Belle Époque

[Christine Daae]

"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.

In the imp, sweet citrusy something.

On my skin, it's still that sweet citrusy something. ::peers at notes:: Ah, probably the mandarin. I, unfortunately, have the distinction of really disliking most fruity notes and yet amping them up terribly at the same time.

Ooooh. As it dries, it gets sweeter and creamier - I think that must be the vanilla. I can smell what must be the opium making it sweet and woozy-smelling (I was really afraid of what it might smell like, since I've never tried a blend with opium in it before).

Other scents that come to mind as I'm smelling this: Moscow, Lucy Westenra, other sweet-and-orangey blends. This is definitely a keeper. Edited September 13, 2007 by Christine Daae

[Pottersville]

I had high hopes that the opium and sandalwood would moderate the sweet florals in this frimp I received. No such luck. All I got was the overwhelming smell of lily of the valley!

[KaliVerra]

Sweet, sparkling fruits & LUSCIOUS vanilla floral combo with fantastic throw on my girlflesh... I really enjoyed this one!!

[Electric Maenad]

First review ever, although this is from an order I'd placed back in the spring. I was really looking forward to trying this, because I'm a big fan of this particular period in history.

 

Belle Epoque starts off strong as hell and really perfumey. It smells nothing at all like White Shoulders, but my grandmother wore a stifling amount of WS late in life when her sense of smell was starting to go, and I get the same feeling from this, if that makes any sense.

 

After an hour or so, it tones down and smells... nice. Woody and spicy mainly, with the vanilla sweetening it up a bit. It's very rich and opulent, which fits the period perfectly. Definitely doesn't smell like any modern perfume I've tried. Unfortunately, it just isn't me, or at least not me on a regular basis. This is me when I actually bother to put on makeup and dress girly as opposed to practical. I'll finish off the imp, especially when I go out with my husband, but I think I like Bastet from this imp batch just a bit better.

[pzb]

In the vial - Very perfumey

 

Wet - Still pretty perfumey - the lily and sandalwood are showing

 

Dry - I think it's the opium showing right now. Not really getting any of the mandarin.

 

Later - Just kind of died. Not really anything to write home about. I might try layering it with something else, but otherwise, it will be sent off to a more loving home.

[ravenfeathers]

in the bottle a sweet, sinuous floral

wet on skin this is warm and very pretty. it's undeniably floral, which ain't really my thang.

dry on skin this is a floral i could get interested in wearing. it's dusky, slightly dry, and warm without being spicy at all. i never get a particular note, which is okay, as most of these notes don't really work on me. they seem to work nicely together, though.

[Ravenclaw79]

Imp: Orangey. Actually, it's a chocolate orange -- not that it smells chocolatey, but you know that smell when you open up a chocolate orange? It's that kind of orange smell, exactly.

 

Wet: Orange, but with a hint of flowers and vanilla. Very pretty.

 

Drying: It smells a little like a Charmkin, for those who may have collected them. Nice, though -- powdery and orangey and a little warm.

[Allumina]

This smelled very strongly of opium at first, or at least the "Opium" perfume my mother wore when I was growing up. The note then faded and blended out to a pretty floral that wasn't too sweet. I don't really wear florals though, so I don't really know what to say other than it was nice. I didn't get the sandalwood or vanilla notes, though.

[SarahScent44]

In the imp, I get the mandarin and the vanilla - very sweet and rich, almost Creamsicle-y.

 

Wet, on my skin, it's mandarin, sandalwood, and something sweet - it may be the vanilla, but I actually think it might be be the opium.

 

Once it's dry, it's sandalwood with a tinge of vanilla and the slightest hint of mandarin. Really nice.

[synestheticheart]

Second BPAL oil ever! It's quite different compared to the oil I tried yesterday (Loviatar)!

 

Within a minute of applying: It smells very citrusy and sweet on my skin. Very fresh...

Within two hours: The citrus notes faded mainly into opium, with a whif of lily of the valley.

 

I like it a lot!

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

i had been afraid of trying this one, but i don't remember why now.

this becomes a very clean scent on me - vanilla-mandarin more than anything else.

[Lyrical]

In the vial: spicy, exotic floral.

 

Wet on skin: all the listed notes blend together to create pure golden decadence, light yet rich and sweet !

