Belle Époque

[tempete]

"The Pretty Era", France’s Golden Time: an age of beauty, innovation and peace in France that lasted from the 19th Century through the first World War and gave birth to the cabaret, the cancan, and the cinema as well as the Impressionist and Art Nouveau movements. Sweet opium, Lily of the Valley, vanilla, mandarin and red sandalwood.

This was a generous freebie from the Lab. I wouldn't have ordered it on my own because lilies usually turn to soap on my skin.

Yup, they turned to soap. At one point, I smelled like vanilla soap, and then the sandalwood note came out for a bit, at which point I smelled like sandalwood soap. Into the swap pile!

[Shollin]

First sniff: Belle Epoque reminds me of pictures I’ve seen of Monet’s wisteria bridge over the water-lily pond – the real one at Giverny. It’s a floaty, drapey, powdery floral, elegant without being old-ladyish.

 

Wearing: It’s much warmer on my skin, and the flowers recede a bit under that warmth. Very, very pretty and refined.

[vitawash24]

This was very odd on me - I got no vanilla, and possibly some sandalwood. Maybe it's the opium that has such an acrid reaction to my skin? Whatever it is, it's quite unfortunate. It remained an icky floral for about half an hour before the lily of the valley I know and love emerged victorious. Nice finish, but I'm not sure that it's worth waiting through the drydown. Oh, well!

[Guest ExquisiteSiren]

I am in bloody maddly in love with Belle Epoque.

 

It is vintage in a happy gleeful...almost bohemian carefree joy????

I think the mandrin is whispering notes of glee.....

 

but wait!! I ADORE LILY OF THE VALLY...it makes me soooo happy. It is my all time fave.

 

and the opium...is warm, luxurious and sensual. I just LOVE opium. Period.

 

 

This scent is a warm summer sunset in paris...with your best friends in a cafe having tea after you decided to visit the lush oriental opium den to get baked...the smoke still on your satin and lace dress..while you your girlfriend cuts at manderins and giggles.

 

 

OMFG i am in love...no lust...no please marry me?????

Ok thats it..I found the bpal I am taking to paris in a month.

[Sheila]

I expected to love this: I love opium, lily of the valley, mandarin, and vanilla. I've tried this several times, always thinking "This time I'll love it!" But all I get from this is a faint musty-dry scent, like old linens left too long in a closet. (This is how I expected Antique Lace to smell.) Stoopid skin chemistry! At the very end of dry-down I get a touch of mandarin, but nothing else. I suspect the red sandalwood is taking over and smelling musty on me.

 

I wish I could smell the notes in this one--I wanted to love it. Off to swaps it goes.

Edited August 29, 2005 by clover

[Rheliwen]

Hmm, I've tried this one three time and everytime it gets more floraly and light. I think it's because I'm on the tail end of "that time."

 

My first encounter was a bit bitter, like day old orange rind combined with the opium and a more masculine sandalwood. It had a very odd, but not displeasing scent. I had a hard time getting any throw from it, so I've tried it a couple more times since.

 

Today: I can really detect the red sandalwood, which is a bit more manly than normal sandalwood it has this neat redness about it, somewhat like very subtle dragon's blood. But that could be the combo of it, vanilla and madarin...which is more likely. The lily, never really comes out, but it does keep the whole blend from getting too dark. As it dries, it's turning into spiced powder. It isn't very strong, which is fantastic! If it were, it would be stinging my nose. I think the vanilla must be tempering the sharper, bitter notes in there, keeping this a subtle blend.

 

I remember when I first smelled this I thought it was a very sophisticated, evening out scent. I compared it to the same feelings I get when wearing F54 (but nothing can compare to the glam and expensive feeling of F54). Don't take this as I believe it smells like F54, it's more the general feeling of the blend. I'd wear Belle Epoque when I want to be regal yet sultry and sexy. It's definitely vintage glam sex kitten.

[Batgirl]

This has been a very odd scent for me. When I first put it on, I was hit with a very strong floral mix. The florals were full bodied and I pictured huge, sweeping gowns. Without looking at the scent description, I though I smelled rose and possibly gardenia. Turns out that that was completely wrong. In the next stage I didn't smell Belle Epoque and all and I remember thinking that this was another weak scent that was destined for the swap pile. I forgot about it and gradually became aware than something smelled gorgeous - and it was me! On the drydown (probably as much as 4 hours after application) Belle Epoque is a fabulous sweet, warm sandalwood vanilla mixture. I love it so much I'll be getting a bigger bottle for the drydown alone.

