Black Rose

[mspixieears]

Exquisitely melancholy. The background scent to an ancient exequies. Heavy, dark and floral: a blend of roses, with a touch of amber and musk.

I thought this would be bad-whiffy and an overpowering type rose but it isn’t at all! It starts off as a fresh, watery or aquatic rose before getting into the deeper, more potpourri-type rose. I can smell something smoky mingled with this which makes it sexier, in my opinion! Not at all overwhelming like some badly done rose scents (not that BPAL makes any of those, at least not any that I’ve tried!). Overall, very nice. Glad to have an imp of it but wouldn’t get a bottle. Something about it is very gothic and dark – I get a certain richness as if it were dark red roses that makes up the scent in this. Something in it also faintly reminds of Indian rose incense – but only faintly so, and in a pleasant way.

[Iceblink]

This is a very adult rose blend. The rose is deep and dark and the amber really warms it up. I sometimes get a whiff of something almost peppery from this one, too. A really beautiful blend, and this has better staying power on me than a lot of rose blends do, too.

[taramarie]

In the imp and wet on my skin: Dirt with a hint of roses.

 

Dry: The dirt smell goes away, thank goodness. Another Destroying Angel I don't need. I'm not very familiar with amber or musk, but there's something besides the rose. I think the musk might be stronger than the amber. They seem to be playing nice with the rose, however.

 

It's a nice scent, but it's not really me.

[Gemini noir]

It's a chemistry thing, methinks. I usually love amber! Rose is hit-and-miss for me. I guess the same is true for musk, though on me the musk in Black Rose pulls such a disappearing act for a while I thought I might have imagined it in my first sniff of the scent, where I'd detected a light musk, a slightly heavier amber, and a heady floral base.

 

Before long, the musk seemed to disappear, and the scent turned into a heavily ambered floral. The amber wasn't the rich amber I love in blends like Jacob's Ladder. It smelled lighter, and sweeter in a somewhat cloying way. I thought the musk was entirely gone until I walked around maybe 10 minutes later and smelled it lightly wafting around me. It's still very subtle, and was undetectable again a short time later.

 

I didn't get "rose" from this scent, just that kinda cloying ambered floral. Going to chalk that up to body chemistry, and my reaction to amber and musk... your mileage may vary.

[missnightshade]

In the bottle: This one smells very strongly floral, with something extra. The amber really stands out to me.

 

Wet: The amber seems to calm down a bit, but the overall effect is rather intense.

 

Drydown: The powderyness is fading a little more, and the rose is coming out. It's very heavy and dark, it makes me think of a gigantic black rose made of velvet.

 

Dry: The rose scent has become more dominant, and I can smell the musk. There is still a hint of something soft and powdery, but it turned into something a lot more fainter and more in the background. It's a nice scent, but I am not sure what I think of it on me. After wearing this on my wrist for a while, I washed my hands with vanilla-scented soap, and I think it blends really nicely! Hmmm, I may have to experiment!

Edited May 21, 2007 by MissNightshade

[stellans]

Imp: Rose is present (D'oh! Look at the name!). The amber is also there, keeping the rose tamed down. I am a little surprised at what is to my nose the lightness of this blend, given the reviews which tout its heavy incense-like scent.

 

Wet: On my skin, the rose is still there, but it gradually dies down even more, allowing the amber and musk yet more presence. I would prefer there be more rose, actually.

 

Dry: The rose dominates upon dry-down, albeit a honeyed, somewhat powdery rose. It is a very pleasant scent, especially if one were to use it as a room scent.

 

Verdict: I am slowly but surely working my way through all Beth's blends with rose notes, and have discovered some great loves. This blend is not one. I like it, but there are so many more that I love. Since I already have this in a bottle (part of a bulk eBay auction), I'll use it as a room scent...or maybe try to resell it.

Edited May 1, 2008 by stellans

[PersephonesChild]

When I first opened this imp, I said skeptically, "Does this have Dragon's Blood in it?" I checked the notes, and no Dragon's Blood. I started to worry that maybe amber and musk just aren't for me.

 

Then I put it on. And... that awful drippy Dragon's Blood tang went away. The amber became something I could deal with, the musk made a nice light back appearance, and finally-- after it completely dried-- I caught a whiff of rose.

 

I LOVE rose blends. And I think I'm going to like the rose/musk combo in this one. It doesn't smell like I am a rose, it smells like my skin sweats, and my sweat smells like roses.

 

I like that idea.

 

Wait. Wait.

 

It appears to be drying into powder.

 

Yeah. Goodbye, Rose. Hello, powder.

 

Murfle.

 

Ah, well.

[Nia]

Similar to Othello in the "spicy roses" department. It is not sweet, and it feels very dense, very "heavy". I can only describe it in comparison with Othello: this one feels less complex. As I already have a handful of spice scents, rose scents, and even in combination, I'm going to swap this in case it finds a more sympathetic owner.

[arachne]

Oh. My. I love Black Rose. This definitely has a Gothic vibe. This is a dark, wet rose that a vampire lies on the body of his prey after he's taken her to the dark side. Black Rose makes me feel incredibly sexy and a little mysterious. It has good throw and seems to be lasting all day on me. The amber and the musk round this gem out nicely.

 

Whip will always be my #1 BPAL rose scent, but Black Rose comes in at #2.

 

Beth is brilliant with roses !

[vegasblueblood]

This is a gorgeous sophisticated rose, very grown up and has lots of depth. It almost smells like a very expensive and luxurious perfume without that icky commercialness. This is a dark rose, true to it's name, and yet it has that hint of freshness that one would get from a rose in the garden. This is the garden at night. Delicious.

