Beatrice

[Belladonnastrap]

"Am I awake? Have I my senses?" said he to himself. "What is this being? Beautiful shall I call her, or inexpressibly terrible?"

A scent inspired by Beatrice, Rappaccini's delicate, beautiful, innocent and deadly daughter. A fragile, winsome, poisonous blend of rare, precious and graceful flowers, rich blossoms and spicy perfumes that passes heavily, as a broken heart, across the borders of Time.

I've never read the story "Rappaccini's Daughter" (in fact I had never HEARD of it before, shame on me ) before this scent was released so I quickly read it before I tried the perfume so I'd have something to go on.

First Sniff:
Deep deep roses and spice that make my nostrils flare and my head swim. It's not an unpleasant rose mind you, I do enjoy it but there's more. I detect a hint of vanilla like the one in Antique Lace and Bearded Lady as well as a bit of lily. It's quite lovely.

Wet:
Ohhhhhh. It's like Antique Lace, Psyche and Shroud got together and had a deadly beautiful daughter. Whatever these "spices" are really come out on my skin. Also I'm not sure if there's any in the recipe but I detect some Lavender as well. Very peculiar, it lends a bit of innocence to the oil.


Drydown:
I'm getting the same drydown I got with Ligeia actually...mixed with the Shroud & Psyche drydown. There's a very well balanced mishmosh of flowers in this scent and just when I think I got a bead down it changes. Like right now I smell Jasmine. Weird.


Aftermath:
Beatrice and I need to get to know each other better. I'd stay away from this if you hates the florals (because it is VERY very floral) but if you can stand them but want a bit more "oomph" try this. I'm also hoping I'll have no small purple marks on my wrist when this is done

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: If you haven't read the story, go read it now. What is in this bottle completely encapsulates every scent and image that Hawthorne meant to convey.

 

Second Impression: This is a rose scent for rose wearers *and* rose fearers. Sweet and slightly creamy and a bit spicy. Totally romantic and yes, graceful as the description says. The roses in this remind me of the roses in Desire and for me that's fantastic.

 

Final Analysis: I have such a problem with roses, but my skin and nose is loving Beatrice. It keeps getting more mellow on the drydown, I love it!

[gothiccastle]

*SWOON*

Oh wow! I KNEW I should have ordered a dozen bottles!

 

First, the bottle. The label is awesome. A black and white picture of a garden, only reversed in color. The background is black and the details are white. BEATRICE is written in pink.

 

Getting past the artistic bottle, The first sniff just grabs every sense. My first impression is a stronger version of Tushnamatay! Definately roses, and vanilla? But much more than that. Gorgeous!!

 

As it dries, yes, very much like a strong version of Tushnamatay! The vanilla really makes its self known. I wish I could pick out the notes better, but they blend So well... let me just say, this is a beautiful scent!

[Thorne]

Oh man. In the bottle, this is baby powder. Pure baby powder. It's a little scary. But! Once on the skin, it really explodes. Flowers! Flowers everywhere...roses and jasmine and honeysuckle and lily and magnolia and omgflowers!

 

But it's not just flowers. There's something else lurking in there, something sweet and seductive and dark. Maybe a little musk, maybe a little vanilla. Some amber, I think, too. Something warm and desirable that makes you want to move in close, close your eyes, and take a deep, deep breath.

 

It took me a few tries to warm up to Beatrice, but once I did, I was a goner. She's gorgeous and beguiling.

Edited October 1, 2005 by Thorne

[UltraViolet]

http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL202/154131...4/113478295.jpg

 

In the bottle

Spicy floral with a touch of warm...vanilla?

 

On

Lovely florals. Not too strong, nor too weak. The combination of jasmine, vanilla, lily, maybe hoeysuckle, and spice are alot nicer smelling than I initially thought they would be.

 

30 minutes

Tries to get a bot soapy on the dry down but the spices and the vanilla smelling note doesn't let it become soapy. Pretty and sesnsual too.

 

Throw:

A bit more than average

 

Scent category:

Floral/Spicy/Foody

 

Summary

The warm vanilla note is more prominent in the bottle than on my skin but it is there when I put it on thank goodness.

This is good. I'm picky about florals because they tend to amp up with my chemistry but this stays really pretty on me. The spiciness is not too much, everything is blended so that nothing really sticks out.

