Heroine

[ami226]

HEROINE
Nepalese amber, East African patchouli, dark musk, apple blossom, petitgrain, aged leather, skin musk, and rhubarb.

I just got this in the mail today, so it hasn't fully had 24 hours yet to recover from the mailing. If anything changes, I will definitely come back and write an update!

On the skin: So far the dark musk hasn't taken over. Yay! It usually turns to instant sweet powder on my skin and makes all blends with it smell the same to me. I can smell the dark musk though. The rest is just a blend. I think I am mostly smelling apple blossom, the amber, and a muskiness. Not sure what rhubarb smells like, so I don't know if I can smell it. At the beginning there was a slight edge to this scent that smelled slightly... sharp/sour, but it has faded already. Now it is a sweet muskiness. No hint of leather or patchouli that I can smell.

Just a lovely, sweet muskiness. Not candy sweet, though.

I am definitely going to have to try this again!

[thelaurenator]

This is nice, but on my skin the prominent note is rhubarb. It smells very similar to tart, lemony note except a bit more sweet and "red" smelling, if that makes any sense. I was hoping for more nepalese amber, but nope. This is pure rhubarb and musk. However, the musk smells like a white or pale musk, not like a swoony dark musk. It's pretty, just not what I was hoping for. Oh well!

[mistressfizz]

I’m a huge comic book fan and adore Adam Hughes. The artwork on this bottle warranted a big grin!

 

Sniff: sour, pungent, slightly peppery. I have no idea what rhubarb smells like, so not sure I can pick it out. there’s definitely something musky, and a little earthy patchouli. I’m actually turned off by the initial whiff, but let’s see how this plays on the skin…

 

Wet: More earthy and musky. A bit spicy too.

 

Dry: Ah, now we’re talking! The earth and musk settle down, maybe due to the amber? There's a pleasant slight tart. When I sniff my arm, I feel like a villainess, which kind of contradicts the name, but this is too dark of a scent to not feel a bit evil. A shadowy figure behind a window pane, belted leather trenchcoat, plotting her next move…

[angelicruin]

Dark musk and light patchouli on me and what may be rhubarb. I like this much better than I thought I would.

[crebbsgirl]

Hrmmmm, this is predominantly apple blossom on my skin. Several hours in the patchouli comes out, but it still acts as a supporting player to the apple blossom. The amber and the musks help to ground this a bit. I'm not getting much in the way of leather. Overall, this is lighter than I expected it to be. I'm interested to see how this will age.

[ljaylh]

Like crebbsgirl said.. this is definitely less "dark" than I was expecting! Of all the notes, it was the patchouli and dark musk and aged leather that I was most looking forward to - and the rhubarb which I loved so much in the BPTP blend Motley from 2009.

 

Ten minutes in, and Heroine is mostly apple blossom (sweet, bright, with a slight tartness) and the skin musk which is also slightly sweet. Twenty minutes in, and I can detect just a hint of the rhubarb - the leather is also peeking in just a teensy bit.

 

For me, Heroine strikes its best point after about half an hour - that's when the darker notes come out and balance the brightness of the apple blossom. Now I can smell the patchouli and the leather much better, and the skin musk has pretty much disappeared.. the dark musk has taken its place. The amber has also made an appearance, again cutting down the sweetness of the apple blossom and adding a dusky feel to the fragrance. The aged leather is particularly nice - it's not bitter or sharp, it's very smooth and soft. Sadly, the rhubarb really isn't present.. and also I'm not picking up any petitgrain here at all.

 

This really is a beautiful blend, I don't recall any BPAL quite like it and the combination of notes here is really interesting with the sweet/dark balance. I think it will be interesting to see what it's like in a few months' time - I think that some aging might tone down the apple blossom a little - to me, that's what Heroine needs.. I'd like the darker notes to come out a bit more but overall this is quite lovely.

[sqwook]

Wow, this is so much more different and way lighter than I expected that I had to re-try it again on a different day without my preconceived notions.

 

I don't get any amber, patchouli, leather, or dark musk.

 

What I get instead is a tart sweetness with what is probably white musk and/or a sugar note. It reminds me most of my memory of Zephyr, though with slightly more oomph, a tinge of spice that is probably coming from the hint of petitgrain, plus a tinge of tartness from the rhubarb & sweetness which might be from the apple blossom.

 

It is really pretty, and I wonder if aging it will give it even more oomph.

