Belle Époque

[ami226]

“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.

On the skin: All I can smell at the moment is Lily of the Valley. A lovely white floral. Hmmm, I think I can catch a whiff of mandarin as well. This seems like mandarin peel (kind of tart). This scent wafts. I can barely smell it on my skin, but I can smell it even better further away.

This scent is very pretty, but I don't think it is for me. Just don't get enough of the notes I was hoping for!

[mari4212]

On wet: Sweet. Maybe a hint of opium, as it's the note I'm least familiar with, and a bit of soapy lily.

 

Initial drydown: more of the same. I was hoping for the vanilla and sandalwood to make more of an appearance than they have at this point.

 

Later: this fades down to not much after about two hours, without ever really getting much of a vanilla/sandalwood tone. Not really what I was hoping for from this blend.

[Rho]

I decided to give this one a try because I'm really enjoying opium lately. The way the opium note works in this blend is much lighter than other ones I've tried. It's pretty and bouncy opium!

 

The lily of the valley really pops out. It's a little roughly textured on me, like maybe the plant was ground up to get the fragrance out.

 

As for vanilla, it's floating somewhere in the middle of everything else. It's not creamy or heavy enough to take Belle Epoque out of its "bouncy" vibe to me. It's just a light hint of vanilla, like there's an open bottle of extract sitting on the far side of the room.

 

I get next to no mandarin after this dries. I think my skin absorbs it all.

 

Finally, the red sandalwood is a gorgeous, refined base for all the rest of the fragrance. This is the element that makes me really like Belle Epoque. It's ever so slightly gritty, and adds the complexity I want to smell in a quality scent. The rest of the notes seem like they would just float away without the sandalwood on my chemistry.

 

Let's try this kind of summary:

 

Feminine/Masculine: This is quite ladylike, and radiates "prettiness."

Young/Mature: I'd put Belle Epoque somewhere in the middle. The sandalwood and opium take it to a complex level, that's airy, but hints at something darker.

Sweet/Bitter: Sweet, though not foody even though there's vanilla in there.

Light/Heavy: Not the lightest of the light, but somewhat light.

Vibes: Floral, refined.

Overall: 4/5.

[brittanywut]

In the imp: Lily of the valley, opium, & a touch of sandalwood.

 

Wet: Sandalwood really coming out, blends very nicely with the lily of the valley and opium.

 

Dry: This dries down to a nice light blend of sandalwood and floral notes, but the sandalwood definitely is the dominating note in this on me. It's pretty but not one I'll reach for often.

[Incendiare]

In the vial, this is so opium and white florals. Once I apply it to my skin, the nondescript white floral blossoms into a much more noticeable lily of the valley. I can detect a squeeze of mandarin in the background, but otherwise, the rest of the notes are not present for me. This is very fresh and I would wear this anytime throughout the year.

[Eliyetres]

I thought I was gonna love this but there is something wrong. It smells a bit citrusy, musky. Maybe it's the opium or sandalwood, I'm not sure. It didn't work for me, all I get is citrusy/fruity smelling cleaner.

[BoneBone24]

Wet: I know it's not in it, but I'm smelling rose. Rose with a touch of opium.

 

Drydown: The opium is gone and it now smells like a garden in full bloom.

 

Dry: Lot's of florals. I'm not picking up on any of the other notes except perhaps a bit of warmth from the sandalwood.

 

 

 

Verdict: Big time florals just aren't for me.

 

4 out of 10 bones

Edited June 21, 2013 by BoneBone24

[Morsigne925]

Got this as a frimp in my latest order!

 

In the imp: it has a strong, what I think of as "perfumey" smell, very floral; can't decide if I like it yet, seems quite strong in the imp

 

Wet: It's starting to settle into a more powdery flower smell - it's still striking me as a very typical/traditional "perfume" scent, it wouldn't be out of place in my mom's perfume collection; not quite grandma, but it's very feminine, Hollywood-smelling to me. Looking at the description, I'm detecting what I think is probably mostly the Lily and sandalwood, with maybe a hint of the mandarin. I'm not disliking it right now, but I can't say it's my favorite, either; but i'm just not a huge fan of some florals and lily of the valley might be one.