It lasts a bit more than the average bpal blend on the skin.

 

Purchase again?

Yes.

 

1-5 rating (5 being best)

4

Edited October 1, 2005 by UltraViolet

[zillah37]

I picked this up for my mother, hoping that I could get an imp or two out of it for myself. I'm glad that I got it because I'm oddly charmed by Beatrice.

 

In the bottle: Roses and spice. Definitely an interesting mix that makes me want to sniff more.

 

On the skin: Spicy mostly with a bit of florals. It's not necessarily something I really love on my skin, but it's not offensive.

 

After a bit: It's trying to go soapy and actually does for a little while, but only for about ten minutes or so.

 

Drydown: After that it turns into warm roses with spices and a hint of vanilla. It's soft and warm and I like it a lot.

 

Final thoughts: Definitely going to save an imp or two of this for myself. It's not something I'll wear very often, but it's lovely all the same. I expect Mom is going to love this.

[~AmusedMuse~]

Ok I bought this one based on the "Rappaccini's Daughter" story, and was I so glad that I did. To me the prominent floral note is the rose, which can go either way on me but this is AWESOME....The added spice notes makes this total perfection. My scale of 1-5.....5

[gingersnapp]

This ia pretty, soft, powdery floral. But it faded so fast that I can't really recall what I was going to say about it.

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: It smells very strongly of fine baby powder that crumbles at the touch. It is very delicate and fragile, like it would blow away with a sneeze. There's also hints of a berry-like sweetness.

 

On me: It mellows on the skin, so the initial screaming burst of rose-and-powder that may surprise you isn't permanant. For me Beatrice is very strong as a rose soap - I don't detect any spice in the blend at all. It definitely matches the character of Beatrice; the blend has captured her essence in a bottle perfectly.

[shelldoo]

in the bottle: roses, and something else floral i am not able to put my finger on,

 

wet: an almost candy like sweetness, it possibly is lotus, but that doesn't "feel" right it is slightly powdery, i think maybe that is violets. i am getting a slight clean hint of something that wants to be soapy but isn't quite "soapy" this could very possibly be a lily of some sort as lilies sometimes go a bit soap like one me. so it is a sweet, slightly soap like, powdery rose scent not gettin "spice".

 

as it dries it softens immensely. it is like a fuzzy soft sweet blanket, it makes me inhale and just feel happier. not quite sure that that *fits* w/ the whole concept but on me it is innocence and sweetness. a first kiss in a garden on a sunny day. just beautiful. all traces of the soap like scent have evaporated. so all in all it is gorgeous.

[lorajc]

I haven't read any of these reviews but I did see someone mention roses somewhere. I don't get any roses out of Beatrice. On me, Beatrice is more spice than florals which is fine by me. I really don't wear too many florals, but this is an exception. This is a lightwearing spicy floral on me. I can't pick out any of the individual notes, but it is really lovely.

[Nachtwulf]

Bottle: Rose, tempered with something warmer and sweeter. Many rose-scents seem to go sour on me (Zombi HATES me; anything with the 'dried flower' scent does) but this seems more like Moon Rose, a softer sort of roseness. I can pick up a hint of jasmine and/or honeysuckle in the bottle too.

 

Wet: When I /first/ put it on, it threatened to go rancid. But then, that 'old rose' went away. In fact... I think almost /all/ the rose went away. o.o I'm getting almost nothing but whispers of vanilla and a bit of spice. It's still there, but has fwoomphed way back into the background. All the florals are still there, but subtle. In fact, this scent seems very delicate on me overall.

 

Dry: As it dries, it becomes a warm sort of vanilla-rose with faint incense undertones. Again, it's not a powerful scent, but it's nice.

 

Final opinion: Well, it's not at all what I expected, and I'm glad I ordered it on the whim I had to grab it while it was there. I thought it would be smack-you-inna-face floral, and really, it's not. It's more of a warm-spice floral, like a florist's shop in autumn, when they're using all the cinnamon bark for their arrangements and things. It isn't foody, quite, despite the vanilla-cinnamon I seem to get from it, it's just sweet and pleasant, and not a bit overwhelming. Definitely an autumn/winter scent, though, to me.

[Firewaver]

I like Beatrice... her and I play nicely together.

I'm not often fond of rose blends... they're just too rosy for me. I feel too girly and pink when I wear them.

