The Peacock Queen

[Kimocean]

In dramatic contrast to the soft innocence of Snow White and the dew-kissed freshness of her sister, Rose Red, this is a blood red, voluptuous rose, velvet-petaled, at the height of bloom. Haughty and imperious, vain, yet incomparably lovely to the eye, but thick with thorns of jealousy, pride and hatred.

This year I've fallen in love with the Peacock Queen. She's wooed me with her lush rosey ways and her tiny hint of spice that comes out to play across my skin. She is bold but not loud, she brushes up against the noses of others without shouting "Off with their heads!" like some of her red cousins do. She is rich but doesn't make you think of old ladies and their little rose shaped soaps. She is dark but never vulgar. She whispers to you about the mysteries of the world but doesn't revel in blood or death.

[sunshinedaisybliss]

2007 version

 

Well.. usually any mention of rose in a BPAL means certain doom for me. Usually rose amps badly on my skin, to the point of domination over other notes, or if it doesn't do that then it goes all old-lady-potpourri on me.

 

The Peacock Queen is lovely though - it's a real rose, just like a velvety red rose in the garden. It's quite soft, but still very rose-y. This is exactly the rose smell that I do love - I've always said that I love the smell of roses in the garden but not in my perfumes.

 

This isn't enough to make me change my mind about rose - I've had enough bad experiences to know that wouldn't be smart - but I must say this blend really is quite beautiful.

[FathomBelow]

The Peacock Queen 2010

 

Some time ago I smelled a version of the Peacock Queen that was overbearingly green and sharp, so I wouldn't have tried the 2010 version except that I received it as a gift. Surprisingly, the 2010 version is a very mild, sweet rose - like the rose in Seance. London is my favorite of the BPAL pure rose scents, and the Peacock Queen compares favorably - less strength, less greenness, more sweetness. On me this has none of the spices that in conjunction with rose always reminds me of stately old Victorian ladies.

 

So overall, the Queen does not exactly convey the cruelty and jealousy and pride and whatnot in the description (I think The Rose would actually fit that description better), but it's very pretty indeed. I keep thinking of "mild" as the right word to describe it. Some might think it bland or too conventional, but as a rose-lover I think this is a keeper for me.

[thekittenkat]

This is for the 2010 version.

 

In the decant: A dusty, musky dark red rose, fresh from the garden.

 

Wet: Much the same as when sniffed in the decant.

 

The dry-down: This year's version of the haugthy queen is alas not for moi. I like rose scents just fine, but always have issues with her majesty. If anything, this reminds me of a lighter version of Black Rose, and that's not a scent I care for. The Rose, on the other hand, is elegant and light. At any rate, my skin usually amps rose, and yet it does not with this version of The Peacock Queen. We are not amused.

[milo]

2010 version: This rose doesn't seem haughty to me! It ends up being a sweet, red rose with emphasis on the sweet. I don't think I've tried a rose blend that is this sweet before. I'm not really a rose perfume lover, but I like that this doesn't go sour on me like a lot of roses do. Quite nice, but not really me. If you love rose, I'd give this one a whirl.

 

2011 version: Sweet rose again, but this one does go quite soapy.

Edited September 23, 2012 by milo

[Ishtar]

This review is for the 2009 version.

 

Rose is one of my favourite notes, and I usually fare well with straighforward rose blends like London or Moon Rose.

 

Peacock Queen is a perfectly lovely scent. Unfortunately, it also happens to smell exactly like the bath salts my mother used to buy when I was a child. So now that's all I can think about when I wear Peacock Queen: bath salts, of the garishly pink-coloured variety. Not very haughty - or imperious - as far as scent memories go, if you ask me...

[widdershins]

This is the 2010 version.

 

I am in love with BPAL's rose blends! Peacock Queen smells like a rose that has bloomed and been open for a while. It smells much deeper and velvety than Rose Red. There is a touch of pollen or spice at the very center of it that adds to the maturity of the rose. This is a perfume I will wear when I put on red lipstick and a little black dress with gloves. Very sophisticated and classy. You would find these roses drooping on the plant or in a vase of water, the petals heavy and lush, and slightly dry around the edges.

[Gold Dust Kitten]

2010 version

 

Imp: Well...rose.

Wet: Compared to Rose Red, this smells more realistic rose now. It's not as sharp.

Dry: Velvety, sensual rose.

 

This is a much more grown-up rose than Rose Red. Almost like a deeper red, older rose rather than a young, fresh cut one. The dry down on this is more realistic as well. I'd love to see how this ages.

[frecklestars]

In the bottle: sultry rose, very rich without being sweet. it's not like being in a garden exactly; more like sniffing a rose tucked behind someone's ear when you have a crush on them. it's a bit irresistible.

