Bathsheba

[kakiphony]

The Seventh Daughter, Daughter of the Oath. She was King David’s lover, and the mother of King Solomon. Her scent is breathtakingly lovely, exotic and powerfully sensual in its innocence: carnation, sensual plum, and Arabian musk.

In the imp: Carnations. i.e. the cheapest floral arrangement you can buy, bringing back memories of high school fundraisers.

Wet on skin: Sharp carantion scent. As if the prom court had thrown me in with the flowers and then rubbed my face in them.

Early Dry Down: Generic floral. It smells a bit powdery, and a bit old lady. If I'm ever going to find a floral that's me, I don't think it's going to be this one. However, the plum is just starting to peek through, and I'm hoping that as it morphs with my skin I amp the fruit. It's the only thing that might save this one.

Late Dry Down: So much for the plums. This remained floral and powdery until the end. The boy wrinkled his nose. Thumbs down.

[perclexed]

Spectacularly blended! On me this is a very rich, sweet, spicy and ripe blend that has me wanting to camp out on the couch, the better to have someone feed me figs and wine and wave a palm frond over me. Very heady, and surprising for me because carnation usually gives me a monster headache. It's so well blended in here that I just get a really lush and lovely scent that has me marking my sheet for a 5ml on my next order. Mmm!

[edenssixthday]

Bathsheba - Every time I wear Bathsheba, I like it more and more. It is an absolutely gorgeous scent. The very first note I detect is that of spicy carnation, which is one of my all-time favorite notes, especially in BPAL blends. The spiciness blends gorgeously with the sweet, dark, plum juice. I can't distinguish the musk note in this blend, but I can't say it's not there either -- I think it's just such an exquisite blend of fragrances that it creates the perfect foundation on which the other notes can show their stuff. It's a tad bit on the sweet side for me initially, but as the scent dries down, the sweetness also dissipates. Sadly, so does the spiciness of the carnation, and within an hour, the scent has faded so much that I can barely smell it on my skin, and by the 90 minute point, it has faded altogether. This is one I'm going to try in a scent locket next, as I really adore the fragrance, but need to figure out a way to make it last longer than it does on my skin. I think that people who like Frumious Bandersnatch would really like Bathsheba. They are definitely in the same scent family as both have musk, plum and spicy carnation in them as primary ingredients.

[neuilly]

In the bottle: Juicy carnation. The juicy bit is clearly coming from the plum. Not to much fo the musk. Actually a bit lighter than I was expecting which is kind of nice. Gives it that innocent feel everyone keeps mentioning.

 

Wet: Man does the spicy edge come out! I'm actually having trouble picking out the individual notes which I think is because I'm not really used to any of the notes. Spicy fruit with a hint of floral though...so it hits all the ingredients. Very unique.

 

Dry: A lot of spice with musk in the background. The plum seems to fade. The spice actually reminds of cinnamon even though I know it's not.

 

Not my kind of scent really but I like it. For me it's really more of a night scent. I think I'll keep the imp and try it again. I may have to buy a bottle for those fun nights out!

[Scylla]

I remember sniffing judas_kiss' imp of Bathsheba at the Chicago Meet 'n Sniff at Buca di Beppo last November, liking it and making a mental note to obtain some. I just recently got around to ordering an imp of it in my Hungry Ghost Moon order.

 

WOW! Bathsheba works absolutely beautifully with my chemistry! To think that previously I thought that carnations didn't agree with me! It's sweet, slightly fruity, slightly musky and slightly floral, blended to perfection. Bathsheba jumped right into my Top 10!

 

I'm ordering a 10 ml before the 10 mls go bye-bye.

[Alchemy21599]

In the imp: spicy floral.

 

Wet: carnations!

 

Dry: carnations. I waited for the the plum notes to come out to play, but it didn't happen. Off to swaps!

[septima_pica]

Urrrrgh. :-p

 

Based on the listed notes, I wasn't expecting this to do much for me, but I didn't count on carnation turning into TOXIC FLORAL. The disastrously powdery musk isn't helping any, either. Oh, how I envy people on whom musk smells *good* rather than like a freshly-opened package of diapers...

 

Yeah. Not for me. This one's definitely to swaps.

[fairy]

I keep coming back to this one. Very fresh. I can smell carnation and usually that doesn't do well on me, but in this fragrance it works. I like it. It's a great summer scent

[Trish]

In the imp: Plum! And a hint of floral, but mainly sweet plum.

 

Wet: More plum, along with some spice from the carnation. The plum reminds me a bit of Hellion (this is a VERY good thing).

 

Dry: Oh here comes the musk, and there goes the spicyness. However the light floral note remains, so this is a musky plum with a little bit of light floral on me. It's not a heavy musk though, it's a light soft one. It's absolutely lovely.

