Ghost of a Rose

Interesting how this affected people in such very different ways. Here's my take on it: In the Imp: I instantly loved it! Sharp, bitter, green scent evocative of orange blossoms together with torn orange leaves. Very fresh and lovely. Not at all fruity. On me, wet: Same as above, but softer; and now I'm also getting some sandalwood and maybe a little musk coming out. Not detecting any mango or orange fruit at all. Unfortunately, the wonderful orange blossom scent is fading very quickly. On me, drydown: Mostly sandalwood. The orange blossom/leaf scent is now very faint. On me, after a couple of hours: Soft sandalwood, with barely a hint of orange blossom. I especially love this in the imp, for the orange blossom scent. I want to try this in a perfume locket and an oil burner, to see if the orange blossom note will last longer that way. My rating: 4. It would be a 5 if the orange blossom scent lasted longer.

I'm looking for a true orange blossom scent: that is, one that smells like the actual flowers of the orange tree. They have no trace whatsoever of the scent of the orange fruit or orange rind. I have been unhappy with nearly all fragrances labeled "orange blossom" since most perfumers just don't seem to get it that the flowers smell nothing at all like oranges. It's one of my pet peeves. I've lived with orange trees in my backyards for 50 years, and believe me, I know the difference. Orange blossom is one of my most-beloved scents in the world, and I've searched for decades for a fragrance that can make me (and my home) smell like that any time of the year. But I don't care for the scent of the fruit in a perfume - I don't want to smell like something to eat! (BTW, Trader Joe's makes a liquid handwashing soap that has a very authentic orange blossom scent, but of course I can't use that as a perfume or home fragrance.) Torrilin's post (#26 in this thread) linked to a review that I was really interested in (comparing Orange Blossom vs. Neroli), but unfortunately only members registered to that site can view it. Torrilin, if you see this, could you possibly PM me a copy of that review, please? Thank you! And I'm particularly interested in Beth's versions of both Orange Blossom and Neroli. Has anyone tried the BPAL single notes for both? How do they differ? Do either of them have the true floral-not-fruity scent I'm looking for? Can anyone recommend a BPAL fragrance blend that smells like real orange blossoms without any trace of the fruit?

In the Imp - Sharp, clean, dishsoapy (not necessarily a bad thing) scent with florals On me, wet - Sharp floral with some citrus, still dishsoapy. On me, drydown - Much of the floral is gone, now more citrus, especially lime. Reminds me of men's cologne. On me, after a few hours - soft, mild patchouli & musk. I don't identify rose at any stage, just misc. florals. My rating: 4 out of 5