Pride

[Ajila]

Vanity in extremis. The scent of rabid hauteur: Moroccan rose and narcissus

 

In the bottle - Turkish delight, very sweet and slightly rosey.

Wet on me - Less sweet and the narcissus is now evident with the rose.

Dry on me - The rose overpowers everything and is far too heady for me . Some 10 hours after the initial application it has faded to something warm and spicy, if only it didn't take so long to get there.

Edited December 8, 2005 by Ajila

[AlaskaSnows]

Wet: Seawater. Salty and briny.

 

Dry: I don't know what these notes are, but there is plenty of saltwater and something like a rose that was stuck in the saltwater and waterlogged. not my style, too salty.

[Thaleia]

I liked the description so much that I had to take my forum username from it.

 

In the bottle: A heady rose with a sharpness underneath that is the narcissus. Very haughty, like a beautiful rose who knows it's beautiful, looking down at everyone else.

 

Wet: My skin loves rose, so the narcissus takes a back seat almost immediately.

 

Drydown: The narcissus comes back, giving the rose an edge to it ... like a lovely red rose with petal edges so sharp you could cut yourself on them.

 

Dry: The rose and narcissus are fairly equal now, fighting with one another about who's better than the other.

 

Throw: Pretty good. I've got The Haunted Palace on my other wrist, and all I can smell is Pride.

 

This was the scent I was most excited to receive, and while I was a bit apprehensive when I read the mixed reviews it's gotten, I'm so gratified to say that I love it. This is a no-nonsense rose, one that won't hesitate to stick you with a thorn if you come too close. It's a deep red fragrance, elegant, something to wear to a party if you want to stand out and feel like you could sit back, people-watch, and crack on everyone else who walks by. Not to say that you should do that, but it does give me that Mr. Darcy impression. It's the embodiment of the particular Deadly Sin I think I'm most guilty of ... which I probably shouldn't admit in public.

 

Rating: 5. Just because I think it's fantastic and I think I'm in love.

 

ETA: Staying power is great. I just tried to wash it off so I could try the rest of my haul, and it's still there. In full force. I'm impressed.

 

ETA, one year later: I wore this to a family showdown a couple of weeks after the initial review was written, and believe me, it DOES work wonders. It definitely sent the appropriate message to certain members of my family.

Edited November 11, 2006 by rabid hauteur

[sookster]

straight from imp this is a pure and true rose scent.....

upon application, this interestingly does not change a bit.....

pure rose through and through....with an added touch of green....just

a wee bit, mind you.......for the rose lover in you

[PixieSkull]

In the imp: White and green, like spring. There's a sweet floral, like carnation. So THIS is what narcissus smells like! I can smell green leaves as well. It smells like my grandparents' back yard, very lovely and gender-neutral.

Wet: Lots of soft floral and something that reminds me of Kumiho, like white tea. Very crisp and clean. Smell some light greenery, rose greenery.

Dry: Still crisp, lasts very well. Faded slightly from what it was before.

 

Category: Clean/Soft Floral/Crisp

Rating: 4/5, so gentle and non-agitating

Overall: Pride in the garden, green thumb pride. This is so nice and clear, it reminds me of Ace of Hearts after wearing it for a few hours crossed with Kumiho worn for 30 minutes. Floral but not girly, good for professional occasions. The rose itself wasn't apparent until drydown was ending but the greens were very clear.

[Fefferbella]

Frimp from the lab:

 

Roses... ack!

 

In the vial this is beautiful, crisp, fresh-cut roses with a hint of "other" floral sweetness...

 

On my skin, the rose turns to pure powdery yuckiness... rose rarely likes my skin chemistry...

 

Off to the swap pile.

[Mary Mayhem]

((I try not to read reviews until I've done mine...))

 

In bottle: a warm floral

 

On skin - wet: Warm and a little spicey. I'm picking up what I think is rose.

 

Drying: It mellows out a bit and becomes lighter. It's a sweet rose, but not a heavy one. It's not conventionally rose.. but that's what it is. There is a tad bit of green in it. Very fresh and pretty!

 

This is nice and strong. Great throw. Staying power is amazing! I don't detect any powder (and I got plenty of powder in Silentium Amoris)) This would be a nice room scent with a window open come springtime.

Edited January 17, 2006 by Mary Mayhem

[Miss Lynx]

Whoa. Death by florals!

 

I got enough of this on my fingertips just opening the imp to know I don't want it anywhere else on me. That little trace of it rose up (so to speak) and overpowers the other scent I was wearing (Shadow, I think) and all I smell, without even putting my nose anywhere near my hand, is FLOWERS FLOWERS FLOWERS!!!

 

In fact I can say this may be about the most frighteningly powerful floral scent I have yet encountered. And while I suppose having it scream its presence over a loudspeaker is appropriate to its theme, I am not only consigning it to the swap pile but am tempted to keep the imp in a locked airtight container until someone wants it.

 

Grade: F (for FLOWERS!!!!)

[Ayln]

I smell...

 

ROSE.

 

and then...

 

SHARP TOILET WATER.

 

 

Florals are not my friend.

[jazlyn]

Pride is a rose scent and rose scents tend to turn soapy on me, but on the plus side, this combination of Moroccan rose and narcissus really does make me want to tilt my chin up a little more and keep my shoulders back and chest out. It makes me think, "I'm great!" (Would be great for a bit of a confidence booster... I'm thinking class presentations and models on runways...attitude!! (as if they'd need it though!)) Hahaha most rose scents don't do all this to me so this is pretty unique... but still... this one is another for the swaps.