 

Beatrice is a bit different.. though she is still awfully rosy. The roses strike me as being pink and droopy. I picture two little girls playing in a garden full of them, one of then being sweet and bubbly, the other a dark haired vixen-to-be, full of a naughtiness hinting at a violence that will emerge later in life. It's that kind of rose blend. Sweet but not so much.

 

I really like the warm undertones.. slightly spicy, but not enough to call this a spicy blend, more just hinting at spiciness. I agree with whoever compared it to Hamadryad. I do get a bit of woodiness here, its like a rosy sister to Hamadryad.

 

All in all, I like this... I will have to give it a full on try before I make any rash decisions as to whether or not I'll keep it.

[spanishviolet]

Warm spicy roses with maybe a hint of incense ... I love this scent. It's what I was hoping for from Harlot, which turned soapy on me.

 

These are enticing roses that lure you closer, not the overpowering kind that give you headaches. Absolutely gorgeous, and a perfect match for the story it's based on. Staying power is about average on me. Very glad I ordered this one!

[wickedgoddess]

Preconceived Notions - I debated whether to order this or not, but floral and I are often not a good mix, so I passed. But once the reviews started coming in of a spicy floral, I knew I had to try some.

 

Wet - Wow! This is gorgeous. It is a delicious, spicy floral. I can't name any notes; I don't notice any of the "usual suspects" yet. If this stays like this, it will be irresistable

Dry - A little powder comes to the forefront, but it's not the powder that rose seems to turn on me, and I think I can tolerate it. Nope, I was wrong. Powder, overwhelming powder, and a bit of plastic. Oh and it's given me a headache too. Ah Beatrice, I tried to love you, but just like the story you were poison to my skin.

 

On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 2.

Edited October 4, 2005 by wickedgoddess

[Rheliwen]

Yes, in the bottle it smells like powdered rose. Fortunately, the rose doesn't really appear on my skin. I'm a bit tired of rose as of late

 

Anyway. Beatrice starts off a bit sharp and biting. It's a very tangy floral when wet. I don't really like this stage because it verges on turning into a very strong soapy scent.

 

Dry, it softens out a lot. I can now sort of see where the vanilla references are coming from. There is a soft, muted creaminess in the background. As for the florals, I sort of smell lily and rest are like golden blossoms. There is a bit of a spicey bite in there somewhere, but it's not coming from carnation. At this point it's a bit powdery.

 

Ok, now I need to revise a bit: About 15 minutes of wear, the vanilla creaminess is gone and the tartness is back. It's rose. But, not the Love in the Asylum rose, it's closer to the Rose Red type, or like a little tea rose. It's a very fresh rose, with a backdrop of spicey perfume.

 

I need to sit with this one a bit to decide whether I like it or not. Of all the recent florals that have been coming out, Beatrice is definitely the queen of the lot though.

[Little Bird]

First thought - this has the most beautiful BPAL label that I've ever seen.

 

First on - Beatrice is now battling it out with Whip for title of my favorite rose perfume in existence. It's a lush, juicy rose. Could there also be black orchid in this? I'm getting the same glorious floral that I got in Phantom Queen. It's so rare that I love florals... but wow

 

Thankfully, this doesn't go powdery on me at all, as some other reviewers have experienced. In the drydown there is a cool, sweet vanilla smell. But mostly it is spicy rose and black orchid on me. This is a great floral, and I normally hate florals.

 

This fades away into oblivion after only an hour or so on my skin, but it is so worth it to reapply. The vanilla smell does get stronger as the minutes go on. It's just so unbelievably good.

 

I'm completely smitten with my bottle. Everything from the label to the scent has charmed me. The boy will love this, he always wishes that I would wear more girly floral blends (alas, they usually give me headaches, not so with lovely Beatrice).

[Gin]

Beatrice

 

This is a lovely balance of florals and spice. My first thought was that it was far too powdery-floral for me to wear, but on my skin it becomes more spicy. It's one of those scents that reminds me of something that I can't quite recall. It's beautiful.

[LiberAmoris]

I love Beatrice, but as other reviewers have mentioned, she disappears fast, like the transient beauty she is. There is definitely something wistful and tragic about the combination of vanilla-musk and rose, and the spices on me were a light and gentle undercurrent, like shade in a garden.

