Autumn Lace

[Amoraexcena]

An October funeral, 1888. Black linen and delicate, sugar-spun lace suffused with the scent of tobacco, black tea, Indian musk, liturgical incense, and cognac, with a drop of laudanum and crushed Autumn leaves.

Mmmmm. Autumn Lace is definitely my fav of the lace series since the original Black Lace. It's definitely in the same category but is more wearable in my opinion. The incense and cognac are well balanced with the sugar and linen, and the musk comes out once it settles into your skin. The tea, laudanam and leaves I can't distinguish separately but they definitely give this scent a more golden-brown feel than Black Lace (which, in colour of scent association, is ink black). Autumn Lace also a little similar to Tattered Lace but minus the slightly strange lemon I get from that one.

As an aside, a rather famous October funeral in 1888: Elizabeth Stride, who was killed by the Ripper. May she rest in peace.

[vanillabean]

In the bottle: There is something masculine about this. I am not sure what note it is that sticks out, but something makes me think "men's cologne" when I smell it from the bottle. Under that is a perfect autumn day. And butterscotch.

 

Wet on skin: Sweet butterscotch and something almost floral.

 

Dry on skin: Sweet butterscotch, something floral, and spicy incense.

 

This is amaaaazing. I am so glad I snagged a bottle when it was available!

[Little Bird]

Autumn Lace smells like cheap, chemical-y hairspray (opium note?) and cloying maple syrup on me . Strangely, when I smell this, I get a taste in my mouth that reminds me of when you accidentally lick your fingers after handling coins.. sort of dirty and metallic.  The drydown is like cheap, metallic hairspray smell poured over maple syrup and a whiff of black pepper.   I had high hopes for this, because I love Black Lace and Antique Lace, but this is pretty awful on me... Black Lace was an absolute gem and I feel like each of its flankers have gotten less and less.. good?

Edited February 9, 2022 by Little Bird

[sunshinedaisybliss]

As others have said, I think Autumn Lace goes over to the same side of the Lace family as Black Lace, Tattered Lace and Mourning Lace - it's dark and melancholy, kind of mournful - it feels... sad.

 

The first thing that hits my nose is the cognac - KAPOW! BAM! Batman style!! It was a little bitter at first, which is probably the tobacco and/or laudanum, but after only a minute or two it started softening up and the incense and leaves started appearing. Ten minutes in, and the cognac has warmed up beautifully.. all soft and yummy. The leaves are woodsy - definitely brown autumn leaves, it's the smell you get when you walk through the park atop a carpet of fallen leaves. The linen note is definitely there - I recognise it from other Lace blends, but it's stiff and dark here - not white and soft/clean smelling at all. The tobacco is still there - it's quite bright on my skin, and the musk/incense combo is giving a lovely smokey backdrop.

 

Thirty minutes in and really all I can find now is the cognac, musk, incense and linen with a remnant of tobacco . The leaves have gone and the black tea never really showed up. It's developed a slightly bitter cologne-like vibe, which I attribute to the laudanum still lingering and brightening the cognac. And finally, the sugar shows up! That was a nice surprise - it's changed things completely.. that bitterness has almost gone now.

 

I was hoping for more musk/incense depth - the tobacco stops this from darkening on my skin, and when the sugar arrived it went slightly sweet, so it never quite gets to the place I want it to go - which would be dark/deep musk/incense/cognac. And I just can't shake the melancholy feeling of this one - it's kind of harshing my mellow. Overall, I find Autumn Lace to be very olde-worldy, and nice in its own way, but not really anything remarkable on my skin.

[Alethia]

Thoughts before testing: I've never been able find more than an imp of Black Lace, so the first few reviews of "Black Lace + leaves" sent me sprinting to order this one My skin sometimes amps tobacco is a very unpleasant way, so I'm cautiously optimistic.

 

Wet: Ooh, leaves and incense and musk! This is very "perfumey" but in the best possible way.

 

Dry down: The linen and sugar/lace are more at the forefront. The tobacco is being held nicely in check and I get just a whiff of cognac. This is truly spectacular on my skin at this point.

 

Dry: Musky sweet vanilla incensey goodness. Good lord this is beautiful and grown up and sexy and I never want to be without it.

