Blood Pearl

[Brianne]

Lustrous, sanguine, soft and lavish: soft orris, blood musk, and coconut.

In the bottle:
Iris, smells a lot like Black Pearl still

On me:
It's so funny how much this smells like Black Pearl for about... 20 seconds. Then suddenly, you can smell the difference between the Black and Blood. This is very red - not in a cinnamony kind of way, but all the notes make you think of red. The blood musk is lovely and a little powdery, but just musky enough to keep that iris in check. The coconut is almost not there at all for me, I can hardly smell it. This is really nice though. I like that this is less iris-y than Black Pearl, and more musky.

Final note:
Lovely musk note in this, I'm not sure if I like it more than Black Pearl, but I do like it!

[coulrophobe]

Iris, iris, iris! My favorite floral note is front and center, just like in Black Pearl. In fact... I'm having a hard time distinguishing this from Black Pearl, and I'll have to try them side by side later.

 

I'm thinking this one is somewhat... dryer. Redder. Spicier. But the predominant scent for me is stil that dusky-musky iris, and I absolutely adore it.

 

It's obvious to me that I need to sit down and have a talk with Black Pearl and Blood Pearl - they're so similar that there may only be room for one of them in my collection! But they're both so lovely, I may not be able to get rid of either of them.

 

*Iris-induced glee coma*

[OriginalWacky]

Bottle (Imp): I can't get a grip on what this actually smells like, but I definitely get the image of a pearl in my mind's eye. The swirling colors seem to be captured in this scent.

 

Just On: I still can't wrap my nose around what this smells like, but the pearl coloring is vivid in my head.

 

An hour or two later: Wow, it's fading rather fast, into a coconutty scent.

 

Around 6 hours: Yep, it's coconut and musk.

 

12 hours: It's gone now, move along, nothing to see here.

 

Overall: I like this one.

 

After reading other reviews: Ahhh, orris, this is new to my nose I think. Or maybe not new, just more recognizable in this blend. Right close to being a bottle purchase, but not *quite*.

[gingersnapp]

After coconut being so prominant (sometimes, undesirably so) in other blends (*cough*Spooky*cough*) I was ready for the coconut in Blood Pearl. However, the orris is the strongest note and reduces the coconut to a slight creaminess in the background. The distant background. The musk is also a background note, adding a bit of depth to the blend. Definitely not what I expected.

[shelldoo]

hmm i have wanted to try this for a while and just swapped for it.

 

in the vial: intresting i am thinking it reminds me a bit of something from my childhood

 

wet: this makes me drool, and is whisking me to a hot summer day at the pool when i was 12

 

it remains very true the whole time, in the vial, wet and dry. i really really like it. but here is the weird thing, it reminds me of a snocone i used to eat at the pool, i can't think of the "flavor name" but it was electric blue, stained my mouth. i miss those snocones. and i can't place why it smells of those but it does. it is a bit sexier then then snocone would be rubbed on me i think, well maybe dh would disagree. it has a human edge to it the snocone would not, but all in all it is very wistful and fun for me. i am definitely ordering a big bottle

Edited August 4, 2005 by shelldoo

[LupaWulf]

Man.... I didn't get much coconut at all from this one. =(

 

I got a lot of the floral notes- iris, I think? More of the musk and iris lasted. I'm not sure if the coconut or creamy scent will come back as it gets later, since I only had it on for about 4 or 5 hours so far.

 

I don't think this is quite my sort of scent. I'll have to give it another go in a few days.

[Rackham's Vanity]

I wanted so much to like this scent, as I adore coconut. Sadly, my skin did not bring out the coconut at all, and I was left with too much musk. My chemistry has also amped up a resinous note in the oil for some strange reason.

 

Too bad. I'm sure this smells heavenly on the right person.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: this was a freebie from the lab. wow, this is gorgeous. lots of musk and coconut. lovely.

on: beautiful. soft and powdery. i really like this.

half an hour later: much more red than at first. the coconut is very light and pleasant and the musk is holding everything together. very lovely.

1.5 hours later: almost gone. there's a general butter note, but it's very soft. there's also something almost woody to it.

2.5 hours later: barely there. vaguely sweet and coconut.

overall: this is nice at first, but i didn't like how it developed or how it disappeared on me.

[Ajila]

Wet on me this was parma violets and coconut, I'm presuming the parma violet scent is the result of the orris, if it's not I have no idea what is going on. Dry on me the coconut has gone, the parma violets are still really ruling the roost, with a little 'fizziness' from the musk in the background. On the whole this is a very pretty, very girly scent and not what I expected at all.