 

Drying (~1 hour): I'm liking it a bit more as it dries - the sweeter mandarin and vanilla are coming out more, and the sandalwood seems spicier; it's still fairly strong, however, and it is still smelling a lot like baby powder/that strong, perfumey scent on me.

 

End of the day: It smelled much better to me as the day went on, but I wasn't a huge fan of it for the first hour or two - it just had a really strong old-perfume smell to it during that time, so I'll have to give it 2 stars.

[Floria]

Very feminine and "perfumey". I think the opium and sandalwood combine to keep it from smelling like a creamsicle, since the mandarin is a lot stronger in the bottle than it is on my skin. It feels rather old-fashioned, but not "old ladyish" in the potpourri and face powder sense - more like something a spirited young lady would have worn a hundred years ago. A good scent for wearing silk dresses and drinking tea, or looking at Impressionist art.

[tera_]

I love this scent. It's fruity, vaguely flowery and mature (but not too much), all at the same time; I wouldn't have thought that possible. But I'm very sensitive to perfumes, and it's just too strong for me.

[whitsunweddings]

In the imp: Lily, sandalwood, maybe some mandarin?

WetL Lily, madarian, and opium. Lovely.

Dry: All the notes combine to make one really lovely sweet scent, though I do get vanilla and opium the strongest. I don't think I'll be getting a bottle, but I'll keep my imp for days when I want something pretty.

[littlesparrow]

Ok. Here goes. My first review...be gentle in your judgement for I have an unrefined sniffer!

 

In the imp: I can definitely smell the mandarin...it smells like mandarin peel when you squeeze it and all the juice squirts out...and something floral too.

 

Wet: The orangeness calms down a bit - which might be the effect of the vanilla but I can't actually smell vanilla (sadly, because it's one of the few scents I know!) Still getting mandarin and flowers - it's bright and juicy and, as previous posters have mentioned, perfumey.

 

Drydown: The mandarin and floral scents mingle and it becomes quite a balanced, sharp floral scent. I don't get sandalwood or vanilla, strangely enough, as those are scents I can easily recognise. It does fade fairly fast though and doesn't have great throw.

 

The Verdict: When I first tried this, I was disappointed because I had just tried Snake Oil and Hunger, both of which are so different from anything I'd ever smelled and I absolutely loved them. After those deep, dark, sensual scents I found this to be too light, quite perfumey and almost commercial.

 

Now, however, I appreciate it much more. It's a very pretty, light scent and is great for me at a certain time of the month when my body decides that all the musky/dark/resinous scents I like are going to be spicy. Quite nice in hot weather too.

 

Having said that it doesn't last too long, doesn't have a lot of throw and fades quite quickly. I'd consider a bottle but there are others I like better.

[Mechanical Death]

oh yum!

After washing off my disasterous test with white rabbit I decided to try this one out of my latest stash.

 

one word: DIVINE!

This is what the nectar of the gods must smell like. Super gorgeous, perfect flowery, mildly citrus, lovely lovely opium. It's mildly sexy, very girly and pretty. A perfect spring and summer scent. I was hoping it would have just a little bit more body, which only means I'll have to slather it on. Guess I'll have to get a back up bottle.

[boomtownrat]

The lab generously included Belle Époque as a frimp with my most recent order.

 

When I smell this, I picture a lady with golden hair elaborately pinned, curled, and braided into a fanciful 18th Century hairstyle. She's twirling slowly on the dance floor in her hugely bustled dress made of rose-gold silk.

 

But I'm the kind of woman who wears mostly black clothing and Dr. Martens, so unless I need a scent for a special occasion, I don't see myself getting much wear out of Belle Époque, as beautiful as it is.

