Venus Genetrix

[AmyO'Shields]

VENUS GENETRIX

Venus the Progenitor

Black amber and jasmine tea with 7-year aged vanilla bourbon absolute.

Beautiful. I smell the same jasmine tea note from The Mysterious Warning, and a similar vanilla to the one from Signior Dildo...i don't get much amber yet but would assume it will become more prominent with aging. No throw but a beautiful skin scent. I am glad i bought a bottle, it is lovely.

ETA: i put this on early this morning and it has changed a bit...the amber reminds me of the amber from Hesiod's Phoenix but not sweet at all. The jasmine tea gives the amber a slightly bitter/astringent sweetness. No vanilla this morning. I cannot wait to smell this when it is settled in at the end of Spring...very nice blend. Funny, i don't get the licorice from BPAL's black tea note so i am thinking this is more of a Darjeeling? Quite nice. :-)
Edited March 1, 2015 by Herb Girl

[Dark Alice]

Tea. A lovely Jasmine Tea. The vanilla is there and it does have the attributes of the Signore Dildo...but the tea keeps this in check. This is interesting. I don't hate it...but I don't know if I need it. I think I will age this to how it goes.....

[Woozel]

Oh Venus Genetrix, the bottle art and the promises of 7 year aged bourbon vanilla....

 

Bottle & Wet: A very strong, clean and sharp jasmine with a little bourbon peeking around the corner.

 

Dry-Down: Still very strong jasmine that has mellowed slightly. The jasmine note is still very sharp, but vanilla has begun to creep in a little bit. I don't detect black amber at all because the jasmine is such a strong and prominent note. If anyone is familiar with Wylde Ivy and their Black Cat No. 13 scent, this is it's twin sister. They smell SO much alike.

 

Throw: I only wore this on my wrist and I found it had decent throw. I could smell it while I was doing things around the house without having to sniff my wrist every few seconds.

 

Verdict: Venus Genetrix tricked me into buying her with her promises of vanilla and alas there just wasn't enough for me. Jasmine lovers rejoice because this is a must have for you! This is jasmine all day and night. I really wanted to like this one and I think if the vanilla was a more prominent and tempered the jasmine it would have been a keeper for me. She is currently looking for a new home!

[JasminDreams2010]

I had the same experience as Woozel at first. Genetrix freaked out and went all violent Jasmine ala Julianne Moore in the pharmacy scene from Magnolia. It was similar to the Jasmine in Hal that turned angrily rancid on me.

 

That was the first day.

Second day, I saw a ghost monster Panther fume rise from the bottle, snarl at me and then evaporate. And then, a sweet little fluffy kitten came out. A kitten with wise golden eyes that knew more than they should.

 

Black vanilla and Amber and Jasmine, slinking around the property, casing the joint.

 

I'm posting a link to this blog- this is the perfume you want to wear for number 2. (Flaunt your complexity- When planning outfits for your holiday soirées, think "I'm an heiress and an Italian professor at this upscale tropical funeral). http://imissyouwheniblink.com/2014/12/08/how-to-be-a-ladyperson-at-the-holidays-9-important-tips/

 

Sorry for the incredibly right brained review- I thought this perfume deserved a stream of consciousness. I think I love it.

[LiberAmoris]

I looove jasmine, so Venus Genetrix is right up my alley. This is a jasmine-heavy blend, with the jasmine tea note skewing softer and 'steeped'both more velvety and more condensed. The black amber darkens it up and adds depth. The vanilla bourbon here seems to actually give off a bit of bourbon at first (not sure how that's possible, considering that there's no bourbon in bourbon vanilla), making it smell almost like some fantastic cocktail. That burns off quickly and the vanilla deepens as it dries down.

 

A few hours after application this is almost gone on me, but when I sniff my wrists or my clothes where it touched, I can smell the most beautiful darkened jasmine sweet tea. It smells like something that would come in a dark purple bottle, and be prized as a potent aphrodisiac. Love it.

[greeneyedgirl]

I tested this and the jasmine just doesn't work on me. When I apply it smells similar to nail polish remover. I am so sad as I really thought this would be a no-brainer, which was why I blindly bought the bottle. Oh well, 2 out of the 3 Lupers I bought worked on me so that ain't bad.

[macabre_fae]

This is also one of my favorites so far from the Lupers this year.

 

I'm not really getting much amber amping on me. It smells more like a cup of strong black tea with jasmine petals and a tiny bit of vanilla to add some softness. It's a simple yet beautiful jasmine/tea that is very elegant and enigmatic. Wearing it makes me feel like I've been transported into a tea reading room in victorian times.

[zankoku_zen]

Black vanilla, amber and some delicious jasmine tea.

 

Wait, what? A jasmine that doesn't go to cat pee? What is this miracle blend you speak of?

 

BEHOLD, THE BPAL. IT LIKES TO CHANGE YOUR MIND ON NOTES, ALL THE TIME.

 

So oddly enough, the amber is the spoiler in this blend. Yup, not the jasmine. It's almost too ambery. If it were just the vanilla and jasmine tea, this would be a rather delicate and polished blend. The amber adds way too much resin and sort of overpowers everything. Decent throw, average wear length.

