Black Opal

[emily2531]

A play of geological darkness and jagged brilliance. Soft and luminescent with flashes of black fire.

Black Opal smells of soft sweet vanilla with an undertone of musk and a hint of wintergreen. Edited November 16, 2009 by Soledad

[Amaroq]

In the imp, this smells extremely feminine, but pleasant, like vanilla and coconut. There is a hint of vampy blackness, though. Some sort of musk, perhaps?

 

It retains its femininity on the skin, with a powdery note. Many people have called it soft, and I suppose it is, but not in a demure way. It's inviting and pillowy.

 

Dry, I'm still getting vanilla and coconut, less of the powder (which is a good thing, to me). That may have been the muskiness that I smelled in the imp. Overall, it's very soothing, and a little alluring. I can see this being incredibly flattering on an older woman. While it doesn't suit my personality at all, it does smell quite nice, so if none of my lady friends are fond of it, this will be another oil to burn.

 

Edit: This, like Absinthe, smells very nice on my mum. There's another imp for her!

Edited December 14, 2009 by Amaroq

[fairestrocza]

In the Imp: fairly light, non-descript

 

Wet on Skin: public bathroom soap with a hint of evergreen way down beneath it all

 

While Drying: hotel disinfectant with a slight hint of vanilla behind it

 

After a Little While: vanilla with something bitter and something cloying; a very light scent; some reviews mention coconut, and I can believe that it is in here, because there is a faint hint of beach-ball

 

Later: if I stick my nose on my wrist, I get a fairly nice vanilla - however, the air around me is tainted by that smell that is both acrid and cloying; beach-ball periodically attacks the skin-close vanilla scent

 

Final Thoughts: Not terrible but definitely not something I would reach for with so many other great choices available... I'll have to try this on my friend with the extremely agreeable skin chemistry and see if it does something better on her.

Black Opal earns a 2.5/5 on me.

[Schmoozy]

Soft, comforting vanilla. To my nose it smells like clean laundry, or vanilla pop rocks.

Whatever it is, it's very relaxing and soothing.

[CiaoBonefish]

After trying both Obatala and Spooky and having the coconut note morphing into wet dog on me, I was very wary of Black Opal because it was recommended to me as a watery coconut blend. I did order it in my imp pack though, so I felt I needed to at least give it a short skin test to make sure. So glad I did.

 

I remember opening the imp and thinking hmmm that is coconut but more it has a crystalline quality along with something deep and dark (but clear at the same time?) I liked it because it intrigued me. Confused me even.

 

On my skin it stays pretty much the same, but then I start smelling this sweet vanilla that everyone has been talking about, and wow. It is gorgeous. The sweet creaminess of the vanilla morphs so spectacularly well with this deep crystalline mineral cool scent. Two of my favorite kind of scents are crisp/cool/crystalline ones and creamy warm ones. This is the marriage of the two!

 

This has average throw on me but lasts a really long time. It fades predominantly the same as it has been smelling but the vanilla becomes more and more apparent without taking over though. It really only morphs on application. Oh! And after it was on my skin I couldn't really smell coconut anymore which makes me wonder if there even is coconut in this blend or if it is just playing tricks on me.

 

Regardless. I love this scent! So glad I gave it a try!

 

EDIT: If black opal had a scent, this would definitely be it!

Edited January 23, 2010 by ciaobonefish

[smgudan]

This is a very pretty, musky powdery vanilla scent with a good throw. It sort of reminds me of that men's cologne, joop, but maybe just a tad more vanilla which makes it more feminine, although I could see this as a unisex scent. I give it 4 out of 5 stars, very interesting and pretty. Plus I love the name, with Opal being my birthstone

[surf-tormented]

t's a very light vanilla scent with something extra I can't place. A mineral type note, be it dirt, stone or ocean floor. I get that off and on rush of scent I have read other reviews have and that is a fun gimmick, because I get a smokey dirt whiff every once in a while as it beams fire, but I don't love it. The throw is hardly there and I really have to sniff it close to get any sign of it.

 

I like the cold vanilla note a lot better in their LEs like Snowball Fracas and Hypothermia. And those have more throw, so this imp will be swapped.

 

Hours later: It does hang on lightly for a long time, maybe this would be a good scent for work environments. I might change my mind about it and get a bottle.

 

Even later: It's gone now...maybe I shouldn't bother.

 

This scent is so confusing.

Edited February 8, 2010 by Madame Nyx

[SophieCedar]

I picked this up because people attested that it smells like Sex Bomb from Lush. TRUE! It does.

 

First words out of my mouth were "oooh CUTE!"

 

There is a vanilla base to this with some flirty florals mixed in. A bit musky and perfumey. Smells oddly familiar outside of the Sex Bomb association but I can't place it..

