Bastet

[bookishgrrl]

... Luxuriant amber, warm Egyptian musk, fierce saffron and soft myrrh, almond, cardamom and golden lotus.

In the imp: odd, I think I smell honey? Hard to say because most of the 'honey' scents I like also have almond in them... maybe my sniffer is cross-wired

Wet on skin: Honeyed almond. The kind with the faint whiff of maraschino cherries about it...

Initial Dry: The almond/maraschino cherry smell heads back almost immediately, and a super sweet floral and some musky spices start making their way to the forefront. This is the first thing I've tried with amber in it, so I'm not sure if the spicyness is amber or the egyptian musk. Either way it smells nice.

Later: Soft sweet musky spice. A hint of powderiness develops at the bottom of this, but it's not too offensive.

Final Verdict: This is a very soft golden girly scent to me... good for days I feel quiet and snuggly. Don't think I need a bottle, but the imp is definitely going into the rotation!

[pickman's model]

I was a bit nervous while this was on its way, after a bout of nastiness with Scheherezade's saffron. Almond is hit or miss on me, as is musk, but amber and honey are always a good idea.

 

In the imp: Hello in there, almonds! I see you have some spicy friends along. Hope you play nice.

 

Wet: Almondy, but the amber and spices balance it out, with the honey for once not rushing to the forefront, singing at the top of its lungs and being in general and attention whore. There's saffron. It's being perfectly behaved, just gorgeous.

 

Dry: Warm, sweet, spicy and very feline. A cat sitting elegantly in the sun. Balanced really well, with a good throw.

 

Also: Awesome if layered with Bengal.

[arabella]

First Impression: Spices and amber.

 

Dries down to: Mellows out a bit but the scent doesn't change essentially.

 

Additional Comments: This one stays true throughout except that it becomes creamier and sweeter with time. It's so nice to have a spicy blend without cinnamon or cloves in it. I love almond, cardamom and lotus. Amber is one of my 'holy grail' notes - it always seems to work on me. I'm not as familiar with saffron and myrrh but they certainly don't detract from this scent. Definitely another keeper.

 

Lasted: A few hours.

 

Rating: 4 out of 5

[lysistrata]

In the vial: Almond extract.

 

On me, wet: Deeper almond extract. Again with the amber and musk. God, I love them. The lotus and saffron gradually emerge to spice up the almond a little, and the amber does a nice job of keeping it fresh. It's gradually turning gold. The saffron is quite strong.

 

On me, dry: It's becoming more spicy-Egyptian as the myrrh comes in, but the almonds are still there sweetening it up. There's also a freshness to it. Nice.

 

Verdict: Sweeter than Haunted, spicier than Velvet, but with a little of the spirit of both. It has a slight danger of veering a little too cat pee (oh Bastet! bad kitty!) so I have to be careful how I wear this, but I really love the almond and saffron here.

[kunoichi]

There is an almond scent in Bastet, which I only realised after reading a few comments and smelling it from the vial again. It wasn't like Dana O'Shee which was obvious it was almond scented to me, but the almond is there. It's got some other scent mixed in with the almond, which disguises it somewhat to my nose.

 

After it's been on me, though, the almond scent disappears and I'm left with something soft and a little sweet. Not sugary sweet, just soft and slightly sweet. I'm not sure what it is, though. It's nice and gentle on me.

 

I'm really glad I don't smell the myrrh, because like in Athens (and the sniff I had of Lilith) it's so strong and smells awful to me. Bastet isn't like that!! It's a nice scent to my sense of smell.

[damuddymeg]

imp: almond-y and golden.

 

wet: almonds, with hints of musk and cardamom.

 

dry: Eventually, the almonds fade into the background. What I'm left with is warm amber and musk and myrrh, with a lickable trace of spices. Warm and sexy.

[kiio]

Bastet is "whoa, almonds!" in the imp. The scent is almost over power, but a few seconds on my skin and the almond is gone, gone, gone. It quickly dries down into a golden, musky scent. Nice.

[Nekomata]

Warm and almondy dry, this blend dries down to a sweet spiciness on my skin. It's very golden in scent and feeling, and not overly musky. A very comforting scent.

[Elrianra]

In the bottle, almonds and amber with a soft musk and a spicy saffron-bathed lotus. Once on me, the almonds fade a bit, letting amber, cardamom and musk tangle together while the lotus and myrrh overlay that in a smoky light floral. Dry, the saffron is a spicy note that mixes well with the cardamom, myrrh, almonds and musk to make a heady base that the lotus and amber can sweep over and soften. Both fierce and gentle, this blend warms to something exotic, spicy, and familiar and almost a tangible mental image comes with this scent. Oooh, yes, we have a winner!

