A Nocturnal Reverie

[kinseygirl]

A NOCTURNAL REVERIE
In such a night, when every louder wind
Is to its distant cavern safe confined;
And only gentle Zephyr fans his wings,
And lonely Philomel, still waking, sings;
Or from some tree, famed for the owl's delight,
She, hollowing clear, directs the wand'rer right:
In such a night, when passing clouds give place,
Or thinly veil the heav'ns' mysterious face;
When in some river, overhung with green,
The waving moon and trembling leaves are seen;
When freshened grass now bears itself upright,
And makes cool banks to pleasing rest invite,
Whence springs the woodbind, and the bramble-rose,
And where the sleepy cowslip sheltered grows;
Whilst now a paler hue the foxglove takes,
Yet checkers still with red the dusky brakes
When scattered glow-worms, but in twilight fine,
Shew trivial beauties watch their hour to shine;
Whilst Salisb'ry stands the test of every light,
In perfect charms, and perfect virtue bright:
When odors, which declined repelling day,
Through temp'rate air uninterrupted stray;
When darkened groves their softest shadows wear,
And falling waters we distinctly hear;
When through the gloom more venerable shows
Some ancient fabric, awful in repose,
While sunburnt hills their swarthy looks conceal,
And swelling haycocks thicken up the vale:
When the loosed horse now, as his pasture leads,
Comes slowly grazing through th' adjoining meads,
Whose stealing pace, and lengthened shade we fear,
Till torn-up forage in his teeth we hear:
When nibbling sheep at large pursue their food,
And unmolested kine rechew the cud;
When curlews cry beneath the village walls,
And to her straggling brood the partridge calls;
Their shortlived jubilee the creatures keep,
Which but endures, whilst tyrant man does sleep;
When a sedate content the spirit feels,
And no fierce light disturbs, whilst it reveals;
But silent musings urge the mind to seek
Something, too high for syllables to speak;
Till the free soul to a composedness charmed,
Finding the elements of rage disarmed,
O'er all below a solemn quiet grown,
Joys in th' inferior world, and thinks it like her own:
In such a night let me abroad remain,
Till morning breaks, and all's confused again;
Our cares, our toils, our clamors are renewed,
Or pleasures, seldom reached, again pursued.

- Anne Finch, Countess of Winchilsea

Violet musk and oudh with black amber, ambergris, agarwood, black currant, dark musk, fig, and lavender incense.

This is my first review of a BPAL scent so here goes nothing!

In the bottle all I smell is Lavender. Wet on my skin is pretty much the same.

As it dries I begin to smell more of the violet musk and ambergris.

Completely dry I smell the violet musk, ambergris, and a tiny bit of lavender. There is also something mysterious and beautiful that I can't really identify; probably a combination of the other scents I can't pick out individually as I am not to familiar with them.

This is my first Halloween scent and I purchased it unsniffed hoping for the best...

And that is exactly what I got! This is a soft, mysterious, and beautiful scent. Bravo!

[VipKim]

It. Smells. Purple. Seriously! The smell of purple, tinged with a hint of musk, floats above woody resin notes. Gorgeous! Not much throw on me, and it faded in about an hour to a much lighter, fainter version of itself. That last, light stage sticks around for a fair amount of time and is equally gorgeous. This one might require slathering on my part, in hopes of holding on to the stronger early stages. This was a total impulse buy, is completely unlike anything else in my stash, and I love it. Maybe enough to order a backup bottle!

[rivercitylizzy]

I confess it: I am a lavender lover and have been known to wear the EO on its own as a personal scent. Usually I amp the note pretty well, not that I mind that So when I saw "lavender incense" included in the notes for A Nocturnal Reverie (along with another favorite, FIG!!), well...I just had to add it to my cart!

 

In the Bottle: a lovely and pastry-free confection of sweet sticky figs, earthy spices (likely a combination of the oudh/agarwood and "incense"), sugared violets (violet musk + black currant, perhaps? not quite picking up the fruitiness of the currant, just a sweetness), and lavender syrup. YUM!! I cannot wait to wear this!

