Marie

[obsidienne]

A blend of sinuous violet and elegant tea rose: the chosen scent of France’s Demigoddess of Debauch: Marie Antoinette.

 

Ugh, this strongly reminds me of why I dislike violet -- it somehow manages to smell like fake plastic flowers mixed with rubber, and sickly sweet, to boot. The tea rose didn't stand a chance.

[Blithgunde]

Marie exactly fits the description, tea rose and violet. The violet is strong and sweet, not a shrinking violet at all. The tea rose is a perfect tea rose, and smells just like a fully blown blossom at around ten in the morning on a humid June day. Combined in equal measure they are a lovely sensual scent.

 

Marie is one of my favorites for spring and summer.

[DraloreShimare]

In the vial – Mostly violet, with a hint of tea rose. Almost sickly sweet, here.

 

On the skin – Mostly tea rose, very richly scented. Like sticking my nose straight to a flower and inhaling deeply.

 

Dry – Softens and sweetens a bit with a little hint here and there of violet, but still mostly tea rose. Mmmm…. This fades quickly on me, becoming slightly baby powder-y, but in a good way. : )

 

 

I love this one! It's so rich, and feminine. I might have to pick up a bottle.

[Venneh]

Violets in the imp. On my skin, rose and violet. Hrm. We'll test this one out a bit. Rose makes it go straight to soap, though. Whoopee.

Edited June 22, 2010 by Venneh

[INFJ4w3]

I wanted this one to work sooooo badly...because I love a discontinued fragrance called Volcan d'Amour which is heavy violet/rose. But most BPAL flowers don't seem to like me. The rose is the culprit here: I sneezed loudly upon application. The scent has little or no sillage, moderate staying power. It's a soft, sort of powdery scent. I wish it was a lot more violet and a lot less rose. I might try layering this with Brusque Violet, the only BPAL violet to work for me yet. I could see how Marie would be great on someone with different chemistry. 2 1/2 to 3 stars out of 5.

[sunlitgarden]

Marie

 

Wet on my skin the dominant note is rose, and it's a really nice rose - but there's also a weird chemical smell that reminds me of... paint or nail polish remover or something. I forgot this had violet in it when I tested the imp. I've already mentioned having chemistry problems with violet - usually I can't smell it at all and it also deadens other aspects of a blend, but I think this is a fun new manifestation of violet death. Augh

Edited July 12, 2010 by sunlitgarden

[Ashenrook]

In the Bottle

Beautiful violet with tea rose in the background. Very nice.

 

On Skin: Wet

You know... It's funny. I love rose. I love violet. Therefore, I should love Marie. I...am not sure if that is the case in the end. Both rose and violet are very prominent scents and it feels like the two are just trying to overpower one another and it makes just... a mess on my skin. Slightly after the beginning of the wet phase, the oil goes plastic-y on me, for some reason, before the battle between rose and violet finally is won by the former. There's not a whiff of violet for a long time, after this, oddly enough.

 

On Skin: Dry

For a good hour after application, Marie is still predominantly rose. The violet is still in hiding.

 

Afternotes

A few hours after application, the violet starts to, at last, return. It's...somewhat pleasant, I will admit. But I am still overwhelmed by how the scent, in general, played out before hand.

 

 

Verdict

On an American scholastic grading scale of A to F, A being best, I would give this a C.

 

While it is not absolutely horrid, I am not in love with Marie. While I still absolutely love rose and violet, I just feel that they're too much of a show-stealer on me without other elements to ground them.

[SophieCedar]

Got this as a frimp from the lab. I would never order tea rose on my own.

Wet: sweet wet violet. Not the green kind, just the lab's violet note. There's the tea from tea rose coming through but the actual rose note sticks in the background.

 

Drydown: the violet burns off almost completely. The rose element comes out more, soft and sweet, that kills the sharpness of the tea part.. Maybe it's my chemistry, but there's a milky sweet touch to this. Maybe it warms after mixing with skin for a while? Not as bad as I would have expected however still tea rose and violet.. my 2 most dreaded notes.

[milo]

This ends up being a strong rose at first. I'm sure a little goes a long way, but as usual, I slathered, so it is basically overpowering sweet rose. Dry, the violet comes out, but it ends up being way too rose dominant for my tastes.

