Pandora

[ipb]

Charming, mischevious, and ultimately chaotic! An armoatic paen to discord. Lotus and gardenia spiked with mint.

initial thoughts: mint and something that i don't know what it is. maybe the lotus? mmmm not sure how this'll go...

[jj_j]

Oh, this is nice! Definite lotus, and definite gardenia - I have soft, sweet, flowing floral surrounding me - but I seem to have an imp that didn't include the mint. I don't mean it doesn't have much, I mean there's ZERO mint in this one.

 

Like it a lot this way, though, and now know that lotus is one of the notes I had a hard time identifying in some of the Tarot blends.

[Astarte]

This is very chaotic, definitely can smell the mint, gardenia and lotus in this scent but they swirl together very innocently unaware of the chaos. Much like the mischevious child who hides the final piece of a jigsaw and then watches who next plays with it, smiling encouragingly.

 

Defintely an experience to be had.

[omly]

In the bottle I smell all three notes of gardenia, lotus and just enough mint to be like "what is that?" After reading the description I can pick it out, but before that I couldn't figure it out. In the bottle it confuses my nose, discord indeed!

 

After dry down this became a beautiful sweet soft floral, but I couldn't smell the mint. No wait, what's this pear? Why do I smell pear? I like it, but I think my nose is very confused.

[malanna]

Very chaotic, for sure. My untrained nose couldn't identify the notes, except the lotus (well, what I think is lotus--the strongest note there that made it different from other scents I've smelled). I didn't seem floral, aquatic, fresh, or any of the typical categories to me (which is why this isn't such a good review). It lasts pretty long, though and doesn't seem to be that strong, but that's because it isn't so obtrusive (so chaotic it blends with the chaos in the world).

[Donnababe]

I get the mint immediately from the bottle and intitial application but it seems to fade within two minutes of hitting my skin. All I'm left with from then on is a sharp sweetness that makes my nose wrinkle. It's an extremely aquatic fragrance too so this one goes into my swap pile.

[Azrhiaz]

In the bottle: lotus and the tiniest bit of mint. I can't smell any gardenia.

 

Wet: LOTUS. Nothing else.

 

Drydown: Still lotus, all the way.

 

Verdict: I wanted to like this one, because it's one of my favorite myths, but the scent of lotus by itself is kind of "meh" to me. Not bad, just not terribly exciting, and not really me. Still, I'm glad I got to try it before it was discontinued. Will probably swap the Imp. Anyone who likes lotus ought to love this.

[hypothermya]

Pandora

 

First Impression

 

Mint. Mint, mint, mint...and a sweetness underneath it that reminds me of the white chicklet gums... The ones that are mint flavored, but still smell like bubble gum.

 

Wearing It

 

Once on the skin, this scent calms down a *lot*. I was really trepidatious about wearing anything that smelled like mint bubble gum... But what happens is that the mint and the lotus dry down a lot, and the gardenia starts to show itself. It turns more smooth and creamy (the gardenia again) with a sweetness and slight mint to it. It almost smells playful, which is probably exactly what this perfume is supposed to convey.

 

Overall, this is a bit too sweet for my tastes in terms of perfume. It's a charming, sweet, and playful blend of perfume... perfect for someone who'd want to take a traditional floral scent and add new pizazz to it.

[allelujiah]

I opened this bottle and thought to myself - ooh this smells of Keflex. Keflex is that antibiotic that is thick and pink and bubblegum flavored. It was an overwhelming powdery pink bubblegum scent.

 

As soon as it touched my skin the medicinal smell started to fade, and strong pink bubblegum was still prevalent.

 

Five hours later - the scent is really delicate. I can smell the gardenia most strongly. It is lightly sweet, like little girls. It makes me think of glass vases, the kind that are tall and filled with colored glass. I don't know why that is, or how that could be helpful to anyone.

 

This is a totally feminine scent. I don't know if I would necessarily add this to my collection, but I'm sad that I don't have that option anyway.

[NoirRosaleen]

...this smells like Lolita is described on me...I totally get the bubblegum thing too. After an hour or so, though, she*s gone with everything else in the box, no gardenia for me or anything! Off to swaps.

