Queen of Sheba

[Lina]

... Her scent is a bounty of golden honeyed almonds and a whisper of African and Middle Eastern spices.

Lovely in a dreamy way. Not too sweet and a touch of spice and something warm- maybe amber? I put this on at 5am and at 10:30a it is still very much present.

I will be ordering at least a 5 mL of this. I want to bathe in this- so dreamy!

[imfighting]

I wanted to love this one...spicy honeyed almonds sounds right up my alley...but sadly it wasn't meant to be. When I opened the imp I was hit with the smell of pickles. I stuck it out though an applied it to both wrists...

 

...hours later...still pickles....and it's strong enough that I had to go wash it off.

 

I never got the sweetness out of this that I had heard about. I think it was the spices that made me think of pickles...or it could just be my general hatred of saffron which always smells and tastes like a basement to me....but I had to swap this little fella.

[RainyDayGrey]

In the imp: yep honeyed almonds, all honey and almond.

 

Wet: when I first get this on the almond starts turning super sweet as almond likes to do on my skin, fortunatly it only lasts a few minutes. Actually Queen of Sheeba wasn't as bad as some of the other almond blends I've tried.

 

Dry down: Ok Queen of Sheeba just went wierd on me. On the dry down I got powdery almonds instead of honeyed, and a few hours later, musk Musk isn't listed as one of the notes, but yep, musk. Weird. Anyway I don't think the Queen and I get along so well. I've tried it twice now and it wasn't good either time.

 

ETA: Ok that makes it sound like I don't like musk, I do, alot actually. I did not like the powdery almond phase though, the musk isn't to bad. But as I can just go buy a good musk blend why bother with the yucky phase.

Edited April 25, 2005 by RainyDayGrey

[Ancientgirl]

I don't think I can improve upon any of the wonderful reviews given by others, but I had to put my two cents in because this scent had the oddest effect upon me.

Out of the bottle: This was incense and spice, almost too intense for me.

On: The scent is rather pleasant. I get the honey and the almonds (not too bitter for me) and, even though it really shouldn't have, based on the description, I thought it smelled just the teensiest bit of rose.

Now here's the weird part. I've never heard that scents can "echo" or anything similar, but on my bus rides to school and later in my TA meeting, I felt the fragrance of Q of S was "bouncing off" the people sitting next to me and back onto me! I know that's an odd statement to make, but that's what it seemed like. Almost as if everyone I sat next to was wearing it, too!

Anyway, I like this scent, but I'm not certain whether I'll need a big bottle.

Ancientgirl

 

ADDED June 1:

 

In the bottle: This is way intense for me. I get incense and saffron and the hint of bitter almonds. I almost decided not to put it on, then I thought I should see what it actually did with my skin.

What it actually did with my skin: It became sweeter and more mellow, but not necessarily very distinctive. It reminds me of a lot of scents I enjoy, such as O, Dana O Shee, and La Petite Mort, but it isn't quite as pretty. It's golden and sweetly almondy, but with me there's not so much throw or lasting power. Nice, but I think I'll add it to the swap box.

Ancientgirl

[mmcfa2]

ack! this was a frimp and i smelled the dreaded almonds upon application which became spicy almonds which means i washed it off. Rats and drats, passed this one on...

[Ajila]

I was disappointed in this, I didn't get any honey or almonds, just green peppers , fortunately it didn't have much throw and faded quickly, but it won't be one I keep hold of.

[mand]

Very almondy but not foody, with a green grassy edge - (Middle Eastern spices?); the honey/spices are not very apparent, it's rather a warm and sweet aura. The grass is sweet and aromatic, it's grass freshly mown turning into hay in a lazy sunny day with bees buzzing around. The almond is shifting in the background and the honey in the foreground - busy bees buzzing louder - no good, I don't like honey. No spices still. It fades very quickly; 1 hour and it's gone.

ETA: I was so wrong about its staying power; after 13 hours, it was very faint on elbows crooks, but almost in its full glory around cleavage. Maybe it depends on where you apply it: I must do further experimentig.

Edited May 20, 2005 by mand

[Sunbear]

I was really excited about this one. Almonds and spice! What could be better?

 

Unfortunately, on me it was all almond. Sharp, throat-catching almond. I love almond, but this was too sharp.

 

Oh well. To the swaps.

[yeahbutnobut]

Queen of Sheba

 

In the imp: bitter almonds, but with something else I can't put my finger on-maybe musk or smoke? Not as nice as the sweet almonds of Bastet.

Wet on skin: a deep almondy smell with something sweet, but also something else-is it myrrh? Is it musk? I don't know, but it's very 'Middle eastern', the sort of smell you find in bazaars, reminiscent of Arabian perfume.

