Black Pearl

[Fefferbella]

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

Ack... this smell like cheap coconut tanning oil smothered in hazelnut liqueur.

It's yummy and creamy... just not something I would wear as a perfume. My fiance thought I had opened a bottle of sunscreen...


Fiance- "Why do you need sunscreen? It's the middle of January"
Me- " It's not sunscreen, it's Black Pearl from BPAL"
Fiance- "cool, Like from the Pirates movie?"
Me- "sure..."

[SeaMonkey]

White musk and lily with a slight creamy coconut edge to sweeten it up. I'm not getting the hazelnut liquer. The white musk is predominant. Very pretty!

[sideviewhotel]

In the imp this is pure coconut suntanning lotion. Hm, this doesn't bode well, does it?

 

Once on, it gets very plasticky and omg sweet. Ugh. I think that might be the iris, but I'm not sure. Gah. PLAY-DOH?! Yuck. It's a good thing I'm not going anywhere any time soon, so I can wash this off in a shower later.

 

Edit: As this dries, the musk comes up and mixes with the coconut, making it very nice, but the coconut note still doesn't agree with my skin chemistry. :\

Edited January 24, 2006 by sideviewhotel

[brownbear]

It's yummy. I get mostly coconut from it. When I wear it to work everyone asks why I have sunblock on. But I really like the way it smells.

[niter]

Imp

From the imp I smell the musk, the soft notes of the iris, and the impression of the ocean and watery things.

 

Wet

MMMMmmm coconut. The musk and iris wrap around the coconut eveloping it in a breezy embrace. There is still an aquatic note on me that smells like a breaking wave.

 

I am not catching the hazelnut, but the coconut comes back and forth in each snifff. This is predominantly a light musky/floral with hints of the tropics so far.

 

Dry

 

This remained light, breezy, and pleasant. I think I will have to try this again to really decide about keepign it or not.

[urraca]

A generous lab frimp. When I first put it on I get the coconut, and it is a really nice coconut, nothing suntan lotiony at all about it. Then a get a burst of hazelnut and a thick, sticky almost burnt sugary scent. And then it kind of vanishes. I've only had it on for an hour and all I smell is the faintest white musk.

[rhubarbbear]

oh, i love black pearl! it smells like summertime...i wish it were more coconutty on me, but it's lovely as is- iris with a slight coconut edge to keep it from being too floral. no idea why iris smells like summertime to me, but it does!

[hannahabigail]

I bought black pearl and quickly swapped it - the scent was so faint on me (and in the bottle) I could barely detect it. Is this the way it is supposed to be ? Is it that gentle ? What I could smell faded to nada in 5 seconds flat. Did I get a dud ?

[locuraelegantia]

I'm a big fan of coconuts, whether I'm slathering it on my skin, or shovelling it in my mouth, so I was really excited to try this blend.

 

At first it was all coconuts, slowly morphing into a boozy/musky blend. As it dried it got heavier and heavier until it had completely turned into

 

 

baby powder. exactly.

 

 

My skin does tend to do this, so I expect it'll be different for others.

[waterdaughter]

In the imp- Whoa, I smell something sharp, tart, and sweet. Almost overwhelmingly so. I smell the hazelnuts lurking in the background too. Come forward, hazelnuts! Be not afraid!

 

Wet on skin- Okay, a hint of coconut is showing now. It's still very tart, and I smell violets. Strange. But I love the coconut, so I hope it comes out more.

 

Dry- We're back to sharp. The hazelnuts have gone a bit sour, and the coconut is completely gone. I think the white musk is also turning this powdery for me- white musks and I do not get along, nosiree. I'm learning this, albeit slowly. I don't think this is for me. Although it could be an age issue- this was a freebie imp with maybe 10% left, so fresh Black Pearl might be nuttier and yummier. But I suspect the white musk is the death knell of this scent for me. Into the Tupperware container of rejects with ye!

