Antique Lace

[shriekingviolet]

Nostalgia encapsulated. A soft, wistful blend of dry flowers, aged linens, and the faint breath of long-faded perfumes.

Initial Impression:
Sweeter than I expected from the description. I think I smell something like mallow flower.

After Wearing It:
From start to finish what struck me most about this oil is how sweet it was, which wasn't something I would expected from the description. But in the bottle, wet on my skin and finally dry and fading on my skin, it remains very sweet. Not honey sweet, or sugary sweet, but that odd sort of floral sweet that made me think of mallow flower, but perhaps it's lotus (which always smells a bit bubblegum sweet to me). It's puzzling....

Wet and in the very first dry stage of Antique Lace remind me a lot of Alice. It's a sweet floral with a milky (but not quite creamy) undercurrent, and the tone of it all was powdery. For a while I thought I smelled a traces of carnation, but that's gone now and I'm not quite as sure. I thought the same about jasmine a little later, but that too has retreated back into blend.

The visual impression I kept getting from this fragrance is of old valentines, with faded colors and slightly crumpled edges but otherwise well preserved. Sweet sentiments from years long gone, given to you by people whom you barely remember, but the sentiment of the moment is as clear now as it was when the token was new. It's a very feminine scent: soft, romantic, frilly, sweet and full of fondness. The scent of a woman digging through her box of emotional souvenirs who can look with a bit of wistfulness at her more carefree years and yet regret nothing that she has done to move beyond that time.

Final Thoughts:
This is a really pretty scent, dainty, delicate and yes really sweet. It has great lasting power (I'm almost at hour 9 and it still has strength and a good amount of throw). I really like it but I'm not quite sure it's me. I love sweet scents, but I usually want them to be warmer than this one was. I'll definitely hang on to it for a little longer and wear it a few more times before I decide.

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: Very warm vanilla musk.

 

Second Impression: This is a very pretty, very old fashoined smelling vanilla musk. It's warm and pretty, not dusty as I thought it would be.

 

Final Analysis: I like this, I will use the imp. I may even want to get some more. Lovely.

[Astarte]

This smells divine and initially smelling it from the bottle actually made me want to drink it. In the vial it smells very prominently of candy to me.

 

After putting it on, the warm vanilla note is there but twisted up with a clean note. On myself both notes were fighting for dominance initially until 10 minutes when the scent had settled into a cotton candy clean scent.

 

It lasts for quite a while but you only need a tiny amount of this scent to test it. The blend is very clean, delicate and sweet, and I never would have guessed the sweetness from the description.

[Caitfish]

Antique Lace:

 

In the Bottle:

Dominant notes: Hmm, vague florals? Softened cotton candy?

Impressions: This blend is so sweet, almost candy-sweet. It really does smell something like cotton candy. There is something in it that smells of freshly-laundered cloth, too - actually reminicent of lace.

 

Initial On:

Dominant notes: the cotton candyish scent remains, it smells a bit warmer now, but still very sweet. I can smell something kind of dusty, something whispy - perhaps musk.

Impressions: This is so soft and feminine. It's sweet, clean, and calm.

 

After a While:

Persistent notes: It remains sweet, though it smells a bit less like candy.

Staying power: Surprisingly good, because it's so soft - I didn't expect it to last, but it's pretty persistent.

 

Overall Impressions:

This is a soft, whimsical blend. Undeniably sweet. While I made statements about cotton candy - don't think sticky sweet, it's not. It's incomprably soft. Something dusty, musky and whisper soft - what I would call a musk. It has a musky effect but doesn't smell like most musks do, it's simply something soft that envelops the entire blend. This is a beautiful, classic perfume. I can't think of anything more ladylike and demure. Lovely.

[scourgeotheseas]

OK, I bought this specifically to give to a friend. I can't, because it's way too good. Like the other reviews, I never would have guessed how sweet this blend was going to be.

 

In the bottle: A light, soft, warm floral with hints of sweet - maybe vanilla. (By warm, I mean none of the green notes I sometimes expect from florals.)

