The Peacock Queen

[summer]

THE PEACOCK QUEEN
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.

I love rose. Let me just get that out of the way.

That said, The Peacock Queen is not necessarily my favorite incarnation of the versatile rose. However, Beth has flat-out nailed the concept of "haughty" in scent. This rose is haughty. It is very much a fresh, blooming rose . . . but there's something very distant about this rose. It's not a rose that's blooming from the earth. It's one dozen very expensive, perfect red roses, bought for a woman who expects that sort of thing. It's perfume. It's striking. It's very beautiful, but not approachable.

Remarkable. Like I said, this isn't my personal favorite of the rose blends, just because the vibe it evokes isn't entirely "me," but I am incredibly impressed with the artistry of the scent and with how many different ways rose can smell and feel.

[UltraViolet]

Bottle Pic: http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL202/154131...8/120630175.jpg

 

In the bottle

I can't get over how lovely the bottle art is.

It's a rose blend like The Empress meets Kurkulla.

On

I love rose...but it doesn't love me...so I'm preparing for this fact.

It is turning green smelling as rose usually does on me, but, this isn't getting too bad with that "greening up" that happens, in fact this is nice. If it was going to turn bad it would've done so already.

30 minutes

It's got great staying power, longer than the average blend for sure.

I can't wait to try Rose Red 2005 now.

Throw:

Yes, a bit.

Scent category:

Floral

Summary

It's a heady fresh red rose smell the likes of The Empress and Rose Red but it's not as sweet as those two. I actually like a bit of sweetness to my rose as it helps to make the green smell not be so astringent on my skin.

Purchase again?

I think I would.

1-5 rating (5 being best)

4

[ipb]

this is rose red, all grown up. definitely haughty and vain. brilliant!

[slave1]

In Bottle: Strong Rose

 

On Skin: I’m not really a fan of rose so I’m not sure why I got this. The picture on the bottle is beautiful by the way… I love Snow White, so maybe that’s what caught me. Anyway, this is pure, strong rose, plain and simple. Very elegant and heady. Anyone who wants a rose scent NEEDS to try this one. It smells a fresh bouquet sitting on the table. Crisp, fresh and wet. Beautiful.

[olympia301]

 

I agree with slave1. This is one for the rose lover only. It's a cross between the dry classic rose of London and the to-the-wall strength of Rose Red. Long lasting and heady, diluted by nothing and pure as an aspect of Love, Peacock Queen is wonderful. It radiates, is long lasting, and just plain gorgeous. Not overwhelming as Rose Red can be but with more throw than London usually gives. I smell greenery down in the depths of the blend, and that is what gives it a personality. I am glad I got this one for Yule.

[korshka]

First: I'm not a fan of rose scents - never have been. I like the smell of fresh roses sitting on the table, but when it comes to wearing scents, rose is not one I'll grab. I fully expected not to like this. So why did I buy it? Mr Man. He loves roses. He loves the smell of roses on women. Because of this, I have added roses to my list to try, hoping I can find one we both like.

 

And this is it.

 

In the bottle, it smells like roses overflowing from it. Once on, it smells like straight roses. It doesn't have the green fresh-cut smell. Instead, it brings to mind the small, perfect, elegant arrangement of roses in a small vase so that all there is is a dome of roses. It does come across as clean and rich, haughty and beautiful. It is pure rose with little else. I probably won't wear it every day b/c of my before mention opinion on rose, but I will wear it on special occasions for him and enjoy it myself.

Edited December 6, 2005 by korshka

[Inanna9]

I am a rose lover, and I found my way here on my quest for the perfect rose scent. I have since found many that I love, as Beth really knows how to do roses (and everything else), but I've never written a review here before. I think it is appropriate that The Peacock Queen be my first.

 

Because I have found my Holy Grail

 

When I close my eyes and inhale, it's like sticking my nose in a full blooming, velvet rose. I'm tempted to pick up a real one the next time I'm at the store and do a sniff test. There's just a tiny sharpness, a hint of green that keeps it from being too, too heavy, and gives the impression of a rose at it's peak, yet still fresh. Perfect.

 

I know a lot of people got something similar from Rose Red, which unfortunately turned a little sweet and plastic on me (I was crushed). It was still lovely, but thanks to my skin chemistry, not my perfect rose. But this...is it. It's amazing.

 

The green gets stronger on me as this dries down, which I don't mind at all. I found it! Finally! Thank you Beth.

 

I am practically giddy right now.

 

And I will need many bottles of this before it goes away.

[shelldoo]

in the bottle: heavy rose, not the fresh bloom of rose red.