[gangstaknitta]

In bottle: creamy and tropical, but not sweet or too strong

 

Wet: a nice creamy floral. Very delicious. It reminds me of the beach.

 

Dry: it smells dry and lite, kind of like bamboo/lichen--something light and green but still kind of sweet; maybe a little foody. Odd. Sadly, it doesn't las long enough for me to say much more. It faded really fast on my skin, even after slathering.

[sestina]

I love coconut, so I was very excited that Black Pearl was one of the first BPAL imps I got to try.

First Impression: Roses? Smells dark and rosy. I know there are no roses in there, but that seems to be all I could smell for a good half hour.

 

Second Impression: Still a very dense dark floral on me. Now I'm thinking maybe I have iris confused with roses because whatever that flower is that I'm smelling, it overpowers everything else. I can't detect any coconut or hazelnut or really anything else.

 

Four hours later: This finally dried down to a fairly pleasant soft floral with just a touch of sweetness. However, since the first four hours didn't agree with me, I think this imp will probably find a new home.

[ovxi]

Another free imp. Can I mention that I really like the sending of presents with orders? It gives me a chance to try things that minimum wage doesn't really want me to have.

 

Interestingly, I get absolutely no coconut out of this at all. It's all fruity and floral, which is generally a Very Bad Thing with me, but it feels like in this case there's something underneath waiting to come out. I have the impression that something hasn't quite gelled yet for my little imp, but it's very close to doing so. I intend to give it a bit and then try it again. As yet, it's nice, but it doesn't really gut-punch me with fabulousness. We shall see, though. I think it has the potential.

[Thacerine]

OK, this is my first review to actually post, so be kind

 

First sniff:Coconut & vanilla, round sweet flowers, a hint of the sea. Me likey.

 

In the vial (on a second sniff): it was more floral than I’d expected, with the coconut sort of hiding and peeking out now and then.

 

Once it hit my skin, the coconut jumped out like it was under a magnifying glass. Fortunately, it calmed down as it dried (not that I don’t like coconut, but WOW. It would’ve been overwhelming.)

 

The coconut was still strong, but with the flowers coming up to fill in around the edges, it wasn’t the kind of coconut that makes me think of food (or worse yet suntan lotion—ick!). Really it was more like…the *idea* of coconut, if that makes any sense. It turned out really beautiful, I feel like I can’t do it justice just talking about the notes I smelled in it because what I really got from it was this wonderful mood, a beautiful mental scene

I’m sitting on an old wooden porch swing, swaying slightly in a soft breeze on a warm summer day. The day feels lazy, and I can hear a hint of music drifting in from far away, but mostly what I hear is the sound of the waves crashing in on the shore. I have a cool drink in one hand, and the other is wrapped around the shoulder of someone I love as I lean on him and we look out on the ocean. It’s the middle of the day, comfortable and relaxed, but not at all sleepy, just aware that I have no obligations, that the whole day lies before me and I don’t have to do anything but enjoy my love’s company.

Ok, I’m done now really.

 

Definitely loved this smell...it almost felt wrong to wear it when I was too sleepy to appreciate the music it was singing though, like it deserved better from me.

 

The only question now is where I'm going to get the money to put a bottle of this into my next order.

[Lizzie]

This was not at all what I was expecting!! I thought it would be a warm tropical coconut...but instead it's a fake smelling aquatic with only little bits of coconut here and there. I think my chemistry just doesn't like it. Makes me sad, because I love coconut. I think I'll have to swap it.

[Gale]

I chose Back Pearl to end my week.

 

Wet: Nice! Not especially heavy on any one note in particular, maybe a little coconut...

 

Dry: In love! More coconutty, but again not overwhelming. Some iris and musk have appeared. No nuts, though. Very smooth and soft.

 

After about three hours: It's pretty much gone. I really wish it would have lasted longer. This is one I am definitely going to try out in a scent locket.

