Clarimonde

[crebbsgirl]

Pallid skin musk, white roses, and a languorous vapor of Oriental perfume.

Alright, this went to ROSE on me. I guess I can't wear roses still, even with the skin chemistry shift. I can very vaguely pick out the skin musk, but that's about it for this one. Edited October 29, 2009 by crebbsgirl

[symphonyinsilence]

I got all the imps from the Literary Vampire series except for 3. Of course, I had no idea then that roses hate me that much. Blame my noob status. This does smell very Victorian, though. Pity about the rose. I passed it on to a friend who loves roses more than I do.

[Schmoozy]

 

White roses and musk. It feels airy and aquatic. There is the barest hints of spicy oriental notes, but mainly this musky rose.

[fairnymph]

Sniffed: Soft, slightly sour, lots of skin musk and definitely some roses, and something a little cologney. Also maybe a hint of smoke, like candles blown out?

 

Wet: Much more floral, soapier, with a minty note of some sort (?). Turning quickly powdery, too - definitely some violets in here. I get an old lady talcum powder sort of feel. The rose note is still a little sour - I'm not crazy about white roses. The hefty dose of skin musk helps me tolerate this blend, at least.

 

Dry: Yechhhhh. Floral powder/soap. There has GOT to be some orris in here as well as a sour, dried, soapy sort of rose. This is really nasty generic old lady perfume gone evilly stale.

 

Summary: It definitely conveys decay and revulsion - but even the strong skin musk presence can't make this bearable. Sink. Good throw and moderate longevity.

 

 

 

[LadyMedb]

Rose, musk, and some opium. I'm really fond of Beth's opium, and, unlike many others here, I love rose.

 

But I don't love soap, and this thing went from being a delicate old-fashioned (but not old lady) rose scent to straight-up soap on me. It must be that white musk, although The Girl didn't do this to me. My skin chemistry favors turning things to soap more often than on other people, but this is an especially egregious offender.

 

Pass.

Edited November 5, 2009 by LadyMedb

[rayvn1]

I am so fricking glad I added this onto a decant circle I was in on a whim. This smells amazing! I know it's the skin musk and there's a sweet addition from the oriental perfume. Low on rose which is fine with me!

[Invidiana]

Ghostly, exotic and mysterious, Clarimonde is definitely a "come-hither" scent. The skin musk makes it very alluring and touchable, and neither the roses nor the Oriental perfume are overpowering but rather meld harmoniously into the background. Great for a date with a sexy stranger

 

 

[Violaine]

Clarimonde isn't obviously ROSE to me, not like a lot of BPAL rose blends are, but I am still learning (even after years!) the differences between the different roses. The white rose in here is bearable to me, even beautiful, and the cushion of the musk and oriental perfume only serve to make it even nicer. It sits so lovely and spicy-floral on my skin for a good long time before finally going sour, as most floral blends do on me. I need to hunt for a half-bottle of this!

[puck_nc]

Origin: Straight from the Lab

 

Initial Thoughts: Rose blends are hit-or-miss with me. Sometimes they're gorgeous and sometimes something in the green-stem effect goes haywire and it stinks on me.

 

In the Bottle: Interesting. This reminds me of a department store perfume without the alcohol harshness. It's cool and haunting; the musk and spices are dominant with just a hint of rose.

 

Wet: Chilly spice and musk, and I think I can detect the rose trying to go skanky on me. Definitely a scent to evoke the chill and danger of All Hallows Eve.

 

Drydown: Dammit, the rose has gone sour.

 

Verdict: I rolled the dice and lost. This will go to someone whose skin can treat it properly.

[Jupita]

This is one of the most amasing scents I recieved, so far...

Actually, when I ordered the decant I didn't expect anything special..I'm not a big fan of oriental perfume, since it smells like my mum.. but I still seek that special rose scent that will work on me, instead of turning to candy.

 

I don't smell the rose in this, and it has a slight soapiness that wouldn't please me usually, but there is something so enticing in this perfume, that I can't help myself, I love it.

It's rather strong on my skin, very heady... and yet, soft, like a velvet glove...

It smells like a boudoire, like the 19th century...

It's delightfull.

 

ET. A Year later...

