Crypt Queen

[steffanina]

Crypt Queen-

As sweet as death, as deep as the grave: pomegranate, raspberry, gardenia, plum, and rose with patchouli, black pepper, rose musk, and a hint of blood accord.

 

In Bottle: Rotting fruit and heavy evil musk and cedar. Something reminds me of Monster Bait: Ventriloquist Dummy but not nearly so friendly.

 

Wet: Suddenly prettier on the skin- florals bloom faintly, and the fruit is not so rotting, just overripe. Yes, I can see where there's pomegranate in this. The cedar is there too and I don't care for that so much.

 

Dry: Wow. What a morpher this is. Is this much morph even legal? There's a sense of cloying fruit and musk with floral undertones, and the cedar has all but receded. Over time this is one of those scents that goes musty on my skin (so many do, sigh), but it's fascinating all the same.

 

Overall: Remarkable morphage. May not be for me but still interesting.

[pugmom]

Thought I reviewed this, but I guess not!

 

Wet - strong berry, medicinal cough syrup. I fight the urge to wash it off.

 

Drydown - ahhhhh....cough syrup has gone thankfully, leaving a gorgeous berry/patchouli blend that lasts and lasts. For the most part it stays the same, although I occasionally get whiffs of pepper, and dust, and florals.

 

Lovely, but I prefer other similar smelling blends, so I will probably just keep an imp.

 

edit - waaaay into drydown (6 hours) I am still getting a lot of scent. It has now dried to a sweet, almost foody fruity scent on me with patchouli long gone.

Edited November 4, 2007 by Shollin

[QueenFae]

This blend definitely has that "creeping" quality that Beth is so masterful at creating. The top notes are the pomegranate or raspberry, the rose musk is in the middle, with that eerie, creepy, aged, gravestone undertone. The patchouli and pepper are subtle, but they give the initial scent a deep, woodsy feel as well.

 

On the dry down, the rose comes out to play a bit more, and the pepper thankfully disappears. After about an hour, this dries down to something I enjoy much more than the intial harshness. When I read the components in this, I thought this would be my perfect scent, but there is something throwing this blend slightly "off" for me. I suspect it's the pepper and the rose musk, it ends up smelling a little bit old lady on my skin. All in all, though, this is a lovely scent, and I might just hold onto it in spite of it not being my favorite. The nicest thing about Crypt Queen is that she is very long lasting, and I can smell her for hours on end.

[ravenfeathers]

i got a testable sniffie of this as a freebie and squeed. aloud. at work.

this is one of the very rare blends that i like better wet than dry.

 

in the bottle i'm getting... er... cucumber and peppermint. that can't be right. it's fresh and vegetable-y.

wet on skin okay, as soon as this gets warm, it gets pretty. all the lovely fruits, darkened and deepened by the florals. i'm not getting specific notes here, just dark, rich, loveliness.

dry on skin it's pretty, very classic and smells expensive. the patchouli is there, but under control. the fruitiness has completely fled, so it's sort of a dry, rich floral cologne.

 

a good blend and i'm psyched that i got a chance to try it.

Edited October 24, 2007 by ravenfeathers

[Lethran]

Confession time: I really mostly got this for the crypt shaped imp case, which I truly do love. The perfume is rather secondary to this. The crypt is well beyond expectations, sturdy and quite large. On to the perfume. In the bottle: fruit candy with an unpleasant patchouli edge. First on, not much better. Rose and pomegranate are the first notes to emerge from the aftershave and fruit candy soup. Slowly, other notes emerge, notable the raspberry. Wet: It matures a bit, creating something rather womanly and perfumey with that rougher patchouli/pepper edge. This is nothing I would pick for myself. I have noticed quite a few of these coming on the market, and I am guessing it didn't really appeal to a lot of people as a fragrance. I am betting it is too rough for those who like fruits and florals, but too ladies' perfumey for those who like butcher scents. Dry: Smells very much in tune with the concept. It is a very dry sweet almost mossy scent. It is reminding me of the scent of niter and decay in a 19th century family crypt they used to open once a year in the cemetery where Poe is buried, only with dried flowers. In summation, it definitely smells like an old crypt after two hours or so and lingers a long time, but this isn't really my thing. I was still catching whiff 9 hours later, so watch out.

