Sea of Glass

[northatlantic]

Upon the Sea of Glass, glowing with the perfection of spiritual union and the radiance of true wisdom, rests the throne of God. A scent of inimitable purity, crystalline grace, and limitless light.

This and Lorelai were the scents that made a BPAL believer out of me. I can't even try to clinically determine what the notes might be; it comes out of the imp the scent of a stiff breeze over dunes and seagrass, the glitter of a clear morning after a storm, cool and tangy with just a hint of salt, and it sweetens into waves sparkling in the distance and the thick hum of sun on a sheltered spot in the sand, serene and removed from everything. I love this. I hope I don't manage to go through both my imps before I get my 5 mL.

[wichapi]

Maybe its because its the first BPAL scent I experienced (yes, only recently am I no longer a BPAL virgin,) but this scent immediately penetrated and stayed: sweet & delicate in one respect, and like anything sweet & delicate one must handle with care or wind up with palms full of splintered shards. I agree with another post that there is a definite edge here... Perhaps its the ozone mixed with what seems to be a sharp release of peaked white honeysuckle after sunset. I caught a whif of exactly that in my back yard just the other evening.

 

Now granted, I haven't experienced each every one of BPAL's scents, but this one was an instant favorite and likely to remain so.

[emz83]

This is absolutely beautiful, it's the crisp of the morning light on a clear day that gradually warms up and rounds out until it's twilight and the sun is setting on warm waves.

[Ilina]

In the imp: Aquatics, citrus, and florals, but something about the way they're blended is just *perfect* for the name of this scent. It's almost soapy, like many of Beth's aquatics are, but not enough to be off-putting.

 

On my skin: As soon as I put this on, I had this vision of the sea glass I picked up a few pieces of: aquamarine, worn down, soft but still sharp and lovely.

 

On my skin, 20 minutes later: Exactly the same.

 

It took me a few days to decide, but I already had Lightning, Moon Rose, and Tempest, and loved them all. Sea of Glass didn't have Lightning's softness or Tempest's cleanness: it was nice, but a little superfluous, so off to the swap pile she goes.

[quikslvr]

At first: fresh and light gardenia or lily-of-the-valley, but not syrupy. Then clean ozone-y clarity. Cool and sunny, the feeling of hanging out, water-side. Bright, pretty, strong, and pure.

[Silvertree]

It's taken me a while to review this scent, but Sea of Glass has been holding a place of pride in my box o' bottles for some time now. The saga began with me swapping for an imp that didn't make it to me whole. I loved the fragrance emanating from the mailer, so I trolled for an imp- and a kind person offered a full bottle!

 

I haven't once regretted the decision to buy it from her.

 

For me, Sea of Glass is one of those precious fragrances that stimulates such an instinctive reaction that it's difficult to approach it with the intent to *think* about it. I could just let my fingers go and try a stream-of-consciousness review, but I think that it wouldn't be terribly coherent or helpful. Here's my attempt at words:

 

Clean, serene, and pristine, the Sea of Glass is light and air. It smells like the oxygen-rich breezes you find away from noise and people and pollution, where the rich flavor of the breezes makes you want to stand still and gulp in as much air as you can to purify and sustain you when you must, inevitably, return to your city home. A little sharp and crisp, but not cold, it is the sparkle of the waves in the sunlight as they rush toward the shore.

 

A little salty, but also sweet, Sea of Glass reminds me more of rain-washed mountains and meadows than the ocean. Actually, the closest equivalent I can think of is the Sea of Galilee, in northern Israel. Unlike much of that country, the Galilee is lush and green, and the Sea is actually a freshwater lake (known in Israel as Lake Kinneret). I remember swimming in the waters with my friends, and later filling up a little bottle with water from the Sea which accompanied us on our hike to the Mediterranean Sea (Israel is only about 40 miles wide up north). We, like so many pilgrims before us, took the bottle from the Galilee and emptied the fresh into the salt. If you were to take a small amount of each back into the northern hills of Israel with you, and combine them perched high on an ancient hill among the fresh breezes, I think that you would have Sea of Glass.

[blaqpearl]

This one is very nice. Definitely a blue scent. Fresh and acquatic. I love the cleanliness of this scent. It will probably make a nice room scent. Glad to have tried this one...not sure on a bigger bottle, but I will enjoy my imp.

