The Initiatrix

[Ina Garten Davita]

Guiding the aspirant to spiritual knowledge and attainment through silence, reflection, intuition, and direct experience.

Red benzoin and rose.

Beth continues to evolve as an artist. This collection is unique, and beautiful, complex, and stunning.

THIS THIS THIS!!! A scent with rose that I can adore, and wear with reckless abandon. She is so gorgeous. Smooth, creamy, feminine, this combination of red benzoin and rose is a winner. The creamy benzoin is the first thing I noticed. I didn't even realize this had rose until after a few minutes. Then she appears, but is kept well in check by the benzoin. It's like the perfect vanilla rose. I'm going to wear the hell out of this.

Reminiscent of a softer, creamier Crucible of Courage, which has long been a favorite of mine.

If you don't like rose, give this one a try, you may find yourself pleasantly surprised and loving the rose perfume life!

[tarotgirl99]

This reminds me most of BPAL's Hope, that sweet blast of vanilla rose. I can also smell Crucible of Courage, but I like it better.

 

This has some serious, serious throw and lasts and lasts. I may need to buy a bottle of this. Not all roses work on me but this one definitely does. The Benzoin stabilizes the potent rose of the Initiatrix, serves as a guide, so the power is more hand-in-glove than overt.

[zankoku_zen]

Smooth, resinous red rose. It reminds me to BPTPs Red Rose blend, but less spicy. More smooth resins and dark red rose. Lush, sophisticated. Good throw and wear length.

[annemathematics]

a sweet plump creamy vanillic base under a fleeting hint of rose. the rose quickly recedes and I have something close to carnaval diabolique's hope or frau bei der selbstbefriedigung bath oil. I felt a tinge of disappointment due entirely to my hopes and expectations that this would be a stronger and darker rose blend. shoving aside said expectations, this is a nice and accessible vanilla scent for those who only want to flirt with the rose note and not spend the night together. very pretty and feminine.

[spookyumbrella]

A creamy, smooth, simple vanilla rose. One of the softer High Priestess scents I've tried.

[LizziesLuck]

Wet: I love sweet sugary rose scents. This has a bit of a twist. The benzoin smells like a syrupy vanilla in this. It's so pretty. Sweet, innocent. I told myself no more sugary rose scents, I have enough. But this just jumped in my cart!

 

 

Dry: This seems to be one of those "much more than the sum of its parts" sort of perfumes. I don't know that I have ever smelled red benzoin before, but it's the star here. It comes across as a rich, syrupy, sugary vanilla. It blends perfectly with the rich rose. I had almost convinced myself that I didn't need to keep this because Un, Cinq and Hope are all sugary rose scents I own, but I don't know if I an part with this....I sense some death matches coming up.

[Casablanca]

The Initiatrix keeps a similar balance on my skin through its phases: a little red rose warming and cheering things, but a more prominent creamy, vanilla benzoin as others have described it. It's still resinous, just with even more of a calm vanilla than I usually notice from benzoin.

 

I don't get it from the bottle, but on my skin, now and then I get a soft, almost tart, reddish fruity tone that reminds me, more than anything, of cranberries. It's subtle and seems to contribute to the "red" benzoin-rose impression, while adding a bit of fruity vibe. Basically, I've been surprised now and then to sniff this and think, "Kinda fruity? Red fruits? What's this?"

 

But primarily this stays a creamy benzoin, with whiffs of red rose that come and go.

[Aveya]

So I love Hope. I loved Katrina Van Tassel way back when. I love Rose. But I have trouble wearing it because it AMPS like there's no tomorrow.

 

On first apply this is 100% RED ROSE in your face. It amps on me - for sure. But it's got a softer edge to it during the amp'd early-apply stage than other blends. Something extra red and rich and sweet. Then within no time, the rose tames down and the creamy vanilla benzoin God of my Heart comes out, and sweetens it up. It's not like Hope, to me. It's not sugary and super sweet - it's notably a creamy vanilla-sweet.

 

But the beauty of this one is about three-five hours in. And all that's left on your skin is a soft, sensual glow of a sweet vanilla-resin rose as you could never have dreamed it. The drydown gives me the same mood-lift that the laaaate drydown on Dee gives me (not the same scent though, all mood). I'm excited to wear this one to work - start of the day a powerful bold rose, and then end the day with a relaxing creamy beauty.

 

This isn't very complex to me - It's straightforward and beautiful. It's got a slight spark in there that reminds me of some of the red musks, but more in spirit than actual smell. It has a sultry edge that marries the vanilla/rose combo in a way that's adult and beautiful. And while benzoin's creamy-sweet body keeps things tempered, there's still a sharp wetness of a red rose petal through the whole thing.

 

Really beautiful for me. Probably a bottle buy. I can see this being a daily work-wear for me.

Edited July 21, 2018 by Aveya

[lady_pandora]

I really love this, but...really really close to Pink Fuzzy Handcuffs on me. It's that fluffy sweet vanilla rose vibe. What sorts of kinky things is the Priestess putting in that initiation ritual?

[artisjok]

Never thought I was interested in rose scents until I started trying the lab's sweet interpretations!

Initiatrix is like benzoin was soaking in a rose oil bath and then I slathered it on my skin once it came out of the steamy rose room. With the humidity we're experiencing here, the scent wafted around me so beautifully. The sweet resiny creaminess of the benzoin is so beautiful with rose. I'm in love~

 

*gives in to the romantic=rose stereotype*