Sea of Glass

[Christine Daae]

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 scent and I have a long, long history. This was the first scent description that made me want to try BPAL to begin with, and an imp of it made it into my very first order back in 2005. (2005! I am so old.) In that first order, this was one of the standouts: I was in denial about being able to wear frankincense (I can’t) which figured into a lot of my first purchases (I went all-in on the Catholic holy blends, honestly!!), but this was just Perfect. There was no way I had the vocabulary to describe what I was smelling, but I just adored it.

Along the way, I had a significant other who thought it smelled “like hairspray” on me, which put me off it. I didn’t want him to be reminded of Aquanet when he smelled me! That relationship is long-over, but that beloved imp got passed along (or maybe sold!) a long time ago, and I’d been on a non-official BPAL-buying hiatus since 2010. So when I made an order with a bunch of imps I needed to replace in March, I knew I wanted to try Sea of Glass again.

In the imp: Citrusy, aquatic. I want to say grapefruit rather than lime or lemon. It has an aquatic/ozonic edge to it, like Zephyr, but it doesn’t smell like lemon to me.

Wet: Much the same as in the imp: sparkling citrus and aquatics, though I’m getting a floral element now as well. Very sparkly-fresh, evoking sunlight dancing on calm ocean waters.

The aquatic here is definitely of the oceanic variety, a little salty. Looking at others’ reviews, I’m seeing people pick out hyacinth in particular as the floral note they're noticing. I genuinely don’t know that I could pick a hyacinth note out of a perfume (and I literally stuck my face in some the last time I saw them!) but if that’s the floral in here, it’s exquisite. I wonder if there’s some kind of a white floral in here, too, I’m getting a little bit of an undertone that reminds me a lot of magnolia or even Tiare flower.

Considering that this is such a clean, light scent, the throw is quite impressive! I feel like I’m walking around in a shimmering cloud of whitegold-blue-green sparkles.

It’s actually quite difficult to describe this one with notes, which is a running theme with my favorite scents. It’s pale blues and aquamarines, and the sparkle of early-morning sunlight reflecting off the ocean. It’s light and ocean air, pure and clean and crystalline bright.

2005-me was correct about this one: it’s absolutely perfect. I am sad that I ever gave up on it for the sake of anyone else! I’m happily married now, and my now-husband says this smells “beautiful! Like roses!” on me, which is crazy (roses?!) but also sweet, as he associates most beautiful floral smells with me and therefore roses, as roses are the floral I wear the most often. ^^;

I do think that a bottle of this will end up in my next order - not only is it a beautiful scent on its own, I think it will layer nicely with other things as well (maybe lending an aquatic-oceanic edge to some of my other favorite florals!). It’s just utterly beautiful and perfect - the sort of thing I wish I could say was my “signature scent”, honestly, as the sort of person who would like to personify sparkles on the ocean. ^^;

Edited April 12, 2016 by Christine Daae

[Mokiefraggle]

As someone who's not terribly fond of aquatics, I can honestly say I really like this one. It's bright, clean, and not too complex on me; I just get a fresh scent with some light citrus notes, nothing too heavy or cloying. Perfect for summer, as it doesn't morph or go into an off-smelling, greenish phase like certain light floral scents can, nor does Sea of Glass feature a heavily oceanic aquatic note. It's a light, watery scent that just stays clean and crisp, perfect for summer.

[ShannonElisabethJones]

In the imp this smelled blue. Bright, hard, blue. Like the ocean without all the lovely soft organic scents like fish, seaweed and sand. Maybe even a little bit like a beach-themed jar candle at Target. And maybe a little too sharp for me. I do love aquatics, though, so here I go...

 

After a few minutes on, it started smelling like Zest soap (cue jingle..."YOU'RE NOT FULLY CLEAN UNLESS YOU'RE ZEST-FULLY CLEAN!!!" Did I just date myself? Yeesh).

 

I don't think Sea of Glass and I agree. I almost feel like shards of soap are drifting up my nose. Now my eyes are starting to water.

 

Not for me.

[Kmye Chan]

In the imp: sharply floral and aquatic, in a somewhat unpleasant way - toilet freshener anyone?

