Wicked

[girlmadasbirds]

A paean to all the Wicked Queens, Evil Stepmothers, and other misunderstood villainesses throughout history and lore. Lends an aura of majesty, refinement, strength, and a deep, brooding malice. A sophisticated, womanly scent: rich myrrh and jasmine draped in the subtlest rose.

myrrh... strong myrrh. it's incensey with a hint of florals. reminds of some old commercial perfume i can't recall the name of. Edited January 7, 2006 by angel sixgun

[quimerula]

Wet it's strong myrrh with the flowers on the bottom, more rose than jasmine.

 

As it dries down the jasmine goes stronger, and myrrh is a perfect note to support the flowers.

 

Inviting but distant, feminine but not carnal. I close my eyes and see the evil stepmother that plays with men. Kind of "we will bed, but not yet... before you have to do something for me" and never keep the promise.

 

It lasts quite a lot on my skin, and I find it perfect for the winter.

[cormeretrix]

this scent, fortunately, wasn't for me (it was a gift for a friend). it has the evil jasmine and myrrh in it.

 

but i sniffed it anyways.

 

it's very rich and deep and floral. and commanding and regal. and says "i am self confident, and i don't need you. nor will i let you judge me."

 

or maybe i'm just dizzy from the fumes again...

[subbes]

I just got my imp yesterday, and tested this in tandem with Phantom. I'm wearing Wicked again today, so I like it enough to wear it again.

 

First application: Jasmine. It's got a little chemical tang -- a third-party sniffer compared it to "toilet cleaner" but she thiks jasmine scents are like toilet cleaner. I didn't get toilet cleaner, but I did feel a little artificial hint in the background. Kinda greenish, almost?

 

Drying: The rose wafts out now and then, and the myrrh is strengthening. The jasmine has lost its chemical-i-ness, but is still a strong note. The "green" scent has gone. Overall, this has great throw.

 

After three hours: The scent is still getting stronger. I slathered it on this morning because yesterday one wrist application was lovely but not quite enough throw. I overdid it, and sitting here in a warm room with a fan blowing on me I'm in a haze of Wicked. Good thing I like it.

The rose has dried down to a dry, almost powdery scent. I'm envisioning a bunch of dried roses, originally deep dark velvet-y red/wine colored and drying down to a deep, almost black, color. The myrrh and jasmine richen and deepen it -- I normally don't like rose scents, but this one feels so deep. The dried roses are sitting in a castle room next to a spinning wheel, the needle coated with something black and sticky.

 

Overall: Definitely a woman scent. Regal, accomplished, deep and slightly intoxicating. There's no let up with this scent -- nothing nice or light about it. It's... wicked.

 

 

I don't know if I'm going to buy a bottle of this -- I'll wait on my partner's opinion of this before I invest. I like it, but it doesn't exactly feel like me -- I'm not that wicked and unprincipled, at least not every day.

 

Wicked is, I guess, a scent for days when I'm going to get what I want, on my own. Not in an industrious way, but in the "I deserve this" way that royalty go for things, without even stopping to think about whether or not they do deserve it. Sweeping in, taking it, and no-one will question whether I should have been taking it. If that makes sense.

 

ETA: I'm tempted to try this in my hair, but I'm already covered in enough scent for now.

Edited April 11, 2005 by subbes

[Phaedra]

This is not a strong scent on me. I can smell the jasmine and the powdery myrrh. It's a bit musty and "thick". After a few minutes a hint of rose comes through. This dries down nicely and is very feminine. Really nice but not one I need to get a bottle of.

[tart]

First sniff: WAAAH! Myrrh, yuck! Blah, myrrh always smells like church to me. Yuck yuck yuck.

Drying: The sweetness of rose and sharpness of jasmine balance each other out, blending floral with myrrh.

Dry: Wicked is like a powdery potpourri scent.

Verdict: This reminds me of a perfume that my mom used to wear when I was younger. Tatiana, maybe? Wicked is way too mature for me, too serious. Me no likey.

[alston78]

In the bottle: Wicked smelled like a dark and purple jasmine. A very mysterious and beautiful smell.

 

On my skin: Well, the jasmine didn't go soapy. And if it had, I'm not sure I would have noticed because of the waves of myrrh circling my arm. The majority of the BPAL myrrh scents haven't worked for me, though one (Velvet) is a favorite. I think the difference, though, is that in this scent, there's nothing to overpower the myrrh on me. It doesn't morph much on the skin, but there's a big difference from its smell in the bottle- I would say it's now a slightly floral myrrh rather than a dark floral.

 

Final Verdict: Too dark and too much myrrh for me. I need sweetness to balance these notes out with my skin chemistry. Off to swaps!

[pensive]

Wicked (tested yesterday)

Expectations: Sounds cool.

Imp sniff: Roses, yep. Jasmine, a little bit. Not bad.

Wet: More jasmine.

