Black Lily

[fiddledragon]

Breathtaking darkness, a vision of grace in shadow.

I continue to love BPAL's straight-up lily scents. This is Tiger Lily's grown-up older sister. Where Tiger Lily is a very polleny fresh-cut-flower with bright bubbly honey, this is still true lily, but more muted, smoother, creamier, and without the honey. It doesn't have much throw, but clings to the skin for quite a while. I can see the "black" connotation, but it's an elegant dinner black, not a sinister black.

[QueenFae]

Fabulous. The purest, loveliest lily scent ever. This reminds me of my wedding bouquet; it smelled just like this. It's just like walking into a flower store, opening one of the big glass cooler doors and breathing in the biggest, freshest cut lily you've ever seen.

 

There is a certain.....edge of evilness in Black Lily; the part that makes it black. It's sort of like an evil lily disguised as a white wedding lily. Very unique.

 

The is beautiful, I love it.

[zankoku_zen]

This is indeed Tigerlily's grown up sister, sophisticated and sultry lily. In the drydown, I get the tiniest hint of a creamy vanilla.

 

Fabulous.

 

The only problem I have is a mild soapiness at the very beginning when it is on wet.

[Nia]

In the imp: a very intense floral, with an alcoholic touch. This smells "very BPAL".

 

On me: it is pleasant, it is floral, and there is nothing special about it. This smells old-ladyish and a bit like soap. After a lot of trying, it turns out that some lilies (but not all) go soapy on me, and there is some of that here. This should work well with fans of lillies. I will have to make do with roses and jasmine when I want a floral.

[The_Merf]

This is a really lovely lily that has gained depth with a bit of aging in the imp (around 5 months). I'm not sure what else is providing that extra grounding, but even when this was fresh, it did not come off as overly floral, even when it was wet. This is not as creamy as lilies nearly are on me, but it is lovely all the same.

[eatingthesea]

i see so many complaints about wilting lilies in the reviews that, of course, i wanted to go (as a newbie) directly to a 5ml of straightforward lily to see if i'd have the same problem. i would have to say that most florals do indeed work out quite smashingly for me, lilies included. there is an intoxicating element to black lily, which is part of its allure, i'd suppose. it has depth, if that doesn't sound too trite. i can't say much else (helpful!) other than this is a gorgeous scent, long-lasting, and prompts me to want to try other lily-laden scents. hooray for agreeable (well, mostly) chemistry.

 

eta: blah blah blah...i can't believe i didn't rave about this scent more back then other than to go on about my "amazing" chemistry, haha. this is actually the first BPAL bottle i ever bought. i still have some left, maybe about 1/7th of it, but i rarely wore it until recently, when i realized it is just gorgeous. it's dark, a little spicy, but alllll creamy lily. if you have or ever had misgivings about wearing 100% florals, do not be afraid of black lily. especially the foodies out there...black lily delivers on both fronts, and does a smashing job of it. i can't believe this one isn't in my top ten. remedying that now.

Edited May 17, 2008 by eatingthesea

[storme]

In the imp: a very creamy, gentle, sweet true lily scent.

 

On me, wet: ...yup, a very pretty, creamy-sweet lily scent. It's not soapy, if that helps.

 

On me, dry: faint lily. Still slightly sweet, still creamy, surprisingly consistent.

 

Verdict: Huh. Nice, but probably not worth hanging onto.

[Jani04]

wet: smells like.. a nanna?? a pot pourri covered nanna. Very very strong scent though..

 

on contact: smells floral, is this the lily?? sorry but it just smells too mature of a scent for me..

 

dry: ditto nothing has changed this pot pourri. floral lily scent? doesn't fare too well with my nose..

 

later: still there, ratehr faint though it did last through a rain shower!

 

back to the swaps list it goes!

[Akurarei]

Black Lily

 

In the Bottle:

Clean, airy Lily - with an underlying shadow that is somehow creamy.

 

On my Skin, Wet:

Creamy shadowed Lily.

I smell what seems to be the onset of Vanilla.

