Lucy's Kiss

[krysaia]

Created to represent the essence of Bram Stoker’s tragic heroine, Lucy Westenra. Seductive, wanton and deadly, but underscored with a soft, wistful innocense. The gentle scent of rose and a blend of Victorian spices.

In the vial: Very lightly spiced rose. Pretty!

Wet: It's nice and rosy for the first few seconds, but the rose quickly gives way to the spices.

Dry: The spices almost completely disappear. I'm left with vaguely rosy soap after thirty minutes, and pure soap within an hour. I get pretty good throw, but I kind of wish I didn't.

Verdict: I wish my skin liked this scent, because I enjoyed this in the vial and I can tell it would smell lovely on the right person. Sadly, it's too soapy for me. I don't mind the smell, but I have a perfectly good bar of soap in my bathroom. So, this one's off to the swap pile.

[stillalive]

First sniff: Oooh, yay! Maybe I've finally found a rose/floral scent that works on me without giving me a horrible headache!

 

Second sniff: omg, wait-- what is that smell? The spices are making me smell like SOMETHING, I can't put my finger on it but it's kind of gross... like... food. but not good food, it's like spiced tomato soup or salted vegetables or something. blech!

 

Third sniff: Yay, the gross vegetable smell is gone! Now it's a nice sort of rose smell... it's citrusy I *think*, but I'd have to try it later to make sure I'm not mixing scents!

 

On a different part of my body: Nope! It's not mixing. It really does smell slightly citrusy. Definitely keeping this imp.

 

I'm not really sure what this has to do with Lucy Westenra, but as a scent I like it. I don't even get the overwhelming fresh-cut rose.

 

UPDATE: tried this one on again... whatever nasty vegetable scent I used to get is totally gone. It blends right into a faint citrus sort of scent... Am I actually getting to where I can wear florals? yay!

Edited October 28, 2008 by systemaurora

[Iceblink]

One of the few rose blends I've actively disliked. I usually can stand them even if they go a little soapy, because they still smell like NICE soap. But Lucy's Kiss smelled like soap from the clearance aisle down at the Wal-mart on me. And gave me a headache. Not good.

[crebbsgirl]

As someone who is primarily not a fan of roses, I must say this blend was pleasantly surprising. I actually really enjoyed it. The rose never reached a point where it was too cloying or heady on me, as opposed to most scents containing it. I think the spice tempers the rose quite nicely. Unfortunately, the rose is the predominant scent here, and roses and my nose just don't get along. I'll be swapping this one.

[mgrazulis]

I love old fashioned and antique roses, and I love Bram Stoker. And it so happens that Lucy's Kiss is one of my favorite rose scents. Beth has such a way with the roses and this one will likely go to my bottle list!.

 

The first whiff from the imp is a gentle, sweet, pale pink cabbage rose. In the center, a spice that is carnation like. Wet it stays gentle and soft. As it dries it does get a hint of darkness and a fruitlike coldness, something sensual luring you in for a better whiff. Is that tinge a vampy Lucy waiting to expose her fangs? There's an ambiguity and a hint of corruption at this stage.

On me, this is strong rose. But it isn't cloying at all. If you're a rose lover, be patient with this one. It does round out after a while, leaving a light, but sorrowful rose aroma. Well worth the wait...

 

Edited September 17, 2008 by mineralfairy

[icecreamcone]

Rose scents scare me because of nasty body sprays and lotions that were given to me as a kid.

 

This one is pretty much exactly what I hoped it wouldn't be. I did get to smell some other rose scents at an m&s recently... so there still is hope! Just none for Lucy's Kiss, which smells like cheap rose perfume on me.

[Sapphiremo0n]

Dressing to go out for the evening, I select my imp of Lucy's kiss. After all, rose based scents can work well for either night or day, but something made with Lucy in mind does make me think this will be perfect for dinner out.

 

I uncap my imp and immediatly find myself engulfed in the heady scent of the rose. It is like walking through a huge victorian greenhouse full of nothing but all kinds of roses. Although rose is the only thing I get from the wet oil, it isn't such a strong scent as to be unpleasant.

 

Upon application, the scent becomes abit on the dusty and powdery side with a lick of something almost jasmine coming through under the rose.

 

After an evening of wear, I still have a beautiful blend of jasmine and rose. This delightful combination lingers on my wrists well into the morning after.

[goblinshark]

I've been wanting to try this forever because Dracula is one of my favorite books of all time! It is EXTREME Victorian floral, in the imp and on my skin. Very flowery and fussy and sweet. I actually like it a lot but it's so fussy I don't know if it is really wearable for me. It also makes me sneeze a little.

