Ava

[Aviatrix]

It’s always a bit weird with family. A scant two-hundred years old, there doesn’t seem to be anything that roots Ava to her past. Her scent is utterly contemporary, and, like her personality, it is impulsive, capricious, and dangerous. Voluptuous and brittle, lovely and toxic: sheer vanilla musk with tuberose, red mandarin, and the sweet poison of white almond.

First! Oh dear

Ava sounds simple, but it feels incredibly complex on the skin. The vanilla musk grounds the scent very beautifully, and the tuberose and mandarin mix to create a light floral feeling that plays well with the sweet musk. I'm actually not detecting the almond.

It's incredibly ethereal and beautiful! I'm not a huge floral lover, but this is just like I want a good floral perfume to be. It also stays fairly close to the skin, but has good lasting power, so it's like being enveloped in a blooming fae garden all day.
I was expecting something sharper, considering the character of Ava in the film, but the scent is very mellow. It has a youthful feeling to it as well.

I would probably say that if you like a good floral, you won't be disappointed. If you're iffy on almond, don't let that deter you from trying Ava, because I'm not getting any almond at all.

[ReallyZeb]

I agree with Aviatrix - this is totally ethereal and beautiful. The vanilla musk is prominent, with just a whisper of florals. I do get a little almond but not the overpowering sort from something like Bastet, just a tiny hint of added sweetness. I can't detect mandarin but skin often eats this entirely so it's not a surprise. I'm so glad I chanced getting a bottle of this, and may need several more.

[Monday]

This is a lot like Butterflies, Flowers and Jewels Attending with the freesia turned down a notch.

[doomsday_disco]

This is reminiscent to Butterflies, Flowers, and Jewels Attending from the last Lilith birthday update (the tuberose and musk combination make them rather similar). The vanilla musk is the most prominent note. The mandarin complements it very well, and it becomes stronger once it hits my skin. The almond seems to be confined to the background.

 

I like this one more than Butterflies, Flowers, and Jewels Attending, and I am so glad that I have a bottle of it! I hope that I will be able to grab a back-up bottle before it is gone for good!

[astarinel]

I find this very perfumey, and not entirely in a good way.

 

Normally my skin loves both white musk and vanillas, but I think the florals here make it go kind of sharp on my skin. I do get a tiny bit of almond, but it's more like the almond blossom from the Yule of that name, sort of floral almond.

 

Maybe it's just my skin chemistry with the musk for this, but I find this one sharp, floral, and perfumey when I was expecting something more creamy and round.

[fetish911]

The above review is identical to mine. This was nothing but overly perfumey , sharp and generally not good on me. Based on the notes this should have been an amazing win on me. Vanilla, mandarin, almond, hell yes!!! Nope-none of those notes in here. This is all perfumey musk that smells like department store perfume my aunt had called " Tresor " I don't know what went wrong. I still have the bottle I bought blindly based on the description (when will I learn) in hopes it does a complete 180 with some age? I know hopeful thinking

But for me bad bad bad

Edited December 24, 2014 by Fetish911

[zankoku_zen]

Ava is best summed up as OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD.

 

*ahem*

 

For something that is remarkably simple, it is perfect in its execution. This smells like vanilla musk, with perhaps a hint of almond. Except that doesn't capture how wonderful Ava is.

 

I did a side by side with Dorian, and to me its like two sides of the same coin. Dorian is the cooler, more citrus version. Ava is the warmer, more musky version.

 

If anyone has orphaned Avas to let, I'll be their Statue of Liberty and embrace them all. Come to me. I will give them a loving home and cherish them all.

[harmonictremors]

I was really hoping to like this one, because the idea of a vanilla/mandarin scent got me really excited. I was unsure about the tuberose, but I decided to go for it anyway, figuring I could swap it if it turned out to be too floral. Oh man. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

 

The first sniff gave me that fluttery, get-me-to-the-fainting-couch feeling. I actually let out a weird "ugghhh" and my husband was like, "Oh? It's gross?" and I said "No, that was me having an involuntary orgasm, sorry." Yeah, I love it that much. I bought 3 backups.

