Wicked

[Taniwha]

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.

 

Wet: Oh, that is so bizarre - all I get is wet ash pit. I love rose, and I don't really care for jasmine or myrrh, but where is any of that??

 

Drydown: Ah, that's better! This is actually, despite my fear of resins, a nice, dusty rose without even a hint of jasmine. What a difference a few minutes makes!

Edited October 5, 2006 by Taniwha

[jarvenpa]

Ah, Wicked. She surfaced today from my imp basket (as I clumsily undid and poured out a bit of blood red Tintagel by accident). Without checking notes, without even sniffing the imp, I boldly put some on.

 

And, wow. Immediately made a note to self to get a bottle...someday.

 

My naive nose had no idea what it was smelling, only "omigod, this is wonderful!" Dark, spice laden, very...wicked.

 

Long lasting, sexy, spicey, dark, oh, exactly what I needed.

 

When I did check the notes I was astonished. I would not have figured either rose or jasmine, just some undefinable dark flower that probably eats people.

 

And I should watch for myrrh, because my skin does seem to just go into swoon mode when a myrrh scent is on. Delicious.

[supremegoddessofall]

Overpowering floral hell. Most of the rose scents don't work for me, and this is no exception, especially when combined with jasmine, something else that rarely works on me. The myrrh is smelling more "dusty" than anything else.

[harmonyfb]

JasmineJasmineJasmineJasmine. Fin.

[seamor]

Wow, I can hardly believe that what I'm wearing is the same scent as the other descriptions I have read. I get no jasmine whatever, and certainly not that candy rose effect I have gotten with some of the other rose scents. In fact, I kept thinking I was wearing red patchouli - must be the myrrh and rose combining in an unexpected way. I have loved this resinous red bite in several of Beth's scents, even though it usually makes me sneeze. Not this time, though. Goody!

 

I'd love to buy a big bottle of this, but I am worried that my imp may have been mislabelled after hearing all about the jasmine and florals everybody else is getting.

 

[metaldog32]

Wicked comes to me via frimp from the Labbies.thank you very much!!

 

Not on my original list of fragrances to try, but the myrhh, jasmine, and rose sound like a good combo so why not???

 

Initial sniff from imp: Smells like spicy incense..this must be the myrhh??? I am not getting much jasmine and if I whiff deeply maybe a touch of rose..but it's all the myrhh at this point. Definitely not delicate-very womanly...and this woman knows how to play hard and dirty.

 

Applied wet on skin: First it's all the myrhh..like the other reviewer stated..a bit of a resinous bite..and then I can smell the floral peeking through..giving it a bit of depth..but I can't nail it..is it the jasmine or the rose?? The myrhh is really all I get..darn. Don't get me wrong..I like myrhh..just curious to see how the jasmine/rose work in this blend.

 

Couple of minutes on skin: Ahhh..now I am registering the jasmine but the myrhh is keeping a tight rein on it. For those people who amp up jasmine to something all consuming this blend keeps it in check..big time. The rose here is really delicate and very wispy..interesting blend. It's more spicy resin with touch of floral on me.

 

Definitely a brooding scent...in feel and not in fragrance it kind of reminds me of Tisiphone. You can feel that this blend is strong and doesn't have any problems pulling all the punches and doing whatever needs to be done to get whatever she wants...hehehehehehehe..

 

Ten minutes to half an hour on skin:The thick myrhh is allowing the jasmine a tiny bit more room on the dance floor..so it's a bit more in tandem with eachother..but trust me it's all the myrhh taking the lead with the jasmine playing a much more subservient role in this blend..and the rose??? Hmm..only on the tail end..again very wispy.

 

I don't get any soapiness at all from the florals in this blend..just the touch of them which lends this a bit of depth.

 

Drydown: Spicy myrhh softened..if I sniff really hard I think I smell the faintest echo of floral..

 

Throw is soft to average on me..with lasting power at 3+hours.

 

Bottom Line:Wicked is indeed a very brooding and womanly fragrance. I think she would be perfect in fall/winter. She didn't wow me but she didn't offend me either-so I am glad I got the chance to try her. Since I have Tisiphone for my brooding floral fix hopefully I can find another person who can enjoy what Wicked has to offer. Nicely done.

[The_Merf]

In the imp: I will admit that I went in with a bias against this oil, since its composition is so similar to that of The-Bottle-I-Can't-Sell (i.e., Nyx). Nyx leads with jasmine, Wicked leads with myrrh, and rose is the tertiary note in both of them.

 

Wet: This smells like a cross between Nyx, New Orleans and Penitence. However, the similarity to the former keeps on bothering me.

 

Drydown and wear: The scent does not morph that much. However, based on the advice of some of these threads, due to the resinous composition of this oil, I am going to age it and try it again in a little while.

