Gypsy Queen

[alicia_stardust]

A heavy-lidded perfume, the quintessence of beauty and power shrouded in mystery, swathed in a deep, velvet-clad cloak of dark omens: Romany incense and candle smoke mingling with an alluring, body-warmed whiff of bergamot, neroli, Bulgar rose, carnation, and amber musk.

Gypsy Queen is one of my favorites from Carnaval Noir, after Snake Charmer of course. The gypsy has a very deep and alluring quality to it. It's a very dark and complex resin/incense blend to my nose; heady, smoky, dark, and sweet. I believe the sweet comes from the mix of florals in this. It doesn't present as a floral blend per se, but the florals do contribute nicely to the incensey quality. Love this so much, and it's worth tracking down!

[PinkoCommie]

This is one of only three rose scents I can wear. (The others are the Queen's Salon and Crypt Queen. Maybe it's the queens....)

 

Anyway, on me, this is sexy, smoky carnations under a starry sky, thick candles twinkling in the background. It's the heavy, wafting scent-you-can-feel of incense, magic and a hint of feral allure. This queen seduces you and before you know it, you're awake, staring at the sky, wondering where your pants have got off to...

[zankoku_zen]

Oh man, this is a dead sexy rose blend. It's a very non-aggressive rose, and the incensey/amber base is to die for. Unfortunately on me, after a while, the incense takes on an almost peppery blend. And there is a trace of something that doesn't seem to agree with me.

 

I can definitely see why this blend is soooo coveted. I can almost wear this, but it's striking out mildly, but enough to make it noticeable.

 

*sigh* I really do wish I could wear this one. I didn't expect to love this and want to make it work.

 

On the right person, this is ultimate seduction.

[Dark Alice]

I finally got the chance to smell this and I must say....I am truly impressed. Despite all of the listed ingreidients in this, my skin has the tendency to amp rose the most. In this imp the rose is not overpowering. It's just soft, subtle rose. There is also something green in this. Subtle, like rose stem??? It's like I am walking in a rose garden and the wind gently pass through the flowers creating a gentle waft of rose on the breeze. Although, I am not a fan of this, I finally understand what all of the hullabaloo is all about.

[forspecial_plate]

This is a glittery, jangly scent, big on floral notes, but complex, too. I like the way it smells, but it's not quite a scent for me. It might work well as a room scent but I generally use tarts for that. I do like the underlying smokey qualities.

 

I think Chrysanthemum Moon works better for me, as far as smokey and floral scents go. I do like the images Gypsy Queen brings to mind, though.

[milo]

Wet and on, this is THE best scent ever. Very effervescent, it actually reminds me of how a really good expensive ginger beer would smell. This lasts all but 20 minutes and it changes into something like a rather generic floral on me, which is OK, just nothing spectacular. It fades pretty quickly after this. *sigh* I so wish it kept true to it's wet stage, I'd probably hunt a bottle down. For now, I'll just enjoy the imp in all it's glory while it's wet. Very glad I got to try this, and maybe my bum skin chemistry was just "off" today.

[hellomoonglow]

I really really like this, but it is an odd scent on my skin. Something reminds me of childhood. I'd say the incense, but we never went to church. It really has a strong scent of powder on me, so that may be the de ja vu. What I like most about this is the deepness it has. It has lasted for over an hour on me, although it doesn't have much throw. I have an imp of this, not sure if I'd want a bottle, but I do like it.

[aquazoo]

This is soft and pretty, I'm not getting the smoke but the spicy incense is there. The flowers are up front but not overwhelming. Beautiful!

[fairnymph]

In the bottle: Light amber coloured oil. Sweet and musky! Rose, for sure, and amber and musk..and really strongly, CANDLES, like a waxy scent of delicious beeswax. A bit of slightly spicy incense.

 

Wet: Pretty faint; mostly rose and beeswax. Less complex and much weaker than sniffed. If I strain I get a bit of amber and smoke.

 

Dry: More and more smoke and incense, and the amber is going a bit powdery. Carnation coming out, both spicy and a bit creamy. Still quite sweet.

 

Summary: Final drydown is mostly smoke and incense and a bit of sweet beeswax, with lighter rose, carnation, and amber - oh, and loads of musk. Poor throw & decent longevity.

 

[TheOneTheyCallLuna]

Oh, dear! I should never have asked for the sniffy of Gypsy Queen. Now that this Pandora's Box has been opened, I don't think anything will ever be quite the same. This is absolutely divine! Classy Bulgarian rose with spicy sweet carnation and a bright flash of citrus that lends a crystalline quality to the mix. A bit perfumey for my tastes, but I'll forgive it in this instance, because this is some really unique, high-class shit! Goes a touch powdery on the drydown, but I nitpick...This is fantastic. Lucky you, if you can get your hands on some!

 

ETA: I take it back about the powderiness! Turns out that was just a short phase in the drydown, that leads to this blend developing into the most heavenly carnation incense ever! This blend is really beyond reproach.