 

Final thoughts: This lasts an insanely long time on my skin (well over 10 hours). The throw is strong and all I need is a drop to waft about in a beautifully perfumed cloud. I got my bottle a few days before Thanksgiving and this is one of only two perfumes I've been wearing since then. This is true love

 

Verdict: Hoarding.

Edited March 20, 2013 by Alethia

[Wren12]

I was lucky enough to pounce on a bottle of this...

 

In the bottle...Sweet and comforting...not sugary sweet or cloying, with a whiff of tobacco.

 

On wet...much the same, but with a warming tang from the cognac. The tobacco is pronounced with a light undercurrent of vanilla?

 

On Dry...the sweetness fades somewhat, replaced by a deeper, smoky tobacco scent, but lightened with a swirl of incense dancing throughout. The tobacco is not heavy, and seems to accent the swirl of incense and sharp bite of the cognac from my wrist. A dry crackle of fallen leaves provides an undercurrent to the lighter notes, playing a crisp counterpoint to the smoke and bite. The leaf smell becomes more 'real' as the scent matures on my wrist, becoming a mixture of crisp and a light dab of chlorophyll from the leaves yet dried by the wind. Definite vanilla notes waft subtly underneath the rest. I note a touch of musk, which my skin loves, and really helps this scent bloom for me.

 

I am amazed by this scent. I absolutely adore it. I hope it just gets better with age because it is going to be sticking around for awhile!!

 

ETA: after about an hour on I begin getting the most interesting hint of maple sugar from this. Yum!

Edited December 19, 2012 by Wren12

[a_llb]

In bottle: Leafy and musky.

 

Wet: Spicy, dusky and dark. Hints of leaves and incense.

 

Dry: It takes on a very dry, planty quality. Dusty leaves indeed! Laudanum is prominent now, slightly medicinal and cloying with the addition of tobacco.

 

Verdict: I think this is ultimately too dark and heady for me to wear often. A small dab goes a long way!

[mermaidsdream]

I was a little hesitant at first, because most of the autumnal scents/leaf-type scents don't seem to work on me.

 

Initial sniff from the bottle: very light, smoky and woodsy, with a hint of floral and citrus. Nothing really stands out.

 

Applied: again, nothing really stands out; it's so light, I have to press my wrist into my nose to smell anything.

 

Drydown: reminds me a lot of Sunbird, with a hint of something creamy underneath. Unfortunately, it fades fast; after a couple hours, it's almost completely gone, and I was fairly liberal with application

[tharsei-thanate]

Bought a bottle of this untested from evanescence. :-) I slathered some on yesterday after I got it in the mail and my reaction was essentially "HOLY SHIT THIS IS GOOD" but I think I should do a proper review, haha.

 

In the bottle: This is very complex and masterfully blended. The notes are all swirling together so intimately that it's hard to pick any individual note out. Well, except the tobacco, that I can certainly recognize. Occasionally I get isolated whiffs of other notes, like the sugar or the cognac or the laudanum, but overall it's primarily just one single beautiful scent.

 

Wet: A blast of gorgeous tobacco followed by soft linen infused with sugary vanilla sweetness and a drop of tea. The other notes in there too, but they're all blended together in the background, adding a wonderful coziness.

 

Drydown: The cognac peeks its head out, more tea is poured, and the tobacco becomes richer and smokier. There's also the vaguest hint of leaves.

 

Dry: The tobacco is front and center and the smokiness of it is blending nicely with the leaves. Tea and cognac are swirling about. That coziness from the wet stage is much lighter, giving the blend a colder feel overall. Very evocative- it certainly brings to mind a dreary autumn day. If I close my eyes I can see the grey sky and the red and brown foliage littered across the cold ground, a half-smoked cigar lying among the leaves.

 

Further on: It gets dustier as it goes on, but other than that it doesn't change all that much.

 

Verdict? Definitely worth the purchase! The wet stage is the best, but even the smoky dry stage is great. I love evocative blends, and this blend especially fits today- it's July but the weather outside is unseasonably cold and the skies are a dreary grey.

 

This is going to get quite a lot of love once autumn rolls around.

 

[EDIT]

 

Wow, two hours after I posted this I sniffed my wrist again got that sugary vanilla linen from the wet stage. Yum!