 

Wet: Woah. HELLO LILY OF THE VALLEY. Strong, in-your-face lily-of-the-valley, on an aquatic and slightly salty base. Perhaps a tinge of another white flower (gardenia?). I don't identify the citrus other reviewers are mentioning although it may be contributing to the fresh, aquatic scent - I'm just drenched in white flowers, lilies, lilies and more lilies floating in cool, clear water. It threatens to veer into toilet freshener territory for a few minutes, but then blooms into a very pretty aquatic floral fragrance.

 

Dry: after an hour or so, the lily-of-the-valley rounds off a little as light musk and wood base notes come out. It's still decidedly aquatic, but a bit more complex. I love it from this stage, it's just gorgeous.

 

Throw: fairly strong but not obnoxious since it's such a cool, delicate scent.

 

Lasting power: around 8 hours - one of the longest lasting BPAL oils on me.

 

This, my friends, is downright lovely. On me it's a cooler, more aquatic and androgynous version of 51: it has that same salty/floral/aquatic thing going on without the fruity/sweet edge. It's very unisex and I'd like to smell this on a guy - it makes me think of CK One (which, I just checked, contains citrus and lily-of-the-valley so it looks like my sniffer and I are getting quite good at this game).

[LizziesLuck]

Wet: a sharp, slightly bitter aquatic. Not nice on me so far.

 

Dry: Aquatic - which equals nauseating dryer sheets on me. Too bad! I know lots of people love this one, but it's just not meant for my skin chemistry.

[Sharnig]

I had to pick this one as my first review. There was something about the name and description that really hooked me. It was in my very first imp order a couple of months back and was the very first one I tried. And it's beautiful. A very calm ocean aquatic with white flowers initially and then something magical happened after a few minutes on my skin. It settled in and I knew it was a scent I'd smelled before. And then I realised it was a smell I'd only IMAGINED I'd smelled before. It was the scent of what was in my head during that scene in Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The bit where they were at the end of the world sailing through a perfectly calm ocean covered in gorgeous white flowers with the most wonderful fragrance and they are all perfectly happy. I haven't read that book in about 20 years and this scent brought that scene back to me so clearly. I always knew smell was tied to memory but I didn't realise that worked for imaginary smells too.

[mermaidjeans]

I'm finally doing proper reviews for my first bpal order (from a year ago) ahead of my imminent second haul. I only have a few words down from my first impressions, plus my history of usage since then, so I'm now revisiting them all.

So, Sea of Glass.

Expectation: I wanted this to be a very Aquarian scent - air and light, with hints of aquatic

First impression: subtle, neutral

I must admit to being slightly underwhelmed at first. I couldn't smell anything in particular. Too much air, and a little ephemeral. I haven't worn it much, but since then I've learned to appreciate that a neutral, comfortable scent is not a bad thing. Blended with the soft aquatic, I pick up a hint of citrus and floral. I'm planning on getting a lemony scent such as Zephyr and I'm curious how they will work together - it could end up being the scent I expected.

The imp is slightly more perfumey than on my skin, where it seems to fall even further into the background.

Verdict: a keeper, although for quiet, unassuming days or for blending with other scents.

[Coldfire]

Imp: clean non-salty aquatic with a hint of a ghost white floral
Wet on Me: pale ghost white floral aquatic almost hauntning
Drying Down: not as strong, but a more floral and less aquatic...but a white/clear vibe
Dry: a pale floral with ghost whispers of clean aquatic notes...faint now but can get heady if you inhale too long or too often. to trade.

[Lunasariel]

In the imp: A clean, bright, citrus-y scent with less aquatics than I'd anticipated, but still with a definite breath of cool sea air.

 

Wet: I got a lovely, lush whiff of white florals as I applied, but on the skin, it's fairly true to ITI - a citrus-y aquatic, but now with a floral element (albeit less lush than that first whiff). But both aquatics and lily-of-the-valley reliably go pure soap on me, and it looks like Sea of Glass is heading in the same direction...

 

Dry: Whew! Instead of heading straight to Soaptown, Sea of Glass actually settles down into a soft, pleasant aquatic with demure white floral overtones. There's almost definitely ambergris in here somewhere, lending the scent that "your skin but awesome" feel that I love so much.

