The Waltz

[Smaragdina]

The Waltz – Not a complicated dance, really – The lady takes her place slightly to the left of the leading gentleman. Six basic steps – that is all.

However – It is said that the true test of a perfect waltz is for it to be so swift, delicate and so smooth, that a candle flame will not be extinguished in the hand of the lead dancer… Now that requires the perfect partner.

So swift, so delicate, so smooth: champagne musk, ambergris accord, white rose, rosewood, and vanilla amber.

Fresh out of the mailbox, so here goes.

In the bottle: more than any other bpal I've tried, this smells like (a very nice) perfume. I can't pick any notes out.

Wet: Sweet, delicate champagne. Maybe some of the vanilla or white rose peeking around the edges. I amp rose like crazy, so I hope it behaves.

Drydown: so swift, so delicate, so smooth indeed - this smells like perfume and at first sniff I can no longer pick distinct notes out, it's so well-blended. The white rose is there, swirling with sweet amber and champagne, maybe flash of ambergris around the edges to keep it interesting. This is feminine and classic and lovely.

[whoahorsey]

I was really hoping that the vanilla amber and rosewood would be the dominant notes on my skin, but for me, it was all white rose. It reminds me of Parlement of Foules from Lupercalia 2006. It's a sweet, pretty, innocent, feminine scent. Fans of LUSH's Ro's Argan Body Conditioner or LUSH's Rose Jam fragrance will love this one.

[shalottian]

Smooth and lovely. For me it goes on sweet and rosey with a little fizz, but gets some gorgeous vanilla in there on the drydown... at least on my right wrist. The left is still rose.

[Aviatrix]

This luckily didn't have the fizzy champagne note of Mattie Silks.

It's a soft white rose, followed by a bit of ambergris and amber. Very soft and distinguished. The comparison in another review to Parlement of Foules is right, only instead of resins there is soft ambergris in this.

I can certainly envision some classical ballroom dancing for this scent!

[SimplySyra]

Wet, I get a blast of fizzy rose champagne. As it dries, the champagne softens immediately and the white rose steps forward as the main player. It's a soft, sweet rose. Perhaps toned down by the vanilla amber which I cannot actually detect but may just be lending a general sense of warmth and sweetness to the scent. This is smooth and subtle. It definitely comes across as "fancy" and feminine. I don't personally detect the ambergris beneath the rose but of course your results may vary.

[Atrous]

This starts out soapy and sour on me.

As it dries down the soapiness goes away and I'm smelling rose.

The musk comes through a bit later but not Champagne musk. This musk smells like its gone off and I realize this is where the sourness is coming from.

So that's it...no ambergris, no amber, no champagne fizz...just sour roses.

Sadly, not the dance for me.

[Hattress]

Wet: Oh hi, white rose. This is allllll really strong floral. It's heady and I'm really loving it, so I was hoping that it would calm down.

 

Dry: Ah, yes. The vanilla amber comes out more, and I guess I'm getting the champagne musk? I don't really know what the champagne musk smells like, honestly, since I think this is the first scent I've tried that has any kind of champagne note.

 

Overall, this ends up being a soft, warm vanilla with a hint of rose. Definitely perfect for the delicate, smooth waltz in question.

[lady_pandora]

The oil is kind of pink, which I think is really charming!

 

And really, charming is how I'd describe the whole composition. I get mostly white wine and soft rose. It's a little like Symmakhia, which I thought it might be. I can kind of pick out the "fizz" of the champagne too, and a little wood in the late stages. It isn't super strong on me, hovering close to the skin. It's soft, pretty, and elegant. I want to try layering it with something like Lights of Men's Lives to evoke the candle in the scene.

[LizziesLuck]

In the bottle, I get mostly white rose. White rose is my favourite kind of rose. Hints of vanilla from the bottle as well.

