Priala, the Human Phoenix (2006)

[jade_starlight]

Three deep, dark myrrhs, smoke, and cinnamon bark.

On my skin, Priala is mostly smoke and myrrh with just a hint of cinnamon lingering in the background. It's just enough to make the smoke and myrrh a bit spicy but not so much that it's overpowering. Sadly though, something in Priala gives me a headache so it's off to the swaps.

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

Ah, Priala...like the spirit of BPAL personified. Had to try this. On me, the bright cinnamon topnotes really do smell of *bark*--there's a woody edge here. Reminds me of the original Three Witches--spicy but smoky. The myrrh adds a sexy touch, but I would say I like this rather than love it; I have other scents in the same family that suit me better (Gypsy Queen especially).

[melissadragon]

Imp: Wow, this is a nice surprise. Well-blended. - applied to far side of right forearm

Wet: More cinnamon comes out, still likeable though.

Dry: Back to the nice blend of myrrhs, smoke and cinnamon

1 hour later: Mmm, myrrhs.

Verdict: Keeper.

[jasmine]

I picked this up on a whim. I thought it would be too smoky and strange, but I wanted to try it anyway because I love phoenix imagery. Better to know that I hated it than to want it and not try it, I thought.

 

To my intense surprise, I like it -- and I like it a lot. It’s all warm and spicy, like cinnamon and clove, and it makes me think of a sidelong, smoldering smile. It smells like "well, hello there" -- like sexy that hadn’t totally planned to be sexy, but hey, sexy has occurred, so let’s enjoy the hell out of the ride. It’s bold and dusky and fearless.

 

This is definitely a winter and cold months scent. It would be far too much in the summer -- chokingly so, if it amplifies in heat the way so many scents do. But it’s a curl of welcome warmth in the winter.

 

After a couple hours, the cinnamon fades out, and then it’s just a dark, distinctive, incensy buzz in the nose. It still doesn’t smell like smoke, and I’m not complaining about that. I preferred the cinnamon, but this isn’t bad.

 

What will the rest of the world think of Priala? I don’t know -- but it suits me very well. I feel good smelling it, and I feel good wearing it, so anyone with the privilege of getting that close will probably find out.

 

Yeah, it’s like that.

[lightgatherer]

Yum. Sweet, resinous cinnamon. This reminds me of Blood Moon only it's resinous rather than creamy. The myrrh threatens to go powdery at several stages, but overall it's good enough that I can forgive those powdery moments. I'm likely to pick up a bottle of this at some point, but I want to try aging my imp a bit to see how that affects the powdery moments before I do end up buying.

[melia]

I am happy to report that Priala is all I had hoped for and more. The cinnamon is a hot but dusty scent, not nearly as fearsome as in Saw-scaled Viper and Three Witches Revisited. It is very much the smell of cinnamon bark, and it holds the same scent hours after application. The smoke was the note that truly had me worried, since that was what put me off Hearth so badly. But this is really just a curl, like it claims in the description, and it grounds the cinnamon bark nicely. And the myrrh gives a mysterious twist to the oil's scent overall.

 

Yep, I'm a fan of Priala.

[Miss Lynx]

This is a truly bizarre scent. When freshly applied, it smelled kind of... disturbing. Foody, but not in an entirely good way. Something about the smoke plus the earthiness of the myrrh, maybe, made it smell like roasting meat, which given the inspiration, and the artwork, brought to mind the possibility that this might be what burning human flesh would smell like. Tha would be a definite A+ for evoking what it's meant to, but possibly an F for scents I'd actually want to smell like.

 

And yet... After it settled in for about 20 minutes or so, everything changed. Now it's this rich, gorgeous, dark, spicy-incensey scent that I really like! It smells strong and powerful and dead sexy, in a dominant, take-no-prisoners sort of way. A little like The Tell-Tale Heart, which is possibly my 2nd favourite LE of all time (after Red Phoenix). If it smelled like this from the start, I'd be completely in love. As it is, I need to weigh off the greatness it evolves into against the queasy, barbecued-rib-of-human scent it starts off with.

 

A couple of hours after writing the above, I have to add that the longer it wears, the better it gets. It does become a gentler scent after a while, but it's still lovely. Enough that I think the initial phase is worth putting up with. Might need a bottle of this one...

 

Grade: A-

[em_h]

I like this one a lot. On me, it's mostly dark sweet myrrh, with a few harsh spears of cinnamon. I do like the resiny scents, and this is very resiny indeed, and just a bit smoky.

 

Unfortunately, it is becoming clear that what my husband mostly likes on me is light florals. Which I don't like to wear at all. We've just got a difference of opinion on the perfume issue.

 

Anyway, this is not really relevant to Priala, which is a fine deep scent, and which I'll definitely have to consider a bottle of.

