Ghost of a Rose

Thanks for the frimp, labbies. You scored another hit! In the imp: Oil is slightly cloudy and dark brown. The first sniff gives me an note of slightly sweet musk. And then . . . whew . . . suddenly it's 100% Vicks VapoRub. I'm almost afraid to put this on. I was going to wear it when going out for an appointment, but after smelling it, chose something else instead. I tried it later when I would be able to stay at home. On me, wet: The same thing happens on my skin, but fortunately it's much softer. And within moments some woodiness appears to further gentle it and take away the impression of Vicks. This is so much nicer than it smelled in the imp. On me, just dried: Astonishingly soft and subtle considering the way it smelled in the imp. Pine, wood, and earth, with a layer of sweet musk that keeps it from being too Christmasy. It's a lovely mild forest scent. It is solemn, yes - but much too pleasant to make any association between this and death. I'm so glad I gave this a chance. It actually would have been perfect to wear to my business appointment. After 15 minutes: Same as above. After 30 minutes: Same as above, but already noticeably weaker. After 1 hour: No change. The scent remains consistent until late drydown, in about 3 hours. At that time, only a faint sweet musk scent remains. 8 hours after application, I can still detect the sweet musk, although very faintly. Verdict: Don't let the smell in the bottle scare you away from this. It's completely different - and quite lovely - on the skin. A unisex scent that would be ideal for wearing to work or for spiritual practice. My rating: 4 stars

In the vial: A sweet, perfumey scent - that must be the linen, which seems to include a hint of florals. (And maybe the laudanum as well - I have no idea what laudanum smells like.) With cherry, not an artificially-flavored-cherry-candy, but the mild cherry-like note of dragon's blood, On my wrist, wet: The cherry scent of dragon's blood dominates everything right at first, but the clean linen comes in at a close second. The cherry note evaporates within moments, leaving the clean linen scent to take over. After 10 minutes: This is surprisingly fresh, clean, and perfume-like for something inspired by Poe. Not at all what I expected. But very nice. I'm trying not to think of dryer sheets . . . After 30 minutes: It has gone from a woman's perfume smell to a men's cologne one. Must be due to the tobacco which is coming out to play. I'm not thinking dryer sheets anymore, I'm thinking men's cologne. One I like, not too astringent. It's almost like a fine pipe tobacco, but with the added sharpness of cologne. After 1 3/4 hours: As the perfume/cologne sharpness gradually faded away (it's completely gone now), the scent has warmed and darkened, the tobacco musk is more evident, and I could see the image from the description more and more. It remained men's cologne-ish, but became Edgar Allan Poe's cologne. The overall fragrance is pretty faint now. Interesting - when I put it on the inside of my elbow instead, I get little of the sharpness that made this smell like perfume/men's cologne when it was on my wrist. It is a much darker scent, more evocative of Poe's stories of horror. It must have something to do with the difference in skin temperature at the different places. My rating: 4 stars

Thanks for the frimp, labbies! Another hit! In the imp: i can easily smell all three oils. This is the patchouli I remember and loved in high school; and which I've never been able to find again until now. The ones I've bought or smelled more recently are never quite the same and I don't like them as much. But this is it. It must have been the red patchouli that I used to wear. Interesting. Back then, we didn't even know there was more than one kind of patchouli. It was just patchouli, and it always smelled the same. Overall, this is the perfect headshop blend; unisex of course. It brings back so many memories! On me, wet: The same as in the bottle. Ahh, I love this. Not quite as much as I love floral scents, but it's close. All three oils are equally balanced - the patchouli doesn't overpower everything else as it often tends to do. On me, just dried: No change. This is a simple blend, and all of the ingredients are similar notes, so I don't expect it to change much as time goes by. After 45 minutes: I was wrong, it does change a bit. I don't know if it's my imagination, if I'm just paying attention to different notes, or if it really happens - but it seems like the three oils play hide and seek with each other. First one shows up, then another and another, then the first one again, etc. They take turns being the prominent note, going back and forth. At this time, sandalwood is strongest, with frankincense close behind. And . . . a gorgeous, amazingly realistic, smoky note has appeared, like burning incense. Outta sight, man! The smokiness is the crowning touch that makes this special, different from all the other headshop scents out there. After 2 hours: The smokiness has disappeared, but the original lovely scent remains. Right now, patchouli and sandalwood are the most noticeable, and the overall fragrance is sweeter and softer. After 3 hours: Almost gone, but the lingering remnant is pretty much the same. My rating: 5 stars - a rare (for me) non-floral blend that makes it into the 5-star category!