 

Wet: Rose. A bit of ambergris. Not getting any "champagne musk" (and by that I mean I am not getting anything that smells like either champagne or musk. I am not sure what champagne musk is - I wondered if it actually referred more to the colour of the musk than anything to do with the bubbly). The vanilla isn't evident when it's wet. I love rose. And this rose is gorgeous. Even if it stays just like this, it's a winner, but I do hope to get some Vanilla on drydown.

 

As it's drying, the beautiful sweet vanilla amber does indeed show up! Beautiful, beautiful! I want to roll around in it. It's so lovely and elegant.

 

Dry: Love it. It's beautiful. Primarily a white rose blend on me, with lovely ambery vanilla muskiness. It's feminine and so pretty. I am so happy I went ahead and got a blind bottle.

Edited November 21, 2015 by LizziesLuck

[DevilsCandyCane]

Oh god, I love this so much! I've been blown away by the CP scents, and for me this is the best of the lot, which really says something!

 

On my skin, it reminds me a lot of London, but with white rose rather than pink - that same sweet, simple, classic elegance. It's very smooth and soft, though has decent throw - I get no champagne fizziness, for which I'm grateful, and the vanilla amber to me almost smells like a glowing underscore of beeswax, which is so perfect considering the candle in the scene. The white rose note is perfectly balanced between fresh, natural rose, and something a little sexier and muskier. It's just beautiful, so sweet, soft, comforting and elegant, and I'm really hoping I can snag a backup bottle, because...yeah, utterly beautiful - it does smell glowing, light and bright, the candle theme is so strongly present for me with this scent, and I freakin' adore it!

[absinthetics]

A beautiful, classic and elegant shiny bright rose. It is bright ans smooth at the same time. It is a beautiful rose scent though the rose can be a bit too much for me in this one.

[PrinceofcatS]

At first all I got was Champagne + Musk, then some rosewood began to come out. I assumed that, like Between Your Heart and Mine, rosewood would overpower the other scents, but it's been on for about an hour and the white rose has really come to the fore in a lovely way. I really don't get much if any vanilla though, and the very light, almost dry champagne note (which at first leaned rather soapy on me) is still fairly strong. The amber in the background adds something bright, and keeps the cool and dry scents from being one-dimensional on me.

 

This is another scent that's weirdly more of a "normal" perfume than anything else I've tried from BPAL. There seem to be a lot in the collection that feel like that. All that said, this is softer and lovelier than most perfumes are, in my experience - it's very light and gentle, but still strong-willed.

 

ETA: The vanilla eventually came forward; the champagne and musk notes never really left, but I'm not sure the white rose is still here. Anyway, an unusual and lovely scent!

Edited November 23, 2015 by PrinceofcatS

[shibagast]

It smells a bit fizzy to me! I'm only getting champagne and musk though.

 

The rose has come out! It smells like the roses from London, like there could be something darker lurking underneath.

 

I think that's as far as it's going to get on me. ): I amp the roses in London like crazy, and I think it's going to be the same here. No vanilla for me.

 

I lied! The vanilla musk is there! It smells so delicate.

Edited November 27, 2015 by shibagast

[Lorelai1945]

Since I amp rose like whoa, that's mostly what I read from this one. However, it is a beautiful, soft, feminine white rose that I'm getting, and it's wearable for me. There is a sweetness in the background somewhere helping it out a bit. I would wear this to the ballet or symphony I think- somewhere I could wear a beautiful dress. It fits its namesake perfectly. For some reason it puts me in mind of Sybil, only with rose in place of the mandarin in that one (I think). Very similar feel.

[Musamea]

in the imp: delicate white roses with a hint of rosewood and ambergris

wet: soft white roses and delicate musk with a tiny bit of deep resin in the background, on my left wrist the rosewood adds an almost lemony tone, while on my right wrist the vanilla amber is the next note I can detect beneath the roses; this is really beautiful but super, super light

dry: the amber and ambergris really start warming up here, adding a wonderful resiny richness to the roses, which have taken on an almost spicy note from the rosewood. The champagne musk adds a nice sweetness and never gets overpowering. Final drydown is mostly a rosy-vanilla amber on me. This scent is so gorgeous and perfectly balanced, and I'm definitely going to need a bottle!