Dry on skin: the almondy smell is gone (never lasts on me), now there's a dark, sweet, mysterious smell on my skin. It's smoky, it's slinky, it's sexy. I think there's amber in there, and honey, or maybe myrrh, or saffron? I don't know what this smell is, but it's very nice, and it smells like the sort of thing you'd smell in a Moroccan souk or Egyptian perfume shop. I can't place my finger on it, but damn, it's good.

After a while: this is a gentle, subtle, close to the skin smell which is sweet and deep, quite luxurious. It reminds me of the dry stage of Eclipse, which I loved, but smokier and softer. I think the almond has returned, giving this the 'honeyed almond' smell in the description, it smells slightly like vanilla as well but without being too foody, it makes me feel cosy and indulged.

Verdict: this is a very interesting smell. At first it was bitter almonds, but now it's become a mysterious, sweet, a dark, smoky, exotic smell with subtle sweetness. It's the sort of thing I'd imagine this legendary queen to smell like, it's luxurious and indulgent. It's gentle on my skin, but it’s a sensual, comforting softness, very warm, and I like it a lot!

[gangstaknitta]

The almond is a little too concentrated for me...and it smells like play-doh on my skin. I can smell the spices better if I roll the imp before I open it but they fade rather quickly on me. It has pretty good staying power, though.

[synique]

This one was like Bastet-lite with a touch of O on me. Eh.

 

It was warm and almondy and slightly spicy, but I'd rather Bastet if I'm going to wear something warm and almondy and spicy. Probably not a bad trial for someone who's a bit wary of the warm/almond/spice, since it didn't have the throw or the intensity that Bastet does.

 

I'd have loved a bit more honey in it.

 

Lovely, but not me.

[misfitroxy]

While wet, this oil smells strongly of almond/amaretto but with something slightly spicy behind it (almost like cinnamon). It’s sweet and light and much more of a quality, rich almond type note as opposed to an artificial one.

 

The mix of spices begins to emerge almost immediately when it's applied to my skin. They’re very warm and fire-y. My nose is actually tingling a bit, almost like when you sniff a ripe onion (though much more pleasant!).

 

The almond scent lingers, but the spices definitely take over on my skin. It remains milky, though, almost like well-blended Chai tea made with heavy cream. While I really like this, I don’t see it as something I can wear. And the blend needs to be worn – I can’t imagine it in a burner or the like.

 

Overall, it’s gorgeous, comforting, and regal. I’m very glad I had the chance to try it out. Hopefully someone else can make use of the imp!

[TroubleDoll]

I wore this to work and as I was sitting at my desk, the maintenance guy walked by, smelled the air, smiled and said it smelled like someone was baking oatmeal cookies. I thought that was really cute.

[Orodemniades]

Imp: Mm, gently sweet spices, like Morocco but not quite as dry.

 

Wet: oo, there's a dry wood in here as well, but I can't figure out which one. There's a slightly bitter tone too.

 

Drydown: This has the gentleness of Dana O'Shee, but it's far more interesting! I just can't stop sniffing - and in a first for me, I slathered it everywhere, instead of just on my wrists.

 

Overall: Queen of Sheba is a confident yet subtle scent, definitely for the woman who knows herself and isn't afraid of announcing that she knows she's a powerful sexual being. I'm not talking about looking a particular way, mind, but the real deal - someone who knows who they are and what they want and is sure as hell isn't afraid to ask for it. This reminds me of Morocco, but whereas the sandalwood in that amps on my skin, here it's the honey and almondy goodness. Fabulous!

 

Oro, glad she got the 5ml unsniffed.

[QueenFae]

This scent is exquisite. The almond takes on a creamy, almost buttery tone. The spices are light and feminine, they hang in the air like incense. People who like Bathsheba will enjoy this one, I might have to get myself a 5 ml. Definitely fit for royalty.

[Cagedflame]

At first, this smells sharply green. Almost like fresh cut grass, with a hint of floral and spice behind it. Carnation, prolly, but also a different spice. Unfortunately, this rapidly just goes soapy. For a while it's green herb soap, but eventually it's just cheap ass soap, like those seashell shaped soaps old ladies get at the dollar store and keep in a dish on top of their toilet. Then like cheap supermarket soap like Crest. Yuck. Swap pile.

[quikslvr]

Very green and pointed, at first: like pruning back a very green, green bush. Then it turns smoky, still with that green underlay.

 

If not sniffing my skin directly, though, it's got a lovely dark almond waft--not the heavy, sweet syrup almond of Dana O'Shee, but a dry, desert almond. Gorgeous waft, not as great with nose to skin. I'm falling in love with the honey-almond waft, though--now it goes Dana O'Shee-like, but with depth. As it dries, a hint of spice comes through. Fades fast, though.

[elphaba]

Other reviewers were dead-on when they said to give this one about ten minutes to develop. When I first put on, the almonds were strong and bitter, but I held out and oh my god, was it worth the wait. Just resist the urge and don't smell yourself for ten minutes. Seriously. It's not that long

 

And then...wow. The almonds recede and become a dry, nutty note in the background of all these gorgeous, sweet spices. It's what I wanted out of Morocco and didn't get because I was distracted by the musk. It truly is the scent of the desert breeze in a Middle Eastern spice market.