In the vial: The first thing I notice is wood, then suddenly . . . chocolate, loud and clear. But there are too many other notes in this for it to be at all foody. Everything is underscored by a hint of bitterness that must be the matcha. On me, wet: Chocolate at first, quickly handing over the starring role to a note I don't recognize and find impossible to describe - probably the unique combination of several different oils. If I "look" for them, I can detect a little mandarin, clary sage, and a pine-like note from the galangal. Overall this is a mildly sharp, balsamic, non-sweet, unisex kind of scent. This does indeed smell like trees, pine trees especially. After 20 minutes: Ah, now a nice cinnamon-and-vanilla note comes out, courtesy of the tonka. It's mild and subtle, not strong like the oils of those actual things are. And it blends beautifully with the notes already there, still without any hint of foodiness. After 45 minutes: The fragrance has become soft and gentle, quite lovely. Cinnamon, vanilla, and wood. After 1 1/2 hours: Mostly vanilla, with a little wood. I don't usually like vanilla perfumes, but this is very gentle and not at all foody. The earlier, more complex, scent is still present, hovering in the background. From there, the fragrance remains consistent as it slowly fades away, in about 3 hours. A lovely unisex kind of scent that I think would appeal to just about anyone. It isn't foody, yet has notes that are almost universally popular; and none of those notes that some people love and others hate. For me it's not a 5-star scent, just because it is florals that I really adore. (So naturally Hygeia and Donna con Ventaglio are my favorites of the four scents in this series.) But I do like this one very much. Wearing it in a scent locket as well as on the skin would help to preserve those delicious and complex top notes (especially the chocolate!) My rating: 4 stars

In the vial: I can sort of see why people have compared this to Chanel #5, but to me it's only very slightly similar. It doesn't have that aldehydic sharpness, nor the soapiness of #5. Also, this is much gentler, and warm rather than bright and sparkly. Oddly, when I first sniffed it (before looking at the ingredients list), the impression I got was wood. And even after checking the list, I still don't detect any of the individual notes, just that vague and mysterious hint of wood. A true designer scent. It's pleasant, but doesn't make me go "oooh" like floral scents do. In spite of the flower oils in it, this is definitely not a floral fragrance. More like a headshop fragrance. On me, wet: On my skin, the orange pops out immediately, but then is gone almost as quickly as it appeared. The "woodiness" is even stronger, but I can detect a faint effervescence of ylang ylang floating over it. On me, just dried: It has developed a whang that smells chemical, almost medicinal, and which makes it resemble Chanel #5 a bit more. It also makes the scent sparkly and bright rather than soft and warm like it was in the vial. After 10 minutes: Wow, what a morpher this is - it transforms every few minutes! Now it's lost most of the "woodiness" and has gone floral, which makes me like it much more. There are hints of rose and violet. It still has that chemical sharpness, though, to give it the character of an expensive designer perfume. Emphatically NOT a headshop scent anymore! After 15 minutes: The lady is edging ever closer to Chanel #5 - now even a bit of the strong soapiness of that scent has appeared. After 30 minutes: The sharpness has softened, and once again I'm picking up some woodiness (but just a hint this time.) Otherwise, it seems to have stabilized and is pretty much the same as it was 15 minutes ago. I'm wondering if that woody note could be from the lotus root. After 1 hour: It has gone powdery, while still retaining the basic stabilized scent. Now this is indeed very much like the drydown of Chanel #5. Very intriguing! After 2 hours, it is almost completely gone. My rating: 5 stars

Thanks a bunch for the frimp, labbies! You really scored with this one! In the imp: Clear, almost colorless oil with a pale greenish-yellow tint. A very sweet scent that is fruity but not really in a foody kind of way. Something in this is tantalizingly familiar, but I can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe something like peach? - but not exactly. Not exactly pomegranate, either, although I do detect that note as well. Whatever it is, I really like it. Perhaps it's the Sweet Clover (Melilot) - I used to have a Sweet Clover essential oil. I don't know what myrtle smells like, so I can't ID that. And there's definitely those aquatic notes. On me, wet: Almost like pink bubblegum. Not nearly as complex as it was in the imp. On me, just dried: Luckily, the bubblegum note is gone within a minute or two as it dries, and a gorgeous floral scent appears that smells exactly like lilacs to me, although that's not listed in the description. Do peach blossoms or myrtle smell like lilacs? I love this. After 10 minutes: It's already lightened up considerably, becoming quite subtle. I hope that doesn't mean it will soon be gone. Soft lilacs, now with an aquatic note as well. After 30 minutes: If I think about it, there's still a note of pink bubblegum. But the florals do counteract it. There's a little rose in the background, but it's still mostly lilacs. A light, cool, pale purple, and very feminine kind of scent. It is so lovely for a hot day. After 1 hour: Pretty much the same as above, but a very faint undertone of pomegranate fruitiness has returned. From there, the notes remain consistent as the fragrance fades away and is pretty much gone in about 3 hours. I adore this! I can't wait to try it in my scent locket, to see if all those wonderful complex top notes will be preserved. But it's gorgeous either way. My rating: 5 stars