Drydown: Old fashioned, dusty roses.

Impressions: I feel years older w/o all the accumulated wisdom that's supposed to come along. Not totally what I'm after.

Cat impression: None, did this right before work, and it had faded by the time I got home.

Verdict: Someone else has a home that will love this just above label imp better. Already out the door.

[olympia301]

Wicked smells exactly like a perfume that my mother's friends would wear. I do not have fond memories of it. My mother's friends were frequently drunks, neurotics and querilous old sadists (in the nicest possible way), hence I do not like that jasmine scent.

 

My review is is just an intensely personal reaction to this scent combination, but I do think it was quite popular years ago when perfumery was still based on natural ingredients. There is something "Joy" in it, and that saves it from being Ghastly Friends of my Mother's smell. However, I think that someone else would appreciate it more that I do.

 

It paints an effective portrait of faded femininity, the grasping at youth and beauty, and the insatiability I associate with dashed women. I think that is what Beth was trying to paint in scent and she did too good a job.

Edited May 7, 2005 by olympia301

[wickedgoddess]

Origins - imp from the lab.

 

Preconceived notions - While I love myrrh, jasmine and rose, the ingredients seemed too similar to others such as Rapture and I honestly bought it for it's name alone.

 

Wet - myrrh and rose.

 

Dry - myrrh and rose. I really don't get much jasmine from this at all. But I think I have my "me" scent. This is perfection! The smell doesn't change, it has a lot of throw (but not too much) and it lasts a long time. I just love this. This is neither too floral nor too dark; it's something I can wear every day I am definitely buying a big bottle of this.

 

On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 3.

 

ETA - the second time I tried this, it was still wonderful wet, but when it dried I got that horrid, acrid smell that others have spoken of. It seemed to be the myrrh, but I don't understand it, because myrrh is usually wonderful on me. I think perhaps it's a time of the month thing, but it greatly affects my love for this oil. I am revising my original 5 to a 3.

Edited July 18, 2005 by wickedgoddess

[slave1]

In Bottle: Jasmine and myrrh.

 

On Skin: I was excited about this scent since I love evil queens. It is very regal. But sadly the jasmine is too strong for me… wait… it’s fading and the warmth of the myrrh is showing through. I don’t think this scent is evil or wicked… I’d expect something more musky and smoky, but it is a beautiful scent.

[cricketshay]

Wicked, oh how I wanted to love thee because of the lovely name. Alas, me and wicked did not get along.

 

In the vial~myrhh and dusty roses. I know right now it's not going to work well with my chemistry.

 

Wet~soapy roses. Ick! Not appealing at all

 

Dry~moth balls! My hand smells like a sweater drawer. This is definitely going up for swap.

[Northernminx]

In the bottle this is all herbal, dark myrrh and a touch of jasmine, very strong and with a lot of backbone despite the floral side. Putting this on, some of the rose starts to come out, making this more feminine. It's a little powdery for me, and a bit unsettling as well. it is however that perfect evil queen scent and I keep waiting for the witch from Snow White to toddle in and offer an apple. Intriguing but not me

[yeahbutnobut]

Wicked

 

In the imp: this reminds me of Kheprha, but more floral. Must be the myrrh and jasmine and rose.

Wet on skin: wow…this reminds me of heady posh perfume, but nicer. I love the depth and resinous sweetness that the myrrh gives to the florals. It darkens it nicely.

Dry on skin: the notes in this blend really nicely-it's an intense scent but not overwhelmingly floral, but trapped under the myrrh I can make out the jasmine and rose, these become stronger over time.

After a while: pretty much the same, the same mix of sweet myrrh and heady florals, but it gets darker and darker. It's got really powerful throw, so next time I only need apply a little.

Verdict: this is the sweet resinous smell of Khephra (which probably contains myrrh) with flowers. It's a gorgeous, sumptuous scent, with a dark side. It's floral, but the myrrh keeps the rose and jasmine back and adds a mysterious depth, however it's very intense and only a little bit needs to be applied. I love this scent, it feels mature and sophisticated but with a touch of the sinister. It's wicked!

[Leda]

I put this on in the car on the way back from the grocery store, straight out of the bubble wrap and packing. It truly must have been calling my name.

 

First application, before reading Lab's description: Hmmm, this is a strong floral, maybe an oriental? I seemed to think I was getting the intense scent of paperwhites over incense. Reminded me of white easter flowers with thick waxy petals.

 

As it dried, the floral scent receded and the other incensy notes joined in equal intensity. This is an evening scent for me, it is so sexy and extremely womanly. Now that I've read the lab's description, I know the Narcisus scent I imagined is the jasmine, and the resin must be the myrrh. Absolutely, no question about it, love at first sniff.

[Dark Seraphim]

The only thing I smelt in bottle, when worn and when burnt was Jasmine. I didn't have a problem with this though since I like Jasmine just fine. If there was anything else in this scent, I either didn't know it was there, or I never noticed it.

