Queen Mab

[gdogs]

Warrior, Trickster and Goddess of Magic and Poets, she is one of the Tuatha De Danaan and the Queen of the Faeries. A very complex scent, both shadowy and fierce: black orchid, sandalwood, night-blooming jasmine, osmanthus, Somalian rose, and Chinese musk.

i don't know what to think of this queen. she started out with a strong cherry/acetate scent, like fingernail polish remover, but with something green under it. i didn't like it at first.

it dried down to a somewhat more intriging scent, but i can't pick out any of the notes. its a sweet floral, staying real close to my skin.

this scent is baffling me. it reminds me somewhat of the red queen on me. .. . which baffles me even more. . .

[joseybird]

Sandalwood, jasmine, and rose are the notes I get from Queen Mab. It's a delicate scent and doesn't scrape at my nose like many BPAL florals do. It is like...the memories of a faerie bath lingering in the air seconds after a mortal has stumbled upon the faeries only to see them vanish. I would love to smell this scent mixed with more "woodsy" notes!

[kythryne]

From the reviews and the description, I expected to love this, but it just didn't work on me. After sniffing it in the vial, I described it to a friend as "Eau de New Age Shoppe" -- very heavy and thick and incense-like.

 

I wore it once, and it was unremarkable on my skin -- just not something I'd wear. Discovering that my partner is allergic to something in it cinched the deal -- off to swap! Oh, well.

 

Upon re-reading the reviews, I'm more than a bit bewildered, because this didn't seem floral to me at ALL. How odd.

[anaethema_x]

hmmmm.....i like it, alot. I didnt read the descrption before I tried it, so maybe Im wonky...but i smelled berries....dark berries, and rose, and something else...its soooo pretty.

[Sheila]

I love this!

 

Most strong in this scent (for me) is the sweetness of orchid. This is the same orchid note that I love so much in Regan. However, there's darkness here, too. I can't isolate the other notes (this is very well blended), but it's a velvety-smooth scent that reminds me of a very deep red or purple. The musk grounds the scent and keeps it from being too sweet.

 

A very lovely, very fae floral that perfectly captures the name Queen Mab.

Edited August 18, 2005 by Shollin

[Pixie-elf]

Queen Mab

 

In the Vial: Roses mainly.

 

Wet: Roses and something else... I think it's the Orchid.

 

Dry: Roses, Jasmine, Sandalwood, and I think the Orchid... Very beautiful It gets much better as it dries.

 

Conclusion: Sometime I'd like to get a bottle of this! It's so beautiful, it's a LOT like Lush's Fever, except, the rose isn't as strong and the Orchid changes the tone a little, but it's still very beautiful and great. They smell really good layered together

[quimerula]

A first line with osmanthus (jasmine like, but spooky) and rose.

Bottom line with jasmine and orchid.

 

Strong and sweet floral, womanly.

Beautiful but not me.

[dcmo]

Oh dearest Queen Mab, how have I lived without you?

This smells soo beautiful, I want to bathe in it! Floral and musky with amazing staying power. One of my absolute must haves!

[wickedgoddess]

The first time I tried this, it was smelled soapy and faded too quickly. Still, I loved the ingredients and wanted to give it a second chance.

 

Wet a lovely, light floral.

 

Dry - wow, I am so glad I tried this again! Everything is so well-blended that I am having a hard time distinguishing notes, but it's exactly what I was expecting it to be, a pretty light floral scent with a smoky undertone. While the majority of my scents are darker and heavier, I have been looking for a light floral to call my own. This is it! There is probably a big bottle of this in my future.

 

On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 4.

Edited May 30, 2005 by wickedgoddess

[aritei]

Roses? Jasmine? Who'd have thought? Separately, the two are terrible on me, but I've gotten unsolicited compliments on this one all day.

[tsarina]

This scent is so bright, almost as if it glimmers. It begins very sweet, night time flowers blooming. Then there is musk, and the richer scent of jasmine. It has an almost spooky quality, as if you step into a dream. Another scent so aptly named, it puts me in the mind of magic and mysteries. It's extremely beautiful.

[Glitzie]

In the bottle jasmine and grapefruit or something equally sharp.

 

Wet- a soft rose, and maybe jasmine. Still something quite sharp in there too.

 

Dry- This is very similar to Fever/ Hollywood BBar by Lush. It must be the rose and jasmine combination. A really nice heady floral for grown ups. I still smell something sharp in the background. I would swear this had grapefuit in, but it isn't in the description.

 

Definately going for a 5ml of this. It's fabulous!

[yeahbutnobut]

Queen Mab

 

In the imp: sweet creamy florals and musk.

Wet on skin: lovely florals, no doubt the jasmine, there's also a hint of rose there, and musk. This is a very exotic floral blend.

Dry on skin: lovely!!! The jasmine is gorgeous, smells just like the jasmine that is currently in full bloom in my garden right now. I can also make out the rose, also a lovely note, and a hint of musk, and perhaps the other florals. It's a gentle yet mysterious blend, fit for a fairy queen.

After a while: this remains a lovely blend of rose, jasmine and musk, but primarily jasmine. It doesn't change much, but still stays smelling beautiful.

After an hour or two, the soft musk is now prominent, blended with a fruity floral, the scent is remeniscent of Fae, which to me can't be coincidence. i think i can smell a bit of sandalwood there too.

Verdict: this is absolutely gorgeous! This is a sensual, rich floral blend, with heady jasmine that smells just like real fresh jasmine blooming, a hint of musk, and an undertone of rose. I've always been into fairies and dreamed of being a fairy queen when I was younger. Plus there was a jasmine plant in my old school playground that I used to call the 'fairy flower plant' and I used to pretend that fairies lived in the flowers on it, and lived on the jasmine nectar. This really is a blend befitting the name-magical, ethereal and mysterious, and evokes fairy nostalgia from my childhood. Me likes it a lot. One to consider getting a bottle of.