 

On my Skin, Dry:

Spicy, creamy Lily & Vanilla.

it subtly reminds me of Peitho for some reason.

 

Verdict:

Not one that I'll reach for often but definitely one that I'll keep a 5ml around for.

Like fiddledragon stated: "I can see the "black" connotation, but it's an elegant dinner black, not a sinister black"

 

I couldn't have said it better!

thanks fiddledragon!

[grifyn_whiffs]

I've never reviewed this one?! What's wrong with me?

 

This one is an instant knee-buckler -- a bright, dewy floral. No powder, no jasmine-like cloying. Just gorgeous!

 

Sadly, it's also gone after 20 minutes. I slather more. Twenty minutes later, I slather again. It's a vicious cycle with this one. I must have a bottle so I can try to put it in my hair and in a scent locket.

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Very warm, sweet, and resin-y.

 

Immediately on skin: Oh, this smells lovely. It’s lily, but not generic white lily and I think I smell some other floral in there too. Jasmine, maybe? It doesn’t have the “clean” dryer sheet scent I get from most lily notes.. instead it’s sweet and light, but at the same time dark and shadowy.

 

After a few minutes: This is lily, but no lily I've ever smelled! It's dark, resin-y, and sweet with that light lily scent to it. Beautiful! This is a light floral, but it’s very dark. It’s a very “low” scent if that makes any sense… It’s nice and subtly sweet and the scent sticks very close to my skin.

 

Later on: This scent fades to a dark floral on me... it's light and rather complex, but still retains something of its namesake which keeps it fro getting too dark. I absolutely love it and need a big bottle for sure!

Edited November 6, 2007 by Delirium1009

[Meg]

In the bottle: A very light, honeyed lily.

Wet on skin: Sweet lily, a teense aquatic, pretty perfumy, and slightly headachy.

Drydown: It's a rather spicy lily scent, with another floral in there, perhaps narcissus. There's also a tang of lemon which makes it very refreshing. Actually it nearly smells like tea, hmm. Then a resin comes out, I think it's benzoin, and it adds a smooth musky darkness that ends up taking over the blend.

Overall: This is surprisingly like Embalming Fluid Meets A Floral. It's definitely a very strong floral at first, but then citrusy tea notes come out. And at the same time there is something darker and a bit musky too. It doesn't smell black, but it smells smooth and light and somber all at the same time. It also combines a floral I don't like with a resin I don't like and still manages to be a blend that I wouldn't mind wearing. Very good.

[YoakeNoKami]

Imp: Faintly lily, with a strong undertone of something else. Gardenia?

 

On/wet: A bit more lily, but still rather faint. Perhaps elegant-dinner kind of lily, Not easter-lily, thank god, because mom would kick me out.

 

Drydown: Odd. Rather decidedly odd. Lilies and vanilla, but a fuller note to the lily which is less sweet and more dry- balanced, if you would. I guess that as a lily, this would be a poised, quietly elegant, but fading--falling petals at a funeral, backed by dark reassurance, inevitability: lacks the sickly sweet edges of white easter lilies.

 

Overall, a warm, cleanly elegant kind of scent.

 

Warning: Do NOT slather!!!!!!

[Lunaratu]

This is of course a beautiful lily when this goes on but a deepened, non-screeching type of lily. There is almost something sweet or fruity lingering behind the dark lily scent. This is a very mature lovely scent that is extremely subtle and very well blended. The lily is creamy and dark with hints of a spiciness or a sweetness behind it. I’m liking this scent a lot.

 

Rating: 4/5

Edited October 9, 2007 by Lunaratu

[smillaraaq]

Another recent frimp, and my first try at one of the RG scents...

