Phantom Queen

[indicolite]

An epithet of the Morrigan, crow-winged Celtic goddess of war, strife and fertility. Adoration of this Goddess is expressed both through the ecstasy of battle lust and the ecstasy of sexual regeneration. Black orchid, apple blossom, meadowsweet, and rue over Irish moss, hawthorn and red clover.

First sniff: Why does this smell like balsam fir? Does everything the lab brews that is woodsy and mossy seem to me to be balsam fir?

As it dries on my skin: Hmm, this is quite interesting, and I think it merits a spot in the imp box I carry with me. It is growing floral/herby, but not in your face; it is subtle and quite lovely, My heart does not echo "This is me, this is me!" but neither does it reject this. I will probably use up the imp, although I do not think I will get a bottle.

Actually, this would be quite nice to scent silk shirts with.

[Ryokumuji]

This... is WONDERFUL. !!! It smells very similar to Queen Mab, which I absolutely freaking adore. Also, it smells very similar to a perfume my mother used to wear a lot when I was very young. The thing that makes Phantom Queen so much different from Queen Mab for me is... When I smell Queen Mab, I think of colors like dark green, gold, and white. With Phantom Queen, I think purple and black. I need a big bottle of this scent, for sure!

[cranberry]

Ah yes, back to sweet floral scents. (I’ve been inspired to try my imp by the GC Swap and had a run of non-floral scents I was trying).

 

This is just that, a gentle, sweet floral. Pretty, soft, fluffy smelling. I also has a short-lived vaguely aquatic note which I’m attributing to the moss. It doesn't last long and is just at the beginning. This would make an awesome linen spay; I would love for my sheets to smell like this.

 

It smells fresh and like a summer meadow full of wildflowers. It smells better to me when I have my nose plastered to my wrist, from afar it reminds me other sweet, florals and I don’t get what’s special about this scent. But close I do. I don’t know that I can define it but this rises above the other scents of this genre for me. Maybe I'm just agreeable at the moment but I'm liking this one too, despite thinking I'd never go for a scent like this (I've had a good run of scents lately).

[Spring Snow]

One of my favorite frimps that I got in my latest order! This scent has a nice "cool, green" vibe to it, under the soft white florals. It is nice to wear on this hot day, and not overwhelming in the slightest. I love how it softly wafts up, rather than a lot of the "cooler" scents which may tend to smack you in the nose. It makes me think of the first rain of spring on the grass. Very fresh, very clean, very watery-green.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

hmmm.... i'm still not sure how i feel about this one.

 

on me, is mostly orchids (yay) but there's something.... that makes it just NotQuiteRight. i re-sniffed my SN Apple Blossom... and that's as sweet and true and honeysuckleish as ever.... i love mosses... so i'm guessing that the meadowsweet is what's turning this just ever so slightly away from LOVE into... like.

 

a very interesting smell. i'll hafta try this one again...

 

it reminds me of *something* but i can't... place what. something that i once wore/used/sprayed/washed with.... something i had on my dresser (but that doesn't narrow it down much)

[yeahbutnobut]

Phantom Queen

 

In the imp: orchid! The same beautiful sweet orchid as Queen Mab's. This smells very promising.

Wet on skin: orchid with hints of dry herbs, probably clover and also apple blossom.

Dry on skin: this is a lovely scent. it's dominated by that fantastic rich orchid note, full bodied and sweet, but it's contrasted nicely by a 'wildflower' scent with hints of green. I'm not familiar with hawthorn, rue and meadowsweet but I think I can smell the clover and apple blossom here-mainly clover, and apple blossom here smelling almost like apple fruit. It's a lovely outdoorsy scent, very much a scent of meadows and spring enhanced by that fabulous, deeply floral orchid note.

After a while: still as lovely as ever but now a lot lighter and drier. The orchid's still there but the apple blossom has lent its 'dry petals' aspect to the whole scent, and I think I can smell a little moss. It's a light, almost ethereal scent.

Verdict: this is a very pleasant scent, and the best bit about it is that orchid note. It's the one I adored in Queen Mab and indeed I think this queenly scent is very much like a lighter, more ghostly, less heavy version of Mab. Heady and sweet orchid with lighter, crisper notes of apple blossom, clover and meadow herbs. It's a delightfully springy scent, feminine and breezy and very pretty indeed-I still prefer Mab's richness and depth to this but I'm definitely keeping the imp of Phantom Queen.