[hlemonds]

I really like this one. Already have a bottle on order, may order another for the aging drawer before the price increase.

 

On me i definitely get the vanilla everyone has mentioned....and perhaps a sort of dry, slightly powdery muskiness. Its a nice powdery feeling though, kind of velvety or fluffy. Quite nice throw as well. I feel like a gentle cloud of vanilla muskiness is wafting around me. I think this is reminding me of something i smelled a very long time ago. It's quite a simple scent, and comfortable. Somehow it is both warm and inviting, but cool and gentle at the same time.

[cherrycherry]

This is another imp that my friend passed on to me and another instant favourite. Very much looking forward to my 5ml bottle arriving. This is a delicate and understated scent, one that I will wear during the day so I can sniff my wrists as much as I want to without having to worry about being stared at

 

Smoky vanilla with an undertone of glistening crystals and minerals.

[Tenshi]

Black Opal is difficult for me to describe. When I first tried it on, I thought that it seemed awfully familiar. It is a scent from my past, but I couldn’t say what perfume it is similar to. It is incredibly subtle and soft. It’s sweet without being sugary or toothache-inducing. It’s not foody, it’s just sweetness. Perhaps it’s powdery, but it doesn’t make me feel that it is. It’s certainly not unpleasant or old lady-esque. It smells like a dark purple scent to me, not quite black. It is undoubtedly feminine but it smells like how a girl would just smell naturally. It’s not perfume, just her natural, girly scent. Unfortunately, I cannot detect any specific notes. (I haven’t developed the skill yet.)

 

I think this oil is easy to love. It’s beautiful, soft, and comforting.

As for myself, I like it but it is not me. It just doesn’t really fit what I think I should smell like and because of its familiarity I have already associated it with someone else. I’ll probably keep the imp anyway, just in case.

[ModderRhu]

Black Opal

I slathered this one like CRAZY. Mmmm!! The oil is crystal-clear in the imp. Goodness gracious, it is delicious. I think someone said that it smells hot and cold at the same time. I agree. It smells snuggly and familiar to me. It's a complex scent but it doesn't change much from in the imp to drydown. I would say this is a good enabling scent. Cannot imagine anyone disliking it.

4.5 out of 5

[Dharklady]

In Bottle: Soft dark florals

Wet: This scent shines and shimmers. I can’t particularly pick out any resins or florals, but it has a beautiful freshness to it.

Dry: A soft shiney non-floral scent.

Notes: This is really pretty.

 

[NicoleJoy]

Hmmm, I like this one. It's a little light, but very wear-able and mysterious...

 

In bottle: Oh wow, this is SWEET. Almost cloyingly so.

 

Wet-on-skin: Ahhh, not *that* sweet. This is pure vanilla, to me.

 

Dry: Interesting... It's no longer pure vanilla, but I can't put my finger on what else it is! Maybe a little tonka.. It's still sweet, but there's something strange in the background - in a good way. Every time I think it smells cold, like a Yule, it warms up like fire. Every time I think it smells warm like a fire, it turns icy cold like a Yule. I can smell what BPAL has labeled "Black flames," or at least that's the image this scent conjures up. Not-too-sweet vanilla and a mysterious undertone of darkness.

 

It should be noted that this scent is very light, with very little throw.

 

 

ETA: Surfing the past reviews, I see someone else mentioning it feels both hot and cold. This makes me happy, as I thought I was going insane, LOL

Edited June 20, 2010 by NicoleJoy

[FathomBelow]

In the vial and wet on my skin, I only get a very faint, vaguely sweetish scent. It's warm and fresh at the same time, but it's not strong enough for me to clearly identify any components. As it dries, Black Opal goes through this really weird stage where it smells exactly like vaseline. After it dries, I can analyze this a bit more clearly, and I get vanilla and a tiny bit of sandalwood, lightened by iris. It's very similar to Morocco - a fresher, crisper version in contrast to Morocco's overwhelming warmth. I like it, especially the dry down, but the vaseline stage makes me hesitate in deciding to get a bottle. I'll use up the rest of the imp and see.

[voorishsign]

Frimp from the Lab - I've always been vaguely interested in this scent but never enough to buy an imp.

 

In the imp, this reminds me of Inganok Jewellers from this years Lupers. Musky, ambery stone.

 

On wet, this is beautifully warm rock - more musk, more amber, the Lab's stone note and something creamy to this - I already like this a lot.

 

On drydown this is frankly amazing. It stays close to the skin but is basically a creamy, ambery, stoney, musky vanilla - I think there's tonka in there too. Genius! This imp is a keeper

[obsidienne]

This is such an odd scent.. Were I to sum it up, I'd call it sophisticated baby powder. It's like faint hints of dusty stone, musk, vanilla, coconut, amber, iris (which, btw, smells dusty to me), and a hint of something aquatic, all of which combine to create this sophisticated baby powderish scent. Very soft and pale and light. Extremely odd. And yet compelling. I could see myself wearing this occasionally; something makes me want to order a bottle, even if I am not sure I am in love with this, it could be something that grows on me over time.