[sarada]

I never even thought about trying this until the lab surprised me with it -- I despise coconut (though occasionally it slips into a scent where it doesn't turn into awful sunblock on me) and I'm kind of "eh" on orris, but blood musk...hmm. That sounds interesting.

 

I'm a notorious red musk freak so I'm wondering if this might be a combo of dragon's blood and red musk -- a combination that goes great together, and the scent/color of this blend do suggest dragon's blood and red musk to me.

 

The second I sniffed this I added it to my 5 ml want list -- it's not what I would typically like but it makes my nose happy. I don't smell my hated coconut, but I definitely get a certain dry sweetness from this. I don't like beachy smells at all, they make me think of heat stroke and car sickness, but this manages to capture what I wish a trip to the beach might smell like...a pearl found on the shore with waves crashing around your ankles and the light of a blood red moon hovering over the horizon.

 

The orris adds a certain powdery, gritty touch to this -- orris really dries things out, but I kind of like it sometimes. It keeps it from getting too sweet. But that luscious bloody musk is really the star of this blend, and I must obey its command.....blood musk.....mmmmmm....

 

I might be over this little love affair by tomorrow but I hope the romance is still there if I pick it up again in a few days!

[olympia301]

 

At first this one reminded me of Kool-Aid. There was a real fruity beginning to it, candylike. Then the iris starts to appear, it is loverly like taffy now--you can almost chew it and have it insinuate itself into every nook of your teeth. Yes.

 

Blood Pearl has a violet component to it, maybe that is the iris but something is saying violet to me. Oh, it is sumptuous, like an overstuffed tufted upholstered betassled chaise longe. You could swear there is grape in the blend, too. I think Blood Pearl causes you to salivate a lot.

 

Blood Pearl is pink in the vial as well it should be, it's a pink or red fragrance.

Edited August 20, 2005 by olympia301

[Eros]

In the imp/just applied I get a sweet, powdery floral. It's making think, Shalimar. Or maybe some other perfume...Pavlova, I *think*.

As it dries, I get a hint of coconut, but not much. The musk is there, but also slight.

After a bit more time the powdery sweetness starts to mellow out a *bit*. Okay, still there. Lovely but that powder/sweet thing, won't work for me, unfortunately.

[misfitroxy]

Very sweet and candy perfume-like in the imp. Orris is a new note to me, but I'm guessing it's the floral that begins to waft out once this reaches my wrist. Beyond that, I'm getting the sweetness of blood and just the barest hint of coconut. The latter is definitely more nutty than dessert-like, on my skin at least.

 

There is something very traditional about this blend. It smells like the eau de toilette bottles I used to sniff as a child while wandering around the Cosmetics Center with my Mom. It's not overtly strong or imposing. I find it to be clean and mellow. But the oil is far too tropical floral for me, even if that element is more restrained than usual.

 

Pretty if you're a florals fan. Just not for me.

Edited August 31, 2005 by misfitroxy

[gangstaknitta]

In bottle: pretty complex...musky, sweet (a little candy-ish, but not overbearing) and a slight bit creamy

 

Wet: very fruity and lots of amber and maybe a little bit of floral? Not sure

 

Dry: it went very very soapy on me, but still a little fruity. It smells like generic grocery store floral hand soap, unfortunately.

[Northernminx]

Softly floral, warm and red with a touch of coconut. This was a little more floral than I anticipated but still yummy and very warm and tropical. It was surprisingly sophisticated, more complex and formal than black pearl with was.

Edited September 3, 2005 by Northernminx

[UltraViolet]

In the bottle

I dunno. I'm really scared.

 

On

Okay, this isn't too bad. It's a soft warm musk scent but...there's something acrid going on with one of the notes. Oh God this has coconut in it.

I don't smell coconut though. I kinda wish it did.

 

30 minutes

Yep, It smells the same.

 

Throw:

Yes, more than average.

 

Scent category:

Fruity? Like if there were fruits from...a different planet.

 

Summary

Initially it reminds me of a soft warm sensualness until the "put my tongue on a battery and then downed some bitter acrid cherry cough syrup" smell gets in the way.

 

I'm thinkin' I need to try this maybe not so close to a certain time of the month just to see if it's different.

 

Purchase again?

No.

 

1-5 rating (5 being best)

2 (I'll edit later if this changes when I re-wear.)

[Nutterfly]

How much do I love this?

 

Its really strong on my skin and lasts ages as well. On top of that, its a LOVELY coconut scent - not bitter, or sweet, but *real*. Add to that parma violets (sweets that smell a bit like violet perfume) which I *adore* to smell like. (I'm told this is the orris - and now a list of orris scents hehe).