[Reenah]

This was a very fortunate frimp from the lab. Every rose I've tried so far from BPAL has turned into a LOUD, pink bubblegum scent, and it's been very frustrating because I really do love the scent of rose. This however has has a bitter, tart edge that sooo unlike the rose in Two, Five, and Seven or Gwenyth. It smells greener and more plant-y, and maaaaybe a little more like generic "perfume" from an earlier era. If you're afraid of a grandma-y rose, then this one is not for you. For me, however, it's perfect.

 

Wait, actually, the rose note in Moscow was bitter like this one, not bubblegum-y. But it made me sneeze and my eyes water. I have a cold right now though, so maybe Lucy's Kiss does that too, but I can't tell the difference. Hmmmm...

 

Conceptually, this doesn't fit at all. This doesn't evoke darling Lucy Westenra for me. She is pure white and blood red, and Lucy's Kiss is pink and gold. *sigh* I wish it did. I freaking love that book. This blend smells classic and elegant and grand, like a Victorian opera. In fact, I'm going to rename it "Gala at the Opera Populaire" and pretend it's from a line based on The Phantom of the Opera. It works so much better that way.

[caitilarkin]

In the imp: Rose with a tinge of sourness. No spices.

 

On skin: From application through drydown, for its whole life on my wrists, this was straight up rose. That is all. It never morphed or seemed to meld with my skin. And it's got some serious wearlength; it was going strong when I finally washed it off after 12 hours.

 

Huh. I'm not sure what I think about this scent. This is the first rose blend that hasn't curled up and died upon contact with my skin, but it doesn't really appeal to me, either. It's very pretty, though, and I'll try it again in a month or two.

[rayvn1]

How does BPAL do it? I usually loathe commercial rose scents as completely anti-sex This is great though! Sexy, feminine and not too sweet with those lovely Victorian spices.

[sqwook]

Wet: light garden rose - like a true rose scent when you're walking through a dew-covered english-style garden.

 

Dry: This is a nice rose scent (I just can't imagine myself wearing this, I can't usually do rose.)

[obsidienne]

I never thought there would be a Lab rose blend I would absolutely dislike, but Lucy's Kiss managed to prove me wrong. I've been "trying" this blend repeatedly since last night, and it never comes off as anything but a rather unpleasant and soapy, slightly bitter, medicinal (how!?!) rose. Fairly strong, though it does fade after a while.

 

Just ew. I'll give this one another try in a few weeks just to test my chemistry, but I'm pretty sure this is a swap. I tried mixing it with a little Rose Red just to see if I could round it out and make it seem less icky, but that didn't work out so well.

Edited November 26, 2008 by obsidienne

[Juushika]

In the vial: Why hello there, rose. This is white rose to my nose, sharp but pale. There's just a hint of some other note in the background, but I can't pin down what.

 

On me: Roses and spices, indeed. I still believe this is white rose, because it's light-toned and gentle and hasn't begun screaming bloody murder, as other roses are wont to do on my skin. The sharpness has fled, leaving the rose petal-smooth and softly sweet. I can't pick out individual spices; warm, slightly powdery, more smooth than sharp, they seem like a sprinkling of powdered clove over a smooth dark resin.

 

Verdict: The boyfriend likes Lucy's Kiss, but the boyfriend is fond of rose. I am less so—I'm not a big fan of the scent in general, red rose goes awful on my skin, and I already have a preferred white rose blend (Magdalene). Still, this is far more pleasant and well-behaved than I expected. The rose is light but distinct and spices are a beautiful compliment, grounding and warming the scent. I'm almost fond of this, but I'm not sure how often I'll wear it. For now, I'll keep my imp.

[modillian]

**Note: this is a frimp, and I mostly dislike rose.

 

In the bottle: Blarg! Watery light pink flowers! The smell of an absolutely spineless person. Oh, roses. Well that makes sense. ROSE HATE, GRR.

 

On skin: Pink roses and green shrubbery. Fresh and clean. A high sugary note emerging, too sweet like aspartame. Unfortunately, rose reminds me of nothing so much as expensive soap and my grandmother, most of the time, and Lucy's Kiss is proving the rule and not the exception.

 

Drying: If by rose they mean pink rose and carnation plus watery notes, they're right. If by "Victorian spices" the lab means fructose and dusting powder that makes me cough, then they're right too. Yikes. This "works" on me but isn't my style at all. Dries down to a vague rose note.

[awesomeoverlord]

This is a really nice, lightly spiced white rose in the imp. Unfortunately, as soon as it hits my skin it goes super sharp. Wayyy too heady and perfumey -- something in here just doesn't agree with me. Too bad. I bet this would smell really nice on someone else.

[twilighteyes]

I was hoping for a bit more spice but on me this is all Rose Rose Rose!

