They Shut Me Up in Prose

[Ina Garten Davita]

Loosed from the satin-pale corset, emerging from a gilded cage, that prison of silence: sweet bourbon vanilla,

pale sandalwood, mallow flower, osmanthus, and shards of frankincense.

 

They shut me up in Prose –
As when a little Girl
They put me in the Closet –
Because they liked me “still” –

Still! Could themself have peeped –
And seen my Brain – go round –
They might as wise have lodged a Bird
For Treason – in the Pound –

Himself has but to will
And easy as a Star
Look down upon Captivity –
And laugh – No more have I –
– Emily Dickinson

 

[abejita]

I have this on fresh from the mailbox, and it's everything I was hoping for. It's sweet without being too sweet, distinctly vanilla, and very, very smooth. Maybe a tiny touch of golden? If this were a color, it might be a nice ivory.

 

My fear was that the pale sandalwood and frankincense might push this to dry and thin, as they do sometimes. It seems like the mallow and osmanthus are adding a richness that strikes a nice chord. The notes are present, but blended into something that works well together. It reminds me a little of some other blends-- Edith Cushing, Crinoline and Lace, and maybe Celeste-- but it stands on its own.

 

As it dries, the osmanthus becomes more prominent, but it doesn't take over. It remains primarily a vanilla and mallow scent.

[starbrow]

Can I bathe in this? Haunting moonlight, painfully beautiful, a melancholy sweetness. Pale but not shrinking, "hidden in her leaflets," she is very much Emily Dickinson. From that first whiff at DSLE, I was musing on how to depict this one just by its scent, without reading the scent notes or flavor text. Emily came to mind. Uncanny, or just amazing blending?

 

Vanilla is queen, puffed by mallow, yet this is far from foodie. Nor is it quite floral; the osmanthus is a wispy, creamy apricot whisked away by the wind. The sandalwood and frank are impossibly pale ghosts of incense and resin. They wander through, such shimmering apparitions you wonder exactly who they were in their past life. The girl who stands in their midst is undeniably dabbed with vanilla, but her sweetness is touched with pensive reflection. 

 

I think many BPALers will connect with this. A wearable masterpiece. If I don't end up with multiple bottles, I will wonder at myself.

[boomtownrat]

They Shut Me Up in Prose was swoon-worthy from the moment it came out of the mailbox. It's not just that I love the way it smells; I'm also fully down with Emily Dickinson and what this whole line of scents represents. Most of the time I don't like to say a scent feels feminine, masculine, or unisex, but this is a scent that's about womanhood in all its forms—unbound, like the name of this collection. Dickinson herself echoes through it. Maybe I've finally found the best poetry-inspired scent for me.

 

I'm not always able to wear vanilla scents because sometimes my skin turns them plastic or burnt, but this is a dry vanilla like the one in Sonnet D'Automne or Two Sheep and Two Goats Resting Together in a Field, both of which I also love, but this is significantly more ethereal than either of those. The floral, resin, and wood notes are all light and blended perfectly with the vanilla, and I fervently hope that balance doesn't change too much as it settles down and ages. This could require a backup or two, even though I'm trying to avoid that. It feels like it's part of the air around me, not overpowering, but making its presence known.

[theseagrows]

this starts off with something a bit nutty and some watery florals. not quite sure what i'm smelling here. maybe vanilla and mallow flower?  the florals in this are soapy on me, unfortunately...it's like vanilla soapiness. after a few more minutes, i get sweeter florals and the soapiness subsides a little bit but it's still present. i also get some sandalwood at this point. after being on the skin about half an hour, it settles into a pretty vanilla-sandalwood with florals. 

[zankoku_zen]

Sweet vanilla, smooth marshmallow and a whiff of sandalwood underneath preventing this from living in the super sweet foodie vanilla bit. This is a sophisticated vanilla marshmallow blend. Grown up. You don't smell like cake, but more like you ate cake recently? That's the best analogy I can come up with.

[doomsday_disco]

They Shut Me Up in Prose is kind of like Volcano in Springtime and Ivory Vulva had a baby. I get the vanilla, mallow flower, dusty sandalwood, and what I believe is a touch of Ivory Vulva's macadamia, although that's not listed as a note. The osmanthus adds a light floral quality to the scent, but it is not a main player here. The mallow flower just seems to bloom more after the scent has been on the skin for several hours. It's definitely in the same scent family as Volcano in Springtime, but this is smoother and far more subtle.