 

Overall, I don't think aquatics and I are destined to be the best of friends, but the ambergris here really saves it! Hopefully a bit of aging will bring forward the achingly lovely, lush white florals and kick the demure ones up a notch or two.

Edited March 5, 2017 by Lunasariel

[gloame]

This is another scent that I find works better as a room scent and/or masculine scent. It smells really fresh and watery. It makes me think of spring cleaning in a good way. I love how it smells, but it’s not the right smell for me. I passed it on to my husband and he’s wild about it. I like it on him a lot.

 

Where I'd wear this: House-cleaning with the windows open

Edited July 16, 2017 by gloame

[Spaztic]

On me this smells like fresh cut flowers siting in water in a vase

I get primarily florals, then greenness and lastly some water/aquatic

Does morph much from application to dry down

[VetchVesper]

I am wearing this on one wrist and The Sea Foams Milk on the other. As others have said, they are in the same scent wheel house, so I thought I'd compare them. The soapy aquatic note is the same, but this has bookoos of citrus at first. I'm thinking grapefruit. The citrus calms down, and now I'm getting the nose twitchy phenomenon that I associate with lily of the valley or white florals when they aren't going to work on me. It's actually kind of a pretty lily of the valley soap, but it's irritating my sinuses. As it dries down, a mossy note starts to perk out on my skin that reminds me of the note in Jazz Funeral I couldn't stand. It does away with any of the prettiness I was enjoying in the lily of the valley. This is definitely not my thing.

[lizabelle]

I wanted so much to like this one, considering how many people list this as a favorite, but it's just not for me. The grapefruit at the start is nice and sharp, but then it settles into a greenish, not-quite-sweet scent. It doesn't want to develop at all on my skin, the green florals and aquatic notes blending equally into something like an air freshener. In the past lily of the valley, iris, and most other powdery green florals haven't done well on me and this seems to be no exception.

 

I gave the imp to my mom, who has almost completely opposite chemistry to me (my loves are her hates, and vice versa), so of course it's lovely on her. The grapefruit is softer and shorter-lived and the lily of the valley is the star, smelling like an actual early spring flower instead of an imitation of one. The aquatic notes are subtle but act as a base and keep the whole thing light. A sea-green scent, very dewy and springy.

[Casablanca]

On the wand, I get mostly a bright citrus. I think of white grapefruit. There’s an aquatic aspect, but not as strong as I anticipated. And on the back end… I’m getting a little something heavier, sort of woody, so very light, barely there. What is that?

 

On my skin, ambergris? Once the blend is on me, I don’t get the citrus at all — it jumps right to a lightly salty, oceanic ambergris, or something like it, and it’s very faint.

 

An odd one, and not for me.

[milo]

Aquatic, crystalline, and perfumey, but in a good way. Veers toward dryer sheets almost immediately, but I don't mind that scent once in awhile. Strong and clean.

[achildoftime]

It's such a pretty aquatic. It does give the sense that it's shimmering and is bright. I get a touch of saltiness and some moss. It doesn't strike me as cologne-y as some aquatics can go. I think it's very fresh and feels a bit airy as well as watery. Like a fresh sea breeze in summer.

[Joyleaf_]

This is the perfect linen scent for me. It reminds me of a summer afternoon in the south after the rain when the honeysuckle is in bloom. Its expertly mixed and while I wouldnt want to personally smell like this, having it as a room scent for the laundry is a perfect use of the frimp.

[Juliamon]

In the imp: Really similar to Lightning. I would have trouble figuring out which is which if someone had me sniff them blind. Watery ozone.

 

Wet: Oh, no, this isn't Lightning at ALL. That ozone must have been a trick of the imp, this is actually... floral? I'm fascinated by how some folks get floral and some get citrus. I would have preferred the citrus myself, but as florals go this is a gentle one like in Neutral. Gentle enough that I opted to test it while riding out the dregs of a migraine and didn't have a bad reaction. Clean and clear like a polished crystal, but not a pointy one, more like a tumbled quartz or maybe those little glass baubles you put in fish bowls. The Fish Bowl of God.

 

Dry: The aquatic-ness has tapered off significantly, as though there had been rain but now the sun is coming out and drying off the wet flowers. Even more gentle now.