 

On me: A light, fresh, vanilla scented floral. Very old-fashioned and delicate, but the vanilla gives a core of warmth and strength. I'm finding this to be surprisingly sexy, as well.

 

Certainly, I should try it again when I'm slathered in six other scents, but I think this is going to be an Indian-giver kind of imp. No way is it leaving my posession.

[lorajc]

I have only tested this and I usually don't like to do a review on something that hasn't been worn all day, but this is so nice I had to say something now. I'll update in the future if necessary. I passed this one over on my first Yule Update order, as I wasn't sure about it cuz the description was so vague. I'm glad I got this. It ended up being one of my favorites out of my order. It's sweet and clean smelling and really lovely. It is quite different than anything else I've ever smelled from Beth. The name suits it well, at least I think so. Very unique clean and feminine scent.

[silverangel]

This is very pretty. To me it's sweet, but a vanilla-sweet. I love the florals and the linen notes. I don't get m uch of the mosses, or maybe I'm just bad at identifying them. This is gorgeous, wispy and light.

[pkwench]

Antique Lace

 

I'm not sure what I expected from Antique Lace, but creamy vanilla probably wasn't it. However, that's not a negative or disparaging comment at all. If anything, that creamy scent just heightens the bygone scent of phantom perfumes and linens. It's very elegant, very pretty, and wearing it today has produced feelings of quiet contentment. This is going on the LOVE IT BIG BOTTLE wishlist. Also, for any MMU wearers out there, it mixes wonderfully with Sands of Morocco cream. (I happen to like the Bare Necessity, myself. LOL)

 

Also, and most likely just because it's lace and I just read Blood Canticle 4 days ago, I'm both charmed and amused by the notion that it reminds me of Lestat's lacey cuffs. *G*

[Stanzi]

I'm glad that I ordered an Imp's Ear of this fragrance; I was attracted by the name and the description, and I'm happy to find that it has some of my favorite notes!

 

Antique Lace is a powdery vanilla scent with a soft musk base. It reminds me of L'Occitane's new Rue des Vanilliers line, which was inspired by vanilla orchids, and of The Body Shop's old White Musk fragrance. I applied Antique Lace before bed, and enjoyed its calming quality; it's sweet, but not candylike. I could still smell it when I woke up eight hours later.

 

I may purchase a bottle of this when I finish the sample!

Edited January 3, 2005 by Stanzi

[phaedrine]

Even after reading the reviews here, I didn't quite expect what I smelled when I first sniffed Antique Lace. I was definitely expecting very sweet, and even vanilla, but it's really VANILLA.

 

This is not a bad thing! I think my skin really tends to amplify vanilla notes, too.

 

It's a warm, soft, vintage vanilla.

[starrykitten]

This was a freebie in my last order. I never would have gotten it on my own, partially because I couldn't imagine what it would be like from the description, and partially because the name sounded, admittedly, to me, less remarkable than most of BPAL's funky names.

 

However, I love the fragrance. It smells almost exactly like my all time favorite massage oil , which is Enobe Balanced. (The website is here. )

 

Anyway, it's a very subtle, comforting, yet incredibly sexy rose/vanilla/lavendar scent. It's much sexier than you'd expect, and not nearly as dry as the description makes you think.

[FireInCairo]

I really love this. I reminds me of fresh..clean linens straight from the dryer. This blend is so cottony and smooth. I also find that it is incredibly comforting and home-like. I think I will get a full bottle of this.

[Lady Ravenglass]

Mmm...sweet vanilla when wet. In the vial, this smells deliciously edible, and like pure vanilla should smell (my SN Vanilla Bean has turned to straight Dragon's Milk!). Drying down, though, the vanilla fades and it's less sweet - there's something lightly flowery and linen-y, like laundry conditioner/softener. Hrm. My arms are smelling disturbingly like Lenor, and I'm not sure that slathering masses of this on myself was such a good idea now From a distance, ie, not with my nose pressed to my arm, the vanilla is still faintly hanging around.

