Antique Lace

[skepticism]

Antique Lace

Nostalgia encapsulated. A soft, wistful blend of dry flowers, aged linens, and the faint breath of long-faded perfumes.

Wow, that is strong, warm vanilla. This is was not what I expected. I assumed "linens" would be something cleaner and ozoney, but I was wrong. Barely a drop and it's permeating my skin and the air around me. This is one of on the only BPAL blends I've encountered where a little goes a long way. It's so warm, sugary, and sweet sweet sweet. Saying sweet three times is a bit of an understatement, but I don't think copy+paste spamming it would be acceptable.

It's definitely a "soft" sugary smell, but it's a softness that endures, which I think is beautifully indicative of its throw and staying power.

If you like warm, sweet floral, and vanila, then this is for you. But this is 200% not for me. Edited September 9, 2008 by skepticism

[Hawke]

Linen and vanilla, like vanilla dryer sheets in the imp. That's not a bad thing. I use vanilla-scented stuff on my clothes.

 

Wet on the skin, this pops immediately with a warm, wafty, thick vanilla scent. Yes, I get the flowers too, hence the dryer sheet notion, but it's not soapy. It's a little intense for the first few moments, but I'm sure it'll settle down.

 

And it does, but even dry and faded a bit, it's still got quite a bit of throw. I understand why this is so popular. Not sure it's a big bottle need for me, but I'm keeping the imp.

[surlierthanthou]

Sweet vanilla with just the barest hint of florals underneath. So long-lasting that I can smell it clearly the morning after I apply it.

 

This is an excellent bedtime scent--it's unbelievably soothing. Even though I wouldn't say it's one of my very favorites, I find myself reaching for it more often than almost any other scent just because I like to wear it to bed so much. Also, my boyfriend loves any and all vanilla scents, so I wear to please him just as often as myself.

[Juushika]

In the vial: Sweet (in a thick, fluid way, not dry or crystalline) backed by a breath of light, unidentifiable mixed floral. The color of the scent is opaque off-white.

 

On me: There's a spike of sweetness when the oil hits my skin, swiftly followed by a spike in the mixed florals. The sweetness is vanilla or perhaps mallow, rich and creamy, pale and opaque. The florals are again unidentifiable, pale, but surprisingly bitter and dry. That bitterness fades over time, but it prevents the sweetness from being pure and comforting. It seem a little cloying, a little dusty-dry-herbaceous, a bit "off."

 

Verdict: When I catch whiffs of this, I like it. It's sweet, pale, creamy, and comforting. But when I smell it intentionally and try to pick out notes, I'm put off by the dry florals. They seem bitter and out of place in the otherwise sweet blend, and they prevent it from being truly wonderful to my chemistry/tastes/nose. I'll probably wear this intermittently, but it's not a personal favorite. It makes me wish for a pure, creamy, sweet vanilla scent without the bitter dry florals.

[gingiemay]

Wet in bottle - Sweet, aged linens, a sweet, high white floral. Sugary and delicate.

 

Wet on skin - My skin seems to be amping the linens and florals, without as much of the sweet. I’m cool with that.

 

Dry on skin - The sweetness has faded some, with linens taking the forefront on my skin. The imp I tried first had a longer lasting sweetness, so I wonder if it will sweeten with age. Sweet and wistful--I love it.

[pinkstardust420]

oh my gosh. this has got to be, by far, my favorite BPAL perfume, ever. EVER. sweet, sexy, lusicious, sugary vanilla. LOVE. IT.

[plunderparlour]

definately warm vanilla goodness. usually i'm not a vanilla fan but this is different. its not a high pitched scent, but very warm and comforting. a keeper for the falltime.

[Caerphilly]

In the imp: Very sweet, vanillaey, a bit of candy, I smell faint traces of plastic. It reminds me of something. And it's not what I expected from the description, but it's exactly as the reviews say it smells.

 

Wet:Same as in the bottle, Vanilla, sweet....and plastic.

 

Dry: Now I know what it reminds me of! Barbie! It smells like my old Barbie and Skipper dolls from when I was little. I don't know why...I didn't go round sniffing my doll's hair. Honest! But this really reminds me of a Barbie doll.

 

Overall: Good throw. Lasts long. Consistent sweet smell. I just don't like it. It's not me. And the plastic smell is throwing me off. I don't want to smell like Barbie. I might use up my imp, but no bottle for me.

