Three Brides

[luxuria]

Three Brides, Jan Toroop.
Moroccan rose, king mandarin, red sandalwood, Egyptian amber, orchid, carnation, benzoin, tonka, calla lily, vanilla flower.

In the bottle, this smells like a department store oriental that I can't quite put my finger on. It's spicy, but clean, and it doesn't really have the incense vibes that a lot of the oriental lab blends give off.

On my skin, it sweetens up. I can smell the tonka and amber growing stronger. Oh my god, is this stunning. Sultry and feminine with a breath of sweetness and spice. I can definitely smell a floral component--lily and rose, mainly--but they're not the nose-twinging and cloying kind. They stay nice and muted and just sort of swirl around with the rest of the notes.

The more this settles, the more I smell the tonka with the sandalwood (and a touch of amber). Tonka is my absolute favorite note of all time, so I am pretty much jumping for joy right now. Three Brides is sexy, but not in the same way as, say, Smut. It's a slit in a skirt or a plunging neckline, not grab-you-by-the-collar feral energy. I'd wear this for a night out at a nice restaurant, not a bar.

All in all? If you were thinking about trying this, at least get your hands on an imp. A+! I'm sitting around in my pajamas writing this and I'm suddenly inspired to put on a little black dress and some lipstick.

[LiberAmoris]

In the bottle, Three Brides smells like some kind of divine, decorated orange. The citrus is not strong---it's perfectly balanced with the floral notes.

 

On my skin, the carnation and tonka flare up for a few minutes and wow, they are so wonderful together. The king mandarin orange note is very subtle, as is the rose. The orchid, lily, and vanilla flower give it a little spice and edge, and the Egyptian amber and benzoin give it a delectable resinous base. The end result is an exotic, slightly spicy floral that is both very sexy and very classy.

 

Because of the pairing of the rose and orange, I initially wondered if Three Brides might bear a resemblance to The Haunted Palace. But it doesn't. The orange/rose are much quieter here, and on my skin at least, Three Brides is all about the tonka, carnation, orchid, and Egyptian amber. The orange and rose notes support but don't overwhelm.

 

Three Brides is very seductive and rich. Another Salon stunner!

[shelldoo]

in the bottle: it almost smells like something i am familiar with. possibly it is the orchids and carnation blending together, it is spicey and sweet w/ a hint of rose.

 

wet:orchid, and red sandalwood,and carnation. w/ resins.

 

as it dries this becomes a soft, sexy, spicy, sweet blend, i don't really get orange in this it is a floral and resin combo, but the red sandalwood, benzoin, and amber give it a softness, sweetness that keep it form turning in to floral garden on me. i am in love w/ this one, and it ties silence for my top salon blend.

[yeahbutnobut]

Three Brides

 

In the bottle: a very soft, sweet amber-vanilla-sugared rose with orange/mandarin. Like the Haunted Palace without the musk. Beautiful.

Wet on skin: a sweet, gorgeous mixture of vanilla, amber, benzoin, orchid, tonka, and a hint of rose.

Dry on skin: now I can smell carnation, lily and a bit more rose! This is a beautiful, sublime scent-a mix of sweet notes of amber, tonka, vanilla etc, delicate flowers, a little sandalwood and a hint of tart, dry rose and mandarin. It's a very subtle scent at first but there's a lot of complexity here, it's well mixed though so everything works well together. It's also not heavy, it's light and sugared, but also luxurious, quite 'expensive' as a scent, but in the best way possible.

After a while: eventually this smoothes out even more-the tart rose does back down a bit without leaving the scent, and the florals retreat, and the resinous, exotic, oriental notes come out to play. The scent becomes a delicious mix of amber, tonka, sandalwood and vanilla, with a little carnation, and the other notes just in the background. It is understated in the way that it teases with little wafts of scent as opposed to full on throw, but so beautiful. There's a feel of musk or labdanum at the base, not sure where that's from, but I like it…the scent seems to move slowly from amber to spiced sandalwood to floral vanilla every now and then, morphing gracefully.