 

I think I like this, if only for the wet vanilla scent, but I'll need to try it in a scent locket and see if that stops the flowery smell! I wish it stayed more vanilla though, as after the sharp, pointy experience with SN Vanilla I'm still looking for a soft, sweet, cuddly vanilla scent. See what you've done Beth? You've successfully removed my hatred of vanilla, nurtured after so many years spent with teen girls spraying Impulse all over the dorm/changing rooms/PE cloakrooms!*

 

Unfortunately, I think this might be one of my' allergy blends', since as I write, I'm sneezing like mad every two or three words

 

 

*Boarding School Horrors: Vols 3-5b

 

 

EDIT: Oh, pants - I tried putting this in my hair to see if the floral smell would stop developing. Now I have lenor-scented hair I guess the pure vanilla isn't something I'm going to get from this. Ah well!

Edited January 13, 2005 by Lady Ravenglass

[pekeana]

In the vial: I smell vanilla like mad, and soft, musky florals witha touch of dry linen. Mmmm, yummeh.

 

On me, the vanilla stays very prominent, and the musky florals and linens come out to play, making a very sweet, smooth, clean and pleasantly inoffensive scent. Once in a while, the floral and linen come together and say "dryer sheets", but even then, the vanilla saves it and brings it back to simple, beautiful elegance.

 

THIS is the scent of a lace handkerchief that's been tucked away in a hat box for fifty years, scented with perfume and vanilla-scented powder. It's so beautiful, and elegant without being overwhelmingly dark.

 

Love it, indeed, must have a bottle.

[Lucretia]

I wanted to love this one, I really did, but whooa! This is reeally sweet vanilla!

It smells just like vanilla frosting with a hint of shampoo and mint tic tac (which always smells like vanilla to me) smell on my arm.

I would have loved this about five years ago, but I really can't pull of vanilla this sweet anymore.

alas, in the swap pile, I'm sure someone out there will love it cause it is a nice vanilla, just all too sweet for me.

[violetblue]

I don't know why, but this reminds me of that "Vanilla Fields" perfume! A cottony-clean vanilla scent. It does remind me of browsing through antique stores too, so what a perfect name for this blend. It's pretty, but I don't see myself wearing it often - I go for the more resiny incense darker scents. I bet my sister would really like it though, so I'll probably sent this on to her to enjoy.

[Ishtar]

Antique Lace was another imp given to me by the lovely and ever-generous Chin

 

In the imp, Antique Lace struck me as extremely soft, both in an olfactive and tactile way. It reminds me of cottonballs, or maybe of a very old piece of fabric, so worn out that it is all shiny and soft. This smells lovely in the vial, but I have no idea how it is going to turn on my skin. It could go either way: dry, dusty and old-ladyish, or unassuming and softly seductive.

 

Well, after a few minutes on, Antique Lace turns out to be mostly vanilla and a soft underlying floral. This is a delicious combination for anyone who likes vanilla, which I do. As usual, my skin seems to amplify sweet notes: this is quite sweet indeed, but not cloying at all.

After drydown, the vanilla fades a little and is replaced by a definite powderiness, which I quite enjoy. This is much closer to the description now: this is a blend that softly speaks of things past, of a more delicate and elegant era. It is nostalgic without being sad and its colour is a beautiful shade of ivory that is only seen nowadays in the finest stationery.

 

After wearing it twice, I am completely in love with Antique Lace. This is a scent that will perfectly fit certain moods and will be ideal to wear before bed. I highly recommend it to any vanilla lover, with one caveat though: if you don't like powdery scents, you might want to avoid this one.

[purely_cosmetic]

I bought this along with a couple of other things from a wonderful forumite

 

In the bottle, I couldnt actually smell much at all!! I'll sniff it again later, but it was very very faint.

 

When I first put this on it smelt, almost immediatley, exactly like fabric softener. Not in a bad way, a nice fabric softener! I could imagine using this to spray my sheets with, as it's very clean smelling. I imagine that wold be the linen note, ay?

Unfortunately I got this on my hand just before eating, so I have this horrible linen taste in my mouth as well, lol. Not even marmite got rid of it!!