 

Not a red rose, like Rose Red from the Yule series, but more of a traditional victorian rose perfume. I am getting the color pink, which is silly -- as someone who had over 50 types of rose bushes at one time (mostly purple, pink, black, or two toned (stripes, splashes), or unique scents (myrrh for example) -- roses come in a LOT of scents and colors), I know that color has nothing to do with scent. But still. Pink. Sweet top with a musky bottom note. I like it, but was still hoping for the spice.

[Ajila]

In the bottle – Lush, wet rose

 

Wet on me – A sweet heady rose and, oddly, mint

 

Dry on me – Straight up old fashioned rose

 

Overall – I like the scent of roses, but I don’t want to smell like one so this isn’t really for me

 

[Lyrical]

 

In vial: a soft, red, calming rose pot pourri.

 

Wet on skin: rich, red rose, well grounded with spice.

 

Dry on skin: as roses go, I rather like this one. It's warm and not at all soapy.

[TheOneTheyCallLuna]

Ohhhh, wow, this is a warm, voluptuous, romantically tragic rose! Delicious! This is the opposite kind of rose scent from something like Two, Five, Seven or Kurukulla - those bright, juicy, fruity roses. This is more of a sorrowful floral romantic rose a la Blue Moon, and Lady Luck Blues. I don't get any spices, at all. I can tell there's a breath of something-or-other else in there besides just rose, but I can't tell what it is as it is very subtle. This is great...a definite keeper! Good thing the lab gave me two frimps of it in my last order!

[angelin05]

In the imp:

Roses. Heady Roses with greenery freshly cut. Honestly I don't smell anything but.

 

Wet:

same as in the bottle. After a minute or two it smells a bit soapy.

 

Dry: Wonderful roses with greenery is back with a slight tinge of warm spices underneath. I like it. Romantic, warm, but with a seductive side.

[RedRoseMaze]

In the bottle: It’s a delicate rose, with a touch of sour spices.

 

Wet: At first, it’s a bittersweet rose; it’s soft and vulnerable. However, don’t be fooled by it, for it quickly turns into a spicy blend. Interesting…

 

Dry: Still spicy, with a bitter rose underneath. Hours later, the rose is completely gone, and all that remains is the sour blend of spices. I still can’t figure out which spices are in it though.

 

Verdict: I have to admit this one is interesting. It respects its concept from beginning to end. However, those spices annoy me after a while, so it’s probably not for me.

 

[Bluestocking]

In the imp: It's funny, how many different ways people have interpreted this rose! For me, it's sweet, young, pink rosebuds, youthful and fresh, with a softer undertone of what I would swear are purple violets to give it a dreamy, romantic, Victorian aspect. This does seem very much like pre-bite Lucy to me: young and pretty and full of promise.

On, wet: These are fuller, more lush roses now, deep pink with a subtle kick of spice. The violets haven't totally disappeared, but they're definitely second-fiddle here, just adding a little bit of sweet purple to the mix. The blooming roses and spice do make this more seductive than it was in the imp—innocently seductive, if that's possible. Very Victorian.

On, dry: Equal parts roses and violets, with just enough spice to keep this young. Sweet, charming, old-fashioned floral with unexpectedly amazing throw. I didn't slather this at all, and I only applied to my wrists, but I keep getting wonderful whiffs. There was a brief dry-almost-powdery stage during the dry down that made me afraid this would go old-ladyish, but now it's ripe and lovely and… honestly, quite gorgeous.

Later: More beautiful than ever. The roses and violets and spice form something more than the sum of their parts, and I can't get over how pretty and voluptuous and appealing this is. If Lucy smells like this, then it's no wonder every man in the book, including Dracula, wants her.

Overall: This was a frimp, and I was fully braced for this to be all faint and shrill and powdery. But it really wasn't anything like I expected. Instead, it's a vibrant, lovely, feminine blend, a perfect marriage of pink rose and purple violets and spice. It's vivacious and summery, a perfect scent for Lucy, and unlike some other rose blends I've tried and liked, it has great staying power and throw on me. I've already had several compliments on this one, so I'm pretty sure it's a keeper.

Edited March 18, 2009 by Bluestocking

[milo]

Rose, rose and more rose. Kind of an overly sweet one, with a sour edge. Unfortuneately, I don't get any spice. Roses rarely work for me, and this is no exception.

[stellans]

Roses, yes, but the spices do not appear; and the rose is a weak-smelling rose to me, with a slight oiliness in the scent, like it's a lotion or something. I like my roses a bit more ‘take charge’ and with a little attitude. This is a namby-pamby rose and since this is an Imp Trial, I deem this blend not bottle-worthy. 1 star, because it is a rose blend, after all.

Edited June 12, 2011 by stellans