 

In the bottle: yeah, lily lily lily. But a fairly soft lily, nothing quite as spicy-strong as a stargazer; I'm so not getting the goth-as-fuck name, there's nothing particularly dark here yet, just pure soft lily. Wet: yep, still a very soft lily, like an old-fashioned lily-of-the-valley perfume; there are faint hints of something dark and woody underneath it, but it's hard to notice under the soft powdery creamy lily scent. Drydown: more of that same sweet soft lily with a hint of darkness under it...until it dries completely after a few minutes, and then the lily just vanishes in an instant, leaving behind what smells like the same rich black musk that's in Mad Hatter, softened and sweetened with something powdery-vanillaey like tonka. There's not a lot of throw, but that vanilla-musk clings close to my skin and lingers for a very very long time. I love black musk and tonka so this is a very nice thing, even if the actual lily is mostly a blink-and-you'll-miss-it element!

[Gwydion]

It's a floral. No surprise there. It's actually a very cool floral. The sort of floral I'd wear if I wore florals. It's rich and sort of purple smelling, deeper than violet and more shadowy. Really, the company description is accurate, though not informative.

[JenM]

In the imp: lily with a dark, spicy edge to it.

 

On the wrist: lots of spice. Then on drydown it fades. Almost mace or allspice backing the lily. It makes it what I’d call a “fuzzy” scent. Moderate throw.

 

After an hour: It gets spicier and spicier. It’s lost its dark edge, and smells more like a spice rack with an edge of lily. The throw’s not too good at this point.

 

Overall, I think this is a 7/10. It’s pleasant, but it’s not knocking my socks off.

[girlygirl]

Black Lily is a sister to Juliet. Where Juliet is a sunny summer's day, Black Lily is a dark gloomy wintery day. Ok, so lilies don't bloom in winter, but you get my point. Where Juliet is a hammer, Black Lily is a velvet-gloved fist!

[AEris]

If you love lilies, this is your must-have scent.

 

Personally, I feel like I can appreciate Black Lily, but I don't have a hole in my heart for it. It's a simple, elegant soliflore (even if it's actually a well-crafted blend - but I wouldn't know either way). It smells very true-to-life, and reminds me of the Lily of the Valley that blooms outside my mother's house (although darker somehow, and I'm not saying that because of the name : -). Someone mentioned pollen, and I agree.

 

I have to mention that the fresh-lily scent seems to fade rather quickly, and leaves behind a subdued skin scent.

 

I am grateful for the frimp, but it will be passed along to someone who will slather it properly.

[voodoocatwoman]

In the imp: Nothing to say that hasn't been said already- this is lily, pure and simple.

 

Wet: Lily in the foreground, but there's something else there, a little darker and heavier, spicy.

 

Dry: This one retains its spicy floral fragrance well. 10 hours later it is as strong as when I first put it on.

 

I would agree with a previous poster in that this is not a slathering scent. Use it sparingly.

[FandF]

I generally don't like floral scents and lilies are not a favorite flower for me.

 

That being said, I really like this! How??

 

It's definitely lilies with a dark undertone. That undertone is what keeps this from being "floral yuck" and makes it wearable for me. Not even wearable, I really like it. It turns ever so slightly powdery on my skin....just the smallest bit as it keeps it soft and lovely. I would also recommend this to fans of florals and noobs who might want to try florals.

[alicia_stardust]

This is a beautiful lily in full bloom, but there is a dark and spicy twist to it. I really can't describe how beautiful this is. I remember when this was released that everyone, even self-professed lily-haters, fell in deep and mad love with this scent. I can see why. It's worth checking out no matter what scent category you tend to favor.

[dreadeddragon]

In the bottle: Very soft lily, almost with a hint of opium to it to shroud it's strength

 

First on: Basically the same as in the bottle, it's a very dark seductive floral, somehow while having a clean scent to it as well. Fairly complex for being so simple, if that makes any sense.

 

Drydown: Soap! That same dark lily flora is underneath, but it has totally gone soapy on me.

 

Overall: This would have been a lovely floral for me had the soap not happened. Oh well.

[taramarie]

Black Lily is indeed a darkened lily scent. Initially, it was very faint, but now that it's dry it seems to be a little stronger. It's still a little weak for my taste, but I'm hoping age will help that.

[nageira]

mmm! I love this sent!

Its the same in the imp as on my skin which is great. Its a lovely clean light sent that will be perfect for spring. A 5ml for sure.