The Governess

[Lycanthrope]

Brittle white musk, bruised violets, vanilla orchid, and green tea.

I love this! I'm a violet wearing wolf, so this works out great on my skin.

Definitely a sweet, sugary violet, probably because the vanilla orchid and white musk are coming together. The violet is pretty strong in this one, so if you dislike the note, you may not enjoy this as much as I do. The initial burst is vanilla orchid and tea, with the musk and violet lending a powdery but old-fashioned / classic feel to the scent. Over time, the violet starts to come out more, but you can still tell that it's got a sweet, light musk at the base.

If you liked Regan (sadface) and you can tolerate a bit of sugared violet, try this. Also, if you like Faith, get this now!

[Mechanical Death]

A very light tea scent with a hint of violets. It smells more flower heavy in the imp than it does on my skin.

I was really looking forward to this one. It has so many beautiful notes but it doesn't come together on my skin.

[becca_s]

This is a musky, green tea scent on me. Brittle is a good way to describe it. The green tea is really fresh smelling, I only get hints of the violet and I can't smell any vanilla orchid I 'm sure it is there as a vaguely floral undertone. I think that my skin amps any type of tea scent and it is no different here. This is a very pretty and fresh smelling scent, I generally don't like tea scents but I like this one. I'm not sure if I would upgrade to a bottle though.

[lohengrin]

In the decant: Predominantly green tea. There's a subtle undertone that could be floral.

 

On skin, wet: It's a lot sharper on my skin, with that undertone becoming stronger and more definitively floral. Not soapy, exactly, but sharp.

 

On skin, dry: It's gotten very faint already.

 

After an hour: It's still very faint, too subtle to really pick out any specifics. It's a pity the staying power is so poor, it's hard to get a really good sense of it as a scent.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

this stuff is chock full of dealbreaker notes for me - white musk smells like Tide, violets go chalky and wrong, and the green tea just usually goes to wet paper towels.

 

and yet, somehow, this is surprisingly nice. not really my speed, and i don't see myself needing a bottle, but it's gentle and soothing. exactly the way a governess ought to smell, i think?

 

to be precise... i imagine this is how Nanny from Muppet Babies would smell.

[astarinel]

I didn't expect to like this one, as violet notes can be hit or miss for me, but this was my favorite of the Turn of the Screw scents that I sniffed.

 

The violet here reminds me of the violet in Faith, which I love, and the long drydown ends up being very similar to Faith, with that sweetish violet scent dominating.

 

While it's on and fresh, however, the other notes make this one fairly different from Faith, which is more sweet and vanilla. The tea and musk in The Governess keep this one fresher and a little brighter, which I'm really liking and finding pretty wearable. Although it feels like more of a spring scent than a winter scent to me, I might actually want to find a partial or a few more decants.

 

Basically, this one smells to me very much like the note list, so if that appeals to you, you should try it. Similar violet notes in Faith, Le Serpent Qui Danse, and Sybaris, although the spice notes in the third make it a very different blend overall.

[Aldercy]

The Governess is a wonderfully blended scent. While the notes could end up being blandly musky floral, they aren't. It's one of those "traditional perfume impression but made 100 times better" BPAL oils.

 

The green tea is unexpectedly strong. Tea is usually barely discernible to me and easily overpowered by other notes, but this green tea is right there. It's quite vegetal and grassy in character, with a touch of zingy spice. Warm, grainy, perhaps over-steeped. It's really nice, but not fresh in the way you'd normally expect green tea to be. And I find the orchid is stronger than the violet. Creamy and lovely and very much like the vanilla orchid in Clockwork Couture: Female. The musk seems to have become one with the orchid, lending it a subtle sensuality but not standing out on its own as a note. It's not screaming "white musk!" to me. The violet is there for sure, but it doesn't take over. It's a translucent blue violet, sparkly and delicate. As a whole, it's quite ladylike and unabashedly pretty, but still unique. I was transfixed by it when I tested it. There's no question in my mind that I'll be buying a bottle of this.

 

This lasts surprisingly long for a scent of this type. I put it on last evening and I'm still getting whiffs of it this morning about 12 hours later.

[surlygurl]

I tested this last night before bed, hoping it wouldn't be as sharp as in the decant. Lucky for me, the violet - which I like - was gentled and sweetened on my skin. Much like Mokey. The green tea gave the whole thing a bit of clean grounding, while musk and orchid blossom made it shimmer.

 

I'll admit to overuse of the word "pretty" when describing gentle bpals, but this really is pretty. Not stunning on me, but I'll keep the decant for those youthful times.

[theseagrows]

this starts off with violet and green tea and the green tea fades fairly quickly on me. i think i am getting mostly vanilla orchid with a white musk background on the drydown. it's like a sweet, soft floral tea scent. i like this a lot and will keep my imp but probably don't need a whole bottle. despite being a yule, it's a perfect springtime or summer scent.

Edited August 12, 2015 by theseagrows

[PumpkinGuts]

The Governess is perhaps the nicest violet BPAL I've smelt!

