafende Baigneuse (<snip>

Why, ivyandpeony, I had no idea we were scent-sisters! You've only omitted Arrival on the Sabbath from my Salon favorites, and you've introduced me to Philosopher in Meditation which I had overlooked based on the notes. The Asian-styled ones don't appeal so much to me, but you interest me... <looks speculatively at the casually rejected imps...>

 

As I sadly retest imps before the Demise of the Salon, I've added Madonna and The Cup of Death to my possibles, as well as Philosopher. I'll be watching this thread and reading reviews as well - what will I regret missing?

[marared]

Got my second/last bottle of Mad Meg today. I wish I had discovered this sooner. Whole bunch of notes that I hate, working together to smell gorgeous on me.

[reconditarmonia]

Can anyone compare Fox Fires to Spirit of the Komachi Cherry Tree? I'm thinking of getting the latter and waffling on the former.

[angelamaria]

Thanks! I, ah, did end up going ahead with an unsniffed bottle purchase >.< although that doesn't sound very promising now! D: And yes, The Unicorn is a white floral. Would you know how Orpheus compares to something like...hmm Parsifal? I think that's my "greenest" keeper.

 

Woops! Sorry to come in too late! I've not tried/forgotten Parsifal, so I'm afraid I can't compare that. Mmmm... vastly more green than Planting Moon, which is one of my very few greenish bottles. Regardless, I hope it works for you!!

No worries! I had a last minute "omg, looks like I need to get Singing Moon" moment on the 5th so I went ahead (and since international shipping is $19, I doubt I can afford another purchase later this month). But I do appreciate your weighing in, at least I can mentally prepare myself to not expect anything similar to The Unicorn

[stellamaris]

I got my Salon order today, right out of the mailbox Lot and His Daughters is awesome, salty and deep, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[orata]

Can anyone compare Fox Fires to Spirit of the Komachi Cherry Tree? I'm thinking of getting the latter and waffling on the former.

They smell very different to me--Komachi is a sweet, lilac-y, lightly fruity floral, while Fox Fires strikes me mostly as a green matcha incense. Fox Fires seems more unique/"interesting," I guess, but I like Komachi better, so if I were you, I'd get that one. Someone else might say the exact opposite if they liked incense better than florals.

[KittyHawk]

For anyone who is interested in Sunrise with Sea-Monsters but wary of aquatics, don't be. My bottle (purchased on the forum) arrived yesterday, and even straight out of the mail, it's a well-behaved, beautiful sea scent with just a hint of sweetness from the pear and the freesia. I CANNOT wear most aquatics, but Sunrise melds perfectly with my skin chemistry and never gets sharp. I can still catch whiffs of it this morning, too, so the longevity is fantastic. It's a surprise hit for me; in fact, I'm even mulling a backup as I can't imagine another aquatic ever working this well on me again.

[OctoberGwen]

Looks like I've neglected to mention the Salons I've tried:

 

Sunrise With Sea Monsters. Ocean mist, kelp, ambergris, amber, white pear, osmanthus, freesia, and seafoam accord.

I agree that this isn't a terribly aquatic aquatic, but the salt water/ocean air is definitely present. The amber probably grounds it. I don't play well with pear, but for those who do this would be a lovely choice.

 

Kiyohime Changes From a Serpent. Salty ocean spray, red kelp, black plum, lychee, sea moss, green musk, hachiya, plum blossom, and matcha.

The aquatics are much more present in this one, with a whisper of plum. Alas, aquatics and plum are both no-go's for me.

 

Love and Pain. Lavender, Balkan tobacco, black musk, dark vanilla, and golden copaifera.

I wish I'd held on to this one; I would appreciate it so much more now. I recall it as a smooth, somewhat dark blend with the lavender very much present.

 

Arrival At The Sabbath and Homage To The Devil. Bourbon vanilla, benzoin, caramel, Mysore sandalwood, aged black patchouli, carnation, and iris florentina.

Caramel is simply too much for me as it immediately amps into nauseating sweetness on my skin. Any sweet foodie fans will drool over this one, though.

 

(Just a note: these were all included in the haul I inherited from a fellow forumite on Aeclectic Tarot. I was a newbie, therefore, and I'm pretty sure the only one out of these that I'd choose for myself today would be Love and Pain.)