 

Low throw at first, but quickly becomes a skin scent. It feels appropriate for the scent, as it seems very intimate and personal in a spiritual sense. It never goes soapy or dryer-sheets on me. It is beautiful and definitely my favorite of BPAL's aquatics that I've tried so far.

[Lucchesa]

I generally don't do aquatics, but Sea of Glass is surprisingly lovely on me. I definitely get citrus -- I sussed that out all on my own -- but taking advantage of the superior discrimination of you all, I can also perceive lily of the valley, which is usually a good note on me. A pretty, summery scent, but not a profound spiritual experience for me.

[doomsday_disco]

I tried this one at Drag Con and thought I got grapefruit from it, so I wanted to try it outside of a convention setting.

 

In the imp: This does have a glassy feel to it. It’s an aquatic, citrus-y, floral scent to my nose.

 

Wet: Lime and lily? Or maybe white grapefruit? As the scent sits on my skin, I think white grapefruit is more likely. The lily note and the aquatic vibe become more prominent as the scent begins to dry.

 

Dry: Glassy, aquatic lily backed by the citrus, which is not as strong as it was before. After a while, I get some moss in the background, and there's some salty sea air at play here as well.

 

Verdict: Most aquatics do not work for me, but this one does! I don’t need a bottle of this, but I am happy to have an imp of it!

Edited June 27, 2018 by dementia_divine

[Ghost of a Rose]

Lab frimp, aged about 4 - 6 years, aged under poor conditions for the past year or two.  (I accidentally left it in my car, where it has been protected from light but endured cycles of heat and cold.)  I'm not doing my usual minute-by-minute review for that reason.

 

Wow, I expected this to be ruined, but it has held up astonishingly well!  

 

The oil is pale amber, like some kinds of beer. In the imp and in the throw, it is decidedly a salty aquatic with tones of citrus (maybe grapefruit?) and especially floral.  There is nothing at all reminiscent of a men's cologne, an issue I have with most aquatics. Yay!  Thanks to all the flowers, it is more feminine. Finally, an aquatic I really love.  I've always been drawn to the concept, but in the end, I am put off when I end up smelling like aftershave.  Not this time!

 

On my skin, it's all a gorgeous and realistic floral or floral blend, not one I can identify.

 

I love, love, love this. I am surprised and delighted that not only is it still okay, but exceptional.  If anything, the rough treatment only made it even better!  

 

6 stars

Edited February 7, 2019 by Ghost of a Rose

[donkehpoo]

Wet: This smells like a fancy soap. Aquatic, citrus, floral, and.. soapy!

 

Dry: Okay, the aquatic note amped WAY, WAAAY up on my skin. Still has that fancy-soap quality to it, but it's not something I necessarily want to smell like. 

[Alisha_SBC]

To me this smells clean. It borders on soapy for me, but in a good way, being more fresh than powdery.

 

Light and airy, I am reminded of the sea, but also of flowers, as though I were standing on a grassy knoll surrounded by wildflowers overlooking the ocean on a misty morning. 

 

This is pleasant and delicate, appropriate for work or a day out. 

[feyofthefellwood]

I had high hopes for this one, but it doesn't seem to work well on me. Either I amp something in this or it's a stronger scent than some, because when I put it on it totally eclipsed the scent I was testing on my other wrist. I have been fighting a headache all day and something about it sent me into migraine territory . . . that being said though, it has a lovely citrus and floral smell. I might try it again once it has aged a little; maybe that will mellow it out.

 

Edit after aging a few months: no headachey-ness! (Though I used just a tiny bit, a little goes a long way). This is a really gorgeous aquatic floral and I can see how other people are reading honeysuckle from it. It's perfect for a sunny spring day. I'm glad I didn't give up on it before aging.

Edited April 26, 2020 by feyofthefellwood
Updated

[gothteacup]

this note-less perfume evokes images of some kind of fairytale flower.

 

...the aquatic Sea Glass Flower, blooms only during the winter month’s full moons. Located on hidden seaside cliffs and rocks, the blooms are scented with salty sea spray. The shimmery blue flower itself brings to mind lush citrus and heady white florals.

I could see how this could turn to the Soap Side very easily, but it doesn’t. 
 

my take: white florals with citrus, with a light sparkling crust of sea salt. Fancy, old-fashioned.