Antique Lace

[maijasu]

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

This is a girly, powdery, delicate scent. I smell vanilla and florals equally, and for something so light and subtle, it still has noticeable throw. I can definitely see why it's so popular, and I'm glad it's in my big bottle collection!

[strangemusic]

Yep, sweet, soft, and hell of powdery. I can smell... hmmm. The top of this smells like a mixture of, um, argh. Dried and powdered sachet flowers-- a little violet, a little tea rose, a little this, a little that, a whole lotta old lady's chifferobe. A broad band of old-school linen sheets cut across the powder-- the type of linen sheets you got at your wedding, well-woven and meant to last. These sheets would be washed by hand with gentle soap, and hung to dry in the air and sunlight for the next sixty years. Ghosts of summers and springs past linger there.

 

On my skin: The faded-sunshine-linen smell flares up for a little while, no more than a brace of minutes, and is swallowed up by powder. I'm reminded of a specific perfume, here, but cannot for the life of me remember which one... L'Air du Temps, maybe. Every element of this scent devolves into a sweet, light, dry-powder mix that just sits there, flowers on top. Actually, my skin is emphasizing the sweetness, but that's about it.

 

I would write what this is like when dry, but by that time, it's gone. This is the shortest-lasting perfume oil I've ever tried in my life.

 

C & P from the LJ, dated 26 June 2006

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

i feel like i'm just repeating what others have said here...

 

it seems like most folks either love this scent, or it reminds them of .... well, an older matronly type lady.

i fall into the second group. in another 70 years, i would probably take it as comliment if i smelled like that and someone told me i smelled lovely.

powdery and violets and some roses and, well, *aged* ... like a fine wine, and not like, say, a pumpkin that is past prime. (ewwww)

 

a lovely blend, i'm sure, on the right chemistry. however, that is not me. so i'm happy this imp is going to live with someone who will hopefully appreciate it more [=

Edited September 5, 2006 by TrailerTrashPrincess

[juniperus]

Bottle: vanilla and old-lady drawer, like I remember my great-grandmother's linen drawer with the veeery old, ceramic floral drawer-freshener.

Wet: and the vanilla begins it's ritual amping dance.

Dry: yep, vanilla. juuuust vanilla.

Later: and eventually, cloying and slightly musty vanilla. oh, it hates me so.

 

(this is the kids'; Emma thought it "pretty", while Colin announced that it smells like vanilla. duh, LOL. Since Colin took Dana O, Emma kept this one)

[copyshopclerk]

I had to test this one twice for a proper review, since the first time I tried it on was the first day of my period and all I got was plastic

 

In the imp: This is very sweet - vanilla and flowers. A pink/peach scent.

 

Wet: When I had my period, this smelled like old dried flowers and a little bit of vanilla with an overhang of plastic. After my period, this was sweet floral and vanilla, no plastic, much more pleasant.

 

Dry: The vanilla comes out more (plasticky only when I have my period). In a weird way, this reminds me of the scent of one of those artificial fog machines, like what you see in haunted houses or at laser shows - I don't know if that's dry ice or the machine itself, but those always have an odd sweetness to them and it reminds me a lot of this. Not unpleasant necessarily, but kind of strange.

 

I can't decide if I like this or not - it's the first BPAL I've tried that morphs so much when I have my period and I don't like that about it, and even when that's not an issue there is that strange fog machine quality to it. I'm keeping the imp, not sure about a bottle, even though I really do like the vanilla in it.

[charmingdetails]

Mmmmm, I love this scent. It's a soft, creamy, deeply sweet vanilla. I wear it when I want to smell pretty and uncomplicated. It reminds me pleasantly of something, yet I don't even know what- so "nostalgia encapsulated" is an appropriate description. This scent seems to get richer with age, and has good throw and staying power.

 

ETA: This scent does get richer with age, and a thousand times more beautiful. It's a pretty scent when fresh, but it's just unbelievably gorgeous when aged. Antique Lace has become my favorite anywhere, anytime, goes-with-everything, all-around-beautiful scent. I love it, love it, love it.

Edited August 4, 2007 by Polychrome

[Natch]

in the bottle: sweeter than I expected. Pure sugary, heavy vanilla with a tinge of light florals

 

wet: the vanilla is less heavy and the smell of linen and light florals comes out just a bit more.

 

dry: still quite sweet, less floral and linen now, and mostly a very clean smelling, yet sugary sweet, vanilla, with just a tiny touch of floral lingering behind.