Emoticon rating:

If you like this, try: Queen Mab, Regan

Edited September 28, 2006 by yeahbutnobut

[edenssixthday]

Phantom Queen is one of the BPAL scents that has haunted me. For several months, every time I turned around, the Lab or another BPALer was frimping me with imps of Phantom Queen. I was certain it was a sign that this was to be a special scent for me, but I could never really get into it. The pretty fruits and florals of the scent took a backseat to the moss scent, which was overwhelming and invasive. I could occasionally catch a whiff of the pretty fruity-florals hiding behind the moss, but they never took center stage. I tried Phantom Queen on several different occasions due to the excessive frimping of this scent to me, but the mossiness of the scent was always too overwhelming for me to bear.

[PilotKitten]

Hmm... a sweet floral scent overshadowed by a grassy plant note. I guess that's what meadowsweet is? I can definitely pick out the orchid in this but other than that I'm at a loss. It's a good blend, just not for me. (broken imp cap)

[margravine]

This is above all a confident scent. It's very outdoorsy and goddessy is all I can think of to say about it. After a while it smelled a bit like Anais Anais. I'm not sure what that's about. Just a general powderiness I suppose.

[The_Merf]

In the imp: This is a stronger orchid than Queen Mab, but less piure than Shadow Witch Orchid. I can detect the apple, but I'm not sure what else is mixing with the orchid.

 

Wet: Wow, at first the orchid is overwhelming. I'm testing this and SWO at the same time, and it is very difficult to tell them apart at this stage.

 

Drydown and wear: The two scents distinguish themselves. Whereas SWO and PQ are both beautiful, full-bodied florals, the apple and moss begin to mix with the black orchid in PQ and create something that smells like a more mature, spicier version of Viola. The other notes give the orchid spicy creaminess, if that makes sense.

 

So far, it seems like PQ is a stronger black orchid than QM, but SWO is the most genuine orchid of them all. I haven't tried the other notable black orchid scents yet. I'm having a hard time deciding between Phantom Queen or Shadow Witch Orchid as the imp I keep. There are differences between the blends, but they are subtle enough that, given my perfume abundance, I should really only keep one.

[Deiicide]

Phantom Queen started a lovely floral fruitish smell (perhaps the Apple Blossom, not sure) with a hint of an herbal background. I slathered some on before heading out to the movie theatres with my fiancee.

 

Afterwards though (a good two hours) it turned into baby powder on my skin. Oh well, thankful to try them but can't win them all.

 

I passed it to my Grand Mother whom it reminded me of.

[supremegoddessofall]

Barely there and very perfume-y. I mostly get florals out of this. No specific opinions.

[Naamah_Darling]

Well, in the bottle this smells very perfumey, and quite familiar. It's a light, damp, green floral that is neither too green nor too flowery, and smells clean and refreshing. A sort of shadowed, dusty, green and violet smell. I'm not familiar with the individual notes, as florals really don't do much for me, but this blend is nice.

 

I'm glad I like it, since the Morrigan was my patroness at one time, but I would have expected a scent with more blade, a bit more danger. This is very womanly and without any edge or bite to it at all. It's soft and wet and quite yielding. Appropriate enough, I suppose, as the intent was clearly to evoke the queenly aspect of this goddess.

 

On, the flowers come out, like a damp bouquet of wildflowers and the attendant greenery. There is a thick, dark purple, fleshy note in there that I am assuming is the orchid. It's dominant, sweet, and fluid. The lighter florals play around it, there's a bit of grass or moss, too, and what smells like rose. It's womanly and rich, but also new and green, a fertile, growing smell. A dark evening scent, like rain sweeping over the hills.

 

This doesn't go nasty, either. It becomes a grey, heathery, faded scent, but the flowers remain pretty fresh throughout, and it has good wear. The throw is not formidable, it's subtle, bringing to mind the adage that a good perfume should not announce itself, but should be discovered.

 

A respectable, unique perfume with enough of a traditional cant to appeal to mainstream perfume lovers and enough subtlety to appeal to fans of the unique. Worth a try for someone seeking a damp, rich floral that is sweet but not cloying, refined but sexy.

[nancybridget]

Citrus flowers - drop of lilac - kiss of berry.

[TrueStar]

I don't think I've smelled orchid before I got this, but I really like it. It smells all orchid in the bottle, but sweetens up a bit when applying and on the drydown.

 

It is a floral, but not overly girly. I like wearing this to work; it gives me a strong feminine feeling.

[Jishin]

All I got out of Phantom Queen was orchid. There was some grassiness underneath, which I liked, but it was so little that I could barely smell it.

 

It was way too powerful on me and gave me a headache very quickly. I ended up having to wash it off. I've since sent it off for a swap ... hope it works better on my friend than on me, because it strikes me as a lovely scent when it's more balanced.