In the bottle: A dark, incensey smell: amber, frankincense, and myrrh, with the sweetness of orange and a touch of florals. On me, wet: Same as above. A headshoppy, spiritual, unisex kind of fragrance. Everything blends seamlessly together to create a unique scent of its own without any obvious individual notes, just a general impression of incense. On me, just dried: The cedar comes out just enough to be barely detectable. After 15 minutes: The orange, resins, incense, and cedar are all present. The orange isn't at all foody - there's just enough to add some sweetness and balance out the darkness of the incenses. The osmanthus serves the same function. I can tell it's there, but it's not strong enough to make this a floral kind of scent. After 30 minutes: Ooh, this is beautiful. The cinnamon has shown up, and is an awesome combination with the cedar, especially with the incenses which are now more of an undertone. And the florals are somewhat stronger, making the overall impression a little more perfume-ish, but perhaps not enough to keep it from being unisex. I don't smell the saffron and cumin specifically, but there is a subtle peppery note which undoubtedly comes from them. After 45 minutes: Cinnamon is now the primary note (but it is sweet and gentle, not at all hot, sharp, or foody), and the whole fragrance is much sweeter. The peppery spices are becoming stronger. After 1 hour 15 minutes: The orange top note is completely gone, as are the peppery notes. Now it's a soft cinnamon, incense, and amber. It has faded considerably - it doesn't look like this is going to be a long-lasting scent on my skin. After 3 hours: It did last longer than I expected, but is now very faint. The final notes are incense and amber. Verdict: Very nice - complex, sophisticated, deep and dark, spiritual, mysterious. I'm more of a flower child, so this isn't a 5-star favorite for me. But it's close. And it will be great for spiritual practice, work, or just a change of pace. A warm scent, best for cool weather. It seems fairly unisex to me, but leaning a bit towards the feminine. My 21-year-old son agreed that it was unisex, though. But that was fairly late in the drydown, after the floral notes were gone. And he didn't like it - he said it was too strong (at a time when I felt it had become soft and subtle.) My rating: 4.5 stars

Thank you for the frimp, labbies! In the imp: Oil is clear and a bright golden yellow. The scent is mostly sandalwood and ylang ylang, with other florals and a light hint of lavender. On me, wet: On my skin, the florals come out much more strongly. It is a beautiful balanced blend of flowers with no one type dominating. A light, bright scent. While wet, I can only smell the flowers. On me, just dried: It lightens up quickly as it dries, becoming fairly subtle within a couple of minutes after application. An undertone of wood returns, now a generic wood rather than specifically sandalwood. After 10 minutes: The wood has picked up strength and now almost equals the flowers. After 30 minutes: It now smells like a very classy, expensive, but subtle, perfume. After 1 hour: Same as above, but rather faint. A classy floral blend that is feminine but restrained enough by the wood note to make it sedate enough for the office. I totally agree with the description. This is a light, subtle scent - another quality which makes it ideal for work - but that also means it doesn't last long on the skin. Reapply often (about every 1 1/2 hours) and/or wear it in a scent locket. My rating: 5 stars

In the imp: Oil is clear, with a pale yellow tint. The scent is a dark, bitter note slightly reminiscent of black tea, with vanilla and lavender. It's surprisingly non-sweet considering all those sweet ingredients. On me, wet: Pretty subtle. At first, I just get lavender, but then the vanilla kicks in and they're pretty equal until it dries in just a couple of minutes. On me, just dried: Now mostly vanilla, with just a hint of lemon under the vanilla. And it's sweeter now, although still not super-sweet. After 20 minutes: The vanilla has overpowered everything else. Sigh. I'm not a fan of vanilla. I love most of the other ingredients in this, but now all I can smell is vanilla. After 30 minutes: Vanilla is still the main note, but now I'm also picking up some honey and creaminess to balance it out. And it has continued to get sweeter. After 1 hour: Vanilla and musk, in that order of strength. After 6 hours: A faint wisp of musk remains. Verdict: This isn't the Holy Grail of an authentic black tea scent for which I had hoped. I only noticed the tea note in the imp, and even then it only reminded me slightly of tea. It is a pleasant and interesting scent though, especially in the first 15 minutes or so before the vanilla takes over. Wearing it in a scent locket would probably preserve those nice top notes much longer. Otherwise, this is too much vanilla to be a 5-star perfume for me. My son really liked it on me, but then most people do like vanilla much more than I do. My rating: 4 stars

ETA: Thanks for the frimp, labbies! In the imp: Clear, almost colorless oil, with just the faintest tint of greenish yellow. My first impression of the scent is "men's cologne". But it is an unusual one, with undertones of mysterious and intriguing things. It's what I call a designer blend, meaning that all the ingredients blend in together into a unique scent of its own in which there are no specific notes that can be easily identified. But by trying hard (and already knowing what's in it), I can distinguish the orange, copal and/or incense, and non-specific florals; in that order. The florals are barely there - this is definitely a masculine scent with that astringency that men's colognes have. On me, wet: On my skin, the orange comes out strongly and dominates the scent. The astringency that I noted in the imp is almost completely absent. It's less like a generic men's cologne, and I like it better (it's still masculine, but more interesting.) The orange is not sweet or foody at all, due to the resiny incense undertone. After 1 hour: The scent has remained pretty consistent, just going a little powdery and fading slowly. And now the copal is the dominant scent, with the orange in the background. The overall impression is still "men's cologne." I like the copal, but the men's cologne - not so much. After 1 1/2 hours: Still mostly men's cologne, but now with a definite note of baby powder as well. All of the resins tend to do that on my skin, but luckily I do like the scent of baby powder. After 8 1/2 hours: I can still smell it faintly on my skin, and strongly on my clothes although I only put it on one wrist. Verdict: Meh. I never did notice the plumeria, unfortunately, as it is one of my favorite scents. Nor did I ever smell the smoke. I really like the concept of this and the ingredients chosen to express it, but to me the idea wasn't realized. Instead of Ancient Aztec jungles, I just channeled department store men's cologne. This is a pleasant enough blend, and long-lasting, but not one I would wear. It's too citrus-y and decidedly too men's cologne-y for me. I'll give it another chance, but I'll probably end up giving it to one of my sons or putting it in the swaps pile. A man might like this very much. My rating: 3 stars