[savage_rose]

I love, love, love this...champagne and roses and warm vanilla. This is just a golden rose scent, warm and inviting. Mmmm!

[Catcircus]

So this smells like powdery soft old timey perfume on me. Like I needed to scrub it off. The longer it stayed the more it smelled like sharp powder.

 

BUT

 

On my friend this smelled like delicate floral, soft vanilla and a beautiful breath of powder.

 

This definitely seems to smells different for different people since most perfumes work the same for us.

Edited January 7, 2016 by Catcircus

[sqwook]

Pale pale real-white-rose (that works, I normally can't do rose at all), pale musk, and then soft vanilla as it all dries down. Really pretty and warm. I'm not really getting champagne, ambergris, or amber, other than possibly as what makes it feel warm and cozy along with the vanilla.

Edited to add: Oh I just realized, it reminds me of Joyful Moon! So if you liked that one, you may like this too.

Edited December 11, 2015 by sqwook

[zankoku_zen]

Soft white rose, amber, and a touch of what I'd call vanilla fougere. There is a delicateness to this blend, its like a swift movement. I think there's a hint of champagne as well.

 

Actually, this is everything I sort of wished Edith Cushing to be - delicate, slightly vanilla, and very ethereal.

 

Sublime.

[theseagrows]

this starts off a smooth soft rosy musk with vanilla. i'm loving the opening, so much, and i don't want it to change! it's very "me". i get the effervesence of the champagne, but it's subdued somewhat due to the vanilla (which i prefer.) the amber then starts coming out, warming and deepening the scent, making it even MORE gorgeous then i get the rosewood which deepens it even more. ok insta-love, need a bottle now!

[DiesMali]

In the bottle: It's like sniffing a real-life white rose, with vanilla-moistened petals.

 

Wet on my skin: Smooth, slightly-powdery amber-vanilla-rose.

 

Dry: The first word I'd use to describe this scent is "smooth." It's very light and ethereal on my skin, but has a definite presence and has a decent throw for being so light. It's white rose and powdery amber first, then cool vanilla. Closer to the skin, the musk, rosewood, and ambergris all combine to make sure the scent doesn't entirely float away. I'm not really getting any champagne from this champagne musk, so maybe it's describing the colour rather than the beverage? I'm not sure. There's something very sophisticated about those three notes closer to the skin, and the overall feel of this scent is just lovely. Classy, sophisticated, smooth, and just a little bit whimsical. White with gold trim, in my mind.

[LiberAmoris]

Like others, I was unsure whether or not The Waltz would have a strong champagne note, as it can be so strong on me that it drowns everything else out. But this is truly so smooth. On my skin, it's like someone took the champagne note and buffed it down until all the bubbles are gone. The ambergris accord and white rose are brilliant here, and the vanilla amber gives it that Edith feel. This smells like Edith in love.

[Little Bird]

I was leery of trying this one, because I don't like the lab's champagne note, but I don't get any champagne from The Waltz. I'm mostly getting a sour, powdery, slightly salty smelling ambergris, a weak and watery rose note, and baby powdery amber. The drydown is sharp and white musky. Overall, it's a sour, powdery, strangely watery and perfumey smelling scent on my skin. I don't like this one at all.

[SophieCedar]

Ya know, this reminds me a lot of Sibyl. Well and Elegy No. 1 S. 196. Kinda like if these 2 had a baby... Overall, its sweet, creamy, musky with a hint of citrus sharpness. I like it.

[porcelina]

fancyyy. i love the champagne musk and want a SN of it. mixed with the vanilla/amber etc. and just a hint of rose, it smells like the nicest, fanciest perfume. i would wear this for new year's eve or for a special occasion. smooth and cool and beautiful!