Vasilissa

[lolcat]

She herself had cheeks like blood and milk and grew every day more and more beautiful: creamy skin musk and blushing pink musk with soft sandalwood, white amber, dutiful myrrh, and star jasmine.

I had never heard of Black Phoenix until I started searching for a perfume that smelled like vintage Tinkerbell from childhood, a scent I remember with great fondness. Something light and sweet. When I tracked down the website and saw the ingredients, including jasmine, pink musk and sandalwood, I was further encouraged, so I bought a whole bottle without realizing that I could’ve just purchased a sample.

Vasilissa came with two samples-- Leanan Sidhe, which smelled sweet with bitter green undertones; and Phoenix Steamworks, which smelled sweet with spicy orange undertones.

Vasilissa, fittingly, smells sweet with pink undertones. In the bottle it smells to me like musk-soaked strawberries. Interestingly enough, unlike the other two perfumes, which changed once they hit my skin and aged, Vasilissa doesn’t undergo much transformation. If anything, the various components separated out into a slightly more complex fragrance once I put it on, but its theme, if you will, is simple-- musky strawberries, candy dropped in the dirt, a sweetness with a slightly earthy undertone. I believe the latter is due to the myrrh.

This smells alright, but didn’t meet my high expectations. I’m not into the musky part in addition to which it doesn’t last on me. After three hours it’s just faded away into a generic sweet scent. Pleasant enough, certainly, and closer to my personality than the samples, but I’ll keep looking for something that enchants me.

[bellumed]

Oh, wow! This is just so very pretty. A creamy, pale pink musk, all feminine and lovely. Vasilissa actually reminds me a bit of a commercial perfume, but with a BPALish kick, somehow. It's certainly no delicate flower: this blend has some weight and throw to it!

 

To me, this is the scent of a woman who is not just beautiful, but for whom beauty is a lifestyle. A woman who has enough makeup, perfumes, polishes, and lotions to prettify a small country—but makes it seem effortless. A young scent, certainly, but late teens/early twenties rather than "little girl."

 

EDIT: Sadly, I don't seem to be as fond of aged Vasilissa. Grrr. I'm not good enough with notes to say for sure, but I think the jasmine (or maybe sandalwood...?) may be coming out more than I like. I'll have to swap this now, how sad.

Edited October 29, 2012 by bellumed

[yakiguri]

Oh my, this is yummy! Vasilissa is a sweet, creamy floral with a hint of fruit. I'm immediately reminded of Lovers in a Ricefield, though replace the latter's plum with another fruit--which, I couldn't tell you. The star jasmine is incredibly lovely, but of course, I'm one of the few here on the forums that's a proud jasmine lover.

 

Will I buy a bottle? One day, but Vasilissa's honestly not at the top of my to-buy list. Its longevity and throw could be better, and it's so similar to Lovers in a Ricefield that I don't feel the need to grab a bottle immediately. Of course, if you missed out on Lovers in a Ricefield, Vasilissa is a worthy replacement.

[Tiada]

I've had an imp of this for quite a while, tested once then put the imp aside in the "yes" pile but didn't wear once. I put it on again and was so sad that I haven't been wearing this for a year! It's so gorgeous and needs more attention.

 

This has a creamy, gentleness (the soft musks mix in with the milk I suppose). There's a sandalwood that's softer than normal, and for my luck, there is not a shred of jasmine! It's beautiful. I think I'm going to buy a bottle it's that pretty!

 

I happily rate this 5 stars!

[wheresyourshoe]

Soft, pure, and innocent. A lovely perfume redolent of youth- not actual youth, which is messy and transitional by nature, but an old woman's idea of youth. It is nostalgic and allegorical, a fairy-tale fragrance. In fact, it could belong to any of the gentle, sweet-natured heroines of Russian folk tales. There is a slight Russian feel to it, although I can't discern any of the fragrance's individual notes, except perhaps skin musk, powdery warmth, and something that might be Myrrh. I wish my lingerie smelled like this. I'm not sure I want to smell like it myself. I might get whisked away by a Russian prince and married before I knew what was happening and live happily every after in a Russian castle and grow very, very bored.