[rainbow]

In the bottle and wet on skin- I love mint and I love this. This has a very similar opening note to Nine Mysteries- the sweet mint, reminiscent of cherry candy canes. Pandora is clearly sweet because of the florals (and I do get a sense that it's a floral sweetness), but I do get some cherry in the scent- just some, not alot.

 

As the scent develops and dries the mint, which is the predominant wet note, fades, and I'm left with more of a sweet, fresh floral. This is just pleasant to wear which might not sound like a ringing endorsement, but it is, it really is. This oil is a real pleasure to wear, in an unobtrusive sort of way.

[feline.by.design]

I always liked the story of Pandora. She seems a bit misunderstood. Sure, she had a curiousity that has done massive damage to the world, but hey, she had all those other great qualities, yes?

 

The smell from Pandora, the BPAL version, was a bubbley smell that was a bit sweet. It reminds me of something, something I couldn't place until after a while: chapstick.

 

There is a bit of an "odd" note... sometimes lotus works with me and sometimes it smells like old bubble gum. In this case, it didn't work.

 

-doreen

[Shollin]

First sniff: Bubblegum-sweet and wet – yup, there’s lotus in this all right. I’m not getting gardenia at all, but there’s a hint of minty chill hanging around the edges.

 

Wearing: It’s similar enough to Black Lotus (which I prefer) that I think I'll pass it along to someone who didn't get to try it before it went away.

[Pixie-elf]

Pandora

 

In the Vial: Lotus with a tiny bit of crisp Mint.

 

Wet: The Lotus is stronger now, stronger than the Mint, but both are fighting for control and beautiful.

 

Dry: The Lotus won, it's mostly Lotus with just a little Mint floating around. Bubblegummy, and so yummy!

 

Conclusion: If you like Lotus you'll love this... It's really beautiful. I will use up the imp and try to get another if possible.

 

If you like this you may like: Nine Mysteries is similar, but with more Mint than Lotus, so you may with to try it.

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: Mint and lotus - the combination of which, somehow, makes me think of the dentist's office and the flavored gel they used to put on my teeth as a child. Because of this association I am a bit nervous as I daub this on.

 

On me: The association only grows stronger. In other circumstances, I could say that I like this candy-like fragrance; the mint and the lotus and the gardenia all work well together to create an enjoyable if somewhat chaotic blend. But all I can think is dentist! dentist! dentist!

[OriginalWacky]

Bottle (Imp): Oooh, sweet and maybe citrus.

 

Just On: More sweet then citrus, perhaps with a bare hint of mint.

 

An hour or two later: Hmm, I'm not too sure now. Maybe it's lotus?

 

Around 6 hours: Yes, I think it might be lotus.

 

12 hours: It's gone now, so nothing to report here.

 

Overall: I'm truly liking this one. I would love to get more of it.

 

After reading other reviews: I'm hoarding the imp. This is one I'd buy more of in a heartbeat. I never really got the gardenia.

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 1/5

Summarised in a word or two: Lotusy.

 

In the imp/bottle: Equal parts mint and lotus.

 

On skin, wet: A blanket of lotus over light, wispy mint and faint gardenia.

 

On skin, dry: Minty lotus-gardenia. In short, a strong, minty floral. It's hard to tell which note is stronger, mint or lotus.

 

Conclusion: Lotus isn't bad on its own, and I love mint, but I've come to the conclusion that I just don't like lotus-mint mixtures.

Edited December 17, 2005 by Aredhel

[Fefferbella]

Lotus is a great note on my skin, and Pandora is no exception!

The crisp minty note combines in a unique refreshing way with the subtle lotus floral note. Very refreshing and feminine.

 

I really wish I could have gotten a big bottle of this, it's a really lovely scent!

[Little Bird]

I actually rather like Pandora, though I don't know if it's one that I'd ever want a bottle of. It starts out minty, but that fades away within a few minutes, leaving behind a sweet bubblegummy floral. There is something of a creamy aquatic note underneath the bubblegum-lotus.

 

I actually am rather fond of lotus, so I like this one. It only lasts about an hour on my skin though.

[coulrophobe]

When Pandora first hits my skin, she's a bright, chaotic... candy store. Lotus and mint are definitely present, as well as something sweet and fruity - almost a mango or melon undertone.

