"Fury said to a
mouse, That he
met in the
house,
"Let us
both go to
law: I will
prosecute
YOU. --Come,
I'll take no
denial; We
must have a
trial: For
really this
morning I've
nothing
to do."
Said the
mouse to the
cur, "Such
a trial,
dear Sir,
With
no jury
or judge,
would be
wasting
our
breath."
"I'll be
judge, I'll
be jury,"
Said
cunning
old Fury:
"I'll
try the
whole
cause,
and
condemn
you
to
death."
Samples: Available for $4.00 or as part of a 6-pack for $22.
(More details about price and shipping can be found in our Company Overview post about Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab.)
Description from the website: "Vanilla, two ambers, sweet pea and white sandalwood."
Two of the questions I see asked most often on the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab Recommendations forum are "What is a good vanilla scent?" and "what smells like Bath and Body Works Sweet Pea fragrance?" A frequent answer for both is the perfume I'm reviewing today--Mouse's Long and Sad Tale, a general catalog (always available) scent from the Mad Tea Party section of the site.
Inspired by the Mouse's long and sad tale in Alice in Wonderland, this is one of BPAL's more approachable scents--no heavy or "difficult" patchouli, vetiver, dirt, or animalic musks here. It is a light and pleasant scent that is very fruity when wet, which I believe is the sweet pea note. It smells less like sweet pea flowers and more like cut apples or possibly unripe strawberries to me, but with a definite floral, creamy quality rather than a crisp, juicy one.
As the scent dries down, the vanilla creaminess becomes more pronounced, and the fruitiness recedes. The scent settles into something that's less "perfumey" than a commercial perfume, but still very friendly to the average consumer: candy-sweet, pretty, vanilla-scented without being too gourmand; grounded by a warm, smooth amber and subtle sandalwood base and a slight, laundry-clean white muskiness. Amber notes can sometimes be too strong and almost sharp, but I find that the amber blends well into the overall scent here. The scent gets a bit more powdery over time, but it never gets quite all the way to smelling like baby powder to me.
I can definitely see where people might find this scent too sweet or too simple. I wear it as a comfort scent or an "easy" choice on days when I just want something sugary and pretty. It has a certain similarity to Hanae Mori Butterfly in that respect, as that's another fruity, easy-to-wear vanilla-sandalwood scent I reach for on days when I need sweetness and comfort (it smells quite different, though--heavier on the berry and vanilla). Cozy, feminine, fluffy.
Mouse's Long and Sad Tale stays fairly close to the skin and has an average weartime for me--it neither lasts forever nor wears off immediately. I've seen complaints in other reviews that it's too faint and short-lived, but its sillage and longevity are pretty normal for me.
This is one of the classics of the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab catalog, in my opinion. I've OD'd on two of the other vanilla-ish fan favorites, Dorian and Morocco, so that the musks in them grate on me and I can barely wear them anymore, but unlike those two, Mouse's Long and Sad Tale has remained comforting and pleasing to me after wearing it to excess. If you like vanilla scents and you'd like to explore BPAL, this is one to check out.
Oh, and don't forget to read our other Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab mouse-themed perfume review here!
Note: This scent is vegan.
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