The Torture Queen

[milo]

White amber, vanilla musk, white tea, ambergris, gardenia, and chrome.

This perfume reminds me of a perfume popular in the 90's. I think it was Calvin Klein's Escape or was it Eternity (?), but I'm not positive. I really didn't like it that much, and the same holds true for the Torture Queen. I do like certain "clean" scents, and I'm sure it would be very nice on the right person, it's just not for me. Edited July 4, 2008 by Shollin

[ladyver]

The first couple of hours the gardenia and chrome are more dominant - i like the way the chrome blends with the gardenia to make it really pretty rather than heady. after that it is fairly light but the vanilla musk comes out to play and i can't stop putting my wrist to my nose

 

I like this a lot more than I expected - so I am happy I just went for it - it is pretty! mesmerising, white, silver and translucent are other words that come to mind. It is a lot different to the other scents in my collection, but i have a feeling i will be reaching for it often!

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

I didn't have the description handy when I tested Torture Queen, but I came pretty close--I smelled green and/or white tea mainly, plus light musk and a faint breath of white floral. I also thought there was something clean and bright but not aquatic. I never would have guessed "chrome" and I still can't imagine how Beth creates that effect! Anyway, I think this is completely lovely and fresh, perfect for summer. I love that wonderful white tea note and the way everything else seems to complement it. I recommend Torture Queen for those who love Embalming Fluid and Gennivre and are ready for Beth's latest take on the delicacy of tea notes! I will definitely be using up my decant and looking around for more.

[marared]

Again, a mistake in my mailbox, so just a very tiny swab to see what it's like. In the imp, I can barely pick out any scent at all, just a vaguely fresh and flowery trail. The same ends up being true on my skin, but noticeably stronger - it's all tea and gardenia on me, and I'd say the comparison to Embalming Fluid is pretty accurate, minus the flower. It's actually kind of nice. Not a bottle purchase for me, though, as the gardenia gets progressively stronger and it's just a liiiittle too heady for me.

[dorothy humbird]

First on: clean, yet soft and full... classy, perfumey

 

Dried down: oh, lovely. this doesn't smell overly metallic on me; the amber and musk provide a lovely smooth base, and I believe the floral note I smell is gardenia. However, it's so well-blended, and my skin doesn't amp anything over the rest of the notes, so that there's nothing jumping out at me. It's much, much lovelier than I was expecting, with some reviews remarking on the strong chrome note. My brain keeps saying this is somehow closer to aquatic than floral, but I have a hard time putting it in any category. As other reviewers have said, "fresh" and "luminous" sound right for this blend.

 

I'd say this is a cousin to Anactoria (another favorite of mine), despite the fact that they have no exact notes in common. Both have a light, yet complex, refreshing feel, veiled with more ethereal (white, golden) musks and ambers. Of course I will give this a few additional test-runs, but I doubt I'll be passing The Torture Queen on.

[Scylla]

From start to finish, Torture Queen is a dead ringer for Snow-Flakes on me. I went to check the notes in it to see what the similarities were, and there were no notes listed for it.

[fairnymph]

Note: I don't read reviews before writing mine, so I'm glad to see that other people agree that this smells a) LIKE CK ONE! and fairly masculine.

 

In the bottle: Extremely pale yellow, nearly colourless oil. Ck One (but way better) is the first thought that hits me - I think it's the tea, florals, and musk combo. But yes, this smells very unisex, clean, and fresh - almost cologne-y. The white tea and musk are strongest, followed closely by fragrant floral gardenia, with a bite of metal and a sweet resiny base.

 

Wet: A bit less fresh (it was almost citrusy sniffed, and that note has dissipated), though slightly soapy (ambergris, argh). The gardenia is a bit stronger and headier, and the chrome is very so slightly sharper. The white tea is more resiny, and really is so distinct, it's more like a green or black tea note - with the grassiness of the former and slick piney depth of the latter.

 

Dry: This has gone increasingly cologne-y over time, I presume because the ambergris has gained a thicky, soapy edge. The amber's a little dry, almost like sandalwood, another note that I consider rather masculine and associate with cologne. The chrome has amped a bit, but it has an edge I like - very unique and evocative of a razor sharp, cold, shiny blade. As a whole, invigorating.

 

Later: Alas, this has definitely gone too soapy and cologney for my tastes, and is firmly in the masculine realm. The amber has gone a bit powdery, and I do think there is likely some sandalwood in this. Sniffed more closely, the blends is sweeter and deeper and less dry and unpleasantly astringent the way it is from more of a distance, but I don't walk around with my nose to my arm. :\

 

Summary: The fresh-clean feel has become somewhat acrid and muddles. Salty-soapy ambergris based cologne, with bright white gardenia, a bit of soft, sweet, slightly dry and powdery amber and lastly, but only at very closely range, lightly sweet musk and smooth tea. Chrome has vanished completely. Quite masculine. Decent throw, good lasting power.

