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Rhododendron and bellflower petals swirl through deep, cool, dark aquatic notes.


Beautiful botanicals! Dreamy cool fresh water notes melded with crisp green florals. A tinge of citrus from white rhododendron flower in the early wet stage. The chilly water note is deep blue and creamy akin to Beth's Black Moon but with floral greenery at the outer edges. Absolutely lovely...feminine. Edited by Shollin

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Imp: definitely get the rhododendron and deep aquatic.

Wet on Me: more deep aquatic over the rhododendrons. Very heady. Almost a lilac

Drying down: wow this went to lilac air freshener on me really fast.

Dry: this is really not for me. I’ll re-home.

 

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Inside the imp, aquatic florals.

 

Wet on the skin, rhododendron and sea water.

 

The more this dries, the scent becomes soapy on my skin. I have that problem with aquatic blends sometimes.

 

Alas, this one is not for me.

 

 

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In the Imp: Kind of like soap. High quality, yes, but pretty Dove-esque. Clean and dainty.

 

Wet: I love aquatics but I’m really not getting much of a watery feeling. Everyone’s talking about “deep blues” and so on but all I smell is flowers and more flowers. The rhododendrons are like whoa. If I had to ascribe a color to this it would actually be a girly pink scent. Pretty strong though, making my nose twitchy.

 

Dry: No changes. I guess my skin ate the aqua, which is a shame. In the imp it had more of the tangy zest that I like in these sort of scents, but I’m not feeling any of it at this point. Just overly sweet, powdery flower power. And soap. Making me kind of nauseous, actually.

 

Verdict: Didn’t work at all, I’ll have to check out some of the edgier aquatics like Caliban or Undertow. I will mention that this has a crazy throw for me, and if you like super feminine blends then this will do the trick.

 

Rating: 1/5

 

 

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Danube has always been one of my favourite scents, so I thought I'd review it.

 

In the imp it's sweet, sweet flowers. I love sweet things, so it's perfect for me.

 

On my skin, it's still sweet, but more watery. I used to wear it to bed as it was really comforting to me. I think it's because it smells so clean and fresh, like new linen.

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i've finally found an aquatic that works out for me! :joy: this is such a very clean smell, i feel refreshed already. there is a tinge of a soap-like quality to it though, which seems to be a bad thing for most people, but i don't dislike it. i've always had a problem with aquatics going too sharp on me but the flowers temper this and help to sweeten the blend. i'm unfamiliar with rhododendron, but if this is how it smells, then it's going on my list of likable notes. this is a blend which makes you pause for a while; on first sniff, it seems like a typical *clean* light bluish scent, but there are layers of crystalline florals dancing underneath.

 

very pretty. :wub2: thank you for the frimp, sabrina! (:

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I'm new to BPAL and this was one of the first handful of scents that I tried. So not what I expected to find in a BPAL for some reason!

 

Clear, blue, aquatic flowers. I don't know how "me" it is, but I do like it. Smells like it could be an expensive mainstream perfume, without the alcohol and aldehydes. Ageless; neither too mature nor too youthful.

 

Threatens to go soapy, but never really goes there. Even if it did, it would smell like extremely very nice soap.

 

No bottle, but I will keep the imp for those times I want to have brunch with some well-dressed ladies in a nice garden. Or just smell like I am.

 

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Got this as a free imp from the lab. Okay, so I love florals. But this starts off by smelling of luxury soap and morphs into an aquatic floral. Reminds me of those fresh and light commercial fragrances in the market like Calvin Klein Be, Clinique Happy and such in the late 90s, but stronger. Don't like it, makes me feel a bit queasy. :( I like the drydown of this (slightly earthy, smells of the forest) but on the whole this just doesn't possess enough character for me to warrant keeping the imp. I prefer darker scents with more depth.

