Moscow

[lookingglass]

A rich, bold blend of imperial rose, carnation, lush jasmine, lily of the valley, dark musk, amber, bergamot and gilded tangerine.

I think this is Alice's mother! If you love Alice, or liked it and wished it wasn't quite so girlie, you must try this.

The tangerine is a nice topnote. A bit of a bite, but fun and fruity. It dries out quickly though and I smell the bergamont/rose combo that is so Alice. The lily and jasmine are a BIG floral kick...much larger than life. Dry, the dark musk and amber are very tame...much more so that I have known them to be in the past. Dark musk and I have had more than a few words, but in Moscow, we have parted as friends.

A mature fragrance, not quite as mysterious or naughty as I'd like. I think it would be a great "intro-to-BPAL" fragrance for those who like florientals. Edited December 9, 2005 by Shollin

[ebbtide]

I am in love with Moscow. This has to be my favorite BPAL so far. It's big bottle time!

 

I get a rosy, carnation-y, jasmine-y floral with a hint of green stuff, amber and light musk underneath. It's very well blended; it's hard to make out the individual notes.

 

I love it though... it smells very sophisticated. I feel cosmopolitan wearing it.

[zenvodunista]

Moscow is a sophisticated, almost commerical (though richer and deeper than commercial implies) floral with fabulous throw and a golden richness. this is one scenet where the amber is not getting amped up for a change of pace, though some of the jasmine is.

 

i keep gettijng wafts going by. i'll be interested to see if this becomes one of those that i just keep going back to until i realize that i need a bottle as i start scouring around for another imp.

 

of course, each one i've thought that of, i've ended up getting a bottle!

 

this is heady and rich and sweet. there's something decadent about it. this is kind of what i'd hoped the Haunted Palace owuld be on me.

 

hmmmm.

 

but a gorgous scent. really.

 

n.

[tarotgirl99]

My favorite floral combination (as opposed to very rose or other dominant flower scents)...sweet but not too sweet or powdery/bland or overpowering...what I had hoped for with Persephone and Juliet, I got with Moscow.

 

Even so, not sure I need a bottle. Time will tell.

 

But for those who are interested in a complex and potent floral...go to Moscow!

[Sycorax]

This reminds me very much of a softer, more languid Venice. They have the same sort of old-world je ne sais quoi to them, although Venice gets some bite from its lemon and red currant. They are also both complex, classic florals.

 

In the vial, roses, jasmine, and tangerine come to the fore.

 

Wet, the roses and the tangerine step forward, while jasmine recedes into the background. It's wet, and it's floral, but it's a gentle floral - heady, but not overpowering. After a while the musk starts to tone down the other notes, blending them together.

 

If I had not already tried Venice I would probably adore this. As it is I prefer Moscow's bolder Italian cousin. Moscow is still lovely, though, and I'll definitely be hanging onto the imp for special occasions. Maybe it can change my mind about picking up a bottle.

Edited January 4, 2006 by Sycorax

[Nightgaunt]

The word to describe this citrusy floral is imperial. It really does smell like something a tsarina might wear. It's also long-lasting enough to be perfect for wearing to work.

[rhubarbbear]

lily is one of those hostile takeover notes on me. however, i had high hopes for moscow, since it has some of my very favorite things (rose, tangerine). my skin chemistry, however, continues to foil me: pure lily it was. very strong, with good throw, however!

[sookster]

straight from the imp this is wicked floral ....

and florals that i simply do not care for...i get no

tangerine or fruit....i think this would work beautifully

with someone who adores bright, vivacious, flowery scents...

oh yes...very, very long lasting as well

[darkitysnark]

Moscow

 

A swap with ketalady!

 

I'm summoning my inner Scoobie Doo to let you know on my skin, this is pure RASMINE!

 

More descriptively, from the get-go this smelled like a big ol' fistful of JASMINE with a few crushed rose petals to change it up a bit.

 

There's the hint of spicy carnation to dial the overall sweetness down.

 

Hours later it's almost gone save for a rasmine ghost spotted through lily-shaped glasses.

 

This one was all flowers. I would have liked to pick out some tangerine, amber, bergamot, or musk, but it's not gonna happen with this one. Rut row!

[AlaskaSnows]

This is lovely, subtle and dark. I can locate most of the notes, but it is a very skilled mixing and little stands out, they all meld perfectly into a very sophisticated scent. IMO, this is definitely a female scent, very rich, and more on the musky/incensy side than the floral, but not "definitely" one or the other. I don't get a lot of throw, kind of adds to the "secretive" feeling of this scent. Very nice, but I don't know if I require a whole bottle.