 

Wet: OMG gorgeousness! The lavender note is not particularly sharp or astringent but earthy & rich, calling to mind dried lavender stems from my garden, which I use for grilling (meats, vegetables, fish). I'm also getting more of the fig (BLISS!) and black currant but they are well behaved and do not overpower me with WTHSICKCLOYINGGETITOFFSWEET. The violet musk, black amber, oudh & agarwood add a beautiful incensey base to the blend, grounding the sweet notes and giving them a bit more throw. I agree with VipKim, it does smell purple, somehow

 

Dry: Very similar to the wet with more of the base notes coming forward, but still the lovely fig, currant, and lavender, which makes me very happy because my skin usually eats the fruity notes. Throw & wear time are moderate for me--not nearly so much as a blend with patchouli, vetiver, or sandalwood so slathering may be in my future with this one--but I LOVE IT.

 

Backup bottle may be needed.

[angelicruin]

Lots of lavender to start. As it dries, I begin to smell the fig and agarwood notes and lots of incense. This is one I will definitely seek a bottle of. It's a very calming scent for me.

[slave1]

LOVE the label art!!!!!

This is super lavender out of the bottle. Sadly that's a note that really hates me. It is very sharp and a but metallic.

After about 5 minutes the violet musk sweetens it up some and the scent starts to warm up to me. The musks give it a lovely soft feel, while the other notes darken it and give it a earthy fruity twist.

I'm liking it more and more and am happy that the purple feel it portrays amps on me since purple is my favorite color.

It has a medium throw and short to average wearlength.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

to begin: i don't like lavender. it's a cousin of peppermint, which makes me feel physically ill. TKO is, perhaps, the only lavender-based scent i will ever be able to wear, and like.

 

that said, this is more of a soapy lavender than a medicinal one. and, yes, something about it pretty much screams "Yardley" at me. it does develop into something richer, deeper, more interesting over the course of an hour or so... but it's still just too lavender-y for me. i was hoping the dark amber and dark musk would make it amazing, but the lavender kills it for me. poop!

[Little Bird]

I think you'd have to like lavender to enjoy this one, as I get mainly lavender from it (which I happen to love). It smells sort of like a clean and creamy lavender was mixed with the sticky, dark sweetness of opoponax and black currant. For having so many heavy notes, the scent fades within 3 hours on me and isn't as strong as I was expecting it to be. I think that the 'violet musk' comes through quite a bit in the drydown, rather than the dark musk, ambergris, or resins, because the blend turns more light and perfumey.

Creamy lavender, clean & perfumey violet musk, and a touch of fruity, sweet currant. Not as dark or incensey as I was hoping for, but I might keep my decant of this one.

[V294]

I get some lavender at the beginning, but it fades quickly into this deep lovely complex musky yumminess!

 

ETA: I'm a sad panda. The fig comes out to play and then it fades real fast . It's possible I've overtaxed the nose since I've tested 3 others, but I'm hoping it will stick around longer next time I give it a go.

Edited November 1, 2011 by V294

[Incendiare]

The lavender definitely steals the show in the vial. Wet, the lavender sweetens up, yet there is a pronounced dryness, as well. Normally, I don't care for lavender. It smells too medicinal, but here, it works. It calms down once it's on my skin. The oudh and agarwood balance is nicely. I'm disappointed that I can't smell any violet musk, amber, nor fig, though. It's still a nice change for a lavender blend.

[countessmouse]

Lavender and amber, tamed by sweet fruity figs and the black currant. I'm in love.

[theseagrows]

in the vial this is mostly lavender, but on my skin, the fig and amber and musk blooms. i love this one! thankfully the black currant is subtle and does not turn plasticky on me. wow, after being on my skin for awhile, this is really gorgeous it's like a violet-lavender-amber-incense. soooo nice! i will definitely keep my imp, but not sure i need a whole bottle. on the fence about that.