 

overall impression: this is Like many, I was surprised with how sweet it stayed, while still being a lighter and clean scent. It is a bit powdery, but not at all the sort of powdery I dislike (like how amber sometimes turns on me) but a delicious, slightly milky, soft powder that is just edible! It's very feminine, but to me, doesn't have an "Age group" sort of classification (not girly, not matronly, just right.) It also has decent throw- I have a slightly stuffy nose and can still smell it a bit from a foot away. I had thought since I already have a staple vanilla (Dorian), I wouldn't be needing a bottle of this, but I'm not so sure now... the two are so different, yet both so wonderful!

 

A and half a plus. Haha

Edited September 21, 2006 by Natch

[lyndsayj]

A creamy, sweet, beautiful, floral vanilla scent.

 

It smells the same in the bottle as when it's fresh on my skin - comforting and nostalgic. The linen notes come through and complement the florals wonderfully. While wet it's just a fresh and clean scent.

 

But within sometimes as quick as a few minutes later, the vanilla-ness emerges and it transforms into a gentle, creamy scent.. it still has great throw, though.

 

I love it Very glad I got a 5ml, even though I'd never smelt it before.. in my almost a year of being a BPAL addict and with many dozens of imps and bottles bought/frimped/traded, I'd never even so much as got an imp of Antique Lace before But with all of the great reviews I've read, basically there was no way I COULDN'T get a 5ml of it.

[shellyshells]

Antique Lace-

 

I got this as a frimp from the lab. This is so soft and feminine. It kind of reminds me of an un-honeyed Dana O'Shee and reminiscent of Morrocco as well.

 

It's very creamy, feminine and soft... I want my undergarments to smell like this all the time!

[sofaking6]

I got this as a frimp from cabinsmama. I was surprised to like it so much.

 

Imp: vanilla and laundry

 

Wet: a really appealing floral blend.

 

Dry: vanilla, flowers and laundry

 

 

This is a great scent. It's funny...I'm not sure that I want me to smell like it, because it does have a bit of an old lady sensibility...but I do want to smell it a lot. I think this is a great candidate for a sachet or dryer scent.

[enid_keaner]

Ah, this is one of my favorite bpal scents so far, second only to Dorian. It's lovely and soft - but not too soft. Antique Lace has a lot of throw on me and lasts for hours. I only need to apply it once and I'm good for the rest of the day.

 

I remember when I tried it, I was a bit afraid as I'd heard that it was a bit floral and the description includes flowers I don't like florals and they don't like me. But I bit the bullet and fell in love!

 

Antique Lace, for me, really does capture the essance of the idea of antique lace - soft and creamy, slightly sweet - but not too sweet, vanilla-like....

 

For me, it doesn't smell matronly - it smells like memories! What I mean is that is smells like the comfort of an old memory - one that you love and that makes you feel better; a memory that makes you smile and puts you at ease.

 

I would love if my own linen smelled like Antique Lace - I want to smell it all the time!

[BronteJD]

in the bottle: Pure vanilla cream.

 

Wet: Vanilla cream still, but soft, not artificial smelling like poor quality car air fresheners. It manages to be sweet but dry at the same time. Sweet because there's that immediate mental sugar quality we give to vanilla, but also dry because there's something powdery in there.

 

15 minutes later: Pure deliciousness. Vanilla with some kind of dry light floral weaving in and out. It never becomes artificial or overpowering. Yes, it does have an old-fashioned quality to it, it's not odd or unusual like some of the more esoteric scents (which I do love), but it's just amazing. It also seems to have a little bit of throw, which is unusual for me...I tend to absorb alot of the bpal scents so that only I seem to smell them, or people directly next to me.

 

one hour: My HUSBAND loves this. He hates most perfumes, finds them artificial or cloying or whatnot. He started sniffing around my neck, actually, asking with a wry grin, "So. What BPAL is that?" But it's still delicious totally dry, and it seems to have some staying power. Still vanilla, still that soft dry violet wafting in and out.

 

I totally agree with the comment that it doesn't smell matronly or fussy, it smells like your best memories, evocative of a more elegant time. Definitely ordering a 5 ml of this.

[porcelain72]

In the imp: lightly floral vanilla

 

Initial application: the vanilla amps like crazy, which is fine, because my skin loves vanilla.