 

Dry on skin: still the same. It smells like spicy, syrupy, golden nectar from the most beautiful flowers. I am in love with this scent! ♥

[Mehitobel]

In the vial: this smelled so much like biting, floral drugstore perfume from one of those Xmas gift boxes that I very nearly didn't bother trying it on.

 

Wet on skin: see above. Regret sets in. Imp inaugurates my swap box. I consider washing it off but am lazy.

 

Dry on skin: Well, now, that's unexpected - it's become rather nice! I don't get any creaminess or vanilla, it's still far more floral than is to my taste, but it's a more mellow floral with a toasty sandalwood foundation. Imp comes back out of the swap box.

[Pendragon]

In the imp: I can pick the mandarin first of all, plus a hint of opium and a mingling of other scents.

 

Wet: Mandarin and Lily of the Valley mostly, but I can also smell Sandalwood and a slight undertone of opium, which combine to give this a sharp floral edge.

 

Dry: It starts to get a bit more creamy as the top notes wear off and I can still pick out Lily of the Valley. Unfortunately it starts to vanish on my skin.

 

Verdict: Glad to have tried it, but not for me.

[starcr]

In the bottle, Belle Epoque first smells a little bitter and a little sour; the mandarin, I would guess. I get a definite earthy note as well, perhaps the sandalwood. On me, it’s mostly… sandalwood! Yes! I’ve had some trouble with BPAL’s sandalwood scents, and am happy to have finally found one that does smell like sandalwood on me. There’s also the orange again, and just a hint of floral scent hiding behind it all. It kind of floats back and forth between orangey and sandalwood. All in all, it’s not going to beat out my very favorite scents for me, but it’s a very good scent and I’m definitely glad I gave it a try.

[MaeKitty]

In the bottle: PURFUME! I can't really get a single note of this.

 

On me: God, I love this scent. I'm wearing some lace and flowy fabrics today, so I figured we were a good match. I feel beautiful and sweet wearing this. I picture tea parties, fine china, silver, lace, fancy parlours. Not in a way that makes me feel uncomfortable or up-tight, but rather elegant and inviting. The sandlewood is so perfectly matched here, toning down the florals and creating a feeling of warmth. The Vanilla adds a touch of sweetness without taking over and the flowers are just...so pretty! Prettiness is the word for this scent. Not at all soapy. It doesn't feel right wearing it to work (I work as an administrator for an engineering and manufacturing firm). Gorgeous. This is the kind of thing I think of when I think "Perfume".

[Pincushions]

In the imp it's very pleasant, I get a bit of everything, but no vanilla. It's a very warm floral, the sandalwood and opium bringing it down to earth, and it's also a bit citrusy.

 

Once applied, however, it turns pure orange soap--mainly it reminds me of cheap Body Shop knockoff soaps... Not too nice. Luckily this goes away after a while, but with it, so does everything but the opium! The longer it dries the more the mandarins dissapear, leaving me with a smoky, sleepy opium, which is the stage I most enjoy. In the end it pretty much smells, on me, very much like Blood Countess, but swapping the plum/berries for sandalwood/mandarin. (Also I don't like it as much as Blood Countess. Then again I *love* Blood Countess.) It makes me discover two things about my body chemistry: I amp opium, and citrus turns to soap/air freshener. The opium isn't a bad thing (unlike what I do to roses---Yuck!) but I wish citrus worked... le sigh.

 

It's a very sleepy smell. In fact, I think I'm going to wear it to bed tonight and see.

 

 

*goes to search for more opium smells*

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Sharp and slightly smoky opium with a bit of florals.

 

Immediately on skin: This is a very bright, sharp opium and floral scent with a slightly creamy, warm undertone. The lily of the valley and opium are the strongest notes, and sure enough the opium is a bit sweeter than in other blends I’ve tried (I wonder if it’s just described as sweet and it’s due to the other notes or if it’s a slightly sweeter type of opium). There is a very light, warm note in this that is taming the sharpness a bit and I think it’s more the red sandalwood than the vanilla, though the latter is lurking here as well.