 

But then the gardenia decides to crash the party. As much as I love gardenias as plants, as a note, it goes a bit funky on my skin, the same way jasmine does. Heavy, dusty, uber-sweet - I can still smell minty-fruity-gummy candy underneath, but this one's primarily gardenia.

 

I loved the initial wet stage, but the gardenia-stage is just too sweet and heavy on me.

[SeaMonkey]

Mint and white florals.........and bubblegum.

 

Definately interesting

[zillah37]

This smells like minty, fruity bubblegum in the bottle. I can definitely say that lotus is the scent that goes bubblegum on me, not gardenia. But I like this a lot. It's sweet, but tempered by the mint. It's almost dry and woody at points. The three notes never seem to blend together, but instead whirl around each other. It's a chaotic scent that never smells the same each time I sniff my wrist. It's refreshing and fun and I love it!

[slave1]

In Bottle: Thick and sweet fruit

 

On Skin: The lotus is so sweet and juicy it’s almost fruity. Wow! Very thick and heady. The gardenia is lighter but still adds to the beautiful floral scent this is. It is so unique! I’ve never smelled another BPAL blend like this. The mint is a perfect contrast that every once in a while cuts though the sweet syrupy loveliness. Ok, the gardenis is starting to come out more, blending with the mint making a more unique sharp note. This scent isn’t very light or girly… it’s seems quite sultry and womanly, a strong throw that brings you to your knees. A very nice piece of work by Beth, I’m sad it was discontinued. I love that it is chaotic and changes several times in just the half hour I’ve been wearing it. Bravo!

[PurringPulsar]

Pandora

 

In the imp: minty lotus, along the same lines as Shattered, Frost Moon and Undertow. Fresh and almost chewing-gummy.

Wet on skin: still minty sweet lotus, with a hint of gardenia-the kind that seems to be behaving on my skin so far…

Dry on skin: hmm, interesting. The gardenia note, whilst not going icky on my skin, gives this scent a green dryness which reminds me of loose tea leaves! So this scent, on me, is sweet minty lotus with gardenia and dry jasmine tea! Not bad! The lotus is sweet and candy-like, youthful and sugary, especially with mint.

After a while: once the mint fades, the lotus and gardenia are left behind. The gardenia is still dry and tea like, but the lotus is stronger and is the dominant note in this scent. It's not as candy like any more as well, it's lighter and daintier and still sweet, but not overly so. Combined with gardenia, the effect I get is of dry lotus petals. This is a lotus scent with a sly twist!

Eventually, it becomes a drier version of my beloved Lotus SN.

Verdict: another non-LE (but now discon'd) gardenia scent that works well on me. At first it's a pretty, bright, fresh minty lotus, a bit like chewing gum, sweet and sugary. Once the gardenia kicks in, a dry note appears in the scent. It's almost like dry tea, or dry jasmine tea. Once the mint fades away it gives the impression of highly fragrant sugared flower petals, but dry ones. It's a pretty scent, breezy and very light and girly, but with the dry bite of gardenia. However, I do have many lotus scents which I like better than this, I prefer Undertow as my mint-lotus scent, and the drydown is very much like my Lotus SN which I have enough of, and I prefer the single note to this. i'm unsure of whether to keep this, but the scent sure is charming and mischevious, and very youthful.

[puck_nc]

Origin: A partial imp gifted me by a dear friend on El Jay

 

Initial thoughts: I have wanted to try this one ever since I dove headfirst into BPAL. I love mint and the thought of it with florals was fascinating.

 

In the Bottle: Sweet, minty flowers. Almost a fruity mint, very unlike the crisp note of Tulzscha or the chilly sugary Lick it.

 

Wet: Strong mint, undercut with lotus. The sweetness has receded, so I think that might have been the gardenia.

 

Drydown: The mint is the dominant note, gently clearing my sinuses with repeated sniffing. I think I'm getting more lotus than gardenia, since that almost fruity note is much fainter than it was in the bottle.

 

Verdict: Well, thank goodness I didn't fall head-over-heels in love with such a hard-to-get scent. But it is very nice and I will keep what I got for the benefit of sniffing parties and the occasional special event.