Bess

[nome]

Inspired by the tragic, ill-fated love of Queen Elizabeth I and the Earl of Leicester. This is our modernization of a 17th-century perfume blend favored by British aristocracy: rosemary, orange flower, grape spirit, five rose variants, lemon peel, and mint.

 

In the bottle, this was strongly rosemary with some definite floral undertones. Wet, the grape came out while rosemary took more off a backstage role, and the roses gave it a sweeter, traditional tone. There might be a little lemon in there, but I don't get mint yet. 10 minutes in or so, mint arrives, the rosemary cools down, and the lemon and roses bloom. I really like it at this stage -- sort of a clean, soft, bright floral scent with enough citrus to cut the flowers and modernize the aroma. It reminds me of one of the old herbal essences shampoo scents, but I'm not sure which one.

An hour in and it's all but gone, two hours and not even a hint of it.

[whitsunweddings]

In the imp: Smells kinda mentholly, actually.

Wet: Yup, Vicks Vapour Rub.

Dry: Seperate notes start to emerge - I get grape, orange blossom and sweet rosemary. So this is pretty much Catherine but with grape.

Half an hour later: Grape grape grape. This faded quite quickly.

[Dani87]

Imp: very herbal

Wet: I get the mint, and orange, maybe a hint of lemon, and rosemary.

Dry down: citrus, rose, and a dry almost spiciness that must be rosemary.

Dry: rose, and light citrus

Overall: this is a nice clean scent, smells very fresh. I really like it, but my skin seems to eat it up so it doesn't last very long on me.

[velvet]

mellow. surprisingly mellow for the notes.

wet it is slightly herbal, but not obnoxiously so. i can tell there is rose in there but its very hidden.

as it dries it becomes sweeter, almost like a barely there sweet tart. i'm gugessing thats from the lemon and mint.

it stays so close to the skin, its so light and i suspect it will fade completely in a few minutes. Thats too bad because i like it.

Edited April 20, 2012 by velvet

[Tiada]

Imp: oh choke me This smells just like Tiger Balm filling the imp.

Wet: Still staying just like Tiger Balm. Not at all what it is listed or what I would expect at all.

Dry: finally the smells it should smell like... a little. There's the rosemary, roses, and lemon peel. None of these scents work together for me at all, but at least they're better than Tiger Balm!

 

A loser for me, 1 star.

[hexnut]

In Vitro Blind test. The first sniff was sharp and intriguing.

Wet Pungent menthol, possible eucalyptus, with something sweet in the background. After two minutes the menthol top note overwhelmed the sweet note, then receded a few minutes later to allow to sweetness to peek through. The scent became sweet and bracing, and I speculated that it might be an aquatic.

Drying Most of the menthol burned off leaving an airy, "fresh" smell. I had Lightning somewhere in my queue of samples for testing so that was my guess at that point, but the sweet component seemed floral. After a while I picked up something like grape flavor, and as the overall scent faded it settled into a subtle, sweet mixed floral with no hint of menthol.

The label reveal was a surprise because I know what rosemary smells like and it's nothing like menthol or eucalyptus to my nose. I suppose the mint factored into it but again, to me mint is distinct from menthol, as is lemon peel. On testing Bess a second time I definitely got grape but fortunately the "spirit" part didn't translate to a typical BPAL booze note that hates me. I couldn't pick out rose or orange blossom. This oil is like two different perfumes in one vial, and I like the drydown but it fades too quickly to be a bottle candidate although I will certainly keep the imp.

[sisi33]

In the Bottle: Gawd! What does this have in it?! *shudder* It's so think in the imp- a horrible thing to be unleashed upon the world. Can you tell that I'm suspicious of this? Smells exactly like those honey-eucalyptus cough-drops. EXACTLY! And there is neither honey nor eucalyptus in this.

Wet: Oh, I really don't want to...

-Suck it up! Grow some lady balls!

But I *really* don't want to- just look at it, just sitting there... Waiting...

-NOW! *cuffs over head*

Okay, okay, no need to get violent.

 

Anyways, where was I?

 

Wet: I'm still getting Eu... Wait. WAIT! Something sweet. I have no idea what. I'm still looking at my arm like it's going to strangle me.

Drydown: ARRRRRRRGHH! Cat pee! Get it offff! And this time I'm not overreacting in the slightest.

 

I did have to wash this off as it was putrid on me- absolutely horrific.

 

0/5

[sunlitgarden]

In the imp Bess is almost candylike, or like a mixed drink of some kind. Fruity with the citrus and grape, and minty. It also reminded me of a cough drop for a second. On my skin it's more "cool" and herbal. As it dries a bit I can start to smell the rose. It's kind of rosey-lemony when my nose is up against my wrist. The throw is mostly grape. I like it okay, but don't think I would seek it out to wear.