Edited July 25, 2013 by tharsei-thanate

[mymymai]

ITB: I had to put this off for a few days while I waited for my cold to dissipate as this is not the strongest scent. It's leaves, linen, cognac, tobacco, and sugared lace in the bottle.

 

Wet: The cognac is much stronger on my skin and the laudanum is now present. I get a little black tea with the linen, sugar spun lace, and thick tobacco.

 

Dry: It is certainly party of the lace family. The linen and tobacco reign supreme, but are followed closely by the sugar spun lace and Indian musk. It's a lovely scent.

[Missy_killer]

To my nose: A very strange combo of tobacco and clean linens.

On: That's not what I expected from this. So much laundry detergent it makes the back of my throat feel soapy. With a quiet undertone of tobacco and cognac. Never before have I seen a tobacco fall into submission this quickly. I was prepared for this to be an epic fail, that it would smell like a sour asahtray and crushed leaves with bitterly sour cognac and incense, because that is what I imagined this would be on my skin, who generally don't want something "heavy". But the thing is, this isn't heavy at all. This is extremely clean, light and soapy. Mindblown.

After an hour it's still very clean and soapy. This is basically the last I had expected from Autumn Lace!

I went to sleep and the next morning there's no trace of AL on me.

Edited May 11, 2015 by Missy_killer

[Monster]

When first applied, Autumn Lace is mostly tobacco and musk to my nose.

 

As it dries, the black tea is more prominent giving this a mildly bitter and dry feeling. The tobacco, musk and tea together almost remind me of the Labs opium tar note. About 10 minutes into the drying I'm getting more incense, sweetness and dry, crunchy leaves. I'm not detecting any linen notes at all. It's reminding me a bit of Black Lace without the sweetness and the linen. This is a drier, smokier cousin.

 

The final stage is a dry and sweet musk with a swirl of incense smoke. As with all the laces, this does a great job of giving you the image of a delicate black fabric against pale skin. It wears close to the skin and has a wear time of about two hours. Out of all the laces, I'd have to say this is my favorite next to Mourning Lace. Love this one!

 

ETA: I've been dabbing this in my hand for the past couple evenings to sniff while I'm hanging out, watching movies. I'm sniffing this now and realizing how happy it makes me. Well, all BPAL oils make me happy for different reasons but for some reason, Autumn Lace has this addictive quality to it. The deeper I sniff, the more I get out of it...like I discover multiple layers and facets in one deep breathe. It's hard to explain. There are fleeting moments and memories I experience when I smell this. It's a beauty I can't quite put my finger on. This is a really special perfume.

Edited March 7, 2014 by Monster

[alioth]

Autumn Lace opens with lovely leaves that remind me of Falling Leaf Moon, with a side of tobacco and a dryness that might be the tea and incense. Vanilla shows its face for a hot minute before the less sweet elements take over again, but by the time it's dried down, Autumn Lace is a gorgeous gauzy, musky vanilla and tobacco, with a hint of something that might be the leaves or incense keeping it from being too simple. I never get any linen or obviously identifiable cognac, which isn't a problem because I tend to amp 'clean' or 'boozy'. For some reason the drydown reminds me of a more delicate sister to Crowley, although there's not actually any leather to be found in here.

[RoseThornAndOak]

In bottle: Rich and sweet with an old world feel and an afterglow of sharp soap.

 

Wet on skin: the same, with more richness coming forth.

 

Drydown: This has a sharp powder note coming through. Nothing like the yum of Antique Lace or Tattered Lace on me. Actually Snow Flakes smells closer to Tattered Lace than this does to my nose. Its powder with a touch of boozy depth. Achoo! Sneeze not good!

 

Later: Autumn Lace has more similarity to Gothic Horror on me than Tattered Lace or Antique Lace. It has a dark, perfumey quality. Sadly the powder note is amping the most. It just doesn't have the sweetness I was hoping and aging it didn't help my case. This little girl needs a new bud.