 

[updated 4/3] I got it to last all day by slaaathering it on! Thankfully, it's not a knock-you-over kind of scent, so the slathering elicited no comments from coworkers. The coconut comes out more for me as the hours go by. At the end of the day, it was a light buttery coconut..

Edited April 3, 2006 by Gale

[Caltha]

Black Pearl

The name triggers pleasant thoughts of Jack Sparrow and that's the best thing about it I think. At first I get a scent of burnt sugar with an added citrusy sharpness. I think "cookies with booze" and I like it. As it dries it turns sort of thin and pale and plastic I'm afraid, sweet vanilla with soap.

[lady_pandora]

My first thought is that this reminds me of Milk Moon, only better. Milk Moon fell prey to a bit of cloyingness on my skin. This is similar in some ways, but lacks whatever made Milk Moon cloying.

 

The main note is the coconut. I also get a whiff of something that makes me think "vanilla". (I think this must be the hazelnut.) I don't really get iris. The musk is subtle and quiet, but I think it may be the crucial thing that keeps this from being cavity-inducingly sweet.

 

Very warm, sweet without being *too* sweet. Yummy.

[TheStormCellar]

Definitely not a good scent for me. It smelled sweet in the vial, but as soon as I put it on, the coconut and the iris started fighting with each other. The whole thing just became overpowering and way too cloying. My roommate knocked on my door to ask me about something, and she had to leave the room as soon as she entered because it was way too strong, and not in a good way. After a bit of time, it settled into something that resembled a very strong rancid suntan oil smell. My skin ususally loves coconut, so I can only imagine that it's the iris or the hazelnut (my skin doesn't do well with any nutty scents). I will most emphatically not wear this ever again.

[Miss Surreal]

In the vial: Musky coconut

 

Wet on wrists: Very musky. I am not getting any coconut

 

Dry on wrists: This smell is reminding me of something...oh yeah a body spray I used to own called Ocean Mist. Guess they are on target with the aquatic.

 

30 mins later: Still no coconut but the musk is very nice.

 

Hour later: Finally sweeting a bit with the coconut.

 

Closing thoughts: Faded soon after an hour. I would love this as a bath scent and maybe when I go walking on the beach. Very nice but I couldnt see myself wearing this daily. Will definetly use the imp.

[Isuke]

Smoky, steamy and lush. It's a very summery scent, almost creamy and too relaxing. Wearing it makes me want to be lazy, all warmth and afternoon napping. In the buff, because it's lazy /and/ sexy.

[Medici]

In the imp: Coconut, florals and white musk. It's warm, and a little foody.

 

Wet: Spices? A little hazlenut, and the iris.

 

Drydown: Still rather spicey... but the cooking sort. The coconut's disappeared totally, and for the most part, all I'm sniffing is the iris and musk. Woe.

 

Verdict: I really was hoping for something like Elegba - I wanted the coconut to stand out so badly, but it's the first thing to disappear in this blend.

 

Pretty, but not for me.

 

2/5 on Medici's Scale o' Lurrrve

[josja]

Black Pearl is one of my favorites. Coconut and hazelnut, warm and sunny. Might smell a bit like suntan lotion but I'm one of those types that loves the smell of suntan so that's okay.

 

Creamy and very relaxing, I sometimes wear this one to bed.

[Eunice]

This seemed cherry sweet to me at first but the cherry immediately fades and the coconut becomes promenant. The iris must be what is coming across as sweet now and the musk makes this very smooth. The hazelnut is very faint and keeps the coconut from smelling like suntan lotion. I love the scent combination on this. This is a foody scent that isn't total foody scent (if that makes any sense). I love this the more I smell this. So nice and rich!

[Trixie]

Mmmmm!! I love it!

 

It smells really well-balanced to me with something floaty and salty cleaning up the sweetness. Nothing too sharp or, on the other hand, TOO sweet. Not too light or too heavy -- really perfect for me, enjoyable and noticeable without being overpowering or fakey. Like cookie crumbs and a seaside spring rain.