My imp has aged, and now, as soon as it hits my skin, the bright bouquet of white roses blooms from my wrist...

The soapy note from the beginning has disappeared... Sadly, it fades pretty fast...

Edited November 18, 2010 by Jupita

[donnatron]

Imp: Not a whole lot of scent, actually. Vaguely powdery. Reminds me of Nantucket Briar dusting powder from Crabtree and Evelyn.

 

Wet: This goes on powdery. Very, very old fashioned. The white rose doesn't go sour on me as it is want to do--I think it's wrangled a bit by the skin musk. Soft oriental spice notes round this out. It is exceedingly dry.

 

Dry: Okay, actually this is sort of pretty in an old fashioned fainting couch sort of way. Soft, powdery rose touched with skin musk and a light dusting of spices. It smells very classic and proper. After the full drydown I'm getting a hint of creaminess from this coming from the skin musk that makes it soft, delicate and interesting rather than the borderline wretched talcum I was dealing with at the beginning. It smells like something that would work better as a lotion than a perfume, though.

 

Throw: Skin close. But that's good. This is the type of scent that if it had a lot of throw would probably choke everyone in the room.

 

Overall: Huh. I was so not enthused about this scent. I actually really like it and can see picking up a bottle if I see one on the swaps boards. It's very pretty and very classic. Unusual and interesting without being sleazy or weird.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

my quickie review, when i tried this at DSWC, was

i have a bunch of old Avon perfume bottles - all used up/empty/evaporated - and this is their collected smell.

trying it again, without having sniffed/tried dozens of other scents, it still reminds me of a collective Avon scent. but, then, if i sniff the back of my hand again, it reminds me a bit of Black Opal and White Rain hairspray.

 

i'm glad this bottle is going to a better home, where it will be loved!

[Suu4LC]

I fell in love when I sniffed this at a will call about a million years ago and kicked myself for not getting a bottle when the weenies went down. Thankfully I was able to get a hold of one!

 

In the bottle, I don't really notice rose in this-it's very faint-it's sort of an unsweetened kind of skin musk-like the kind in Velvet Nudie but without the sugar and sweetness-pallid is a great word for it-and I find that waft of oriental perfume soo sexy!

 

It's a bit more rosy on my skin-but very light-definitely a white roses kind of scent-very very pale. It really is like the dead/vampire version of Velvet Nudie to my nose. That same kind of sexy skin musk, but subdued, pale, misty, ethereal, cold and whispy. Lovely!

[countessmouse]

I HAVE got to find a bottle of this! Spicy, musky floral that smells divine! I got an odd sort of faint smell, kind of like old perfume, in the imp and wet on my skin, but this dried down to something wonderful. The rose is not prevalent -- I get more of a general floral out of it, which is fine because rose doesn't always work on me.

 

[undream]

pale, fresh & beautiful in the vial, sweet & powdery on the skin. i don't get any rose at all, not at first, instead picking up a subtle soapy note (a lovely soapy note, like an expensive all-natural, exotic floral soap, and i'm wondering if this isn't the musk?) which warms up into the rose. there is also a spicy note coming out now, &i am so pleased as i love spicy rose scents . . .

 

someone else here described this oil as a "soft, powdery rose touched with skin musk and a light dusting of spices," and that is pretty much spot on. i am unsure of whether or not this one is a keeper for me just yet, but i am in the middle of reading a gorgeous fantasy novel full of thunderstorms and otherworldly curios, courtesans and alchemists, high magic, &this scent, i think, will be an appropriate companion as i curl back up into the story, tonight. beautiful.

[filigree_shadow]

Musky, soft rose, with a little bit of spice. Smells old-fashioned and wears as a skin scent. When I say it smells old-fashioned, I don't mean like old ladies, I mean it smells refined. Not bold, kind of softly perfumey.

[grrrlennyl]

Clarimonde

 

On: A sweet musky, rose-filled perfume, with a bit of a soapy edge.

1 hour in: Powdery, soapy roses.

2.5 hours in: Soapy, powdery roses.

4 hours in: A soapy floral.

Overall: Rose blends are hit-or-miss on me, and this one is a miss.

