veronicafranco Report post Posted July 3, 2008 A stirring yet gentle perfume. The scent of love and devotion mingled with an undercurrent of heart-rending sorrow. A bouquet of white roses, labdanum, and wild orchid. this was a frimp. i hadn't ordered it before, because i'm turning out not to be much of a rose/orchid girl, but i do love mary magdalene, so was happy to give it a try.wow, this is extremely pretty. if sometime i'm in the mood for the rose or orchid family, i might just reach for this one. i consider it a sister scent to queen mab (rose/orchid/sandalwood) and skuld (ylang ylang/labdanum), but on me, this is nicer than either of those. all through my 20s i wore estee lauder's beautiful, and this is somehow akin to that, too (even though it's 2 flowers instead of "a thousand".)which movie magdalene is this for me? (does it ruin it if i say this? heh) definitely monica bellucci in the passion of the christ, with her utterly perfect face and soft, melodious voice. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coldfire Report post Posted July 7, 2008 Frimp from a friend Imp: Initially a sharpness and then a rose softness. Wet On Me: Now powdery white roses Drying Down: The sharpness is inthe background now under the soft rose and powder Dry: Went to powder on me very quickly. It's nice but I'm not fond of smelling like powder most days. Stay/Throw: not very long for either. I think this will go in the re-homing pile. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrea912 Report post Posted July 7, 2008 Great if you like rose sachet, I suppose; I would throw this in my Granny's panty drawer... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rovylern Report post Posted July 8, 2008 In the imp: Sharp, strong florals. Wet: Sharp floral, an undertone of something soft and powdery. Drydown: The sharpness has faded, and only the soft florals remain. This is pretty and feminine; it 'feels' very gentle and spring-ish. It has decent throw but fades relatively quickly. I think it would be interesting to put it in a scent locket and my skin at the same time, so that the locket would retain the sharpness but it could take on the softer scent on my skin. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lunaticana Report post Posted July 17, 2008 omg I just tryed my imp and.. it s almost gone now didn t even now that I like resiny scents looked up what Labdanum is cause it seems all the imps I ve tryed with that in it I find truly gorgeous Magdalene really is floral enough for me, I looooooooooooove orchids, especialy wild ones so, in love & NEED BOTTLE Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lilirose Report post Posted July 22, 2008 In imp- sweet with a touch of bitterness. On skin, wet: the “bitter” note becomes stronger. From looking at the description, I’d say the bitter note is orchid, as that one always smells bitter to me and sweet to everyone else. On skin, dry: Roses and a still-bitter orchid.. Later: The orchid fades, leaving a soft, slightly musky, slightly soapy rose-based floral. I'm normally a huge fan of anything rosy, but this one doesn't work with my skin chemistry. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hkhm Report post Posted July 28, 2008 imp: light, almost sweet orchid. wet: well, as with 99% of rose scents on me, this has instantly turned to soap. dry: how odd. this smells like rose soap and, of all things, black olives. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vegasblueblood Report post Posted August 5, 2008 This starts off slightly sharp and vaguely medicinal but don't be fooled--it quickly unveils itself as a very soft, gentle rose blend that is very feminine and a bit sweet. It comes off as very pure. I don't find this one overly floral and it does not go at all soapy on me, though it does go slightly powdery (not a bad thing). It is very delicate and simply pretty. I think I will be reaching for this one often. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vikitty Report post Posted August 18, 2008 This was my first white rose blend and I really enjoy it. It's a very soft scent. I'm not in love with it, but I do like it. I hope the new Katrina Van Tassel LE will be a bit closer to what I'm looking for as far as white roses. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
charshark Report post Posted August 19, 2008 In the imp: Dark florals. Wet: Wild orchid with a rose scent (but not an old lady rose). Dry: The rose scent mostly takes over on me, but that's okay! It wasn't soapy on me. Overall: Very feminine and lovely. It's good if you're a fan of rose. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OhioSky Report post Posted August 26, 2008 I can imagine that this scent would be very nice for someone who likes florals, because it is a very complicated yet light scent. I got frimped with it so I gave it a try, but I don't do florals. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sparkybish Report post Posted October 4, 2008 (edited) I don't know if it is because i am obsessed with Katrina Van Tassel right now, but this smells so much like it to me. Maybe just a touch less lush, and a touch more herbal. i love it. Edited to add that it has faded fast to the herbal note i smelled before. I still like it, but it may be a scent locket scent due to lack of staying power. Edited October 4, 2008 by sparkybish Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NeuroticaGirl Report post Posted October 4, 2008 I have yet to care for anything that had labdanum in it. This is no exception. In the bottle it does something to the rose and the effect is horribly bitter. I could not bring myself to try it on my skin. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