 

EDIT: Alright, as far as aquatic/ozone scents go, Sarah is still my first and only love. But I decided to try this again and was quite surprised to find myself liking it. I could also appreciate it more since it was raining today. It does start off smelling very bright and fresh. However, about 2 or 3 hours later, there's this nostalgic quality about. I'm thinking it's from the flowers. They just smell very familiar, althought the names don't seem to ring a bell. I think this blend would work pretty well in my climate. Especially during the humid monsoon season. Since I'm so moody, I'll have to decide if I really need a bottle.

Edited by symphonyinsilence

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I requested this imp because I wanted to try an aquatic scent and this one was recommended.

 

In imp: very, very pretty. Light citrus, fresh.

 

Wet: Everyone keeps saying "blue" and now I know why. That's exactly what it smelled like to me, too! Can't pick out exact notes, although there was a touch of floral, but mainly a "wet" citrus-type scent, very fresh and clean.

 

Drydown: No, no, no!!! It's turning to soap!

 

Within 30 minutes, this went to complete soap on me. A nice-smelling soap, but soap, nonetheless. Something with my skin chemistry just doesn't work well with it.

 

Off to swaps with you, dear Danube.

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In the IMP it’s an icy floral. On me it’s actually kind of spicy at first. Then the watery aquatics try to push through and the spiciness takes a back seat.

 

This is very pretty on me. Sweet, spicy and icy cool. Yes, the more it dries down on my skin, the more I like it. A very cold, calming and relaxing scent.

 

It has a hint of soap on me, will wait and see...

Edited by Lilly

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Oh no :( Oh, the heartbreak. I love Vienna and I thought I'd try Danube to take me there, but it was horrendous on my skin - I think it's the bellflowers with the rhododendron - it just turns so sour on my skin. I'm only happy I took the time to wait for the imp instead of ordering a bottle blindly from the lab. Happily, though, at least it smells gorgeous in the burner - none of the sourness - so all was not lost.

 

The first scent to properly break my heart. Ah well.

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Imp: Pretty, very light florals.

Wet on Skin: Gets a little juicier with the aquatic notes. Hmm I don’t know what rhododendron is like but I’m reminded of a lilac/jasmine/lily-of-the-valley.

Drydown: Sigh.... unfortunately, quite soapy at this stage and fades quite quickly. Maybe a scent locket oil.

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Very pleasantly floral, this one. So scintillating and posh. Aqueous and clean!

This is bracing air streaming through the open window of a luxury sedan.

A soft, blue light illuminates a resplendant centerpiece boquet.

Someone with obscenely good taste might have given this to Jackie Onasis as a gift.

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This is so beautiful. I do like floral scents in concept, but BPAL florals never really do it for me. THis, however, is deep, calming and breathtaking. I really love the rhododendron. Okay, so it's not very floral. It's a lot more aquatic. It doesn't have as much depth on my skin, or a lot of throw, so I don't think I'll get a bottle in my near future, but it is so pretty!

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Ok so water musks and blue musks are a known enemy in my world..

 

At first, I said to myself "What was I thinking?! I hate these!" However I tried a tiny dab, applied with a wince. This isn't bad. cool and swirling for sure. Smells a bit like a hardware store..? where do I get that from? anyways, still totally not me and awaiting a good home. I tried to break out of my mold however this is too bold of an attempt.

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Has almost a lily of the valley smell in the vial. I like florals so I'll give it a try.

 

Once on the skin, it's all aquatic. Very blue/green. Smells like a Yankee candle that would be called Ocean or something.

 

Frankly, I'd like it more if it smelled like the imp. I like florals and I don't mind aquatic scents, but they are definitely not personal scents for me. I associate them too much with candles. This is not for me.

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A bright, fresh, aquatic floral. I'm not sure what rhododendron and bellflower smell like by themselves, though I'm sure I've encountered them in gardens before. In the bottle I get a light orange note, but this disappears on my skin.

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A fresh aquatic floral. Pleasant, but not for me. It's just very clean and fresh.

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I keep wanting to say that "it's not me," but I also keep lifting my wrist to my nose. This has been going on for 40 minutes now. Clearly there's something in this scent that I like!

