Poetry

[suki]

In Paradise, when thou wert born in the first rose, beneath the Tree of Knowledge, thou receivedst a kiss, and thy right name was given thee-thy name, Poetry.

 

Ancient threads of frankincense winding through saffron and orange flower, Siamese benzoin and jasmine sambac, sweet balsam and vetiver.

In The Bottle: Light frankincense, a little bit of saffron and the sweet resin of the benzoin bringing up the rear.

Wet On Skin: Oh wow! Hi Neroli! Neroli, which I'm betting is the same as orange flower, is now right out front, and I like it! Florals don't often do well for me, but neroli essential oil is a favorite, so I took a chance when I ordered this, that it might work out and so far, so good!

Dry Down: This is primarily the orange flower which is now weighted by the jasmine, giving it a really heady vibe. The benzoin is a nice bottom note for the whole enterprise to ground it. The other notes never showed up for me, and the saffron disappeared.

In All: a must for floral obsessives and those that like their scents dreamy.

[Jenjin]

The florals completely overpower all the other notes for me. Just after application I was hopeful, yet after drydown I'm only getting a Jasmine note and I'm really missing the resins and orange blossom. If you love and can wear Jasmine, do not hesitate. This one is very fresh.

[aphrodite]

just orange flower for days on me. the jasmine may be giving the headiness some oomph, but jasmine (sambac included) is in my top two notes, and i'm not detecting any of its usual characteristics other than the overall headiness.

[Atrous]

First, I Jasmine and this scent is for Jasmine lovers.

A strong, heady Jasmine that stays grounded to a strata of Frankincense and Vetiver.

I detect a bit of orange blossom that's adds wisps of citrus to the Jasmine.

Once dried down completely I get a balsam-like quality to the overall scent.

 

Really, really love this.

[SophieCedar]

Something reminded me of the "old books" smell from bpal... have I unlocked the secrets of how they formulate old books and parchment notes??!?!

 

Saffron is notable, as well as jasmine sambac (which I call The Nice Jasmine). Orange flower continues to brighten into drydown.. this is a lovely frankincense old books smell. But, sweet old books, not moldy ones.... Anyone loving these 2 notes should definitely give this a spin!

[zankoku_zen]

Jasmine, frankincense, saffron and orange flower. This one smells strongly of resins on the background, with notes of jasmine, saffron and with a burst of orange flower. Oriental floral is how I'd best categorize this. Good throw and wear length.

[JazzieCazzie]

Just got my order that was a combination of decants from Phoenixes and Yules and figured I'd work my way VERY slowly through them and actually, you know, review them.

 

I was VERY intrigued by the notes in Poetry, enough so that I ordered two imps. I knew, on paper, pretty much every note was something I liked or loved, but also knew that sometimes vetiver goes wonky on me, AND knew that there were different jasmines, some which I adored, but didn't know the terminology (thank you, SophieCedar ... now I know that jasmine sambac IS INDEED "The Nice Jasmine"!)

 

When I uncapped it to sniff, I was pretty much transported back to when I got my very first BPAL order, which I'd narrowed my first reading of the scent list down to after literally HOURS ... among that trio was Twilight, and that has remained a scent which I think of as "very BPAL" ... and for some reason on first uncapped imp sniff this reminded me a lot of that one.

 

While I might have hoped that notes such as frankincense, saffron and/or benzoin would have been a little more prevalent, on me this became the JASMINE show with a few other notes making subtle background chorus line appearances.

 

But because this is The Nice Jasmine, that is not a bad thing! For the first 15 minutes or so, after applying it to my wrist and into the crook of my arm (I do that so I get a dry skin and moister skin double test), the jasmine was amping big time.

 

Now that it's dried, I'd say it's still VERY predominantly jasmine on me, but the other notes tamp it down a little bit and give it a nice incensey vibe.

 

It reminds me a lot of one of my favorite teenage scents, Love's Musky Jasmin Flower (NOT Love's Soft Jasmin which was way too sweet and girly for me, and yes, they spelled it without the "e" for some reason). Images of getting ready for high school dances and parties where high hopes of finding true (one-month at least) love was usually dashed but damn I smelled good when I left the house.