 

The vanilla and the mandarin start out on top for me, and I definitely agree with the comparisons to Dorian. The musk adds kind of a feral touch to it that I don't get with Dorian, and after a few minutes on my skin the tuberose pops out and it's a totally different animal. There's a tiny touch of bitter sharpness if you get really close to the skin, but further away, it's just a lovely creamy sweetness. Absolutely gorgeous.

[tinyvulture]

There's been so much love for Ava. Now I see why. Ava's the traditional women's floral perfume of the collection, and it's beautiful. The tuberose is lovely here with the vanilla musk. Very faint mandarin orange (and I usually amp citrus), and I can't pick out the almond. Description that comes to mind is sweet, youthful, innocent...deceptively so?

[Atrous]

Ava's scent is light & feminine. Vanilla musk and tuberose combine beautifully. I don't detect the mandarin as such but it lends a light citrus/fruity sweetness to the blend. I don't detect any almond which is nice because almond can sometimes go very wrong on my skin. Ava is durable and long-lasting for such a light scent. She is one of my favorites in the OLLA series.

[OctoberGwen]

I found Ava pretty enough but with none of the depth or mystery of Eve. "A nice vanilla floral" sums it up for me.

[Dark Alice]

Wet: Super freaking sweet vanilla musk. SUPER SWEET! Tooth achingly sweet! :dry:

 

Dry: Soft vanilla musk, no almond with a gentle floral. My decant is more than enough. If the vanilla wasn't so super foody sweet and screeching on my skin I would buy this in an instant...but this is a headache in a bottle.

[Marrasuhri]

So good. I fell in love with it the instant I opened the bottle.

BUT. When I apply it on my skin, sometimes for a brief moment it doesn't smell good. It suddenly turns into really pungent and bitter scent. This is weird, because sometimes it smells like that in the bottle too, while it's usually so extremely soft, pleasantly sweet scent. I guess it could have something to do with almod?

But even though it does that from time to time, it always dries down to be the smell I fell in love with. To me, it has a bit of a rosy smell - you know those big, salmon pink roses which usually have a gentle, sweet smell? I have no idea what tuberose smells like, but those pink roses come to my mind. It blends in perfectly with the vanilla. It's not too sweet, just... Soft. I can't emphasize too much how soft it is. Love it.

It's not entirely unique scent though: it reminds me about perfumes teenage girls like to use. But it is more dignified, and it doesn't violently attack my nose and give me a headache like those perfumes.

Only thing that bothers me about this scent is that bitter smell that sometimes shows up, but otherwise it's definitely one of my favourites so far. I may have to order backup bottles since I use it almost daily now. It's a good everyday scent, but I would probably choose something else for special occasions.

[Eemia]

I love this. Just pure, instant love. I could type love about fifteen more times.

 

Whenever I like a perfume this much I almost can't write a coherent review for it. Like nothing I say will do it justice, especially considering how I see it in my head... something along the lines of "yay!" And sometimes a scent I like immediately (right out of the bottle) feels more like a whole to me than something I can easily describe in parts. It's more of a happy, excited impression that never fades.

 

It reminds me of the best aspects of Almond Blossom 2013 and Amaterasu V2, which is my favorite bpal ever. Beautiful and feminine and slightly sweet. The vanilla is sexy and doesn't go food on me at all, nor is it cloying. It's a little perfumey and floral but in an edgy way. Tuberose can occasionally go too powdery on my skin but this never turns on me. I love the almond in here. It's creamy and dry at the same time and feels like the perfect base to the vanilla-floral.

 

I get so many compliments on this one and it's going right up there into my Amaterasu V2, Haloes, Dolly Kei, Dorian, Serotine Bat category of enduring love. I should creepy whisper "forever" right now.

[MiasmaResonance]

Ohhhh, this is a BEAUTY!

 

This smells like an expensive designer fragrance, minus any alcohol. If anyone is familiar with Ange ou Demon le Secret by Givenchy, this is in the same family, although the scents are different.

 

Beautiful, sweet, and hard to pin down every note because it's so well put together. My boyfriend loves it as well and says it reminds him of something from his youth he can't place, and the smell feels nostalgic to me as well.

 

To me, it's vanilla tuberose tea, the almond in the background, not high pitched, just adding to the overall loveliness of the scent.