 

On my skin: deep burgundy red roses, would go nicely with vampires and gothic graveyards. it's rich and (like I said before) sultry. I'd say it's also sexy, but that's a little less elegant than what these roses smell like. it's sensuous, and I imagine very mysterious. I absolutely adore this on my skin!

 

Last thoughts: I'm a fan of roses pretty much all the time, so of course I was bound to love this scent. that said, it's _not_ one for people who are just "eh" about roses; I think you have to be a pretty big fan. the perfect rose, sultry and feminine.

[Vega]

Reviewing the 2010 version.

 

Sniffed: Rose -- light, clear, sweet and very red -- and the lightest breath of wet greenery.

 

On skin: The rose in Peacock Queen is the deepest of red: it has the characteristic floral sweetness and clarity, but is very rich and heady. Floating underneath is a hint of wet greenery, discreetly colouring what would otherwise be pure rose; this disappears after drydown. Peacock Queen fits its description exactly: it is decadent, voluptuous, graceful, haughty, and ravishingly beautiful, truly queenly. It is everything that I was hoping to find in Rose Red, which was all nasty wet greenery, alas. Perhaps they swapped roles on me!

 

Verdict: The quintessential red rose in all its glory, a must-try for all rose lovers! Rose is one of my favourite notes, and while I adore Peacock Queen, I'm slowly realizing that I prefer roses that smell (or evoke) white and pink, so I may let go of this in the end.

[aleciarivas]

Blech. First of all, I don't usually care for rose scents (with a few rare exceptions) but I'm always willing to try them anyhow. Second of all, I tend to AMP rose- and I mean AMP across the room! That was exactly the case here. I couldn't get anything other than rose (maybe it's some sort of personal hangup), so this one goes right out the door.

[Lyanna]

I've found it. My rose signature scent. Absolutely lovely - nothing artificial, old lady or soapy about it - just one beautiful lovely fresh bouquet of roses scent and it has a staying power to last you all day.

 

This just dropped on the doormat today and I'm glad it's the first imp I tried out in the package, I've been smelling my wrist all day. I need a bottle. Hell, I need backups!

[Cattastroficka]

This is THE rose of all roses. I want to slather it all over myself. I want to drown in it. It's rich, velvety, smooth, deep, heady, and oh so sensual.

 

Rose lovers...get this. You won't be disappointed.

[Elfbait]

Peacock Queen 2010.

 

A scent of piercing purity, as regal and unforgiving as a long red-lacquered fingernail poked into your chest. If you don't practically revere the scent of rose, do not waste her time. I love this.

[Ghost of a Rose]

(ETA: 2007 version, tried in 2011.)

 

In the vial: It smells somewhat of roses, but there's also a very sweet chemical smell, something like aldehydes.

 

On me, wet: It's not as sweet on my skin and doesn't have that aldehyde note. And I do smell the roses more now; perhaps it just needed exposure to air to bring out the scent. But it's not a fresh roses scent. It's like old roses and has a bit of skankiness to it. Like roses that have been in the vase too long without a change of water. Or a pile of cut grass clippings that has been sitting out in the heat too long and is starting to decompose. I'm thinking that my bottle might be past its prime and that this isn't what it's supposed to smell like, because none of the other reviews mentioned anything like this. The bottle I have is 4 years old, so the scent may have aged and changed.

 

On me, just dried: The scent has gotten sweeter. There's still some of that rotting grass clippings odor, together with the old rose smell.

 

After 10 minutes: It's gotten better. The rose note is coming out more strongly. But there's still a faint undertone of decomposition.

 

After 30 minutes: It has already pretty much faded away. But nearly all of the skankiness has gone from the bit of scent that lingers. It's still an old rose rather than a true rose or fresh rose.

 

After 1 hour: Now it is a pretty true rose scent, but very faint.

 

Verdict: I adore all things rose (as if you couldn't tell ; ) and never thought I'd ever meet a rose scent I didn't love. It was okay, but I didn't love it, for the first 15 or 20 minutes on my skin. And even after that, this is my least favorite of the BPAL rose blends I've tried. It probably has something to do with the age of my bottle. I don't think it's my skin chemistry, because I've never had any rose scent turn skanky on my skin before; plus the skankiness diminished more and more the longer it was on my skin. I hope BPAL will offer a 2011 version this Yuletide so that I can try it fresh.

 

My rating: As it is now, I'd give it 3 stars. But I'm going to reserve judgment until I can try a fresh bottle.

