Belle Époque

[undream]

“The Pretty Era”, France’s Golden Time: an age of beauty, innovation and peace in France that lasted from the 19th Century through the first World War and gave birth to the cabaret, the cancan, and the cinema as well as the Impressionist and Art Nouveau movements. Sweet opium, Lily of the Valley, vanilla, mandarin and red sandalwood.

a lovely, pleasant and sweet floral perfume, but once on my skin? it turns into something a little too heavy for me to really stomach. i'm not sure what opium smells like, but i can smell the vanilla, and there's also a wonderful spice note here - and the throw is almost beautiful enough to make me reconsider! - but i know my nose/stomach, and this is unfortunately one of those oils that will never sit well on me.

perhaps it is the vanilla/mandarin combination, as it seems that the bpal perfume oils with those two notes in it always seem to go heavy/foody in an unpleasant way on me. alas.

off to a better home!

ETA: just wanting to note for my future self (in case i come back to remind myself of what i thought about this oil!), the throw eventually starts giving me an unpleasant hairspray note after a while! i'm baffled, as i have only ever gotten that out of oils with jasmine in it, but there it is. alas times two! Edited March 14, 2010 by Shollin

[rayvn1]

Holy crap! Why have I not tried this before?!? Good god, it has two of my favorite notes - opium (sweet opium at that!) and sandalwood with mandarin and vanilla to boot? Heaven in an imp-sized container. So glad I ended up with two imps of this rattling around my imp box. Started off generically floral and I thought "meh" and went to sniff the oil on my other arm. When I went back a few minutes later though, Wham! A sexy, decadent and domineering cloud of sweet spice made me whip my head around in surprise. Keeper, to say the least.

 

[voorishsign]

"She stepped forward and the sunlight cast a glow over the russet-coloured dress that clung so charmingly to her figure. Tall and elfin-featured, with a tumbling fall of Mucha-like curls, she held up the newspaper and flashed me a lovely smile. 'I came in response to your advertisement.' The voice was lightly accented - Dutch? - and tinkled like a music-box.

'Advertisement? Oh! Oh yes of course! Come in, please, Miss . . . ?'

'Pok.'

'Pok?'

'Bella Pok.'"

- Mark Gatiss, The Vesuvius Club

 

This was always meant as a gift for my mum, but I thought I'd experiment just for the sheer heck of it to see how different it might smell on me.

 

On me, it's almost immediately opium, sandalwood, with hints of vanilla and mandarin on drydrown and with lily of the valley completely absent, and twenty minutes on the vanilla and mandarin have all but disappeared out of the equation. It's sophisticated, classy and slightly darker than the usual women's fragrance, like a staggeringly beautiful and charming woman with a murderous secret - which is rather fitting considering of course I tried it entirely in the honour of The Vesuvius Club's Bella Pok, and nothing would describe her better. Nothing, of course, describes me less, so it's not a keeper, but it was really interesting to smell.

 

It lasts a very long time and I eventually scrubbed it off just because it was too long-lasting and ladylike and meddling a bit with my own scents.

 

On my mum, it's pure vanilla and lily of the valley with only a faint hint of sandalwood to darken it, it's light, charming and refined, bringing to mind a mature, dignified lady in an eggshell-coloured dress, having freshly stepped out of a Victorian garden - which is fairly much my mum on a good day, so I think it fits her perfectly. I really like it, it makes me regret getting Antique Lace and not this as a full bottle for her, but the imp should last her a while, and I will try to get her some more.

[claudia6913]

In the imp is a sweet tang.

 

Wet it is turning spicy with just a hint of sweetness. The vanilla is barely there, possibly what is giving this its sweetness. Another heady blend, but more feminine in nature than some of the others I've tried today.

Edited September 8, 2009 by claudia6913

[puellacaerulea]

In the imp, I get this amazing combination of smoky/spicy notes (the opium and sandalwood?) behind a strong but sweet citrus note. It's an unexpected combination, but they go wonderfully together. I don't get much vanilla in the imp, on the other hand. It does have a vaguely "old" feel to it, but it's far from grandma's perfume.