[Blood onmy hands]

I was sucked in by the leather, but I can't pick out any leather in this blend. Heroine is mostly fruity, clean, and musky/perfumey on my skin, with a powdery drydown. I get hints of dark, earthy patchouli every once in a while, but it's mostly tart, fruity rhubarb, perfumey musk, apple blossom (which is like a fruity shampoo smell on me) and baby powder on my skin. Heroine is a lot lighter than I was expecting from a scent with amber, patchouli, dark musk, and leather.

[zankoku_zen]

This is much lighter than I thought it would be. I get a TON of rhubarb. This smells mostly fruity, clean and with a slight muskiness to it. Loads of rhubarb and apple blossom. And just the tiniest hint of leather on me. Which is nothing short of a miracle, since BPAL's leather notes and I are a bad combination.

 

A lot lighter than expected and more wearable. Hmmm. Do I need to hunt down a partial now?

 

ETA: I find that my bottle of Heroine did not smell like the imp. I get apple blossom, hints of rhubarb, leather, and amber. Its fairly 'cologney' on wet, and then dries to a warmer amber/leather blend. On the other hand, on those days that I *need* to kick butt, Heroine is an invigorating blend. To me, its like the perfume equivalent of a leather jacket. You put it on, and you're ready to take on the day.

Edited September 14, 2012 by zankoku_zen

[filigree_shadow]

This smelled mostly like apple blossom on me at first, and then... oranges? Why am I getting something that reminds me of orange, or orange blossom? Is that what rhubarb smells like?

 

Like everyone else, I figured that something with patchouli, dark musk, and leather would be pretty dark, but this totally isn't. It smells mostly like fruit with a soft musk behind it. Not bad, but not what I was expecting.

[LadyMedb]

!!! This is everything I love about The Perfumed Garden (guess it's the apple and musk) but better-executed. Beth has long since mastered fruit-amber confections, but they've always been sweet, heady things (my beloved Verdandi comes to mind) - not so with this perfectly balanced confection, where every note sings clearly and perfectly. The petitgrain is a sparkling topnote - I think that's the citrusy thing everyone's mentioning, while the incensy-skin musk-y drydown is pure sex. This is definitely one of those "come a little closer" scents, but with so much complexity to it.

 

SOOOO relieved this is going to be around for a bit, so I can see my way clear to the $26 for it.

Edited January 11, 2011 by LadyMedb

[plainjean]

I agree, not as dark as I expected it to be.

 

In the bottle it's bright, though there is a bit of darkness way in the background. I'm mostly getting the rhubarb and the petitgrain, though. On, it's almost all rhubarb for the first 10-15 minutes. It actually is a little lemon verbena-y. Anyway, it starts to get less tart as time goes on, and I'm guessing that's due to the patchouli and musk. I'm definitely getting a hint of leather waaaay in the back, too. It's dry now, and it's very soft and sweet, but that darkness is still sticking around in the background. Not quite what I was expecting, but I do really like it! It's definitely very wearable.

 

ETA: I'm doing a full wear today, and I'm finding that the rhubarb, mixed with one of the other notes (not quite sure which one. Maybe petitgrain?), is creating an almost herbal feel. I actually really like it, as it cuts back on the tartness of the rhubarb. I stand my my previous statement: really wearable, really pretty.

Edited January 15, 2011 by plainjean

[Dark Alice]

Wet: Single note Rhubarb.

 

Dry: Rhubarb pie. I smell delicious but I don't need a bottle of this one thankfully.

[ofthegood]

Wow, this one really morphed! At first dab, it was fairly light and feminine - floral and fruity and bright. But it lost those notes during dry-down and developed into something rich and almost masculine - musky, darker, and potent. I definitely got a whiff of the leather from time to time, but it was subtle. Thankfully, the patchouli didn't really come out to play much at all.

 

I'll have to try this one again, to see if it morphs the same way. I like a little intrigue with my scents, as long as every stage still smells good!

[Wwindy]

I'm really wondering if a few months from now, after the Lab's gone through another batch of this blend, we'll start seeing very different reviews from the ones so far... because honestly, it seems to me like the first half of this oil's description is just *missing* from the scent we're actually getting!

