Persephone

[reynardine]

Beautiful, radiant daughter of Demeter... her loveliness was so exquisite that even Hell itself could not resist her. Pomegranate and rose.

In imp: As the description says, pomegranate and rose.

Wet: Rose dominant, some fruitiness.

Drydown: The juicy pomegranate begins to come out now, the rose steps into the background.

An hour later: Mostly pomegranate, with a touch of rose. Gorgeous.

Light, not a heavy throw on this at all. I'm not getting a lot of rose on this, but I tend to amp fruit scents so that may be the reason. Regardless, a wonderful scent, bottle-worthy indeed.

[Venneh]

In the imp, I'm getting what has to be the pomegranate and rose. Very straightforward, two notes. We'll see how this does.

 

Once on my skin, it's a pretty equal balance between pomegranate and rose. If it can stay this way, this may be bottle-worthy. And it does, and getting a bottle of this now.

Edited November 28, 2009 by Venneh

[topazphoenix]

I adore the concept for this scent, and was so excited to try it. That being said, this smelled quite pleasant in the imp, but on my skin it went Granny's antique rosewater meets mildew. I don't know another way to convey the after impression but it's definitely not for me.

[Nokturna]

Out of the bottle I loved how this smelled, but once I put some on.....turned into baby powder

[Cheri]

Persephone is a total shock scent for me. I would never have guessed that pomegranite and rose could smell good coming from the same bottle. For the first hour this is inyourface almost offensive, but as its trying to dry (which it never seems to do completely) it calms down and smells much better than anything with rose usually does on me. The rose in here isn't taking charge the way it normally does and that's a good thing. It would be a good going out to dinner scent. Pretty.

[steelgoat]

I adore the concept for this scent, and was so excited to try it. That being said, this smelled quite pleasant in the imp, but on my skin it went Granny's antique rosewater meets mildew. I don't know another way to convey the after impression but it's definitely not for me.

 

This is my first review so be gentle...

But I completely agree with AmandaKay. I really love the myth of Persephone and pomegranate is one of my favorite fruits so I really, really wanted to like this one... However, straight out of the vial, it smelled like it had been fermented. And not in a pleasant way. Then when I put it on it just smelled sort of rancid. After it had dried, it faded to what I can only describe as intense old-lady smell, it was like cotton balls and talcum powder. Gross. I really enjoy most of the other concoctions I've tested thus far from BPAL, but this one was a definite let down :-(

[papermaker]

In the imp I was completely unsure of what I was smelling. Not bad not exactly the best either. But I forged on and put it on. Wet on skin it is a sparkling juicy rose. As it begins to dry it becomes more pomegranate with a rose backing than ROSE.

[Amoraexcena]

Imp: yay! I so wanted to love this. Juicy, lovely rose and a hint of the same pomegranate from FoP.

Wet on Skin: Staying true, with a touch more depth and smoothness. The rose has bloomed but the pomegranate is there in the background. Pretty Persephone in a pale pink toga, celebrating sunlight and flowers outside of the Underworld. Delicious and divine, my favourite Excolo yet.

Drydown: The rose amps on my skin, I’ll definitely layer this with FoP and/or scent locket it. It has decent throw, below average staying power. Such a daytime date scent. Bottle please! This imp is going to disappear fast!

[girasol]

I had a book of kids' versions of ancient mythology when I was little, and the story of Demeter and her daughter Persephone was my favourite one. I loved the idea of Persephone's double life, the long winter months spent languishing with her lover Hades as her mother despaired, and her return from the underworld in spring, when joyful Demeter made the flowers bloom and the crops flourish.

 

Ahem. What I mean is, I really wanted to love this scent as much as I love Persephone's story.

 

In the bottle: A warm fruitiness, like a handful of squished berries.

Wet: The instant this touched my skin, the rose came through. It's a lovely rose though, rich and warm.

Dry: The rose still dominates, but it's underscored by the fruity zing of the pomegranate. This scent seems to have good staying power, which is a bonus as a lot of scents seem to fade pretty quickly on me.

 

Sooo, the verdict - I wanted to love it, and I do. It's feminine, but luscious and warm with a delicious fruitiness that prevents the rose from being cloying. I think a bottle will be required...

[impolight]

Imp: comes as a nice surprise... An otherworldly sort of fluorescence.

While being floral in character, there is an unquestionably oceanic theme; a flower that, perhaps, a mermaid would wear in her hair...

There are signs of water Lotus, Rose, and Narcissus in this formula. Quite refreshing!

On epidermis: Unfortunately, this almost immediately turned soapy. Tannic.

This is a very nice, very clean scent. Probably better suited for feminine body chemistry as testosterone converts this into sudsy lye.

Certainly worth a look!

Thankee, BPAL!

[summertimecrime]

In the imp: pomegrante & roses

 

Wet: wher did the pomegrante go? =[ roses, roses, roses, and not a very nice rendition of the scent

 

Drydown: this is another grandmother's tea party scent for me, it smells EXACTLY like rose soap. Very old fashioned scent, not girly so much as elderly =[

[CitizenBree]

This is much more pomegranate than it is rose so if you like fruity scents, but are wary of rose, you might be surprised by this. On the other hand, if you like traditional floral rose, this might be disappointing.

 

Luckily, I like both.

 

Going on, the fruit scent is a little weird, like bubblegum, but it tones down quickly and smells more fresh and real.

 

The weird thing is that it tends to go dusty. If you take a big whiff after it has settled, it's fruit and then dust.

 

Throw seems strong and it sticks around for a few hours.

[starfish327]

in the imp: pomegranate

 

wet:...cat pee?!

