Black Pearl

[AnyseLawsBray]

Evocative of the sea's unplumbed mysteries. Gentle and lovely, but menacing and profound. Coconut, Florentine iris, hazelnut and opalescent white musk.

In vial: Cool coconut.
Wet: Similar to Blood Pearl, but much cooler. Lusher, more silky.
Dry: There is almost a nutty woodiness coming out, & a bit of etheral mist. It's not a super complex scent, but simplicity can be beautiful when it's done so well.

Verdict: This reminds me of a sandy tropical beach, sweet driftwood from coconut trees washed ashore, with luminous rays of ghostly moonlight layered on the horizon. It's mysterious & gentle, very lovely. I think I prefer Black Pearl over Blood Pearl's warm muskiness, but it's a tough call! Edited June 7, 2011 by braybrigade

[theasylph]

This is a great coconut blend and probably my favorite that I've tried so far. Tiki Princess and Ashlultum turned sort of plastic-y on me but this blend perhaps tempered with a cool iris and white musk scent is truly lovely. It surprised me that hazelnut was in this blend. That note is usually a no-go on me but in Black pearl it seems to bring out the creaminess of the coconut note. This sort of reminds me of an improved version of Black Coconut by Auric Blends, Black Pearl being more complex and less sweet.

 

This is definitely a perfect lush coconut scent for spring/summer. It's longevity is unfortunately less than I'd like it to be but I think it would be perfect for warmer weather when you want a coconut scent without too much sillage. I want some.

[Ravenne]

In the Imp:

 

Interesting... Suntan lotion and some sharp note that I think is the iris. Maybe the musk. Not sure. I'm not getting hazelnut at all... which is sad because that's what I was looking forward to the most.

 

Wet:

 

Woah. Suntan lotion, big time. It's strong too. That sharpness is still there, and it's more musky now. Still not getting any coconut or hazelnut...

 

Drydown:

 

Fading fast.. My skin just doesn't like this one. That's sad. It's gone soapy/powdery and the sharpness is gone, leaving just the suntan lotion smell. Smells just like the sunscreen mom used to slather on me on the Florida beaches. Not necessarily unpleasant, but if I wanted to smell like sunscreen.. I'd wear it instead of BPAL. Lol

 

Judging by everyone else's reviews, my experience is an oddity. I really wanted this one to work. Coconut and hazelnut? Sounds like a dream! But it wasn't meant to be. Within 2 hours, this has faded almost completely and I can barely detect anything. Oh well... to the swaps it goes, I suppose.

[Gael]

This is a beauty. Got it as an imp and liked it so much I ordered a bottle. And it's not my usual type of scent, as I'm a foodie, but this coconut blend works along those lines for me. It's extremely subtle and has an effect I don't often get with these oils, which is that it is there almost like a whisper or a memory. It's almost like I can't smell it at a certain point but it's in my brain.

 

Hard to explain but trust me on this one. This is a wonderful concoction for intimacy as it's feminine, subtle and haunting.

[Honey]

Oh, coconut... how much I love to chew you, how much I love to pour your milk into my cuisine.. and, still, you just don't work with my type at all!

 

 

Bottle: Iris! Yikes! And some coconut.

 

Wet: Fresh light coconut with iris. No hazelnut. Maybe musk as a background for texture.

 

Dry: Not tangy, not sweet, just plain fresh coconut. A bit boring actually. Iris goes well with coconut, but.. it's really not my thing. Cannot detect much of the hazelnut or musk.

[calivianya]

I received this as a frimp from the Lab!

 

In the vial, it is extremely sweet. It's a little calmer on my skin, though - mainly coconut and hazelnut. As it dries down, it almost smells like coconut soap. Maybe the iris is the culprit? Whatever it is, this becomes a little unappetizing on my skin. I may have to give it another test at a different time of the month, but my initial impression is not pleasant.

[whataboutprom]

Wet: The coconut, hazelnut and very soapy iris are coming on strong as three distinct notes. Not sure if I can smell the musk yet.

 

Dry Down: I think the musk is coming out, and the scents are starting to merge and not be so harsh. The Iris is not quite as soapy.

 

Black Pearl is turning into a powdery floral on my skin. While the other notes help make it sweeter and more mellow, I don't think I could wear this scent. The iris is giving me a slight headache.

[aleciarivas]

White musk likes to take over on me and turn into some sort of weird sharp-smelling stereotypical commercial perfume. Blech. This was another such occasion of the rest of the lovely scent immediately turning into that nasty store-bought perfume.

[Juushika]

In the vial: A sweetish woody floral, a touch powdery around the edges, and perhaps there's some fruit in there--that's probably the coconut.