[Balame]

Oops, Vasi has been in my Top 10 for ages and I never remembered to review it. Let me remedy that!

 

This is a youthful fairy tale. Innocence and pure beauty given a scent. Soft and creamy, with a powdery sweetness dancing across the base notes. It's Sleeping Beauty singing in the forest, a maiden daydreaming about her true love, the glimmering shafts of light emerging between tree branches.

 

It's very difficult to break this down into, "I smell such and such" note, because it's blended to perfection. It's an experience, and nothing dominates. The first time I looked up the notes I was surprised to see jasmine because I usually can't stand it, but again, this is the creation of a new experience rather than a combination of different scents.

 

Vasilissa is ideal for those times when you need to revert back to a simpler mindset. Wishes made on a star and coins tossed in fountains. I love it. Despite it's purity, it has a strength to it. I suppose that makes sense.

 

What has been accomplished without those who dare to dream?

[Sidhechaos]

What is this? In the imp I wasn't getting any definitive notes, but as soon as it hits skin I get coconut suntan lotion, bluech!! O I just can't really stand coconut or strong coconut anyway. This may have to get washed off.

 

Even an hour later this never really got any better, it turned into a powdery coconut musk incense. I'm really saddened by this from the description I was expecting something like avon's sweet honesty only seriously rocked as bpal has a tendency to do. I will set the vial back and wait a couple months and maybe give it a try again but this was truly horrific and I don't know why, I'm not that familiar with " pink musk" and am thinking perhaps that is the culprit, not really sure.

[boomtownrat]

Vasilissa is pretty in pink and feels kind of like BPAL's heir to Love's Baby Soft. She is unicorns, mauve eyelet curtains, purple ball-point ink pens, a collector's album full of puffy stickers, and a little lavender boom box.

 

The twelve-year-old in me loves Vasilissa. This scent is pink and sweet, not floral but creamy. I'll use the imp on nights at home when I want to cuddle up in those memories, even though my 40-year-old self wears much darker scents.

[MtMoonKitty]

This is a frimp from the lab. The description by its words would have had me hooked....it sounds lovely but I have learned to be very Leary of the terms "creamy" and "pink". These usually do not work in me as they tend to turn to plastic. Mind you, my favorite scents tend to be either spicy or icy.

 

In the bottle, this smells like bubble gum. I hate bubble gum but something underneath peaks my interest so I try a dab anyway. Bubble gum goes away instantly and I kind of like what I smell so I put on a little more.

 

I really like this actually. It very pretty and feminine, which I tend to shy away from but this one plays well with my chemistry. My favorite part is between wet and dry down. Once it dries it takes on a somewhat soapy quality. Some musks go powder on me which I expected of the pink musk but the soapy smell isn't nasty or overpowering and the other notes that I am fond of are present. Something tells me this would be a good one to wear for an introduction to someone you need to impress... A future in law or something like that.

 

I love the reviews above that describe this as an older ladies impression of youth, and a fairy tale. Both very fitting analogies!

 

This one s a win and may someday be a bottle purchase. We'll see how it ages and what my husbands reaction to it will be.

 

Edited because my autocorrect sucks

Edited December 28, 2013 by MtMoonKitty

[ih8perfume]

The star jasmine and musk have always made me write off Vasilissa, but I got to test it as part of a traveling imp box and was surprised to find it very very lovely and soft.

 

While I can somewhat pick out individual notes in this, the components blend so well together that the impression is more of a unified whole rather than a collection of notes. If that makes sense.

 

The musks lend this blend the most luscious creamy almost coconut milk quality, while Star Jasmine swirls gently through the background adding a delicate sheen of humid tropical sweetness. The sandalwood and myrrh ground the more airy notes and give a smooth warm depth. And amber surrounds the whole with a hazy cloud of golden light.