 

In bottle: A slightly aquatic, citrusy floral

Wet: Mostly citrus. Not particularly strong, and without very much throw.

Dry: At first it was too plain for me, but gradually some of the florals came back. The citrus became refreshing in a feel-good kind of way, and the floral started to smell like ylang-ylang. The throw is very light and stays that way.

 

As I wear it, scents keep coming and going. I keep thinking that I smell a different flower. Once I got a brief whiff of a salty water smell that I loved! It's pleasant, delicious, feminine, and calming. It's cool in a warm way, or warm in a cool way, like skin that as been cooled by the water. I keep drifting off while I smell it: it smells like a woman on a lazy summer day! Even the strength of the scent adds to that: it's perfect when I rest my chin on my hands!

 

Verdict: Danube smells like an essential oil blend from a health shop, but something about it draws me back...

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When I first tried this I wrote it off as just another dark floral, which I adore but already have several of. On a whim I tried it a second time and wow, this is something different! I love aquatics but they don't seem to work too well on me, but this one did fine. I may have to deathmatch it again The Lady of Shalott (which I ironically got in the same package) since their composition seems so similar, but it's still very nice!

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This was the first BPAL aquatic I tried, and I learned that BPAL's aquatics actually work on me. Yay!

 

The aquatic note dominates in the imp and continues to run the show for several hours after it's dry. The florals are definitely there, but they act mostly to soften the aquatics and add a velvety depth. After a couple hours, they switch and I get these crisp, sweet florals over a deep, cool aquatic. This also lasts an incredibly long time on me.

 

Danube is similar to Ophelia, but deeper, less sweet, and womanly rather than girlish.

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Sniffed: A lush burst of flowers and cold water -- unfamiliar flowers that are colourful and intense! This scent actually smells blue.

 

On skin: A very watery floral, but like no other. If this is rhododendron and bellflower, they are very intriguing notes! Danube is bold and lush, it has an intense presence but remains airy and lively. The florals threaten to become perfumy on rare occasion, but the aquatic note keeps that at bay.

 

What's most amazing about Danube is the imagery it conjures in my mind. Usually I just get a colour impression for a blend, but Danube evoked swiftly running water, with golden sunlight sparkling off the waves and little flowers swirling in the current. (I actually heard the sound of running water when I first skin-tested it - incredible!) Most aquatic blends remind me of deeply flowing rivers or vast oceans, but this is a gurgling, swiftly running, merry little brook. Indeed, the colour impression is equally vivid aquamarine and royal purple, flecked with gold and silver lights.

 

Verdict: Wow! Danube is very unusual, one of the few blends that stands on its own and defies placement in a scent family. (I found Kumari Kandam and Niflheim equally unique. All of these Wanderlust blends too!) But not only is it intriguing, I also like wearing this joyful, uplifting scent. Perfect! It's not quite worth a bottle, but I definitely will be keeping my imp.

Edited by Vega

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Have to say that I'm mystified as to where people are getting the citrus notes from, for me it's all aquatic with just enough flowery goodness to keep it from being too Men's Cologne-ish. It's my favorite scent so far (to be fair, I've only tried 7 scents at this point) and makes me feel so cool and clean between showers that I ordered a 5ml bottle. :D Cool and clean are very important, since I live in a part of the country where the average temp is about 115F for 9 months of the year.

 

My only qualm? It seems to fade so fast! I don't know whether my skin is literally eating the fragrance or my nose just gets used to it - makes me very paranoid about re-applying. :eek:

 

In The Bottle: Pure watery goodness with just a bit of floral. It's like I'm swimming! :thumbsup: Definitely conjures up images of the Danube at dusk or nighttime.

Immediate Application: Still lots of aquatics, little more floral.

Dry-down: More floral peeks through.

30 Minutes Later: Almost gone! What's left is mostly floral with just enough aquatics to cool them a bit.

Edited by lavenderfrost

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I think I may not be able to "do" aquatics. It smelled promising in the bottle, but on the skin, it smells like freshened airplane toiler water :sick:

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