 

I may have to retest this again, because I'm very torn. Will this be my first BPAL jasmine blend that I must own?

 

Stay tuned.

[Lunasariel]

In the imp: Primarily vanilla bourbon, but without the alcoholic tang (which, to my mind, is a plus, making the whole thing smoother). There's definitely something floral going on here, but it doesn't announce itself as jasmine right away. There's a base of something...citrusy? Which could be either the tea, if it goes Earl Grey, or amber, if it's the same kind of amber as in Haunted.

 

Wet: Starts out fairly true to ITI - vanilla bourbon and amber are dominant, there's some unidentifiable soft floral playing second fiddle, and the odd citrus note is still hanging around. However, the jasmine develops into itself fairly quickly, but on me, it's not a jasmine soliflore - it actually does smell something like a really well-made cup of jasmine tea, but the vanilla bourbon changes it from a foody or tea-based scent to something full of old-world elegance and, for lack of a better word, class.

 

Dry: It becomes tea-dominant for a while, but eventually the jasmine fades, followed by the tea, and ends up as a vanilla-bourbon-amber (in that order) mix - faint, but at once comforting and elegant.

[Haltija]

I love this more than I thought I would.

 

I thought this would immediately turn into "horrid jasmine from hell" but it just does not, yay! In the imp it's all jasmine all the time but it's not harsh nor abrasive like I imagined, it's more subtle. In the opening I get jasmine and black amber and I can't even believe that the jasmine is behaving itself and actually keeping that subtle vibe while the amber is allowed to dance around a little, so promising. When it's dry the amber becomes more dominant and the vanilla sneaks itself in lending a sophisticated sweetness while the jasmine tea now just becomes a whisper with everything else. I can't believe this works on me the way it does. It's absolutely gorgeous and I cannot stop sniffing my wrist.

 

I just may have to upgrade to a bottle!

[Ethaisa]

I love jasmine and tea notes, so I ordered a bottle unsniffed. So, so happy I did. The jasmine behaves herself like a fine lady at an afternoon tea party: you know she's there but she's gracious and lets others get a word in edgewise. The tea is strong, but mellowed with a hint of cream (the vanilla?) and the amber deepens everything and is especially lovely on dry down. Moderate throw on me in the early stages, but then it settles down close for a long last. May well be my favourite luper this year.

[Aviatrix]

I initially get a lot of jasmine tea, and luckily it's a very well-behaved and lovely jasmine. Jasmine can go really bad on me, so I was very pleased to discover this was not such a case!

After a while of drying down, the amber starts peeking out, and eventually it takes over the scent completely, with only the faintest trace of sweetened floral tea in the background. I never really get any of the vanilla, unless that's the sweet quality of the tea?

 

I love this! If you love elegant tea salon scents and a bit of flowers doesn't scare you, I am sure you will love this too!

[DJ Sin]

Three words describe this scent for me

bourbon vanilla floral tea!

 

Fans of the bourbon bath oil from BPTP will love this. Its got a slight bitter smell when first applied but settles to a light airy tea with vanilla. Its really light on and you may need to slather this on one.

[boomtownrat]

I got nothing but pears and nail polish remover from this, and I have to wonder if my skin chemistry is alien. Maybe it's my sense of smell that's off today, but nothing else smells unusual, so probably not. Mercifully, it has low throw so I didn't gag on my way to the bathroom so I could wash it off. At least it's only a decant.

[agirlnamedfury]

In the imp: tea and what I think is the amber.

 

Wet on skin: definitely jasmine tea. Simple. I start to get a touch of vanilla as it settles, but it's not overly sweet at all. Definitely a more sophisticated vanilla than usual.

 

Drydown: the sweetness comes out a bit more, and it smells just like sugared tea without being saccharine. This reminds me a LOT of Dorian.

[Lorelai1945]

This reminds me a LOT of Signior Dildo. At first I felt like the jasmine was too strong and was about to dismiss this one, but the more this dries down, I do get the tea and a lot of sweetness. I don't see the comparisons to Mysterious Warning so much- maybe a bit with the tea, but that one is a lot more lavender tea on me.

 

Final Verdict: Once dry this is a mix of Signior Dildo and Dorian. I like it.

[alyelle]

In the imp: Vanilla tea, like a little sister to Dorian.

 

Wet: More amber and oudh than tea or vanilla, very resin heavy. No booze from the bourbon (thank goodness, because it usually doesn't like me much) but I was hoping for a bit more sweetness from this.

 

Dry: I've worn this twice now and it dries down to something pleasant but ... forgettable. Nothing at all like the scent I first sniffed in the bottle; it's sort of like some of the early Ars Amatoria/Bewitching Brews that had handfuls of notes in each one but on me turned into a nice but kind of generic fragrance. I can't see myself reaching for this very often, so I'll probably toss it into my sale/swap pile.

 

Life: around 6 hours; throw: medium.