The drydown may be faint, but it is so delightful-golden Egyptian amber lingering on the skin. This is a lovely scent to get to know.

Verdict: I'm very glad I purchased a bottle of this wonderful scent-it's another addition to my 'rose-based floral-resin-sweet-oriental' scents and it is so beautiful. It's not as intense as the Haunted Palace or Love in the Asylum, in fact, it's quite different to these and I can't really compare because the combination of notes here makes for a very unique fragrance. All the notes blend together so well and become one, changing slowly and softly, each facet of the scent showing itself for a while before letting another take it's place. I also love the amber base of this scent that really shows itself at the end. This scent is sometimes too subtle at times but when wearing this, I often caught a waft of this beautiful ambery scent and realised that it was the seemingly understated Three Brides! Sophisticated, feminine, exotic and sensual, this is a scent that really is a work of art and I bet it will age magnificently. Wow.

Emoticon rating:

If you like this, try: Haunted Palace

Edited September 28, 2006 by yeahbutnobut

[zenvodunista]

This is simply a GORGEOUS oriental/spicy/floral. I can't pick out a single note in this, though something about it reminds me of honey. Not that it's sweet, but that it's some kind of essence of something else, refined, purified and then transformed. It is not floral, not spicy, not sweet, not woody -- and yet it is all of these things together.

 

It absolutely defies description. Even saying it is beautiful, or seductive, or mysterious, doesn't quite cover it.

 

I love this one.

 

ETA: I couldn't wear Love in the Asylum, or Haunted Palace (both went to powder on me), but I can wear this. A great alternative!

n.

Edited September 15, 2006 by zenvodunista

[nineveh]

I bought this hoping that I'd get the golden parts from this scent; typically, it's mostly the white parts that come through on me.

 

I can definitely pick out the carnation and calla lily, which usually turns to soap, but not here. I guess all the other things are keeping it from taking over and going soapy. This feels very well-blended.

 

As it dries, the amber starts to barely peek out, along with the vanilla and/or tonka. I'm not getting the orange or rose or anything sweet or spicy, like the other reviewers did. On me, it's mostly a cool, powdery scent that's very feminine and romantic, but also hard for me to smell. I don't know if it's hitting an olfactory blind spot or if it just needs a little aging (I could barely smell Snake Charmer when it was really fresh from the lab), but either way, I don't feel like I'm getting the whole experience. I'll tuck my bottle away for a few months and see how it is then.

 

edit: Okay, I tried this again today and I can smell it better. It reminds me of a more innocent, incense-free Gypsy Queen (guessing because of the carnation and rose). I'm still hoping that the resins will come out more with some aging, but it's still a keeper.

Edited September 16, 2006 by nineveh

[Capriquarius]

This scent is so evocative of the painting! Beth really did a brilliant job of translating a feeling into a fragrance, IMHO. I tested this immediately after receiving my order, and had promptly forgotten the notes that were in it. When I read the description I was surprised to be reminded that it contains rose and mandarin. This is so well blended that I don't smell rose at all, which my skin usually amps like crazy. I smell the amber, tonka, and white flowers like whoa, however. It all melds together into a creamy, spiced floral that is amazingly feminine without turning to soap or powder on my skin! To me, Three Brides smells so elegant, without evoking images of my classy grandmother. It is a real winner and so worth the extra couple bucks I spent to get it. Love love love it!

 

P.S. This scent lasts for at least eight hours on my skin, and has stayed strong on my favorite scarf for three days.

[glokeroo]

In the imp this is abolutely lovely. The floral is balanced out by the amber, orange and sandalwood, making this a rich, velvety floral. Very seductive, very feminine.

 

On me, wet, it is pretty much how it was in the imp. I definitely can smell the carnation coming out into the forefront of the floral (fine by me!), and the amber, tonka, and sandalwood adding some depth and sultrines. I don't really get too much citrus.

 

20 min later- rotting flowers. WHY???