 

On me: The scent grows muskier when it hits the skin--it's a pale, light musk, but adds body and texture to the other notes. There's a flash of coconut, but the scent rounds out within a few minutes into a fuzzy, gentle, but surprisingly full-bodied woodiness. There's a hint of many other things--a touch of floral and coconut flesh, and of pale furry muskiness--but you have to seek those out; the whole of the scent is a smooth, brown, gently fuzzy woodiness; it's warm and slightly shadowed, overwhelming on no fronts but still possessing a distinct sense of self. Wear-length is only moderate, though, and there's an overall subdued sense to the scent and its throw.

 

Verdict: I think it bothers me, a little, when a scent is this hard to pin down--I can appreciate the subtlety, but for personal wear I prefer a scent I can grasp on to. On that note, Black Pearl is intriguing and has a surprisingly strong character for something so unusual and subdued, but some of its quietude makes me nervous. It's one I'll have to test again before I know quite what I think of it, but this is a good start and an interesting experiment.

[Vega]

Sniffed: Coconut, perhaps edged with musk and hazelnut.

 

On skin: Fluffy, dry coconut is the primary note, embellished lightly with hazelnut. Iris is vanishingly faint but I can make out its bright, spicy scent. White musk must be lost amidst the coconut. A simple, straightforward scent, happy and light. Colour impression is fluffy cotton-white.

 

Verdict: Uh, Black Pearl is virtually one-note coconut. Not terribly exciting, I'd rather have something a bit more complex. And it seems that my skin likes to amp coconut... sigh.

[vige]

forethought and blah blahs:

I love this name and coconut is a huge favorite of mine so I'm really looking forward to it!

 

in the bottle/imp:

Smells like watery coconut and iris

 

wet:

Coconut at first, now mostly iris

 

dry:

It bounces back and forth between coconut and iris. Maybe I'm smelling the hazelnut too?

Super strong on me with lots of throw. Ugh overwhelming.

 

overall opinion:

The whiffs of coconut i get are amazing, i just really don't care for the iris.

 

verdict:

feminine.

I wanted to like this so much, but i just don't. swap.

[impolight]

Black Pearl

 

The world's economy may very well be going to Hell in a Rocket-Sled, but somehow there's always room for a spot of BPAL!

Being overseas on a Study Abroad program made things interesting. This was an opportunity to exercise patience, longing, and anticipation... An order full of Halloweenies and Imps made for an exaggeratedly happy homecoming. The first Imp tried was Black Pearl... This was no Jerry Bruckheimer interpretation of Sea-spray, Scallywag, and Swashbuckle (Thank the powers) but this IS an exotic breeze, a faraway gaze, treasure, and a good old-fashioned love of adventure well personified. Black Pearl is a welcome addition to the hoarded hordes!

From the Imp: Er, this gives a persuasive impression of what things might indicate a Brazen Cougar at first snap; There is something remniscent of liberally applied AquaNet, a boozy pulse, the Ghost of last night's cigarette, and a perfume that, while intended to give the impression of life of the party and fun, is actually spendy in a calculating sort of way. At this stage, Black Pearl is lusty laughter, an attentive stare, a couple too many shirt buttons undone, and ice cubes tinkling against glass on a shady porch inundated with shining leaves while the rest of the world seems irreparably lost in the glaring maw of summer. The only conspicuous note so far is the Iris. This is a heady boquet; shimmering and sharp.

Illinition: The greenery really comes coiling and curling from the pulse points, which is peculiar because a quick perusal of the notes reveals nothing to explain this. Surprisingly no mention of Ozonics. Something sneakily soapy begins to develop after a few minutes which is a nice surprise... Ordinarily, some of the soapier elements in the Lab's formulas had a tendency to be off-putting; verging on unpleasantly synthetic. Black Pearl is a very nice exception. If anything, Black Pearl is like a costlier bar of soap one could find in the more exotic fragrance section of a luxury department store. This is nicely balanced by the White Musk. This softens it and lends a powdery lift. A beam of light. Black Pearl has an almost musical freshness. This is an aura meant to be worn like a mirage. The Coconut and Hazelnut have been suprisingly subdued to the point of undetecability throughout this experience. There is nothing thick or cloying about this fragrance, no danger of anything resembling a tanning oil.

Black Pearl is a lovely fragrance. While the end result is clean and bright, it is a version reserved for feminine power. A man could get away with wearing this, but it might raise a few eyebrows. Black Pearl gets a 4 out of 5.

Edited November 22, 2011 by impolight

[Dovahkiin]

In the imp, I get airy floral iris and very sweet coconut.

 

Wet on my skin... warm coconut meat and hazelnut, with fresh iris in the background. The hazelnut warms the coconut but the iris keeps it crisp.

