Blood Countess

[strangemodegirl]

... Corrupted black plum, smoky opium and crumbling dead roses covered by a deceptive veil of Hungarian lilac, white gardenia and wild berry.

This is one of the only blends that has rose in it that has worked for me! I am also not usually much of a floral girl, but this is such a beautiful dark and spicy one, I can't help myself!
Opium, berry and a hint of the gardenia is what I get. I smell none of the lilac or rose.
This is also one that I tend to get complimented on more than any other.

[Pika]

Wet and for the first hour, this is a really lovely, interesting floral! I think the black plum (which I notice I tend to like from other blends) gives it a subtle, fresh kick without screaming "fruit". I don't smell the berries as much. The floral notes are very nice... I like the way the gardenia peeps out without being overwhelming, and the rose didn't go powdery.

 

Drying, it got a bit cloying. Too sweet, too floral, too whatever. Not sure about this one, because I really liked the first hour. Felt to me like a perfect scent for dusk on a summer night, as the heat gives way to cooler temps and people gather to mingle in the quiet twilit garden. But the later drydown wasn't as nice. Will have to think on this one.

[enderfem]

Imp: It actually does smell largely of dead roses, which I kind of like, I can also pick out the plum and berry notes. Nice in the imp.

 

Wet: Wow. This has gotten darkly sweet, more dead roses but also the black plum. Kind of smells like...rotting or maybe dried flowers, but in a good, sweet way.

 

Drydown: Oh man, I love this. It stays the same as the wet stage, has decent throw and staying power, and is just really nice and different.

[CrazyPretzel]

There is no cinnamon in the listed notes.... so why does this smell so much like Harlot to me?

 

Wet, this is definitely a spicy rose, and when it's dry the plum comes out quite strongly. Ultimately it's a sort of potpourri-ish scent that doesn't really dazzle on me, so I'll swap it.

[MaeKitty]

In the bottle: Roses and Berry! OMG! Maybe a slight bit of the lilac

On Me: Whoa. This is the epitome of that tangy rose that I don't particularly enjoy. Luckily, it warms up when worn into something very red and juicy. I can smell the plum now, which is giving scent a bit of richness. The lilac also manages to tone down the rose a bit, and take away from the tang. Definitely a bold and dramatic scent.

[donnatron]

Imp: Mostly berry and plum with a touch of opium (I think. I can cross-reference the scent from Event Horizon).

 

Wet: Off the bat, this does not smell dramatic, threatening, or anything like what I'd imagine the real Bathory would smell like. My skin is super excited by the abundance of fruits, and so I can only smell the plum and berries.

 

Dry: Once the fruit dries down, this turns into one of my favourite BPALs. The fruit is still a top note, but I cath whiffs of opium, the rose lends a dusty sweetness, and the sweeter florals just sort of swirl around the whole scent. It's a really complex, dramatic scent. It draws to mind red velvet curtains.

 

Throw: A few feet.

 

Overall: This is such a beautiful scent. It's dramatic enough for evening, but also classical enough to wear to a meeting. It's dramatic, seductive and just a beautiful scent to annoint oneself with. The lasting power is also phenomenal. I adore this scent (you will too?).

Edited April 13, 2008 by paperrose

[lainevierge]

This barely smelled like anything to me. When I did finally smell something it was the faint odor of flowers, and florals are not me, so the Countess was swapped away.

[fairnymph]

In the bottle: Red wine and dark fruit (berries), but not too sweet or boozy. A little spicy.

 

Wet: Spicier - definitely that opium, which adds gorgeous dark depth without being too incensey or overwhelming. Very berry-fruity, but still not sweet or cloying. Very faint florals - I wouldn't have guessed gardenia or lilac.

 

Dry: Okay, I think a little cinnamon or some spice along those lines is coming out, and it seems to be taking over. And there's a hint of clean yummy lilac emerging.

 

Summary: Spicy (definitely an edible spice, maybe clove on top of cinnamon) opium on the dry down with only faint hints of flowers and berries. Bizarre morphing!

 

This doesn't really work for me, alas.

Edited April 15, 2008 by fairnymph

[mhickle]

This is weird! I would have sworn cherries and cinnamon, but then when I looked at the notes, neither is listed!