Edited November 14, 2011 by theseagrows

[edenssixthday]

A Nocturnal Reverie - In the bottle and when first applied to my skin, this smells like ALL LAVENDER ALL THE LAVENDER TIME. I don't like lavender, so it's not a happy smell. As it warms up on my skin, some of the sweet, powdery violet comes out, as does the warmth of ambergris and dark musk...but it's still pretty much a "LAVENDER LAVENDER LAVENDER... plus a little something else" scent. This one was not made for me, it was made with lavender-lovers in mind, I'm sure.

[porcelina]

i get a blast of dark lavender, which fades to become dustier and less intensely herbal. there's a background of musk and amber. it's quite nice, like very expensive incense. there's not much throw, it just lingers on my skin, like i've been in a room burning high quality lavender incense all night long. i like it.

[Juushika]

In the vial: Mostly a sense of darkness. Some oudh, but precise notes mostly escape me; a slightly scratchy, slightly floral/fruit, dark scent.

 

On me: When it first goes on this is currant in the throw, red and fruity, and something darker against the skin, with a powdery/incense bent. The currant dies to reasonable levels during drydown (although there's occasional overstrong hits of it in the throwbut to be fair, currant amps on me), contributing a fruity fullness, but the color is purple now, dark, over a smoky/powdery base of musk and incense. There's a very clear sense of color from this scent, and it's all purple. The vague powderiness atop all that color creates a slight candle/soap vibe, and however vivid and clearly conveyed that dusky violet don't make for a particularly deep or nuanced perfume (I wish I got more dark musk, or something else that would ground and deepen the scent), but its not unpleasant. Throw is moderate low, wear length is moderate long, mostly due to a lingering skin level perfumeyness.

 

Verdict: A Nocturnal Reverie isn't unpleasant, but neither is it winning my heart. I have a fondness for scents which are classifiable by color, and so this helps to scratch a purple itch, but it lacks depth overall and that background hint of candle/soap isn't my style. Aging may help bring out the darker notes that would counterbalance all the color, but on the whole I think this is destined for swaps.

[Voleuse]

I was worried this might be super-lavendery, and while it's not soapy lavender (as it usually ends up on me), it is not as violet-y as I had hoped. This is a nice, subtle lavender with washes of violet and hints amber to it. It plays close to the skin, and has an extra-elusive sweetness--fig, I think. I get a tiny hint of wood, as well, but I often get that impression with lavender.

[thekittenkat]

In the decant: Mostly the bpal violet note, but with other scents tempering it in the background.

 

Wet: A musky violet.

 

The dry-down: This is such a well-blended scent, and it's lovely. This is a big surprise for me, because usually the Lab's violet note turns a little sharp on me, alas, and I love violets so. However I think all the dark notes are keeping it in check, and because it's a violet musk, not just violet, that's also probably part of why this is working. I got it mostly for the ambergris, wood, currant and fig notes, not to mention that I was curious about lavender incense. And I was hoping that the amber wouldn't go to powder on me, as it often does, but it might be heading in that direction. I think I'll save this for springtime.

[DrKate]

Starts out very strong lavender but within minutes this settles down on my skin to a lovely fruity/herbal musk that is somewhat reminiscent of Luna Negra. Very close to the skin, this might be nice for subtle days when I want to be able to sniff my wrists for a lovely calming scent or perhaps even night times. A bottle purchase for me anyway. I look forward to seeing how it ages.

[HerbGirl]

This starts out more Violet than Lavender to me, but two minutes in it becomes a nice blend of Violet, Lavender and Fig. I might be smelling a touch of Amber, but I'm not sure...this is a very purple smelling perfume (not a deep dark majestic velvet purple, more of a spring violet purple) and I love it. I thought I had reviewed it already, but I guess not! This is a beautiful oil, and I am guessing that it will age amazingly due to the notes listed. I will save this bottle for Springtime since it certainly doesn't scream Autumn or Winter to me. Om nom nom 9/10

Edited November 18, 2011 by Herb Girl

[CreamyJade]

In the decant: A herbal lavender musk

Wet on skin:: Musky lavender, slightly fruity and smokey

Dry on skin Smoky lavender, currant, fig (there you are!), musk, dark but powdery amber

Final thoughts: A very violet scent! Dark, heavy notes coupled with a bit of fruit. It's a pretty scent - enough to keep my decant.