Edited April 1, 2009 by OneTheyCallLuna

[crebbsgirl]

On me, this is VERY similar to The Caterpillar (carnation, bergamot, neroli and incense being shared notes). Except for the rose component, the two are almost indistinguishable on my skin. Incense-y and dark, with a faint citrus vibe and the floral spice of carnation. Given that I amp rose, or turn it to ammonia, I prefer The Caterpillar.

[rayvn1]

Why god, whyyyyyy?!?! I've been trying to get my hands on this and just swapped with the lovely crebbsgirl to get my mitts on this... and it doesn't work! At all. It's a low-throw pleasant powder scent with a bit of incense in the background, but nowhere near the awesomness it looks like others get from this Sad. I'll swap it and make someone's day, I guess.

[Delirium1009]

I was so happy to try this, but alas, it doesn't work on me.

 

To me, this is a mix of rose, incense, and powdery amber. It smells more like a traditional perfume than the things I usually wear. There's a nice hint of sweetness from the carnation, but the powder is a bit overpowering and really distracts me from the nicer parts of this blend.

 

Overall, very pretty, but I wish my chemistry were different so it would be nicer on me.

[suki]

Yup, this is pretty much exactly as awesome as I knew it would be. (Many thanks to Dark Alice for frimping me this!!! )

 

So, basically, I'm finidng that Gypsy Queen is like Crypt Queen's understated, brooding older sister. Where as the rose in Crypt sort of went dead-powder on me, Gypsy speaks of dried flowers keepsakes and love won and lost, perhaps due to tragedy. I get incense and the spiciness of carnation for sure, but it's mostly the smoky rose that's pulling me back again and again.

 

Oh lordy, how do I fins a bottle of this?!?!?

 

 

:wub:

[mxtine]

Thanks to the lovely saralaughs, I have a 1/4 decant of this.

 

Gypsy Queen is by far the best carnation scent I've tried yet. It's a drop dead sexy blend of incense, beeswax candles, soft amber and spicy carnation. I amp rose scents but for some reason this is not smelling very rosy to me. Anyway, I love this and now I'm going to whine about how some of the best scents are from the Carnaval Noir and therefore discontinued.

[Vega]

Sniffed: Sweet, resinous, with a slight tangy verve. Reminiscent of Midnight Mass and Three Brides.

 

On skin: Gypsy Queen is a gentle incense blend (I'm quite certain myrrh is here), made soft and a bit hazy from musk, but with a certain clarity that I suspect must be from bergamot and the flowers, which are all too well-blended for me to identify individually. A blend that stays close to the skin, sweet and rounded, hazy but clear and deep at the same time. It gradually grows deeper in the incense, coloured through by the florals which remain in supporting position. Gypsy Queen is rich and voluptuous, but not overtly sexual. I'm minded of a veiled woman, wholly feminine, commanding a strong but quiet presence, alluring and captivating and mystic with secrets. I think it's a darker, more incense-heavy version of Three Brides (a lighter, similar-but-distinct musky-floral), or a more floral version of the pure-incense Midnight Mass. Colour impression is the richest of amber.

 

Verdict: What a beautiful scent that so befits the Gypsy Queen! While this is a sold like, it just misses out on being a favourite. Sadly, I just don't see myself reaching for this much.

[ami226]

On the skin: This one is crazy interesting! Orangey resin? I want to say this reminds me slightly of A Wonderful Light. Wow! This blend is gorgeous and lovely while slightly tasty at the same time!

 

I can smell the carnation a bit better as time goes on (yummy spicy carnation) and it just gets better and better!

 

I will be hoarding every single drop! Wow! Based on the notes, this one shouldn't work on me (half the listed ingredients are death notes for me), but it is actually so yummy!

[welcometothefamily]

In the Imp: Incense and florals, the most notable being rose and maybe neroli.

 

Wet: Yup, definitely incense. The florals have died back a bit but are still present, and I'm getting the candle smoke.

 

Drydown: This is all candle smoke and incense now. The florals disappeared a while back. It has the same kinda vibe to me as The Lights of Men's Lives, but I think that might be the candle smoke.

 

Verdict: I wish so much the the amber musk appeared on the drydown because if it did, this scent would be PERFECT. I love the dark, gothic tone to this one, I just want a teensy bit of sweetness (is that so much to ask?) to even it out. That being said, this is a very nice oil, and I'll be searching out a bottle . I might try layering it with a few sweeter things, see what happens.

 

3.7/5

[LizziesLuck]

Wet: Rose and incense. It wavers on the edge of being powdery, then soapy, then it comes back around. Hints of smoke and sweetness. Very evocative. Quite beautiful, in a mysterious way.

 

 

Dry: Gorgeous. Hard to describe. Rose, yes, but much more than just a rose perfume. This is so perfect for a Gypsy Queen. It's mysterious and unique, but at the same time familiar in an elusive way. I really love it. Happy to have it!

[Lucchesa]

I finally got to try this (thank you!!!) and it is absolutely as beautiful as I expected. I don’t think I have any other scent where where rich smoky rosy incense combines with neroli and my beloved bergamot for a citrusy tarot-reading vibe. Tragically, my middle-aged skin just eats this beauty up, though. I want to walk around in clouds of this...