Edited October 12, 2006 by glokeroo

[theseagrows]

first off, i must say that this scent really evokes the artwork, the color especially. something in this reminds me of the haunted palace, as someone else said. also a little of stardust i think. it's a soft floral with a tinge of spice and darkness added, and the mandarin is definitely apparent, but it's not strong.

 

the florals are really well blended, as it's very difficult for me to pick out any of them. there is a sense of them being there, but i can't really smell a separate rose, orchid or carnation. i really like this one-it's subtle but sophisticated. on my skin the mandarin and vanilla flower with florals seem most apparent. all in all i really like this, and i am glad i bought a bottle. my only wish is that it had a little bit more throw.

[PilotKitten]

Mmm... that moroccan rose is just divine! A wonderfully blended floral that isn't too heady or heavy at all. After the initial drydown some of the most gorgeously golden amber comes out and mingles with the rose. I'm super glad that the carnation in this isn't even noticeable on me. Very nice rose blend with surprising floral touches.

[arabella]

First Impression: Smells citrus-y but exotic - like starfuit or kumquat.

 

Dries down to: Becomes creamier and sugar dusted.

 

Additional Comments: There's rose in here but it's very well tamed by the mandarin and amber. The creaminess is from the tonka and benzoin. The other florals - orchid, calla lily, carnation and vanilla flower - lend a sweet spiciness and keep this from feeling like a strictly floral blend. Sandalwood provides the accent. Absolutely lovely.

 

Lasted: Several hours.

 

Rating: 4 out of 5

[edenssixthday]

Three Brides - This reminds me of Horreur Sympathique, but a lighter, more subtle and less-champagne-like version. The Salon scents are so well-blended that it’s difficult for me to discern individual notes separate from all the others, but in this blend, the rose, amber, orchid and tonka are the strongest notes, and it’s a really warm and soothing floral-wood scent. As it warms up on my skin, the benzoin takes dominance over all the other notes, making it a surprisingly sweet scent – a little too sweet and honey-like for my preferences, but it’s still beautiful. As with all Salon scents, it’s very, very subtle on my skin, but highly sophisticated and classy. Although it’s very subtle and sticks very close to my skin, the staying power is comparable to most other BPAL blends. I think I’ll be hanging on to this one. I doubt I’ll wear it often, but I have no doubt that there will be occasions where it’s absolutely perfect.

[Blood onmy hands]

In the bottle... slightly metallic floral with very powdery undertones.

 

On me... a sharp, perfumey rose is at the head of the fragrance, with baby powder and vanilla swirling around it.

 

This is very department-store-floral to me. Sharp, thick, and with a more classic, powdery drydown. It's a sort of powdery, bitter rose that I'd expect my cruel step-grandmother to wear.

 

The combination of sharpness and heavy powder makes my eyes water

[Voleuse]

This is spicy rose on first sniff, with a subtle citrus overlay. I'm a little surprised--I expected the rose to be much stronger than it is. As it dries, the sandalwood and amber actually overwhelm the rose, and the lily lends a cool background note to the overall blend. After a while, I get a spicy, smoky incense from the blend, even as the citrus intensifies and the florals disappear.

[supremegoddessofall]

A lot of sandalwood with a middle amout of florals, light amber, and a touch of vanilla. Complex and somehow dainty. Can't decide if I like it or not - some of the florals seem like they may be going a bit chemically or sour on me.

[maijasu]

I got to try this thanks to the fabulous moonarcana.

 

Three Brides is a gorgeous, feminine, sweet floral. I do smell some vanilla and citrus in there too, but it is mostly floral without being soapy or powdery. It's very delicate, and I'd have no problem wearing this anywhere at all. This decant will get some serious use and may need to be upgraded to a bottle sometime in the future.

[terren75]

My first bpal and it's beautiful!

 

I love this. Much like the passage from the book the perfume surrounds you. It starts off deep and sexy, shocking. As it drys down it changes to something more hypnotic as amber and honey slowly spill over you and subdue you into submission. GIVE IN!