 

It makes me feel really sexy, strong and confident. Incredible Hulk like - minus the whole green skin, thing...

[darkwitch]

Ohhh I love this one, in the imp I get musky coconut, yum, I love me some coconut. Once it hits my skin it morphs into a musky voilet, WTF!!!!! I had to look at the list of whats in this one then I googled orris since that's the one I didn't recognize and this is what I found:

 

Orris is harvested in Italy and has been a traditional fixative for scent since ancient Greece. It's great for smoothing out the combined scents when you are making infused oils. Many consider that its essential oil, which is locked in these roots and which develops its scent over time, smells like violets (and orris is usually the real source of "violet" perfume).

 

Found at Alchemy Works

[Little Bird]

This smells like something that I hate. Dragon's blood? Only not as strong as dragon's blood usually is on me, more musky and cold. There is also a definite smell of dish soap here too. It's already giving me a headache and I've only had it on for about five minutes.

 

After about 15 minutes I am starting to smell coconut... but it is a bad sort of fake-coconut. Coconut scented tanning lotion type of coconut. And it's all mixed in with that awful musky dish soap smell.

 

I washed this off not too long after that observation. Blood Pearl is mostly soapy floral on me in the drydown, with strong hints of bitter musk.

 

This is going straight into my swap pile.

[clover]

Blood Pearl

 

You just never know.

 

I’d been scared to try this, because coconut is usually a deal breaker for me. But I was very anxious to try it when I received an imp in the mail from a lovely BPAL friend.

 

Sniffing from the bottle: Tears well up. What is it with orris? Why does it inevitably make me so emotional?? This is the most beautiful, elegant simple orris perfume I've ever smelled.

 

Upon application: Still very weepy. So beautiful. That gorgeous violet-scented orris, with just a little bit of something sweet and dusty. Doesn't necessarily smell musky to me, but maybe a little bit like dragon's blood. Not even a hint, thank god, of coconut. I adore it.

 

Conclusion: So why does it make me cry? This is the beautiful thing about Beth's perfumes, to me: they're transporting. I can put on Blood Pearl and all of a sudden I'm elegant Edwardian lady wearing velvet and silk, and dining by candlelight while reading a beautiful leather bound novel...instead of a geeky little redheaded bookworm, reading a dogeared paperback while eating a frozen burrito. So that's why I love Blood Pearl...it's everything that I want to be, and not everything that I actually am. And it's also my new favorite perfume.

[aessedai]

I can't smell the coconut in this one, but I love it. Something almost fruity about this, but I can't put a name on it.The warmth of Dragon's Blood meets something cool and aquatic and striked a lovely balance.

[Monster]

Coconut soap! This smells a lot like dish soap, but not at all in an unplesant way.

It's fresh, clean and only slightly floral. The coconut isn't overpowering, but is well-balanced by the other notes.

 

THis one is really pretty, but unfortunatly not for me.

[oakmoss]

I've determined the best way for me to really get to know a scent is to read the description when I order it (or when it arrives as a frimp) and then ignore the description and try the scent on some other time when I've forgotten what's in it. The influence of the written words "coconut" "musk" "orris" would have been too strong and my nose would have been searching for them like a bloodhound, rather than just letting the blend have its own way with me. I tried Blood Pearl last night on my way to bed, and the first impression was soft, soft, soft.... flannel nightgown soft, featherbed soft, candlelight soft, cat-fur soft, Jane Austen soft... the color mauve, not violet or purple, but misty mauve. This is a restful blend, but sensual. It doesn't scream PERFUME at you, but rather, becomes part of your skin, as if this is the way you always smell, have always smelled. Quietly beautiful.

[tinyvulture]

This smells a lot like Black Pearl – once again, the coconut really stands out. But while Black Pearl was dry and floral on me, this is a little more lush and warm and ever-so-slightly fruity. Must be the blood musk, whatever that is. It smells very fresh. This would be a great summertime scent.

[em_h]

Wet: Oddly aquatic. Actually it smells very like the perfume I wore before I discovered BPAL (Davidoff Cool Water), with an additional slightly fruity overtone. In general, nothing at all like the lab description. Well, this happens sometimes.

 

Drying: Still rather a lot like Davidoff Cool Water, except a little more cloying. Very perfumey. I don't think this one is going to work for me.

 

Dry: Fades fairly quickly. To my perception, it stays kind of artificial-smelling and perfumey. My husband, however, rather likes it and thinks it smells spicey. Odd. Obviously as well as variability in skin chemistry, there's a lot of variability in scent perception.