 

This scent throws out mostly mandarin and lily when it's wet. The other notes are harder to find, but I detect a bit of opium and vanilla shyly hiding in the background. Red sandalwood, where are you? Even though I fumbled and accidentally ended up putting on more than I meant to, it has light throw once it's dry. After half an hour I have to put my wrist up to my nose in order to smell it.

[Monday]

On my skin wet: Lily of the valley is dominant, in the background I smell sandalwood and a bit of mandarin. No opium in sight so far.

On my skin dry: The opium showed up but is going a bit sour in combination with the lily of the valley and sandalwood. I'd have liked some orange blossom to go with this.

[Saffrin]

Imp: And even mix of of floral and sandalwood. The floral softens the sandalwood a bit.

Surprisingly pretty, and brings to mind my old bedroom in spring. The window opened out over my mum's heavily flowered garden, and I used to keep a soapstone box with sandalwood inside on the window sill so it'd warm, and scent the room. It also managed to leak and heavily stain said window sill, but that's another story...

 

 

 

Wet: Lily pops out, and the mandarin gives it a citrus edge, though not clearly being mandarin. Sandalwood hangs in the background, with a smokiness I'm guessing is the opium.

I'm not sure what to think of it. It's feminine, for sure, but in a sort of darker/underhanded way.

 

The lily has began to change to a little bit of soapiness (though not over the top omgIsmelllikeashower), however, and the sandalwood has fallen in with the opium to leave a sweet smokiness.

 

No sign of the vanilla.

 

Dry Nothing but headachy smoke. I had to wash it off at this stage.

[ivyblossom]

This is what Art Nouveau smells like. As a big fan of Art Nouveau, I am clinging to this one. It's a bit old timey, old fashioned, and very pretty. It's inoffensive (unlike some of my other favourites, which are on the confrontational side) but it's also a bit quirky, probably because of it's old fashioned feel. For me, the notes all blend together and become something all its own. It's not "old lady" to my nose; it's "clever young lady with a fabulous dress and spectacular shoes in 1910."

[Bluestblood]

On me, this smells EXACTLY like one of those big, rainbow swirl lollipops!

[Magycmyste]

In the imp: Hmmm, sweet, fruity, and floral. I can definitely smell the King Mandarin. I don't know why I tend to shy away from it when I see it in a list of notes, because I do love the scent when I smell it.

 

Wet on skin: The mandarin is still strong, but I'm getting a bitter herbal scent along with it now. Is that the opium or the sandalwood bittering it up? I'm afraid it's the sandalwood, though I love sandalwood, and never want to think about it riuing a scent for me. Hmmm........

 

Dried down: The sandalwood is softening down again, letting the mandarin take back over. I might be getting some Lily of the Valley in this, but I''m not sure. And where, oh where is the vanilla? Oh, there it is. Hiding behind the mandarin and peeking out to see if it's safe. A little too shy to come out, though, apparently.

 

Throw: Not getting much, but I have several scents on different areas of my arm right now, so it's hard to tell.

 

Verdict: ** 1/* This is very complex, and I think I need to spend more time with it to really appreciate it, but I don't think this scent is for me. I'll try it again if I run across it later.

[RubyWoo]

Upon reading the description, I was SURE this one was a keeper, but no, apparently my skin amps florals and spices.

 

Wet: HOLY WHITE FLOWERS BATMAN! I kind of feel like bathroom spray. I smell like a giant WHITE FEBREEZE FLOWER. It's VERY strong, to a point where it almost bothers my nose.

 

Dry: As it drys down the floral is less so, but I can smell the slight sweetness of the perfume. It's very light and girly.

 

 

It lasts for a very long time.

[KerylRaist]

The Pretty Era, and yes, this is very, very pretty. This is a pretty floral perfume worn by a pretty woman in a pretty dress, sitting in a pretty room, on a pretty chair, and... You get my drift. Everything about this is very attractive in a safe and proper way. It's lovely, but there's no edge. This is the perfect accompaniment to extra-girly days.