 

Here's what I get: tart, astringent rhubarb (it's hard to describe that smell if you've never eaten rhubarb -- it's very bracing, sort of sharply red fruity-vegetal), with slight citrus-y overtones, followed up by a soft, faint, pale musk. I smell no amber, patchouli, or dark musk whatsoever; there's mayyyybe poooossssibly just a tiny hint of leather if I talk my brain into interpreting it that way.

 

I *slathered* this oil, and still didn't get any of the alleged heavier notes... and after an hour or two, it was like I'd never put anything on. Even my sweater didn't carry any scent, which is unprecedented for me with BPAL!

 

I'm working with a decant, so it's possible I'm not getting the scent as intended -- but it's pretty striking that so many of these reviews are saying the same thing! I really am almost convinced that something funky happened with the mixing, because I just can't believe there's actually patchouli and amber (two of my all-time favorite BPAL notes) here. Bizarre.

[Melenass]

I just got this at work, and I could not resist trying.

 

OMG , wet, is what I expected: Light amber and petit grain, yaii!! It's wonderful. Aroma clean and full of light.

I think this will be a new favorite for me. :wub2:

 

Eta: smell does not last more than two hours

Edited March 16, 2011 by Melenass

[edenssixthday]

Heroine - I LOVE this blend. I mean, I really, really, REALLY love it! It opens up with the dominant notes of warm, pliable leather and juicy, slightly tart rhubarb. Who would have ever thought that those two notes would go together so well? The skin musk is subtle, but adds a nice hint of sweetness to the blend, and the darker notes -- patchouli, dark musk, and amber -- are even more subtle, but work to pull the whole thing together. On my skin, this is an absolutely amazing fragrance. It's quite strong when I first apply it, but it settles down as it dries, and it lasts for hours. When I wear this in public, I feel a little self-conscious because it's so unique and it's so sexy that I'm afraid of drawing too much attention to myself. I think this goes in my Top 10 BPALs of all time.

[grrrlennyl]

Heroine

 

On: Very pretty. Light, sweet, and a bit floral.

1 hour in: Powdery, tart blossoms. A cute scent.

3 hours in: I don't know if it's the rhubarb, the apple blossom, or a combination of the two, but this is just bright and cheery and fruity and powdery and fun.

6.5 hours in: Powdery and cheery. I really like this.

Overall: This might be bottle-worthy.

[Vega]

Sniffed: Light fruit adulterated with fuzzy musk and other notes. Reminds me of Manhattan, darkened several shades.

 

On skin: Oooh, this is fascinating! This top note of Heroine is light, seems a bit fruity or vegetal but not in any familiar way -- so it must be rhubarb coloured with apple blossom and maybe petitgrain. A bright top note clearly darkened by deeper notes: smoothed by leather, warmed and fuzzed by amber and skin musk, and slightly glowing from patchouli. A full-bodied scent that's simultaneously bright and dark; it smells darker on my skin than in the decant. Heroine would score higher points with me if it did not gradually develop a thin sourness that spoils whatever complexity and depth it had at first. Thankfully this sourness morphs in and out over time and never completely dominates, but this morphing is just ruining the blend for me. Boooo.

 

Verdict: Sigh, Heroine started off so promisingly but ended up being spoiled by this mysterious sourness. This has happened before with certain other blends, and I haven't been able to pinpoint which note(s) are causing this. Alas, I wish this beautiful scent wasn't so sullied!

[Cheri]

What a pretty scent this is, and as it's drying I'm getting a sexy vibe from it, but it isn't loud or a hey look at me scent. It makes me think of a pretty woman wearing a nice suit with a low cut blouse, but the kind of woman who doesn't even realize she's sexy. I always thought rhubarb was a strange type of plant, but never smelled it in perfume before this. Another beautiful scent!

[yeahbutnobut]

Heroine

 

In the imp: sharp, cologne-soaked rhubarb and a hint of leather.

Wet on skin: sharp green-red rhubarb and maybe some apple.

Dry on skin: this one is interesting. This is a sharp, piercing scent, with the rhubarb and petitgrain leading the way, giving this scent a cologne like top note, but because this is rhubarb, this is a much more intriguing cologne than usual. The skin musk is probably the sharp, slightly lemony variety that’s in Velvet Nudie, I think that’s enhancing the tangy rhubarb. I think I also smell some apple blossom, but there’s also a deep green scent to all of this. I can’t smell the dark notes or the amber yet.

