Queen of Sheba

[Pendragon]

QUEEN OF SHEBA

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

 

Imp: strong dry almond with a touch of spices

 

Wet: old dry almonds sprinkled with some spices... definately smells foody but don't quite know if I like it yet.

 

Dry: this has still retained its dry almond scent, but with a twist that I can't bring into words. My DF said very sternly that it smelled like soap.

 

Verdict: I was unsure if I liked it at first, hoped it would get better on the dry-down, but sadly it didn't. The comment from my DF was enough to make up my mind and I agree with him that this one is not for me.

 

Penragons Score: 1.8/5

 

ETA: scent description

Edited September 20, 2007 by Shollin

[Nimthiriel]

Initial impression:

Mmm! In the vial, it's all almonds – all almond cookies, actually. I'm getting hungry.

 

First on:

It's still heavy on the almonds, but with a dry and spicy background.

 

Dry:

After about 10 mins, the almonds are more subdued and the exotic spices really come out nicely – and much less dryly than before.

 

20-30 mins after application, it has become more refined, royal and feminine – a very queenly scent! The almond is barely there at all now, and even the spice is very mild. I'm thinking this has no throw on me...

 

Finally:

This had a lot of promise, but it had no throw, so... swapping, me thinks.

[euterpe414]

Queen of Sheba is an exotic, rich and spicy almond both in the bottle and on my skin. Actually, what I smell initially changes very little when I wear it. As time goes on the spice mellows out A LOT to the point of disappearing- this made me very sad. I would really love this one if it lasted longer on me- after the spices go (this is, for time reference, after about 1 hour) the rest of the almondy goodness sticks around for maybe another 1/2 hour and then it too is gone. A really beautiful scent, and definitely appropriate for the Queen of Sheba, but all too fleeting on me, sadly.

[sheridankm]

Queen of Sheba is entirely honey on me, but it took a while before I recognized it as that -- I was entirely overcome by childhood memories by something in the scent, but I couldn't figure out what it was! Eventually I realized I was smelling the honey, but I couldn't identify the note because it doesn't smell anything like the comb-rich local honey I eat. Instead, Queen of Sheba is sticky McDonald's clover honey, the kind I always used to dip my chicken nuggets into.

 

The spices are quite muted, but nice. I wish I could smell more almond. This would be a lovely blend if the honey weren't quite so flat, sweet, and strong -- I just smell like a fast-food joint with this on.

[ImperatrixMundi]

Yummy. The kind of sweet and foody blend that I can actually pull off, although the honey gets a bit strong.

 

This might be comparable to Asp Viper but where the Asp is a more juicy smell with a very strong cyanide-like almond that mellows to a cake-like scent this is more dry and spicy.

 

At first I almost thought there was a bit of rose in it too but heh, no, that was just my weird nose.

 

On the whole I like it but as others have mentioned, it fades a bit too fast and has little throw.

[circeramone]

In my first ever BPAL order, I got an imp of Queen of Sheba. Tragedy soon followed.

 

At first sniff, I was worried Queen of Sheba might be a little too sweet for me. But the hint of spice and heady extravagence of the scent drew me into her intoxicating arms...and it was all downhill from there.

 

Initially, it was sweet, but thankfully the spices were there to help mute things out.

 

Then, the spices fled, and I was left with an overpowering sweetness. But it wasn't the lovely clover honey other people got to experience. No, this was honeysuckles gone awry. Too flowery, too sugary; it began to smell like the flowers were fermenting. I had to accept the harsh truth; Queen of Sheba smells like rotting flowers on me. The overpowering smell of too much sweetness being this traumatic made me think of one possible analogy: This is what it must have smelled like when Bambi's mom died.

[MaidenGenevive]

Queen of Sheba

 

Honeyed almonds with gritty spices. I expected this to be dessert like, but there's an Earthen feel that takes me by surprise. The spices seem to get stronger with wear; it has a bite that's both self assured and sassy.

 

[ 3 - Like ]

[SarahScent44]

Queen of Sheba was one of the scents that I put on my Wish List based on the description: almonds, spices, honey? YAY.

 

BUT NO.

