Joyful Romp

[HerbGirl]

JOYFUL ROMP

Plum blossoms and white sandalwood with indigo, tuberose, plum musk, and a drop of vetiver.

I have been looking forward to testing this and it arrived today!
Disclaimer: i don't like vetiver. I *almost* didn't get a decant because of it but i love plum so very much that i crossed my fingers that it would behave.
If there's a way that vetiver could improve a blend, i would say it does here. I can smell it, but the way it supports the plum is exquisite...just lends a smooth bitter/reedy quality to the blend. It smells like the plum musk is infused with vetiver, if that makes sense.
After 10 minutes, the tuberose comes through and the vetiver remains and the plum takes a backseat to the tuberose.
Dry? Well, to be honest, i am still sniffing my hand in disbelief that i love it so much and it has vetiver and i can smell it and it isn't killing the blend!
This is stunning, almost breathtaking but comfortable...and i need a bottle.

The drydown of this reminds me so much of the Evening on the Veranda atmo spray...they don't really smell that similar, but the vibe is the same to me...i love this!!!

[nameoftherose]

I have to say I was completely sold on this one by the colour impression of the artwork and how it seemed to chime with the notes listed (plus I actually love vetiver). It certainly didn't disappoint.

 

In the imp, it's a gorgeous, fresh and high-pitched fruit/floral, with perhaps some woody undertones. Smells bright and oriental, and also razor-sharp, like an extremely refined and ornamented silver blade (except plum).

On skin, it first opens with an irresistible, slightly sour fruitiness (something in there almost reminds me of a note in wet Sheol) that is very sharp and vivid, uplifting rather than heavy. The combination of plum and tuberose is fantastic and so multifaceted: the plum is enveloped and rounded out by the florals, there are lovely whiffs of sweetness at the top; as it progresses, it takes on a honeyed quality, with the plum occasionally dipping into concentrated, sugared preserve facets; at other times, I catch whiffs of something that smells almost like wild strawberries. At this stage, it is sweet, exciting and heady, as well as surprisingly complex.

This stage eventually settles down into a musky plum (and then a plummy musk), with an almost boozy edge to it; this is also when sandalwood finally makes an appearance. I still detect no sign of vetiver.

Overall I wouldn't say it is the longest lasting perfume out there (it has decent throw in the early stage, but then stays close to the skin once it's settled into musk). However, the opening stage is so fantastic that I really don't mind - I'd gladly reapply if necessary. Joyful Romp is unique and gorgeous, it feels a little like wearing white and purple chiffon that sways around you as you move. The core scent is dizzying, thrilling and intense, but lifted wonderfully by the blooms and musk. If you don't like fruits or florals, or cannot abide a perfume without some smoke/spice/incense, then this is not for you, but otherwise - I'd say a must-try. I second Herb Girl on the exquisite and breathtaking, and I will also be needing a bottle.

[Tal Shachar]

Joyful Romp is amazing on me. The plum reminds me of the same note in La Notte, a deep purple sweetness that lingers. I was curious about the indigo note, since my mom used to spin and dye her own wool, and there is something here that reminds me of home-dyed wool...I may be just imagining things and picking up on the earthiness of the vetiver, but it evokes that to me. For me the tuberose remains cloaked in plum, so while the scent opens up and gets that pillowy floral softness of tuberose, I had kind of forgotten there was tuberose in it. Just "ooh, this plum blossom is going to town." Purple-and-white chiffon is exactly the image, beautiful to wear.

[Dark Alice]

Light plum and floral plum blossoms. Not a drop of vetiver in sight. If you love floral, lightly fruity scents...this is for you.

[zankoku_zen]

Plum, sandalwood, tuberose. So everything is fine and dandy, plum and sandalwood are having a very nice party that is crashed by tuberose, who is that uninvited drunk guest that comes in with a bang, upsets all the drinks, and the proceeds to shout all over the place about her floral parts. All other guests look at plum and sandalwood and depart. Plum and sandalwood, as the hosts, now have to figure out what to do with the tuberose.

 

Good throw, good wear length.

 

Plum, sandalwood, tuberose.