 

For the first 30 minutes and sniffed this is a gorgeous, gloriously improved version of CK ONE, but it morphs into something on me that is a inferior version of that same perfume. It's still not bad, but the change disappointed me greatly. The chrome note was the sharpest metal note I've experienced so far and just stunning - I mourn it!

 

Maybe since it's still pretty yummy up close, it'd be good on the neck of man I were nuzzling...but would he want to wear something called ' The Torture Queen'? I think in any case I will hang on to it for men or I will try it with my scent locket.

 

I must say, I was pleased that the amber didn't go very powdery nor the gardenia intensely heady HI ME, nor the ambergris excessively soapy, though the last definitely took over the blend on my skin and was still too soapy for my tastes (at least I wasn't running to the sink).

 

Try this if you like slightly white florals and aquatic or herbal colognes: Lightning, The Tempest, Wilde, Vicomte de Valmont, Szepasszony, The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife, Thunder Moon, Parsifal

[tinyvulture]

a fresh, clean floral scent. it’s not really “herbal”, but there’s something “green” about it. makes me think of springtime and everything starting to bloom. there’s a strong, crisp tea note. i smell absolutely nothing metallic that makes me think “chrome.” in fact i’d say this is one of the lab’s more commercial-smelling women’s perfumes, on my skin anyway. it’s very flowery and feminine.

[Ina Garten Davita]

No chrome in this little vial!

 

Oooh, so pretty. Reminds me of fresh Spirits of the Dead. They both have this lovely ghostly freshness about them that I love. A light, musky and slightly floral vanilla tea scent that is delightful for the dog days in the south. I think I may need a bottle or two.

[gecko]

I found this was pretty masculine all the way from the imp through drydown. My husband liked it a lot as a cologne in the early stages. The ambergris was dominating the blend with gardenia and chrome elbowing their way in subtly. The amber, musk and tea could not get any attention. After a couple hours it fades mostly away. Now it smells like Dorian but with leather instead of citrus. On the right man this would be very hot! I just don't have the chemistry to pull it off.

 

I think Beth should tweak it a little and rename it after a naughty man like Don Juan or something, 'cause most guys won't wear something with Queen in the name.

[ClareN]

This smells pale yellow-white, like the woman in the picture.

 

White tea is the strongest note for me; you probably won't be able to pick it out if you haven't smelled it in perfume before, but it's a subdued, calm, almost floral scent. BPAL tea notes often seem to smell lemony, but I get no lemon at all here. I love white tea, it's in some of my favorite scents, but the other notes here are combining to make a whole I'm not fond of. Behind the white tea there is a sharp-ish white musk note (I get no vanilla though), ambergris, and a little gardenia, and...chlorine? I think it's the combination of ambergris and "chrome" (whatever that smells like - I can't quite pick out the note that's playing the role of chrome) that is making my nose think "chlorine". It doesn't smell exactly like a chlorinated pool, just the idea of one.

 

So, this smells like someone who's just gotten out of the pool to sunbathe and sprayed on some perfume I don't quite like. I can see how a lot of people will go for this, but it isn't me. It's probably a good choice if you're looking for a BPAL that smells like modern mainstream perfume (although it definitely smells more sophisticated than your average J.Lo or Escada).

Edited July 15, 2008 by ClareN

[ImperatrixMundi]

Normally I try not to describe scents using other scents but here I cant help myself. Torture Queen = Mr. Ibis dreams of The Fisherman's Wife

 

It was all vanilla musk and ambergris with something a little sharp but not definitely metallic.

While the scent as such smells great it has absolutely NO throw at all on me. Weird because the other scents I mentioned really have a lot of throw when I wear them.

After some time of waffling I swapped it away. Guess for what - Fisherman's Wife

[djsiberia]

wet/in imp: men's cologne. women's perfume. something sharp.

 

on me/dry: sharp & what i assume to be chrome.

 

i mostly wanted to like this for the name and because i love the label. i tried it because i wasn't sure what to expect from something with a note of chrome. it really is torture trying to figure out what this scent is going to do and if it's supposed to be for men or women or maybe both?

 

after about 30 minutes, it's turning into this commercial floral perfume scent. it's too bad.

[Blood onmy hands]

I hate a lot of the mainstream men's cologne that you find in department stores lately. Most of the cologne available now is sort of sickly sweet and not really manly or masculine to my nose, but more sweetly, cleanly unisex. Torture Queen reminds me of that type of fragrance, and I'm not really fond of it. On my skin, it's like that, but also starts going very soapy. Bright, cologney metallic with a squirt of dish soap.

 

Torture Queen reminds me of the last time I went to the mall and tried to find a good cologne for my hubby, only to realize that most of the fragrances smelled the same and had this weird, girly sweetness to them. The Torture Queen smells like that for me... like men's cologne for the man who wants to smell soapy-clean and not particularly masculine?

 

This one isn't a keeper for me.

Edited June 27, 2011 by Little Bird

[nekogrrl]

OMG I love this scent. This actually would be at home in the Steamworks line, because of the chrome. That, along with the white tea lends a very metallic edge to this scent. As it dries down, the vanilla and white amber start coming out and mixing nicely. It is a very fresh scent. The gardenia is very faint and lends a sweetness to this otherwise sharp scent.