Edited January 26, 2012 by Ghost of a Rose

[ephemere]

This is the first BPAL rose that I actually like, I'm so pleased! BPAL's other roses for some reason turn into either crumbly powder or strong soap on me. This one doesn't. It stays true to itself: a perfect rose whose scent is almost crystalline in its purity and clarity. After some time on the skin, it warms into a more approachable rose but loses none of its flawless beauty. Absolutely gorgeous. Definitely on the bottle list for sure; I hope BPAL comes out with a version of this for this year.

[pHyper]

2011 Peacock Queen

 

This is a very strong rose. It is so many bouquets in one small room. Wet it smells powdery on my skin. Once it has dried it smells more like fresh roses. Unfortunately, it faded after an hour or so.

[stellamaris]

2011 version, very light on the rose, actually pretty light all over. Kind of thin for me, great bottle art though.

[Altaira]

2011 version.

 

In decant: Fresh garden rose. I like this much more than Rose Red which was a more cultivated, florist type rose scent.

 

On skin: The same. Fresh garden rose single note. When I asked my husband what he thought, he said "smells like rose water"

 

Longer wear: Grows faint after about 2 hours. I like this, but I'm not sure I'll get a bottle since it fades so fast and I hate reapplying during the day. I also think I prefer more complex blends that have rose as a note, but other things as well.

Edited January 9, 2012 by Altaira

[countessmouse]

Oddly, the 2011 version is much stronger on me than the 2010 version was, and maybe a bit spicier. And it is still one of the few rose oils that doesn't go all soapy on me.

[lilyliza]

2011 version

 

There's not much to say about this- it's a lovely, deep rose that smells uncannily like the real thing. In the drydown, I even get stem. It's very simple but very pretty.

[Rho]

2011 vintage.

 

For the first few minutes, I seriously could not tell the difference between this and Rose Red. It was just bouncy, flouncy rose, rose, rose.

 

Before long, though, this really starts to show some personality. I'm detecting something spicy, something dark, something mysterious. It almost smells leathery in texture. It's kind of fabulous!

 

Now, as a girly frou-frou type of perfume admirer, I would have thrown my lot in with Rose Red if I had chosen between them unsniffed, but you know: this Peacock Queen stuff is more to my liking! Haughty she may be, but I think we can get along.

 

For an undeniably rose scent with presence, I've gotta hand it to this one. Well done, Lab.

[teamilk]

Wet, it smells like bruised roses. Thick and beautiful, like the ones that you sort of want to bite - although I might be the only person who has that strange urge

 

Dry, it's faded a little. Still a very true red rose scent, with a little bit of spice and dust. I think I prefer pink roses, though! Tea roses, soft and gentle.

 

4:35P: Oh no! This one is gone already!

Edited January 18, 2012 by teamilk

[OctoberGwen]

2011 version

 

Once again, I am delighted with the education BPAL is giving me with regard to scent. I used to think that all rose perfumes smelled the same, and I wasn't a big fan. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that there is actually an infinite variety of roses!

 

There are still many that I don't like, even BPAL ones: some are too sweet, some are too girly, some conjure images of doddering dowagers shutting themselves up in musty old houses.

 

But Peacock Queen....aaahhhhhh. This, THIS, is the perfect rose for me. Regal, sophisticated, rich, and sensuous. Love.

Edited January 24, 2012 by OctoberGwen

[Ghost of a Rose]

My imp of the 2011 version is a decant from the lovely PhantasmMystera.

 

In the imp: Gorgeous realistic rose.

 

On me, wet: The same beautiful rose note, but there may be something else here as well - maybe a faint undertone of earth?

 

After 10 minutes: Mostly the same, but the undertone has become a little plastic-y. The rose is still beautiful, though.

 

After 20 minutes: The hint of plastic has faded, and it's all rose again.

 

After 30 minutes: The same. A rich, velvety, deep red rose; with a strong throw.

 

After 1 hour: The scent is still the same, but not nearly so strong.

 

After 2 hours: A faint rose fragrance remains.

 

After 3 hours: Mostly gone, but there's still a trace left.

 

Verdict: Fabulous, virtually (and possibly literally?) a single-note rose fragrance. So of course I love it and definitely want a full bottle. And I'm going to throw out my old 2007 bottle - clearly aging has spoiled it; this is what it's supposed to smell like.

 

I want to do a comparison test between this and Rose Red by trying one on each wrist at the same time to see how they differ. I can't tell just by trying to remember what the Rose Red smells like. But that will have to wait. Right now I'm hurrying to finish skin testing all my Yule decants to see which ones I want full bottles of, before they go down.

 

My rating: 5+ stars

Edited January 30, 2012 by Ghost of a Rose