 

On drydown, the mandarin starts to go away quickly, much to my disappointment. What I finally end up with are just the smoky and spicy notes (the vanilla also comes out to play a bit at this point). I was surprised by this, as citrus notes usually love my skin. This isn't necessarily a bad thing -- the sandalwood/opium/vanilla notes are great on their own -- but to me the mandarin really takes the scent out of Shalimar-esque territory. A bottle is probably in my future, especially since it'll be that much more motivation for me to buy a scent locket.

[animalcule]

I can't make up my mind on Belle Epoque. On the one hand it's a tasty scent - vanilla and sandalwood, with a little citrus if I sniff hard. But it's so subtle.. so far I just can't get excited. I would even say it's powdery. Will have to try it a few more times.

 

EDIT: Tried a few more times, and ended up giving it away. On me it quickly turns into mild baby powder, unfortunately. I am finding that most sweet/powdery BPALs do that on me...

Edited June 4, 2010 by animalcule

[Venneh]

In the imp, this smells like mandarin and the opium, first and foremost. Once on my skin, it's mandarin and opium, with the Lily of the Valley coming out to balance it. A pretty, delicate scent, but not anything that I need a bottle of, I think. Might layer well with Les Infortunes, too.

Edited October 26, 2009 by Venneh
Removed Lab description --Shollin

[Leopard403]

Well hello, opium. Where are you hiding the other notes in this blend? Because that's all I get. No lovely sandalwood, no lily or vanilla, no orange. Just head-shop incense smoke.

[sarielswish]

In the vial, it's very nice. Colorwise, I get a very light minty green - reminiscent of absinthe. I can smell mostly the opium, sandalwood, and lily but I'm not getting any mandarin or vanilla at all.

 

Wet on my skin, it's almost identical to in the vial. I'm still not getting any vanilla or mandarin.

 

10-15 minute dry-down - Eh. Pretty, but not me. I'm getting opium and lily and little else. Even the sandalwood has disappeared.

 

1 hour dry-down - Ok, this isn't me. After an hour, the only thing I can smell is LILY. Not that I dislike lilies, but I'm not big on florals. Not something I'll keep.

[PixieSkull]

Imp: I can smell the victorian romanticism from the imp. Strong and elegant, no-nonsense antiques and lace doilies.

 

Wet: Blooms a little from the floral and slightly dustiness of sandalwood... what I'd imagine the room from Seance was when it was first used. Building up pretty nice.

 

Dry: ... and I'm allergic. Left wrist is my first application, then rubbed on my right wrist, then left wrist to right side of the neck, right wrist to left side of neck. The right side of my neck blew up in itchiness after 15 minutes with more minor itching on my left. Wrists okay, but since I washed my hands quite a few times after application I'm not surprised. Turned powdery and a little acrid before the itching on my washed wrists.

 

Can't give a rating, I'm allergic to something in it. Red sandalwood (and other sandalwoods) have never made me itchy, maybe the sweet opium blend or lily of the valley. Sad, this would have been very lovely.

[darklorelei]

For me, the lily of the valley is definitely the most dominant note. Floral, slightly soapy, but not in a bad way unless you get too close. The vanilla also comes out; to me, the overall impression is that of pears or gardenias, though those notes aren't pleasant in the blend. Pretty, but not extraordinary.

[SophieCedar]

I have other non-BPAL scents that use opium and even if they say it's mixed, it's always that "opium stench". Not in the case of BPAL's version! This is light, heart-lifting, and dreamy. Lily of the valley and opium together? I've never seen it until now I'm glad that I have. This will be my perfect early summer energized, twitterpated scent. Though wearing it in the winter works too..

Edited January 17, 2010 by SophieCedar

[Finch]

Wet, dry, and even after I've had it on for a while I smell nothing but sweet lily-of-the-valley. Such a potent blend of fresh spring time flowers in a tiny vial! This would be a nice companion to something with a little earth in it, like Graveyard Dirt or Zombi.