 

I usually prefer my blends a little grittier and a whole lot less delicate, but under the right circumstance I could see myself dabbing on a bit of Vasilissa.

 

It would make a great first date scent... feminine and innocent with a hint of unconscious sexuality.

 

Floral lovers will find enough breezy flowers to love while those on the fence about florals will not be overwhelmed by the Jasmine.

 

Definitely worth a try. A lovely GC find!

[lucycat]

In the imp this is light, creamy coconut similar to Snow White. Very pretty!

 

On my skin, I primarily smell the two musks. The amber and sandalwood are there in the background, grounding the scent, but I can only pick them out by putting my nose right to my hand. Vasilissa is just a fantastically blended, creamy soft musk.

 

It’s pretty, and yes, definitely pink. It’s sweet without being candylike or fruity. It’s feminine and girlish, though not childish. On me it’s a just-better-than-a-skin scent, and because it wears close to the skin, I think it would be appropriate to wear just about anywhere. I'm sorry I didn't try it sooner!

 

Oh, and I can’t detect the jasmine anywhere in Vasilissa, so if you dislike or can’t wear jasmine, don’t let that prevent you from trying this if you like the other notes.

[littlesparrow]

Wet, this is sweet and pink. Those are the only two words I can muster for this smell right now. I agree that it's not like candy or fruit... Not detecting any jasmine for now

 

 

Drydown: The sweetness subsides a little and the woodsy, floral bit comes through and it all blends into this gorgeous, sophisticated, feminine, grown-up (to me!) scent. Love it

[LiberAmoris]

Vasilissa is the kind of blend that I think won't be for me because it's so sweet and youthful...and then it is. I have to be in the right mood to wear this, but when I want a BPAL that smells pink, pink, pink—this is the one (well, Vasilissa and Pink Moon). It's so sweet and pretty, but there's also something grounding and smart in there (as with all fairytale heroines who survive!). It's tough to pick out the individual notes, it just smells like a layered pink musk, like innocence carried through to knowledge and power. It's also a great blender, playing well with Snake Oil, Snow White, and The Rose—anything that can take a hit of a candied pink flower.

 

This smells like Andie's dress in Pretty in Pink. I know that's something of a polarizing fashion love, but—haters to the left—I'm team seam ripper.

[stellamaris]

Ooh, I like this one. I don't remember if I ever got this as an imp before. I know I have been curious, being that Marchen is a favorite world of mine, and very nostalgic as The Little Wooden Doll was my first bottle purchase from Black Pheonix.

 

To me it's very yellow and pink, very pretty, it smells like lipstick. There's an almost candle wax thing going on too, the scent is very round. A little fruity. That might be the myrrh, which is a note that mystifies me.

This is on my next to buy GC list, I could see wearing this on many occasions where I want to be soft and pretty and Nice Mommy, tempering the Actual Mommy, who has a lot of tattoos and a ring in her nose.

[InThePines]

This reminds me of a less intense version of Aglaea. I really like this and will probably wear this a lot in the summer. I don't think I need a bottle though.

[Veronica]

This ended up being spicier than I expected. This is exactly Scheherazade's younger sister, cream and musk and warm spices, but a little softer, rounder and more innocent.

[Poenari]

This was a frimp in my recent order, and I'm making more of an effort to test imps before putting them away. I didn't read the notes before trying this, just took a chance. It's a sweet skin musk, with a creamy note like Boo, but not as strong as Boo. It smells sweet, and pink, and just lovely and not at all something I would normally choose. As it dries, the musks stay creamy, and thankfully I get no dreaded jasmine notes. Nor can I actually pick out sandalwood and myrrh. This is one of those scents where the blend is more than the notes, and if I were wearing perfume around my new grandson, this is exactly the type of scent I would choose. A pink, softer version of Boo on me.