[outofrhyme]

In the bottle:

I smell something vaguely unfamiliar, possibly the myrrh. Not picking up the florals, except maybe the slightest hint of jasmine.

 

Wet:

Very strange. Hot, somehow. I definitely get the impression of "sophisticated." I think I'm mostly getting the jasmine and myrrh.

 

Dry down:

Almost like burnt rubber. Or maybe that's just my reaction to the myrrh going WHOA.

 

Final thoughts:

Very dark, very complex, not me. Not sure how much of it is the scent and how much of it is my chemistry. Maybe I'll try it again another time.

[phedre]

In vial: this is all myrrh and jasmine, quite decadent feeling.

 

wet on skin: rich incense, like opium smoke, with rose and jasmine twined around it. Oh this is lovely.

 

drydown, after ten minutes: rich spicy smoky incense and florals. This is blatantly sexual.

 

An hour later: this remains the same throughout drydown: smoky incense and florals. It's not something I'll wear often, but I'll reach for it when I want to feel sexual.

[Kittenish]

Initially upon wearing this, all I get is a very strong jasmine, no rose at all. It's heavy and a little cloying... gives me a headache too. After a few hours, the haughtiness is all but gone and what's left is a nice and creamy (albeit powdery) soft floral. The end of Wicked is nice, but not nice enough for the first few hours.

Edited January 25, 2007 by Kittenish

[dart]

I love roses! I love Jasmine! I love these flowers! Why do the oils hate me?

[filigree_shadow]

Wicked smells like a doctor's office when it's wet. I have NO IDEA what is causing that, but I've tried it about three times now and I always have the same reaction. I don't even know how to describe what a doctor's office smells like, but I do know that it's not a particularly pleasant association.

 

When it's dry, it's kind of sour, powdery, and strange. Jasmine really hates me, so I'm not surprised about this outcome. Myrrh, which I normally love, doesn't really seem to be doing jasmine any favors here. It's an unfortunate combination on my skin.

[talula_fairie]

This scent is *wonderful*

 

I probably would never have tried it on my own (Jasmine is hit or miss with me, usually a miss) so I'm glad I got it as a frimp.

 

This is a dark, creamy floral. There is an almost fruit-like note underneath it, making it sweet and not soapy. The myrrh gives the scent a nice balance, and this isn't the cloying grandma type Jasmine either. I can't even smell the rose until drydown, it's so well blended. This scent is perfectly named and absolutely wonderful. I love it!

 

This reminds me a bit of Darkness without the smoky note.

Edited February 12, 2007 by talula_fairie

[Keslynn]

In the bottle, this one smells not all that great. It's acrid and almost bitter (probably from the myrrh) with just a hint of floral.

 

On my skin, it initially smells like it did in the bottle, and it's reminding me of really cheap perfume. I would have been tempted to wash it off, but I was on my way out the door and running late. Good thing I didn't wash it off because it totally changed in a few minutes. The rose really started to come out, and the bitterness disappeared. It's a lovely rosy floral with the darker notes receding to the background.

 

Verdict: Though the initial scent is a bit of a turnoff, this is an enjoyable scent. Not sure if I'll buy a full bottle, but I'm keeping the imp.

[theseagrows]

generally jasmine and i do not get along, but in this blend i think we do. i get a creamy jasmine-rose with enough myrrh to add a nice base. i am happily surprised, as it is quite rare to find a prominently jasmine scent that works on me. however, i am seldom in the mood for jasmine, so probably wouldn't wear this all that often. but it's still lovely!

Edited February 14, 2007 by theseagrows

[Medici]

In the Imp: Pure myrrh.

 

Wet: All things dark and beautiful - more myrrh, no florals as of yet.

 

Drydown: I was hoping for the jasmine to peek out, since I do like the note, but the myrrh isn't letting anything else through. It's a little too dark and too resinous for my tastes.

 

Verdict: Not my cuppa. 1/5 on Medici's Scale o' Lurrve

[Ophelia193]

In the bottle: Myrrh, with slight floral undertones.

 

On the skin: A woodsy Myrrh, hints of jasmin. Smells more like incense than perfume.

[Zeljana]

I'm a myrrh junkie so this was like a dream. Roses are not my favorite floral but this scent somehow does it for me. It's not to sweet, not too bitter (even though there's something patchouli-like in there..).

 

Overall 3+/5 (4 in springtime)

 

ADDED July 19:

 

first thought: oooh, this is rosey but not in a bad way

then jasmine comes out, followed by mirth which makes it less cloying and just right. I feel very womanly with this one on.

 

grade: 4/5

[bryghtrose]

Wet/in bottle: It reminded me of wine, and not in a good way; very sticky and alcoholic. I wasn't sure I'd like it.