 

Drydown: I'm not getting anything as far as linen is concerned, and not much in the way of flowers either. This is a pure, creamy vanilla, yet not overpoweringly sweet. The staying power is surprisingly strong, given how light it is in the imp I thought I'd have to marinate in this. It just barely lingers around me, I catch very light whiffs of it when I turn my head, and it's just beautiful.

 

Smiley rating:

[Teggy]

Yup, this was pretty much how I expected Antique Lace to smell. On me, it's very soft and powdery...a little creamy. Almost....amber? But it doesn't have that KAPOW I'M AMBER AND I'M IN YOUR FACE feel too it. It's very soft and subtle.

 

It's delicate and femenine, but I'm not sure I'd actually buy a bottle of it. It kind of makes me think that an "antique lady" would wear this, but it's definately a sophisticated and special occasion kind of scent.

[birdiefu]

Antique Lace smells *exactly* as I expected it to! Softly sweet vanilla, powdery, with the florals so light you almost can't pick them out. The scent doesn't morph on me as it dries at all. It is a sophisticated perfume and while I can see the 'matronly' association, I think of it more as a scent that a young woman would have worn decades ago (making her old now...if that makes any difference).

 

It's not exactly my style but it might get some wear at times, and I had to try it just because it's such a classic. My hubby sniffed it and first said 'ooooh, nice!', then followed up with, 'but sorta old ladyish'.

[supremegoddessofall]

Faint and delicate. Vanilla on top of a light floral.

[steffanina]

Antique Lace-

 

In Bottle: Very, very light--just the merest hint of floral vanilla. I'm getting Ombre Rose off this one.

 

Wet: The name is such a good descriptor of this one. Delicate, vanilla-floral, a little hint of ghostliness about it.

 

Dry: It's weird/neat that when this dries, it's a cold scent even though it's vanilla, which I'd think of as warm. Very nifty; I will keep it around.

 

Overall: An interesting keeper.

[Deiicide]

Antique lace is about the creamiest vanilla on top as others have said before gentle flowers and a touch of linen. It's all vanilla upon me from wet to dry, with the softest notions of the other two notes to give it a dazzling depth. Simply perfect.

[PilotKitten]

I think I'm getting a creamy vanilla from this? After the initial drydown, I get a bit more of a light green floral. It's a sweet (almost syrupy) floral blend. Very nice smelling but florals just aren't personally my thing.

[batsy]

In the vial: smells like that "Vanilla Fields" stuff my mom loved.

 

On the skin: Insanely over-powering florals! Holy... this stuff made me sick. I must have spilled some on my hands, besides the test spot, because it literally assualted me with a vanilla musk-like scent for hours. This is headache-inducing to me.

[Iceblink]

On me this is very sweet floral vanilla. VERY sweet. Too sweet, in fact. It makes me want to brush my teeth.

[Lanet]

I was really close to taking this off my wishlist because I decided I didn't really care how dry flowers and aged linens smell afterall. And then I got a sniffie in a swap.

 

Wow!!

 

This is creamy vanilla. But I don't like vanilla so there's something more there. The very slightest musk? But if that's musk then it's so completely understated that you don't even realize what it is. I love it. A lot!

[jasmine]

Immediately out of the vial, this is sugary sweet. I don’t perceive it as a blend, but as a single scent.. something light and soft and distinctly foody.

 

Time passes, and it remains as it began: light and soft and sugary. Slowly, I begin to catch a floral hint, and the scent opens up a bit more with the floral. This is a lazy-day scent, something for lying about and reading and brushing my hair excessively and being contented.

 

This really, really lasts on me -- and it really hasn’t changed, save that the wisp of florals I caught earlier has vanished away again. After twelve hours, it’s still a smooth, light, soft, sugary scent. How remarkable. I think I would like it better if I had really caught more of a floral scent from this, but I like it quite a bit as it is, so it’s no real complaint.

[swilde]

I hope I'm not driving everyone nuts by playing catch-up with my reviews and I'm trying to avoid the ones that already have 7+ pages, but I just have to jump in and say I love Antique Lace. It's the actual bloom of the vanilla orchid and not the bean. It makes me smile, but I think it needs some kind of wood.

[The_Merf]

In the bottle: Creamy vanilla, very light and delicate

 

Wet: For about a minute, this is very light, but then POW! Strong creamy vanilla.

 

Drydown and wear: I had Morocco on the other arm, and boy do they smell similar on me. Each has that same creamy base, but there's no cedar or spice in AL. This certainly smells like its description, but also like a very fine frosting in cooking. It's also remarkably strong, at least on me. It's very pretty, if not just a little plain.