Thanks for the frimp, labbies! In the imp: A clear, bright yellow oil. Both in the imp and on my skin, this is 100% pure unadulterated baby powder to my nose, and the scent remains consistent as long as I can smell it on my skin. I happen to really like the fragrance of baby powder. In the late 70's or early 80's, there was a cologne (Love's Baby Soft) that was supposed to duplicate the scent of baby powder. I loved the idea, and wore it often. But it was always disappointing, because it didn't really smell all that much like baby powder. It was an inexpensive cologne marketed for teens and young girls, and it mostly just smelled like perfumer's alcohol. Well, this one gets it right (whether that was the intent or not.) So of course I like this a lot, never mind if it isn't the most unique or exciting of BPAL's scents. It's very light, dry, feminine, and pretty. It would be great for a hot sweaty day, or for a young girl. I never did pick up the neroli at all, nor did any of the other notes stand out. I just immediately thought "baby powder" and from then on, that's all I could smell. I couldn't make any connection with the name except for this: The song "The Crow on The Cradle" - large black bird plus baby powder, get it? LOL My rating: 4 stars

Thank you for the frimp, labbies! In the imp: Wow, this is surprisingly feminine and floral and bright. It reminds me of White Shoulders or some other classic perfume like that. I was expecting something deep and dark and mysterious - perhaps a masculine incensey smell - from the description. Which would have been interesting and nice, but for me this is even better - truly beautiful! On me, wet: On my skin it's much more interesting and complex. And yes, mysterious, although still beautiful in a sparkly, happy, kind of way. There is a note of fruitiness (from the spikenard), which isn't foody at all. And a bit of saltiness. Together with a lot of sweetness from the florals. It doesn't smell like White Shoulders anymore, but is something much more unique. I can't ID any other of the notes because I don't notice any frankincense yet, and I don't know what the other things smell like. I totally get the spiritual purity. Pathos and suffering, not so much. Although the saltiness could be tears. But overall, this scent conveys sunniness and optimism to me. But then, it does say joy and grace in suffering, and I do get the joy and grace part! After 15 minutes: Pretty much the same, although the brightness has settled down somewhat. There's also a strange coppery undertone which for some reason I associate with the olive, but that doesn't seem to make any sense. Nor do any of the other ingredients seem to indicate a metallic note. Very mysterious! I am ambivalent about the coppery note - on the one hand, it is interesting and makes this fragrance very unusual. But on the other hand, it's a bit off-putting, like a hint of the smell of blood. I definitely love all the other notes in this blend. After 40 minutes: Softer, and maybe a little powdery now (which is actually pleasant for the additional softness it adds), but still basically the same fragrance. After 1 hour: The saltiness and most of the metallic note has gone now, which makes it smell like White Shoulders again. From there, it fades away without any more changes. I never did specifically smell the frankincense. My rating: 4.5 stars (Edited to correct a typo.)

I feel so lucky that I got to try this unreleased scent! It was a frimp in my BPTP order. I mostly smelled vanilla, with a nutty undertone that might be hazelnut. After about 20 minutes, when I went back into the room, there was a light lingering scent that wasn't foody - more like musk and florals. I like the drydown a lot, but the initial, stronger, fragrance was too foody to be one of my 5-star favorites although it is pleasant. It would be a good scent especially for the kitchen or pantry. When I sniff the top of the used spray nozzle, I can detect vanilla, musk, and florals, in that order. BTW, I really love the keychain-ring cap on the sample vial. I hope that BPTP will be selling these. (Pretty please?) They would be great for carrying around to banish unpleasant smells wherever I might be. My rating: 4 stars

In the imp: Clear, light beige oil. Fresh scent with a very light lemon note and florals. On me, wet: I really like this. The florals are stronger than the lemon, but they are well balanced. It's very clean, fresh, sweet, and light. On me, just dried: It's rather like a light classic perfume. I'm picking up some rose, which is lovely with the light lemon. l like it that the lemon is so light, not overpowering like it is in most blends that use it. There's some baby powder, too. I like the scent of baby powder anyway, but here it is especially nice because of the way it keeps the fragrance so soft and light. After 10 minutes: The lemony note is already evaporating, leaving mostly dry amber, rose, and baby powder. I see a picture in my mind of young ladies going to church dressed in their Sunday best. I agree with the laundry soap/dryer sheets impression, but I do like the smell of those; and this is a very pretty, more upscale, version. After 30 minutes: This scent is remarkably consistent, both in the notes and the throw. There's just a teeny bit of spiciness - not the intense spiciness of something like clove, but a gentle spiciness that could be carnations. After 1 hour: Pretty much the same as above. It's fading a little, the sweetness is a little less, and the spiciness is a little more. But all of these are very subtle changes. After 8 hours: There's still a bit of powdery amber scent lingering. Verdict: This perfume is young, gentle, ultra feminine, and beautiful. And it is one of just two or three BPAL blends that lasted 8 hours or more on my skin, Its powdery dry mood and lovely light scent would be the perfect antidote for the yucky sweatiness of a hot summer day. My rating: 5 stars