Edited December 24, 2012 by sunlitgarden

[elinox]

First Sniff: Medicinal, like menthol (from the mint).

 

Wet: Berry, like gummy candy, mixed with menthol. It smells like yucky medicine. There might be a rose in here, but I think the grape is making it wonky.

 

Dry: As it dried I was still getting the gummy candy sort of smell. But once it dried completely, it smelled like a light berry.

 

My Reaction: I did not care for the initial smell, the medical menthol was not pleasant, but once it dried it was feminine and pleasant. I really started to like the grape smell, but unfortunately, it’s been about 10 minutes and it’s already so very light on me, even after a double application.

 

Rating 1-5: 2.5

 

EDIT: Hours later, I’ve got to edit my initial review. This is still light, but it smells like grape candy which is yummy. And it reminds me of a childhood stuffed animal which smells like sweet grapes, which I was ecstatic over!

 

Rating 1-5: 3.5

Edited January 2, 2013 by elinox

[NuadaVixen]

I got "Bess" as a freebie from the lab and it was the only scent I didn't like... AT ALL.

 

It smelled like fresh, citrus-y grass that smudged your hands and you can't wash it away. Like bad medicine.

If it were food, it would look like a soft marshmallow and taste like onions.

[Mayhem27]

In the imp, yup, smelled like a cough drop. I swear I could make out honey although it isn't listed as a note. Once I put it on, I could really smell the orange and rosemary, with a little tiny bit of mint. The orange is very nice, and thankfully no honey! I just looked up the description for Bess again and was surprised to see rose listed. I must have overlooked that when I ordered, because I definitely do not like rose. I didn't get any rose from this, though. A few hours into wearing this, it has almost disappeared except for a slight trace of grape. All around a pretty nice, light scent, but didn't stick around on me very long.

[4807]

Wet on my skin it smells strongly of grapes with a hint of roses and soap. Dry on skin it smells like roses and soap with a hint of grapes. My skin amps this one like crazy. I put a tiny dot on the inside of one wrist and within 15 minutes the entire room smelled strongly of grapes and roses.

[Erinofhere]

Oh Bess..you are amazing.

This was a frimp from the lab and I gotta say I am blown away!

I don't care for lemon and I don't care for rosemary unless I am cooking with it. grape spirit? What like wine? nope not for me...mint? umm no thank you. Roses? Pass.

But this works. This is simply beautiful.

It has absolutely no staying power on my skin but I am still getting the big bottle of this.

Wet: Mainly Rosemary and rose with a bit of mint lurking in the back ground.

Dry: I never do really pick up on the lemon peel. I do get the rose, rosemary (a lot of Rosemary) mint (only slightly)and white grape. The grape is the most unusual. It almost smells like grape peel maybe? It’s hard to put my finger on what it actually is that I a smell. This must be more like a real grape than wine. This is floral without being floral. It’s a very perplexing scent to say the least.

This is beautiful. It’s very feminine and very wearable. This to me feels like a summer perfume but honestly I'm in love with it so much I would wear it always. It also zings a part of my brain when I wear this. It makes me happy and content...like I have been searching for this scent and finally found it. It’s hard to explain. Bess just does it or me. I think maybe my great Aunt (my favorite one) used to wear something similar. When I smell this I think of her.

Strange that I really don't care for most of the notes but yet Bess has turned into one of my favorites.

When weenie madness is over I am ordering a big bottle of this. Maybe 3.

[brilliantcat]

In the imp, it's strongly rosemary/mint and can definitely clear the sinuses! I'm intrigued, I like herbal blends, but I fear the rose. Mentholic on my skin, but I catch whiffs of the orange and lemon. For about a millisecond it was a quite lovely rosemary/orange scent and then the roses took over. Why do you hate me, roses?

[lucycat]

I chose Bess as part of my first imp pack. Elizabeth I is my favorite historical figure, so I had to try a perfume inspired by her and the Earl of Leicester.

 

My imp is now just over eight months old.

 

In the imp: Herbal grape.

 

Wet: Still herbal grape, with the rosemary and mint coming out to give it a sparkling quality.

 

As this dries, the roses emerge. I’m not drawn to rose scents, but despite the “five rose variants” listed in the notes, the rose does not overwhelm. I do remember it being more prominent when I first tested this imp when it was new, so I’m pleased with the way Bess has aged.

 

Bess is very well-blended. I can smell almost everything that’s in here: grape, rosemary, rose, mint, lemon peel. The only thing I can’t pick out is the orange flower. It all adds up to a sweet, feminine herbal scent. It does have a very…historical?...feel, in that these components, together, do not smell like a modern perfume to me. It’s also very dignified, which is perfect for its namesake.