[~AmusedMuse~]

fresh, clean, aquatic and something citrusy. a purness I cant even begin to describe. Im sure its going to be a big success

[rainbow]

This is so beautiful, and it so lives up to its name. The scent is like clear water, that washes over you gently, and its gently acquatic, gently floral, and light all at the same time. It's impossible to pick out the notes in this, but this is a really original and truly beautiful scent. Like water with light reflcting off of it.

[Celogrl]

How beautiful, how pure. I received an imp of this from a good friend and I will be always grateful. To me, it is a light, clear aquatic, but I swear there is a teeny bit of lemon in it. It has some light florals, but I mostly notice the watery feel and it's almost as though someone threw flower petals on the ocean. That's what it reminds me of.

[vyvyan]

It's a sweet aquatic, with just a *tiny* bit of ozone bite. It's not rain, to me, but definitely freshwater with the light reflecting off it at midmorning, surrounded by flowers. They're very *subtle* flowers, though, so people who don't like florals (and I'm one) shouldn't be scared away.

 

Not sure if I'm going to buy a bottle, but I'm certainly going to use the imp, especially in the really hot days of summer, when I need a little coolness and tranquility.

[Savannah]

I was hoping this was going to be the Perfect Marine Scent that I had previously hoped Kingsport would be, and in the vial I thought it just might be. First on, it smelled like my current holy grail of marine scents, Creative Universe Mare, but sweeter and more floral-- if Mare is an ocean breeze that's just crossed a tangle of young green plants on its way to you, Sea of Glass is an ocean breeze that's just crossed a tangle of blooming jasmine and gardenia. Bliss, heaven. Then it started to dry down, and the flowers took over. I flailed ineffectually at the flowers, trying to get them to go away and leave the salty aquatics alone, but there was a pitched battle, and now what I smell is the carnage, with bits of flowers and ripples of cool ocean lying all dismembered among each other. It's actually quite delicious. It isn't the Perfect Marine Scent, but it's a beautiful scent. It can stay.

[zankoku_zen]

Even before opening the imp, I can smell the strong aquatic notes.

 

In the Bottle: Something very aquatic, and very sharp. And almost grapefruity. Ooh! I'm excited now.

 

On Skin: There is something sharp. It smells a bit like Tempest but there is something more citrusy about it. It smells clean and pure about it.

On Drydown: This smell is less strong than Tempest. I think I like it better. There is a slight powdery.

 

Verdict: I like this. I'm keeping the imp. So lovely. I don't know if I'll order more Tempest or more Sea of Glass from the lab. Hmmm...

[Lycanthrope]

I like to classify two visceral reactions to a fragrance - mood and element. Because Sea of Glass is just so... well balanced, it brought to mind one mood - placid, but I keep shifting between Water and Air, because on one hand it's extremely aquatic, with a strong streak of wet florals and seaweed and dune grass... but also the imagery of pure crystals of shining light suspended in midair.

 

In the Bottle or Imp:

Instantly smell a day by the ocean, the mix of bright citrus and sandy notes, the aroma of sea plants and crisp water. Also get a light whiff of sweet florals, but not too strong.

Wet, on Skin:

Citrus shifts immediately to grapefruit on my skin, which I dislike greatly. But, thankfully it starts to fade quickly. On me, I smell much more of the ocean water, with the salty breeze carrying over the water and seaweed draped on wave-pounded rocks. The sweet florals are thrumming in the background, getting more prominent...

Drying Down:

It's crystal now - crystal over a gently rolling sea. The fragrance, while shifting back and forth before, now solidifies into a single, unmoving scent, exactly shining, pure quartz and shimmering sea.

Over Time/Longterm:

The ocean scent pulls back and it's mostly just sweet white and yellow florals with a pleasant wet aquatic plant backdrop.

Final Verdict?

This is great - perfectly blended to reflect the concept.

 

I have an imp of this, and another one on the way... this may be a 5 mL if I can spare it.

[shayelea]

In the bottle this smelled very lilac-y, which is fine, because I like lilacs. Maybe I should amend this to "spring flowers." *g* Wet, it turned into lilac-and-lemon, which was yummy, but on drydown the lemon disappeared and it was back to lilac.

 

This one smelled good on me, but it wasn't really "me." I suspect I'll keep it around for the dreary midwinter, unless someone wants it in a trade.

[grrrlennyl]

sea of glass

 

at first: the lab threw this in with my order. wow. this smells like...really clean air. it's white and pure. lovely. i think this will be great for summer.

on: just very, very clean. i think i smell a bit of lemon, but maybe that's some ozone.. hmmm...maybe some sort of flower, too. either way, this is very pure and peaceful, and i really like it.