I had to get this one because I love that painting. In the vial: Ooh, so very beautiful. A designer scent - one in which there are no obvious individual notes but instead it is a unique scent which is just itself. Sweet, feminine, unusual. I think I'm getting the musks, amber, florals, a honey-like note which is probably the helichrysum and/or amber, and incense the most strongly. I guess that's everything but the tobacco! I can't differentiate between the various types of musks and incense. It all blends seamlessly together. On me, wet: The oil is a dark amber color on my skin, but the color quickly disappears, leaving no trace on my skin. (I would take care not to let it come in contact with my clothing or other fabrics while it is wet, though.) It smells much the same as in the vial, except that now I can also identify the violet-like scent of orris. And yes, a faint undertone of tobacco. This is very sophisticated, elegant, and smells outrageously expensive. It would be amazing for a formal event. It's interesting how feminine this is - from the ingredient list I expected a unisex or even a masculine fragrance. But the femininity better suits the work of art that inspired this. On me, just dried: A bit of spiciness comes out. The scent is now leaning more towards the incense notes, and thus it is becoming warmer in mood. Yet still very formal. After 25 minutes: The spiciness/incense/tobacco notes (which remind me of the snake in the painting) continue to strengthen and have now slightly overtaken the florals. A bit of sharpness has also developed - unusual for this to happen on drydown, those are usually top notes. And I have no idea which ingredient it's coming from. It's almost like clove or menthol. The sharp note sticks close to the skin. From a few inches away, the fragrance is a gentler wood/incense note with some florals. After 45 minutes: The scent is now predominately wood, but it's a highly balsamic wood (like pine) rather than the gentle warmth typical of sandalwood. That's due to the sharpness. And there's a bit of frankincense. The florals have faded, but still have some presence. After 1 hour: The scent has faded quite a bit and is now rather faint. What remains is a gentler wood note than previously, and sandalwood. The florals have gone. After 2 hours: Practically no scent is left - just the faintest hint of amber. This beautiful, elegant, and ever-changing scent doesn't last for a long time on my skin. Reapply every couple of hours or use a scent locket. My rating: 5 stars

Smells exactly as described: newly-mowed grass with some roses tossed in. I love this! It is so fresh and so realistic. And very spring-and-summery. My rating: 5 stars

Out of all the lovely things in this, at first all I can smell is pine. It smells like Christmas! After a few minutes, the pine settles down and I do get some beautiful florals, aaahhh. Now it's no longer specifically Christmas, but it's still a cool forest kind of scent. Gorgeous. After about 10 minutes: I can smell both the pine and the florals. This would be great for getting into the Christmas spirit; or for a hot day when I'm longing for an illusion of coolness. My rating: 5 stars

Many thanks to the generous forumite who frimped me this vial! In the vial: The sharpness of a very realistic geranium. On me, wet: I am surprised that this is not a sweet scent, considering all the flowers that are in it. It's even sharper on my skin - almost like peppermint or eucalyptus - sinus-clearing, in other words. That is the main note, but I can also pick out all the the flowers. I really like this, although I think I'd like it even better without so much sharpness - it's really piercing. I have to admit, though, that it makes this interesting and very unusual for a floral blend. On me, just dried: Pretty much the same, but a little sweeter, and the sharpness is not quite as piercing. After 10 minutes: The sharpness is still there but it has settled down significantly, which allows the sweetness and the florals to manifest more strongly. The rose/ylang ylang/gardenia/tuberose/palmarose is an inspired combination. They compliment each other so beautifully. Of the florals, the ylang ylang is most prominent but only by a slight margin. They are well balanced. I really like how the other florals tone down the soapiness that ylang ylang usually has. After 30 minutes: The sharpness is almost gone now. The floral notes are still the same but softer - the fragrance is reminding me of floral honey. After 45 minutes: The myrrh begins to make an appearance, and it too blends beautifully with the flower notes. After 1 hour: Now I can pick up a faint undertone of sandalwood. It stands alone, rather than blending in with the florals like the myrrh does; but it is a nice addition to them, underscoring and balancing their sweetness. Also about this time, the scent fades very suddenly but doesn't vanish completely. After 3 hours: The remaining scent is sandalwood and powdery rose. After 6 hours: I can still smell it a little on my wrist. It's still slightly powdery, but now the scent has returned to the earlier floral note of ylang ylang as the star but with the other flowers present as well. (Later ETA): After 9 hours: The fragrance is still lasting! And now the rose has come out equal to the ylang ylang, maybe even a little stronger. I love this! Verdict: Don't be put off by the way it smells in the bottle, because after the first few minutes it smells totally different on the skin. I wouldn't really call this specifically a rose-based blend (although rose can certainly be detected in it) because the ylang ylang is the stronger note. This is a unique floral perfume because of the extreme sharpness of the first 20 minutes or so. After that (once the sharpness has settled down) it becomes really gorgeous and lasts much longer on my skin than most of my BPAL oils. My rating: 5 stars