[PurringPulsar]

Moscow

 

In the imp: a true floral explosion! I think jasmine is strongest here, maybe lily of the valley and rose as well.

Wet on skin: still strong jasmine with a hint of citrus and amber. This is reminiscent of the other uber-floral Wanderlust scents like Venice and Versailles.

Dry: this is gorgeous. For now, I don’t smell much rose, but what I do get a lot of now is jasmine, citrus fruits, a bit of carnation, amber and possibly a touch of musk. It’s a very floral scent, and that’s a very good thing…this is a glorious rich floral scent, a full bodied bouquet of fragrance, yet it has a lovely freshness to it, almost an effervescence, probably due to the citrus, with a bit of ‘spice’ from the carnation.

After a while: it’s not long before rose starts to come out and add depth to the bubbly citrus-jasmine, bonding with the musk and amber to form a rich velvety layer for the other floral scents to rest upon.

Before long, the scent develops a lot of throw and becomes less citrusy, and it’s become a full bodied, heady jasmine-based floral with lots of throw! It’s not for the floral haters out there-this is very strong stuff. However, I love floral scents, so I’m very fond of this. I think the musk adds a heavy depth to the scent. This is grown up and feminine, and very sophisticated.

Verdict: another one of the decadently floral Wanderlust scents, on the same lines as Venice and Versailles, this is a rich, lush, full on and opulent blend of fragrant floral notes rounded off by amber and musk and given a nice (but short lived) tang by citrus notes. This is very heady, a powerful floral scent which wafts like crazy and is not at all subtle-it makes a statement, albeit a sophisticated one. I love florals so I really like this-although I know there will be some days when I will find this too heavy to handle-and this is definitely not one to slather as it may get overwhelming-one drop or swipe of the imp wand is strong enough. I will keep the imp of this scent but won’t need a bottle just yet.

[MistressTera]

Fresh From The Imp: Very tangerine with a hint of florals. I'm liking this already.

 

Wet On My Flesh: Not much other than tangerine, actually. Pretty much the same as out of the imp.

 

Drying Down: Oooo, there's the jasmine. It's bonding well with the tangerine. *This* is what I've always envisioned my dream oil blend to smell like. Please, please, PLEASE let this stay!

 

Hour To Integrate: The tangerine has died down a bit, letting the other notes play up the jasmine.

 

End Of Day/Final Report: After two hours, it all faded down to a very nice smoky scent, almost like a rich incense. I LOVE THIS. I've been wearing it all week. 10ml bottle for me in my next order!

[Cielamara]

Mmm, Moscow. We shall see if this blend holds up to my vodka-, Tchaikovsky-, and architecture-related adoration of Russia.

 

Wet: I think Beth's citruses really like me. That rich golden citrus note that I liked so much in Rage is really popping on me already. Mmmm, this is tasty.

 

Mellowing: Hello, floral. The lily of the valley that turns into that creamy, heady paleness on my skin is in charge now. It's mixing with that soft sweet languid jasmine, but it's all lily.

 

Drydown: The citrus is back again. Tangerine with just a hint of the bergamot, backed by amber. Everything else might as well not even be there because you sure can't smell it. It's just this warm glowing sweet citrus, and it's got some oomph to it. This is just downright tasty. It smells the way I envision the czar's palaces of the old days to have looked during a big party--all bright, golden, elaborate architecture and interior design, laughter, and warm against a cold, cold winter's night.

 

Good blend. I don't know yet about the future where bottles are concerned, but it's a good, lovely blend. Slightly exotic, but still very European.

[themerrybaker]

Sometimes reviews mention that blend hates someone's skin, but I'm wondering if a few blends don't like to thumb their noses at my nose.

 

 

 

I get nothing but BPAL Generic Floral and would have a hard time distinguishing whether I'm wearing Queen Mab, Shadow Witch Orchid, or Moscow. The descriptions are very different, but they all seem similar on me.

 

 

 

I'm guessing that this is the conquering horde of jasmine pillaging the citrus grove while stompling the carnations and lilies of the valley while generally pissing on the roses and other ingredients.

 

 

 

For the record, Moscow is softer, dustier, and less green than Shadow Witch and less super-sweet fermented than Queen M (on me). Hope others have better luck.

[sarahj]

Moscow

 

in vial: strong jasmine

 

wet: strong jasmine with a hint of rose

 

dry: dries into a nice blend of rose, jasmine (not too strong), and lily of the valley

 

verdict: a nice floral blend, but I don't need a big bottle...I will use the imp, though

[kourika]

I think that Moscow may be one of the few rose scents I can actually wear since the strongest note, for me, is the tangerine rather than soapy rose. Initially, it is very floral and a bit sneeze inducing, but it dries down to become a glowing orange tangerine note with a hint of sweetness peaking out through the sharp citrus. Just lovely!