[calivianya]

I received this as a frimp from the Lab, and dutifully gave it a try.

 

I had a feeling this wouldn't work on me, as Veil didn't (violet heavy) and almost nothing with rose has either... but the tea rose in A Golden Idol got along fine with me and Veil also has gardenia, which is a sure death note, so I wasn't quite sure if this would be horrible. I should have gone with my gut instinct and left it off.

 

I amp violet like no one's business, apparently. I smelled the tea rose with the first application but then it was drowned out within 1 minute by the violet. I can almost smell the tea rose in the background, I think, but I'm not sure. Either way, I just put Marie on five minutes ago and I've already sneezed six times and I'm developing a headache, so it's time to wash it off. I think this would be a beautiful scent for someone who gets along with violet, but unfortunately I'm not that person.

[GodivaSyndrome]

Marie

 

In the bottle: Violets and rose. Feels a bit heavy.

 

Wet: Very heavy. I can visualize the violet and the rose trying to push one another out of the picture. Elegant perhaps, but there is something very bitter too. Kind of fitting considering Marie's end.

 

Dry down: Whatever is bitter in there has taken over completely. It's green and sharp and it's giving me a terrible headache.

 

Conclusion: I had to wash it off. This one was not for me.

[fairestrocza]

In the Imp: violet more than rose, very feminine

 

Wet on Skin: This is the first time violet (usually not a good note on me) has ever smelled similar to orris (usually a great note on me).

 

While Drying: Nice violet scent (!) but a bit too floral for me.

 

After a Little While: This is turning on me a bit. The orris-like violet is still present, but it is starting to be overwhelmed by a sharp and a semi-artificial scent.

 

Later: I get periodic wafts of orris-like violet, which I love, but I prefer my orris with different accompanying notes... Though I may have spoken too soon…the late drydown is gorgeous, orris with just a hint of warmth, not quite as dry as orris can be. This is worth a full-day test.

 

Final Thoughts: Medium throw. I imagine that this is very pretty on the right person… and I might actually be the right person. I may have to take violet off my don't-even-bother list.

 

Marie earns a 3.5/5 on my skin.

[Monday]

In the imp: this reminds me of the Tuca Tuca fragrance by Lush a bit except this is cleaner.

Wet: Very violet, still reminiscent of Tuca Tuca with a bit of rose peeking through.

Dry: Violets and Rose, the violet is a lot sharper now.

 

Still looking for the perfect violet scent this dries up a little too sharp.

[reb]

This smells like Nude by Bill Blass, but better.

[tkannon]

rose in the face. until I cried for mercy and ran for the sink. Yep beginning to think roses and I should avoid each other as much as possible.

[Kayah]

imp: roses and violets

 

wet: this is the perfect rosed violet.. or a violeted rose.. they're so lovely, so balanced.. so sophisticated

 

as it dries down it swirls down into..

 

Soap.

 

 

Yes this is the perfect violet rose soap. It's as if I walked into a high end boutique and dropped over $40 on a single bar of soap.

 

 

Unfortunately, I want my perfume to smell like perfume, not like I just washed in high end soap.

 

 

 

Further dry down.. oh yes it goes on.. the soap does something completely unexpected (sarcasm)..

 

I am now covered in violet and rose scented..

 

 

 

 

talcum powder.

 

 

 

... great. Oh Marie.. why can't you just stay in your wet stage forever.. I love you so, and my skin does not.

[lohengrin]

In the imp: Faint rose. Very faint, I can hardly smell this at all. Weird.

 

On skin, wet: Rose, and a tiny hint of another floral note (presumably the violet), but it's not strong enough to be distinct.

 

On skin, dry: Rose and that hint of violet. It's very, very slightly soapy, but not offensively so.

 

After an hour: Unchanged from the initial drydown. I'm amazed the violet stood up to the rose even as much as it did, given how much I amp rose. Still, I think this is nice, but not for me.