 

The drydown: The iris and white musk are emerging and pushing front and center, the hazelnut dies down but the coconut lingers. After a few minutes the hazelnut reveals itself again. The notes – coconut, iris, hazelnut, white musk – seem to dance around each other, and take turns dominating the scent.

 

Overall, very light, smooth, and versatile. The blend of notes is very interesting – the coconut and hazelnut soothes and calms, the iris and white musk invigorate. It is as once sweet and warm, fresh and floral. I really, really like it.

 

Unfortunately, as others have said... This turns into a strange, powdery, soapy floral when it's been on my skin for longer than five to ten minutes. Such a bummer. One of the scents I like most so far, and it didn't work on me!

[evekrieg]

While I didn't find this scent to be particularly menacing, I did find the experience of wearing it to be enjoyable and certainly interesting. On me it's sort of soft and creamy and sweet, without any particular note standing out at once. Despite the name being "Black Pearl", it felt more like a freshwater pearl, like the way reflected light dances through water.

 

It's a very safe scent, not offensive in any way and really quite pretty. I'm going to let my imp settle for a few months and see if the coconut comes out any more.

[RogueNyx]

Was looking forward to this so much so I got a full size in my very first official order ! When I first opened the bottle I got a wonderful whiff of creamed coconut with a tiny hint of nuttyness. So beautiful !!!

 

wet upon first application its still gorgeous creamed coconut with a hint of floral. I love this!

 

I didn't keep it on long because I was about to shower to go out. The next day I excitedly applied it with the Intention of wearing it all day.

 

It's all violets. There aren't even any violets in this blend and its all I smell right from the get go. It's a beautiful violet scent but where did the coconut and hazelnut and musk etc go from yesterday ?

 

I am 7 monthes pregnant so I assume hormones may effect the way scent morphs on me....but from day to day?

 

I still like it but I wish beth would make a creamed coconut blend without florals, resins or woods.

 

I'll keep trying this blend after baby boy is born and hopefully the beautiful creamy coconut will return !

 

On another notex VIOLET lovers rejoice ! This us one of the nicest violets I've ever seen !

[mymymai]

In the Imp (ITI): Iris is the most apparent, giving it a kind of coldness overall. However, there is a sweetness underneath, which I think is from the coconut with just a touch of musk.

 

Wet: Iris sweetened by coconut and white musk. It’s sweet and pretty – not what I’d imagine for black pearl.

 

Dry: Aw, the flowers have turned powdery – powder, iris, and musk.

[EmmiKristiina]

My absolute favourite! I'm really bad at explaining scents but it's like covering yourself with a creamy yummy coco-nutty hazelnut air light blanket made of the finest silk. Makes me think of hot slow summer days. Black Pearl makes me feel incredibly sexy. It makes me bubbly and happy. Such a dreamy scent.

[milo]

Lots of foody coconut here, and something crystalline, like a clear musk. I'm also getting orris. This is quite pretty, but a bit too much coconut for me. The crystal quality reminds me a bit of black opal. If you like orris and coconut, you'd like this.

[BoneBone24]

Wet: Sweet and creamy with a bolt of sharp iris

 

Drydown: A deep and creamy pairing of coconut and hazelnut with a hint of glittering iris. Gorgeous and quite sophisticated

 

Dry: Silky and sexy coconut froth with a dark shot of iris. Deep and cool and seductive. Unfortunately, the coconut fades quickly and what is left is a pure iris note that is a little too sharp for my liking.

 

 

 

 

This started out so so good, but once the coconut faded the iris went crazy sharp and gave me a headache. Sadnewsbears.

[WidgetAlley]

Imp: A verrrry sophisticated coconut and iris. Like an extremely expensive traditional perfume but without the sharpness from the alcohol base. Gorgeous.

 

Wet: Dry coconut husk, sweet coconut meat, incredible iris and a warm smooth base of hazelnut and musk. It's very present without being strong. Decent throw, and oh-so-elegant.

 

Dry: More of the same. The iris is probably strongest now, backed by the nuts and that shimmering white musk. This is beautiful, but so sophisticated and grown-up that I'll probably save it for special occasions.

[impolight]

::: BLACK PEARL :::

 