Try if you like: TKO

[surf-tormented]

When I first put this on my skin, it smells like lavender oil and nothing else. After 10 minutes or so, it reminds me of Penis Admiration. Yup. Even though this blend and PA have no common notes except purple floral and smoke. I had to wait awhile before I got smoke. So now it's oudh/agarwood and lavender on me. The violet comes out later. I was hoping since a lot of the notes in this one were more basey, it would be a heavier perfume. It's really light though. It's hard to smell unless you are right close to the skin.

 

I don't get any of these notes: currant, ambergris, amber or dark musk. Fig makes a very faint appearance now and then.

 

I get smokey violet/lavender incense. Which is ok, but not what I was expecting, which was something more complex, even layered.

 

Now it's smelling like Penis Admiration again. Weird. I do like PA and this smells like it's more floral and smokey cousin, PA having lilac and this one having lavender but the same skin type sweaty feel of a floral smokey blend.

 

Maybe the skin/sweat is musk. I guess I'll take a while to see if this will morph more, I hope it does. It's a bit too light on me to enjoy it as much as I wanted to. It might win me over in the end, since the oudh and agarwood are coming to the top of this perfume at the end of its run...sniff...it's just so light...it's such a whisper of a perfume.

Edited November 20, 2011 by surf-tormented

[a_llb]

In bottle: Lavender, a bit herbal but very smooth - incense tames it, apparently.

Wet: Dark & inky, the currant and musks spill over the lavender. They add a bold sweetness, which is not foody in the least. The woods and ambers are duskily soft and velvety.

Dry: Ultimate drydown is musky lavender-incensed figs, and it is gorgeous.

 

Verdict: Until now, Old Scratch has been my go-to lavender blend, though the beginning stages are quite sharp & cologney- I liked the drydown enough to have a bottle. But! Nocturnal Reverie forgoes anything even close to that, it's sultry and smooth from start to finish. The label art invokes images of a vintage masquerade - elbow length silk gloves, peacock feathered masks - so evocative and just stunning. It fades to a sweet skin-scent sooner than I'd like, but it's well worth it even so.

[Ghost of a Rose]

In the vial: I smell lavender and incense especially; also musk, and amber.

 

On me, wet: The first thing I notice is the mild sweet fruitiness of fig. Then a bit of wood. Within a few minutes the lavender begins to come out.

 

After 10 minutes: Mostly lavender, with a little musk and perhaps some violet; soapy but pleasant.

 

After 20 minutes: Lavender incense. This is the truest, most realistic incense note I've smelled from BPAL (or in any perfume, for that matter.) It's the beautiful scent that incense has before you light it and the smokiness takes over. To me, the smoke never lives up to the fragrant promise of the unlit incense. This perfume vividly captures the best part. The incense note has become strong enough to counteract the soapiness that the scent had for a little while.

 

After 1 hour: Softer, still lavender incense, with musk.

 

After 2 hours: The scent is almost gone. Just the faintest whiff of amber and perhaps fig, is discernible.

 

Verdict: This is a beautiful fragrance, but not a long-lasting one. I never did notice the black currant note. I can't tell if the ambergris was noticeable, since I don't know what it smells like. I'll wear this in my perfume locket to make it last longer.

 

My rating: 4.5 stars

[Heavenlyrabbit]

Deep dark purple. Cozy warmth. VERY low pitched- this is the antithesis of screeching white florals.

 

As much as I love this, it has zero throw. I have to put my arm up to my nose.

 

It would be fantastic to mix into a lotion but that's a bit too extravagant for me so I'll have to pass this gorgeousness on.

Edited December 5, 2011 by Heavenlyrabbit

[ami226]

On the skin: Definitely a purple slightly sour scent. Very musky.

 

Not for me at all.

[zankoku_zen]

Lavender, white musk, and tinges of purple fruit. This is a very PURPLE blend.