[ivyandpeony]

 

My big faves are:

 

And There Was a Great Cry in Egypt <snip>

The Fox-woman Kuzunoha Leaving Her Child <snip>

Three Brides <snip>

Itasô Kansei Nenkan Jorô No Fûzoku <snip>

Philosopher in Meditation <snip>

Schlafende Baigneuse (<snip>

Why, ivyandpeony, I had no idea we were scent-sisters! You've only omitted Arrival on the Sabbath from my Salon favorites, and you've introduced me to Philosopher in Meditation which I had overlooked based on the notes. The Asian-styled ones don't appeal so much to me, but you interest me... <looks speculatively at the casually rejected imps...>

 

As I sadly retest imps before the Demise of the Salon, I've added Madonna and The Cup of Death to my possibles, as well as Philosopher. I'll be watching this thread and reading reviews as well - what will I regret missing?

 

I wanted to love Arrival on the Sabbath but I have a terrible caramel problem. It is heartbreaking, but every blend with caramel that I've ever tried does two things on my skin. First the caramel note keeps amping and amping til it's all I can smell, then it morphs into a burnt-sugar-on-the-bottom-of-the-oven instead of a creamy caramel. It's a curse, I tell you - I just look at the notes for that blend and swoon.

 

I checked my wishlist & I have Love and Pain & Le Mort Qui Danse on there. . . will have to dig up the imps I have and re-test before I decide. I have some other Salons in my box of loot as well, so I'll try to remember to go thru and post mini reviews of those ASAP.

[stellamaris]

ivyandpeony, you can send that Arrival to me, I flipping love it.

Philosopher is amazing, my friend got some last year, I loved it on her, but never got it for some reason, but I just got my own yesterday. It's resiny rich, and very round.

[Kayah]

Damn, you just keep adding to my wishlist!

 

I am wavering over And There Was a Great Cry in Egypt as on my skin there is no "mediocre" for incense/woods.. it's either OMFGBGHERBBHHMMm awesome or wtfisthiswashitoff! I'm not sure which one ATWAGCIE would be...

 

It looks like I may be adding Love & Pain and Carceri D'Invenzione onto my already extensive BPAL Salon Must-Get list

 

 

I currently am in the posession of two salon blends:

 

Sunrise with Seamonsters - amazing, light, seafoamy, salty spray, delicate amber and ambergris and freesia. I love it although it does tend to disappear on me after only an hour or two.

 

Two Monsters - it's dark, and I haven't actually properly tested it yet so have not formed a strong opinion either way other than it is interesting (that goes for all of BPAL blends however so saying so doesn't count towards anything)

 

I have to find my list of what I still need to get and post it..

 

Last order included:

Monna Vanna, Schlafende Baigneuse, Spirit of the Komachi Tree

 

I will likely be getting Kyohime Changes from a Serpent, Fox-Fires, Fox Woman ... leaving her child, Cupid Complaining to Venus, Garden Path with Chickens, The Great He-Goat, Itaso Kansei ..., Lantern Ghost of Oiwa, Madonna, Philosopher in Meditation, Smiling Spider

 

.... yeah

[Aldercy]

I ordered bottles of Carceri d'Invenzione and Arrival at the Sabbath and Homage to the Devil unsniffed because they've both been on my wish list for at least three years. I always told myself I really needed to try them and just never ever did. No time to waffle now!

[Alethia]

I'm trying to pare my list down from four to two and I'm having a rough time!

 

Spirit of the Komachi Cherry Tree (Cherry blossom, blue lilac, lavender monofloral honey, white sandalwood, and Asian pear): I don't think I have any cherry blossom in my BPAL stash and I'm not sure how that happened because cherry blossom is one of my favorite smells ever. I'm worried about this maybe being too light though.

 

Itasô Kansei Nenkan Jorô No Fûzoku (Osmanthus, white honey, ti leaf, hibiscus, and sugar cane): I love, love, love everything listed here except for the osmanthus which I don't think I've ever smelled. A lot of the reviews mention this being really herbal which I'm not a fan of, so can anyone chime in?

 

Three Brides (Moroccan rose, king mandarin, red sandalwood, Egyptian amber, orchid, carnation, benzoin, tonka, calla lily, vanilla flower): This just sounds so pretty!

 

Schlafende Baigneuse (Skin musk, white cream, honeycomb, yellow rose, King mandarin, chrysanthemum, golden amber, honeysuckle, and wide-throated yellow monkey-flower accord): I read the notes for this one and my eyes kept getting bigger because it's like it was made just for me, but then I got to the wide-throated yellow monkey flower. Any thoughts on this one?