Edited February 3, 2006 by jazlyn

[slave1]

On Bottle: Floral extreme

 

On Skin: Soap… very, very soapy. Rose soap to be exact. This scent fits it’s description well. I ca totally see a stuck up, older plastic surgery obsessed woman wearing this. 100% pure vanity. It is very sharp, the rose isn’t sweet at all. Rose is one of my least favorite floral scents so this one just isn’t me… so much so I need to rinse it off. It makes my eyes water it is so pungent.

[Chrysantza]

In the imp: Rose

 

On me: Ph34r the rose! Very strong rose with a sharp green undertone that I suppose is the narcissus, though it does not smell like my paperwhites.

 

Verdict: I actually wanted something that would smell more like my paperwhites, and this is very rosey; plus the sharp green whatever-it-is doesn't agree with my skin chemistry. I have other rose scents I like a lot better. So off to the swap pile.

[tarotgirl99]

On me, all rose, no narcissus.

 

I'm surprised how much I love this one.

 

Possibly my favorite rose ever. Great throw and it lasts and lasts.

 

I'd be proud of it, but that would be so cliche.

[tereshkova2001]

Intense rose, with very strong throw. I feel like my second-grade teacher; you could smell her perfume ten minutes after she'd walked by. Once it calms down, in a few hours, it's a beautiful strong rose, arrogant and thereby seductive. It would be perfect for scenting feather roses--a very little bit goes a long way, and lasts and lasts. I think it's a bit too aggressive for me, unfortunately. I can't pick up any narcissus at all, just the rose.

[Shollin]

First sniff: Yikes. Yeah, that’s rose all right – the powdery kind.

 

Wearing: Powdery rose with something a little deeper and more serious underneath. It’s almost like the sin of pride and the good version of pride combined – the flamboyant hubris rose and the deeper, self-confident base. Despite any cool philosophical implications, however, this is a powdery floral, and as such, not me.

[dnipbhsw]

Pride is a beautiful, crisp rose, with a hint of soft warmth right underneath the surface. This didn't morph on me at all from the first sniff in the imp to hours later dry on my skin.

 

This is definitely the scent of pride, sophistication and confidence. I picture a supermodel fiercely stomping down the runway with a look in her eyes that says, Screw you, screw you, and screw you too, because you are merely dust on the bottom of my expensive designer shoes!

[TheStormCellar]

It's very difficult to be vain when the scent vanishes without a trace in about five min. It was lovely while it lasted. I was hoping this would work with me, because I haven't found a rose scent yet that doesn't disappear on contact.

[lookingglass]

Very, very STRONG rose. It smothers the narcissus, which is the reason I tried this scent in the first place. Oh, well, I have Hunger and she is all I really need in the narcissus department.

[opaleyes]

Ooh! ::laughs:: If Narcissa Malfoy were to wear one BPAL scent, this would be it.

 

Love the rose. It's not the fresh sweet rose, but much more dry and dusty. That "proud" feel is definitely there. The narcissus balances the rose out so well, and becomes more prominent the longer I wear it. This is great on me.

 

When I was in the car this morning, I was cooped up with the fresh scent and did actually detect a somewhat gasoline/rubbing alcohol undertone, but as soon as I got out into the fresh air, into the office, etc. It was gone. I wondered if I had just been smelling the exhaust from other cars, but after reading other reviews here I wonder if it really was the perfume.

 

So yeah, as long as I'm not hopping into the car right after putting it on, I love this!

[Eunice]

If the narcissus is what I am smelling paired with the rose, it is a fabulous pairing. Roses are always elegance to me but the narcissus helps keep Pride less innocent. Pride has the illusion of innocence but it is all illusion. Another winner!!

Edited May 15, 2006 by Eunice_Branca

[edenssixthday]

Pride - I usually adore BPAL's rose scents, but Pride is nothing to write home about. The rose smells cheap and artificial. It's doesn't come across as true and lovely as most of the other BPAL roses I've encountered. I'm very disappointed. The narcissus makes this way too heady and overpowering. Points for its throw and staying power, but still: two thumbs down.

[Diana]

Wet: ROSE. something plasticky in the background

 

Drydown: The roses are pretty sharp, and the plastic note is still there, but I don't know if it's the narcissus or the roses. Usually BPAL rose blends work pretty well on me. After a bit, the plastic note dissipates, and this is a rose-rose-rose blend. It smells a lot like tea roses, and it stays a bit sharp.

 

I don't dislike it, but I think I like some of the more complex rose blends a bit better. It is pretty, and if you're a rose lover, you should check it out.

[juniperus]

Bottle: all rose, but, yes, a damn haughty one. so rose it almost smells fake, it's that rose.

Wet: upper-note and sweeter narcissus coming through, toning the rose down just a smidge.

Dry: oooohhhh my the narcissus is turning sour and rotty-smelling. I've got seriously 'turned' bouquet in skanky water at this point. ew! ew!

Later: rotten flowers and rose soap. Holy crow, this has gone foul on me...yuckity.

[karengypsy]

In the vial: Florals!

 

On me: Rose! This smells so good! I am not sure if I smell the other flower, narcissus, though. This blend is beautiful on me!

 

Verdict: Keeper! I can't believe I didn't like this the first time I tried it.

 

Rating: 4/5

[sophia_helix]

I feel stupid even reviewing this frimp, since rose never works on me, but... yup. That's some rose, there. Smells awful and sickly-sweet on me, as always. Sigh.

 

*clings to Rose Red, the only blend that works*