[moon_lemming]

OH MY GOD JASMINE NOOOOOO.

 

Um, I can smell the rose too. And the lily of the valley, I think.

 

But the jasmine conquers all. Boo. Jasmine and I are gonna steel-cage-match it one of these days.

[Confection]

As the Russians would say, "foo!"

 

When I put this on there is something really strong and brash about it, and not in a good way. After dry-down it smells like something a Soviet woman from the 1970s would wear.

 

I guess there is nothing about the city or the scent that suits me!

[this machine]

The rose and jasmine are prominent for me here, I think I can get the lily too, and maybe a hint of the spice of carnation. Lily and carnation are both florals i enjoy, though lily is hard for me to wear too much. This is not bad but ultimately just doesn't jump out at me as far as a floral i'd like to wear (not surprising since i don't usually wear florals).

[neuilly]

In the bottle: Spicy floral...the rose the only distinguishable scent for me at this point.

 

Wet: Certainly an adult scent. A mature floral. Blends all together pretty well. Some spice/incense to it.

 

Dry: A really nice mature floral. But I'm simply not that mature. My 21 years still make me lean towards more innocent and girly scents.

 

I like it though, may keep the imp.

[ladymissspyder]

In imp: mmm, tangerine.

 

Wet: spicy tangerine

 

Drydown: carnation and roses and some powdery amber

 

Top notes: carnation and amber

 

Middle notes: a rather stale mix of carnation and roses, with a little bit of the amber peeking out.

 

Base notes: rose

 

Throw: medium

 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

[strangemusic]

...this smells traditionally perfume-y, (highly reminiscent of Elizabeth Arden's Red Door, as a matter of fact) but so much richer, haughtier, imperious. This is what perfume wants to be when it grows up-- it wants to smell like this and be dabbed on Empresses. I would wear this to any Serious Power Business Function and be utterly confident of knocking the suits dead; I'd wear it on a date and know that my hapless victim charming companion wouldn't be able to shake the thought of me all next day.

 

Rich? Yes. Gilded? Hell yes-- bright, orangey-gold, but not heavy-- this is the most delicate filigree possible from Faberge's workshop. The bergamot and tangerine don't give foodiness, but a cushiony, gilt-edged path for the florals to emerge and shine; they take center stage (in fact, I think that top note is lily of the valley; the rose and jasmine swirl around it, more rose than jasmine), while the musk hits the back of the nose. Amber's the throne upon which everything sits, stabilizing the wilder excesses of the rose, jasmine, and lily of the valley, while a mildly sour tang at the back of the throat just brings this all together-- not 'the worm at the heart', but the smack of the imperial hand. Keeps the attention where it ought to be.

 

In essence: Holy jeezum I love Moscow. 5ml bottle fo sho.

[indicolite]

Indeed, as people said, it smells traditionally perfume-y - ironically enough, the perfume it most reminded me of is called Red Moscow (no, no accusations of plagiarism Beth's way, no, but Red Moscow is made in Moscow, where people should know what the smell should be).

 

However, the tangerine's strength brings this out of the ordinary and into the extraordinary.

 

I will write more in my review on later applications, but I would say this scent is a proper honour to a city. But then how could I resist getting at least an imp of this blend? It is one of the so-far-few cities of Wanderlust I could say I know - AND I liked the notes.

 

Moscow, city of my birth, Beth makes you smell prettier than you actually do.

[edenssixthday]

Moscow - As I'm applying it, the strong, heady scent of jasmine completely overwhelms me. After the blend has a few minutes to dry down, however, the sweet and soft scent of lily of the valley combined with the resinous scent of amber starts to blend with the jasmine, mellowing it out and making it bearable. Upon full dry-down, the slightest bitter-citrus note of tangerine is discernible, as well as the spiciness of carnation. Despite the fruit element, this is not what I'd consider a fruity-floral, as it is definitely predominantly floral and the fruit notes only service to heighten the fragrance of the florals. This is not the prettiest floral I've encountered and although the jasmine is tame enough to tolerate, I don't have much of a desire to have to simply "tolerate" anything I wear on my skin, so I'll be passing this one along. Oh, almost forgot -- great throw and good staying power.

[juniperus]

Bottle: jasmine, jasmine, jasmine, and a hint of lily.

Wet: jasmine, jasmine, carnation, jasmine, and a hint of lily. damn jasmine.

Dry: wait, wait....it's soapifying! gaaaah!

Later: jasmine soap. mmmboy. super.