[changeling]

A frimp from the wonderfully generous Lab!

 

In the bottle: Lovely, lovely lily-of-the-valley, a particularly favorite scent from childhood.

 

Wet: FLOWERS! I smelled lily-of-the-valley, I expected lily-of-the-valley, but on my skin, this is loud.

 

Dry: This dries to a stronger, more generic floral--not my favorite scent family. This might make a lovely bath salt mix, though--oooh, or a dusting powder. Hmm...

It lasts quite a while, surprising for one of the florals. They usually fade rather quickly on me. Of course, my skin is less dry than usual, which makes a difference.

[DeltaCat]

Lily of the Valley and sandalwood. This is great! I don't normally pick up lily of the valley in perfumes and such but in this I do! I wish the vanilla would come out, but none the less this scent screams Spring morning! Lovely!

[impolight]

:::BELLE EPOQUE:::

So, this is a fragrance used for the representation of 'The Beautiful Era' in France... Well put!

Belle Epoque is a divine fragrance; the head swims with imagery of burgeoning voluptuousness and a starburst of optimism that can only come from being immersed in what seems to be an eternity of bedazzling beauty in all things, Nature, The Arts, Architecture and Citizenry.

Belle Epoque is a hearbreakingly glorious boquet.

Without the Lab's notes on hand, it is difficult to associate a specific blossom, so the mind portrays and endless, electric-green field, saturated with flowers of every hue and description on a dazzling summery afternoon where hummingbirds and butterflies congregate to celebrate the bursting bounty.

Belle Epoque is drastically femenine.

This is a fragrance GUARANTEED to turn EVERY head in the room, inspiring heartbreak, lust, or jealousy.

This is the fragrance suitable for wooing an entire generation.

In every way superb.

Smitten.

[PinkoCommie]

Sniffing from the bottle, I wondered if I'd made a mistake buying this. I got straight up dusty red sandalwood. I like sandalwood as much as the next chick, but I didn't need a single note!

 

I persevered, though, dabbing a bit on my left wrist. *sniff sniff* It almost immediately sweetens up. There are my lovely lilies! Making it a bit rounder and warmer, less dusty. Mmm. Some vanilla in the background. Not at all foody, just smooth. There might be some mandarin in there to keep it light, but this is a cobalt bottle and I'm almost certain that anything remotely citrus has long since burned off. The opium makes an understated appearance, though, deepening the blend and making it just a touch smoky.

 

Over all, this is a sophisticated blend. Not for a blue jean day, for sure! (Not unless they're some kickass blue jeans....)

 

ETA: For people who might have liked Haloes but wanted something softer, less perfumey or more toward the femme end of the spectrum, this is a definite contender. They remind me lots of each other.)

Edited March 3, 2010 by PinkoCommie

[acbombshell]

To me, this smelled kind of generic and nondescript. It could have been a drug store perfume.

[calivianya]

My first try at this had me turning my nose up at it. It smelled wonderful until I noticed one note that made it almost sickly sweet. I'm still not sure what I was smelling, but it put me off this scent. I decided to try my imp in an experiment since I was thinking about making perfume sprays with several of my BPAL oils, and I wouldn't miss this one too terribly if it turned out awful. I mixed it with Everclear and let it sit for five days, then gave it a shot. Now, I am blown away. Whatever that sickly sweet smell was is totally gone, and this brings out pretty floral notes rooted by deeper, incensey smells. I'm guessing that's the opium. Either way, this was 10x improved by mixing it with the alcohol and I like the resulting scent very much. This may be a bottle purchase now.

[Gwydion]

In bottle: Mandarin dominant, with a strong lily of the valley presence. Vanilla is next strongest. Sandalwood is understated. Rich and pleasant. Wet: Orange sweetened with vanilla and a touch of lily of the valley. Sweet and womanly. Totally not me, but very well blended even with my tendency to amp orange. Dry: The opium and sandalwood come out. The mix is now remarkably womanly and sexy. The vanilla and sandalwood combination works particularly well. This really does beautifully embody its concept.