 

Bess is light and fades fairly quickly. Because of that, and because I love its inspiration and it works on my skin, I think I need a bottle.

[Jangzonrice]

Got this as a frimp. In the decant it smells fruity and rosy...sweet. On the skin, I smell honey(?), roses, lemon candy, and a tiny bit of rosemary. Dries to a honey rose scent on me. I like it a lot!! Will probably be getting a full bottle since I think it will be great for summer and spring.

 

Got another imp from a forum member that looks aged, so I thought I would compare an aged imp to the lab fresh imp I reviewed previously. I'm not sure how old this is....maybe 2-3 years or so? It's definitely thicker than my fresher imp. The lemon candy and honey scent is very light now, with the rose and rosemary taking the lead. It smells more perfumey than The fresher one. It's nice, but I like the fresher imp better since the rosemary doesn't take over that one. Therefore, I'll probably just keep several imps of this instead of a bottle that will age.

Edited February 18, 2014 by Jangzonrice

[radiantfracture]

Bottle: Fruity and sweet.

 

Wet: Sweet and delightful. On me, this is roses and orange blossoms and fruit mingling in the sweetest possible way -- no rosemary, no mint -- with a gentle lemon peel bitterness to give it bite and keep it from being sickly.

 

Drydown: Much the same -- maybe the ghost of rosemary in the background, but mostly fruity -- though not at all foodie, nor even really floral -- just fruity blossoming sweetness. The grape/orange blossom/rose harmony produces more than the sum of its parts.

 

This is an immensely cheering scent. I keep thinking: man, those 17thC perfumiers knew what they were doing. And of course, so does BPAL.

[batsy]

In the vial: Mint and rosemary. I can see why they'd have worn this; very fresh.

 

On the skin: The mint is strong on my skin, with a whiff of the lemon and roses. Maybe the sour note is the grape? Not sure. Might just be the rosemary. The more I sniff my wrist, the more it feels like I'm sucking on a breath mint. While I'm certain this was very popular in Elizabethan times to keep everyone smelling fresh, it's not going to work for me. Certainly a "clean" scent.

[woodenmango]

In the vial: sweet and herbal.

 

On me: wow! A rose blend that I actually like. I smell mostly the grape with a very sweet rose in the background. And it is a very natural smelling grape, like someone else has said, it's like spilling white grape juice. It starts off abit strong and fades kind of quickly but I like it.

Edited October 24, 2014 by woodenmango

[greeneyedgirl]

Imp and wet: Vaporub. As it dries down on my skin, the grape and rosemary come out more. It gets sweeter but the mint is way too overwhelming unfortunately.

[Veronica]

Floral fruity--very pretty and totally a "me" scent, but one of the fruit notes goes powdery on me.

[LizziesLuck]

I had forgotten I already tried this 10 years ago and hated it...still not for me. Sweet and sharp, fruity and herbal/floral. Total ick with my chemistry.

[HighlyBell7]

In Imp: Clear with hint of yellow. Strong menthol.

Wet: Cold. Gross. Menthol mixed with Pine Sol.

Dry: The middle of a pine forest in winter while sucking on orange Ricola. Maybe a hint of flower. Ouch. Burning. I may be allergic. Damn. I smell the rose and rosemary and hint of orange and mint after reading the description.

Later: Rose is getting stronger with hint of lemon.

Even Later: Weird medicinal rose smell left.

 

[freyasfae]

I had high hopes for this scent as I like old-fashion scents, particularly with notes like rose, rosemary, orange blossom, lemon peel, and mint. I adore all those notes, but alas I have learned a very important lesson today when testing. My skin amps grape, and not in a good way, I am talking amping like Dimetapp, cough syrup grape. I tried to hold out to see if the other notes would come through, but I did not last. The Dimetapp had to go, and I washed it off, hoping my lavender hand soap would conceal it.

[joopjoop]

I was excited to try Bess as it was described by another forum reviewer as a 'prettier Catherine' and Catherine has quickly become one of my favorite scents.

 

I think that description is accurate and I like that even though there are a lot of notes, I can pick out most of them. But the grape spirit is the dominant note on me, from start to finish. At first it is way too much - like grape syrup - but after a few minutes it settles down and the other notes come through. Bess is very pretty on me, but the grape spirit makes it too sweet and too girly for my tastes.

 

About two hours in the grape note turns something similar to the champagne note in Bon Vivant and Thalia - I like this phase a little more than the straight grape, but the other notes seem to recede as well leaving a pleasant sweet scent that is sticking close to skin.

 

I think that 20 years ago Bess would've been a huge winner for me, but it feels too young and sweet to me now. I'll stick with somewhat more assertive and 'mature' blends for my old fashioned florals. But it is nice to have the imp and I plan to save it and see if the grape spirit mellows with time.

Edited March 5, 2016 by joopjoop