[LizziesLuck]

Wet: Wow, this is lovely. A beautiful creamy sandalwood floral, and so far the jasmine is non-existent (which is just how I like my jasmine) or so well blended I can't pick it out. It's very light and sweet. Gorgeous.

 

 

Dry: I'm finding it difficult to pick out notes. It's really feminine and pretty though. Sweet, creamy. Hints of sandalwood, and something almost citrusy. I quite like it and can see using it a lot in the spring.

[dementia_divine]

In the imp: Ooh, this is really pretty. The pink musk and creamy skin musk notes are the most prominent to my nose, followed by the pale sandalwood note, and a bit of the myrrh.

 

Wet: The musk notes reign, but the sandalwood note is a lot stronger on my skin than it was in the imp. After a while, the myrrh note joins the sandalwood note. The star jasmine note isn't problematic (like some varieties of jasmine can be) and seems to be mingling with the musks.

 

Dry: The resins are more prominent during this phase, but they remain sweetened by the pink musk note, with a bit of creaminess from thanks to the presence of the other musk.

 

Verdict: I really like this one! I just wish the musks in this one were as strong on my skin as they were in the imp. The resins were stronger on my skin than I was expecting, especially during the dry phase. Maybe I'll try it in a scent locket so it won't morph. I don't feel the need to leap for a bottle now, but I'll consider getting one in the future!

[heatherlyn]

From a frimp, tested twice now - yep, salty, floral popcorn.

[puddingirl]

In the imp I smell fresh, heady, slightly foody. It's quite lovely. When on and drying, the myrrh comes out and reminds me of the base of snake oil, but not as sweet/honeyish. The jasmine starts to come out when dry, so far it has not turned sharp, which is a first. We'll see what happens! The jasmine is getting stronger, go away! The foody smell has died down, and it doesn't smell much like snake oil any more, which is a shame. I'm liking it less the more it dries, it smells drier and of jasmine incense, but not in a heady way. I can't believe how much this has changed, gutted! I don't mind it, but I'm not sure if I would actually wear it again

[maudlinrose]

Wow that amber is beautiful ... And there is a creamy sweetness I assume is the combination of pink musk and creamy skin musk. The jasmine, if there at all, is only playing a background role on me. Its a powdery, rich sweetness - like a creamier version if my favorite stage of Dorian.

[Casablanca]

This reminds me of Allegory of Chastity in its creamy pinkness, though it's different in other ways. I can pick out its sandalwood and star jasmine. Pink roses seem to build the impression of pink in Vasilissa's musk. Pink is Vasilissa and Vasilissa is pink. This might be the pinkest thing I've ever smelled that still smells good.

After an hour, though, girlfriend turns to pretty pink soap. Bummer.

[gloame]

At first imp sniff, I'm so reminded of going to the doctor as a kid. Maybe something smells like children's medicine in here? I smell floral and resin. I'm thinking it's the jasmine, sandalwood, and myrrh.

 

On my skin, it's all very soft and understated with no dominant notes. Everything is very comfortable together and nothing feels out of place. Basically zero throw; you've gotta get close to smell it.

This is a quiet beauty. It's gorgeous, but it doesn't need you to tell it so. It just exists and is beautiful doing it.

 

ETA: Where I'd wear it: Eating gooey, fruity tarts with a princess

 

Not as much jasmine as I usually like and very little throw.

Edited August 11, 2017 by gloame

[Melani Robison]

This is a complete miss for me. It's nice upon initial aplication. I found it a bit sweet but fine and then it starts to morph and oh no. There is a scent note that completely disagrees with my body chemistry which both amps and morphs any scent to which it is added to become a one note, overpowering sickly sweet smell that I cannot tolerate. I had thought that note was grapefruit, as that was the note common to the oils which do this on me, but that note isn't here. I suspect that the culprit here is the pink musk, but I can't be sure. I'll be placing this imp in the trade/giveaway pile.