[Pendragon]

Okay, here is my first review so bare with me...

 

Imp: like dusty roses that have been stored and dried in a warehouse for a few years. Not that it's a bad thing, more like 'improved with age'

 

Wet: mmm roses with a hint of musk and spice

 

Dry: the musk is starting to dissapear a little and the dark dusty rose scent is transforming into something more like fresh delicate roses... the musk and amber keep it somewhere in the middle. No, wait, here is the musk again - ooo its wanting to play games

 

Verdict: a very beautiful rose scent, a must for anyone that enjoys a feminine rose scent. The name Black Rose is a perfect description This will definately be one of my faves for when I need a day to reflect and feel special.

[funkmoppet]

This is a dusty rose. Like dried roses. Given the amping powers of rose on my skin, I'm quite surpised that the amber and musk is noticeable. The rose is dominant, but the warmth of the other notes manages to get a hand hold, and drying down, this is lovely.

 

Unfortunately, this amber and my skin aren't going to get along. Dry, it's gone to slightly rosey doom-powder, and has lost all of it's haunting qualities. I smell like granny.

 

To the swaps with it.

[Dark Sparkle]

Black Rose reminds me of silent movie femme fatales, it is a very classic and luxurious scent, befitting a noir lady

[jaeyne]

I'm loving this scent. Wet and in the free imp from the lab (thank you), rose and a little green. Then the incensey smell starts to kick in. Darkens up the rosr. I start to wonder if I smell old lady like, but no, it's more like I smell like a sacred whore of Babylon. I smell like ritual. I smell sexy and mysterious. I'll probably buy a big bottle of this.

[Nimthiriel]

Initial impression:

It smells like a dark-yet-light floral – fluidly undefinable.

 

First on:

Wet, it's all soapy roses to me. Guh.

 

Dry:

After about 10 mins, it's a very solemn rose. I can't pick out the musk and amber per se, but the overall impression is a ”sad” rose scent.

 

20-30 mins after application, the rose has gone soapy again. :/

 

Finally:

I already knew roses and musk wouldn't bode well. Swapping!

[Kimiko]

I knew that I wanted to try this one because I have a large fancy for rose scents. So last night before going out I slathered a bit on each wrist.

 

First smell: Tea Rose- YAY! It was strong at first but really calmed as it dried against my skin.

Through the night I would smell rose then amber then rose.. etc etc. My boy kept proclaiming "you smell pretty" lol.

This morning (yes, it's still on my skin and smelly) I smell nothing but the amber, and I love it.

 

I think this might be another bottle in the making for me.

[Lethran]

Smells mostly of rose. Slightly more complex, but not particularly interesting. Bland in a girlie sort of way.

[YoakeNoKami]

This is nice in the imp--a damp, aquatic kind of rose. I seem to have a hard time finding rose and/or aquatics that works on me--and unfortunately, the two together was not good on my skin. On wet and all the way through drydown, I got soap from this one. I'm disappointed, but I'll keep looking!

[ravenfeathers]

in the bottle i smell no rose. what i'm smelling is thick black patchouli, although i don't know why, as it doesn't seem to have any patchouli in.

wet on skin dark, sour, menacing. not particularly nice

dry on skin hmm! well, it's still not quite me, but it's better on drydown. it's almost powdery, like dried rose petals, but it's got a dark, dangerous edge. the sourness and reek of patchouli is gone entirely and what's left is a musky black rose, pressed in the pages of a dusty book.

[Jocelyn]

This smells like a very heavy rose, with hints of very nice amber. This is good, but will probably be better once it ages.

[polesiren]

I love Black Rose...out of the roses I have tried (3,5,7, Rose Red, Peacock Queen, and Zombi) I think it's the sexiest.

 

It really does envoke darkness,danger,and I think it's what the rose "The Phantom" gives to Christine would smell like!

[Lyrical]

in the vial: where's the rose? Dark and spicy. The colour is pale amber.

 

wet on skin: patchouli? That's not supposed to be here! Still dark and spicy with very little rose. I don't like it.

 

dry on skin: it's improved, but not enough for me to want to wear it. It smells dark and sinister.

 

In the final stage it is pleasanter, but very soft and mild, and barely noticeable.

[eatingthesea]

scrub-a-dub-dub...all soapy. thus far, one of my very least favorite bpal oils. i wish i could offer more but i can't. i'm just shocked at the sheer soapiness. eek.

[Tulliver]

This is a gorgeous, dark, gothy rose. But, if you think "gothy" in a Dark Victorian kind of way, then you'd be mistaken. This is timeless - both ancient and modern. It spans the ages and I'm SO glad it does because, while I'm more than fond of Dark Victoriana, I do get frustrated when it's the default setting for the word "gothy".

 

This doesn't morph a whole lot on me. It's very definite rose - and it has a perilous moment during drydown where it ALMOST turns soapy on me, which VERY few roses do. But it redeems itself and behaves again. I can smell the amber - barely, since I do amp rose in a glorious manner. But it's there and it's rounding off the rose scent in a beautiful way, deepening and softening it.

 

I adore this. It's soporific, seductive and totally addictive. Plus I'm a totally unapologetic Thin Lizzy fanatic so just the name makes me squee anyway. I'm highly remiss in leaving my review of it so long, but all is remedied now.

Edited December 2, 2007 by Tulliver

[Zeljana]

I love love love this scent. this is really dark red rose, wet, with just enough amber to make it warm. It's wonderful, dense, and very feminine.