 

After a few minutes: This smells like a smoky and slightly floral creamy sandalwood blend. This blend has gotten sweeter with wearing, though I can’t pick out the opium note any longer. There’s a smokiness to the blend, but it doesn’t really smell like opium to me... it just sort of lies over the rest of the scent.

 

Overall Impressions: The notes in this mesh together very well to create something sweet, smoky, warm and slightly creamy. There’s a floral feel to it, but it’s not overly perfume-y at all. I like this, but it doesn’t really stand out to me. I find it to be very nice though, and it seems very wearable and would be a nice close skin type of scent.

[hkhm]

imp: vanilla and orange with a hint of lily. this reminds me of the scent of those vanilla and orange sherbet swirl cups.

 

wet: vanilla and lilllies. this is much nicer than i would expect, the lily smells pretty rather than cloying.

 

dry: the lily wins out in the end but stays so soft and sweet i actually like it.

 

(edited for spelling idiocy)

Edited February 25, 2008 by hkhm

[coldandsleepy]

Imp: not sure on what this smells like, but it smells sweeeet.

 

On me, wet: who-aaah. Sweet opium and sandalwood with a touch of florals. Verges on overwhelming.

 

On me, dry: Still very sweet, but mellower. I get a little vanilla, but not enough to make me hate this. (Vanilla is the anti-me.) It actually smells highly reminiscent of Sleepy Moon, one of my favorites. It's the sweeter, more girly younger sister of Sleepy Moon.

 

Throw and duration: both above average.

 

Overall: Works for me! I like to wear it the day after I've worn Sleepy Moon. It's sort of like a Sleepy Moon hangover, but in a good way. It's a very fun and flirty smell to my nose-- not something I'd wear all the time, but nice. It doesn't feel particularly heavy or cloying to me, which I'd worried about.

 

Doubt I'll ever need a bottle of this, but I'm holding on to my imp for sure.

[maribouquet]

A sort of sweet citrusy floral. A little bit alkaline at first - the lily, I think. Quickly warms up and is very fresh and a little bit tart. I'd like a drink that smells like this. The lily seems to be behaving itself on me, which is rare. Overall too sweet for me, but nice.

[SeaLady]

This one is very interesting.

 

My first instinct was "I really like this!" At first it's all warm and nummy with a hint of soap (the lily ). As it dries, it stays warm but gets very powdery. I like it, though. It makes me want to wear petticoats in the sunshine. This is not very specific, but it's sort of vague to me, too

[trollgirl]

In vial: Sweet, bubbly citrus. Juicy.

 

Wet: Sweet fruitiness. Orange and lily. Fresh and lovely. Girly.

 

Dry: Smells like something from Lush, or like a Lush store. The citrus has calmed down and is replaced by vanilla and lilies. It's very, very delicious. Very lovely.

 

Three hours later: And now it's drying down exactly like Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle on me. I mean, exactly. I caught a whiff of myself when I turned my head and I thought "Waaaaaitaminute. I didn't put on Coco Mademoiselle today!" Uncanny similarity. It's an almost too sweet vanilla and lilies type scent now.

 

Overall: It's bright and fresh in the beginning and sweet and creamy and rich once it dries. I love it in the first few hours but then it becomes Chanel and while I love Chanel Coco Mademoiselle, it's dry-down is what lasts longest on me and the phase I love the smell of least. Sadly, I really really wanted a bottle of this when I first put it on and then as the day wore on I was thinking "Don't I already have a 100ml of this on my dresser?"

Edited April 23, 2008 by trollgirl

[Nimthiriel]

Initial impression:

In the vial, it's all opium and lily of the valley.

 

First on:

It's pretty unfloral on my skin – the lightest touch of vanilla, followed by fruity mandarin.

 

Dry:

After about 15 mins, it's the softest scent of lillies of the valley, but that's pretty much it.

 

20 mins later, it's much more well-rounded – florals mixed with incense-like notes and a certain fruityness.

 

Finally:

I'm torn – to keep, or not to keep? It didn't sweep me off my feet, and it has no real throw on me. Hmm. Probably swapping it...

[Argentwolf]

In the imp, it's vanilla and mandarin; once on me, the florals start coming out, but there is always a continual theme of vanilla to it. In fact, the vanilla amps and throws the most in this one. There is a slight powdery quality to it. If you like vanilla, go ahead and give this one a try.