The First of the Three Spirits

[Heavenlyrabbit]

THE FIRST OF THE THREE SPIRITS
It was a strange figure—like a child: yet not so like a child as like an old man, viewed through some supernatural medium, which gave him the appearance of having receded from the view, and being diminished to a child’s proportions. Its hair, which hung about its neck and down its back, was white as if with age; and yet the face had not a wrinkle in it, and the tenderest bloom was on the skin. The arms were very long and muscular; the hands the same, as if its hold were of uncommon strength. Its legs and feet, most delicately formed, were, like those upper members, bare. It wore a tunic of the purest white; and round its waist was bound a lustrous belt, the sheen of which was beautiful. It held a branch of fresh green holly in its hand; and, in singular contradiction of that wintry emblem, had its dress trimmed with summer flowers. But the strangest thing about it was, that from the crown of its head there sprung a bright clear jet of light, by which all this was visible; and which was doubtless the occasion of its using, in its duller moments, a great extinguisher for a cap, which it now held under its arm.

Even this, though, when Scrooge looked at it with increasing steadiness, was not its strangest quality. For as its belt sparkled and glittered now in one part and now in another, and what was light one instant, at another time was dark, so the figure itself fluctuated in its distinctness: being now a thing with one arm, now with one leg, now with twenty legs, now a pair of legs without a head, now a head without a body: of which dissolving parts, no outline would be visible in the dense gloom wherein they melted away. And in the very wonder of this, it would be itself again; distinct and clear as ever.

“Are you the Spirit, sir, whose coming was foretold to me?” asked Scrooge.

“I am!”

The voice was soft and gentle. Singularly low, as if instead of being so close beside him, it were at a distance.

“Who, and what are you?” Scrooge demanded.

“I am the Ghost of Christmas Past.”

“Long Past?” inquired Scrooge: observant of its dwarfish stature.

“No. Your past.”

Shimmering white amber, voluminous vanilla, white musk, zdravetz, and summer flowers.

This was the Christmas Carol scent that seemed made just for me and it's the first bottle that came out of the box! Geranium is a good note on my skin. It's depth blossoms so nicely.

My impression, soft and pretty. Almost cozy.

Whatever Amber went into this- no trace of powder.
Whatever Vanilla went into this- no hint of gourmand.

A lovely aromatic perfume just a touch on the herbal side.

The Floral notes give this a golden glow we'd associate with the Spirit of Christmas Past.

Thank Goodness! I was a bit apprehensive thinking the Floral notes might be White.

Can easily see a guy or a gal wearing this. So fans who seek out Florals that aren't overtly "girlie" might want to try this.

[starpixi81]

Just got this in the mail today, so this may need time to settle but here I go!

 

In the bottle: There is a marvelous vanilla, fruity-flowery(like flowering fruit!) scent in the bottle. It smells so good I want to just sniff it all day long. I am very much reminded of a something by this scent that I can't quite put my finger on.

 

Wet on skin: Very faint and light, getting more amber(but not powdery amber, which is usually what happens with amber on my skin) and some murky floral notes. I only say murky because they are not bright and heady,perhaps a little past their prime, but def. not decaying. I get no vanilla when it is on my skin.

 

Dry on skin: There is a lot of throw on this scent and I keep catching whiffs of stately amber-y musk. I am not getting any vanilla on my skin, which is sad because that is what I wanted most from this blend. This is very beautiful and has a elegant feel to it but I am not sure it is quite me. I am at a bad time of the month to be testing so I will re-test once my chemistry is back to normal. I have a feeling this will blossom into what I want it to be with age.

 

Update: This is starting to give me a major headache. Oh dear.

Edited November 18, 2010 by moonberryjam

[Lorelai1945]

?