(ETA: 2007 version, tried in 2011.) In the vial: It smells somewhat of roses, but there's also a very sweet chemical smell, something like aldehydes. On me, wet: It's not as sweet on my skin and doesn't have that aldehyde note. And I do smell the roses more now; perhaps it just needed exposure to air to bring out the scent. But it's not a fresh roses scent. It's like old roses and has a bit of skankiness to it. Like roses that have been in the vase too long without a change of water. Or a pile of cut grass clippings that has been sitting out in the heat too long and is starting to decompose. I'm thinking that my bottle might be past its prime and that this isn't what it's supposed to smell like, because none of the other reviews mentioned anything like this. The bottle I have is 4 years old, so the scent may have aged and changed. On me, just dried: The scent has gotten sweeter. There's still some of that rotting grass clippings odor, together with the old rose smell. After 10 minutes: It's gotten better. The rose note is coming out more strongly. But there's still a faint undertone of decomposition. After 30 minutes: It has already pretty much faded away. But nearly all of the skankiness has gone from the bit of scent that lingers. It's still an old rose rather than a true rose or fresh rose. After 1 hour: Now it is a pretty true rose scent, but very faint. Verdict: I adore all things rose (as if you couldn't tell ; ) and never thought I'd ever meet a rose scent I didn't love. It was okay, but I didn't love it, for the first 15 or 20 minutes on my skin. And even after that, this is my least favorite of the BPAL rose blends I've tried. It probably has something to do with the age of my bottle. I don't think it's my skin chemistry, because I've never had any rose scent turn skanky on my skin before; plus the skankiness diminished more and more the longer it was on my skin. I hope BPAL will offer a 2011 version this Yuletide so that I can try it fresh. My rating: As it is now, I'd give it 3 stars. But I'm going to reserve judgment until I can try a fresh bottle.

In the vial; I can smell the rose, and just a touch of vanilla, and maybe some tobacco, but this is so well balanced that all of the other scents blend seamlessly together and I can't differentiate the individual notes. It is a lovely and unique scent. On me, wet: On my skin, the rose comes out more strongly, making this even more beautiful. But this is still a very balanced blend - the rose does not overwhelm the other notes. I'm now picking up just a hint of spiciness from the carnation as well. And a bit of muskiness which is probably the labdanum. On me, just dried: It's already lightened up quite a bit. Noooo! Don't go away! After 10 minutes: It hasn't all gone away - just everything except the rose. I adore rose scents, so I still love it. But I also miss the additional nuances of the other notes. Maybe others will come out as drydown progresses. This is a particularly beautiful rose note. There's something a little different, gentler, about it that would tell me there's other things in it (if I didn't already know), even though I can't identify anything except rose anymore. After 30 minutes: All rose, and gorgeous. After 1 hour: Still mostly rose and fading, but a deeper undertone is developing. It must be the tolu balsam, ambergris, labdanum, or tonka; or a mixture of two or more of those. I'm not familiar enough with those scents to know. After 4 hours: It's pretty mild now, but still there. And still beautiful, now rose and carnation. My rating: 5+ stars A big thank-you to the generous forumite who sent this to me!

I was delighted to find a set of decants of this and its companion scent, White Rose, from another forumite! A big thank-you to her! In the imp: Oil is a clear, light golden brown. Amber and musk with rose. If I sniff the wand, the rose is the dominant scent. On me, wet: Again, rose is the dominant scent, but is closely followed by amber, musk, and clove; with tonka pulling up in the distance. Ooh, this is beautiful! On me, just dried: Clove takes over and now rose is second; then all the others. After 10 minutes: Same as above, but now with the addition of a slightly smoky tobacco, like really good pipe tobacco. So far I haven't noticed the fir. After 20 minutes: It's gone powdery, like spicy clove with rose-scented powder and a hint of smoky tobacco. BTW, I don't consider powder a bad thing. After 1 hour: The same as above, just softer. After 3 hours: Still the same, but more faded. After 4 hours I can still smell it a little. Verdict: I love this one! Rose is clearly noticeable, but some of the other notes share the spotlight equally with the rose. I never did pick up the fir, but that's okay because there are plenty of other notes to add interest to the rose. The clove and the smoky tobacco are a great combination with rose. And it lasts longer on my skin than many of the BPAL perfumes. My rating: 5 stars Later ETA: Layered Red Rose and White Rose were designed to be worn together as well as separately. On me, wet: The vanilla from the White Rose overpowered everything else when I put them on in equal amounts (1 drop of each.) So I added another drop of Red Rose and now they are nicely balanced. Vanilla, rose, amber, and musk are the dominant scents, but I am already picking up some of the spice from the Red Rose. On me, just dried: The vanilla is still the strongest, but the other notes have enough oomph to keep it from being obnoxious or overly foody. The musk and the spice from the Red Rose blend very nicely with the vanilla from the White Rose. After 20 minutes: The spice has come out much more strongly and helps to tone down the vanilla. I am liking this more and more as drydown progresses. After 35 minutes: Still getting better - now the vanilla has come into equal balance with the clove, amber, and musk. I prefer vanilla in a perfume to be a subtle accent in the background, though, not one of the main players. After 50 minutes: Now we're talking! The vanilla has subsided into the background just where I wanted it, and the fragrance is gorgeous now. It's clove, amber, and musk, with just a hint of vanilla and coconut to add creaminess. It's almost the perfect scent - if only I could still smell the rose. It never was the main note, and it got lost completely somewhere along the way. After 1 hour: It's gone powdery, but still very beautiful. In fact, I like the powdery aspect - it makes the fragrance softer, gentler, more feminine. After 2 hours: Still there, but much fainter. Verdict: I like this better than the White Rose alone, but not as much as I like the Red Rose alone, until an hour has passed. For the first hour on my skin, it's still too much vanilla - and it's never enough rose - for me. After an hour, I do like the layered combo even more than Red Rose alone. Next time I'll try 3 drops of Red Rose to 1 drop of White Rose. Or better yet: 2 drops of Red Rose, 1 drop of White Rose, and 1 drop of a strongly-rose-scented or single-note-rose oil to give the rose more presence. Although that might be waaay too much perfume. I should mix up my own custom scent of these in an empty imp and then just use a drop or two of it. My rating for the layered combo: 5 stars