[arachne]

I believe this may have been a frimp. Thanks guys!

 

This is hauntingly beautiful. I'm picky about florals, it's very love or hate. Phantom Queen, I absolutely love.

 

It starts off strong and sharp, but quickly mellows into a creamy, lush and very, very feminine floral. This has great throw and actually lasts quite a while on me.

 

I made a sabbat incense once for a Beltane ritual, and it called for apple blossom. I always wished I could bottle the scent of that incense and Beth did it for me, without even knowing it! Phantom Queen is empowering. Wear this fragrance and make a wish. I guarantee it will come true.

Edited October 23, 2006 by arachne

[QueenFae]

Soft, dark wafting black orchid blowing on a summer's evening breeze. There's a soft green back drop; I guess that would be the clover note. Very faint, creeping and delicate. Definitely feminine, and appropriate for the Phantom Queen; as this is a fleeting scent.

[aiobhan]

I just tried 2/7 Imp's from BPAL today! Phantom Queen is my favorite out of the two so far.

 

In the bottle: You can really smell the apple blossom and the red clover. It's... wild, and potent and sultry.

 

Just applied: On, the meadowsweet, orchid and apple blossom really warm up fast. It's powerful and chaotic and hot. It still is so feminine, though, dark and smelling of sex. This is one of those scents to dab on your neck and collar bone just before a date - it reeks of sexual prowess in the best way.

 

Dry: It's still warm and vibrant, but it's less like the in-your-face smell right after application. It's like you're surrounded by this Queen in all her battle glory. The apple and meadowsweet come out very nicely, and it's tart, hot, saturated with smells of power and fantasies.

 

 

And honestly, this scent makes me think of rabid sex in a field of clover. If pheromones had a detectable scent, well, this would be them.

[Brianne]

In the vial:

Airy and slightly floral

 

On me:

Okay what I thought was floral was actually a soft apple smell with herbs. It is very airy though - kind of fresh and makes me think of clean linens. The herbs do give a sort of floral impression all together, but with a more herbally edge to it and the apple lends a soft sweetness to it. Though, overall, it's what I would call a "clean" scent.

 

Nothing in particular really stands out in this blend, it all comes together very well. If this scent had a color, it would be blue-green

 

Final note:

Not a floral, not an herbal - I would classify this as a clean scent. If you like scents like Dirty, you'll probably like Phantom Queen

[filigree_shadow]

This smells like a meadow, but a pretty meadow. It smells like very gentle herbs over a background of very light florals. It's breezy and calming.

 

I like this scent quite a lot, and I think it would make an excellent room scent or linen spray. It has a fresh, clean feel to it that kind of reminds me of sheets that have been hung on the line to dry.

[nikkoblue]

I liked this one in the imp.....

 

Wet: I'm getting orchid, apple blossom and hawthorn. i'm a huge hawthorn lover so this is a plus for me.

 

Dry: pretty, but very floral in a slightly generic and overpowering way. The more it develops, the more floral it gets with the brightness of the apple blossom fading.

 

1 hour: uggggh. soap soap soap. Most things don't turn to soap of me, so I'm kind of surprised. Not for me. Too bad, it started off very nice.

[vegasblueblood]

This is a very green scent. It's like a green floral and I thought it would go very soapy on me but it didn't, just slightly. I liked it and it had a very clean scent. I don't think of the Morrigan's battle aspect with this one. It makes me think of rolling green Irish hills with flowers on them which isn't neccessarily something I'd associate with battle and sexual regeneration but nevertheless, this is a very pretty scent that, 8 hours later, is still lingering on my skin.

[bryghtrose]

In Bottle: Fresh, a little cloying, a little astringent-like witchazel, a little powdery.

 

Wet on skin: Less astringent, still fresh & powdery. The orchid is starting to come out. It reminds me of mist and fog.

 

Dry: huh? where's the scent. Oh, there it is. Very subtle. Nice, soft and flowery.

 

Overall: I got this one for the name. As a devotee of the Morrigan, how could I not? The scent didn't match up with my internal images, though. The scent I would make for the Morrigan would be stronger, darker, more firey but that's because I'm used to calling on her for help with battles. This perfume reminded me that she is also a magic goddess, one who dwells in liminal states. The subtlety of the perfume and the exotic-yet-familiar combination of orchids with apples enhances the mist and mystery.

 

I'll be wearing this more often, I'm sure. It's a delightful floral. I just wish it was stronger, and had more staying power.

[xoe]

For me Phantom Queen is mainly orchids, with a little mossiness. Very subtle. Pleasant. Feminine.