1 hour later: gorgeous. this is so clean and fresh. i'm so glad i tried this one out. it's floral, but understatedly so.

2 hours later: soft and beautiful. there's a bit of sweetness coming out. this is refreshing and comforting.

overall: i ADORE this! i'm so glad the lab included this in my order. if i use up my imp by the time spring rolls around, i'll be buying a bottle for the summer.

[rellyjean]

The aquatics here are beautiful. The scent is the ocean, in all its calming majesty.

 

I visited the Pacific Ocean and was shocked and how different it smelled than the Atlantic, which always has an unpleasant sour note to me. The Pacific was crisp, and clean, and soothing.

 

Sea of Glass smells to me as if someone bottled the Pacific ocean-drenched air and liquified it. Pure and sharp, ozone and salty air.

 

It's reassuring and steady, and I'm still in awe at how the power and tranquility of the ocean fits into this little imp.

 

Unfortunately, it's not something I'm likely to wear, and it's a bit too aquatic for my taste as a room scent. So I swapped it out, but with the highest of regards.

[Athena's Owl]

(this is my first BPAL review, ever.)

 

In the Imp: Green. I cannot describe this. I smell and I see Green waters, studded all over with windswept glitter from the sun. High sun, slanting toward afternoon, but the breeze coming in from the ocean cools me and brings this scent, as if it were the cleanest sea in the world and an island in the distance was dripping with ripe to bursting lemons, lemons that never felt anything but sun and rain and butterflies' feet because no one lives on this island of lemons.

 

Wet: it's the smell, but I can't tell you what that smell is. I hold my nose to my wrist, and up close it's lemon and a flower that grows in the jungle and clean sea - the fantest hint of kelp, but not dying fish. it's the beach, but it's not a beach where I have ever been, because it doesn't smell like hawaiian tropic and marijuana, but there could be the hint of... mojitos, nearly. the barest whisp of mint, the tang of an alchohol, and the distant lemons. I feel the golden eternity glowing all around me - if I close my eyes in this my own blood illuminates like stained glass through my eyelids, and I sink into the beautiful warmth of sun-worship and I catch, just silghtly, the impression of salt from sweat.

 

This is amazing. no designer perfume EVER did this.

 

Drydown: the lemons recede a bit, and now there's something a little bit briny coming forward, and I just want some duct tape so I can leave my wrist crammed up against my nose OK? thx!

 

Dry: I've gone inside, the smell of the sea has faded, and the landward breeze sweeps sweet night blooming flowers through my open window.

 

I've never experienced anything like that. I worried that I wouldn't be able to describe the scent at all and as it turns out the scent took me to freakin Tahiti. Truly, I had no idea this was even possible with a perfume.

 

and I've got seven more...

[DarcyPennell]

This was beautiful, crisp, light but strong (if that makes sense), with white floral and ozone.

 

Now the bad news. Major allergic reaction. I started feeling sniffly immediately. After a half hour my nose was running and eyes watering. At an hour I could barely see straight. I washed my wrists but it took another half hour for the constant sneezing to subside. Damn.

 

I saw that other reviewers had the same reaction. Does anyone know what ingredient in this is prone to set off allergies? I'd sure like to identify and avoid the allergen.

 

Ranking: "ugh" (that would be "love" if not for the sneezing)

Edited July 29, 2005 by DarcyPennell

[dreadeddragon]

In the bottle: aquatics, yet fresh like a new rain. It's a bit salty with some light florals as well.

 

First on: Definitely florals, almost like wysteria flowers. It's still salty and aquatic, but not a typical aquatic scent. It is definitely a fitting name, I can picture a large sea like place where the top is made of glass, almost like it's frozen over.

 

Drydown: It got all soapy on me. I'll keep the imp to wear on hot days when I need a bit of freshness, but I don't think it's going to be a favorite.

[PurringPulsar]

Sea of Glass

 

(Note: this review may be a bit inaccurate since the imp I got of this was actually diluted-don't worry! The person who gave this to me warned me that she diluted it to tone down the scent which she thought was too strong, and anyway she had tossed it in as a freebie in a swap.)

In the imp: sweet and salty! A definite marine scent, with a hint of something a bit floral. Very fresh.

Wet on skin: yup, it's still that fresh marine scent with a hint of green or floral, or fruity-melon or cucumber. It's warm, yet cool at the same time.