[forspecial_plate]

This reminded me a lot of Hades at first, then later of Carceri D'Invenzione. I don't know if any of these have any notes in common. Three Brides is softer and prettier than either of those. I can't really pick out anything here on its own...just smells floral to me. Crazy because I'd love to smell some sandalwood, benzoin, or tonka but it's just not happenin'. Not a bad scent, just not my favorite of the Salons.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: a sweet, slightly spicey floral.

on: i'm getting nice, warm carnation and lots of rose. there are some sweeter notes in the background, but i can't pick them out.

1 hour later: a soapy floral.

2.5 hours later: this is going really sweet on me. it's nice.

10 hours later: a sweet, powdery floral.

overall: i'm not sure i would wear this often, but it's really nice.

[The_Merf]

How sad is it that this is the first Salon scent I've tried?

 

In the bottle: This smells really light, and I'm having a hard time picking out any of the florals. This is odd, being that rose and orchid, among others, are powerful. I do get the slightest hint of the mandarin.

 

Wet: This is really, really pretty. It's very floral at first, with the rose and the calla, but not the orchid. I can also smell the vanilla and tonka.

 

Drydown and wear: I love this. I really do. I start to get an orangey citrus--which I usually hate--but here it blends beautifully with the florals. I get the picture of a pink and orange flowers in a bouquet, and it's all quite lovely.

 

/need to get more Salon bottles...

[euterpe414]

Three Brides is a stunning, elegant scent, for sure! I was thrilled to see another Moroccan rose scent, since that is one of the few types of rose oils that actually work with my chemistry (no sharpness, no soapiness, just the rose that I love).

 

This scent really does unfold over time. It changes from an inital citrus and rose to a deep , heady scent with the tonka sandalwood and amber coming into play. The scent seems to grow more exotic with wear. After a while this reminds me of a rosier cousin to Morocco.

 

Like Lucretia, this one has a very sophisticated vibe, and seems best suited to a gorgeous dress and such. However, I am wearing this anyway today with jeans and a t shirt and it is making me feel very ladylike, which is exactly what I need today!

 

Overall an excellent Salon blend, perhaps even my favorite so far! If you liked Lucy Westenra, Morocco and the Haunted Palace then you have to give this one a go!

[savage_rose]

This is the most like the one non-BPAL perfume I still wear regularly, L'Air du Temps (at one point every woman in my family wore it, so it always smelled lovely and light and familiar to me). They aren't the same thing at all, but they definitely have a common note.

 

This is a very business-like, down-to-earth floral. Most light florals have their heads in the clouds. They wear wispy clothing and dance around pretending to be wood nymphs (think Cold Comfort Farm). But this one is straight lines and elegant touches, with just a hint of dreaminess. Sweet and elegant.

[filigree_shadow]

At first this smelled very "perfumey," but then it settled into a much prettier and deeper scent. It seems like mostly orchid with a little bit of rose, not too spicy from the carnation, and not too sweet either. The red sandalwood is very nice in this -- gives it a deep grounding.

 

This is feminine without smelling girlie -- I would say womanly. Unexpectedly sexy. I like this quite a lot.

Edited February 22, 2007 by filigree_shadow

[phedre]

In vial: orchid and sandalwood stand out immediately.

 

wet: Oh this is lovely. The mandarin isn't appearing at all (yay), but the rose is, and there's a definite vanilla quality, but not foody vanilla at all.

 

drydown: this just gets nicer and nicer. Soft, well blended, with no harsh edges. I'm shocked that the mandarin hasn't made an appearance, this has stayed completely floral with vanilla thrown in for good measure. There's a sweetness to it that I associate with incense (the benzoin?). Very nice!

[emzebel]

This is a very pretty blend - sweet, spicy, almost cloying. I don't get anything obviously floral out of this, but instead what I would characterize with my chemistry as an almost too close to sweaty skin musk. Intersting, but not quite what I'm looking for.