Rendezvous With Her Lover Behind the Rice Straws

[zankoku_zen]

Hay absolute, rice milk, and sugar.

[starbrow]

Oh my gosh yes. A refined beauty, three notes of sheer simplicity that combine into a sister scent of A Vision of the Courtesan (my early #1 Luper), but this time, Rendezvous brings foodie, homey comfort from the first sniff. Everytime I huff it, either in the bottle or on my skin, it's the equivalent of a warm glass of milk or bowl of rice pudding and a well-loved blanket . In the bottle, you may notice the sweet grassiness of the hay more than the other notes, but then once it gets on the skin, it turns into a vanillic pile of fuzzy things and sweet rice milk. My nose wants to believe this is vanilla wool. It is so very snuggly, just shy of gourmand.

 

Where A Vision has an intoxicating Mona Lisa spice in the background (nutmeg? cardamom?) and a serenity from the frankincense, Rendezvous burrows right down into a plush armchair with sweetness and warm. They are different enough to my nose to warrant a bottle of each, maybe even backups. When I need strength to face the world, A Vision's got my back. When I just want to read with a candle and a hot drink, Rendezvous will keep me company.

 

If I had to compare it to anything (besides A Vision), I'd say replace the coffee from Cafe Au Lait and a Wool Blanket with rice milk, and you'll have a pretty good idea of what Rendezvous will smell like. Delicious, cozy, and supremely comforting. It's Shunga hygge; a treat for wool lovers, foodies, and those in need of a warm hug. In its newness, the throw is close and soft, but I believe it will deepen over time. I just want to slather in it this season and hunker down. 

[Casablanca]

This is very delicate on me; it takes its time to warm up and come out on my skin. Once it does, I have a light but lovely creamy-vanilla rice milk, warm and sugared with some hay grains in a bowl.

 

The hay note reminds me of that in Harvest of the Empress. Well after drydown, this blend suggests cardamom-cashmere, or something similar, like a warm sweater scent. For me it brings up the memory of Unicorn and Ram's cozy sweater feel (wooly musk, soft leather, cashmere, cardamom, leather oudh).

 

This is a beauty and I hope it will amp a bit as it settles.

[feyofthefellwood]

This is really nice! Toasty rice with sweetness from the sugar and fuzziness from the hay. Understated, cozy, and comforting.

 

Edited to say that the more this one settles/ages, the more I love it. It's sweeter to me now, almost vanilla-like (but still unmistakably rice milk), and has a gentle throw that's very elegant. Bottle has been ordered.

Edited May 8, 2020 by feyofthefellwood

[VetchVesper]

A milky sugar scent with tinges of vanilla.  Delicate is a good word.  I get a ghostly whisper of the citrus I've gotten from other sugar blends like Sugar Skull and March 2020's 13 at first, but it fades and is overwhelmed by vanilla.  Rendezvous grows more pronounced as it warms up, but still stays very close to the skin.  If you wanted Castitas to be sweeter, are a fan of Bath and Body Work's Warm Vanilla Sugar, or want a comforting, sugar skin scent, try this.  This has a universal appeal and will probably be popular.  

 

This doesn't really remind me of A Vision of the Courtesan, though I suppose it shares a subtle, creamy tone.  I would agree that they're different enough, they're both worth having.  

Edited April 2, 2020 by VetchVesper

[AirimirOfGondor]

I unfortunately wasn't too keen on this one. :(

 

I tried to give it a shot, but I just got kind of a thin, reedy, stale/mildew-y hay, with a cloying, almost fuzzy sweetness. There was a touch of like, a warm, grainy note, but it was almost completely covered by the greenish hay.

 

It's possible it could be better after it fades on skin for a bit, but I sadly had to wash it off pretty quickly.

[Amber Tears]

My, oh my 😍  this worked beautifully with my skin chemistry. Both the wet and the dry-down was similar for me: a milky, sugary musk that begged for someone to come close enough to smell (a short throw). The musk is beautifully skin-milky, ever so slightly grassy and almost suggests vanilla in its' warmth but it is not vanilla. Nor is it syrupy or over-the-top. A beautiful close-to-skin fragrance. I have an imp ear but I will buy 2 full bottles: one for regular use, will cook up a batch of lotion base and dump the 2nd bottle into, because it's such a homey smell I want to roll in. I'm in love 💘

[zankoku_zen]

Sugar, hay, and a whiff of musk. This is a very sweet musky blend. Light, musky, and I can see it appealing to those that love sugar. Good throw and wear length.

[doomsday_disco]

I knew I should have just blind-bottled this.

 

Rendezvous With Her Lover Behind the Rice Straws is a creamy, warm, sugary scent that just becomes creamier and more sugary over time. I kept thinking it reminded me of something, and I think it may be the sugar in I Suppose You are a Princess Hair Gloss (and that hair gloss has a creaminess to it, even though there is no note of that nature listed -- so I now think I Suppose You are a Princess may have a secret rice milk note). The hay, rice milk, and sugar just blend together so wonderfully to create this cozy, comforting scent. The hay keeps it from being completely gourmand, though.

Ugh, I love this. The only downside is that it has low throw, so it is definitely one that will require slathering. So now the question is, will one bottle be enough?

Edited April 28, 2020 by doomsday_disco

[Lady_Fire]

OK if I hadn't read the notes I would have said this had musk and vanilla. A beautiful musk. This screams fancy oriental perfume me. I don't smell hay or rice, but I do smell more than just musk and vanilla. I just cant put in words what I'm smelling. My nose is not that refined. Something almost smells a bit citrus-y to me when it's wet? As another reviewer noted, it's very creamy and sweet smelling, but I wouldn't call it gourmand. The throw is low and it doesn't stick around too long. It had mostly worn off after about 4 hours for me. This is full bottle worthy.