Violet and green tea is an unexpected combination that actually works quite well. The violet is sweet, similar to a violet-

flavored gelato I once tried. With the creamy vanilla, it strikes me as more gourmand than floral. Since it smells so much

like a perfume I already own, Arcana's Tess, I can't justify a bottle purchase. This would be great to slather during the springtime,

particularly around Easter.

[milo]

At first, violets and fresh green tea, very nice. I also thought I could detect mint, but maybe it's just my imagination. After a bit, the white musk comes out, of which I'm not a fan. However, this phase doesn't last long, and the lovely violets come back, but with less tea now. I really like violets, and this does not disappoint. It's more of a spring or summer scent, in my opinion, kind of like Faith, only less sweet and with tea. I can see someone wearing this on their wedding day, it's that kind of vibe, just gentle, romantic floral, fresh and airy. I love this blend, and planning on at least a decant, maybe bottle.

[TheIceMaiden]

I'm usually not a fan of violet scents, but I love green tea and white musk so I decided to give this scent a try. This starts off green tea and a gentle, powdery violet that seems to be working with my skin chemistry. The white musk dominates the drydown, with a little violet and orchid in the background. This is a very quiet, close-to-the-skin scent, but it lasts for hours. I think I'll hang on to my decant of this, but I don't love it quite enough to get a bottle.

[zankoku_zen]

To me, this is pretty much vanilla orchid with hints of violets, and dries down to a strong vanilla orchid, with hints of green tea.

 

Delicate, feminine, vanilla.

[Little Bird]

On me, The Governess is a mix of clean, fresh green tea, slightly powdery vanilla orchid, and candied, creamy violet. It goes slightly sharper/perfumey as it dries down, but I like the delicate sweetness to it.

My husband really likes this on me, but he is a fan of florals. I find myself wishing that it were a bit sweeter, and might try layering it with something more vanilla-y. Still, I will probably keep my decant. The smell of it reminds me of spring, which I am missing right now.

[neuilly]

Bruised violet seems about right. There's something almost swollen about the violet - I can't even explain that comment but it's true. I was actually expecting this to be a bit lighter and to have more vanilla. It's nice, and a bit unexpected, but I'm not head over heels for it. I think I'll try it again before making a decision on it. The green tea note comes out more and more over time.

Edited January 25, 2013 by neuilly

[mistressfizz]

Delicate white musk, an ethereal airy feel. The violets are sweet and light, and the tea note lends some herbal astringency. Very ghostly and wispy, reminds me of white sheets and lace and a spring breeze. However, there's a weird rubbery vinyl note that creeps in as it dries. I think that's the vanilla orchid turning to plastic on my skin. Unfortunately, it lingers over the pretty delicate notes, so this one isn't a keeper for me.

[KissleMeNow]

The Governess is a very long-lasting scent on me, which is good. For the first few hours, it's all sweet violet and orchid, which is not very vanilla-y. The green tea and white musk are there if I sniff my wrist, but it's mostly violet-o-rama. However, once that subsides, the green tea gets all creamy, and the violet and orchid play nice together. It's not a "green" scent as such, but it makes me think of cool, wet leaves – there's something about it that reminds me of a florist's shop. This stage is great. The first one borders on "bathroom scent" territory for me, so I'm not sure how often I'll wear it, but it is a keeper.

[mymymai]

ITB: Candied, bruised violets, vanilla orchids, and subtle green tea. Gorgeous!

 

Wet: Much the same with more subtle violet, although there is more green from the tea and the delicate musk has started to show.

 

Dry: After about 30 minutes, the violet, vanilla, and musk blend to make a beautifully introspective and feminine scent. I wish I had more than a couple imp's worth.

[Aviatrix]

I am getting a fresh and powerful mix of violets and green tea, with the green tea being at the front. In the back is a sweet blanket of vanilla, and the musk makes it all a little snuggly.

The violet and tea combo is surprisingly pretty and wearable, and overall this one fits the concept and is very nice!

 

It's hard to categorize it, really, but I'd say you might like it if you enjoy fresh florals or tea scents

[d0gbones]

In the imp: Green tea and sweet violets.

Wet: A touch more white musk, but not enough to be off-putting.

Dry: Again, notes that usually don't work on me but are gorgeous in this blend. Vanilla's the only one I can't pick out but I think that may be what's sweetening it up.

[Aveya]

So - I hunted for this bottle because I did a big college report on Turn of the Screw I was super duper proud of, based on The Governess and Miles relationship and my theories on why she sees ghosts everywhere being based around her coping with her emotions for miles because of so many reasons. Anyways - It was solid. I did a good. And now I love Miles and The Governess so so so so so much.

 

So this bottle was going to be displayed and kept if it smelled like dirty socks or not.

 

THAT SAID

 

Bottle: Dusty violets.

Initial Skin: Oh, surprising vanilla violets.

Drydown: A super well blended vanilla floral musk. It feels pink-purple to me. Very strong, balanced scent. Feminine and herbal floral - but sweet and grounded. I actually love this one a lot.

 

Keeper for more than my weird thesis!