Mircalla, Countess Karnstein

[doomsday_disco]

Black velvet, blackcurrant, and black roses.

 

I remembered it; it was a small picture, about a foot and a half high, and nearly square, without a frame; but it was so blackened by age that I could not make it out.

 

The artist now produced it, with evident pride. It was quite beautiful; it was startling; it seemed to live. It was the effigy of Carmilla!

 

“Carmilla, dear, here is an absolute miracle. Here you are, living, smiling, ready to speak, in this picture. Isn’t it beautiful, Papa? And see, even the little mole on her throat.”

 

My father laughed, and said “Certainly it is a wonderful likeness,” but he looked away, and to my surprise seemed but little struck by it, and went on talking to the picture cleaner, who was also something of an artist, and discoursed with intelligence about the portraits or other works, which his art had just brought into light and color, while I was more and more lost in wonder the more I looked at the picture.

 

“Will you let me hang this picture in my room, papa?” I asked.

 

“Certainly, dear,” said he, smiling, “I’m very glad you think it so like. It must be prettier even than I thought it, if it is.”

 

The young lady did not acknowledge this pretty speech, did not seem to hear it. She was leaning back in her seat, her fine eyes under their long lashes gazing on me in contemplation, and she smiled in a kind of rapture.

 

“And now you can read quite plainly the name that is written in the corner. It is not Marcia; it looks as if it was done in gold. The name is Mircalla, Countess Karnstein, and this is a little coronet over and underneath A.D. 1698. I am descended from the Karnsteins; that is, mamma was.”

[HerbGirl]

Well, I didn't expect or want to be first, and I rarely write reviews anymore, but here goes...

 

Must love black musk.

 

Seriously. There is only a hint of rose so far and the black currant is missing. The black musk is the same as By day she turned herself into a cat (you know which one) and is awesome. I am curious what other folks will say about this one. Also curious to see how it will age. So...black velvet=black musk 🙂

[Assimbya]

This is beautiful. On me I get all three notes - the tart blackcurrant, the floral rose, and the a darkening haze of velvet which I have trouble naming but  think must be the musk the review above mine named. It reminds me of the drydown stage of Wilhelmina Murray, but simpler in its balance. This is smooth and sensual, definitely fitting for an elegant woman vampire. I am delighted with it.

Edited October 22 by Assimbya

[Akurarei]

This one just smells like generic drugstore perfume to me...I've never come across the Lab's black velvet note before, so that's probably the culprit for me.

So sad too, this one was the bottle I was really excited about this Halloweenies release.

 

ETA: After a few hours, this one blossomed into something soft and dark - still a teeny bit astringent or something, but the 'generic drugstore perfume' factor went almost entirely away.  Maybe this one "requires" a decent aging period, time will tell!

Edited October 26 by Akurarei
Expansion of review

[doomsday_disco]

Hmm. I've only tested this once so far, the day after this decant arrived, so I may update my review if I have a different experience after this has settled some more.

 

I get a coolness from this, and I don't think that there's stealth peppermint in this, but maybe another type of mint or something, and I believe that the black velvet note, along with containing musk, also contains a black tea note, and maybe a hint of tobacco. The blackcurrant plays a supporting role here. It's most noticeable when the scent is freshly applied, and I do smell it more in the throw than I do up close, but it is not as strong as these other notes that I think may comprise the black velvet accord. I'm also not getting a ton of rose from this... I swear I get way more musky, cool tea than anything else. I do not believe this contains the same black velvet accord as Vain Sorceress.

I'll retest it after this has had more time to settle, mainly to see if I still have the same experience, or if I get more rose or blackcurrant after the oil has been sitting for a few weeks, but at the moment, I don't feel the need to grab more of this one.

Edited October 30 by doomsday_disco

[LavenderCoffee]

When I first tested this one, the rose and blackcurrant were all up front at top volume (which was rather glorious imo!), and the drydown was all black musk (not my fav note in isolation). Now that it has rested, however, there is a pleasing balance that suggests a pulsing throb of vitality shrouded in dark velvet. It feels like a classic dark femme vampire scent, perfect for when you need to swish your cape around you for a dramatic exit.

[izile]

I wore this last night because I wanted something really vampy/witchy - and MAN the staying power!  It's rare I put on a BPAL and it lasts almost a full 8 hours where I'm still noticing it at times.

 

In the bottle:  it's a fight between the sharp juicy blackcurrant and the heady roses right off the top.  There is something underneath it all that it a deeper (base note?) that I'm not really a fan of, I'm going to say that's the black musk.

 

Wet: For being so strong in the bottle, first application is not that strong.  There's something that smells like cleaning fluid, lemon pledge on fake roses?  Did not expect this...

 

Dry down:  It changes quite a bit, again.  The roses smell better now.  The blackcurrant is quite sharp, but not cleaning fluid sharp.  I remember from last night that after a few hours, the general feel was plush dark roses with something that just seemed "off" (not in a bad way, just very much not my usual style). The sharp currant/cleaning note disappears entirely.  I think I don't particularly get along well with black musk, though.

[Biocarbons]

This scent is heavy, leaden roses over soft black velvet with a few berries strewn about for ambiance.

 

If you like heavy, dark rose scents with a hint of fruit this is for you.

[samanare]

Resin and velvet on me. I do not get any of the fruitiness of the blackcurrant or the floral of the rose. Both instead I think are lending to a more resin, almost woodsy quality of the scent. It reminds me of labdanum more than anything else. The velvet slightly dominates the scent, so it ended up being a very dark, smoky velvet scent on me.

[RoseThornAndOak]

At first, I get a somewhat soapy clean rose type scent. On the skin, an indolic red or black musk type note emerges. It's not reading too fruity, but does have a tad. It's less fruit than Madam Moriarty. It's heavy. Later on, the black currant comes out a bit more, making this more juicy rose. It is also much less indolic. Nice! It's not quite as sweet and jammy as Rose Jam, but it's in that direction. Rose Jam, Moriarty, then this on the fruit scale. More dark and mysterious, less bright and sweet.

 

Okay, a couple weeks later and the black muskish velvet note has really come out more. This reads as heavy, black musk with heady, velvety black roses with a smidge of fruit. The initial blast of musk is too much for me, but I keep getting drawn in by the lovely drydown. If you are into Black Silk Orchid, it's not quite the same (no beach vibes), but they share that dark floral musk vibe, yet this is even darker/muskier.

Edited December 10 by RoseThornAndOak

[Vaudenilla]

This is complex. Slightly effervescent and almost… citronella-esque silk. This must be heavy on some kind of musk. It smells almost…. chemical. I understand the cleaning fluid comparison. Maybe there’s a bitter sweetness somewhere in the depths, if you sniff hard enough. The rose is definitely clean and soapy, almost aldehydic. I‘m confused because I don’t get any blackcurrant, but something that smells like lemon… or cherry….? My nose is slightly overwhelmed, which fits the vibe of Carmilla, I think. It stays pretty strong until around the 9 hours mark where it fades into something slightly sugary and musky, then dies out around the 13 hour mark.

 

Wear time: 9+ hours full strength. 

Sillage: Hefty. 

 

Edited December 11 by Vaudenilla