[Amaranthus]

My two cents on The Spirit of the Komachi Cherry Tree- I've had my bottle for a about four years. When it was new it smelled exactly like Japanese Cherry Blossom eaux de toilette from The Body Shop, which I found underwhelming. The honey, pear, and sandalwood tended to take over and become sharp. If you can get to The Body Shop to sniff Japanese Cherry Blossom you'll get an idea of what to expect, although of course the BPAL scent lacks that delightful edge of rubbing alcohol, and is more complex. Over time The Spirit of the Komachi Cherry Tree has settled into a sweet cherry blossom scent, with the sandalwood forming a base that smells almost like a clean skin musk. It is light, but it has good staying power. I didn't expect a light fruity floral perfume to age well, but to me it smells better than ever.

[lahdeedah]

My two cents on The Spirit of the Komachi Cherry Tree- I've had my bottle for a about four years. When it was new it smelled exactly like Japanese Cherry Blossom eaux de toilette from The Body Shop, which I found underwhelming. The honey, pear, and sandalwood tended to take over and become sharp. If you can get to The Body Shop to sniff Japanese Cherry Blossom you'll get an idea of what to expect, although of course the BPAL scent lacks that delightful edge of rubbing alcohol, and is more complex. Over time The Spirit of the Komachi Cherry Tree has settled into a sweet cherry blossom scent, with the sandalwood forming a base that smells almost like a clean skin musk. It is light, but it has good staying power. I didn't expect a light fruity floral perfume to age well, but to me it smells better than ever.

 

 

Thank you for this review! I'm finishing up my final list of Salons to order-- managed to grab Cleopatra Testing Poisons and Love and Pain off sales. SotKC is now definitely on my final list. I believe Lucretia and Cloister Graveyard will be accompanying. Still waffling on And There Was a Great Cry in Egypt. And wish I had enough to grab Smiling Spider too. Alas, I think I need to keep it whittled down to just three more.

[orata]

I'm trying to pare my list down from four to two and I'm having a rough time!

 

Spirit of the Komachi Cherry Tree (Cherry blossom, blue lilac, lavender monofloral honey, white sandalwood, and Asian pear): I don't think I have any cherry blossom in my BPAL stash and I'm not sure how that happened because cherry blossom is one of my favorite smells ever. I'm worried about this maybe being too light though.

 

Itasô Kansei Nenkan Jorô No Fûzoku (Osmanthus, white honey, ti leaf, hibiscus, and sugar cane): I love, love, love everything listed here except for the osmanthus which I don't think I've ever smelled. A lot of the reviews mention this being really herbal which I'm not a fan of, so can anyone chime in?

 

Three Brides (Moroccan rose, king mandarin, red sandalwood, Egyptian amber, orchid, carnation, benzoin, tonka, calla lily, vanilla flower): This just sounds so pretty!

 

Schlafende Baigneuse (Skin musk, white cream, honeycomb, yellow rose, King mandarin, chrysanthemum, golden amber, honeysuckle, and wide-throated yellow monkey-flower accord): I read the notes for this one and my eyes kept getting bigger because it's like it was made just for me, but then I got to the wide-throated yellow monkey flower. Any thoughts on this one?

SotKCT I found light and pretty but unexceptional.

 

Itaso is greenish and tart-fruity-sweet, but not herbal at all to my nose. Osmanthus smells a bit like green, floral apricots with a slight leathery undertone. The BPAL blends where I've found it strongest are Belle Vinu (reinforced by peach) and My Sweetest Lesbia. Itaso smells a bit more like hibiscus to me.

 

Schadenfreude Baigneuse (autocorrect from my phone that I liked, so I left it ) seems to be an unexceptional light and slightly sharp rose scent to me. I'll try it again on clean skin tomorrow.

[Monday]

...Schadenfreude Baigneuse (autocorrect from my phone that I liked, so I left it ) ...

[Elfbait]

Well, I'm apparently one of the few proud lovers of rosy, regal, opulent Monna Vanna. I'm not one for hording backups myself, so when she's gone, I'll just remember her with delight. But, what a great opportunity to finally nab Kiyohime Changes From a Serpent for my hot weather scent. I've been looking for an aquatic that just really speaks to me (so far only Egle has come close), and I'm a fan of the Kiyohime legend anyways.

 

The Salon collection was most impressive to me, on many levels. I am quite sad to see her leave.