[theseagrows]

bastet is another spicy floral that i love. it's very warm and musky, and the lotus isn't too promiment, like it has been in other scents where it gets the bubblegum-y smell. i wouldn't even know lotus was in here if i just sniffed it. a possible big bottle purchase.

[mirutai]

In the imp: Strong sweet almond, with a hint of something darker underlying it

 

Wet: Sweet almond, a hint of saffron/spice

 

Dry: Warm and foody, with almond still predominating but balanced more by the musk and amber

 

This is warming, without being _too_ akin to standing in a Turkish bakery. It's still probably a little too foody (almonds) for my particular tastes... I wanted to love it because, you know, Bastet and cats and all, but I have to conclude that I wouldn't wear this very often.

 

It _is_ a perfect evocation of the goddess, though!

[moonarcana]

reviewed courtesy of Quikslver's GC circle swap

 

 

Bastet

 

first sniff: omg! Almonds and spice! This is the one in the packet that I was most eager to try...and so far it meets my expectation.

 

tested wet: now I can smell the amber and musk, the Almonds are taking a back seat as the oil settles into my skin.

 

tested dry: As it dries, the scent develops into a gorgeous harmony...I can actually pick up most of the fragrance notes listed in the description but not one of them is more predominate than any other.

 

conclusion: I've already ordered a bottle!

 

5/5

[valentina]

Ah, the cat! I was very excited to try Bastet. In the imp, I smelled almost pure, sharp almond, with some sweetness underneath. Once on my skin, it was more sharp almond, and I was concerned, because while I love almonds, the aroma is one that my body chemistry amps mightily.

 

But not to fear, the other components begin to emerge upon drydown. Short-term (15-30 minutes), I get a lot of sweetness, cardamom and saffron along with the almond, producing a smell akin to a really yummy middle eastern pastry. Long-term, the pale musk and amber arise and take their places, producing a gorgeously spicy, complex scent. It is sweet with an edge that is almost pungently spicy. It is no surprise to me that this is such a beloved scent, because it truly is a beautiful juxtaposition that is great fun to wear. I can imagine it smells just a bit different on everyone, for it is independent, just like the cat!

Edited June 20, 2006 by valentina

[filigree_shadow]

Mostly almond at first, and then amber and saffron. This is a beautiful golden scent, and I think it's very fitting for Bastet. I can see why this oil is so popular, it's lovely. It gets pretty light after about an hour, but it lasts quite a while.

[themerrybaker]

Bastet is one of my staple bottles, but I was surprised to find that it does not contain honey. The effect is a silky honey-sweet comforting golden aura. It is very feminine and words hardly do it justice:

 

 

 

I think I'd like to be handfasted

To my little vial of Bastet

The bestest oil to scent my wrist

If Discontinued I'll be pissed!

 

Edited June 27, 2006 by themerrybaker

[kakiphony]

In the imp: Sweet almonds.

 

Wet on skin: Sweet almonds with another sweet underton undertone -- like cherry-almond soap. I suspect that other sweet thing is the lotus, but it's not full-on bubble gum the way some lotus is.

 

Early dry down: The almonds are softening and the spices are giving it a mellow, almost powdery aspect. But this is delicious edible body powder, not baby powder.

 

Late dry down: This continued to mellow and spice as the day progressed. The almond merged with the spices and lotus to become a subtle, lady-like, slightly floral but incredibly edible sweetness.

 

Conclusion: Ding! Ding! We have a winner!!!!

[Rouge]

A luscious and languorous scent that fairly drips with rich, golden notes.

 

In the bottle – A warm and golden sweetness like oats or wheat is the most noticeable element here. I would almost use the word “biscuity”. It’s comforting, rich and delicious.

 

Wet on the skin – The sweetness dissolves quickly leaving warm round tones that retain the spiciness of the amber and saffron.

 

Dry down – A very light floral note emerges, along with a thick, luscious honey scent. The biscuity note lingers the longest on my skin, and wafts very satisfactorily with every movement of my wrist.

 

This is good alternative to Queen of Sheba if you find Her Majesty a little too overpowering or almondy for your tastes.

[luna65]

Thanks to nursekins for the imp.

 

Imp: I love the way Bastet smells in the imp, mostly almond, but the saffron and the cardamom keep that note from completely taking over in the blend.

 

Skin: My chemistry really amps musk, so I don't get the same Hello Saffron! reaction I get from Underpants. The amber and the myrrh are lending their respective heat as well.

 

Drydown: This is beautiful: rich and warm, definitely my type of scent. If anything, the lotus never becomes readily apparent on me, unless the golden type is more spicy, in which case it just melds with all concerned. It's a fragrance fit for a (cat) goddess!

[Dymphna]

Bastet. Oh, Bastet, how I love you! Get ready for a gushing review, guys.