[undream]

marie antoinette holds court in the pantheon of "others" that i adore, and so i was intrigued & very much looking forward to trying this(!). as is my modus operandi, i went into it without refreshing my memory on which notes would be joining me (preferring to test my little nose and discover what i discover without power of suggestion, as it were!), and from the get-go i thought, i could have sworn, this was mostly, if not all, lilies! as soon as i opened the imp, it exploded into that gorgeous tell-tale lily scent, just very heady and beautiful and clean, almost soapy? (after reading several other reviews, i am suspecting now that it is the violet giving me such a lily feel, in which case, oh lawd! i love me some violets!) i fell immediately in love (i love lilies), and fortunately it stayed fairly faithful on application & drydown. will definitely have to try again to see if i can't recognize the rose & violet-which-is-not-lily next go-round, but whatever, i adore it. lovelovelove. definite keeper.

 

EDIT: on second application, ohmygod, how did i ever miss this as rose?? it is as lush as life, big and wet and juicy and beautiful. as a rose lover, i am astonished i did not pick up on this the first time! i recognize the violet this time 'round as well, having read a few previous reviews, and together these florals create a gorgeous enveloping scent which is going straight on my "big bottle covet" list.

Edited August 17, 2012 by undream

[BrieCS]

Dusty roses and violet for me, a little pinchy (some mild perfumey bits), but mostly just light floral wet through dry. Very nice!

[Polly]

Yep, violets and rose. It's a nice combo. I'm not a fan of rose on its own but this is nice. It dries down to a dusty, woody rose thing on me.

[stellamaris]

Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous...I keep hearing Elvis Presley in my head, "and Marie's the name, of her latest flame..."

More violet-y than The Raven, less vanilla, more of a pure floral. Love this. Ordering BB.

[cfrancesca]

Very pretty. Soft, fresh, dusty violets and tea rose, the blend has a slightly creamy, sweet edge. As it dries the rose gets a little spicy with a hint of soapiness (tea rose likes to that on my skin sometimes) and the violets get a bit powdery (which I actually enjoy). Once settled the tea rose amps slightly more than the violets. (my review is from an aged imp)

[psychocygnet]

Wet: It's definitely rose, but with a sort of cool, dark veil thrown over it. It's not very strong, though.

 

Drying: The scent is getting waterier and waterier. And when I sniff my left wrist, there's a strange hint of something non-floral. Pickles?

 

Dry: Okay, now all I'm getting is the pickle smell. Bleh.

[JuliskaMarie]

In the imp: As described - the violet is much stronger than the tea rose though. It's not fresh & playful florals though, it's sort of... snobby.

Wet on skin: Weird - it's like the scents are trying to avoid me! If I take little sniffs I can smell it, but when I inhale deeply, it vanishes! Snobby violet with a little bit of haughty tea rose. This is a very stuck-up perfume & it's currently treating me like I'm not worthy!

Dry on skin: VIOLET but it's gone muddy. Like we're in a hothouse. Hmmm. There is a tiny bit of tea rose in the background. My skin is not playing well with this.

After a few hours: It's still a little muddy, but it has sweetened up a lot now & turned ever so slightly soapy!

Verdict: Alas, my hunt for the perfect 'fresh violet' scent continues! I may swap this if it loves someone else who tries it on, otherwise I'll just put it away until I can get a scent locket.

[Heaven_Star]

Imp: Straight up violet and rose. This could almost be a blend of two SN's, they're both even and true to scent.

 

Wet: Ooh, there's a sweet, creamy note here. It's like sugared violet and rose petals. I can't normally do food but there's certainly something else in there - a white musk or something perhaps? The violet and rose are still in there and beautifully matched.

 

Dry: Sweet, creamy violet and rose. A little bit powdery but I think that's the creamy note going rather than the flowers.

 

I can see why some people are thinking "soap" with this one, but I'm quite liking that aspect of it. It sticks close to my skin and it sort of feels like I've washed in it or something, it's a really benign sort of scent. It doesn't reach out and punch you like a lot of my favourite woodsy/resiny scents, do. I don't know if I need a big bottle, I've got a few florals that fit a similar niche to this that I love and either have big bottles of already or which I would get big bottles of ahead of this. That being said, I'm keeping the imp. I think this is going to rock on hot days because it's so pretty and low-impact.

 

Note: I tried this on someone else at a Meet 'n' Sniff, turns out this blend is awesome for finding out if rose dies on someone. "Smells like violet and something gross!" That'll be the rose, then...