 

I think it's the unique quality of it that makes me want to keep it around, and perhaps liberally experiment with layering.

[pandorasmuse]

Received from a forumite.

 

In the imp: Hmmm. Violet, or orris, maybe? Light and pretty.

 

Wet: When I first applied, I got more intense violet/orris, then almost immediately that lovely light smell changed into something that’s a cross between cleaning fluid and burning synthetic fabric. Chemistry fail.

[Lorelai1945]

Mmm. A very powdery, mineral-like vanilla. It's definitely cool in feel- it smells a lot like "ice cream" I used to make as a little kid out of snow, vanilla extract, and sugar. In fact, that's a lot what this smells like! I really like it. It doesn't last very long, but I like all of its stages- wet and dry. It also puts me in mind of something my grandmother had in her bathroom (no idea what), but it's not close enough to it to feel "old-ladyish".

[thebirdofhermes]

So, because there wasn't a GC I've tried that I wanted a bottle of, but I was feeling independently wealthy, I got a bottle of Black Opal. It's been on my want to try list, and going by the notes I know I like, it seemed like a safe choice.

 

In the Bottle: It smells cool... like the inside of the ice machine at work. Cool and watery. There's a touch of sweet cream rounding it out, and something slightly dusty.

 

Wet: Subtle watery sweet dustiness. I think it's orris. It smells like orris does on my skin. Very close to the skin. Delicate and unassuming. Not too terribly much in the way of throw. I definitely recognise a note that reminds me of Inganok Jewelers... I would assume a similar accord to the gleaming stone note in Inganok.

 

Dry: Occasionally, I do catch whiffs of something sharper. Whatever it is, it's minty... spearmint? Mostly, it's the same as it was wet. Subtle, dusty, liquid. Very light. I could probably douse myself quite liberally with this and not be too strongly scented. Would be a good scent for work.

 

Overall, I do like it and feel like it was money well spent. Not so sure it'll be one I repurchase, but the bottle will definitely get used. I may try layering it with Inganok Jewelers to enhance the stone note of the latter.

[Aldercy]

Wow, this is not what I expected! I think from the description, I was imagining something darker and a little dirtier, but Black Opal is sleek, shiny and gemlike indeed. It's a sheer, translucent vanilla-powder-musk... a little soapy, very "tame," but undeniably pleasant and somehow not boring. I usually instantly dislike anything that seems "powdery" to me, but this is actually rather good. The smell reminds me of playing dress up as a kid-- the old clothes we used had a faint perfumey smell, and this is very close to it.

[joyellen]

In the imp: This smells like clean cloth diapers.

 

Wet: It's so faint that I have to stick my nose right up to my hand to get a whiff. For a couple minutes, I couldn't smell anything at all. It smells somewhere between suntan lotion and a baby wipe. Kinda coconutty, kinda vanilla-y.

 

Dry: It's only the slightest bit stronger now. I still have to shove my hand right under my nose to get anything. There's virtually no throw at all.

 

I can't say I enjoy this one. For people with the right skin chemistry, I'm sure this is a stunner. Sadly it's not on me.

[Ryokumuji]

On me, Black Opal is a light vanilla musk with something else in the background... I can't describe it. I can smell it there, but whatever it is, it evokes the "black" in "Black Opal"! A very lovely scent that evokes it's image perfectly. I originally got this because I saw reviews mention "coconut" but this is definitely a vanilla scent to my nose and on my skin.

[starpixi81]

Black Opal is amazing! It smells the same to me in the bottle as it does on and doesn't shift at all. It is consistently gorgeous!

 

There is definitely the same vanilla as Antique Lace in this(as this smells very similar to AL on my skin)and a very neat mineral-y type note that makes everything earthy almost(not smelling of the earth, but more grounded and less sweet). There is a wonderful muskiness to this as well. The musk reminds me of the musk in Dorian, although way more feminine. Vanilla is the main component of this on my skin and it isn' too foody or sweet, it is just right for me.

 

The only thing that makes me sad about Black Opal is the throw and longevity. I have to tip the bottle upside down on my wrists 3-4 times and even then I can smell it for about an hour and then it is barely noticeable. It is worth the excessive re-applicationing however, since this is my new favorite blend! Gorgeous!

[iiinterstate]

I wanted to like Black Opal, I really did. It sounded like it would be a gorgeous blend on me and for about a minute, it was. However, this dries down into powdery blah-ness. No vanilla or geological fantasticness, just vague sweetness that I don't care for. (Regardless, I keep my imp and try it every six months or so because I keep hoping.)