[greymatter]

This one was SO GORGEOUS - for about 5 minutes. Then it was Peppery Roses of DOOM AND DEATH!

 

*sad*

[TheIceMaiden]

I must admit, I suffer from patchouliphobia. I do like the smell of patchouli, but it usually is either stinky mouldy mud puddle on me or amps to the point my head hurts. However, the rest of Crypt Queen sounded so good I took the plunge and bought a bottle. (I also confess that I really wanted that coffin!)

 

Crypt Queen starts out deep, red, lush fruits with a sprinkling of black pepper. Underneath the fruits, I get a hint of florals and an earthiness from the patchouli (which thankfully, behaves wonderfully). The drydown is a peppery mix of rose, blood, and musk. Overall its a well-blended, beautiful scent that fits the name perfectly. It also reminds me a little of Blood Countess. Crypt Queen is very potent and strong, just a couple drops were enough for me (and I usually slather!) to last through most of the day.

 

I'm glad I took the gamble on this scent, Crypt Queen is truly beautiful. And I adore my coffin!

[aessedai]

I had the most profound reaction to this, at first sniff. I'm still enthralled.

 

I feel, and smell, as though I'm a wise, wise woman, walking a woodland path, hair flowing and threaded through with brambles, hands berry-stained and sticky with pitch.

 

This is the best. I must find more, somehow!

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

Got to sniff this yesterday--I adored the coffin box, which had a lot more heft to it than expected. The scent itself was much sharper than I expected, and had a strong edge of cedar. Not sure why, as cedar isn't listed in the notes. There was a definite floral bouquet in the background, which seems to "bloom" nicely on some testers. For me, though, the overall impression was dry and sharp--perfectly grave-like, but not really my thing.

[myoubi]

I like almost none of these notes on their own, so it's a small miracle that the Queen works on me at all. More than that, it actually works well. I actually want more.

 

At first sniff this reminds me of graveyard dirt... but in a good way (not the BPAL, actual graveyard dirt). Then I realise that's the patchouli I'm smelling -- dark and earthy and tempered by the raspberries and pomegranate. I don't get any obvious gardenia, although I'd probably miss it if it wasn't there. The blood accord thankfully stays in the background -- this is the first time ever BPAL's blood accord hasn't smelled unpleasantly biological on me. This is a dark, close-setting fruit- and blood-soaked dirt scent. For all that, though it's actually quite subtle. I came to it after the fuss over it, and it's gorgeous enough to stand on its own merits.

 

((hunts for a bit more))

[Phaedra]

Wet this is fruity, sweet and floral. Strong and powerful. When first on it's strong sweet pomegranate and berry mixed with musk. There's a hit of pepper too. After a couple of minutes a soft rose note starts to come out. After about a half hour it's softened quite a bit and is a lovely floral blend with some earthiness in the background. The fruit has disappeared and there's a lovely creaminess now. On the drydown it's a soft rose and pepper mix. This is a spectacular blend! Complex and mysterious- lovely and just what I hoped it would be!

[suileach]

This is really interesting in the vial - bright, sharp, fruity, dusty, and murky all at once.

 

On, there are sparkling pink fruits, deep purple tones, and something else underneath that smells white and musky. The pepper lies on top, lending everything a sharp, dusty edge.

 

After a bit, the fruit tilts toward tropical, which tends to be too sweet for me, and the pepper gets much stronger. I'm glad to have tried such a fascinating blend, but I'm afraid it doesn't suit me. Pepper and fruit rarely work for me; combined, they make me sneeze. I didn't notice any rose until after I tried to wash it off (I couldn't cope with the strength of the pepper), at which point the pomegranate and fruit washed away, leaving behind rose and pepper!

Edited February 19, 2008 by suileach

[pirettablaze]

Hi all, thi is my first review, so it won't be as detailed as others....

 

OMG!!!!!

I have found the first scent I need to hoard!

It is everything that I wanted and nothing I was expecting.

Juicy, ripe pomegranite and plum, tempered with decaying roses and dust.

Patchouli and I normally don;t get along as a rule, and roses turn to baby powder on me, but whatever was doen to this is perfection!!!! I smell incredible!!!!

And the staying power is insane! Not only does it stick to me for hours on end, but just a dab to my shirt collar and I am in olfactory bliss all day long.