 

wet: wow, this is thick heady rose

 

this one doesn't morph much, it is a very "snobbish" scent.elusive,yet sharp. i like my roses so it isn't a bad thing really. after a bit of time it mellows and the sharpness is not as apparent although it is definitely still lurking like a thorn hiding, just biding it's time to draw some blood.

[AlaskaSnows]

Wet: A rose on the bush, with plenty of green.

 

Dry: a PERFECT just out of bud single red rose, with a long thick green stem. One of those whoppingly expensive ones. This isn't overripe like some other BPAL roses. It is THE perfect rose. Gorgeous. This embodies hothouse rose without a single blemish. I don't find this haughty or aloof at all, just extremely refined.

[inkstone]

This is a very strong, haughty rose scent. I definitely agree that it's Rose Red grown up into a vain woman. Hee. Something in the mid-drydown stages reminds me of Whip but I can't quite put my finger on it. I think it's that ripe, lush drooping rose vibe that's there.

 

And if you want throw... Woo, this blend has it. I only put a dab on my wrists and I feel like I'm drunk on roses.

[LiberAmoris]

Right out of the bottle, The Peacock Queen is definitely a mature rose, more guarded and less vulnerable than Rose Red. On my skin I smell the same 'kind' of rose that I get from RR, but with a darker underpinning of oakmoss that makes the rose feel both less accessible and more refined.

 

After about an hour, The Peacock Queen goes a little bit 'soapy' on me. It won't replace RR as my favorite rose----even so, I have to admire the skill in creating a blend that absolutely telegraphs a rarefied rose. I might try wearing a bit of this in my hair to see if works better off my skin.

[Little Bird]

Mmm. Rose can either be lovely or completely horrible on me, and I am loving The Peacock Queen. This is a rich, heavy, expensive sort of rose. Strong and thick, blood red and beautiful. It starts off smelling like a dried rose on me, but morphs into a truer blooming rose scent in the drydown. It reminds me quite a bit of the rose that is in Whip.

 

I've actually never tried Rose Red, but I have a bottle on order and I cannot wait to compare. The Peacock Queen is entirely swoon-worthy, and it knows it

 

ETA.

The Peacock Queen has become one of my top ten fragrances, and one that I'm wearing constantly. I've bought several bottles of this one to hoard. It really is the perfect rose, and I notice that it gets a lot sweeter in the drydown, which I love. People should definitely give this one a try. I'm finding it much more pleasant than Rose Red, which was wet and went sour on me.

Edited December 22, 2005 by Blood onmy hands

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: Rich red rose. Reminds of bulgarian rose, actually. It's definitely lacking the greenery that accents Rose Red so nicely. It truly is a rose at the peak of its bloom - a few seconds more and it begin to wilt and never reach such heights again - but for this moment it is perfect.

 

On me: The strongest rose that I've ever come across, with nothing else interfering and weakening its impact. Beautiful.

[Imbrium]

Peacock Queen is pure rose - velvety, and haughty.

As others have mentioned, this lacks the strong greenery of Rose Red - it's not a freshly cut rose so much as a full, mature bloom - or several dozen full, mature blooms - sitting in a vase.

 

This is elegant, and absolutely perfect for a rose lover like me. Hell, it's probably perfect for those who don't love rose, as well.

[Diana]

In the bottle... roses. Shocking, I know. They smell a bit velvety or dry.

 

Putting this on, wet... Roses and witch hazel (??!!!?). Honest to god, it smells like witch hazel mixed in. Kind of weird and slightly unpleasant, but not totally gross. This only lasts for a few moments.

 

Initial drydown, within an hour... this starts to turn into a pure rose scent. Tea roses, perhaps. The kind that are strong & heady with a slight citrus note to them. Now I'm wondering if I should bother with this. It smells like plain roses, but not so spectacularly realistic like Rose Red.

 

Of course, as I consider that statement, it morphs more. The roses have softened, and a dry base note has emerged. I cannot for the life of me put my finger on a specific component, but it is dry, slightly woodsy or herbal note, or maybe a resin. NOW I love it. Damn it.

 

I'm definitely getting more of this before she goes away.

[CapricornSister]

Again, lovely label!

Out of the bottle I get a strong green note. Very strong! But that changes as soon as it hits the skin. Then I get the rose, in full bloom and sure of herself. Indeed velvety and smooth

Unfortunately my skin eats it up Say it isn't so!!

[puck_nc]

AAAUUUUGH!!!!

 

I have finally found a scent that broke my heart.