 

All in all, a lovely capture of one of my favorite Hawthorne short stories. I wish it lasted longer, but then, I always feel that way about the story, as well.

[puck_nc]

This was an impulse purchase: I saw "floral" and "limited edition" and snagged it. I second that the label is amazing.

 

In the Bottle: Ooh, lovely! Rich dark florals with a lovely sweetness. I feel like I could get drunk just sniffing!

 

Wet: Hmm...there's violet in here, I think. I'm getting that sharp and acrid smell that means violet has hit my skin. But like Bearded Lady, it only lasts a few seconds and quickly fades in favor of other notes. In this case I think I'm getting vanilla and rose. Definitely rose.

 

Drydown: Wow, that was a quick fade! It's an odd combination of a light scent made up of dark flowers. Then I go through a powdery stage later. Then the sweet note starts creeping back in, strengthening the scent a bit.

 

Verdict: Definitely using this in my scent locket. Debating creating some perfume or lotion to try and make the scent last longer or avoid that faded-to-nothing stage. But I'm very glad I bought it! Curse these limited editions that I adore!!!

[sookster]

incredibly gorgeous, rich, floral, and almost gourmand for me

wow!! beatrice is incredibly beautiful ... alas, she does not hang around long enough for me.....like a whispering wind she's there and she's not.......tiny wafts of her come through every now

and again after 30 minutes or so...but then.....sadly..... gone forever...my beloved beatrice....

[Sistinas]

a review of Beatrice

 

Vial ~ floral, with a touch smell of powder, yet it has a creaminess to it

also.

 

Wet ~ roses with spice. Mmmmm it smells so very nice. To me this is Pride and

Maiden's lovechild. I don't find it either overly sweet or spicy, it is

blended just right.

 

Drying ~ the blend becomes stronger, but not overpowering. The spiciness

tempers the sweetness of the roses.

 

Dry ~ It is now this creamy light rose scent, I am always amazed at Beth's

rose scents. I never thought I liked them, this is a beautiful and very

feminine scent.

 

Fade ~ An hour later it is still there, less rosey and the spiciness has

come back.

 

Final thoughts ~ This scent is truly beautiful. It touches the inner

glamour gal inside of me. I want to go out, dressed up, wearing Beatrice

On a scale of 1 to 5, I would give this a 5.

Edited October 20, 2005 by Sistinas

[twistygirl]

The first word that comes to my mind is "pretty." This is an incredibly pretty, feminine, soft, yet complex fragrance.

 

When I first applied it, it was a very rosy floral with just a hint of something green. It smelled very light and springtime-y and fresh. A nice, perfectly lovely smell, not something that blew me away... but... then it dried down, rather quickly, to the most heavenly creamy smooth blend of soft florals and vanilla-y. It's VERY, VERY feminine. It makes me want to put on a long lace skirt and a velvet blouse and smile sweetly at beautiful boys.

 

It has a decent yet not overpowering amount of throw, and lasts a reasonably long time.

 

I seriously can't remember the last time anything made me feel so sweetly feminine and romantic. This is just fabulous.

[Sheila]

Definitely a poisonous scent!

 

What I mean by that: there are two parts to this scent. One part is soft florals--lilies definitely, maybe carnation, and other wistful, gentle flowers. The second part is sharp and spicy--it almost stings my nose. This part is dark and frightening--very poisonous. Both these scents combine in Beatrice. It's very complex and quite fascinating.

 

ETA: And the bottle is fabulous!

Edited October 10, 2005 by Sheila

[Gwen]

I just had to get my hands on some of this. Besides the fact the bottle looked really wicked, the story is one of my all time favs.

 

This scent made me really nervous as any scent without much of a description except floral would. I knew I would be utterly heartbroken if this turned baby powder on me.

 

When I first put it on it has this almost...vanilla-citrus smell, but not strong citrus-- the sort of citrus-y floral scent you'd get with orange blossom or something. It faded to a vanilla-floral then just floral throughout the day.

 

I want to say there's a kick to it, but that isn't it, there's no real spice. There's a deep hint of something in the back that just makes this seem so...wrong. Like it was supposed to be something perfectly pure, but it went really wrong, which, you know if you've ever read Rappaccini's Daughter, fits Beatrice like a glove.

 

This is a fantastic scent and highly recommend you find some before us patronesses hoard it away .

Edited October 10, 2005 by Gwen