 

Dry: I'm glad I tried it, because I love the dry scent of the myrrh. I didn't find it dark, rather it was strong and earthy. It's subtle, reminiscent of incense and resin. It's not overpowering, and only noticeable up close.

 

I didn't notice the jasmine or rose at all.

 

I love this scent. It will be good for everyday wear.

[lady_pandora]

This is an absolutely beautiful scent. I think it's the myrrh that makes it so great on me. Ordinarily my skin amps the hell out of jasmine and eats rose for breakfast, and while I do love jasmine, I sometimes like to smell the other oils in a blend as well.

 

Here, though, the myrrh holds the rose in place so that it stays around to balance the jasmine, and the myrrh also gives the entire blend a sophisticated, mature-woman feel rather than the "girliness" many florals have.

 

This is definitely the kind of Wicked Stepmother who sweeps around her forbidden palace in glamorous, flowing gowns. It feels kind of like an old-fashioned couture perfume and makes me think of old Hollywood. I need to order some of this; it's a great one for when you need to feel regal.

 

Give it a try if you like Lilith and/or Purple Phoenix. Wicked has a similar feel somehow, even though it doesn't have the grape/wine note. The myrrh is probably the link.

Edited April 8, 2007 by lady_pandora

[porcelina]

bottle: rose and jasmine with a hint of bitterness- the myrrh

wet: rancid cigarette smoke

dry: pure burnt plastic with a hint of rose and jasmine

 

alas, i must not be cut out for the business of being a wicked queen.

[dixiehellcat]

Give it a try if you like Lilith and/or Purple Phoenix.

This made me LOL! I love PP, and just got Wicked as a frimp...it is wonderful. Doesn't really remind me of PP scent-note wise, but it does have a similar richness. (I may have to hide it though...my mom smelled it & loved it too. Oh heck, I'll get her some for her birthday or something. hehe)

[Lavada]

{Note: First review. May waffle incessantly.}

 

Unapplied:

 

Erm, on a similar note, this was also my first experience with a BPAL imp ever. I spent most of the morning screaming "What?! What is this?! What do I do?! I don't understand!" ala Bernard Black before daring to open the delicate precious. Unfortunately, there was some pop/splash/spill; the label is now stained and there was enough on my thumb to apply on my throat, chest, and behind the ears (which isn't that much, looking at the imp now, with its level more or less visibly unchanged).

 

On the label, it smelt beautiful. A dark rose incense. I smell no jasmine (and will never) from this blend.

 

Immediately after Application:

 

Did I say 'not much'? I think I may have overapplied. Before this, I couldn't get my head around descriptions such as 'powdery' or 'soapy'; this is no longer the case. It's not so much a component of scent... but a feeling in my nose, the back of my throat, and the roof of my mouth. It's mostly myrrh now, which seems like it's on a completely different incense stick to the rose. They do, however, combine well. This is not a scent that evokes images of wickedness hidden behind beauty. This is a scent that evokes images of blatant wicked beauty, with both the rose and myrrh neither dominant or submissive to the other.

 

...onwards:

 

Urk. This is not me. I am not old enough to pull this off. Not even in my blood-red corset and 'suicide by stiletto' heels. I will not be old enough for some decades more. On the train, I overheard the couple behind me talking about how they can smell something like 'a snooty old lady in the public toilets'. Cringe. I definitely did not feel wicked then. I could even smell their point before I got on the train.

 

Throw: Impressive. 7 hours (and a painful scrubbing around the neck) later, and I am still uncomfortable.

 

Verdict: I may try this again, making sure to apply sparingly. Or I may test it on my friends; I know a few who love these sophisticated florals. Oh, I can understand the potential for this blend's greatness, but it never played out on my skin. I may pass it on to my mother. She'd probably love it.

[vegasblueblood]

The lab generously upgraded my imp of Wicked to a bottle in my very first BPAL order ever and it's not often that I wear Wicked as I definitely have to be in a certain mindset to pull it off. Wicked is a very floral oil, and on me, it's a spicy jasmine. Lots of jasmine. It's a very sophisticated, haughty, brooding and aloof scent as the name implies and if you are a jasmine fan and like the ultra-womanly scents, Wicked is for you. At times, it will go slightly soapy on me but then seems to morph back away from the soapiness. I put it on over 8 hours ago and I can still very faintly smell it on my wrists as a soft powdery rose, like a mellowed out Wicked.

[melrose]

Jasmine - check. Rose - check. Myrrh - where are you? You would make this blend perfect! Only in the far drydown does the blend become lovely on me, but that stage doesn't last long, as the scent fades fairly quickly. Alas. I so resonated with the description.

Edited May 23, 2007 by melrose