 

My only complaint is that the scent really doesn't waft much for me. I'm hoping it's just nose exhaustion and I'll catch a sniff at the most unexpected time once I forget I have it on. I might have to apply it more heavily or wait for a warmer day (it's in the low 50s here).

 

As an aside, the first time I wore this, I had a trace of Snake Oil leftover from the previous night. The sweetness turns the almonds into marzipan. Not a hint of bitterness.

[wickedgoddess]

Wet - almonds and honey. The first time I tested this I got a bitter note that faded on dry-down, but on my second testing, I didn't notice it.

 

Dry - a lovely honeyed almond scent. This is very pretty, but a little on the bland side. I wish some of those African and Middle Eastern spices would show up, because they would change this from pretty to extraordinary. After two tries, they still don't show up to the party. I will hang on to the imp, but probably won't be getting a big bottle any time soon.

 

On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 3.

[Tess]

This is the first almond blend I've ordered and it makes me sad that it just didn't work for me.

 

In the vial - A very pure, clean almond scent with a clarifing over tone, like the scent of water spray. It's like standing next to a waterfall amongst an almond orchard.

 

Wet - Wow, the almond is strong and is coming across almost bitter on me. There's certainly pepper in this and it's battling the almond for domination.

 

Drying - Okay, the clean misty scent is coming back out, as the almond and pepper calm down a little, making their battle lower key. There's some amber in there, I'm pretty sure, as it seems to lingering around the edges. This has so little throw on me! I have to practically press my nose to my wrists at this point to smell anything.

 

Dry (2 hours later) - The pepper's fading fastest and is nearly gone at this point. It's mostly bitter almond and that "misty" scent, which I get the distinct feeling is something herbal. I feel like I should know it, but I can't place it...

 

Overall - Very little throw with this one and the scent just doesn't interest me all that much. No adverse reactions to it, but it's not something I can see myself wearing very often. If it were a little sweeter, I'd be tempted.

[OriginalWacky]

Bottle (Imp): Sweet.

 

Just On: Yes, sweet, but there's something else there. Something regal and haughty.

 

An hour or two later: I am still getting regal and haughty from this, and not nearly as much sweetness. Perhaps this is a beautiful queen that first gives one the impression of a sweet person, until you look into her eyes, and realize that she is heartless.

 

Around 6 hours: I'm getting the sweetness back, with hints of the regal part again. She isn't as heartless as you thought, instead, she is covering up her softness with it.

 

12 hours: It's faded away into my skin, and is gone.

 

Overall: This morphs back and forth quite a bit. I like it.

 

After reading other reviews: It wasn't necessarily honeyed almonds I was getting, but that is probably the sweetness I was getting.

[joseybird]

Almonds, savory herbs (??!), and a bit of fruity, cherry-like sweetness. This blend quickly develops into a creamy cherry-almond soap...a nice cherry-almond soap, but nothing I'd wear.

[SeaMonkey]

In the Vial I got spicy almond.

 

I swipe it on my wrist and sniff and I got......

 

PEPPERONI PIZZA????

 

I was confused. After a while, it started to smell like I was eating pepperoni pizza in a head shop.

 

Then it faded to all head shop. I really wanted this one to work on me *pouts*

[blood*rose*flowers]

In the Bottle: A sweet tang of Almonds mixed with a tang of spices and slight florals.

 

On wet: Almonds and spice I am unsure what spices but I get pictures in my head of saffron, nutmeg, sandalwood and for some reason cardamon though I am unsure. The scent is a clean spice nothing takes a real hold and none of the spice is hot like clove or cinnamon.

 

Dry Down: Either this is Almond and sandalwood or something else. I don't know why I feel I have smelled this mix before. I keep thinking I have been somewhere that smells like this before or maybe had a similiar incense or something. Don't get me wrong this is not an incensey smell it just holds an odd hidden memory. The almond keeps holding on but the spices hold their own to give a deliciously, divine sultry scent.

 

About an hour after application: wow theres a strange woody scent that has popped up. It could be sandalwood or something else but every now and then I catch the scent sitting over the spice and sweet that is still there.

Edited July 8, 2005 by blood*rose*flowers

[telesilla]

I'll eventually try everything the lab says has Middle Eastern spices, unless it has rose in it too too. And even then I might try it. Plus, yay for almonds.

 

In the bottle and wet: Maybe it's my nose or just that the almond really is this strong, but like Eclipse, this was ALMOND!

 

Drying down: OK much better. The almond fades and I'm getting that Middle Eastern spice thing I got with Scherezade. Yummy!

 

Dry: This is a lot like Scherezade, only with the almond undernote. I'll need to try them opposite one another to see which I like better. BPAL deathmatch! *grins*