The Dormouse

[becca_s]

A dizzying eddy of four teas brushed with light herbs and a breath of peony.

This starts off clean and citrusy. It was cleaner and less floral than I was expecting. It's very fresh and light. After a while the peony comes out to soften it up. I love peony but I think that this has too much tea for me. I will re-test this one.

[Innocuousmold]

I'm an avid tea lover, so I was really looking forward to this. I actually bought this one a few years ago, and I didn't recall my impresion of it so I thought is give it another whirl. UnfortunatelyThe Dormouse is unspectacular on me and pretty much stays a green tea note with a touch of soap most of the time.

[Dani87]

Imp: lemons

I put this on my wrist, and crook of my elbow to test.

Wet: wrist; lemon soap. Elbow; lemon tea.

Dry: wrist: soap just soap. Elbow. Lemon tea.

Overall: this is the only tea party scent I have.tried that I didn't care much for. Off to swaps.

[whitsunweddings]

In the imp: Peony!

Wet: Peony and herbs.

Dry: Herby green tea with citrus and peony. After a few hours, this really became a single-note peony scent on me, which was a shame. I'm going to try this as a room scent and see how it goes.

[ami226]

On the skin: Lovely floral and tea! This is very pretty and pleasantly light. Makes me think of a nice spring morning with a light cup of tea. Maybe with a hint of sweet vanilla? Reminds me a bit of The Unicorn.

 

This is definitely one of the best tea blends I have ever smelled!

[Quillifer]

To me this smells of good hay.

 

Edited to add: I loved this wet, and for a brief while after, but then it just seemed very light and rather nothingy.

Edited August 7, 2012 by Quillifer

[GoddesShel]

I was so looking forward to this one! Unfortunately, me and the Lab's peony note don't appear to get along. Everything I've tried with that note (most notably Lady in Pink Speckled Kimono), all I get out of it is dirt. I have NO idea why, but it breaks my heart.

 

So, this one was lemony tea and dirt on me - but hopefully I'm the only one with that particular kink in her skin chemistry.

I was so looking forward to this one! Unfortunately, me and the Lab's peony note don't appear to get along. Everything I've tried with that note (most notably Lady in Pink Speckled Kimono), all I get out of it is dirt. I have NO idea why, but it breaks my heart.

 

So, this one was lemony tea and dirt on me - but hopefully I'm the only one with that particular kink in her skin chemistry.

 

ETA: Retest. I kept reading the scent notes and thinking, "Why didn't this work on me?" So I came back and read my previous review (above). I pulled the imp out of my swap pile to retest it, and this time it's different!

 

I still get a good blast of lemon (or lemongrass) when it's wet, but no dirt this time! And as it dries, the peony and teas come out to play (I never got even a hint of either one, last time). It is very light, as other reviewers have said. But it is also very feminine, and I may now have to have a bottle.

 

[Alethia]

Thoughts before testing: I love peony and all of the Lab's teas, but I'm not so sure about the herbs listed.

 

Wet: Beautiful, slightly sweet peony but not candy sweet like Lady in a Speckled Pink Kimono. I don't get any tea at this stage; it's pretty much the Peony Show. This is ok with me though because I love peony!

 

Dry down: The tea is becomes more prominent as it dries and tempers the sweetness of the peony just a little. So pretty! The tea is light, definitely not a dark tea.

 

Dry: Equal parts tea and peony. This is so crazy pretty.

 

Final thoughts: I never got any herbs, and that's ok with me. I've been looking for a warm weather scent that isn't too overpowering, and I think that Dormouse fits that bill!

 

Verdict: Bottle purchase for sure!

[MissMercurial]

This is very strongly reminiscent of Envy on me to start, so, the same green tea note is there. Apparently my skin is good friends with that note because it's the majority of what I get from this for a long part of its duration. It's like Envy's sweetened sibling - the peony definitely adds a traditionally feminine feel to it. Underneath is some bergamot and herby stuff that keeps it from veering off into crazy-sweet-floral territory, but they're not as prominent to my nose.

 

"Dizzying" is an apt word, I think - all of the Wonderland blends I've tried have a certain "off-ness" to them, IMO, like something underneath all those pleasant and generally familiar notes is a little bit odd, fittingly enough. While no exception to this rule, Dormouse felt the least like that of the ones I've tried (Alice; Croquet; and Two, Five & Seven, that I remember clearly and am sure of). It's unobtrusive but unusual, maybe enough to make most people tilt their heads and wonder "now what was that?" in mild interest if they caught a whiff of it and be memorable. The "memorability" of it isn't a distinctly harsh/soft impression, which is unusual in and of itself I think (to be memorable without being on one end of the spectrum or another).