galahad Report post Posted October 12, 2008 In The Bottle Rose with a musky base On Application Rose and orchid but there is something spicy to keep it from going sharp Dry Down This is not my favourite BPAL rose scent (rose and orchid are both pretty horrible on me) but this is quite soft and bearable. Not a winner for me but it is nice. Rating (0-5) 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kerickson Report post Posted October 14, 2008 (edited) In the vial: Ohh - NOT good. Very sharp, and to me it is actually similar to the smell of opening a jar of pickled jalapenos. It smells like vinegar. Very odd. On me (dry): Applied to wrists. Very powdery floral, firm and sweet. Roses and orchids. It is very nice! Strikingly different from how it smells in the vial. It's girly, it's feminine, and quite pleasant and uplifting. I feel awakened and alert now. I can't stop smelling my wrists, hahaha. Although light and floral, there is a heavy musk to it as well as a certain bitterness. However, this is by no means a bad thing in this case. After a while: After approximately 2 hours, the scent is increasingly powdery. I'm picking up hints of what I want to say is jasmine, but not overwhelming jasmine... it's a perfect balance of powder and jasmine that calms and relaxes. It is gentle, sweet, fresh, and still altogether feminine and wonderful. Verdict: 8/10. Smells very weird to begin with, but quickly redeems itself. Another determining factor is I think I'm in a mood today that makes me more tolerant of this type of smell. I'm feeling girly and happy However, even on an "off" day I'd probably give it no less than a 7. Will definitely add this to my next order of 5 ml's. Edited October 14, 2008 by Babel Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
plunderparlour Report post Posted October 17, 2008 on wet- spicy orchid, i get no roses dry - very slight rose and powdery orchids. This smells a little matronly for my taste. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steffanina Report post Posted October 19, 2008 Magdalene- In Bottle: Oh, dear, it's that very very sharp powdery floral that makes my eyes water. Wet: Sharp powdery floral. Not so much as to make my eyes water but not anything I enjoy. Dry: The powder is rising and chokes my throat. Acrid. I fear I won't be able to wear this long; I'm for a shower. Overall: Not for me. Acrid floral. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
obsidienne Report post Posted December 27, 2008 This comes off as a very light, white rose with something a little purple, incense-like and dusky about it; "stirring and gentle" are perfect descriptors for Magdalene! Gorgeous, but delicate and faint with a short life. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cymbeline Report post Posted January 5, 2009 Smell alike: nursing room (you know, the ones crowded with flowers?) Color impression: weeping pale blue-green On me: I don't really know labdanum but if it's the one that smells like a sick person's room, I don't want more of it =/ Associated with clear roses it's just awfully medical to my nose Wearing: Brings back too painful memories. Not a keeper for me Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
butcherbaby Report post Posted January 23, 2009 second try on this- first try wqas "this smells good, but i've tested too many today to be sure" it is confirmed- it's very lovely! and big bottle worthy. the notes in this blend very well together and i get one strong impression: creamy, honeyed roses. honey? don't know where that comes from, but that's what i get. i slather, so it's not a light floral at all for me. can't comment on staying power just yet, but it's so pretty i'll be happy to liberally re-apply. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zankoku_zen Report post Posted February 10, 2009 Rose soap! This rose is nice, soft, subtle. I get a hint of orchid here and there, but overall, it makes me think of rose soap. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
isisonearth Report post Posted February 13, 2009 Imp: Mostly white rose with a little something else. I'm guessing the labdanum. I'm really getting the somber feel. Not a joyful rose. Wet: I get a bit of the orchid. Very wistful and rather faint. For some reason it is making me sneeze. Drydown: The rose really blossoms and the orchid lends a touch of the exotic. A very creamy rose which I love. I really like it but the sneeziness is a deal breaker. Off to the swap bag. Pity, it is a very pretty scent once it gets going. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theseagrows Report post Posted February 18, 2009 as usual, white rose tends to go sour on me. after this fades a bit, so does the sourness, and the orchid comes out more, and it smells a lot nicer. the labdanum adds a bit of resinyness to the background, grounding the florals. this is nice, but is not wowing me, so i think i'll swap it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheLetterL Report post Posted March 7, 2009 I found Magdalene to be a less frilly cousin of my grandmother's signature scent, Estee Lauder's Beautiful. She passed away recently, so this one gets a pretty deep emotional response from me. Associations aside, I don't think this will be a big bottle. Seems like a floral for a mature lady...maybe that's the resin talking? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ami226 Report post Posted March 27, 2009 Whoa! My first sniff of this from the imp revealed a sharp, herbal smell. Uh, oh.... On the skin: After putting a bit on, the sharp herbal smell is gone. Almost immediately. What I am left with smells a bit like burning flowers. I don't think my skin loves this one at all... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites