The Fruit of Paradise

[fireflower]

The Fruit of Paradise, the Nectar of Death: bittersweet pomegranate.

 

In the bottle: Sweet and tart pomegranates.

Wet: Still tart, but also spicy. It's pomegranates, but I feel like there's some other fruit in it. Like red currant or something.. but I'm completely rubbish at guessing things like this, lol.

Dry: Bright, juicy pomegranates... and that something else, haha. But it's yummy.

A Little Bit Later: Went softer, a lot less tart. I would not call the softness powdery. Bordello turned into powerdy fruity currant bubblegum, whereas this has not. I was hoping Persephone would smell like how this smells, but Persephone turned into rotten pomegranates and dying roses on me. This is much brighter and fresh. I'm glad I found a pomegranate smell that I love, because it's one of my all time favorite notes, and I was really sad when Persephone didn't work on me. I now own a bottle of this.

[Brianne]

I really love this one - it's very straightforward. Simple and slightly tart pomegranate (which comes off as a bit berryish here) with something slightly darker behind it. I really like this and it will probably be my favorite pomegranate scent from BPAL!

[polesiren]

Really nice,just got an imp from my decant circle and want a bottle!

 

Luscious and a bit sweet but with a truly seductive quality and although it's not "heavy",it seems to linger a long time...

 

Elegant and lovely!

[Christine Daae]

This is my new One True Love.

 

In the bottle, it's a sweet, ripe pomegranate smell with undercurrents of something darker. And yes, maybe another fruit.

 

Wet, on my skin, it's the same pomegranate smell - YES! - and it doesn't turn icky on me! I have been waiting for a pomegranate BPAL that I could wear, since I love the smell so much.

 

It's sweet, and juicy, undeniably red and yummy. There's a hint of something grounding it, though I couldn't tell you what it might be. Depending on where I wear this on my body, I get hints of spiciness and amber-ish goodness, too. This is so, so lovely. It's sweet, a bit sexy, and very feminine, to me.

 

It clings to my skin for a long, long time, and I occasionally get sweet-tart-spiced wafts of the scent. The fiance LOVES this one, but then, he loves the smell of pomegranate on me (of course he does). I'm so happy to have a pomegranate perfume I can wear! For the B&BW fans out there, this layers gorgeously with Midnight Pomegranate, they have a similar spiced-amber-pomegranate loveliness.

 

I definitely need to get another bottle of this before it goes away!

[yeahbutnobut]

The Fruit of Paradise

 

In the imp: a gorgeous sweet pomegranate scent. A bit tangy but delightfully sugared.

Wet on skin: it gets a little tangier now and a little bit more like the Pomegranate SN.

Dry on skin: spiced pomegranate juice! This is gorgeous! It smells a bit like the SN, but a lot better-this is an improvement, an enhancement of single note pomegranate. It doesn't have the candle-like smell that I got from the SN and Swank, it does have a hint of bitterness though. It's got a lovely depth to it too, a deep red depth. Overall, this smells like what mulled wine would be like if the wine were replaced with pomegranate juice. I smell cloves in here, I think, maybe some other spices too but definitely clove. It's a very festive scent.

After a while: oh my, this gets better. Now that sharp bitterness mellows out completely and the scent goes into a rich, sweet, dark phase of sweet pomegranate, deep and garnet-red in tone, enhanced with spices and possibly a hint of a sweet resin. Now it smells like a darker, less golden version of Hymn to Proserpine. This is even more beautiful now…velvety isn't a word I'd use to describe crisp sparkling pomegranate, but this is exactly what this scent is. This gets even darker and smoother and warmer with time, it's spicy nuances coming out a bit more. There's something to it that's like a resin, but it's not the golden, shining amber of HtP, I think this one might be a myrrh or opoponax note. Definitely evocative of the underworld now.

It gets to a gorgeously purple-red scent after a while, not fake or cloying though, but quite sophisticated. There may be a hint of musk to it, keeping the fruit anchored.

Verdict: this is everything I hoped to get from the Pomegranate SN, and then some. I was a little disappointed when the SN smelt a little too sharp and then turned vaguely candle-like on me. But this is perfect pomegranate. It’s deep, rich red pomegranate with a wine-like quality to it, a slight bite of bitterness and a dark sweetness, juicy and fruity but shadowy too. I also get a wonderful undertone of something supporting the pomegranate that I can’t put my finger on, but I think it’s a mix of clove-like spices, possibly with resins and maybe even musk? This is like the gorgeous pom in note in Hymn to Proserpine without the golden amber sweetness. This is definitely the fruit of the underworld…and boy, what delicious and tempting fruit this is. A great scent to wear alone or layered with other scents. I need at least two bottles.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? yes and I need more!

If you like this, try: Hymn to Proserpine, Persephone, Mme Moriarty, Swank, Haloa 07

[spiralmissy]

This is heavenly....OK, maybe not the right world (underworldy?). Fruit smells tend to make me feel like I am wearing a fragrance that is way too "young" for me - but Fruit of Paradise is a mature, berry-like smell that will in no way be confused for a "teeny-bopper" perfume or generic B&B product.

 

I agree with the statement that this smells a little like Crypt Queen without the pepper and florals. I would not have made that connection, but it totally does.

 

I cannot really add anything new that has not been said about Fruit of Paradise, but it is velvet-y and sparkl-y at the same time. Deep and bright red at the same time. Tart and spicy at the same time.

 

This will definitely layer well, as others have said.

 

Good throw, especially for a fruit smell (my skin sucks up sweet smells) - and lasted me all day with no reapplication.

 

For me, this may merit another bottle - it is the perfect winter sexiness.

[arabella]

First Impression: Pomegranate sprinkled with lots of icing sugar.

 

Dries down to: There's something that tones down the sweet fruitiness - maybe, wine or brandy? There's also something floral. I'm thinking lily.

 

Additional Comments: This is nice, fresh yet rich scent but not a "wow" for me.

 

Lasted: About an hour.

 

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

[janeness]

In the bottle, this is sweet, tart, juicy and red.

 

On my skin, omgoodness! there's spice and maybe a bit of incense and lovely lovely pomegranate. mmmm... pom. It's totally mulled pom!

 

I've been eating poms like they're going out of style since they came into season this year and now I lust to mull some pom juice.

 

Dry this is just gorgeous! I'm so glad I have a bottle of this! ^___^

 

[YoakeNoKami]

2007 version

Bottle: Dark, tart pomegranate--with some sort of other, winelike fullness underlying

 

On: Fruity, dark pomegranate still, with some sort of faint mulled, spiced wine note (minus that alcohol sting).

 

Drydown: Every time I wear this, something about it makes me feel uplifted. I'm not sure of it's the deepness of the pomegranate note itself--that deep, deep "red" flavor that's fresh and sensual and somehow solid all at once. I guess you could describe it as that lush, deliciously full flavor you only get from the pomegranate fruit just before it's ready to turn, to shrivel and fade. It actually lasts quite well on me, and even several hours later I catch these faint whiffs of it, like something you'd see out of the corner of your eye. I guess that in some ways, this scent seems kind of transient for me, like something that fades away after you touch it.

[Lunaliquid]

Received a bottle directly from the lab yesterday.

 

In the bottle:

VERY nice! Reminds me a tad of a Jolly Rancher watermelon candy.

 

Wet Stage:

I still get the Jolly Rancher bit, but now with a slight waft of the scent of an oil lamp in the distance (am I making any sense? Probably not.)

 

Dry Stage:

Where did it go? Seriously, it's gone within 10 minutes. If it had stayed around longer I definitely would have gotten more bottles, but alas, this shall remain one for the scent locket.

 

~ Lunaliquid

[agnusdei]

The Fruit of Paradise starts out a deep and rich pomegranate, ripe and glistening and juicy and all that good stuff the other reviews have said. Tart without becoming too bitter and fruity without being super-sweet and cloying, with something else underneath that gives it a sultry little oomph. As time passes the pomegranate settles into that darker part of the blend; I totally second (third? fifth?) the likening of The Fruit of Paradise to mulled pomegranate cider because that's exactly what it turns into on me. I swear there's some clove or maybe anise that gives it a kick of dry spice to balance the juiciness of the pom. I think there may be something else here as well, just a touch of some sort of resin or possibly musk that lends an added depth to the blend. The throw is good, but it started to weaken somewhere between hours one and two of wear and then faded away faster than I would have liked. I can't hold that against it though, it just makes me glad I grabbed two decants instead of one!

[scarletgenesis]

Fruit of Paradise is like pomegranate porn.

 

In the bottle: juicy, red, lovely, pomegranate .

 

Wet: Incredibly spicy. Like mulled pomegranate wine. Cinnamon, clove, and an underlayer of pomegranate.

 

Drydown: still lots of mulled spice here. I was hoping for more pomegranate and less spice, and it is currently the other way around on me. It's still lovely, and I'm hoping the pom comes out even more tart as it drys into my skin.

[Rovylern]

I was a bit nervous when I first put this on. I got a hint of the Vicks-ish note that makes Crypt Queen awful on me, but thankfully it faded after a few moments. It became a gorgeous, juicy fruit scent, just tart enough to make things interesting. I'm so in love. I wish it had more throw, and it fades out very very quickly, but it's so beautiful that it's worth hoarding so that I can slather myself in it repeatedly without guilt.

[suki]

in the bottle: sweet and tart. fruity without being definable.

 

wet on skin: more tart! like tart candies. it's making me pucker a bit

 

dry down: this is *just* like pomegranates. it's like biting into those delicious juicy seeds and having that sweet/tart juice fill your mouth.

 

in all: salivatingly good- glad i have a whole bottle to myself!

 

 

[Inanna9]

I'm very grateful to the lovely forumite who frimped me a decant of this, otherwise I would have missed out. I saw straight-up pomegranate and thought, "meh".

 

That was a mistake. This is smooth and tart at the same time - rich and fruity, yet never sharp. And for those of you who mourn the loss of juiciness upon Crypt Queen's drydown, this is perfect for layering. It really revives the dark fruit component when Her Majesty gets a bit too dusty.

 

I've been doing this BPAL thing long enough that I should know better than to judge an oil based solely on its desrciption. So I will eventually have to hunt down some more of this lovely one

[MaidMirawyn]

Yay! My bottle arrived!

 

 

This one doesn't really morph for me. It's pomegranate, that's for sure, but I agree with Pugmom that there's something darker grounding it. My friend said it smelled like a musk to her (and she is better at picking out notes than I am). So that's what I'm going with: pomegranate but with the fruitiness tempered by a bit of musky darkness.

 

It's a bit sharper in the imp than dry, but really, almost no change! First time that has happened to me.

[anomie]

In the bottle: Juicy red fruits. Perhaps it would help if I had more experience with real pomegranates?

 

Wet: Fruity bubblegum, ack!

 

Drydown: Oh, thank goodness. The sticky sweetness has vanished, replaced by a deep and more earthy fruit scent. But it's going very, very quickly, and I'm not much of a straight fruit scent type. Probably going to the swap pile.

 

edited for complete lack of spelling ability

Edited February 8, 2008 by Nomie

[Dymphna]

Due to the concept, I was really invested in this oil working for me, and I'm so glad that it did!

 

In the bottle: Deep red pomegranate, rich but clean, sweet but crisp. I also smell something a bit darker. I think it may be amber, as some others have surmised.

 

Wet: Intoxicating and juicy, the perfect ripe, red pomegranate. My first thought is that it reminds me of wine, even though it doesn't smell like wine. It's just so rich and so powerfully RED. After a minute or so on my skin, I start to smell something almost pine-like, which reminds me a bit of The Snow Maiden. This is much deeper than The Snow Maiden, though. And now I'm smelling something spicy. Not fiery like cinnamon, just a clear, almost cool spiciness, like biting into a crisp fruit that has a spicy tang. And I can still smell that suggestion of amber in the background, but it's not going powdery on me, which is a big relief since the mentions of amber were the only thing in the reviews of this one that worried me.

 

Dry: The longer I wear this, the deeper and more gilded it becomes. I keep picturing deep red berries brushed with gold dust. The gold imagery is coming from the amber, which is on its very best behavior. And there's something else, something very dark and deep and tangy far in the background. It almost reminds me of black musk except that black musk always turns to old lady powder on me and this is just...dark and wild and sexy in a very distant way. This scent is so dark without taking anything away from the glowing redness of the pomegranate. I keep imagining some unsuspecting ancient Greek wandering the woods, coming across a small hole that at first seems like nothing but an animal's bolt hole, and looking down and down and into seemingly neverending blackness--and then seeing two beautiful, hypnotic eyes looking back up at him. This is magical in a dark, mythic way that is wholly appropriate to its name. I love it.

[quartz]

Wet: Tart pomegranate, very fruity. After 5-10 minutes, though, some kind of spice comes out that turns it to candle-store on me and the pomegranate dies down to the background. If it stayed with the first sniff , I'd like it--as it is, I can't decide whether to use it as a room scent (might even be too heavy for that) or swap it.

[smallvoice]

My chemistry does terrible, terrible things to this scent. Unspeakable things. Unholy things.

 

I don't get a gorgeous ambery spiced pomegranate. I get...... soap. SOAP! Perhaps the soap Persephone used to wipe away the grime of her travels.... well, not even that. It's not the soap she brought with her, it's from the hotel she had to stay at halfway.

 

While I'm sad, I hope that age may bring out some of the deeper elements that were found on more well behaved chemistries. Then again, I'm a little afraid to let the two meet again.

[angharad]

Soft, slightly sweet, slightly tart red fruit. I love pomegranate, so naturally I had to get a bottle of this. This is one of the few BPAL blends when I can tell a definite difference in scent depending on what time of month I wear it. Sometimes it's straight pomegranate, slightly powdery, with a dry feel to it. Other times it's almost spicy and a little bit juicy. I love it either way, even though it never stays on my skin very long.

[strangemodegirl]

This is the most perfect tart and juicy pomegranate. On me it doesn't morph much at all. I imagine that this is what rubbing freshly crushed pomegranate seeds all over me would smell like, just without the red sticky mess!

And this one really lasts on my skin. Last time I wore it I put it on in the morning and could still smell it clearly about 8-9 hours later.

[LupaWulf]

I really enjoyed this one. It stayed very true to a juicy, wet pomegranite for the entire day. I was quite tempted to lick my wrists or gloves, but fortunatly restrained myself. Since Saturday (when I wore it last), I have been dying for a fresh pomegranite, but alas that is just not to be.

 

I did notice that about half way through the day it started smelling slightly sweeter, not in an unpleasant way at all- just more juicy than when I started. It did remain just as crisp and fresh.

 

The Fruit of Paradise had decent throw, as I recieved a complament by a lady selling candles at the gun show. She was even able to pick out that it was a pomegranite based scent as well. It wasn't overpowering in small spaces (the truck), so it balanced out nicely.

 

Overall, if you are as much of a pomegranite freak as I am, this scent is entirely for you!

[fairnymph]

In the bottle: Spicy-tart pomegranate.

 

Wet: Tarter AND sweeter, fruitier, less spicy. A wee bit floral. Something incense-resiny underneath, but it's faint and not powdery.

 

Dry: Soft, woodsy patchouli and black musk, wtf. With the faintest hint of pomegranate. Totally bizarre morphing!

 

Summary: There was an incensey period I didn't like, but I liked the initial smell loads, and I do like the end result - though it's very similar to 51, which does the same thing (totally morphs, with final drydown woods and musk, despite different starting point). I think the pomegranate is stronger in Persephone than here, and also, I find this oil very weak in throw generally. It's a major slatherer. I get MANY compliments from both men and women when I wear this one.

 

LOVE it. At one point I had 3 bottles...now only 2!

[tartchef]

Yummy-juicy-tart-sweet! Fruit of Paradise opens just a bit too sweet for my taste, but quickly dries into a delicious pomegranate with a trace of incense smoke... and fabric. Really. There's a cottony papery dry note buried in here, almost like sniffing a pomegranate tea bag... it's surprisingly pleasant, a cozy closeness that grounds the rampant fruitiness... Alas, this fades so quickly - barely an hour and it's mostly gone.