Edited May 14, 2005 by yeahbutnobut

[slave1]

In Bottle: Wood and florals.

 

On Skin: The sandalwood is strongest followed by the flowers… jasmine and orchid especially. The rose is light… and the musk is sweet and spicy. A beautiful but slightly wicked scent. I like the contradiction. Darker and less sweet than Iambe… like a wicked step-sister.

[mmcfa2]

I smell berries again! Just like i did with wolf moon! I can't figure it out I wish I could identify what note does that on me!!!

 

after the berries go, it fades to a soft, but in no way powdery, floral. It IS nice. but for beth's blends, this one is just too tame for me. I like her more complex dark or sultry scents. I do understand why this is popular though. It is tame enough for general wear but still quite different from the mainstream scents.

[FireInCairo]

Oh I really love this. On my skin- it comes across as a very musky rose. It's a very dreamy scent. I find that it is incredibly comforting when I am feeling stressful.

[urraca]

Yum this is lovely. In the bottle it smells like a strong, sweet, fruity liqueur. Wet it is a heady floral with something sharper, probably from one of the floral notes I am not familiar with (orchid? osmanthus?). It is well-blended though and no single floral note dominates. As it dries down it has almost a vanilla-ish honey-ish quality (good florals do that on me. I wonder what vanilla and honey would smell like on me? Flowers, maybe?!). It has a big throw for a long time. There is a faint incensey quality, possibly from the musk and I can smell the sandalwood at the bottom reining the whole scent in.

[brownbear]

In the vial it smelled mostly of the orchid and jasmine. Sweet, deep florals. On my skin the other notes came out.

I agree with everyone else who said that this is a complex scent. It's funny but complex is the exact word i thought of as I sniffed it before I read any of the other reviews.

I like osmanthus as well. Sometimes it smells a little fruity to me, but not so much here. This is a very pretty, girl kind of scent. I only wish it didn't fade into oblivion on my skin.

[inbigtrouble]

This was one of my first big bottles, but I forgot to ever review it! Actually, I don't reach for this one too often, as it is *very* strong on me and I have to be in just the right mood to wear it.

 

Queen Mab is not as complex on me as others have noted, and I certainly don't get any fruitiness from it, either. It is a very strong, clear rose on me with some serious spiciness shining through. The spiciness is not foody, it is more akin to carnations. In fact, I would almost swear that there is carnation in this blend, but that is not listed as one of the notes. I wonder which note might be masquerading as carnation to my nose?

 

As I said before, this is super strong on me. It is nearly too feminine for me, as well. It is the rare day that I am in the mood for this one, but when I am in the mood for it, it is heady and wonderful.

[girlmadasbirds]

mostly orchid and sandalwood and a sweet berry smell... very pretty!

[~AmusedMuse~]

deeply floraly, and buttery, can smell the night blooming jasmine (a favorite of mine) and it is very complex with many more notes to this unrained nose. I love it and will definitely buy a bottle of it.

[Abbie]

In the bottle: Well, minty, to be honest. It's VERY light and subtle, and even "minty" doesn't quite describe it. A very refreshing fragrance.

 

First on: This smells like diapers on my skin. Not dirty diapers, but the sort of babyish smell that clean, disposable diapers have. And looking over the reviews I appear to be the only one who thinks anything close to that Perhaps something is going on with my nose.

 

Dry: Very soft and babyish, without distinct notes (unless osmanthus is this soft powdery sweetness). Not at all what I expected.

 

Overall: Pretty okay, a little childish. I won't be getting a big bottle but I'll use up the imp. And I'll try another controlled sniff later on and see if it's something up with my nose.

[QueenFae]

This is such a dark and lovely scent. The jasmine and musk are the most prevalent notes on me. It's a perfumey floral with an evil, dark undertone. A complex scent, like a wolf in sheep's clothing. The musk really gives it a kick. I can just picture the fairy queen grinning wickedly as she tricks someone... perfect embodiment of the Queen Fae Love it!!!

[slugbait]

Another freebie from the lab.

 

Queen Mab smells familiar but I can’t quite place what it is... Wait, this has similar notes as the commercial perfumes Ici or Ambush, but this smells more expensive. This is very beautiful and complex none the less. It has a sweet muskiness to it, somewhat like vanilla, but darker and heady. I don’t smell any jasmine or rose. It is mysterious and shadowy. I really like this.

 

I would like to get a bottle of this eventually.

Edited July 8, 2005 by slugbait

[Lycanthrope]

In the Bottle or Imp:

Strong, deep florals, definitely not holding back here. Tends towards more asiatic flowers, such as orchids and the slightly tangy, tart osmanthus (which makes an intriguing tea as well!). Slightly citrusy, but mostly just flowers.

Wet, on Skin:

Still with the potent florals, more orchids and jasmine, I suppose... it's amping up on my skin quite quickly, definitely a swirl of flower essences, all wrapped up by a snap of dry sandalwood.

Drying Down:

As tends to be the case when there's a wood note in a blend, as it dries down it rises up from the blend. Now I mostly smell osmanthus and sandalwood, which makes for a very interesting dry, sweet and woodsy aroma.

Over Time/Longterm:

My gosh, this is sweet! After about an hour or so, all of the sandalwood retreats under the onslaught of flower power. My nose must be playing tricks on me, because this is so sweet, I keep thinking 'caramel!' But there's no caramel in this... It fluctuates between citrus floral and that sensation you get when you have melted toffee caramels in your mouth. Weird.

Final Verdict?

Too sweet for me! Goodbye, Queen.