 

Must. Get. More.

 

P.S.....layered it with Lovitar the other day, takes it to a whole new level that any Domme would be proud to wear.

[fairnymph]

In the bottle: Gardenia, ripe dark red fruit, and spicy pepper.

 

Wet: Surprisingly light - gardenia especially, has calmed down. The pepper makes my nose tingle and the earthy patchouli has emerged.

 

Dry: This is the first gardenia blend that hasn't gone into gardenia-overdrive on me, such that I can enjoy that floral note without being overwhelmed by it. The deep fruits balance the floral nicely. I can totally smell the blood accord - it must be what that note is - it's sort of tangy and well, bloody. Amazing. Lots of musk and patchouli and pepper.

 

Summary: Pepper, patchouli, and blood accord over raspberry. Strange drydown, and I don't think I like black pepper. Decent throw and good lasting power.

[strangemodegirl]

This is one of the exceptions to my no patchouli rules. The first time I sniffed this, a friend was wearing it and I thought it was nice but nothing really special. Then, about a month ago, I got a decant of it in a package and decided to give it a shot. Wow. Luckily I managed to score a full bottle through a lovely forumite.

I don't get any gardenia, but the red fruits are amazing. I get just a subtle hint of the patchouli, lots of the pepper and what I am assuming is the rose musk.

I put it on a few hours ago and it's really going strong. I may have to start hunting down more bottles of this.

[djsiberia]

wow, this smells like it should be purple, or "creeping death" as my boy called it. "creeping death" was a purple drink he tasted from an SCA party...

 

yes, i'm well aware there aren't any purple fruits except maybe the plum.

 

wet and in the imp: fruity! purple!

 

dry: still purple (especially when you put a small amount in your hair to go out to the bar) and fruity and a little pepper comes out.

 

hours later: still purple & fruity. i get small amounts of patchouli, gardenia, and rose. i was happy to get a bottle and can't wait to see how this ages.

 

i absolutely love this scent and i'm not one for fruity things.

[brsis]

Initial thoughts: Here, I offer up the oldest and greatest prayer in a nutcase's inventory.

 

Oh please, God, let this WORK.

 

Pomegranate, raspberry, gardenia, plum, black pepper and blood accord = one of the greatest scents ever, concocted exactly for my preferences and skin chemistry.

 

Rose, patchouli and rose musk = DEATH

 

In the bottle: Primarily I'm getting the fruit - dark and juicy and barely sweet - grounded by gritty black patchouli and pepper. No trace of the rose or the gardenia, which is a shame.

 

On the wrist, wet: Slightly sweet, fragrant, juicy - lots of the fruits, with a sweet heady floral over the top. I can actually pick out the rose and it's NOT dominating the hell out of everything. Oh god, please let this work in the drydown. It's so fresh and pink and yummeh.

 

Twenty minutes later: Hallelueah!

 

Finally, a rose scent I can wear! The pomegranate and the raspberry are really doing their thing - I don't get the gardenia, but then again I don't really get the rose either. Or the patchouli. I do get a little pepper. This is actually... pretty. If I had to sum it up in a colour, it would be rose petal pink. I am not a rose petal pink person. That said, I have very, VERY few light florals I can actually wear that smell this good on me and occasions will arise that need it.

 

Verdict: Keeper, but I can probably afford to lose a few imps.

 

Tl;Dr: A pretty, juicy blend of pomegranate, raspberry and soft pink florals. Low key and delicate.

[sprocket21]

In the imp: peppery red fruit

 

On me: Red fruit and...pencil shavings? Boo, I've read that in a lot of reviews, but it's never happened to me. Otherwise, this is a lovely scent, fruity and yet so dark. I think "as sweet as death, as deep as the grave" couldn't be a more spot-on description.

[Katherynne]

I absolutely love this.

 

In the bottle it's definitely all rotting fruit, that sweet sharpness comes through -- it almost smells JUST like wine, which is interesting.

On my skin, though, the black pepper bursts forth! It is all peppered plum and grave dust. I am in love, it's a shame I don't have two bottles! I'm surprised it doesn't smell more like rose due to my usual amping of rose, but I think the black pepper just cut right through that. I don't have a problem with this. The fruit swells underneath it all, keeping it sweet and rotting, another thing I love.

