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Roses, Pearls, and Diamonds

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Red roses, dazzling crystalline musks, and pearlescent coconut-tinged orris.

 

I was craving more rose at this start of Spring (Whoso List to Hunt, Pink Snowballs, and Spellbound are my faves, but... ;). I love coconut, orris, and musk. I don't know how I've overlooked this scent for so long!

Wet, this is aaaall big, plush, velvety rose. It takes quite a few minutes for the other notes to emerge, and when they do, it's subtle. I notice the orris coming through, drying some of the juciness of the rose...it reminds me of a bath bomb. I wouldn't guess there was coconut here, but it's adding a delicately sweet creaminess that orris could attempt to claim herself. It takes many more minutes for the delicious musk to take the stage, at once both fresh and creamy; they twinkle like the musks in Fae (my favorite white musk blend). The fresh roses are always the star of the show but do have some costume changes: plump, slightly powdery, then tangy...slightly lemony.

I would recommend this if you are looking for a rose scent that is just a bit more complex than a single note. I adore it.

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Origin: Frimp in an order

 

Initial Thoughts: Crystalline musks and coconut are a yes. Roses generally are a no because they hate my skin. But as it is passing through my hands, we'll try.

 

In the Vial: Interesting. My first sniffs give me coconut and gentle musk without a trace of rose.

 

Wet: And there's the rose! Immediate green-stemmy floral, though the other notes are keeping it from going full-on cooked collard greens so far.

 

Drydown: There is an uneasy detente between the rose and the other notes. It keeps teetering between a lovely light and smooth musky floral and my usual nightmare rose.

 

Verdict: The detente is so annoying as this scent is actually *almost* a good rose on me, but not quite. Very regretfully passing it on.

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Wet: Briefly very herbal before the rose emerges

 

Dry: A beautifully balanced rose. I get just the faintest hint of coconut. This is truly lovely. Something about it reminds me of my family cottage, as a child. Which is a priceless memory, and I may need a bottle for that reason alone. :wub3:

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I've been eyeing Roses, Pearls and Diamonds since I found BPAL, and I was lucky enough to receive a frimp in my last order. As a rose lover I would say this is a very unique rose blend.

 

On initial sniff I imagined this is how a rose parade in Thailand would smell. There is coconut, but it doesn't over power the rose. It's a balanced blend that is rose and coconut when wet and then sweetens on dry down to bring the other notes to the party. I love this unique rose and I'll definitely be adding it to my bottle wishlist.

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In the bottle and wet, this is rose with crystalline sharpness, but it almost immediately as it dries down, the coconut starts dancing about. The drier it gets the more the orris comes out, and it does start to border on powdery, but I don't really mind that as this is overall coconut rose which are two of my favorites, and BPAL has, unsurprisingly, made these two work beautifully together. I love rose and love alternating my scents seasonally, so I think this is a summer rose with the coconut or when it's winter, and I need some tropical brightness.

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Huh. Well that was a bit of a let down.

 

I'm wondering if something is off with my body chemistry lately because I get no rose from this imp at all. On me this smells remarkably like the base for Tom Kha Gai soup (without the lemongrass) - coconut with something slightly savory and herby beneath it. I wore it for three hours hoping the rose would emerge but no luck - all coconut soup. I'm going to rest the imp for a few months and try again because I love coconut and I love rose and I would love to see how they work together.

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In the bottle this is perfectly gorgeous and smells exactly like its description.

Wet: I've been looking for my HG rose scent. This isn't it. My skin eats the rose, just like it does in Alice (which is why I layer my Alice with Hope). I've been told that orris smells like violets. That's never been my experience, and it's definitely not the experience here. This smells like those coconut covered marshmallows that you can buy at the grocery. It's perfectly lovely and it smells like lazy summer days spent sunning on the beach, but absolutely zero hint of rose. Sad panda is sad. I'll try layering with something more rosy tomorrow and update.

 

* I guess these notes just don't work for me. No matter how much or what kind of rose I layer this with, it still winds up smelling like coconut covered marshmallows.

Edited by SunsetKay

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Ha! I've found a rose blend that works! I haven't been able to give up the search, because I am one of those who receive the blessed grandma powder instead of rose with most scents. This is juicy, creamy, and a very 'round' type scent! Fresh too! Definitely red, despite the other scents! Upon application/dry down for me...the entire time is just rosy, and I feel the other notes just exist to transform the perspective of the rose. I'll have to decide if this is really my type enough to warrant a bottle, but for people who fear the rose...this one will probably work for you!

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Beautiful creamy pink rose! The orris doesn't overpower and go weird musty sweet like it usually does on me. The coconut is very creamy but the actual coconutiness of it is quite light. Smells like a princess! Good back up for when some of my other creamy pink roses run out.

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In the imp: Intense musky roses.

 

Wet: Red roses accompanied by musk.

 

Dry: The red rose still dominates, backed by the musk, and slightly sweetened by the coconut. Normally, orris is a problematic note for me, but this hasn't veered into baby powder territory on me yet. I think one of the rose notes is Bulgarian rose, as it reminds me of Love Lay Upon Her Eyes and Two, Five, and Seven.

 

After a while, the orris note comes out more, so that it's the red rose, followed by the coconut-tinged orris, and some light musk.

 

Verdict: I hesitated on testing this one for a while because of the orris in it, but it doesn't end up turning the scent to baby powder on me. Huzzah! While I enjoy it, I have a few other rose scents that are similar to it. So this one won't be a bottle purchase, but I'm glad I got a chance to try it!

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This is a very feminine rose perfume. It smells very dainty and delightful. I don't think I get any coconut at all, but I do get a beautiful musk to keep the soft roses company. It's bright and smooth. If I ever want to reach for something that makes me want to just wear something with all of the frills and twirl, this is the one.

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