 

dry: a hint of powder and something sour, and pomegranate

 

i'm going to give this one another chance before i decide its fate

[heatherovka]

This one is really nice. Pure, straightforward pomegranate and rose, and I'd say fairly equally so. They compliment each other wonderfully. It is a scent that makes me feel pretty, good for using anytime. It also seems to like me, because it sticks around forever!

[FathomBelow]

In the bottle and wet on my skin, this is an uplifting, well-balanced, straightforward mixture of pomegranate and rose. As it dries, the rose becomes stronger until after it dries, it is simply rose with a hint of pomegranate. Persephone is feminine, vibrant, and delicate all at the same time. Both "exquisite" and "crisp" are apt descriptions of this scent, and I can see what all the hype is about! I will definitely need to get a bottle!

 

ETA: The rose is the same as in London - very pure and dry - BTW.

Edited May 22, 2010 by AmberApple

[imaginaryheroes]

This is an example of a scent I like better in the imp than I do on my skin, though I do have to credit it for sticking around a lot longer than a lot of other scents do! I like roses, but this one makes my head hurt a little bit, and the old lady comments aren't too far off, either.

[Lysi]

I love pomegranates! I love roses! That means I have to love Persephone!

 

Well, I do like it, but I'm a bit disappointed that I never got any pom at all. This was all rose in the imp and on me. Not that I mind, rose scents are lovely on me and I do like smelling them, I just wish the pom had come out to play even a little. I'll give it another shot and try really hard to pick up on something other than rose next time. In the meantime, I'm definitely grabbing some Swank in my next order and I'll probably keep using my imp of Persephone just for the roses. Not sure about a bigger bottle just yet.

[DraloreShimare]

In the vial – Roses, all the way.

 

On the skin – Bam! Hi, there, pomegranate! Pomegranate takes over outside the bottle, with a rose sidekick in the mix. Rich, fragrant, juicy even a little bit spicy.

 

Dry – Like sticking my nose into a bouquet of roses. A clean, dry rose scent.

Edited June 21, 2010 by Dralore

[Amaranthus]

Persephone is the lush scent of full blown roses and juicy pomegranate.

The two scents blend together seamlessly, melding into a scent that is more lovely than either note is on it's own.

 

The rose is all blossom- none of the greenery of stem or leaves. It is a voluptuous rose, rather than a prim rosebud.

 

The overall effect is of a richly saturated velvety pink/red/orange color, a shade you might find in a Pre Raphealite painting.

 

Similar to the color of her dress:

 

Or the clothes of the central figure in this painting by Rosetti:

[peachtreepeartree]

In the imp: Fruit, fruit, fruit. Pomegranate, luscious & juicy & incredibly sweet.

On my skin, wet: ROSE. Huge, blowsy, midsummer midday rose.

On my skin, dry: Still very rosy, but with the slight tang of the fruit behind it, & some crushed petals giving the bloom aroma a little depth. A very red scent.

 

This reminds me very very much of receiving a make-your-own-perfume-blends kit for Christmas when I was about 7 or 8. The first one I created was a rose and strawberry blend. I've been flashing back to my little bedroom all day whilst wearing this!

 

Of the two rose scents I've tried so far, I do prefer Moon Rose, but Persephone is lovely, too. Not sure if I crave a bottle, but I think I'll keep the imp. I'd like to try a few drops in my bath water.

[owlfeathers]

I wanted to like this. I generally like Persephone-themed things, and I'm fond of both roses and pomegranates. On me though, it's loud, overwhelming rose. Even a few hours after applying I can only smell rose. The rose scent it fades to is fine, but not at all what I was hoping for, and the early scent is just too strong. I didn't think I amped rose, but maybe I do.

 

I'll hang on to this one, but I think an imp's plenty.

[maika]

I so wanted to love this...but all I got was a REALLY sweet, almost candied rose. Not for me, I'm afraid.

[venusinfurs]

I was pleasantly surprised by this scent! I knew it was really popular, but rose is not usually my thing.

 

In bottle: Sweet rose. This smells similar to YSL's Parisienne, which is one of the few regular perfumes I like. I believe it is a sweet berry rose perfume, so that makes sense.

 

Wet on skin: Still sweet rose, but softer. Very pretty.

 

Dry on skin: This has a lot of throw on me, but in a good way. I can see where the guy-attracting comments come from. This is a flirty scent! Very sweet and fruity, but the roses make it a bit more sophisticated than your average sweet and fruity scent.

 

I ended up loving this. It's definitely big bottle worthy, and that's coming from a fan of spicy oriental scents!

[lavenderfrost]

In The Imp: OMG. Wet, juicy, rosy...mmm!

 

Immediate Application: Same as in the imp - omg I hope it stays like this!

 

Unfortunately...

 

30-45 Minutes Later: Y'know those plastic "strawberry"-scented toys that little girls play with, that all at once smell like a combination of too-sweet fruity bubblegum and play-dough? Yeah. ;_; Strawberry Shortcake was awesome when I was a kid, but I don't relish the thought of smelling like her now. >.<;;

 

Verdict: I really wanted to love this one. I love the story of Persephone and I loved the idea of pomegranate and rose blended to symbolize that story, and it even smells gorgeous when it first goes on, but in the end it just doesn't work. Granted, I always test things at least 2 or 3 times to be sure, but so far the prognosis isn't good.

 

I suppose I should be grateful - so far this is 1 of only 2 or 3 scents that have actually gone bad on me. Most of the time they hold up, it's usually just a matter of me not necessarily digging the scents I reject.

[Tiada]

Persephone is so perfectly balanced on my skin, and so simple compared to many BPAL scents!

 

Wet, the pomegranate is almost a single note. I don't smell rose at all until it dries and then the two mingle and dance in perfect step. This is a really good scent if you work in a workplace that may be less appropriate to wear some of the really deep/dark BPAL scents, or very foodie ones. This is delightful!