Jezebel

[acbombshell]

Biblical witch, priestess of Astarte, and general troublemaker. A true role model for today’s upwardly mobile Modern Woman. A gloriously decadent blend of honey, roses, orange blossom and sandalwood.

Sticky, cloying sweet floral. The honey and orange blossom seem to overwhelm the other notes in this scent. Much too sweet for my tastes.

[Schmoozy]

 

Honeyed citrus, spicy orange blossom mingles with dry, dusty sandalwood. Roses are an afterthought in Jezebel (to my nose anyway), and although they are in the background, their scent is ever so slightly present. I love how the orange blossom and sandalwood blend together seamlessly, and honey adds a sweetness to the spice and woods.

[ajansuz]

This was a frimp from the lab with my last order. They were super generous, and I'm so grateful, so many things I probably wouldn't have tried on my own.

 

In the imp, strong scent of neroli and honey, almost off-putting in how sweet and sharp it is.

 

Wet, rose rises very quickly and blends with the neroli scent in a surprisingly pleasant way. There was something a little dry under it. I couldn't smell it as sandalwood and wouldn't have guessed that without seeing the scent description later. I also detect a little vanilla or something adding a creamy note. I had high hopes that the rose and the orange would stay balanced for me.

 

Dry down, sadly, they did not. Orange blossom amped in the sickly sweet way it has with my skin. It doesn't help that I have a negative scent association with this sort of orange due to a cleaner my mother used years ago that nauseated me in the worst kind of way. On the plus side, something a little spicy emerged, too, reminding me a little bit of carnation.

 

If the orange won't behave, I just can't play with this. I have a feeling that without that particular note, this is a scent I would've adored. It's very feminine and sexy, a little playful, a little naughty. I've had it on a couple of hours now, and it's still going strong. I'll give it a few more tries. It wouldn't be the first time with BPAL that something grew on me or got better for different skin chemistry days. While it's a definite no on a bottle, I'm keeping the imp.

 

ETA: And here's a perfect case of something growing on me and perhaps behaving a little better on consecutive tries. The orange blossom still outplays the rose overall once dry, but somehow it seems a little better balanced, less sickly, more feminine and lovely. My husband has a really good reaction to this scent, too. Whenever I wear it and he walks into the room, he immediately says, "Yum!" and goes wrist grabby.

Edited August 23, 2010 by DarkSinestra

[antihero]

So my first thoughts of Jezebel were very positive! I absolutely loved the sweet honey and floral smell, though I couldn't stop thinking it reminded me of something.

 

Then, when I went looking over the notes and contemplating them, I realized why. Jezebel smells just like Eve on me, only with orange blossom instead of apple. Eve is one of my favorite BPAL scents, so it certainly isn't a bad thing to be like it, but ... do I really need a dupe of it? Undecided, as of now.

[Ashenrook]

Another one of the frimps I got in my purchase bag from the last Brick and Mortar sale. I will admit... I am, surprisingly hesitant on this blend. Sandalwood? You've my attention. Rose? Baited breath. Orange Blossom? ...Uh. Either that scent can be fantastic on me – or a fantastic failure. Honey? ...UHHHHH. That's another one that falls into Orange Blossom's category, but with more of a tendency to go bad. (Which makes me sad because I love the smell of honey.)

 

Well, here goes nothing.

 

In the Bottle

Honey. Lots of honey. The orange blossom is very noticeable. Not unpleasant, but surprisingly potent.

 

On Skin: Wet

Oh. My. God. I think this is the fastest, and worst, reaction I have ever had with a BPAL scent due to body chemistry. It was all pleasantly, if not rather overwhelmingly, nothing but honey at first – but the moment, and I mean the moment, that the orange blossom came to play? Things went down hill and FAST. The honey and orange blossom got into a fist fight and yanked in poor sandalwood, making the whiff of rose run away crying.

 

The result was this noxious stench that smelled like I was coated in bug spray, furniture polish, and then someone dumped a jar of burnt honey and baby powder on my head.

 

On Skin: Dry

Thank goodness it's starting to wear off... The noxious smell is starting to vanish gradually, leaving only the smell of baby powder and burnt honey.

 

Afternotes

A strong honey smell – And I mean honey. It's like I dipped my hands into it.

 

 

Verdict

On an American scholastic grading scale of A to F, A being best, I would give this a F.