[galahad]

In the Bottle:
Milky musk

 

On the Skin:
Dry and slightly green hay.  I still think there is a refined musk in this.  This mellows fairly quickly with the rice milk note to a smooth and sweet almost mahogany scent.

 

On the drydown:
On the drydown, this is sweetish and creamy with a sharp edged muskiness.  The hay is more prominent and bone dry. Lovely

[Alethia]

Thoughts before testing: At this point, I'm almost 10 years into being part of the BPAL family. In that time, my tastes have changed drastically and now I'm leaning toward the sweet/gourmand family (this would have shocked the 2011 Alethia). I'm hopeful that this will be warm, cozy, and sweet. 

 

Wet: Vanilla musk without being too sweet. It's smelling like a more linear Morocco to my nose at this stage. 

 

Dry down: Definitely smelling like Morocco: dry, warm, and pretty.

 

Dry: It keeps the Morocco vibe all the way through the day (lasting an impressive 8 hours on my skin). 

 

Final thoughts: I find Morocco more interesting and less linear than this. It's definitely in the same family and this is a good thing for my wallet. Morocco might be my favorite BPAL ever and I have 4 bottles aging while I work through my current bottle. To date, I'm on my fifth bottle of Morocco. That similarity makes this superfluous in my collection. It's beautiful, but not as beautiful as Morocco. 

 

Verdict: Pass. 

[Rayleigh]

Mmm. Smelling this is like getting a hug. The sugar has a bit of a citrusy note to it that I recognize from Dorian, and fortunately the sweetness is tamed by the creamy milk and a soothing, musky hay. It dries down to warm, vanilla-esque grains. It's a skin scent, with just enough throw that I can enjoy it throughout the day. This has broad appeal. Very cuddly-cozy, like taking a nap in the sunbeams.

[Jenjin]

Weird, this one reminds me of something in Paper Phoenix but the notes are completely different. Could be the sugar? It's a bit like Paper Phoenix with much more creaminess. I get mostly hay just after application and as it dries all the sweetness rises up. It really captures my heart, shimmering citrus over a squishy-creamy backdrop, not quite strong or distinct enough to register as "rice milk". The drydown stays relatively pale, but the finish has just enough of a punch to keep things warm and delicious. Rendevous in the Rice Straws is simple yet transformative, like a vacation in a bottle. This reminds me of being someplace tropical, wandering into a spa where you get into a warm bath filled with flowers, then a sugar scrub and massage. A fragrant, cuddly, musky cloud makes the air smell like paradise. 

Edited May 26, 2020 by Jenjin

[artisjok]

Rendezvous started out very... off. I was surprised to get a harsh chemical smell when I slathered it on Weird! 
Thank goodness, it quickly shifted and I get the sugary musky hay that I was looking forward to enjoying. 
It’s delicate and wistful and comforting. 
Sadly, it fades to an extremely close skin scent very fast, but I’m still scraping my arm with my nose to get that last impression. It seems the creamy rick milk is holding on the longest. 
 

Gorgeous, yet almost too delicate. 
 

Editing to say, though soft, the drydown does linger far longer than I expected! 

Edited June 4, 2020 by artisjok

[HerbGirl]

ETA 26 September: This has finally come into its own. Glorious. Lemony semi sweet hay. I love it.

 

(This was the only disappointment of the Lupers that I bought, and it may just be my skin chemistry. I get the hay, and it's nice but there's nothing here to sweeten it. No sugar. I don't smell rice milk. I keep testing but nothing changes 😞 It's nice but I was hoping for the sugar to add another dimension to the hay.)

Edited September 26, 2020 by HerbGirl
Morphed

[Alisha_SBC]

I snagged a decant of this and knew I would have to get a bottle. To me, this is my skin but better, a close, intimate scent that is meant for me or those close to me, not for the room in general.
The hay is sweet and doesn't make me sniffly in any way. I wouldn't actually have pegged this as a hay scent, I think it lends a golden warmth and a grounding note. The sugar has a faint, faint lemony tinge similar to 13 from March 2020, which I love. The rice milk lends this a soft creaminess.
This is so lovely. A favorite for sure and something I see myself reaching for often when I want a low-key, comforting yet somehow still alluring, scent.

[Little Bird]

Mostly hay absolute with a little sugar.  Hay absolute has a lemony scent to it, like fresh lemons sliced over dried grass, leaning sour.  There's a tiny edge of extra sweetness from the sugar.  I was most excited for the rice milk (I love Nocture Alchemy's rice milk scents), but I don't pick up on that aspect at all.

[Thuy]

I had very little idea of how this would smell and totally bought this blindly. My nose is very new to hay and rice milk. I like milk and honey, so figured this could be similar?

It's one of the more perfume-y blends that I own, but it feels so cozy once it dries down. It is a little sharp wet; I wasn't sure that I'd love it. It's not my usual gourmand sweetness or something very crisp and clean. It's a creamy sweetness? There's almost a vanilla note to it. It's great with a sweater😂 It has a muskiness to it, which usually doesn't sit well with me, but I don't mind this. I'm not sure if that's because it stays close to my skin but that helps. It wore well for 6 hours or so on me. Overall it's a relatively soft, dare I say intimate, scent. I don't think it'll be one I reach for often but I can see its place in rotation. I will say that it's similar to Morocco but much less complex and personally easier on my nose.

[gamermouse]

I smell like horchata.

 

This is a good thing.

 

I am the most delicious and creamy horchata today. 

[tinyvulture]

Clean grassy hay gives it a cologne vibe but then the rice milk and sugar are soft and sweet. Masculine and feminine coming together, balanced. Sometimes the hay note makes me sneeze but it seems all right here. A warm and fuzzy blend, stays close to the skin, like being wrapped up in a blanket