After a while: whoa, this has changed…just look at (or smell?) that Nepalese amber go, go, go! It’s all about the amber now, and this is the same incredible amber from L’Estate. In fact, the whole thing smells like L’Estate to me, the same slightly lemony, musky, gloriously warm, spicy and reddened amber, with a hint of Liberty (the apple blossom). I can’t really smell leather, patchouli or dark musk though, just amber and fruity rhubarb. Actually the more I smell it, the more I smell dark musk-it’s gentle and not as heavy as usual, this is the dark musk that isn’t very sweet, but it is very sexy.

Verdict: in the same vein as Boadicea and Liz, this is feminine yet feisty and smells absolutely fantastic. At first it has a sharp, attention grabbing tangy perfumed scent thanks to petitgrain and rhubarb, but then it softens and transforms into glorious amber stained red with rhubarb juice. The musk and leather add a nice deep undertone without getting in the way, the apple blossom adding a very subtle hint of floral. I love this; it makes me feel confident when I wear it. Excuse the cheesy pun but I have to admit I’m a Heroine addict now!

Is it a keeper? definitely. I may use up my bottle very fast…

If you like this, try: Boadicea, Liz, L’Estate, Liberty, Motley, The Shadowy and the Sublime, Amaterasu v3 (warning: rare!)

[arrow]

This was a frimp from a very kind forumite who clearly has psychic powers as I've really been wanting to try this one!

 

Reading the notes, I really, really want this one to work. It sounds divine, and I love the name, too!

 

On, I'm surprised by how light this is... I was really expecting something darker, though now that I look at the other reviews my surprise is clearly not unusual. My initial on-the-skin reaction was to literally say, "Oh, wow..." It's so sweet and light and a little foody (in the fruity sense, not the bakery sense). Not something I'd usually go for, but lovely anyway.

 

A few minutes later I am less impressed. Lemon Zinger tea, is that you? Whyyyy? But wait! Apple blossom, you say? But where are my musks and leather and amber and my beloved BPAL patchouli?

 

Drying down, Heroine is fading away. I think the skin musk is amping a little bit, because this doesn't smell the same as when a blend is just disappearing. Fingers crossed for a little magic morphing.

 

Hmmm. I want to like her. I really do-- but I don't, at least not now. I actually predict that she will really come into her own as she ages... I think she'll deepen and the rhubarb and apple blossom will fade a bit. However, I'm not convinced enough to buy a bottle to age (would rather get some favorites to age instead).

 

I'm going to keep the imp and try again in a month or two; give her another chance to show me her tough side. I do think if she's threatened with discontinuation I would bit the bullet and nab a bottle. I really believe she could blend into something marvelous someday.

 

It's like she is a budding wannabe adventurer right now, all fresh-faced and determined to spread good in the world without knowing the cost that can have. She's all mama's apple and rhubarb pie and with a touch of the dust of the road in her hair. After a while she'll gain more experience, kill some monsters, live the tough life of a heroine on the road. Only then might she become a true, bad-ass heroine smelling of leather and patchouli and musk--all the while keeping the essence of that innocent, wrong-righting girl she started out as!

[biocarolyn]

Wow, this is incredible. It starts strongly rhubarb and petitgrain, very tart and bright. Probably some apple blossom under there, too, something making it a little sweet. As it dries down, I get slowly developing amber. The leather starts to come out and gets feisty with the amber, which is sort of powdery, but never goes bad. This is really nice, I'm loving it!

[joyfulgirl]

in the bottle: lemon pledge

 

wet on my skin: lemon pledge. whew. i smell super shiny and clean!

 

dry on my skin: 15 minutes in, it is still VERY lemony to me, but it's becoming more distinctly rhubarb now. 30 minutes in...still lemony, but i'm finding some petitgrain now. and inhaling deeply, i'm catching some musk. no patchouli, amber or leather yet...keeping my fingers crossed that they'll show. those notes were why i picked up a bottle. 45 minutes in...still super light and citrusy. i'm trying not to sweat it too much...this just arrived today, so i'll think i'll give it a few days/weeks and try it again. as arrow mentioned, it feels like it has great potential, so i'm not going to give up on it entirely.

[stellamaris]

I can't believe I haven't reviewed this yet, I love this and it's going to be a big bottle in my next order. Thankfully I don't get beaned over the head with a leather bludgeon, truthfully I am grateful to not smell the leather at all, rather I get the rhubarb first, and then a complex fluffy vanilla scent. Just like I want my Heroines to be, saving the world before bedtime...