 

Man... Sad day. I have been having terrible luck with florals recently!

Edited January 23, 2011 by Shollin

[hersphinxness]

Jezebel remains pretty much the same in all stages. And that is... sandalwood! Sandalwood duking it out with the sticky sweetness of the orange blossom and honey! The rose gets a bit lost; I can catch hints of it beneath the sandalwood, but it's mostly in a supporting role.

 

This is a very warm, sensual scent. I try to be more practical than poetic in reviews, but the scent kind of glows. I think I love it.

 

It's a very strong scent, incredible throw, lasted literally all day and all night.

[melrose]

I think I get along with all 4 scent components, so am hopeful.

 

First on, way too sweet.

 

Drydown comes quickly: one-note honey.

 

Nope, not for me.

[Vega]

Sniffed: Oh no! It's sickly sweet, nauseating decay! This won't end well...

 

On skin: Alright, the decaying sweetness backs off a little bit -- only a little bit, but enough for the other notes to emerge. Jezebel is heady, decadent, and very rich, with a musky tone. Definitely overbearing and forceful. Honey forms the thick and sweet base; sandalwood makes it dry; the slight citrus feel must be from the orange blossom. I can't smell the roses, but they must be adding to the fragrance. Jezebel actually has promise: the other notes occasionally morph in over the sickly sweetness, and make it quite lovely. But honey is always lurking underneath, and ultimately overcomes the other notes.

It was through testing Jezebel that I realized that HONEY is the culprit note causing that nauseating, decaying scent. O, The Witch's Repast, Mictecacihuatl and Anubis (even though it's not listed) also have honey in common, and all have the same sick odour (yes, odour) that made them completely unwearable for me. Sad to say, Jezebel is no different.

 

Verdict: This would've been a promising blend if the honey didn't spoil the other notes. What a pity that I can't wear some BPAL honeys, but I'm glad I discovered the culprit note. Will have to swap Jezebel, and avoid honey in the future.

[ofthegood]

I'm usually leery of scents with honey, as this can easily turn foody and I don't generally like to smell edible. Wet, it's all very strong and heavy - the floral, honey, and sandalwood all swirling about and fighting for dominance. But the dry-down is perfectly blended and I can no longer pick out any specific notes besides the honey. It's very pleasantly sweet, with a backbone of floral and woodiness that makes it complex and entirely non-foody (that's a word, right?).

 

This is one of the longest-lasting scents I've tried. It lasted nicely for a 12-hour day and I could still smell a hint of it when I woke up the next morning. I'll use up the imp and almost certainly purchase a 5ml bottle.

[plainjean]

Hm. Very sweet, sticky, orange blossom honey. With a huge red rose plopped down in the middle of the puddle of honey. It's pretty, but a bit..bland? Not quite the right word, but it seems very safe to me. Which is kind of funny, considering the inspiration.

 

ETA: After a little while, it's turned into the honey from O (which turned into rancid baby powder/wipes on me) and rose.

Edited October 7, 2010 by plainjean

[Gold Dust Kitten]

Wet, it smells like orange bubblegum and honey. On skin, there's the honey from O, and a musky orange blossom with a bit of rose. Minutes later...It turned into sweet citrus baby powder.

[Ryokumuji]

Super sickly sweet, no roses, all orange and honey. Very gross. I let this one age a few months to see if it would help but I think it's actually gotten sweeter and more orange.

 

I can't see myself wearing this all that often, or buying another imp.

Edited January 18, 2011 by Ryokumuji

[Incendiare]

Jezebel is intensely sweet orange in the imp. Wet, the sweetness instantly becomes recognized as honey. Initially, I don't get any roses whatsoever, but as Jezebel dries, the roses gradually come out. The orange blossom follows along, as well. I don't get any sandalwood whatsoever. The other notes mingle with each other more as the blend settles down and dries on my skin. It's not as orangey as it initially was in the imp. The rose becomes even more palpable about five minutes after I've applied Jezebel to my skin. It's very pretty but not bottle worthy.

[Molls]

In the imp, orange honey. On my skin, the roses start to come out, and it becomes sweet oranges, honey, and creamy rose. I never really get any sandalwood. I do love this. I swapped my O because it just got too cloying, but this is like the best of O, mixed with KVT, and yummy orange blossom mixed in... this is perfect!