[MeiLin]

In the imp: Tea, amber, musk, ambergris. Masculine but for the faint whiff of gardenia, and on the right guy that's not an issue.

 

Wet: "That smells masculine," said Sir. The musk and amber are at the forefront, with a strong chrome tang.

 

Dry: The gardenia, the tea, and the metallic tang of the chrome to the front, the musk and amber to the back.

 

This is haunting and rather formal. I love it. I'll see what it's like in a few hours; I suspect it doesn't have much stay, though the gardenia guarantees throw, at least on me. I'm all about tea scents, and this is a lovely one, with the chrome sharpening the sweetness of the gardenia in a wicked way. The right guy could really kill with this one.

 

This may join the "must have bottles" row.

[zankoku_zen]

So I get a mild tea with metallic overtones on wet. It has a bit of a bright citrus burst when first applied. As it dries...

 

OMG. This is the BPAL version of CK One. I used to own CK One way back in the day. What I loved was the masculine/feminine juxtaposition. And you totally get it here. It's got a floral base but hidden underneath is that metallic sheen to the scent. Love it.

 

[twilighteyes]

This is one of the scents that screamed "masculine" to me. I think a bit too much so for me to wear, and sadly the boy doesn't wear scent.

[diamondstars]

I can't smell any vanilla in this as expected. To be honest there's not one note I can pick out from this..confusing!

 

It is fresssh and reminds me of a perfume I wore years ago. It's a keeper!

[mazaru]

Wet: Now, I know I just put perfume on. My wrist is wet. So where the hell is it? *check notes* Ah. Tea. One of those infamous disappearing notes that my skin just eats. Oh, hang on. Flowers. That'll be the gardenia. Oh dear. I smell like my granny. This is not precisely what I had in mind when I read the name 'Torture Queen'.

Dry: It's gone. Just disappeared, almost entirely. There's a tiny hint of vanilla and a tiny hint of generic floral when you get right up close, but otherwise, nothing. Chalk up another victim of the ichthyosis, and move on.

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 5/5

Summarised in a few words/smilie: Musky vanilla tea!

 

Preconceived notions/pre-review thoughts: I love amber, musk, tea, and ambergris, but we'll see how it goes with gardenia and chrome!

 

In the imp: Musky amber and something very cold and bright -- chrome, I imagine? Intriguing and lovely.

 

On skin, wet: Wow. Very cold, musky vanillic amber tea. This is gorgeous. I can't place why, but I love the chrome quality. It's very sharp, but it doesn't overlap the other notes: it's a sort of base for them. Visually, it's like vanilla tea in a chrome tea cup just pulled from the freezer. (Let's say there are amber musk candles burning nearby to account for the other notes, eh? )

 

On skin, dry: Soapy white tea and chrome. White tea tends to turn into soap on me, so I'm not surprised. The chrome becomes very perfumey, and a bit "masculine." No hint of gardenia or ambergris that I can detect, strangely enough.

 

In Scent Locket: In a locket, Torture Queen is musky, vanilla tea love! There is nary a trace of chrome after the locket warms the oil, and though I do like that cold, sharp undercurrent, in the locket TQ combines three of my favorite notes.

 

Conclusion: Torture Queen is another scent I can't wear on my skin, but which wears beautifully in a locket. I'll definitely need to pick up a bottle before the Carnaval packs up and heads out.

[donnatron]

Bottle: Dominantly gardenia and ambergris. I get a touch of white tea and almost none of my beloved chrome.

 

Wet: Hooboy. Yeah, this is perfumey. It's a bright, fresh gardenia backed by indecipherable freshness and a slight tang from the chrome. The chrome makes it smell very modern. It sort of reminds me of colognes from the 1990s, that sort of pared down, back to basics scent you got from Calvin Klein or Ralph Lauren.

 

Dry: It retains a lot of the wet scent but the longer I wear it, the more I smell the vanilla musk. It gains more of a softened, skin sweetness. Very pretty and fresh and surprisingly unisex.

 

Throw: Surprisingly intense for such a light sense.

 

Overall: A nice, fresh scent, good for wearing if I'm going to be meeting clients or new people and want to smell professional. I think the one bottle will last me well enough. Try it if you want something fresh and comforting.

[theseagrows]

i can smell the tea, vanilla musk and chrome in the imp. on my skin, all i get is the chrome-ozone and not much else! i am not a big ozone fan and this ozone is not subtle, so it's off to be swapped.

Edited September 3, 2014 by theseagrows

[gchris]

In Vial: Seet, pretty, fresh

 

Wet: This is a bright, happy scent. Smell a hint of lemon in the background of the other notes.

[Silverstrike]

I think I really wanted to like this one because of the name and the notes, which hypothetically, sounded perfect. The chrome got really amped on me though, and there was very little aside from that. The gardenia never made an appearance for me. I'm glad I got to try it out though.