 

[inhumation]

Ava was pleasant vanilla floral, but fairly unmemorable wet. Dry, it smelled like burning ashes. very strange.

[milo]

Sweet vanilla musk at first. After a bit, something kind of spicy/citrus with floral comes out. This is reminding me somewhat of Privilege. Must be the tuberose. I kind of like this, it smells like an expensive perfume my daughter wears, I'll have to ask her what it is. For some reason this is smelling rather oriental. I would probably hunt down more, but I don't really want to wear the same scent as my daughter, and I can borrow her version if I really want to wear it.

[theseagrows]

this is a spicy vanilla floral-oriental. like butterflies and jewels attending, it's very reminiscent of BBW's sensual amber, and even more so. it's a dupe for it on me. also is in the same vein as gaultier's classique, which i used to wear in college quite a bit. this reminds me of my younger 20s self when i first got to san francisco and was going out and having a great time. for that alone i really like this, nostalgia wins!

 

i do not get tuberose from this at first, just but vanilla musk and mandarin primarily. it's very spicy-sweet and suits ava's age and character well, i think.

 

after awhile i do get a small hint of tuberose though it doesn't really read as tuberose, it's definitely floral. this one has alotta throw on me, and i do really like this especially for the nostalgic value for me personally. i'd wear it going out dancing, because these are the kind of scents i used to wear when i went to goth clubs and got dressed up.

Edited September 24, 2014 by theseagrows

[Little Bird]

I don't smell any mandarin, almond, or really any vanilla sweetness from my decant of this. The version I got is all about sharp, heady, white floral tuberose and perfumey white musk. It gives me a headache.

[spectrum-in]

Wearing this today, and it has to be my first BPAL review. Ava smells like everything I've ever wanted from an expensive perfume without the harsh cloying nature of alcohol-based perfumes. I can smell the vanilla and the floral quality but my nose isn't trained enough yet to pick out specific notes, and I'm obsessed with it!

[keltiejean]

I could be out to lunch on this one, but to me this smells very VERY close to Voluspa's French Bourbon Vanilla candle. The reviews on here that say it smells very "perfume-y" and contemporary are right- but I think that’s what I love so much about this one. I personally find it very layered, warm, well-blended and beautiful!

[chinkee21]

Ok, why hasn't anyone mentioned about this? Ava smells like The Girl on me!

 

Is my nose broken?

 

Not sure if this is helpful or not, but to those hoping to try or looking for The Girl, this could be a great alternative.

[HerbGirl]

Wow. I have worn Ava quite a bit since i first got my bottle and she is aging beautifully. The oil is getting thicker and my skin sucks it up somehow! But it smells SO good...expensive, shallow, beautiful, selfish and a gorgeous blend. I wish i could say that i can discern any listed notes but i can't. I guess if i REALLY try, i can tell the mandarin and almond are floating in the vanilla and the tuberose fits in nicely. Beautiful and i am glad to have my bottles.

[gingiemay]

This is absoutely lovely... the vanilla musk is the predominant note, with a tiny hint of floral tuberose... but normally I am a powdery rose amplifier but on me it's light and sweet and floral, not powdery at all. No red mandarin on my skin, and I think the almond is also lending some sweetness as well but I can't place it specifically.

 

Gorgeous, sophisticated, feminine, wonderfully blended.

[hammy]

In the bottle - Ooh, this is lovely. Floral, but not too floral. I have the impression of vanilla flowers and anise.

 

Wet - Shit. This is like a richer, fuller version of Flowerbomb. Tuberose in person is way too much for me, but this is divine. The mandarin spices it up and the vanilla musk smooths it out.

 

Drydown - It lands a bit on the froufrou end for my taste, just this side of too perfumey. Now that I’ve made the Flowerbomb comparison in my head, I’m picking up only the aspects of Ava that underscore the connection. It fades fairly quickly and loses a bit of its gorgeousness on drydown, though it’s still very nice.

 

Verdict - I was hesitant to get this because the description was unflattering. I mean, toxic, brittle and dangerous? This beautiful scent was hardly what I was expecting. (By the way, I accidentally layered this with Very Pink Surprise Cake and it was delicious.)