 

Imp/wet on skin: Slightly sharp (fresh?) floral. Mostly getting Lilly of the Valley. Very nice Lily of the Valley. Soft, sun kissed, pretty, Lily of the Valley.

 

Dry on skin: Lily of the Valley, tinge of vanilla, and a vague shadow of something almost buttery that I'm thinking is the sandalwood. This phase lasts about an hour.

 

Dry hour two: Warm, sweet Lily of the Valley. Maybe that's the opium coming into play. Not smelling any distinct vanilla note, but that could be providing the sweetness, too.

 

I had to read the notes to see Mandarin on the list. At no point did I smell it.

 

This one seems to hang around in the warm, sweet phase for a good four hours, at least. Not much throw, it's wearing within six inches of my skin, but I'm still catching hints of it five hours after applying it.

[doomsday_disco]

In the imp: Mostly florals and mandarin. I hope I am able to get the vanilla from this.

Wet: The mandarin is the most prominent note. It stays that way for a while, but then the florals start to peek out more.

Dry: Eventually, the vanilla emerges to sweeten up the blend, although the mandarin is still the dominant note on me. (The vanilla isn't as prominent as I had hoped it would be, though.) There is a bit of dryness in the background that I think can be attributed to the red sandalwood. The florals have become more prominent.

Verdict: This is pleasant during the wet phase, but there is an aspect to this scent that I'm not sure that I like (probably one of the florals), so I don't think I need more of this.

Edited August 14, 2014 by dementia_divine

[puck_nc]

Origin: Various frimps and a bottle from the Lab

 

Initial Thoughts: I tried this one fairly early on in my BPAL experience and it quickly became one of my favorites when I wanted a more sophisticated floral. Somehow I never reviewed it before. Somehow the red sandalwood isn't problematic.

 

In the Vial: The first whiff is sandalwood. The second has the Lily of the Valley. Elegant and mature in a good way.

 

Wet: The sandalwood is the first note, which isn't surprising as sandalwood is one of those notes that can amp on me in a big way. Usually white sandalwood can work but red is an issue.

 

Drydown: The lily emerges to make it a much more floral scent. The sandalwood grounds it and the vanilla sweetens it. I never really detect the mandarin.

 

Verdict: Still a favorite for when I want what people would consider a traditional perfume.

[lady_pandora]

I first got a whiff of Belle Epoque by way of a sniffie, and then a lovely forumite frimped me a full imp of it, so now I've been able to test it on my skin. I ended up really liking this!

It starts out mostly floral--I was thinking lily before I looked at the notes list. I know lily of the valley is actually a completely different flower, and so I don't know if my sniffer is off, or if there is a resemblance in scent. Anyway, lilyish floral, with the mandarin manifesting not really as a full note, more as a tart bit of effervescence around the edges of the floral. I can also smell a little vanilla underneath.

 

And then oooh, just when I'd forgotten I had it on, the drydown swoops in and it's terrific. The lily and mandarin are gone. I get a lovely smoky vanilla mixed with sandalwood. It reminds me a bit of a milder Sinus Amoris, the way the vanilla and sandalwood work together here. And this is a pairing that almost always works well on me. The smokiness, I think, is coming from the opium, because it's a sweetish smokiness.

 

I haven't decided yet if I need a huge supply of this, because I have a fair-sized supply of vanilla/sandalwood blends already, but we'll see how often I find myself reaching for it. It gives me some of the same warm fuzzies Sinus Amoris does, while probably being less in-your-face for occasions like work.

[LizziesLuck]

Wet: Mandarin and opium.

 

 

Dry: Still mandarin and opium. It's complex though. I quite like it! I don't get any vanilla out of this at all, and no lily either. It's sweet and sort of smokey. I can see wearing this in the summer.