[angelicreprieve]

Wet: First applied I really liked this. I liked it more then I expected for something with roses and musk and perfume as the centerpiece notes. But as it dries down the musk definitely gets an overwhelming twinge of powdery lavender soap (??) - maybe that's the floral from the oriental perfume. Anyway, as it dries down and mellows there's a chance that it will soften into something really beautiful and worth waiting for ... I'll be patient with it.

 

EDIT: I was right, its mellowed and blended into a surprisingly strong, particularly pretty and romantic floral with a crisp, powedery sweetness (first time I've gotten impressions of crisp powderyness...) - its surprisingly complex and difficult to describe for a scent with relatively common elements (powder, florals, soapyness) - something about how they all balance makes Clarimonde a very pretty, if contradictory scent.

Edited March 26, 2011 by angelicreprieve

[PlumpPeach]

I too need to get this bottle! I love roses and Clarimonde is one of my favorite vampires of all time.

[Aldercy]

I was worried Clarimonde would be insipid floral perfume-- high-pitched, stale, soapy, powdery, etc. and so while I had it on my wish list for a long time (mostly for the white rose, which I love), I kept putting off going after it.

 

But this is really worthwhile. Yes, it's very old-fashioned. But almost to such a degree that it's eerily perfect. It smells authentically antique, precisely Victorian, with a certain melancholy to it. It really transports you to another place and time.

 

It's not really distinctly rosy on me. And the skin musk is not like that in any of the other skin musk blends I have. And the "Oriental perfume" seems to consist of another white floral (though subtle), a wisp of spice and a wisp of citrus. None of these elements stands out more than another. It blends together into one solid scent impression that's extremely sophisticated and dignified and somehow not generic or bland at all despite its simple, traditional notes. It conveys a kind of silent, sad grandeur, but isn't stuffy. I don't know how it works the way it does, but it's amazing and I'm glad I have it!

[SophieCedar]

Apparently this has aged well... the musk is buttery on me.. I mean really buttery. The white rose is sweet, light, and fresh. The oriental perfume notes add a touch of resinous aquatic. This is.... dreamy. It's a clean, simple scent I can totally deal with. Mellow, buttery smooth, clean.. I can't believe I almost sent this to the sales page!

[Bassmastadroog]

The pale uniqueness of this scent is what intrigued me. I wouldn't have bothered by the notes. I do like rose, but it didn't strike me as something I'd enjoy. However:

 

This is a very antique rose. Dusty without the nose itch, rose without the soap. It smells clean, watery even...but not genetically soapy like a lot of floral blends to me. I think as the other reviewers said, this has a little amber in it because the rose is slightly warmed up, not in a gourmand but in a clean way. It's a slightly faded perfume, how one manages to make a 'faded' type scent before it actually fades is interesting.

 

It's just such an inoffensive and creamy/dusty forgotten rose. Never smelled one quite like this. Pretty hard for me to explain actually.

[ramblingrambler]

I just won an eBay auction from the Lab, so I guess it's Lab "fresh," but it's still aged. Unfortunately, though a beautiful fragrance, this simply does not work for me, period. I tend to wear deeply anchoring sents (earthy with dark patchouli or musks) or cutesy (Jailbait), fruity (Yipe!) scents. This is neither. The only way to describe Clarimonde is ethereal.

It is light and airy, wispy but very, very present. I can't quite place the notes because they all blend together extremely well. I close my eyes and think of spectral visions. It makes sense, I suppose, since this was a Weenie.

Someone will like this a lot. Sadly, that person isn't me. Off to swaps!

Edited May 30, 2017 by ramblingrambler

[lilacea]

I'm on a kick to review scents from the past I've not gotten around to doing reviews for, and Clarimonde happened to be one I selected at random today. It's a clean white musk, dusty tea rose petals and the faintest of skin blushing incense. There's a sharpness to the rose if I smell very closely, despite the overall duskiness, hard to describe. I'm not usually drawn to rose as a rule, some are just too bombastic for my liking. But having said that, there are blends where it plays nice and doesn't whelm with its rosiness. This is one of those rose scents. Interestingly, I think it smells more like an earlier GC than some of the more complex LEs the lab puts out (I have theories about the evolution of the GC and that with the passage of time, newer LE blends came out quite differently than older ones).