 

And from that point it doesn't change at all on me, except to fade to nothing within a few hours.

 

I really like this, which was not a surprise at all as I love musk, like carnation, and am starting to realise that plum really loves me (and the feeling is mutual). I wish it lasted longer though.

 

I don't know if I'll buy a bottle of this, but I'll probably keep an imp around for the days I feel like wearing something lighter than my normal dark/woody/incensey/spicy blends.

[hologhost]

Mmmmm. Plum and some spice. I'm assuming that's the carnation. I really like this.

[Nycorson]

Name/Description: Bathsheba

 

In Imp: Ooh.. yummy Carnation, spicy

 

Wet on Skin: spicy carnation with the sweetness of plum

 

Drydown: yes… spicy carnation plum.. I am in love..

 

1 hours: But.. but.. where did it go!?!?! All I have left is powdery sweetness.. I want my spicy carnation back!!!!!

 

Throw: low

 

Hubby Reaction: eh.. okay… but this was BEFORE my spicy went away…

 

Score (1 = ick, 10 = buy BOTTLE!): 3

 

Thoughts: I thought I had found carnation and plum to love.. but only for an hour.. I am VERY disappointed.. ~sighs~

[storme]

In the imp: mm, plums and carnations, sweet but with a tang.

 

On me, wet: oh, musks creeping over the tangy sweetness - lots of plum and the sharp green carnation breaking through.

 

On me, dry: soft, powdery plums, faint musks, very slight spicy carnation.

 

Verdict: The sweetness and the sharpness don't blend well enough for my taste at first, and the powderiness does nothing for me later. Sigh.

[Dinerdulcinea]

imp: sweet, tart and spicy at the same time

 

on wet:

I am getting a little note of a "perfumey" quality that I am not too fond of.

 

dry: I am still getting that "perfumey" note I don't like. I also get a lovely warmth and spice, but I think that one note is going to keep me from really enjoying this one.

[Faeried]

Bathsheba

 

What a spicy girl Bathsheba was, and so this scent is aptly named. It's fabulous. Cinnamon and Flowers on me, which I know sounds like it would be strange, but is absolutely delightful. Like my bottle of Smut, this has a very sensual feel to it. I love it. Will have to look into purchasing this soon.

[stardreamer]

I like carnation (one of the few florals that appeals to me!), and I like plum, and musk isn't necessarly a warn-off (unless it's "red musk"), so I thought I'd probably like this one. Unfortunately, something in the combination of ingredients Just Doesn't Work with my skin. It's much too floral and too sweet, and dries down into a soapy mess.

 

Damn, I think I just figured it out. It's the combination of carnation and musk; apparently carnation is not an exception to my personal equation of floral + musk = floral soap. Bloody hell. Swap pile for this one.

[steffanina]

Bathsheba-

 

In Bottle: Carnation, definitely, and a hint of fruit, which must be the plum.

 

Wet: Mmm, sweet floral. I like how the carnation is tempered by the fruit.

 

Dry: What a pretty floral! I didn't think I liked carnation all that much, but this really works for me.

 

Overall: I like!

[fiddledragon]

This is quite lovely. The carnation at first strays into generic-floral-perfume territory, but ends up having character and spice. The musk is soft and beautiful, and the plum doesn't end up being overripe. Not something I'd reach for every day, but this is one of those silk-underwear perfumes -- you feel gently sexy without broadcasting seduction. I can't wait to see how this ages!

[sofiaviolet]

I smell like potpourri. The plum and carnation form the basic scent of the potpourri, and the musk gives it the correct texture. This has got to be one of the most instantaneous "this smells like" reactions I've ever had to an oil.

 

I seem to be a bit allergic to it.

[Christine Daae]

Got this as a frimp from the Lab - I wouldn't have ordered it because of the plum.

 

In the bottle: Yup, plum. (Wah.)

 

Wet: Oooh. Less plum, more...spice? This is lovely!

 

Drydown: Mmm, carnationy Arabian musk. I really only get a little bit of the plum, which is good (fruit hates me) - it lends a yummy depth to the scent, under the spice and the musk.

 

While wearing: Yes, I love this. It's very sensual and lovely - not overpoweringly knock-you-down sexy, just subtle and sweet and gorgeous. (God this is going to be an expensive next order...!)

[Emma2403]

In the bottle: wow nearly pure plum. I never had another Bpal smelling plum as much as this. There's something muskey in the background too.

 

On my skin: plum, plum, plum... my skin seems to amp it and I don't get anything else. It's very ripe, terribly juicy.

 

After a couple of hours: the plum gets less sweet and it lets place to musk (and possibly carnation, but I'm not sure I'd recognize carnation).