[Emma2403]

In the bottle: very strong, very dark, very masculine. Cinnamon and tobacco smoke.

 

On my skin: applied with tons of caution. Cinnamon and something incensey (myrrh, I suppose). Not unpleasant.

 

After a couple of hours: some more smoke, and something that I think, is myrrh. Cinnamon has faded away.

 

Verdict: okay but not my kind of blends.

[sd357]

Wet: It starts out deep, soft, slightly smoky - very, very faint.

 

On dry-down, the cinnamon starts to come up, then, when dry, it settles into a very sensual smoky blend with just a hint of cinnamon in it. I absolutely adore this. There's a 5ml in my future...

[lapetiteflower]

my imp of priala was a happy surprise i found in my bpalanonymous swap package:

 

wet it is nothing but smoke, a la djinn or brimstone. at first i think that this will be one that i will have to scrub off as it isn't all that pleasant. but as it dries down? pure love! cinnamon/clove, but not enough to burn or redden my skin, and warm incense-y notes. still a hint of that smoke in the background, but not overpowering. definately a warm red-gold scent.

 

i'm adding this one to my big-bottle wishlist

[flyingpizza]

This is quite nice. I am often disappointed in BPAL cinnamon, as it often smells like red hots or like super hot and overpowering cassia. This cinnamon is just right. I mean...purrrr...just right. I'm never sure how myrrh will go on me, but in this blend it adds a wonderful smoky, resinous depth to the fabulous cinnamon bark. Oh my, I am pleased with this one!

[Neely]

Ok ok, I have really been slacking on my reviews, I am soooo backed up in posting. But Priala gave me a hot foot and a kick in the ass to start up my reviews again.

 

Lovely, lovely Priala. My sweet smokey firey girl, how do I love thee? Oh with the passion of cinnamon and the smokiness of myrrrh. Priala is a multi bottle hording purchase and I wish she would be a permanent scent.

 

In the bottle: cinnamon and a slightly foody/not foody aroma. It is disturbing in a way, but it is the Parliment of Monsters after all. I didn't come to the carnival to be comfortable.

 

Wet: Same.

 

Dry: creamy yummy smokey cinnamon

 

30 minutes: Smokey, and creamy, and cinnamon. as if you are smelling the air after Priala fire has ceased, the ashes have stopped smoldering and grown cold. As if the fire and her perfume are just a memory wafting over the stage.

 

Conclusion: MUST HAVE MORE!!!! I have been looking for a "firey perfume" and this is it.

 

Rating 1-5, on my skin this is a 5.

 

edited due to my computer crashing at work.

Edited March 20, 2007 by atropos

[Browneyes]

Thank you to the lovely forumite who gifted me with a decant

 

Imp: Sweet, smoky myrrh, a touch of warm and soft cinnamon in the background

Wet: Mmmm.. this is lovely. Smoky, yet round, spicy and warm

Dry: 'Tis true it does have a certain creaminess, in spite of the obvious "fire, smoke and ashes" note. The powdery aspect gives it a slightly sinister touch, which I find entirely appropriate and lovely. Only complaint would be that it seems to fade fast..? Will have to wear it some more to test the wearlength

 

I'm so glad I got to try this! I'll use my imp and maybe even get a bottle before CD leaves town...

 

ETA: it sticks to the skin for quite a while... sweet soft smoky spicy myrrh...

Edited March 22, 2007 by Browneyes

[selkielass]

Wow, tested this this morning, and I'm still getting whiffs of fragrance from my wrists. Myrrh loves me, and Priala is no exception. This one has excellent throw and amazing staying power though it does morph relentlessly as the day passes.

 

My inital impression on opening the Imp is that it is very similar to 'Sloth' a favorite of mine when I want something dark and sultry. It also reminds me strongly of Black Pheonix and Phantom. I don't pick up much of the smoke or cinnamon that everyone else speaks of- they blend in with the other notes too well for my nose to pick them out and once the oil hits my skin they dissapear into Beths rich voluptuous Myrrh.

 

I was surprised, after a few minutes, to find a sweet soapy not emerging strongly- so soapy that I found myself sniffing my tea suspiciously- it was so strong I could *taste* soap in the back of my mouth. I haven't experineced soiapiness like this before with any BPAL blend,a nd I'm tempted to wash it off- it's making everything taste like soap, but I persevere.

 

After an hour or two the soapy note softens ans the spicy myrrh rounds out into something soft and round and sort of husky smelling. Husky, because each time I catch a whiff of it I taste it in the back of my throat. Its gorgeous in a very expensive perfumed soap sort of way, but the way it invades my mouth is a little disconcerting.

 

I never got any cinnamon reaction from this one which is nice, but I think it's a little too pervasive for my tastes. Everything I ate or drank tasted like soapy myrrh today.