 

Stars: ★★★

[Gryphon]

I slathered this on and -poof!- it was gone. Just like that. If I put my wrist right under my nose and huff I get a sense of something warm and slightly sweet, but I can't make out any of the notes. Weirdest thing! I don't think I've ever had a BPAL do that to me and it's not like I don't have any scents with similar notes. Hmmmmmmmmmm.

[lizardqueen]

Initially this is primarily black amber on me--not that I necessarily know that note specifically, but it's amber-ish with a hint of something that reminds me of black musk. The jasmine floats over that, and then the vanilla is underneath, not really obvious, just enough to sweeten the package.

 

As it dries down, everything starts to blend together even more, and what I'm left with is a lovely, close-to-the-skin scent that evokes a warm spring breeze ruffling delicate petals. This is arguably a light spring companion to the summertime deliciousness that is Lilith and the Jarocho (one of my all-time favorites), which I suppose makes sense, given that the first two notes of that one are jasmine and vanilla. (I had to look that up.)

 

The more I think about this, the more it's growing on me; when it was wet, I wasn't so sure. The only problem now is that I can't get my decant back open to try it again.

[DiesMali]

In the imp: Smells like high-quality jasmine petal green tea.

 

Wet on my skin: Just as in the imp.

 

Dry: This is GORGEOUS. Light, sweet jasmine petal tea in the throw with creamy vanilla and soft black amber closer to the skin. I ordered this after trying other BPAL jasmine and/or tea blends, and I knew it would work well on me, and it entirely lives up to expectations. It's a beautiful pale green and lavender colour, almost ethereal as it floats about. It really does smell a lot like my favourite jasmine petal tea, but that sweet amber and vanilla just warm it up and make it into a truly delicious blend. Probably my second favourite of the Lupercalias so far.

[theseagrows]

i took a chance on this because sometimes jasmine really amps up and gets stinky on me, but fortunately in this it does not! similarly to hal, which was a bit too strong on the jasmine note for me, but it's a jasmine note that i actually like. it is not as strong as hal in this so it works even better. the tea seems to really help the jasmine on my skin too. the very beginning is a bit sharp and weird, but that fades within seconds. it's mostly just jasmine tea on me at first with hints of amber in the background, but this amber is not powdery at all. the jasmine tea almost seems to have a sliiight bit of mint in it or something similar, rather it has that cool feeling of mint but isn't screaming "hi, i'm mint!" thus far i cannot smell any vanilla in this, i am assuming it becomes more apparent on the drydown.

 

this scent is very soft and tranquil. i think it's perfect for spring or summer. i am so thrilled to finally have a BPAL jasmine that works for me!

 

ETA: about 40 minutes later i get the vanilla and it's this lovely jasmine-vanilla. so nice.

Edited March 22, 2015 by theseagrows

[Tal Shachar]

My skin eats vanilla a lot of the time, so the most popular blends often aren't that special on me--vanilla notes seem to be the biggest crowd-pleaser in BPAL land. But this one works! Smooth, fluffy, happy-cloud vanilla with jasmine. It doesn't specifically smell like the jasmine tea in my cupboard (which is a bit greener), but it's a lovely warm jasmine note, heady and beautiful. This is a nice one for wearing to bed, and maybe I want another bottle.

[Magycmyste]

In the imp: Sweetened, dark amber.

 

Wet on skin: Getting a bit more jasmine now. Tiny hint of rubber.

 

Dried down: Ok, the rubber's gone, and this is pretty much jasmine and sweetness. I love jasmine (and tea) and I love sweetness, but this scent is just really weak on me.

 

Throw: I do get a little bit of throw off of this, which is odd since I get almost nothing when sniffing my wrist. Which makes me a little sad because I want to huff the jasmine and vanilla.

 

Verdict: **** This is really pretty. I just wish it was stronger. I think I'm going to hang on to the bottle for awhile, see how it ages. I think Genetrix deserves a second chance.

Edited March 29, 2015 by Magycmyste

[milo]

I bought this bottle blind, as I love me some Bourbon Vanilla, tea and amber. Unfortunately, this is all jasmine tea, with emphasis on the jasmine. No amber or bourbon vanilla that I can detect.Not sure what's with the Bourbon vanilla this year, but this is another fail, along with BV bath oil. No more blind bottle purchases, it's too expensive of a mistake, especially with shipping and the USD. Very disappointed.

 

I do have to report that after a year of aging, this blend has done a 360. The Bourbon vanilla and amber are now in the front, and the jasmine tea is just a whisper. I'm so glad I stuck it out.

Edited February 8, 2016 by milo

[astraelly]

This is jasmine (I think?) and something really weirdly fruity in the vial. On the skin, it's the same and I'm beyond confused at the fruit(?) note. After about 10 minutes, I get some vanilla peeking in around the edges as the fruitiness lets up and the jasmine gets a chance to settle into a drier state, but at this point the entire thing becomes rather faint. The vanilla is strange, threatening to go playdoh on me. Meh. My quest for a jasmine tea fragrance continues.

 

Tbh, bourbon vanilla always does weird things on my skin. Lesson learned, I guess.