[jizatt]

The first time I tried this, I dismissed it as somewhat plasticky and unremarkable. I traded it off, and have been wanting to retry ever since. I recently acquired a brand new imp, and this time the experience was completely different. I smell vanilla, not in a foody way. I smell linen underneath it, which I love. It's also vaguely spiced, without being spicy. It also seems to have a nice throw on me, I could smell that spot on my arm all evening!

 

Re-decision: very much enjoy =)

[hellomoonglow]

I simply cannot believe that I have yet to review this! It is my favoritest favorite.

 

Vanilla. Dust. White florals. Warm, smooth, like a fine liquor. Goes on strong, and fades slowly. When faded, it still remains true to the original scent, which is rather unusual (at leas I think). I currently have 3 bottles of this and an unknown number of imps. Must....have.....more.....antique lace!

[livingdead71]

I wore this on my wedding day! It's a beautiful scent and seemed very fitting. I might not have tried this based on the description, but was intrigued after reading the reviews. It is a sweet, vanilla floral. There's something almost fruity about it to me. I think I need a bottle of this one!

[Schmoozy]

Such a beautiful, delicate scent.

The smell of fading vanilla blended with clean, crisp cotten, and a hint of flowers.

Together they combine to produce a breathtaking perfume. It is so gentle, pretty and extremely comforting.

Not one note dominates the other, just meld together beautifully.

 

A favorite of mine.

[teacrumb]

Oh this is so gorgeous!!! I had this bath and body works vanilla body spray a couple of years ago and this is almost a dead-ringer for that scent except it has so much more depth. It's smooth vanilla--but not overly sweet vanilla (more like vanilla bean? Not sure...) with the lightest of floral undertones. Anyone who is scared of the floral bit, DON'T BE. I have yet to find a floral that actually works on me, but this is so light and well-blended! Try it!!!

[caitilarkin]

This has been on my wishlist since the first day I heard of BPAL but I kept putting off including it in an order. Thanks to a generous sniffie from a forumite, I am now thoroughly in wub!

 

In the vial: Soft vanilla and florals

 

Wet on skin: Vanilla and linen, with florals in the background

 

Dry on skin: Perfectly blended vanilla, linen and florals

 

Simple, soft, long-lasting (close to 12 hours with some serious throw, as others have noted)...what's not to love? Must have many bottles!

[ghoulie]

Initial Impression: Powdery vanilla.

 

After Wearing It: Powdery vanilla.

 

Final Thoughts: Antique Lace smells exactly the same on me as it does in the bottle. I would call it a "mature" vanilla scent. It really does smell antique without evoking Aunt Ethel's dusty attic. A lot of posters in this thread said the fragrance was "powdery". I find powdery scents, especially those from BPAL, suit my body chemistry perfectly. If powdery scents don't suit you, Antique Lace will probably not be for you.

 

When I was younger, I preferred sweet vanilla fragrances. One of my favorites was a vanilla/caramel combination: you can't get much sweeter than that! I've moved beyond that phase and a lot of vanilla perfumes now repulse me for being too sweet. Antique Lace is not overly sweet on my skin. It's just right; feminine without being girlish.

 

I believe Antique Lace will become a part of my everyday scent rotation. It lasted a long time, and the scent stayed true throughout the day. I am very pleased.

 

EDIT: It's been a week and I'm still enjoying Antique Lace quite a bit. I couldn't be more pleased. It smells great and lasts forever on my skin.

Edited November 11, 2008 by ghoulie

[Jennie]

Hmm… The smell is very hard to place, mellow while still rather sharp. Vanilla-y, but not entirely so. Oh! It deepens quickly. Something else comes forward, I’ve never smelled before. Almost towards the coffee beans-direction; musky? Why do I smell coffee beans? It’s sweet, but very softly so. There’s something in the background I can’t define. Some kind of flower/flowers? It just get better and better as it dries. I never would have thought it by just smelling the vial. It smells rather clean, too, like a made bad, after a while, while still being vanilla.

 

In a vision:

It’s a very white room, with a bureau next to the bed. The bed is freshly made with old, but still clean, linens. Something nice smells from the bureau, like if the old woman had kept her perfumes in there from days past, as well as her make-up, and something more, something secret, whose scent I can’t quite define. She has a pretty linen bag, too, with coffee beans in over the bureau, perhaps a precious gift from a friend. She has a cup of vanilla tea next to the bed on the floor.