[SageDarkwoods]

I got this as a freebie (Whoo-hoo!) and I was very excited because it had been on my short list to get anyway. Sadly, it didn't turn out well.

 

In bottle: Fruity incense. There's the sandalwood and orange blossom.

 

Wet: A fruit wine comes through with a smooth incense blend underneath. There's a touch of the rose, which I enjoy.

 

Dry-down: A sophisticated, worldly scent, very feminine.

 

1 hour later: Baby powder. Dammit.

[JasminDreams2010]

This is an imp I took a risk on, partly because of the name. Women get such a bad rap in the bible!

I generally like florals or maybe florals with amber or dragons blood but orange blossom is not my personal favorite

 

Jezebel has lovable elements- on me the sandalwood is very soft, the orange blossom doesn't get too loud, and the rose is a nice, sensual variety instead of the weird acid flatness that sometimes happens.

However, it just doesn't last long enough or have enough throw for my liking.

On a scale of 1-5, 5 being awesome, I give it a 3.5

 

I'm re-editing my review of this. It's so funny how time changes an opinion or skin chemistry or something.

This has become my recent #1. I am not minding the quieter throw now, and the honey/sandalwood has begun to last well on me. The people that gave this reviews saying that it is sickly sweet do not have my skin chemistry, so if you're worried about it going too sweet, give it a try anyway. On me it is not sweet at all- the sandalwood is the dominant note. Something about my skin turns everything woody- and that's what this is on me, a soft, oriental, woody floral. This is absolutely perfect for summer months, it's relaxing. I think there must be some aromatherapy action happening with this because it makes me feel warm and happy. I'm re-rating it a 5.

Edited April 1, 2012 by JasminDreams2010

[TastyMischief]

It started out smelling like thick milk chocolate and oranges. After a while, a very slight note of rose started to appear. And then, the baby powder.

What an odd, bizarre scent: Not at all what I expected, rather simplistic, yet I like it but I can't tell why.

Oh, and the lasting power is out of this world: I put one dab on the back of my hand last night around 10, and 11 hours later, it's still going strong.

 

I will have to retest several times in the future because for the life of me I cannot figure out Jezebel.

[zagadka]

I think I got this as a frimp in an order, because its nothing that I would pick out. Gosh, I am so glad the lab does that otherwise I would just have endless amounts of amber and musk perfumes!

 

 

In the imp: Chocolate covered oranges and sugared citrus. Sweet, but not cloying. Definitely not a foody sweet

 

Wet on: Fresh burst of citrus followed immediately by a fat ass rose.

 

Dry down: Creamy, slightly sweet rose. I am not picking up any of the honey notes, but the sandalwood is making this feel lush and creamy. I keep thinking of stirring honey into milk, although this is not that sweet, its almost velvety in "texture". The rose is at the forefront, but it doesn't scream floral.

 

EDIT: about 3+ hours into the dry down the honey popped out. Mixed with sandalwood, it is divine!

Edited March 17, 2011 by ECLECTIC

[valnillarose]

Jezebel was the first honey-based BPAL I tried, and I wore it walking that first time. It's been my go-to walking scent ever since, perfect in these pre-summer afternoons. It mingles with the heavy (in a good way) scent of honeysuckle that's in full bloom right now, and makes me picture honeysuckle blossoms dipped in golden honey. The scent itself is honeyed orange blossom, and I get no rose at all. Maybe far into the drydown a bit of sandalwood peeks out, but usually by then I've slathered on more for that orangey honeyed opening.

[angelamaria]

In imp: this is heady and luxurious to me, it feels quite spot-on in terms of personality. It's a mix of floral, fruity, and sweet all around. It's a flirty sort of scent, colorful and inviting, like a wink.

 

Wet on skin: I'm getting the sandalwood first, but then I'm getting the sweet orangey note--honey and orange blossom? It's pleasantly tart, sweetly citrusy. I can't get the roses out. This is quite promising--the orange is very delightful. Some powderiness is seeping in, but maybe it will all be under control, it's still a nice, sweet, orangey scent.

 

Dry: And rose turns into powder AGAIN. Rose does not like my at all. Jezebel has turned into a powdery orange, slightly nice, not overpowering. But oh, the powder. Why why why.

 

Verdict: Maybe I should give up on rose altogether. It turns everything into powder for me! I absolutely loved the orange note here though, I should try and look for neroli in future tests and see where that takes me.