 

I don't get much throw out of this, but I rarely get much throw in general. It didn't permeate or last past a shower (tested on the crook of my elbow).

Edited August 23, 2012 by MissMercurial

[Gwydion]

In bottle: Peony dominant with strong tea backing. They work together well, supporting each other beautifully. I’m a little bummed out it’s so floral though. I was hoping for mostly tea. The herbs give it a touch of green to go with the purple. Wet: More tea on the skin and a little less floral, though still in that realm. The herbs come out a little more as well, creating a tea party in the garden sort of feel that suits the concept. It’s pretty and delicate. I am picking up anise as it warms, which goes well with the tea, even as the peony continues to soften. Dry: Peony and herbs.

[sth0]

Wet: Very green, very green tea. If rodents actually smelled like this, I would have thousands in my home. Sweet edge to it.

 

Drying down: Gets sharper as it dries. Very green tea! Reminds me of Elizabeth Arden Green Tea but not as sweet and overpowering. This is very fresh. The peony is a spicy, sharp note which works well here. This is highly appropriate for a tea party!

[alyelle]

In the imp: wet green herbs and some light peony - not a trace of tea! Something lemony, like crushed coriander or lemongrass.

 

Wet: I slathered this because it smells so very light. Definitely lemon, so if there's no actual lemon, I'd be willing to bet on lemongrass being on the herbs, and the faintest hint of warm black tea.

 

Initial drydown: the lemon stays strong for a while, but thankfully it's not the sticky, headache-inducing lemon I have so many problems with (I'm looking at you, Lolita). It's a sharp, fresh lemon than blends marvelously with the tea that's inching its way out to greet me.

 

End of day: a sweet, light tea, very summery; more reminiscent of an iced fruit tea than a hot mug.

 

Overall this is a lovely scent, if somewhat light. It's perfect for bright winter days when you need reminding that spring is on its way, but the softness of it is drowned out in the hotter months of the year. I'm trying to downsize my stash so I won't order a bottle any time soon, but I will be sure to keep an imp at all times!

 

★: 5/5

Edited January 9, 2013 by alyelle

[Cimorene]

First impression: Ohhhh yeahhhh.

 

Drying down: This smells great in the bottle and great on me too! It starts of very light, with something citrusy (not the cloyingly sweet kind, the tart and juicy kind) and it keeps getting better. I actually don't get any tea from this, just the citrus and florals, and it's not so much "dizzying" as "fresh and lively". Usually green scents don't really agree with me, but this one is something special.

 

Dry: The tea's made an appearance! Whereas Dormouse was sharp before, the tea mellows it out and adds a trace of bitterness that keeps it from getting a little too sweet.

Verdict: A keeper. I might like this even better than Shanghai, and I'm a sucker for verbena Only downside is that my skin eats it up, and I wish it lasted just a little bit longer.

Edited March 7, 2013 by Cimorene

[tharsei-thanate]

Huh, I thought I reviewed this!

 

I bought an imp from a forumite a few weeks ago and I've worn it multiple times since.

 

At first it's tea (a mix of black and green, if I had to pin down a type) steeped with herbs at the forefront followed by lovely peony. The teas were indeed dizzying, and they had a little bite to them (citrus maybe?). The longer this is on my skin, though, the sweeter the tea becomes and it blends together beautifully with the peony.

 

I love how all the tea blends I try have their own character. The Apothecary is a cup of tea on a rainy day, White Rabbit is afternoon tea in a sunny parlor room, and The Dormouse is late morning tea in a springtime garden filled with pink flowers. Simply gorgeous!

[mymymai]

ITI: its green and herby with sweetly steeped tea and a light floral. It's a little more pungent than I expected, though.

 

Wet: It stays true to the ITI scent while on my skin, which is refreshing.

 

Dry: It's soft and sweet, like tea cakes at high tea. What a fitting scent for the scent's name!

[ToThineOwnSelfBeTrue]

Smelling this from the imp made me smile. It's a light happy scent that I believe would change people's moods.

 

Sweet green apples, with green tea and lily of the valley...over all impressive scent but to bright for me.