 

I have a read a few other reviews from people who have said the jasmine did not amp a lot on them, so this is definitely a "YMMV" scent based on body chemistry.

 

I really love this scent on me. It's complex but also brings me back in time to simple (reasonably happy) times ... I have two full imps and considered briefly ordering a bottle, but the only reason I did not (other than the fact that there were three other scents I got, to be reviewed soon, that simply DEMANDED AND REQUIRED full bottle buys) is that I understand that jasmine is one of those really divisive scents where people either love it or hate it ... because of that, I am not sure how comfortable I'd feel wearing this out at a social event or with others (I'm of an older generation and usually when I'm with a group, it's a bunch of similarly post-menopausal women who are cranky and opinionated just like I am) ...

 

That's just me. I've got enough bad qualities that I want my scent to be subtle when I'm playing with others just so I don't give them yet another reason to not want to be around me LOLOL.

 

However, I do plan on applying this when I'm home working on my own because I love how it smells on me ... and if it happens to be part of an upcoming BPTP release in something like, say, bath oil, I wouldn't hesitate to buy it.

 

If you love -- or even like -- jasmine, try to get your hands on some of this ...

[joopjoop]

I have a feeling that this is a scent that will age beautifully. Right now, on me, it is primarily a Jasmine scent, with an incense background and a little neroli that sweetens things up a bit. After a few hours the jasmine sambac fades a bit and the other notes - particularly the saffron and the benzoin start to shine a little more, hinting that with some age, the whole blend may deepen and become more complex and heady.

 

If you are a jasmine lover, then Poetry is a real winner right out of the gate. It is a gorgeous jasmine, but for me, I wish that it weren't so dominant for so much of it's wear-time. I may try to get my hands on another decant to age, but I don't think it is bottle worthy (when my list is already so long)!

[blu°]

This was the one anniversary blend I was immediately drawn to, but I almost did not order it, thinking I might have been mistaken for some reason. I wasn't.

 

Poetry is soft and sweet, very well blended, no one note that overpowers all the others. The jasmine is noticeable, but so is the orange flower. They are both softened, nestled into a fluffy incensey bed of saffron and frankincense. I don't really smell the benzoin, balsam and vetiver, because I've just had a cold and my nose is still a little stuffed. I guess those latter notes are there, balancing out the composition.

 

Poetry is a high-end quality floral incense. Sweet and intriguing top notes and a deep, mysterious base that will only grow deeper and richer with age.

 

I really like this and am glad I decided to buy that bottle. Kinda wished I had bought two or three.

 

ETA: I am enjoying this blend a lot. It reminds me of something, some time when I must've worn jasmine. Nothing specific, but it makes me happy together with the first very subtle hints at winter being almost over in the air outside.

 

Seriously, this blend is mysterious and deep yet soft and fluffy. No sharp edges, nothing that hurts my respiratory system (I'm very sensitive to fragrance and lots of cosmetic smells make me sick), just softly sexy incensey flowers. It is a bit light. With most BPAL I only apply from the rim or the cap, but that didn't last long with Poetry, so I applied a bit more generously later in the day.

 

It really makes me happy like smelling the first blossoming buds in spring.

Edited January 27, 2017 by blu°

[Blood onmy hands]

I love jasmine when it's not soapy or intensely sour, and the jasmine here is pretty, heady, heavy, warm, honeyed, yellow, decadent jasmine with a slightly weedy, dark green undertone. I was worried about the vetiver, but it's thankfully not showing up to the party. I get hints of orange flower, which smells like bright, juicy orange more than orange blossoms or neroli, and the saffron and benzoin add a warm, rich, powdery, spicy, resinous sweetness.
Heady jasmine with a brightness from the orange flower, all wrapped up in a deep, resinous, spicy warmth.

[Zorra]

For a few seconds there was more than just jasmine. Then for an hour: straight jasmine and nothing else. After that hour something else gets a chance, I think it's the balsam. I would have liked to smell some of the other notes as well, but my skin seems to have eaten them.