 

In the imp: I ordered an imp of Bastet despite the almond (which usually goes sickeningly sweet marzipan on me) and amber (which is usually okay but sometimes old lady/powdery) because, well, it's Bastet. How could I not at least try an oil named for Her? And if I didn't like it, I knew I could pass it along to my best friend, who also has a healthy appreciation for Bastet. When I opened the imp and took my first sniff (and then immediately passed it to my friend), I knew it was different. Sweet almonds, yes, but not tooth-achingly sweet. Amber, yes, but not powdery amber. And it's spicy, yes, but not burn-your-skin-off-cinnamon spicy. It smelled good.

 

Wet: On my skin, I get a meltingly warm, sweet, spicy scent. I have to stress again that this is not the kind of sweetness that screams OMG STICKY SWEET CANDY YUM! That always goes to stale dust on me. This is more like the sweet warmth of...home. I usually get a mental image when I smell BPAL (and other) scents. For this one, I got a very clear picture of--don't laugh--an anthropomorphic mama cat. Brownish-black fur, a white face, and a homey-looking dress and shawl. (I said don't laugh!) She's bringing a hot cup of tea to one of her sweet little kittens that's feeling a bit under the weather. There's a fire crackling cheerfully in the fireplace. All is warm and safe and comfortable.

 

Dry: Bastet just gets better the longer I wear it. Fully dry, it's warm amber and spicy-sweet cardamom. The almond fades into the background and the musk and myrrh sloooowly begin to surface. The scent lasts a long time, but after several hours, or overnight, it mellows to just a faint trace of warm, spicy sweetness with a base of clean myrrh and deep, soft musk.

 

Bastet is amazing. It's my absolute heavy-duty comfort scent. It smells like a cat's fur feels, soft and warm. And it feels like pure, fierce mother-love, feline style. On one of the worst days I ever had, I came home, put on my favorite nightie and slathered myself in Bastet. Immediately, I felt cuddled and cared for and protected. It's like wearing a hug.

 

(Edited because I was stupid and forgot to mention the myrrh.)

Edited August 6, 2006 by Dymphna

[dierne]

In the imp - Sweet marzipan and fruit. I don't like marzipan, this should be interesting...

 

Wet on skin - Ok, so instant hit of marzipan that fades into glowing fruit toned alcohol ...

 

Dry on skin - There's still marzipan but it's a warm glow, more of a petit fours than commercial tacky marzipan. It's overlaid with and exotic spicy floral ... it's definitely getting better.

 

Later - now, it's a dry heated sweetly, spiced floral, with only a hint of that floral. Mostly you get a rich warmth...

Do I like this? Not sure yet.

Edited August 11, 2006 by dierne

[blackfelicula]

Golden luxury in a bottle! Wet, I get the same cherry/almond note that others describe. Once it dries down, it is like honeyed amber. Bastet can be subtle on me. If I want it to have more throw, I can amp it up beautifully by layering it with some Spiritual Sky brand Amber oil.

 

One day while wearing Bastet, I noticed that it smelled exactly like the natural smell of a cat would if it were deified. If you have some Bastet around, I urge you to try it! Take a deep whiff of clean cat tummy, then imagine it taken to a higher level: purified and exalted. Then smell Bastet.

 

I have a bottle of this one on the way!

[JeffBuckleyFan]

Straight marzipan. It reminds me of my German relatives at Christmas. I really don't like Marzipan, so this is not the scent for me. Very foody.

[edenssixthday]

Bastet - When I first apply this scent, all I smell is the sharp, pervasive scent of sweet almond. It overwhelms everything else. As the almond wears off (which only takes a few minutes), it leaves behind the most incredibly smooth and warm amber and saffron scent. It is very soft, with very little throw, but it's really mellow and soothing. I really like this scent and can see myself wearing it during cozy evenings at home.

[maproot]

Bastet was I believeone of the many imps the lab included with my order, and I was hoping for something warm to wear while I drift off to dreamland. I think this is it. the spiciness is really enchanting, ...so many imps left to try in my ammo box, but this might be worth ordering a bottle.

 

However, after an hour or so, it seems like it's disappeared from me unless my wrist is permanently attached to my nose:)

 

Am getting a whiff of amber-not too strong-good good dont know about cherry-just a soft glow sexy kind of scent. I might have to get a bottle cause this imp will go quickly.I love the spiciness,and will reappy and resniff.Thumbs up!

[alayni]

I agree with everyone who said cherry-almond was the first note out of the bottle. It almost smells like almond extract! As it settled, it's turned into golden amber and the lotus is just peeking out. Funnily enough, it takes me back to my trip to Egypt two years ago. Looking at the recreated paintings of the Egyptian queens, I could see thm wearing this scent, as they lay on barges floating down the Nile getting fanned. hm, where's my barge and slave boy?