It's very pretty and I am glad I bought it to support the cause!

Edited July 4, 2019 by doomsday_disco

[Teamama]

Squee!

Excellent  vanilla & sandalwood, with delicate florals. I agree that They Shut Me Up in Prose is related to Volcano in Springtime. Both are part of a family that includes Two Sheep and Two Goats Resting Together in a Field, Zorya Polunochnaya & Like A Girl. 

If you love vanilla & sandalwood, do not hesitate!

[Lucchesa]

For the first hour or so, They Shut Me Up In Prose is pretty much a bourbon vanilla single note on me, which is no bad thing.  No, that's not true -- it's bourbon vanilla and mallow.  Not marshmallow, but mallow flower, the same note that's in DeVos' Unicorn and other ethereal sugared florals I usually associate with Lupers.  Sweet but not cloying.  It's innocent enough to be worn by a girl about the age of Emily Dickinson when she was confined to the closet, but it's rich enough to be worn by a woman of any age.  After an hour I'm able to appreciate the sandalwood as well, though I never get any frankincense.  I wonder if it will come out with age.  I hope so.  This is conspicuously beautiful and I'm psyched to have a bottle, but I'm also curious to see how it would smell with frankincense giving it a bit more edge.  

[milo]

The reviews of this one sent me straight to bottle.  I'm getting the vanilla, though it doesn't seem like the Bourbon variety to me at this point.  Maybe with aging it will come out.  The mallow is there as a supporting role, and I'm getting kind of an earthiness to the the blend.  This is what I'd imagine a hobbit's house would smell like.  A homey, woody sweetness, with the air of baked goods, and dare I say it that this may be a cousin to Storyville.  It's got that foody vibe going, akin to the likes of Edith, Inez and Underpants.  Glad I went for a bottle here, and I hope that it will be enough.😍

[VetchVesper]

This is so wispy, restrained and demure.  It fits beautifully with the concept.  Mostly I get sugary vanilla, and a soft whisper of powdery sandalwood and frankincense under it.  It's very feminine without being girlish and "pale satin corsets" are not at all hard to imagine in relation to this scent.  My one deterrent from full bottle lust is that it's such a light scent.  I really have to have my nose right on it to detect this one, but if you're looking for a beautiful, feminine skin scent that is sure to encourage ear and neck nibbling, this one would do nicely. 

[artisjok]

They Shut Me Up is a beautiful scent, yet I’m having such a weird connection with it...

I swear it smells like sunscreen when I smell the scent without trying to pick out any notes. 

When I am focused on the particulars, I smell the bourbon vanilla and a pale fresh floral, not sharp, dewy. (Honestly don’t know what osmanthus or mallow flower smell like. They must both be delicate sweeties.) The sandalwood is definitely present, though not speaking up, rather entwining through. I don’t pick out the frankincense, and I would love for it to strengthen. There’s a chewiness to the scent and an unexplained summertime at the beach flashback sensation. I can’t decide what my emotions are telling me on this one. Pretty, though! 

[freyasfae]

Oh, hello! This is decadent on me though not particularly food - probably due to the frankincense. I feel very sexy everytime I put it on - I know a lot of folks describe it as otherwise, but that bourbon vanilla! Reminds me of Edith Cushing, but - when, aptly, she loosens her corset stays.

[LizziesLuck]

I totally forgot I even ordered this, I am so scatterbrained lately. Then I totally forgot WHY I ordered it. Now I have remembered and am stoked to actually try it!

 

This starts out a clean, slightly woody, slightly "green" vanilla on me, which is lovely. It brings to mind early spring, which sounds lovely as I watch the snow out my window. I was worried about the Frankincense (I am also worried about the Frank, he's loud and stompy and obnoxious and he drowns everyone else out) but so far I can't even detect it, except for maybe a hint of golden richness underneath the clean vanilla and green - a tiny ray of sunlight through damp leaves. This feels so much more outdoorsy than expected. I quite love it. It's rich yet light, sweet without any sense of being cloying. I could happily smell like this most days. Lovely.