[fantasmaglow]

My first bpal love I can't get enough of this! It smells clean, sweet and delicious. Very feminine. It reminds me of clean sheets and marshmallows. Whoever said that it smelled like baby marshmallows tucked into a clean soft blanket was right on the money! I want drown in this stuff. It definitely gets better as it warms up with my skin, allowing the sweet lovely vanilla marshmallowiness to really bloom. I love you Antique lace!!!!!!!

[PinkoCommie]

This one is not my favorite, which is weird. It has primarily Notes of Win™ in it and it's wildly popular. And in later days, despite the similarities drawn between the two, I found that I loved Black Lace. But this was quite a lot like Alice to me, which also wasn't what I'd expected. It's sharp and almost bitter on me, with a heavy dose of dust.

[ouch!]

This is another one of those famous BPAL blends that everyone talks about and I can see why! As a vanilla lover I was sure I was going to like this and now I've tried it, I can safely say this is an incredibly beautiful perfume.

 

It's a very musky sweet vanilla, with a background of linen/clean laundry. Simple and gorgeous. It doesn't need anything else to make it special.

 

It has a hell of alot of throw on me and I absolutely adore it. I'm getting a bottle asap.

It kind of reminds me of marshmallow slightly. That's how sweet and fluffy it is. Kind of like those sweet dollheads I smelled as a child, but not so plasticy.

 

Yum yum yum! This oil deserves all the credit it gets!

 

:D

[papermaker]

I wore this for the first time today. It is much sweeter than I expected but in a good way. It reminds me of a favorite perfume that lingers on sheets that have been washed. It lasted all day, and had really good throw. Probably a bottle purchase for me.

[VioletChaos]

in the imp: vanilla, linen, white musk

 

wet on skin: more of the same, with a *very* subtle scent of those dried flowers underneith.

 

dry down: sweet, soft, beautiful mix of the above, but all well blended, swirling about each other.

 

in all: a friend and i agreed that this is the scent of going to see a friendly grandma. the soft, almost powdery flowers sitting in a parlor full of sunshine coming through delicately crocheted curtains. warm, nostalgic and beautiful. i'm am SO getting a large bottle of this ASAP!

 

 

 

:D

[Electric Maenad]

I bought an imp of this from Brianne, and I'm so glad I finally tried this particular member of the BPAL top 20. It's lovely - vanilla with very light, sweet flowers and a faint hint of hope chest linens. The real kicker for me, though, is that it smells very similar to Stila's Creme Bouquet, which is the only non-BPAL perfume that I still wear with any regularity. Antique Lace doesn't have quite the same throw (no alcohol), but it lasts and lasts, and my husband loves it on me. Definitely putting a big bottle on my to-get list.

[unlaced]

In the bottle it's very sweet and creamy and vanilla-y. And strong... I can barely smell the flower scent peeking through, but it's there.

 

On my skin the vanilla comes way out and it smells kind of... dusty. But in a good way.

 

I only put a bit on each wrist and I can smell it all around me. This is exactly what i was going for! I bought an imp of Antique Lace because I was looking for a scent with a good throw and lasting time but also wasn't too overpowering and I think this is just the thing! Definitely time to buy a big bottle!

[cordeliasbs]

Vanilla all the way, but not a foody or musky vanilla. It's hard for me to define. There's something almost creamy... And there's something that reminds me, ever so slightly of my first perfume, oh yes, Love's Baby Soft. Maybe just nostalgia, but there's something soft and comforting about this scent.

This is the only bpal oil I can wear when I've got a migraine, and it's not one that I picked out. I got it as a freebie with another order, but it is one of my favorites now!

[redderz]

In Bottle: Very sweet, dusty, definitely reminds me of old linen. I didn't think I would like it from the first sniff.

 

On Skin: Whoa, what's this? Vanilla? And even more vanilla? Oh, Antique Lace, you sly beast! I love vanilla! It works on my skin so well; It's not too heady, nor is it too faint, it's just perfect! And the scent is divine. Very dusky vanilla, which reminds me exactly of a 'Vanilla Fountain' from LUSH.

 

Just gorgeous! I must get a 5ml of this when I can!