I was delighted to find a decant set of this and its companion scent Red Rose from another forumite! In the imp: Clear, bright yellow oil. The scent is vanilla with florals when I sniff the imp. When I sniff the wand, I get a very bright impression - I'm guessing the benzoin? On me, wet: It has a lovely light, bright, and floral scent in the first seconds. Then the vanilla kicks in and it becomes a deeper, warmer scent. Vanilla and florals with the spiciness of frankincense in the background. The vanilla note continues to strengthen as it dries. On me, just dried: I'm not picking up any actual rose note, just some generic florals. I'd call this a vanilla blend, rather than a rose blend. It seems almost buttery - maybe that is just something my mind associates with vanilla? I can get a hint of the coconut if I try, but it's mostly submerged in the vanilla. When I smell my wrist, the color image I get is golden rather than white. But I do get the sense of purity, and I enjoy the cleverness of all the white ingredients in this. After 30 minutes: All vanilla and butter. I'm not getting any floral note at all anymore. After 1 hour: Pretty much the same. But the vanilla has lightened up a little, so that if I try really, really hard I can pick up the faintest hint of rose. I'm hoping for rose and frankincense on the final drydown. After 2 1/2 hours: The scent is very faint now. And yes, it's about half frankincense. But the other half is still vanilla. Verdict: Nice, but not really me. I expected a rose blend, and I barely picked up any rose note at all in this. I'm not a fan of vanilla-based blends. I don't dislike vanilla, but even in food I find it rather boring - best used as a base for other more interesting flavors rather than the only flavor (such as in the cakes and whipped cream for strawberry shortcake.) And I don't care for it as the main note in perfumes. The last thing I want is to walk around smelling like I've been eating cookies and white cake all day long. Still, this fragrance is pleasant enough, and I'm sure that the many people who love the scent of vanilla would love this. It will be very interesting to see what this is like when layered with the Red Rose as it was designed to be! My rating: 3 stars Later ETA: Layered Red Rose and White Rose were designed to be worn together as well as separately. On me, wet: The vanilla from the White Rose overpowered everything else when I put them on in equal amounts (1 drop of each.) So I added another drop of Red Rose and now they are nicely balanced. Vanilla, rose, amber, and musk are the dominant scents, but I am already picking up some of the spice from the Red Rose. On me, just dried: The vanilla is still the strongest, but the other notes have enough oomph to keep it from being obnoxious or overly foody. The musk and the spice from the Red Rose blend very nicely with the vanilla from the White Rose. After 20 minutes: The spice has come out much more strongly and helps to tone down the vanilla. I am liking this more and more as drydown progresses. After 35 minutes: Still getting better - now the vanilla has come into equal balance with the clove, amber, and musk. I prefer vanilla in a perfume to be a subtle accent in the background, though, not one of the main players. After 50 minutes: Now we're talking! The vanilla has subsided into the background just where I wanted it, and the fragrance is gorgeous now. It's clove, amber, and musk, with just a hint of vanilla and coconut to add creaminess. It's almost the perfect scent - if only I could still smell the rose. It never was the main note, and it got lost completely somewhere along the way. After 1 hour: It's gone powdery, but still very beautiful. In fact, I like the powdery aspect - it makes the fragrance softer, gentler, more feminine. After 2 hours: Still there, but much fainter. Verdict: I like this better than the White Rose alone, but not as much as I like the Red Rose alone, until an hour has passed. For the first hour on my skin, it's still too much vanilla - and it's never enough rose - for me. After an hour, I do like the layered combo even more than Red Rose alone. Next time I'll try 3 drops of Red Rose to 1 drop of White Rose. Or better yet: 2 drops of Red Rose, 1 drop of White Rose, and 1 drop of a strongly-rose-scented or single-note-rose oil to give the rose more presence. Although that might be waaay too much perfume. I should mix up my own custom scent of these in an empty imp and then just use a drop or two of it. My rating for the layered combo: 5 stars