 

That's pretty much where I am with this one right now. In the bottle, it is sweet, rich vanilla, and I got SUPER excited about it. Until I put it on. It immediately went kind of buttery on my skin (a lot like Underpants, actually), but then that stage fled quickly...leaving whatever in the world is going on on my hand atm. It smells kind of cold and slightly buttery, not really floral at all- maybe like amber if you removed a lot of the sweetness? I really can't pinpoint what this smells like. It's kind of musty and muted. It definitely feels beigey/goldenish in color, but it's not at all what I was expecting. I get NO vanilla, nothing of white musk that I'm used to, and nothing resembling summer flowers. It's almost kind of like extremely flat cream soda or something. I don't think this is a winner- I'll give it a bit more time, but I'm not in love.

[DeltaCat]

Floral Floral Floral. After an initial creamy stage, this one has dried down to a faint sweet floral. Not bad, but not bottle worthy for me.

[kikithepirate]

This is gorgeous, and certainly not a "winter only" type of scent. It has a floral quality to it, but it also has a real creamy depth, which makes it a keeper in my book. A sweet, yet classic scent -- feminine, but not "girly."

[Cheri]

I agree with Kikithepirate's review. This is a beautiful scent. It smells very classy and pretty, but not too girly. I could definitely see wearing this in Spring. It's kind of a skin scent and almost like a creamy lemon, but not. Not that I'm any good at writing reviews, but this one is hard to describe. A real beauty though.

 

Edit: I knew it reminded me of something. It's like a softer version of Giant Vulva.

Edited November 20, 2010 by Cheri

[ivyandpeony]

I'm picturing Joel Grey in his sparkly white-elf robes as the Ghost of Christmas Past in one of my favorite versions of A Christmas Carol, the 1999 version with Patrick Stewart as Scrooge - this is what he would smell like and I love this blend! For me, it's in the family of The Girl, The Shadowy and The Sublime, Under The Harvest Moon - it's got that crystalline musk and amber combo that makes it feel shimmery. The vanilla is a supporting player, I get no zdravetz at all (it's usually very resinous & geranium-like on me) and the florals must be adding some sweetness but they aren't dominant. It would be a great spring or summer scent, but I will wear it all year long.

[Aldercy]

Blast of nostalgia! I'm trying to place why I feel like I'm in 8th grade when I smell this scent. I didn't wear perfume. Maybe it smells like a perfume someone I knew wore? I'm specifically picturing school. And my sole-male-friend-at-the-time's basement.

 

... none of that is helpful as a review for other people, is it?

 

It's actually really good. No, it does not smell like sweaty adolescent cheap mall perfume as my scent-memory-associations may suggest, but it does have a more "traditional" or "mainstream" appeal, I think (just better and BPAL-ified).

 

The vanilla is so far from gourmand it's kind of amazing, but it's still recognizable as vanilla. It's a cloudy, misty vanilla. Maybe vanilla flower. I'm also getting an unexpected hint of lemonade. I say lemonade because it is not sharp lemon, it's a sweet, mirror-smooth, very diluted citrus. Maybe that's coming from one of the unspecified summer flowers. The musk strikes me as being somewhere between white musk and skin musk. Amber almost never does go powdery on me, but I think whatever this variety is might be even less prone to powderiness than usual-- the amber's unusual and almost shiny in its texture. I agree with the comparison Cheri made to Giant Vulva, but this is more floral and not as bold. Different enough that I don't mind owning both of them. It's very pale and very sophisticated.

 

The overall effect of The First of the Three Spirits is like... porcelain. Porcelain perfume.

[Dark Alice]

I don't know what Zdravetz is but it is very juicy and fruity....plus the white amber just kills all of the vanilla and summer flowers I was expecting from this blend. (and that is just while it is wet)

 

Dry: Bright summer florals with amber and zdravetz...which is going a little funky on my skin actually. It's lovely...but not for me alas. I was hoping for more vanilla and instead I received a ton of fruit....and amber. I am beginning to smell like multi-fruit striped gum. Passing this along to a new home. STAT!

Edited November 24, 2010 by Dark Alice

[violetblue]

This instantly reminded me of Dirty when I put it on. It's fresh, clean, and sweet. I find it a very very pretty scent and I like it a lot. I think it would be amazing for summer/spring when I want something light and feminine and might be nice layering it with other scents too.