Edited December 3, 2014 by RoseThornAndOak

[theseagrows]

hmm, i can hardly smell this in the beginning. it's very soft. even in the bottle, it just seems kind of...watered down. i get a very very soft watery tea scent with linen, tobacco, musk and cognac, but i have to put a lot on in order to really smell much. it's mostly tea and linen on me starting off. after awhile though, the musk and incense come out and have a lot more throw than the tea. i also get the sugar spun lace mentioned-there's something slightly vanilla/sugary in the background. after this stage i think i get a bit of the autumn leaves. this is a morpher and it is not nearly as heavy as it sounds like it could be. it's pretty light at first and it is musky, but the musk is not super in your face musk. i like this, but i don't think i love it. the musk gives me a slight headache.

 

ETA: about a half an hour later, and this is so pretty! i will definitely have to re-try this before i decide if i want to keep it or not.

Edited December 12, 2014 by theseagrows

[porcelina]

i remember being disappointed by Autumn Lace when I first tried it (and had bought two bottles unsniffed!), but i am liking it a little more now that it has aged some. it is still mainly linen on my skin, but the fabric has been scented with incense and musk. there is also a dry black tea note that i enjoy. i still don't need two bottles, but it's a pretty scent (just not exactly what i expected) and i'm happy to have it in my collection.

[aquazoo]

Sweet floral at first, then the unsweetend tea. I do get the sense of different leaves.

[LizziesLuck]

Wet: Leather? Weird. But it smells chemically, the way the Lab's white (and some others) leather note does on me. Then the tobacco amps up, but it smells way more like tobacco flower (nicotiana) than it does straight tobacco. Hints of the sweetness are starting to come out as it warms, and it's getting much more pleasant, but still not what I was expecting at all.

 

 

Dry: This turns fantastic once fully dry and warmed by my skin. It has an ineffable quality that I find hard to describe. Faint smoky/sweet tobacco, hints of sugared tea and incense. It's languid and a little bit sinister. The swirl of autumn leaves gives it a melancholy vibe as well. I really like it, but I do wish it was stronger and had more throw.

[aylafr]

For me this is extremely similar to summer lace, with more crisp leaves. If I had to picture it, it would be a stroll in a park with leaves covering the ground, musk peaking through underneath and a whiff of pipe tobacco in the air...gorgeous and very fitting for an Autumn scent. It also has the lace/cotton element in the dry down which links the laces together. They are all unique yet similar.

[brineydeep]

This is a scent for a cold day by a warm fire.

 

It's definitely in the Lace family but on the richer-fuller end. I don't have the nose to tell the individual notes apart but I'm getting mostly tobacco, the Lace element, and a touch of sugar. (I should mention that my skin amps tobacco and sugar and eats the dry leaf note.)

 

This blend works great on my skin but it's definitely a cold weather scent; it's too heavy for summer and spring. Thankfully, I live in a cold weather region and will have lots of opportunities to wear this (and I will definitely be taking advantage of that fact!).

[doomsday_disco]

In the decant: I smell the sugar-spun lace note, the linen, cognac, Indian musk, and incense. It’s sweeter than I thought it would be! I suspect that the vanilla has come out more with age.

 

Wet: The creamy vanilla is really prominent on my skin. I’m also getting the linen and cognac, followed by the Indian musk, tobacco, and incense. This is more vanilla-heavy on me than most laces are during the wet phase, which I think must be from aging, and as it dries down, I wonder if there is some Mysore sandalwood in the incense.

 

Dry: Lots of creamy vanilla, cognac, linen, musk, and incense. I’m not really getting the dry leaves, which is fine with me, since that note can be problematic for me.

 

After a while, I get the black tea note.

 

Verdict: This is really lovely! I think I may need to try to hunt down more of this in the future.

[AirimirOfGondor]

Autumn Lace is another Lace fragrance that seems very nondescript to me. It might just be my skin, or the bottle's age, but unfortunately on my skin, it's not a subtly complex blend, just a kind of a vaguely autumn-y Lace blend.

 

It kind of reminds me a bit of some Weenie blends (like October, Hallowe'en1914, etc), with cool, dark notes, that remind me of petrichor. And they do blend nicely with the Lace, but I'm a big fan of lots of earthy autumn fragrances, and there are just so many others that I like better than this particular blend.

It's definitely the most autumn-y of the Laces though! 😊

[ND¢]

I feel like this reminds me of Black Lace with a subtle dead leaves note and Dark Lace with a little less soil? I love it. It lasts and lasts on my skin and smells *expensive* and dissolute and so good.