[AmyAngel]

Starts out all plummy, with a vetiver undertone that is behaving for the moment. I'm not sure if I'm smelling sandalwood or if it's just adding some woodiness to the vetiver. I'm not sure I could pick out indigo or tuberose, but there's a definite floral quality to the plum. Plum blossom, definitely. Smells very much like spring!

 

After a few minutes, I think I'm getting more sandalwood. The vetiver is fading back (miracle! it usually amps to high heaven on me!) and I'm mostly getting a kind of fruity floral plummy sandalwood thing. Very pretty. And staying very pretty. I think this one needs an all-day wear to decide if the decant is enough or if I should spring for a bottle.

[LiberAmoris]

Some of my good experiences with vetiver in the last year encouraged me to try Joyful Romp, and I'm so glad I did! This is a gorgeous, purple-y, plummy blend. Definitely a fruity-floral, but not too sweet on me. The sandalwood does a great job of toning everything down. The tuberose is fab with the other notes—it can be a little much sometimes, but here it's perfect. Reminds me a bit of Wicked Matriarch...it has the same floral, purple feel, even though this goes in its own unique direction. I'll enjoy every drop of this bottle!

[Circaea]

Really pretty, refined and fruity with a soft hint of musk or powder supporting it. (But it took several tests for the plum to come out, so if you're underwhelmed at first, let it rest for a few weeks or so before coming to any conclusions). It reminds me of Prunella, and Lovers in a Ricefield. If you liked either of those, you'll be happy with this one.

[Magycmyste]

In the imp: Flowers and vetiver.

 

Wet on skin: On my skin, I'm primarily getting the plum blossom with a beautiful whiff of sandalwood. The tuberose is giving the floral edge a little extra sweetness.

 

Dried down: Same as before, but.... these notes aren't blending well together for me. The plum and tuberose is a little bit cacophonous, like one note just slightly out of tune. The sandalwood is still barely there inthe background, and I get an occasional, beautiful whiff, but... I feel like it's not enough. I kind of wish that whiff of sandalwood was accompanying the Comparison of Celebrated Beauties on my left wrist, because the combination, when I get that, is freaking divine.

 

Throw: A bit. I don't have to sniff my wrist to smell it, and it's nice. Especially the sandalwood.

 

Verdict: *** 1/* I like the notes, and the fact that the vetiver doesn't take over entirely. But together, they're just not doing it for me.

[astraelly]

Freshly floral in the vial, like an expensive soap. Initial skin application is slightly fruity, mostly (rather sharply) floral. Drydown is soft, plush, slightly powdery tuberose. I was hoping for vetiver to make this more interesting, but as it is, it's pretty but forgettable.

[milo]

Plum, musk and spice. The plum (and pretty much everything else), is STRONG. This reminds me of a stronger Dionysia, and The Witch Queen, neither blend which really called out to me. I'm hoping its a fast fade, as it is just not sitting well with me. Alas, I doubt it...

[Auspicious Q]

I have had my tester of Joyful Romp since March, and I wanted to come here and review its scent NOW. The florals are much less prominent and the resins have come to the fore. This smells much more like plum incense to me now (probably the vetiver and sandalwood). This may be the temperature (which is 10 degrees higher in my house) or the passing time working its magic on the ingredients, but I noticed a marked change from the largely floral scent I got from this before. It still smells beautiful, but the balance has shifted.

[missnix]

Joyful Romp is beautiful! I picked up a decant, than a full bottle, from the second market so the blend was decently aged by the time I got my hands on it.

First applied, it opens with a blast of an almost sour plum note that never ceases to concern me (is this the day it's finally gone "off"??) but that sourness fades away quickly. As others have noted, this is a strong blend with decent throw and lasting power. Once it's dried and settled on my skin, it's basically a gorgeous dark plum with some musk (the florals are not the stars of the show on my skin). To me, it seems like a cousin of Mme. Moriarty because of the whole seductive fruit and musk angle.

[torikitty]

I wouldn't have picked this out for myself, but wow! someone frimped me an older decant. Fruity and floral is pretty apt. I smell light purple. I wish I had of snagged a bottle of this. This is the perfect flirty spring scent.