[ringmaster-red]

In the bottle: stinky and sickly, rotting plants

 

Wet: Immediately after application, it’s still dead rotting plants. It reminds me a lot of Hades. After a minute, it morphs into clean tangy florals. It smells like clean rain and peonies with just a touch of rotted herbs. A weird combination. (I received this imp in a swap, so I’m wondering if this imp is just so aged that it’s not suitably fresh anymore.) It changes again into ozone and cleaning products with just a touch of peony.

 

Dry: It’s just straight up laundry detergent. I don’t think this is for me. After another 20 minutes, it’s just plain soap.

[nightingalesblood]

In the imp: sugary tea and grass

Wet: strong detergent-style peony with green undertones

Dry: I usually don't incline towards light floral or green scents, but I adore this scent. The peony adds sweetness, but not in a syrupy way. The green tea is what really draws me in to this scent-it is so refreshing and zingy, without inducing scratchy-throat or sneezing. It's perfect for spring and summer, or if you just want a cheerful pick-me-up in the morning. I can't really smell any fruit here, but the overall impression reminds me of home made lemonade; tart, sweet, and perfect to combat thirsty warm weather.

[ObliqueRed]

Beautiful, fresh tea, with a sweetness that feels plant-y rather than sugary; lovely, light, versatile and refreshing. A real winner for me.

[Deliciousness]

In the imp: Clean, slightly sweet scent. I can smell the peony and mixture of tea. Very nice!

 

Wet on skin: The peony blooms and the tea is a great grounding note to the sweet, green floral.

 

Dry on skin: This scent seems to have done a disappearing act. I can only detect a faint trace of the originally beautiful fragrance. I think my skin was thirsty - .

 

This is a very pretty scent, great for spring or sumer as it's slightly crisp and just sweet enough. If my skin didn't drink this one into oblivion, I would definitely purchase a bottle.

[marcnatandcat]

Bottle: This smells both sweet and sharp. Sweet apple and green tea.

 

Wet: This smells like green tea. Sweet green tea and a hint of some fruit. Maybe a pear? You can barely smell the black tea, but it makes this a nice round scent.

 

Dry: There's the black tea. It smells like sweet tea to me. I love it. This is sweeter and not as deep as Dorian. I think I'm smelling a blend of tea and sugar. I love this. It also has a very light floral. A peony maybe? It doesn't show up until this is completely dry.

 

5/5 If you like Dorian you will like this.

Edited October 25, 2013 by marcnatandcat

[Jangzonrice]

Wet: tea scent with light peony...nice at this stage, but very little throw. This is good if you don't like strong perfume. Dry: barely there soapy, peony tea scent...no good...fades very quickly. It only lasted for 2 hours. This would be great if you are not allowed strong scents or perfume at work though! Got it as a frimp and will not be purchasing a bottle.

[JuliskaMarie]

In the imp: Peony! Very strong, fresh peony! There's something behind it too, but it's hard to pick out - sort of herby teas, with a little bit of apple & something else green? Strange, but very pretty!

Wet on skin: Peony & teas! Like being at a huge outdoor tea party with vases of peonies on the table! Earl Grey with lemon, Green Tea, a flavoured black tea (not sure what it's flavoured with, but it's not a plain black & there's no milk in it) & a herbal-tea mix. Where is this tea party & how do I get there???

Dry on skin: Wow, the peony faded quickly - the flowers are up the other end of a long table now! The teas are all mixing together to make a really interesting scent (not dissimilar to what my tea-shelf would smell like if I removed all the chocolate-flavoured teas). The lemon is slightly more present too, not too strong though, more like it's not just *in* the Earl Grey, but the squeezed-out lemon wedges have been left on the table nearby. There might be some dried apple in one of the teas, but there's no fresh apple here. It does definitely make me think of the Mad Hatter & March Hare's tea party from Alice in Wonderland!

After a few hours: It's VERY faint now. Sort of a sweet, floraly tea scent. Pretty, but not really there.

Verdict: I really like this one & I think I'll get a fair bit of use out of it! The only downside is that it doesn't last all that long. I wonder if it would last longer in a scent locket?

Edited August 28, 2014 by JuliskaMarie

[Serena Reverberi]

Grass with green tea and citrus. Just, grass. With lemon zest in it. Very clean, unexpectedly good but not bottle-worthy.

[icecreamcone]

The Dormouse reminds me of linden blossom/dryer sheets.

If you're a fan of clean laundry scents, it could be worth trying.

 

Edited December 26, 2022 by icecreamcone