[strahlend]

This blend smells to me like vanilla and skin musk. It's very pretty and girly. I agree with others that this would make a nice spring or summer scent.

[Siberia]

On me, this is amber, vanilla, and white musk, with just a hint of the florals. The florals are sweet and well-blended; they don't stick out like "whoa, flowers" at all. I don't smell the zdravetz. This is right up my alley, sweet vanilla amber. I can see why several of the other reviewers see this as a spring or summer scent - it doesn't have a wintery feel at all, it is quite warm, which is appropriate for the essence of the Ghost of Christmas Past.

[filigree_shadow]

When I first put this on I was surprised that I liked it so much. I wasn't sure what to expect. It was a soft, sweet, light floral. But then... when it was dry... hmm. Not as good. I guess what I'm smelling here is zdravetz -- it smells like a bitter, herby floral note that smells a little too close to green grass for my comfort. (Not a fan of grass scents, personally.) I can still smell the vanilla and musk underneath it, but I don't usually like any perfume that smells even the least bit bitter, so I don't think the floral notes in this one will work for me.

 

Still, very interesting. I don't think I've smelled anything quite like this before. I'm sure some people will like this a lot -- these florals aren't heady and overpowering at all, and the vanilla and musk in this are very pretty.

Edited November 29, 2010 by filigree_shadow

[cinnamonster]

Whatever it is in Signor Dildo (which reminds me of Lou Lou) that makes me feel ill is in here also in a diluted quantity. It's like The Girl and Lou Lou had a baby. I can't speak overly of notes as I had to wash it off. What a shame.

 

Edited to say: I received an empty of this and I like the remains of this bottle a lot more, there's an almost fruity element there and just less of that well, whatever it is? I can actually wear the second bottle dregs

 

ETA again..whomever mentioned xiu-unpronouncable-ti whatsit is right, it is a bit like that.

Edited January 28, 2011 by cinnamonmel

[SurrealReality]

In the Bottle:

Vanilla (not quite foody, but almost), white musk, and amber with a hint of earthly florals

 

Wet on Skin:

Earthy florals, white musk, and something sour…. really not sure what it is. Amber almost always does odd things on my skin, but sour would be something new…..

 

Dry:

Earthy florals (which I am now assuming is zdravetz), lighter florals, white musk, still with something very sour……

After about 1/2 hr the something sour pretty much smothers everything else

 

It was pretty in the bottle, but really bad on my skin

Edited December 1, 2010 by SurrealReality

[hlemonds]

Okay, this is not what I expected at all, but I still enjoy it very much. The really wierd thing is that this blend reminds me a LOT of Angel. It isn't a dead on match, but it very much reminds me of Angel. Primarily I get the white musk, white amber, and a hint of vanilla, with the fresh and slightly green florals wafting over top. This is, to me, a very high-end scent. White Musk and white amber are probably giving this the perfumey quality it has on my skin. I think this would be a wonderful scent for someone who hasn't tried BPAL before. If I had to chose one word to describe this scent it would be sophisticated.

 

ETA: I had to come back and correct myself. I was incorrect about which of my old fumes this reminds me of....It's not Angel, it's Chance by Chanel. Makes a heck of a lot more sense, considering that it does appear to share some notes with Chance, while it had nothing in common with Angel at all. It doesn't have the sharp pepper note that Chance has at the beginning, I think it's the way the musk, vanilla, and amber combine with the zdravetz that reminds me of Chance. Later in the drydown, when mostly only the musk and a tiny bit of vanilla and amber remain, it doesn't remind me as strongly of Chance. Either way, this is a definite keeper for me. Hubby commented how much he liked it!

Edited December 2, 2010 by Hillary

[princessbeena]

I am very happy with this one....it very much reminds me of Ice Queen....it's cold and fruity and lovely!!