 

My best friend got this, so I tried it last time I was at her house, and, in the imp, it was AWFUL. Sour and grating.

 

Ever the optimist, I put it on - only to find it got worse, not better. Kerry tried it, too, and it was equally terrible on both of us, even as it dried. It smelled like rotten flowers - that sort of sick-sweet smell - which doesn't make any sense, since there aren't any flowers here.

 

It's enough to make me wonder if something didn't go wrong with the imp somehow - I really want to try the yummy honey-spicy-almond Queen of Sheba that I was reading about in this review thread!

[ribcaged]

Crikey! I get a scent of amber, currants, almonds and ... gasoline?! VERY strong, almost unable to wear it out of fear?

 

For a few minutes I expected it to burn my skin off.

 

After a while it does soften, almost goes a little powdery and the scary gasoline smell disappears, the throw is not nearly as strong as I expected it to be once it settled on my skin. It's actually a calm, exotic, warm and enveloping blend, it has a very tight top note too. I can hardly smell it actually after 10 minutes. Hmm.

[ouch!]

Wet, this is a whoosh of Almond. Smells like Marzipan cookies. Then, as with all other blends that contain almond it dissapears as soon as it's there. The almond scent is literally there for about 20 seconds.

 

What emerges after that is a very strange thing indeed. I wouldn't call it spicy it's more like a woodsy/Nutty smell. I think there's probably some kind of Sandalwood in here somwhere and possibly saffron?

 

A colleague of mine hit the nail on the head with this one. She said. It smells like Rice. And you know what? IT DOES!!!!!

It smells like freshly boiled rice. Sooo bizzare. But the way I think of it, The Queen of Sheba possibly had rice as one of her offerings to King Solomon

 

 

So overall...it's a woodsy/nutty/rice smell once dry on me!

 

I don't think I'll order it again as an imp, but it's certainly interesting and this is one of those imps that has taught me something about history! I love that!

 

 

ETA: Ok I've waited even longer now and it's changed again...it's a much more spicy floral now (This is an hour into wearing it). This one is a morpher!

Edited November 5, 2007 by ouch!

[nightchild80]

In the Imp (wet): Almonds! Just like chilled lychee almond jelly dessert. Yummeh!

 

On facial cotton (dry): Hmmm... still almond jelly, but there's something else that is bringing up the temp, giving it a slightly tingly warmth.

 

On me: My skin is bringing out the spices, even though the almond is still the most prominent note. It smells more like caramelised almonds now, that have been given a tiny pinch of cinnamon and smoked a little. Not entirely sure if it's for me, but it's not unpleasant at all. Just strange to think I smell like a dim sum dessert.

[Jocelyn]

Almonds. Not the same almond as Dana'O Shee which smelled like bug spray on my skin. This is a much heavier buttery almond. So far the only spice I'm getting smells a bit soapy. So it's like soapy almonds. It's nice but almonds aren't my favorite. This appears to have a ton of throw, as my brother a ways away just asked what smells like almonds. It's ok, but I can't see myself wearing it.

[persephanise]

I love almond, and I just knew I'd love QoS, but alas, it was not to be.

 

In the vial it smelled sharply green--something unpleasant. I almost didn't want to put it on my skin.

 

Wearing it, the green, sharp scent fades away and I'm left with an almond, soapy smell, but it's not fresh almonds. It's kind of a rotted almond smell. That, combined with the fact that it turned to soap on me, made it one for the swaps.

[phoenix1558]

At first, a glorious burst of sweet almond on my skin. I almost wish it remained like this, but the scent changes, like the seductress she is.

 

Later-some strong rose element with dark musk.

Even later-one second there's the rose. The next second it is spicy, honey almond, similar to those burnt sugar almonds.

 

I can see why Solomon was enchanted with her!

Imagery-Middle Eastern bazaars, feminine charm, and power.

[hkhm]

imp: strong, spicy almonds.

 

wet: this has an almost poisonous undertone to it, like bitter almonds... like cyanide. this smells dangerous on my skin.

 

dry: this is increduble once dry! the almond is a bit more tame and all the warm, rich spices entwine beautifully.