 

On my skin, it seems to be clinging onto this linen note, but there is something sweeter coming through as well, which makes the scent seem a bit more rounded, it's probably the vanilla. I'm not getting anything "candy" ish from this though, which I think is a bit disappointing, from what I saw of the other reviews.

 

It's a very delicate smell on me, and I imagine I have to slather this one on a bit, and probably reapply. The sweeter note is becoming a bit stronger though, which is nice!

Unless the sweet note gets slightly more prominant I dont know how keen id be to wear this out, since it is very.....lineny, but I would DEFINATLY have a spray for my sheets, it woudl be a wonderful clean smell for summer.

 

I get the faded perfume on a hankerchief comparison - but on me, it would have to be REALLY faded perfumes, on a very clean and crisp hankerchief!!

 

This review sounds quite negative, but I do like this scent quite a bit.

 

In fact, te vanilla is just peeknig through now. A DEFINATE for summer! Im glad I already have a bottle on the way!!

[vitawash24]

This is yet another scent that might be headed for my big bottle list. It totally reminds me of Shalimar Light, although I think that's the vanilla. It's definitely sweeter than I expected, but so gorgeous. The vanilla really comes out on my skin without turning candle-ish, and I swear I detect toasted marshmallows in there somewhere. At the same time, the soft florals help to keep it from turning saccharine. Absolutely drool-worthy.

[requieminblack]

First sniff from the bottle- A faint marshmallow smell.

 

After 10 minutes- Hmm..this is very faint on me. It smells like a cross between marshmallows and a nice clean fabric softener. The marshmallow scent is dominant, though faint. This sort of reminds me of the way the vanilla scented Hello Kitty stuff smells.

 

After 30 minutes- The marshmallow has faded and the clean/fabric softener scent has come out more. It almost has a slight marmalade smell to it. Like soft faded creamsicles.

 

Summery- This was not very strong on me, but I would love this as a room scent or (of coarse) to scent my laundry with

 

ETA- I wore this again today and it was very strong and lasted all day long! It also smelled more like marshmallows than anything else. Yummy!

Edited February 28, 2005 by requieminblack

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: Beautifully blended. It's a rich, full scent, reminding somewhat of Bath & Body Work's Rice Flower & Shea. Not so much for the fragrance itself, but it evokes a very similar comforting mood. It's quite buttery to me, with delicate florals.

 

On me: What a beautiful vanilla this is! It makes me think of visiting my grandmother and rummaging through her things. Her perfumes stacked on the boudoir, her linens and clothes in the closet - all the frilly, girly things she used to own come to mind as I sit enjoying this scent. It's so beautiful.

[miss apple]

Antique Lace - in the bottle this is soft and sweet vanilla.

 

Once on the sweet vanilla scent softens even more and has a faint powdery overtone. I really get the sense of old handmade lace found in a trunk that has been packed away and yellowed with time. There isn't much floral that I can detect but this isn't just a plain vanilla so I'm thinking there are other notes that are muted yet compliment the main vanilla note and give it a light loveliness. Very glad that I purchased a bottle of this.

[Fyre_in_Winter]

Wow, Antique Lace is simply gorgeous! Equal parts clean laundry and a tender, sweet vanilla, yet amazingly fresh. This is one of the few vanillas to not turn icky on me. It is a perfect scent for people (like me) who love sweet scents but don't want them to turn cloying in the heat. I can't stop sniffing myself to get that intoxicating dichotomy. As others have noticed, I expected this to be much drier and dustier, but it smells as bright as laundry just brought in from the line.

[SoapyRN]

Hmmm, I thought I has reviewed this beauty of a blend...well here it is

 

Heaven. In. A. Bottle.

 

Not like a perfume. This is just how my neice smells. She is 4 and blond and looks like an angel. Kind of a poofy lil girl. Fluffy. This is fluffy girls and happiness and clean little babes that are just perfect. I am getting a bottle.

 

Really not a perfume, just a smell. Can't think of a better way to say it.

[shelldoo]

in the vial....VANILLA

 

wet: vanilla sweet and creamy

 

dry it became a soft vanilla linen w/ a light touch of floral,

 

this is a delicate sweet scent it seems very innocent to me