[Northernminx]

Opium in the vile and going on this was strangely herbal for me. On the drydown it sweetened and lightened a very soft, floral, sophisticated scent with a touch of refined and smokey class. This reminds me of Glen Close's character in Dangerous Liasons, just a touch too sophisiticated for innocence. No mandarin or vanilla for me and this is lovely but not quite enticing enough on me to wear it more than a few times.

[feline.by.design]

Belle Epoque is a bottle I had originally bought for someone else, but wound up giving her another one instead. So, I had the bottle on me for, like, an era, and I finally got around to giving the sniff a whirl.

 

On the skin, Belle Epoque has a soft, soft floral that has a "powdered sugar" sweetness, which I guess could be the vanilla. The fragrance evokes innocence and purity. It's very pleasant in the bottle and smells nice on my skin. It actually smells to me like how a baby's nursery room ought to be in a French apartment or house. This is a very gentle and delicate fragrance.

 

The oil gets faintly powdery after a little while, about five minutes or so. Although this is a beautiful fragrance, there is something that is preventing me from wholly loving it. It seems like something I would admire on someone else, but I wouldn't wear. Again, with the kids, this seems like a nice oil for little girls to play with when fiddling about with dress-up games or when going to an event where they have to behave like "little ladies."

 

If it were an imp, I would likely keep it, but I'm really trying to cut down on my collection, so off it goes to the hands of another. I was still glad all the same to try the bottle. Belle Epoque will likely please whomever she may find.

 

-doreen

[blaqpearl]

I really wanted to love this scent. It smells of juicy grapes on me, kind of reminiscent of a childhood candy, but I cant place it yet. I wish the sandalwood would have stepped up some more. Oh well...there are so many more to smell.

[LiberAmoris]

Reading the reviews above, I think the word ‘vintage’ pretty much sums up my experience with Belle Époque. The lily of the valley in the blend is predominant for me and it reminds me of my grandmother’s dressing table, which was always packed with vintage bottles of perfume. Even the scent itself seems honeyed and sepia-toned like an old photograph.

 

The red sandalwood is gorgeous. It’s a lovely blend but it’s just a little bit too sweet for me to wear every day.

[anmorata]

Belle Epoque:

Wet: Very much lily, with hints of vanilla. When I think Belle Epoque, I think of the colors on a cameo, skin and cream.

Drydown: Still very lily. No sandalwood, or vanilla any longer.

Longterm wear: This reminds me of a perfume that my grandmother might wear. Chaste, dignified, but not me.

[Sara]

Initial Imp Sniff: Ok, this has 3 notes listed that I like: mandarin, vanilla, and sandalwood...but I don't actually smell any of them now. It's just fresh and semi-floral.

 

Swipe: This scent is a jumble of feminine notes so well-blended I can't pick out the individual ones yet.

 

Drydown: Hmm.... it's still so difficult to pick out notes, damn! Mostly I'm getting the feeling of "super-feminine" and womanly touched with a slight bit of powder. Completely abhoring powder this scent probably won't be for me (also I'm not into "womanly" scents )...but it truly is beautiful.

 

Overall thoughts: My stomach has become more and more sensitive in the time I've been on birth control (this is the fourth month) and I just brushed my teeth (on an empty stomach this makes me severely nauseous), so I'm feeling a touch queasy. Unfortunately, that means my stomach is affecting how I perceive this scent.

[shelldoo]

thisone stays true for me in all stages, it is sandalwood and lily. i can do sandalwood ok, but lily is not my friend. swaps for this one.

[slave1]

In Bottle: Lily of the Valley and sandalwood.

 

On Skin: The description of this scent made me drool. I am in love with the Impressionist and Art Nouveau movements. The Lily of the Valley and Sandalwood are very dominant. It is super femine and defines the word “pretty”. The opium is delicious and I think the vanilla is sweetening it. I don’t smell the mandarin though, if they’re meaning mandarin orange. I would love to wear a vintage dress and this scent and go to some 20’s theme night and live it up. The scent fits the description so well. Sadly, the scent faded completely after an hour and became non existant. L

[yellowrose]

The review here is tempered by several facts that should be seriously taken into consideration before basing your final assessment and a possible purchase on the following statements. First, I have been wanting Belle Epoque so very, VERY badly. Two, Therevada was kind enough to share some with me. And, finally because of those two factors, who cares that it's being applied on well scorched skin? The latter could change how it reacts with my skin.