 

It does remind me of Mme Moriarty, maybe if she were older and spicier.

[Lamia]

Ptui.

 

I can't tell if the charming throw is from curious chemical interaction with my skin, or if it's reside on my jacket cuff from yesterday's Blood Countess, but it sure as hell doesn't come from my wrists.

 

Crypt Queen was maliciously floral wet, and on skin is dry shredded stale orris root. This scent is That Goth Girl who tries too hard; her makeup is MAC, her corsets are Dark Garden only, her shoes are New Rocks, but only *this* seasons style, smokes tobacco because cloves are "weird", her hair is ALWAYS worn in falls and she will claim that *she* started the trend even though she was in grade school in the early 90's. Her purse is overpriced, and daddy gave her her own AmEx. She's uncreative with accessories, claims to love the Cure but never listens to them, and her apartment is decorated from IKEA because she couldn't actually put any of that weird Victorian drapey fabric in HER living room.

 

This imp is being returned.

[PinkoCommie]

I should not like this.

 

pomegranate - usually pomegranate is fine, so that's okay, but...

 

raspberry - this always turns into cheap tree-shaped car freshener on me

 

gardenia - hit or miss, no guarantee

 

plum - I always want to love plum, but it rarely, rarely works.

 

and rose - this is usually a death knell. Rose in anything becomes rose over everything; I amp it like whoa.

 

with patchouli, black pepper, rose musk, and a hint of blood accord -- none of these work except in the rarest of blends....

 

But on me, this is sexy and fantastic. I love it; it is absolutely swoon worthy and it only gets better with age.

[zankoku_zen]

Oh god, the pepper!

 

So for me this is a fruity peppery blend. And I do mean peppery. And then it transitions into a rose pepper blend. It's kinda off putting actually.

 

I was hoping the Crypt Queen would be a stealth hit (a la Ice Queen and Voodoo Queen) but apparently, not.

[themerrybaker]

I get a mossy, aquatic rose. The "moss" is probably the pepper, but the aquatic is coming out of left field.

 

So, maybe a banana boat picks up the coffin of a beautiful vampire queen. She attacks the crew and capsizes the boat sending the fruit to the murky depths of the dark, dark ocean. All that is left are the funereal roses from her coffin floating serenely on the sea?

 

And all this happened in the Bermuda Triangle!!

 

Very appreciative to have been gifted with a sniffy of Crypt Queen, but somehow the Queen and I are just not on the same page.

[Schmoozy]

This is one of those blends that unfortuantely one note ruins it all.

And such was the case with crypt queen. I had such hopes that the pacthouli would stay in the background, unfortuantely the dirty earthiness of the 'chouli mingled with blood accord and rose musk was just too overwhelming and made me sick. I can't believe I didn't even detect plum, raspberry, pomengranate, gardenia or even the black pepper.

Fortunately I sold the bottle and kept the crypt to hold my weenie decants in!

Edited October 21, 2008 by Schmoozy

[hlinspjalda]

[Read the whole review, please.]

 

In the bottle: Fruity patchouli floral, as wonderful an initial scent as I think I have ever smelled in a BPAL.

 

Wet: Fruity trending over into floral, with a strong background of patchouli. So far, so good.

 

Twenty minutes: Ack! Where did all that luscious fruit go? This is gardenia first, with something sharp just beneath. There's musk, but no rose, no patchouli.

 

One hour: Very pungent floral, gardenia and rose mixed. It is not harmonious, though; it's a death match, with throats gripped and a lot of snarling. They've trampled all over the poor fruits, too. This is not going well.

 

Two and a half hours: Better now, but still not great. Everything seems to have worked out a cooperative arrangement, led by the musk. The pepper is noticeable, warm but not tingly. I can actually make out the fruit a bit now, too. Next time I'll have to watch it better in that first two hours and see what happens.

 

Four hours: Much better now: warm blend of sweet fruits and florals tied together with a thread of patchouli.

 

I tried this again during my cycle, which is something I tend to do with scents that I want to love, but that don't love me. What a difference: it smells great! Literally, no sharp or warring notes. Lovely sweet combination of florals, a bit fruity, I eventually realized it kind of reminds me of Faiza the Black Mamba. Long-lasting, too. It's one of my go-to scents for my cycle now.