 

As soon as I applied it, I got the smell of sweet cherries, and shortly thereafter a spicy cinnamon started coming out, and it ended up as a soft cinnamon scent, with the cherries going waaaay back into the background.

 

So, a little crazy on me! But I really like it!

[Valtristus]

Upon opening the bottle, all I could smell was roses. Deep, dark roses and perhaps a hint of smoke, which struck me as odd. On my skin, it mellowed quickly and seemed to lighten as the lilac came to the surface. Dark, sweet but very mellow on me. I love it! I only wish I could have gotten a whiff of the berries.

[ErinZ]

Wet in imp:

pungent, spiced fruit

 

Wet on skin:

booze, fruit, musty rose, and lilac

 

Drydown:

boozy floral - very pretty for a while, but then parts of it I can't quite pin down amped up and became too strong (it may be the musty rose and booze)

 

Wearlength:

going strong 8 hours later

 

Final impression:

We had a few good minutes together, but then the Blood Countess overpowered me.

[taramarie]

On me, Blood Countess is just plum and berry. I'm a little disappointed that the other notes aren't showing, but this is still a nice summer scent.

[darharper]

I got this as a frimp from a forum purchase. Thank you! I would have never thought of trying this as it isn't really the notes I like.

 

In imp: Sweet, juicy, berries. Ripe and ready for picking.

 

Wet: Very sweet and fruity. Smells like raspberry yogurt pie. I like the smell, but, I don't like smelling like food, really.

 

Dry: The drydown is lovely. The other notes come out to play and darken the overall scent. I smell like wicked berries. A sweetness tainted by darkness. It is very alluring. Every once and awhile, I catch a whiff of a spice (not sure what it is, but, I like it) and it makes me feel very sexy. I put this on yesterday after my shower. After dressing and the like, I went downstairs to have breakfast. As I walked by my husband, he said "What are you wearing? That is bad girl sex incarnate!" I have to get a big bottle of this!

 

The throw is good for the first two hours. After that, it becomes a lingering skin scent. Staying power is pretty good as well.

 

I am finding that fruits combined with spices work really well on me. Leave it to BPAL to open up new doors!

[gchris]

in Vial: sweet apples

wet: still sweet apples. Smells more like apples blossom than the fresh fruit.

Dry: Creamy and light.

[brsis]

Initial thoughts: Rose. Crap. Why do I keep picking scents with rose in them?

 

I really want this to work on me just based on the concept - ah, Countess Bathory, in my teenage Goth phase I spent a lot of time reading up on you - and eyeing up the list of notes, I want this to work even more. I'm really hoping the gardenia and the plum come forward, and the rose doesn't mess it up too much for me.

 

In the imp: Gardenia and plum! \o/

 

Okay, I can kinda get the 'berry' and maybe the lilac (Can't really remember what lilac smells like) but the gardenia and the plum are very prominent. I now remember why I sniffed this at a friends house and immediately went DO WANT.

 

On the wrist, wet: That's potent. Hmmm... gardenia, yes, an unidentified floral (Must be the lilac) but the berries are coming forward more than the plum. Strange. Oooh, but this IS good... incredibly good, in fact. I'm pretty much sold on a bottle now, and I'm REALLY hoping it doesn't do anything stupid in the drydown.

 

Twenty minutes later: Potent, but very nice. Gardenia, lilac - a hint of rose 'fuzz' - and while the plum isn't very strong, the sweet, ripe squishy red berry note is quite prominent. This is strong, but it's got great character. It's sassy and playful, not overly sweet but not overly womanly either. I'm really liking it!

 

Verdict: Keeper, and a bottle before too long methinks.

 

Tl;Dr: Fresh gardenia and lilac with a hint of rose, hovering over sweet ripe red berries.

[coldandsleepy]

In the imp: fruity. Very fruity. I definitely get a big slice of berries along with the plum.

 

On me, wet: ah, there's the opium. Mmm. Opium. Now it's opium and berries, with just a hint of rose.