[oneiromantics]

This one doesn't change at all on me as it goes from wet to dry-- it's marzipan and Maraschino cherries all the way! It's much sweeter than I expected-- it's not a dry almond scent, and I don't get any spices coming through. It wasn't quite what I was hoping for, but I still enjoy it and have gotten several compliments on it (from people sitting a few feet away, too-- it seems to have a lot of throw on me).

[Rosaleen Dhu]

Wet this is sweet almond like whoa. As it dries the spices come out...I can't pick out individual notes, just a general nice spice with a bit of honey. On me the almond fades to pretty much light backround in a few minutes.

[Dinah]

Ouch ouch ouch! I just had a nice long soak, slathered myself in TBS Almond lotion and wondered what fragrance could possibly suit my plans for a lazy evening of lying around on the couch, feeling fabulous.

 

Queen of Sheba seemed like the ultimate choice - but oh the horror, when I applied her on my neck and cleavage there was a great burning in the house! I know some scents can irritate, especially on still warm from the bathwater skin with its opened pores, but this still came as a surprise. Well, I've dabbed the spots with water and they're not as red anymore, but I wonder what in this caused that strong reaction?

 

Apart from that, however, Queen of Sheba is a fabulously decadent toasted almond, very strongly foody at first, and just don't try it when you've got a queasy stomach because the blast of foodieness might just be too strong. But it settles down really well and turns into a mellow, round, slightly honey-toasted smell that is sweet and spicy, yet still has something clean about it.

[megank4]

I don't like this one. It smells like burnt almonds and something else that is too strong and cloying. I am giving it a 2.

[tartchef]

Oh, this is interesting... wet, there's the predictable smack of sticky almonds, but Queen of Sheba almost immediately morphs into a surprisingly non-sweet blend of spices & faint flowery incense. There's a soapy trace to it, but not the nose-searing soapiness I often get with florals - this reminds me of a jojoba & honey soap I bought at Kew Gardens when I was very young. As it dries, the bitter almond re-emerges, and the end result (on me, at least) is a near cousin to Scherezade - a similar incense base, but much quieter, with traces of noyeaux & honey. Ultimately very pretty, though I don't think it's something I'll wear very often.

[akiko]

Not too keen on this one, sadly.

 

Imp: Nice, sweet almonds ... which I've learned means it won't work on me. Sadly, because I love that smell.

 

Wet: Eugh. There's this sharp acrid smell, though it goes away as it dries.

 

Dry: soft spices, but it doesn't last very long.

[MeiLin]

I've only had to wash off three BPALs. This was one of them. My husband's review was "HOLY JESUS WHAT THE HELL IS THAT STENCH?!"

 

I really love the BPAL honey note and was optimistic this would work on me. Sadly, no.

[djsiberia]

almond/honey undertones. it's ok, the boy doesn't like it all that much and it's too sweet for me and gives me an instant headache

 

this is a definite pass.

[arsenicsauce]

Pungent almond and spice, very strong. This is okay on my wrist, but burns more sensitive areas of skin. It's a very heavy scent on me, sweet in a kind of foody way when wet (honey?) and spicy almond almond almond when dry. It's got more throw than I'm used to and a real peppery kick to it that I think I like (literally, sniffing too close to the skin actually burns my nose), but it's kind of overpowering. I think I'll keep this imp around, it's a nice "warm" spicy scent maybe to wear a little of on a cool summer night, but it's not something I'd use more of.

 

This is one of the first I've tried that smells really, really different in the imp. I got some kind of heavy, cloying floral undertone from it before I put it on that just disappeared when it hit skin.

[Suu4LC]

In the imp this is WHOA-super sweet almonds and spices. Pretty much the lab description. I'm not sure if this is going to be a bit much though. And I don't always do well with honey notes, even if I like them before they hit my skin.

 

GAH. It smells really good on my skin but I put my nose up a little too close and it BURNED. O_< Mmmm, this is yummy though. Mmmm! This is sexy! It softens up a bit, so it isn't so cloyingly sugary. Sweet almond naughtied up by spices. Delicious! A perfect hot date night scent!

 

This is added to my bottle list. Gorgeous!