 

Is it the sunburn? Why does this immediately remind me of being at the pool in summer? Not just ANY pool but a specific public pool. Something about the scent just reminds of it. This is a very odd experience. I can see the entrance, the cages, and I vivdly smell this smell. It's a good smell and a comforting smell. I can't describe this accurately because the sense memory is too strong. I think it must be the Lily of the Valley, which I did wear back at that time.

 

I love it, however it fades within an hour. I will try again and report back when skin problems have subsided, if I can make the imp last, that is!

[wickedgoddess]

Origin - imp received in a swap

 

Wet - mmm…nice! I smell opium and lily of the valley.

 

Dry - The mandarin and sandalwood never did show up at the party. This scent is very light and pretty, but probably not something I would wear.

 

On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best, this rates a 2.

[lixolux]

im very surpised by how much i have fallen in love with Belle Epoque in the last 15 minutes. at first swipe, it smelled to me very much like a sweet heady jasmine which is not my favorite (i think this was the overall sweet mix of the elements, nothing sticking out) and upon wearing its expanded to a vanilla/sandlewood base and sharp opium/soft lily-of-the-valley mid-top notes - this is what my brain thinks it looks like. when i sniff my wrists i realize im playing "find the lily-of-the-valley" and then i find it and its very satisfying. its so delightfully old fashioned, exciting, sharp, frilly, coy- :D

Edited May 13, 2005 by lixolux

[helarctos]

Hmm. On me, Belle Epoque is insipidly sweet. It reminds me strongly of Pixy Stix.

[gingersnapp]

Mmm, this is just a gorgeous creamy and yummy scent! I sniffed the imp this morning and was saddened when I couldn't really smell anything, and same with when I first applied it. But throughout the day, the vanilla and lilies have become more prominent. The mandarin is playing quietly in the background, adding just a hint of fruitiness to the throw.

 

I think I might be wanting a big bottle of this.

[L-z_Empress]

Red sandalwood and vanilla? I knew I was gonna love this one as soon as I read the description!

 

I was DEAD wrong. As soon as I put it on I kept sniffing because I couldn't smell anything. I mean nothing at all! So I kept putting on more from the imp and there was no smell. However, as I drove to work, I began to catch whiffs of this smoky, floral scent. Maybe the opium? I have never smelled a smokiness quite like this before and it was the one redeeming note in this oil. When the other scents did start to come through, they were light, but just not the type of florals that I like, they smelled too much like a perfume that all the old women in church wore when i was a little girl.

[isyche]

Belle Epoque, first sniff: vanilla and sandalwood? A bit more perfumy than I usually like at first, and it goes a little soapy on my skin. I think I get the opium note after a little while, but I don't get any mandarin.

 

Overall, it smells like a fancy French soap in a vintage box, or like an exclusive antique store, for some reason. It makes me think of high-class old things...I know Antique Lace is a different scent, but I associate this with the same sort of feeling. Toulouse-Lautrec posters and aging off-white lacy gowns.

 

Evocative, but not really me.

[theshapeshifter]

In the imp: Seems like a sort of generic "pretty floral".

 

On my skin: It doesn't change much on me - just seemed to stay as a pretty, perfumy floral. The vanilla and mandarin notes that had me excited about this blend never really seemed to come out and play. I'm hoping this might've been a cyclical body-chemistry issue, so I'll give it another chance after I've run through the other new imps I have on hand to try.

[synique]

This smells absolutely divine in the vial, floral with a wee touch of sandalwood/mandarin spice.

 

And much to my joy, it translated almost directly to my skin. I didn't get much of the mandarin, but the opium, vanilla and lily of the valley are gorgeous together, and the sandalwood (ordinarily a no-no) joins the party to make a sweet-with-an-edge blend.

 

Belle Epoque is a definite larger bottle.

 

-Jen

[nineveh]

This sounded great in its description, and similarly smelled that way in the vial. When I first put it on, it was a light floral with opium smoke and mandarin in the background. When it dried, unfortunately the lilies took over and turned the whole thing to soap. I already figured that I couldn't wear them since Kostnice acted the same way.

 

This doesn't work on me, but if lilies work on your skin, you should try this one. It was beautiful before my skin wrecked it.

 

edit: I tried putting some more on, and this time the other notes became more prominent and helped cover up the soap lily. I don't think this will ever be a big bottle, but if it stays like this, I'll keep my imp.

Edited June 7, 2005 by nineveh