A review for this particular formula has been a long time in the making. The hardest bit is getting those preconceived notions of a dreadlocked Depp out of mind. The association here should be of those nacreous spheres, the most exotic variety in particular, that are heralded as the birth stones of Cancerians; those Crabs, those cardinal water signs. A good, languishing float atop an ocean of ideation is anxiously expected. No mention has been made of Marine Notes, of Kelp, or of Bladderwrack, but the faith in BPAL is strong… Weigh anchor! From the Bottle: The first aromatic wash is limitless and sempiternal. This formula has been flawlessly blended together to where no solitary note is in jeopardy of outshining the others. Black Pearl is, thus far, lustrous, glossy, and noctilucous. This is a beautiful and hallowed variety of fragrance. It would be not at all difficult to envision an essence such as this one kept under guard and in a jewel-encrusted box. This Black Pearl is esoteric in origin. This waits with whispers, vanishes behind veils, and is secreted behind stones. Black Pearl is a trove, a talisman, a reliquary. On the Skin: It is difficult to say whether Black Pearl is more lush or louche. Here is where the notes start to stratify. White Musk is amped into a billowing, lightning-laced cloud, but instead of torrential rains, out falls a flurry of ruffled Iris petals. Black Pearl has become soft, ghostly kisses aglow on the cheek and the nape. Hazelnut has demurred in this particular instance; a ninja somewhere in another country.

The Coconut is rich, moist and on the verge of being esculent. This isn’t the Coconut in a confection, nor is it the essence that teases out of some of the costlier tanning oils. Nay, this Coconut is the succulent meat, but only as you can taste it on a lover’s lips as the two of you writhe in the drenched sands of a deserted beach while surf and thunder vie for dominance.

On Him, Black Pearl is sweet and lachrymose; almost worryingly melancholy. Black Pearl is quiet strength, yet it is also haunted. Black Pearl in a dark territory; you’re not sure if you can reach it or if you really want to. If you can reach it, it’s hard to be sure you will ever find your way home again.

On Her, Black Pearl is silken and recherché. She sits, imperially, beneath a tiara that darkles. About her throat, coils of the most beautiful Pearls ever beheld by mortal eyes complements the regalia perfectly.

Black Pearl gets a 4.5 out of 5.

[vanillabean]

In vial: Cool and creamy coconut, hint of floral.

Wet on skin: Vanilla and coconut. Still that really tiny hint of floral, but it is behaving.

As it is drying down, I get more of the floral and less of the coconut. The hazelnut is just king of hanging back, trying to ground it all out.

Dry: The coconut and the iris are battling it out. Sometimes one is on the top, and sometimes the other is.

 

Verdict: I like this coconut better than Tiki Princess. This still smells suntan-lotion-esque on me depending on how it is playing, but it is a much more mature suntan lotion. The coconut is far more true, more like fresh coconut meat rather than sugared coconut flakes. But, when the iris is winning the battle of the notes, this blend gives me a headache. So, while I am quite a fan of it, it might not get much wear for a while. Also, definitely a summer/warm weather blend. Not something I would wear in the winter, I don't think.

[sunlitgarden]

In the imp: suntanny coconut, and a bit of nutty warmth.

 

On my skin, the hazelnut is doing the dry and dusty thing that nut notes often do on my skin. It's not too bad though, because it kind of smells like wood, and reminds me of a pirate ship (also due to power of suggestion from the name, of course.) But it also feels soft, and a bit cool. (Warmth from the nuttiness, coolness from the coconut and white musk... it sounds like a paradox, but it works. That's BPAl for you.) It makes me think of a pretty lady, very pale and dressed in white, possibly a ghost, on the ship.

 

While I don't think I would wear this enough to make it a bottle purchase, I do like it. It's very evocative, and is a way to at least transport my spirit away to the tropics during a wet and cold Seattle winter.

[karykeion]

One of the two, the other being Voodoo, that I fell in love with during Dragon Con. Here's hoping it still works after Shark Week is over.

 

In the imp: Coconut and hazelnut. I think it's the hazelnut that makes this smell different from every other coconut scent and doesn't make me think of suntan lotion. Yes good.

 

On me, wet: Oh my goodness. Soft, coconutty, kind of smells like wood? I love this so much, because I love ocean smells but they're all terrible on me. This one is just really strongly evocative of the beach without having every usual beach fruit in it. There's something kind of fresh and clean about it that I'm really enjoying. Also, hi, iris! I like you in things! This gets more hazelnut and white musk as it dries, I think. It's also starting to fade quickly.

 

On me, dry: Really, really nice. Not as bottle-worthy as I thought, but the imp is getting a lot of love--it's sort of a musky, vaguely coconut scent that does remind me of the ocean but doesn't a) have to use gratuitous amounts of coconut or pineapple to do it or make me smell like hand soap. Success.

[laslibres]

Coconuuuut! I love coconut. It’s kinda sunscreeny and oily from the imp, which is great...then, on me, it gets a bit more powdery with the musk and hazelnut. Such a great sunny, beachy blend! It really does smell like a day at the beach...sort of warm and sandy and oceany in addition to the coconut. The hazelnut adds a delicious foody component, too. This is so freakin’ good!

 

Compared to other coconut scents...Midway is way sweeter and more cakey than this, and Obatala is more oceanic and cooler. So...since it's different than the other coconut scents I have bottles of, that means I also need a bottle of this, right?