[supremegoddessofall]

Almost all myrrh, but subtle. I like it.

[juniperus]

Bottle: sweet and smoky cinnamon, yummmm

Wet: ooh, smokier...it's like the olfactory experience of diving into deep water...it surrounds my senses, almost overwhelming in depth

Dry: sweet, cinnamon, warming...wow. I mean it.

Later: the myrrh cradles the fire and the smoke - it's amazing, image-invoking, a masterpiece. brava!!!

[Naamah_Darling]

Simple: myrrh and cinnamon.

 

On, it's much more cinnamony, with the myrrh taking a fragrant backseat. It starts hot and just gets hotter, throwing out curtains of scent. The throw is myrrh, but the cinnamon bakes off in alternating waves.

 

Myrrh is a naturally sweet smell, so this is a very sweet incense blend. It is in no way foody, I don't want you to think it is, but it is, in a vague way, sort of candylike, like red-hots. Mostly, it's incense and spice. This has a purity about it; it's quite minimal in its way, but no less beautiful for that.

 

As a concept scent, it's spot on – starts out in a flash of flame, and dries to a smoky, spicy finish that leaves you feeling at once burned and renewed.

 

This is unisex, really, but sexually so. It's an undeniably sensual aroma, and one that is just fierce enough.

 

Very appealing.

Edited April 7, 2007 by Naamah_Darling

[filigree_shadow]

This is interesting – it smells spicy but not necessarily hot. It’s kind of a smoldering spice, with smoke. It smells like there’s some amber in there too. [i guess that's the myrrh. I wrote this review without looking at the notes.] There’s so much variety in the Carnaval Diabolique scents, and I need to pick favorites because I can’t afford them all. Priala doesn’t make the cut for me, but it’s only because I am very rarely in the mood for a spicy scent (and when I am, The Lion and Bengal are fine for me).

[cuervosueno]

I didn't order a bottle of this because the lab's myhrr often doesn't work on me. I like sweet myhrr rather than true myhrr (I like oppoponax), and often the lab uses something that has the bitterness of true myhrr.

 

But I got an imp of this, and quite like it. It has the smoky/scorched note of Djinn (which I also like) but is also slightly sweet from the cinnamon, yet not overwhelmed by it. They myhrr gives it depth and darkness. Nice, and very like a phoenix.

 

Oops! I always spell it wrong! Myrrh, that's what I mean!

[asciident]

Wet: Smoky myrrh with a hint of dry cinnamon.

 

First on: Suddenly gone all musty on me. Weird.

 

Dry: As it dries, the myrrh comes back. It's a sweet myrrh, deepened by smoke. Cinnamon bark is coming out to give the overall effect of a dry, spicy heat. Oh, god. It's perfect. I'm in love; absolutely buying a bottle of this for sure before CD is gone. (A huge statement! I'm an imp fiend, I only have 3 bottles of anything at all.) This is just what I needed as a change of pace from all the foody/fruity/floral scents I've been wearing lately.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: dark and earthy.

on: heavy, dark myrrh with a hint of something hot

1 hour later: a smoke, dirty earth scent.

6 hours later: a rather masculine perfume scent. i keep getting whiffs of this and wondering what smells so good.

overall: i'm not sure that i'd reach for this often, but i like it enough to keep the decant i got. it's sort of a sleeper hit.

[dixiehellcat]

This goes totally cinnamon on me, and doesn't come back. However--I put some 13 (the current formulation) on over it, & the cinnamon was balanced by the slight sweetness of the herbs & cocoa. Kinda neat.

[Meg]

In the bottle: Dark, acidic resins, vetiver and sweet myrrh somewhere.

 

Wet: myrrh mixing with smoky vetiver, getting sweeter. The myrrh gets stronger, bubbly and glittery.

 

Drydown: it becomes a thick smokey scent, with some vague cinnamon notes but especially some strong myrrh. Strangely to me it smells perfumy, nearly aftershavey, but for the life of me I couldn't explain why. There's a definite playdoh element though, from the vetiver, which isn't good at all. It does die down, though, and then I get cinnamon, very sweet and discreet within the myrrh.

 

Overall: Sweet myrrh playdoh. The idea was great, but the elements just don't play out nicely on my skin. Normally myrrh works with me in small quantities, but the smoke, from vetiver, just doesn't like me, and I find the myrrh too shrill on my skin without something else to hold it back or alter it. Priala is beautiful, but a bit too perfumy for me. Though I may take her out again in the winter, see if my opinion changes when she can warm me up in cold weather.

[sookster]

straight sniff from imp is a smoky cinnamon

 

once applied this actually gets resinous and the cinnamon wafts

faintly in the background; then turns a tad soapy...very nice but not nearly long lasting enuff

for me...glad i tried it though!