Dry on skin: omg. This scent reminds me of summer holidays! It smells like something I took on holiday with me once, either an aftersun cream or a shower gel, or sun lotion. With a hint of sea breeze wafting through. But it smells just like something that automatically reminds me of holidays in Mediterranean resorts with sandy beaches and clear blue seas. Such memories make me smile, and give me beach cravings!

After a while: it stays pretty consistent on me, that mix of sweet and salty water, sitting by the pool wearing a sarong whilst watching the sun setting over the sea. The scent of a warm, salty breeze at the end of a beautiful day.

Verdict: this scent is absolutely perfect for summer. It's fresh, marine, with a hint of something floral. But the thing I really like about this is the pleasant memories it evokes of summer holidays. It reminds me of something I used on holiday once, possibly a sun lotion or aftersun lotion…you know how the smell of something you used on a holiday somewhere instantly brings back memories of that time? This makes me think of a warm sandy beach on an island resort, either in Mauritius or somewhere Mediterranean, with the scent of the sea wafting on the breeze, I've just been for a swim in the delightfully clear, clean, warm sea waters and the scent of sea salt and suntan lotion is mingled on my skin. This is the perfect scent to evoke memories of the best summers of my life, even on the rainiest, dreariest day. Now I have a serious beach craving, I want to go for a swim in the sea. But I can't because I live in London, and the sea in Brighton or Bournemouth isn't exactly the Med or the Indian Ocean, is it?

Bear in mind that this is the diluted version. I need to try the undiluted scent, but for now, this imp will be my summer scent.

[Dustbunnyxox]

From the bottle: smells like that flower i can't put my hand on. like how a fresh cut stem smells.

 

On me: it smells VERY green, like the stem and leaf smell of a plant with a light floral hint. I LOVE IT! maybe its slightly daffodil? clean. crisp. FRESH. does smell like the ocean.

 

Two hours later: omg. I am in love with this one. it lasted quite a while. my boyfriend said i smelled so good, and in general, i smelled good! haha. I just smelled so crisp, and refreshing. and it did get alot sweeter, but I like that too. I am buying a few bottles.

[Blueelm]

This got raves from my guy. It smells like pure cleanliness. Just washed sheets, clean skin, clear skies, a clean house with open windows, and pure air rushing through.

 

This is such a soft and lovely white flower scent. It starts out ozonic with a blast of lemon on me. Then it gets fizzy and quite aquatic. It smells like the best soap you could ever find. Then it becomes a pure crystaline aquatic/floral with a hint of salt. The drydown is creamy with white flowers... jasmine? Maybe tuberose?

 

Some one brought up rose and I think maybe rose is a part of it, but I'm not sure. If so, then this would be the only rose scent I've ever been able to wear, let alone enjoy.

 

Hmmm... I am so very glad that I tried this. What a great scent! I think this is my favorite clean scent yet.

[Rusalka]

Good lord, this is the aquatic of my dreams.

 

In the bottle: an assault of brilliant, blazing white. I have no coherent description for it; it delights and overwhelms.

 

Wet: More of the same, but not quite so intense an onslaught of it now. The scent is crystalline, and is that lily of the valley that I smell? There's one particular, gentle floral at the heart of it -- and that might be what it is. I don't get a hint of the green or saltiness that others have mentioned: just this elegant note of floral and an undertone of very mild.. fruit? Melon? Not sure.

 

Drying: I'd feared an assault of lemon, and it never arrived; thank you! What I have instead is crystalline and sparkling, a scent of indescribable cleanliness and purity. There's a very subtle sweetness to this now, and the pale floral has softened into something that reminds me dimly of magnolias.

 

This is summertime nostalgia for me on so many levels, and it's absolutely the aquatic that I've been hunting for, for years. Large bottle of this for me, on my next order. Even if it didn't suit me, I'd still want it just as a room scent.

[urraca]

This is so beautiful. In the vial I get a hint of butteryness, of all things, but once on the scent is pure pink grapefruit. The grapefruit recedes softly, leaving behind lily of the valley at the head backed by crystal, salty water. Neither of these stages is remotely sweet, which is what I like about this scent.

 

BPAL is what turned me onto aquatic scents and this is a beautiful example of them. I had never even really heard of aquatics as a category before BPAL.

 

And since this hasn't appeared in any of the other reviews so far, I thought I'd close with the quotation that gave the name to this scent:

Revelations 15,2 "And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. "