 

I love roses. I adore roses. I am in love with scents like 25&7, Moon Rose, Rose Red, Ace of Hearts, Bearded Lady... This sounded like yet another wonderful blend to choose from in my arsenal of rose scents.

 

Origin: Fresh from the Lab

 

In the Bottle: Rapture! A mature, tantalizing bouquet of rich red roses.

 

Wet: Um, ew? What is that? It's green, but not a good green. It's moldy, sour, like collard greens being cooked on a stove (I hate collard greens). Please let this go away! I can't smell my rose at all!

 

Drydown: Rotted leaves. Stale collard greens. It's getting worse by the minute! Not even a hint of floral to be found!

 

Verdict: Crushed, I will send this off to someone on whom it blooms properly.

[Scarlettfish]

I have no idea how Beth managed to create the scent equivalent of 'haughty', but she's done it. Amazing.

 

This is a rich, deep, voluptuous rose scent. Imagine the biggest, showiest, velvety red rose. That's what The Peacock Queen smells like. It's beautiful, and it knows it is beautiful. Absolutely wonderful perfume.

[Hanyaan]

Peacock Queen is a steaming spa bath covered in rose petals. It's laying on a chaise lougue on a warm spring day in the middle of a rose garden when every one of the bushes is at its most full bloom, and the wind blows wafts of scent all around you. It's the perfect velvety red rose that your date gives you before you head off to a fancy dress ball. It's elegant and haughty. It's drop-dead gorgeous and you'd better believe it knows it. This is in no means a subtle scent; it's a scent for a woman with confidence and power and the attitude of a queen. I love it.

[Orodemniades]

Dear Peacock Queen -

 

Oh, how I wanted to love you, as I love Rose Red. When I opened my bottle, however, I was actually expecting a strong scent of rose...and instead, it's a rose so very light I can barely detect it. A tea rose that I can taste in the back of my throat.

 

So this morning I decided I'd slather it on anyway and hope for the best. And once again, I can just barely sniff your presence on my skin. Why, Peacock Queen, why?!?

 

Alas, both of my bottles will be going bye-bye.

 

Peacock Queen, you've broken my heart.

 

ETA Feb 1, 2006: Well! I opened up my remaining bottle on a whim and discovered that hey, the rose has greatly strengthened! I now smell a lovely pink tea rose, one still watery, but much stronger. Alas, my skin drinks it in quite quickly, but I'm now happy to keep my bottle.

 

Oro

Edited February 1, 2006 by Orodemniades

[bigeyedgirl]

I am in no way a lover of Rose, but decided, like all of the other BPAL rose scents that I had to give it a try.

 

It is very delicate out of the bottle, but it blooms. It goes from quiet tea rose to big red blooms in no time.

 

Will I wear it often, probably not, I'm more of a lily person, but I will definately keep it on hand for when my desire for rose comes a calling.

[GypsyRoseRed]

IMHO, this is the quintessential rose perfume that puts everything else I've ever sniffed to shame. It's what other rose perfumes wanna be when they grow up - it's bottled bitch. Seriously, when wet, this smells like the petals of expensive, lush, blood red-black roses, wrung out. There's no green in there at all. This is purely the flower, with nothing else to interfere.

 

I found that the smell stayed true on me for about an hour, then it gradually faded into a faint rosy nothing. I'm really disappointed, because this is the first rose scent I've actually liked on my skin and it didn't have that 'old-lady' smell I usually associate with roses. Boo hoo.

Edited December 16, 2005 by GypsyRoseRed

[rhubarbbear]

i LOVE this perfume. love, love, love it. as others have said it's this incredible red rose scent...not green at all! so lush and wonderful.

 

sadly, i seem to be in the "my skin eats this scent" club, too

 

happily, i should be getting a scent locket soon and peacockqueen and i can be best friends!

[QueenFae]

Rose Red is one of my all time favorites, so I knew I would love this one as well. While Rose Red smells like the ripest, most perfect red rose imaginable, The Peacock Queen smells like the ripest, sweetest pink rose imaginable. It's smells a bit more like tea rose to me, but is still perfect and gorgeous in all it's glory. It's definitely "haughty" and has a jealous air about it. I absolutely adore it! The only reason I'm not immediately getting another bottle is I already have 3 bottles of Rose Red, and well, how much rose can I possibly need? All in all, the perfect sister to Rose Red, The glorious Peacock Queen

[ice queen]

I wanted to love this sooooo much, but alas !

It must be my body chemistry, but all I get is air freshener

I wish it weren't so, but I can't bear ir.

Am now waiting in anticipation for Rose Red, and praying it is my rose.