 

I really like this scent though. Very nice and strong, but I doubt I'd get a bigger bottle because there are too many scents I like better. 7/10.

Edited June 22, 2005 by Dark Seraphim

[nineveh]

I like rose and myrrh, but jasmine tends to take over blends on my skin, which is what it did with Wicked. At first I could smell myrrh and jasmine, and after it dried a bit, I only got jasmine. I don't like how it smells powdery yet cloying on me. Wicked is not one for my chemistry.

[gingersnapp]

I usually avoid jasmine blends because that is the only note I ever smell, but this was a lagniappe imp from the Lab so I thought I would give it a try. After all, they do tend to know me better than I know myself.

 

This is definitely a regal, sophisticated scent. I can imagine Maleficent sweeping grandly across her castle, plotting harm to Sleeping Beauty and looking damn good doing it.

 

The rose blends *perfectly* with the jasmine. I'm not getting much of the myrrh, but I'm enjoying the rose so much that I don't really mind. This is really lovely and soft, but with a dark edge to it.

[Scarlettfish]

I didn't expect to love this scent, but I do. The rose and jasmine and myrrh all combine equally on me, so one note doesn't dominate - they just create this gorgeous, incredibly sexy and sophisticated scent that isn't too overpowering, but is strong enough for me to feel like I smell great all day. Big bottle for sure! This will be my going out on the town scent, I think.

Edited July 6, 2005 by Scarlettfish

[lissamc]

Wet: to my untutored nose, sort of sharp and generic perfumey.

 

1 Hour: The sharpness has mellowed some. Still a generic floral, kind of bath powdery with my nose right up to my wrist. Wafts fairly well. I get an occasional hint of things gone dark/off, but it mostly smells like something my Grandma Wold would have worn. Elegant, but conventional. I want to go dress in her mink and go to the opera.

 

2 Hours: Has mellowed some more. I can pick out the rose and the jasmine separately now. Still get some bath powder. Much nicer now. Still catch hints of something a bit off, a bit sharp. I wonder if that is the myrrh? Grown up and a bit old fashioned.

 

3 Hours: The sharp edge is gone, and i'm left with floral powder. I swear Grandma had something that smelled like this in her upstairs bathroom. It is triggering visual memories of that room. My husband smelled my wrist, and said, "Baby powder."

 

6 Hours: Still there, a pleasant soft floral powder.

 

Verdict: Pleasant enough dried down, but not really me. Grandma would have loved it though.

[aidenraine]

Hmmm ROSE!

 

Why hello there Rose. I see you've brought your timid friend Jasmine. My, aren't you floral. Let's sit a little while...

 

 

....

 

 

Rose, what did you do with Jasmine? Oh, you killed her? Well...that was rude. You smell like a Caswell- Masey store, Rose.

 

 

This does soften to a nice floral and I definitely recommend it for those who enjoy rose, or those who enjoy a particularly Victorian sensibility. It's one of the nicer florals I've tried and this was a gift- I don't even like florals much but I can tolerate this one!

[urraca]

This goes on strongly myrrh with jasmine and rose in the background. I believe the jasmine is dominant and it is that which has a faintly plasticky scent at the beginning. The plastic fades after a while though and I'm left with a lovely smokey, incensey myrrh that lasts and lasts and has a good throw.

 

I have really liked two of the BPAL myrrh scents I have tried --- Hymn and Nefertiti --- but I found that neither lasted very long on me. This is not a problem, fortunately, with Wicked. The plastic stage may prevent this from being a big bottle purchase though. I do get the whole wicked Disney character vibe with this scent, probably through the power of suggestion. I kind of like it. Great scent for those days on which I want to channel my inner step-mother.

[13bodies]

in the imp: JASMINE!!!!!!!!!!!

 

wet: JASMINE JASMINE JASMINE!!!!!!!!

 

drydown: Jasmine...

 

dry: dried roses that were suffocated by JASMINE

 

Too much jasmine; it gave me a headache. I had high hopes for this one, too.

[Stellanova]

When I opened the package and smelled the imp, I was enchanted - there was a gorgeous mixture of sweetness and spice. Rose and myrhh usually work well on me, so I had high hopes.

 

On my skin, wet: Very dark and strong, the scorched, burnt scent mentioned by others is definitely coming out.

 

Dry: The burnt scent has been balanced out by the sweetness, but it's not nearly as nice as it smelled in the bottle.

 

This is a very overwhelming scent - I just gave my wrists a small dab and felt like I was in a cloud of dark sweetness. I wish it worked better on me, because it was absolutely delicious before it reacted to my skin!

[Eros]

Wanted to try this one mostly because, well, one of my Pharaoh Hounds is named "Wicked". "Someth'n Wicked", in fact. Yes, she tries her best to live up to her name

 

So....two words.

 

JASMINE

HEADACHE