Nyx

[GodivaSyndrome]

Named in honor of the primeval Greek Goddess of Night. A scent reflecting inky black skies and eternal desolation. Night-blooming jasmine, warmed by myrrh, lifted by the promise of rose.

Frimped.

In the vial it was jasmine-y with a light touch of rose. On wet and dry for the first hour it was straight baby powder. The scent mellowed out to a dusty rose after that, but I'm not fond of the powder stage.

Swaps.

[maribouquet]

*sigh* Jasmine turns this into burnt rubber tires on me, as expected.

[djsiberia]

this is turning into soap on me. something about the mix...jasmine either goes ok or terrible on me and this is turning into a murky mess of baby powder soap. i can't smell the myrrh at all and there really isn't a rose scent at all

[couscous]

I like myrrh well enough, and I like Jasmine, too- but this was a bit too much. It smells pretty- dark and church-like- but it gave me a headache like I haven't experienced since the earliest days of trying too much BPAL at once.

 

I agree with those who say that it reminds them of Penitence- it really does, except it has a double-shot of florals that is just too, too much for me. Like Youth Dew, but BATHING in Youth Dew.

 

If this scent behaves on you, it's going to smell gorgeous and sophisticated and very "different" considering what's currently selling in commercial perfumes- but Nyx is very picky about who can wear her, apparently- and she will make your life miserable if you can't!

[Juushika]

This was a frimp from the lab, and a blend that I've considered putting on my wishlist before. I have little experience with jasmine, but the overall concept and color of this scent seemed lovely. However, I have a bad history with rose, which tends to amp and go very bitter on me.

 

In vial: An airy floral that to me seems mixed, but that might just be because I'm not very familiar with jasmine and can't pick it out. Oh, and there it is, that promise of rose that scares me, the note peeking up from the background.

 

On me: There is no "promise of rose" here—the rose is strong and wavering between companion note and front-and-center. I really do amp this note. It's the same rose as in Chuparosa, which turns bitter and sharp on me, a combination of bright pink blossom and vivid greenery. Against it, the jasmine is indistinct and rendered into a generic, floating floral which makes up the background. The myrrh is jostling with the rose for first place, and is sweet and smoky. Over time, the rose tones down a bit, but it never dips into the background, never lets the other notes come to the forefront and blossom. I washed the oil off after an hour, so if the rose dies down further, I wouldn't know.

 

Verdict: I amp rose so much that I can barely give a review of this blend—my experience is clouded by my own body chemistry. If the rose were softer, the jasmine might be able to come forward and meld with the myrrh, and this blend might be pleasant. Instead, the rose is predominant, very bitter against the background sweetness of myrrh and florals, and far too sharp. The result is a chunky, overbalanced blend with an unpleasant primary note, so I'll be swapping this out to someone who, hopefully, has better chemistry for and better luck with this blend.

[matokie]

I had high hopes for Nyx, as she is one of my favorite goddesses, and also because I've been finding I like the stronger more incensey scents in my BPAL explorations. Alas, this goes on far too cologne-y on me. It does settle back into the myrrh after it dries, but I don't know that I'll be able to get past that initial strong impression.

[CrazyPretzel]

Anyone else notice that Nyx has practically the same listed notes as Wicked, but in a different sequence and with the addition of the qualifier 'night-blooming'? I couldn't wear Wicked as it was rather too voluptuous and, well, slutty, to be frank, but the jasmine in Nyx is a softer note and the trio here makes for a soft, powdery, soothing scent. The throw from this is very lovely indeed; it has a sweet and mysterious feel. I might have to slather this one today.

[LadyLuckDoubt]

In the Imp

The myrrh is really prominent, but there's a delicate floral undertone. Overall, it's not especially exciting to me.

 

On Me

Wow: the throw is intense. The myrrh takes a backseat for the jasmine, and there's a touch of amber and maybe violet coming through. I'm not getting the rose at all (and usually I amp rose something chronic.)

 

Wow, too: This is nice. It's a sophisticated floral-- jaded with the dustiness of the myrrh, but not at all boring or miserable: it glows. And I can smell it on me hours afterwards-- it's beautiful.

 

And it joins my list of needed bottles.

[hkhm]

imp: jasmine.

 

wet: another jasmine and rose train wreck. my skin just turns them into pure ick.

 

dry: this is a sugary jasmine scent when dry. nicer than jasmine usually is on me.

[aestien]

Bottle: JASMINE

Wet: straightforward lab jasmine and rose blend, which tends to go all powdery on me, and again does so here.

Dry: The myrrh comes out to play and is lovely lovely lovely, my skin loves myrrh

 

The myrrh is the best part of this blend for me, but I have other myrrh blends that I prefer.

[ErinZ]

Started out pure jasmine in the imp and while wet on my skin

 

Then I started to amp the myrrh like crazy

 

I like myrrh, but it was a bit much for me...

[mgrazulis]

In the imp: jasmine, intense myrrh

 

Wet: jasmine, myrrh with a fresh rose throw

 

Drydown: Darkly floral, sharp and resinous yet ethereal. The myrrh adds a bit of a magic and smoke. After a while, it sweetens more with the rose. Dusty and summery floral. At this stage, it reminds me a lot of Lush's Flying Fox with a hint of rose.

 

After an hour: This has morphed down into a very gentle scent, all the sharpness is gone, just a hint of lingering resin; the jasmine and rose are mingled, their sweetness replacing the dust.

[Raqassah]

Wet: Jasmine with a hard edge. Husband said, okay but with an undertone of something weird – like sweaty frog armpits – and as a lapsed biologist he knows that frogs don’t have sweat or have armpits. Smells like a dryer sheet to me.