[Venneh]

Thanks so much to Ellebelle for letting me try this! Initial sniff gives me white amber, vanilla, and white musk, kinda a cousin to Joyful Moon. On the initial skin test, I'm getting the white musk and amber. Mmmm. But it seems to be going a touch funky... Gonna keep an eye on it. Or a nostril, rather. Ends up going straight into Funkytown, and I think it's the note that turns to plastic on me in DP and Snow White.

Edited December 7, 2010 by Venneh

[Incendiare]

My initial impressions of the First of the Three Spirits is soft and sweet. The vanilla is slightly dampened and the musk is pleasantly sweet too. Wet, the florals come out a bit. They too are sweet, almost slightly sugared. It's very airy and fresh, not deep and warm. Call me crazy, but after a few minutes, it reminds me of Angel by Thierry Mugler but without the patchouli. I'm normally not a patchouli fan, so that note in Angel always turned me off. This is definitely more for me. This is potentially bottle-worthy, but still needs more testing.

 

Oh wait, just noticed that Hillary initially thought this reminded her of Angel too. I have never smelled Chance, but Angel is the closest fragrance of which the First of the Three Spirits reminds me.

[CitizenBree]

I agree with the two above (except Hillary changed her mind), it reminds me of Angel. Of course, since it's BPAL, it's way better. I kinda liked Angel, but only enough to keep a sample. There was that alcoholic/astringent part of Angel that made it not that good. So this is just taking the best parts of Angel.

 

It is soft, it is feminine. Vanilla floral, with a touch of childlike innocence. Very pretty. I might consider a bottle.

[mamoyer]

How weird! When I first put this on, I thought "this is amazing...it smells a lot like Angel, actually...but without the patchouli." And I went on here, and lookit that- lots of others think so, too!

 

That said, this is a beautiful, beautiful blend. One of my favorites of the past couple of years, actually. I must get a bottle--or two--of this.

 

A few hours later, I just smell vanilla-tinged amber. The florals are gone. It's just warm and cozy and wonderful. *sigh*

[sqwook]

I love it too! I can see I'm in good company. The first thing I wrote in my review was an ecstatic "Oh, man... super-yummy."

 

I was also a huge fan of Angel (still am, actually, truth be told), but there's something in it that my dh can't handle (tickles the back of his nose non-stop). Searching for replacements was what got me into bpal, actually. ANYWAY, yes, I see the Angel connection, and YUM.

 

It's very close to what I always wanted Xiuhectuhtli to be like on me too, and X always was a little too sweetly sharp and high-pitched on me - almost perfect but not quite right. It has something in common with Antikythera Mechanism, too, though of course A.M. is more woodsy/masculine. And this is a lighter scent, not as overpowering as A.M. and X both can be on me. I love A.M. in theory, but it always seems like it's wearing *me*, you know?

 

Comparisons aside, what is it like? I get a sweet-orange tinge, lovely round warm vanilla, nothing overtly floral, just fantastic. It makes me happy.

[jennnina]

on my skin this smells exactly like henri bendel vanilla bean, which is one of my most favorite smells. i get almost no florals from this. just a wonderful, almost spicy, vanilla.

[Schmoozy]

Soft musk and powdry amber, sweetened ever so slightly with vanilla. It's instant love. To my nose the summer florals are an afterthought. Pretty much

non-existant, unless you huff really hard, and even then, it's greenery, not petals. There is a feelign of coldness though that seems to run through the oil, and it mingles beautifully with the creamy vanilla and gentle musk.

[Blood onmy hands]

The First of the Three Spirits has an incredibly creamy, decadent sense about it. It's cool and powdery, and a touch on the sweet side, though the vanilla definitely isn't of the foodie variety.

 

This mostly smells like very dry, delicate woods on my skin (which I'm guessing is the amber), a dab of powdery vanilla adding some sweetness, and a mix of creamy white musk and soft, dry floral giving the whole blend a womanly, sophisticated feel. It's a little like bpal's The Girl on me, but more powdery and not as sweet.

 

This is definitely pretty, but it goes a bit too dry and too much to baby powder on my skin after a while. I prefer The Girl and Perle von Mauren for similar type scents. This does have really great throw and staying power on me, though.