 

Verdict: summer scent for me. I'll keep the imp (or not) but I don't need a full bottle... on the other hand, if you're really into plums, you will LOVE this one. It's rich and... yeah, summerish.

[supremegoddessofall]

The carnation is overwhelming everything else. I'm barely getting the plum at all. It's turning to floral baby powder.

[stardroptea]

So, Syzygy is a wonderful person and sent me a handful of imps to try. Bathsheba was at the top of my list. It is also the first BPAL scent I've ever worn. I've never done this before, so please tell me if this is the wrong format.

 

In the Imp: Strong, strong carnation, and just a hint of sour something, but not in a bad way. Not my usual choice and not what I expected, but intriguing. Sharpish.

 

Wet on Skin: Very carnation, floral, but mean floral, the kind that can beat up other flowers and steal their pollen money. I can't smell the plum really, but the musk is dancing happily in the background.

 

Dry on skin: My roommate pegged it best when she said it was 'an evening scent.' It's very pretty, not very me, but very pretty. I smell the carnations most, and while they used to be my favorite flower...

 

Later: It smells warm now, like contentment. Still flowery, but the plum is subtley there. I like it but I don't think I'll be buying the 5ml. I had my other roommate try it, and it smells much better on her. She's already stolen the magic imp. Hurrah for the first scent!

[Lunaratu]

This one was a free gift from the lab and wow is the only thing I can say

 

Wet: oh my, mmm. That was my first response to putting this on: I actually made a little mmm sound. It smells, well, sultry and feminine. Very sexy. Wow. It’s definitely spicy and floral—there’s a deepness and a richness to this that is making me feel all warm inside. I’m definitely suddenly feeling flirty, sexy, and rather powerful. Kind of like “I am woman hear me roar” and then a little Chita Rivera “rowr” sound that is all sex-kitten purr.

 

Dry: However, upon dry-down this amps up the spiciness to an extreme so that it really does feel like it’s trying to roar through. The soft, hazy quality of it is dissipating which is making me sad. Yet there’s still some aspect of it that reminds me of the wicca shop I used to sit down and read in when I was around 12. Something spicy, warm, and close. That shop was filled with incense, wood, and light—plus tons of books. It was a small shop though so it was very personal—the owner would give me gifts of incense on my birthday and set things aside for me. It was a very welcoming environment to hang out in as an early teenager. So this scent reminds me of those initial feelings of having to deal with being a woman (I was an early bloomer) and learning to just be myself, feeling comfortable in my own skin. I kind of want to lay back into a bed with satin sheets smirking mischievously but at the same time genuinely smiling while wearing this— especially given now that I am a woman and very comfortable within myself.

 

Final Verdict: It is a strong (as in personality) scent but there’s a warmness to it and a kick. There’s an insouciance to this that works well to conjure the image of a witty, sexy, and warm woman. Truthfully, I’m picking up that musks don’t like me all that much so I think it’s amping up the carnation with it a bit—I have to remember to apply this sparingly next time. It’s lovely, very sexy but potent.

 

Throw: Good. I can smell it even as my wrist is turned away from me and is on the table as I’m typing (though I am just getting a spicy warm scent this way—something that reminds me of baking gingersnaps or some such even though it doesn’t exactly smell like ginger, gingersnaps, or even baking for that matter). Will definitely use up the imp but I don’t think a bottle is yet in my future.

 

Rating: 4/5

Edited October 9, 2007 by Lunaratu

[Lit Chick]

Well well well. Very interesting.

Sweet and fruity in it's very wet stage, but not a candy sweetness. Fresh lovely plum. I thought I hated fruit, but I love the plum.

And hello, musk. Just as the musk starts to maybe be too animal,a very fast cinnamon moment. That morphs into a muted creamy spicyness. Yay for carnation!

I LOVE this. However, my skin is eating it alive. 3 hours of wear and I'm left with the tiniest hint of fragrance, like I took a bath in something really nice. Ahhh - and this would make the most fabulous bath....

I might have to buy a 5ml.

[Ilex]

This is, as many have said, a lovely spicey floral.

 

It is named very aptly. The scent of it evokes decadent desert palaces and pleasure barges and so forth. But unfortunately...

 

There is a note in many BPAL scents that I have come to call the "bathroom note" and its there, lurking in the mix. Its a bathroom cleanser smell, its civety and harsh. Bengal was also ruined by this note, as was Nephilim (and that list could go on). I think this must be what musk turns into for me, and musk type things are frequently the carrier oils that the main notes are sitting in. At least that's my working hypothosis as of now.

 

So fiddle, its so pretty, if not for the funky cleanser business. I wish I could wear it.