[Penance]

Origin:

 

Lagniappe. From a forumite, I think? I don't remember, honestly.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

This is almost guaranteed not to work on me. The only things here that I like are sandalwood and honey (and honey is iffy). Rose and orange blossom are almost uniformly death notes for me. So...I don't expect this to work and you may want to keep in mind my prejudices regarding florals (and rose in particular) and throw my opinion out the window if you're a floral fan.

 

First sniff:

 

Feminine, floral and slightly sweet. It's got some powderiness to it (the rose, I think...it smells like tea rose to me, but I'm nowhere near being an expert on different flowers, so I could be wrong), too. It's a mature, womanly scent to my nose. Not old lady perfume. Just grown up.

 

Wet on skin:

 

This isn't horrible. I know, that doesn't sound like high praise, but most rose blends are horrible to my nose. I wouldn't say I like this, but it's not awful, either.

 

It's a little more powdery than in the imp and the honey's starting to come out now. It's adding just a touch of golden sweetness. This makes me think of classic perfumes, but without the alcohol and harshness of traditional perfume.

 

Dry down:

 

All rose, all the time. Okay, maybe there's some orange blossom here, too, but the rose is dominating everything. It's intensely rosy and powdery. It makes me think of rose-scented dusting powder and vintage clothing from the 20's for some reason.

 

This is the sort of scent my mom would like. My mother-in-law, too, actually. Their age has nothing to do with it, so I'm not implying that it's a scent suited to older women (just clarifying, since I'm sure that could come off the wrong way). They're just the type that enjoy rose and classic perfumes.

 

The bottom line:

 

I knew this wouldn't work for me, so I'm not disappointed. If you're into grown-up, womanly, vintage-smelling floral blends, Jezebel is probably up your alley. But for me, it's not even in my hemisphere. Maybe not even on the same planet I'm on.

 

I've actually got a bottle of this coming my way, but only because I wanted the actual bottle itself for my collection (it's one of the old-school inkwell/squat bottles). I may decant out the oil and give it to my mom or MIL, so it'll be loved and appreciated.

[Tiada]

Orange, mingling with the sandalwood and a touch of honey. For some reason this reminds me of Terry's Chocolate Orange, but woody instead of the chocolate. Sweet honeyed orange I think is why.

I like it, but I don't love it. It might be nice layered with something, so I might use my imp, but it's def. not bottle worthy.

[TheFrenchWaffle]

In the imp: orange blossom and something else, perhaps sandalwood?

Wet: Orange blossom and a nice light honey, A LOT of throw

dry: honey amps up supported by the orange blossom with the sandalwood holding the base together

 

Final verdict: I love this scent and it is defiantly going on my top ten list. A very sexy scent, it reminds me of O a bit (honey) however Jezebel keeps all her clothes on perhaps flashing a bit of ankle to be suggestive. Defiantly bottle worthy at some point.

[MonkeysInk]

In the imp, I thought "total blech", as Honey is an absolute note of death for me - it dominates every other scent to smell like dirty baby powder.

 

As I rinsed it off, I got a strong whiff of antique roses with a softer floral (which I take it is the orange blossom) backed by a sweet woody note. Totally delicious for a second, and then back to dirty baby powder. Sad, really, because that one moment made me see what this could be and I really liked it.

[Unauthorized Cinnamon]

Wow! This could be a bottle scent for me.

 

In the imp: Honey. Very sweet, which made me worry.

 

Wet: Florals grounded beautifully in rich, not-too-sweet honey.

 

Drying: Gorgeous and balanced. Sexy and rich. Ironically it's kicking the everloving ass of the Envy on my other wrist. It's not a shy fragrance!

 

Later: I'm a bit worried that this is going all rose on me. Prominent rose isn't to my taste - perhaps that's because my skin amps it? But I've been huffing my wrist so much I might just be burning out some of my circuits and not picking up all the subtlety. Will try to restrain myself and see how this goes over the next few hours.

 

I'm so hoping the honey and orange blossom stay in the fight, because I think this might be my answer to O or Snake Oil, which I'm avoiding because vanilla hates me.

 

Update: yesterday the rose did take over for a while, but it calmed back down. And today I wore this to the gym (yeah I'm weird) and it stayed perfectly balanced!

Edited August 13, 2011 by Unauthorized Cinnamon