 

On me, dry: the lilac starts to come out on me as this dries down, and not in the best of ways. It's oddly harsh smelling. Harsh lilac? Kinda weird. The rest of the scent hangs out, though, which I like just fine.

 

Throw and duration: good throw, but shortish duration on me. (Maybe 5 hours.) This is weird as these are all notes that generally stick to me like glue.

 

Overall: I like it! It's probably not going to be one of my favorites any time soon, but it does smell very nice.

[alicia_stardust]

This is smoky plum and opium with a red vein of wild berry that shoots through it. It's really remarkable and beautiful. Feminine, sinister, voluptuous, sassy.

[SheCreature]

Oh My God.

 

On me, this is luscious, fat, swollen plums so full of juice they're almost splitting their skins. Behind that is a twirl of dirty purple-grey incense and when I really suck it up a bouquet of dried, dead, dusty flowers very faintly in the background. It actually makes me want to take a chunk out of my arm, which would no doubt be a huge disappointment as though it would certainly be red and juicy, wouldn't taste of the gorgeous fruit I'd be expecting.

 

I ADORE this, if I was someone else I'd totally want to do me about now. Definitely getting a bottle.

[Astarial]

In the imp, it's very floral... but is that something slithering under there? But it's gone now... hiding again.

 

On me, the gardenia stands out at first, with a touch of berry. The rose soon comes out to join it, and I can definitely smell the slithering thing again. I can't quite place it, but it turns the lovely floral into something dark and sinister.

 

Mmm, as it dries further, it gets spicier. Delicious, but still with that undertone of something's wrong. That part is getting juicier though, so I'm guessing it's the plum.

 

It's a lovely scent, but I'm not quite sure what I think of it on me. I'll see how it morphs over the next few hours before coming to a verdict.

[Iceblink]

Nicely fruity when wet but the drydown is almost all gardenia on me and gardenia is a note of doooooooooooooooooooooooom. The opium's trying to break through but the gardenia's all I'M IN UR IMP MAKIN U STINK. Dammit.

[tinyvulture]

this smells like a fruity, spicy potpourri, with a few flower petals thrown in for good measure. i mostly smell the plum and berries, with the lilac and gardenia in the background. i’m usually good at picking out rose or opium notes, but i don’t notice them here. my skin really amps the fruits, which just keep getting sweeter and sweeter. a pretty, home-y, comforting scent.

[Brighid]

In the bottle: Cherry gummy bears and Red Hots.

 

 

On, wet: this is what would probably happen if cherry gummy bears and Cinnamon Bears mated.

 

 

On, dry: Lilacs and roses, with a spicy undertone.

 

There is no cinnamon listed in this blend. WHY am I getting cinnamon? For that matter, there's no cherry or eau de cherry gummy bear, either, so... yeah, I'm baffled.

 

 

After all that, though, I ended up liking it. I love lilacs, and there are definitely not enough scents around containing that note.

[NixieCakes]

I love love love LOVE the Countess. I was afraid of the rose in this, but I actually dont notice the rose at all. The 2 things that stand out the most are the opium and the plum. It kind of reminds me of a more grown up version of this black opium oil I used to wear as a teen. I really am in love.

[inurbanus]

Blood Countess is rose, wine, and something sour. It reminds me very strongly of Bordello -- I think the plum note is the same in both of them, since the two blends share a thin Kool-Aid quality. I really wanted to like this, but I don't think it's me. It smells too much like potpourri, and there are notes clashing in the background, which makes this a no-go.

 

3/5

[ouch!]

Whoa....lots of dark juicy plum & spicy berries.

 

I'm a sucker for berry scents and I think this rocks. I wanna describe it as vampire berries. This definately makes a statement.

I can smell the gardenia in here which usually takes over everything but here it's behaving..

 

This to me (and this is a good thing) reminds me of a yankee candle. A hollyberry kind of smell. There's a hell of alot of spice here too. I think it's gorgeous and dark and deep. And right now I'm wanting a bottle for sure.

It also reminds me a little bit of Body Shop's Dewberry perfume. It's in the same vein.

 

Close up it's very heady, and has alot of throw.

 

It sweetens up much much more after a while and loses some of the deep/dark quality but keeps the spice slightly.

 

I LIKE this alot!