In the imp: Oil is a dark amber color, appropriately enough! The first note I get is sandalwood, but then the sharpness of the neroli and bergamot kicks in and becomes much stronger. Bergamot is the dominant note. I did pick up the neroli, but it is a minor player, hidden underneath the stronger scents. On me, wet: The woody note of the sandalwood, along with the bergamot, are the most noticeable, but I can also detect the frankincense. As it begins to dry, the neroli and musk make their presence known but remain supporting players. On me, just dried: Woodiness is the main impression. This doesn't totally blow me away (I'm more of a flower child), but I do quite like it. After 1 hour: OMG, this is really beautiful now, with the musk and amber having taken over as the dominant notes, but with the sandalwood still going strong as well. After 1 1/2 hours: The fragrance has completely transformed. Now there is no woodiness at all; and it is sweeter, lighter, cooler. It's still not what I would call a cool scent, but it is no longer a warm scent either. I guess I would say it's neutral in temperature-mood now. Mostly musk and amber, but the sandalwood and frankincense are hovering in the background. The sandalwood now smells like its typical incense scent rather than wood. Gorgeous! After 2 hours: It's gone powdery, but in a good way and with the same notes as above. It seems that both musk and amber tend to do that on my skin but I'm not complaining. I love scented powders - even baby powder scent. This one is much more upscale, mature, and gender-neutral. After 3 hours: It's mostly gone. Just a lingering memory of baby powder and sandalwood, with just the faintest hint of smokiness. VERDICT: A lovely unisex blend. Upon reading the description, I expected an incense-type scent, but instead it is wood. It would be perfect for work, especially during the first hour on my skin, when it is dignified and the mood is professional, important, and powerful. It fits the name perfectly! After the first hour, I like it even more, when it is sweeter, cooler, and gentler - less of a power-player. My rating: 4 stars the first hour/5 stars after 1 hour ETA: I forgot to say thanks to the labbies for the frimp!

Thank you for the lovely frimp, labbies! In the imp: Oil is clear and pale greenish yellow. The first scent I notice is mint. Then the musk, tobacco, and sage. No caramel yet. On me, wet: Sharp and astringent. The tobacco is very strong, with the mint coming in at a close second. This is the most authentic tobacco note of any of the BPAL blends that I've tried. It smells exactly like a torn-apart cigarette. There is an underlying yet fairly strong men's-cologne scent, but the tobacco and mint make it distinctly different from any department store cologne for men. On me, just dried: Some of the tobacco has evaporated, along with most of the sharpness. They are both still present, but softer. Now the mint is strongest, but it is a gentle sweet spearmint rather than a piercing peppermint. And a beautiful floral scent is coming in - it must be the sage and white musk. The overall impression is leaning toward a more feminine fragrance. I can pick up the caramel now if I try really hard - it is very subtle, just enough to add a deeper nuance without any foodiness. After 30 minutes: Tobacco and mint, with an undertone of the florals. After 1 hour: Pretty much all tobacco, with a tiny hint of caramel, and maybe black musk? It smells a lot better than it sounds! The floral-like note never became strong enough, nor did it last long enough, to edge this into a feminine (or really even a unisex) scent; and now that note is gone. After 2 hours: Up close, the scent is the same as above. But the throw, and the scent hovering around my clothing, is all caramel. After 5 hours: The scent is still there, and even still seems to have a bit of throw. It's now a soft tobacco with hints of caramel. Like a really nice pipe tobacco. Later ETA: Of all the BPAL scents I've tried, this is one of the longest-lasting (maybe the longest-lasting) on my skin. Verdict: A masculine blend that I also like a lot in all of its phases, and will wear occasionally. I would love to smell this on a special man! My rating: 4 stars Later edited to add: 2018 frimp fresh from the lab. I'm beginning to realize that I don't care for mint perfumes. I love mint tea, minty desserts, fruit salads or tabouli with mint, and the fresh herb. In other words, I love eating it. I used to grow several varieties of it. But as a perfume, all I can think is that I smell like toothpaste. There's also a pipe tobacco vibe that is quite lovely to sniff, but I prefer to smell like a woman. Not that I think women shouldn't, or don't, smoke pipes. I just happen to love feminine perfumes. I would love it on a man. But without the toothpaste. More than 12 hours after application, a bit of frangrance still remains on my wrist. It's the pleasant baby-powder-but-even-better scent that white musk tends to finish with on my skin. Very interesting, and represents the theme so well. I'll keep it for occasional wearing around the house just for fun. But wouldn't wear it in public.

In the imp: A golden-yellow, honey-colored oil. Honey with herbs and florals. And butterscotch hard candies! On me, wet: Yep, butterscotch and honey, with the herbs and flowers in the background. On me, just dried: The butterscotch has lightened up and is creamier as well - now more like butterscotch baking chips. Some of the sweetness has also lightened. But it's still plenty sweet. Chamomile and rose are catching up. It's like a light, classic floral perfume with honey added. After 10 minutes: The herbs are gaining some strength, and now I'm getting a hint of the astringency that others have mentioned. But it's very subtle, as are the changes. Honey is still the first impression. After 30 minutes: Now mostly honey with the lightest of rose notes. A little more powdery, a little less herbal. 6 hours later, a beautiful scent that is 90% honey and 10% roses still lingers on my skin and clothes. Light and beautiful; yummy without actually being foody. Sunny and youthful but not childish or teenybopper. It would be great for casual activities and work. It seems like it would be universally appealing to almost anyone. Which is not the same as unisex - a man probably wouldn't want to wear this, but he would love smelling it on a woman. So pleasing and pretty. My rating: 5 stars ETA: Thank you for the frimp, labbies! This one was a big hit, and I want to order a bottle!