[naeelah]

I love the lab's opium note and I love fragrances in this family, so I was eager to try this -- but red sandalwood and I have a history, so I didn't get my hopes up too high.

 

When it goes on, it's a sweet, creamy floral with a prominent puff of opium smoke. The lab's opium smoke note never strikes me as overly smoky -- it isn't sooty, it's like a soft incense. The vanilla isn't too strong, but it blends with the sweetness of the opium. The opium, however, keeps it from being overly foody, and the cool lily note also helps to temper the rich sweetness. The floral and sweet qualities balance well, and the scent is grounded by the sandalwood. (I always find red sandalwood to be very dry and a bit prickly, almost spicy, so it's also a good foil to the vanilla.) I guess I never really pick out the mandarin as distinct.

 

Unfortunately, after about 10 minutes, it turns into 90% red sandalwood on my skin. This always happens.

 

If you want a sweet, creamy, subtle floral scent -- something voluptuous, but also pretty and a little delicate -- then give this a try. There are several scents in this family (such as Sacred Whore), but many of them contain rose, jasmine, or red musk, so this is a good choice if any of those are death notes for you.

Edited February 14, 2011 by naeelah

[lygophilous]

So glad to finally try this scent! I moved and fell out of BPAL in all the craziness, and this was the first scent that I received and sniffed in over eight months. What a great welcoming back to BPAL!

 

In the imp, I don't smell any citrus. Just sweet vanilla and sandalwood. The scent is strong but so pleasant!

 

Wet on the skin, the throw is not overwhelming, which is wonderful. I can't stop sniffing myself! The sandalwood is definitely coming out strong along with the Lily of the Valley. That extra muskiness must be the opium, which, apparently, I adore (and as a result, I am browsing for more opium-mixed scents right now). Dry on the skin about thirty minutes later, and I am enamored. The musky vanilla-lily-sandalwood combination is lush and womanly, though not overly so. It seems to go slightly powdery (not soapy, however) on my skin, which I prefer in scents anyhow. I still don't smell any mandarin notes, though I am certainly not complaining! There is something about this scent that seems almost dreamy.

 

Belle Époque is a classic! It makes me think of warm gardens and beautiful women lounging outside with large brim hats many, many years ago. And it makes me remember watching the movie of the same (with a very young Penelope Cruz), which it seems to reflect in an amusing way. I will definitely be adding this permanently to my growing collection. I highly recommend.

[ShannonElisabethJones]

On first sniff in the bottle, I get clean sandalwood and citrus. When I put it on, it warmed and sweetened with vanilla. Now about a half hour in it's getting a wee bit cloying with the opium. I'm not sure about this one yet - maybe for nights out, but might be to sweet for everyday wear.

[holborne]

In the Imp: A sweet floral.

 

Wet: Lily of the Valley comes out much more individually than in the imp, but it's not overpowering. The lily is also tempered very nicely with the mandarin.

 

Dried: Eventually, the sandalwood note is the most prominent, with a rather light note of lily of the valley and mandarin as supporting players. Although it was rather sweet before, it becomes much warmer on my skin. It might be a bit dramatic for everyday wear, but it would be a very fine first date scent; it's serious, but in a non-threatening way, without being too severe or stodgy.

Edited June 19, 2011 by holborne

[Gateau]

I ordered this because I'm so in love with the Belle Epoque period in art history, and because the description of the fragrance sounded so complex and sophisticated, while utterly feminine.

 

Imp -- Whoa, it smells exactly like Jean Nate After Bath Splash! Which isn't a bad thing, as I have lovely associations with it from childhood. But not what I expected.

 

Wet -- Still strongly Jean Nate, with added jasmine (uh oh) and neroli.

 

Dry -- That perfumey scent stays in control. At one point my husband says "you smell like an old lady who was actually around during the Belle Epoque." Eesh. It gets a little softer and smokier, at some point smells reminiscent of Chanel No. 5, and later even like Chanel Coco. But if I want to smell like either of those, I have some of the real stuff.

 

Sadly this just doesn't work on me.