 

Dry down: Cloying. Jasmine!!!!! Frog armpits and baby powder.

 

Final impressions: Didn’t work well on my skin. Jasmine with a bitter note and lots of baby powder. Would make a lovely laundry scent. Scent locket? This is lovely on my friend! Sigh!

[voodoocatwoman]

In the imp and wet: It's a bird, it's a plane. No, it's SUPERJASMINE!!! Good thing Jasmine is one of my favorite notes because it is up front and in your face.

 

Dry: Superjasmine has hit her kryptonite... and that is rose. Several hours later, this fragrance has gone soft rose powdery. Not bad but there are so many others that do the same thing on my skin that I can't see a bottle in my future.

[AthenaRose]

This was a frimp, and probably the worst BPAL on my skin yet. I love myrrh and rose, but jasmine is awful on me. I can't see this one ever working for me... jasmine and i don't get along. It gives me a headache and makes me kinda queasy. Had to scrub this one off and i could still smell it.

 

1/5

[suki]

in the imp: strong indian jasmine, a bit of incense-like rose.

 

wet on skin: the jasmine is a force to be reckoned with.

 

dry down: this is a strong jasmine, the dark, thick sort, not the light, airy variety. this makes me think of temples, candles made with ghee and holy shrines to kali and durga.

 

in all: a holy oil, one i would use personally when praying to the deity in the Hindi pantheon.

[xoe]

Jasmine is not good on me. same with myrrh. Nyx has both. It isn't terrible like I expected. But it still isn't for me.

Oh well.

[hlinspjalda]

In the vial: Jasmine, not so much pungent as bitter. That must be the myrrh.

 

Wet: Definitely jasmine overlaid with myrrh. It smells dark, and very strong.

 

One hour: Wow, myrrh and jasmine is a combination that really works for me. It takes all the piercing headiness out of the jasmine, and all the bitter out of the myrrh. Together they make a mysterious dark scent that I really like.

 

Three hours: Much less strong now. I'm very happy that I could wear this, but I think that "Wicked," with the same basic contents of myrrh, jasmine, and rose, worked better on me.

[meredevachon]

Got this as a freebie from the Lab. It was on my list of ones to get soonish anyway (partially for the name), so this just speeded up the process a bit. I love the scent of jasmine (night blooming or otherwise), but am not a particularly floral person when it comes to the scents I want to wear.

 

In the imp: Sweet floral, but I can't really pull out jasmine or rose (or any other specific florals).

 

Wet: No rose (but I don't mind); the jasmine at the forefront is present and heady, but grounded and warmed by the myrrh, and I like it.

 

Dry: The same, but moreso. This is sultry and mysterious, and seems to me a fitting tribute to a goddess of night.

 

I think this will be really nice to wear for full moon rituals, and may set it aside for just that. It's not the sort of thing I would want to wear every day, but it's a floral I'm comfortable with. But it's different enough from my usual scents that wearing it kind of shifts my awareness. A keeper in its own way.

[greenranger]

Wet, rose. I should probably have been more careful of the amount and applied less...

 

Drying, rose and myrrh.

 

Too much rose and jasmine for me and the myrrh seems to be aiding the amping.

[Clementine]

I'm writing this as I wear it.

 

Wet: I really smell the rose. Well, it's like jasmine-spiked rose. I'm getting little to no myrrh. This smells very sharp and very floral.

 

Dry: Yeah, it's still rose and jasmine. There's something too strong about this scent. Like others have said, perhaps the myrrh is amping the flowers. I doubt I will use up my imp.

 

Oh wait, there's the myrrh, softening things up a bit, but Nyx still isn't quite right for me.

Edited October 11, 2008 by Clementine

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Jasmine and myrrh.

 

Immediately on skin: Jasmine… lots and lots of jasmine. It’s quite strong and smoky, but there’s a very small hint of myrrh as well. This is dark with a plastic-y edge.

 

After a little while: As this dried, the smooth, freshness of the rose came out just a little to blend with the overwhelming jasmine and light amount of myrrh. This is still a very smoky, deep blend. The plastic I’m getting is barely there, but it’s coming from the jasmine.

 

Overall Impressions: The jasmine in this is very strong, but the other notes add a nice complexity to it. This is a very well blended scent, and very deep. I’m not a big jasmine fan, so this isn’t for me, but it would be great I’m sure on those people who like jasmine.

[Iceblink]

Hmm. I'm starting to think that rose might be the Kryptonite that subdues jasmine on my skin. I've recently had good luck with Wicked, and thought Mata Hari was ok, and normally I'd have to run screaming from them because of the jasmine. I can smell it in Nyx but this is wonderfully deep and sweet from the myrrh. It's a bit softer than Wicked but just as pretty and feminine. Good job, BPAL!

[milica]

simple, beautiful jasmine, with a touch of rose and myrrh. loooove it!!!

[EdenIris]

This was a frimp from the lab, or I never would have tried it because jasmine and my skin do not get along. Put it on, went, "urgh, jasmine!" and stuffed it in the swap bag.

 

A few hours later I was huffing my own cleavage because I smelled delicious. This scent is more than the sum of its parts: I love myrrh and rose, and I like the smell of growing jasmine, but can never find an oil to replicate that scent, and somehow Nyx makes them all get along and become something new. Not too sweet, not too floral.

 

I probably don't need a bottle of this, but I retrieved the imp from the swap bag and will wear it until it's gone. You just never know until you try....