[slo]

I wasn't looking at the notes when I tried this and def thought there was some macadamia nut in there. And I don't get osmanthus at all. But I do love it for all the other reasons reviewers above me have said more eloquently.

[puellacaerulea]

In the decant and once on, this is pale, creamy, slightly marshmallowy vanilla. I never quite pick out the osmanthus, but it might be blending with the subtle hints of sandalwood and frankincense to give the scent a faint woodiness/muskiness that helps counterbalance the foodiness a bit. Like other reviewers have said, the scent description fits. Like a more overtly feminine version of the Bourbon Vanilla, White Sandalwood, and Sage Ménage à Trois. Given I already have a bottle of the latter and it's a bit more my style, I probably don't need a full bottle of this, but will definitely keep using my decant.

[niffler]

In the bottle and on the skin this is pretty much the same for me. Creamy smooth, luscious vanilla. The sandalwood does most of the heavy lifting to keep this from being too sweet. I get a couple flashes of the other notes, but mostly this is vanilla/sandalwood with a wisp of something pale and floral hovering about six inches above the rest of the scent. I imagine it would layer well with anything sandalwood or pale floral. Works wonderfully as a sleep scent for me.

[gothteacup]

Sugared vanilla mallow starts this off, followed by delicate sandalwood and bits of frankincense. Soft and pillowy, this is rather straightforward but by no means basic. It’s very pretty. The osmanthus gives it a unique edge. 

As others have said, it’s like Zorya P, but softer somehow: But does have some throw.

 

[sunshinedaisybliss]

This is one of those "pretty" ones... soft, gentle, delicate. On me, it's mostly vanilla with a hint of sandalwood and mallow flower. A marshmallowy vanilla, but it doesn't read as foody and it's not overly sweet. It's the kind of perfume you would wear on your wedding day if you're the big white dress kinda gal, or for a game of croquet with Mr Darcy. Or for seducing a vampire. Very olde worldey. 

 

If you like things along the lines of Antique Lace, Zorya P etc - you will like this. 

 

 

[aphrodisms]

I'm not sure how this went so wrong on me, although it's probably the sandalwood. I was hoping for a gossamer complex vanilla, but instead it was cloying vanilla with weird grainy textures underneath.

[lilyluxe]

Very smooth, creamy vanilla with a little resinous frankincense kick hiding in the recesses. A little woody and a little floral. Very simple scent that is well-blended. Doesn't smell like a single note or anything, just very smooth and silky sweet without being cloying or gourmand. I think BPAL does these simpler perfumes best- it lets the notes shine without being muddled by too much going on. Definitely a cousin scent to Zorya P but richer/earthier. If you love Zorya P like I do, it's worth trying because while in the same family, I love having both and wearing both for different reasons.

 

Sandalwood can smell like baby powder dusted cheddar goldfish crackers to me sometimes, but it's not doing that here at all. Do with that what you will. xD

[MamaMoth]

a lovely, vanilla-forward scent. 

looking at the list of notes, one might assume that vanilla would be working in the background to smooth them out, but not this time.  in this one, all the other notes just serve to color the vanilla's character.  there's a fluffy sweetness, a touch of white/green floral, a sharpish resinousness, and a little dry woodsiness.  every listed note makes its presence known, but the vanilla reigns queen, and all others are just working in her service.

restrained but not demure.  simple but not plain. 

[Verios]

This is definitely a vanilla/mallow forward scent on me, with the florals backing it up really, really well (I'm not -usually- one who loves florals, as I amp them and they can be overwhelming). Immediately it made me think of antique lace (I've only tried the resurrected version) - it's not identical, but in that same sweet ethereal floral family (I also can understand/agree with the comparison to zorya p).

 

Definitely going in my keep box.

[ND¢]

so this is a very unique primarily floral perfume. I wanted to say, when it was on wet, that it was sexy in a demure-but-very-up-close way. Very intimate, very sweet, and about 45 minutes in giving me an impression of a perfect rose, carved in lipstick. There's just this light layer of unreality about it. 

[Estamets]

I get a skinclose dry vanilla for about half an hour, then this disappears. 
 

Tucking it away for a few months to see if the vanilla develops.