Lucretia

[filigree_shadow]

 

Lucretia, Albrecht Dürer.

Iris, black amber, sage, Kashmir wood, vanilla musk, mandarin and violet.

 

In the bottle: A little bit woody and a little bit of mandarin.

 

Initially: Wow, this smells wonderful. I can smell both vanilla musk and mandarin, and the black amber makes it smell a little bit perfumey. I was a little worried about the violet because that's a note that gets amped ureasonably on my skin, but it's fine here. Also I can only detect the mandarin in this when it's wet.

 

Dry: This is a beautiful perfume. I wasn't sure what Kashmir wood smelled like, but if that's the wood I'm smelling in this blend, it's gorgeous. What I'm getting mainly out of this is a slightly sweet woody vanilla amber scent.

 

Lovely!

 

edited to add hyooge image. - clover

[shelldoo]

in the bottle:iris and violet, a bit powdery

 

wet:slightly manadrin,vanilla musk, and violet

 

this is very florally, with a touch of powdery background. i believe the powdery note would be the black amber, i definitely detect the iris and violet. it is slightly musky, but only in whafts. and i don't get mandarin in dry down at all.

 

this one is a beautiful, sophisticated woman, someone snobbish and slightly standoffish, imho

[LiberAmoris]

Dear Lord, Lucretia is lovely. I only invested in two Salon bottles to begin with, and this one just seemed so incredible from the notes---vanilla musk, violet, black amber? Sold!

In the bottle it smells complicated, well-blended. No one note has prominence, but it has a dusky incensey vibe that reminds me a smidge of Gypsy Queen. It has that same kind of feeling. Like exquisite incense. Like vampy violets.

On, it's the kind of blend that has its eyes half lowered with long lashes. It's seductive. I pick up an exotic wood note, with that amazing vanilla musk and violet like I've never smelled violet before. Violet usually goes a bit strident on me, trumpeting its own horn and tramping about like the center of attention. But here it's incredibly mellow and multi-dimensional---something is interrupting it, staggering its arrival, so that it comes across as a bottom or middle note, rather than a top note.

I'm really glad I snagged a bottle of this. I'm making a mental note. Whenever I see the words 'vanilla musk,' I should just buy a bottle outright.

 

ETA 10 years later: This has aged into something magnificent and queenly. The iris, black amber, wood, violet, and vanilla musk have melded like some kind of heavenly celluloid over the years and now I can't pull them apart. It's like a purpley supernote, and I love it.

[edenssixthday]

Lucretia - This is another beautiful Salon scent. I can't get over how complex the two Salon scents are that I've tried so far. They are quite superior to the rest of the BPAL catalogue, in my opinion. When first applied, Lucretia goes on very soft and subtle, sweetly and softly musky, and that's about it. I'm thoroughly unimpressed...initially. After 15-20 minutes, as the oil warms up on my skin, the most beautiful woods appear. I couldn't quite identify the wood note, as it wasn't quite sandalwood, but that was the closest I could come to identifying it. I see now that Kashmir wood is in the blend. Having never smelled it before, naturally I couldn't identify it by name! No matter what, it's beautiful. Behind the woody notes is something slightly vanilla-sweet (which I know now to be the vanilla musk). After about 2 hours on my skin, the woods have disippated, and the scent left behind is a soft, light swirl of vanilla musk, very soft, wet sage, and the tiniest sliver of sweet violet. By the 3 hour point, I can only smell sweet musk on my skin, and that fades not long after. It's a beautiful blend, and has me excited to try even more Salon scents!

[AliBabble]

this is really beautiful. in the bottle, it is complex, mysterious and vibrant. a little bit spicy violets, floating in an almost syrup-y richness. a drop of the mandarin, like just a little bit of dried orange peel.

on my skin, the violets come out even more - i adore violets, so - yay.

the iris is very strong, blending with the violet and vanilla musk to create an almost

"candied" quality, like candied violets. but this is not at all overly sweet, due to the fantastically balanced wood and amber. there is a soft powderiness, a little bit of an old-fashioned "haunted" feeling to it. ladylike, delicate, and kind of seductive. so nice.

[Thorne]

Oh, Lucretia, you sexy sexy bitch, you.

 

I was a little afraid of the violets in this blend, as they turn old-lady powdery on me, but here they are just purely sweet and light. Innocent, almost. But not quite. There is a warm round curve of vanilla, grounded with a resinous wood scent, like very fine, very expensive wooden furniture. And just for pure tangy deliciousness, there's a tart hint of mandarin orange. I want to lick my own arm, I smell so good.

[olympia301]

 

This one is at once familiar and thoroughly foriegn. It reminds me of things like Lex Taleonis and Saturnalia, but then again there is the ring of something I have never smelled before. I would have to say that Lucretia is an important scent which deserves all of the attention you give it.

 

Complex and beautiful, there is a lot which went into it. I smell Beth's violet very well, like the violet in Marie. It's a dry and tart violet rather than soapy sweet. I get the impression of Big Woods in here, but these are feminine woods. That is a major triumph in itself, to make a scent which contains wood but make it feminine.

 

The initial wet phase really will have you thinking that you know what this is, but believe me you don't. It becomes woodier with the drydown, and then miraculously goes back to the perfume you smelled originally. Very much the change artist in ways that many perfumes couldn't.

 

I would say that for all it's power, Lucretia isn't in it for the long haul. I would recommend the scent locket for wearing it, along with putting it on your skin, too. I could smell it for about an hour overall, but that could be my nose falling under its spell. People have said that violets deaden your nose, so ask a friend if they can still smell it after you think it's gone.

[LittleGreyKitten]

Ah, violets. My floral nemesis, I am beginning to realize. All the other notes sounded ohmigod good. Violets worried me. Lucretia goes on lovely and dusky-floral wet, then dries down to this sour/powdery unpleasant thing that violets are inclined to do on my skin. I'll try it again after storing it for a month or so- that may give it some time to mellow. And hopefully the violets will play nicer. But for now it's saying "swap" to me. Unfortunately. I was all about the amber and vanilla musk, which I can smell in the bottle and wet on my skin, but then they get eaten by the Violet of Doom. Pity. Anyway, I'll let it settle for a while in my box and retry.

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 5/5

Summarised in a word or two: Vanilla musk.

 

Hopes & Thoughts: This is me hoping for a slightly woody, amber-heavy vanilla musk.

 

In the imp: Violet, mandarin, vanilla musk and sage. Odd.

 

On skin, wet: Oh, this is nice. Woody and musky with a very smooth vanilla. The amber's not very strong here, but it's lovely.

 

On skin, dry: As it dries, Lucretia is primarily vanilla musk, but the amber and wood aren't so easily forgotten. This is what I had wanted Tombstone to be. I'm shocked that the sage and violet haven't shown up to steal the show, but I'm not complaining.

 

Conclusion/Notes: Guh, I love this. I have a roll-on of Vanilla Musk perfume oil from a local vendor, and a teeny bit of it layered with Lucretia is... unspeakably good. Smooth, musky, woody and earthy. I've already snagged a bottle of this from a forumite, and I can't wait for it to arrive!

Edited July 18, 2006 by Aredhel

[sookster]

straight sniff from the bottle is slightly powdery and very smooth smelling purple violets and vanilla musk

 

this warms up and positively loves my chemistry...i get some of the mandarin note mixing with that heavenly violet creating an almost incensey blend that is to die for!!!!! perfect for summer weather~

 

i love this so much along with the fact that a few drops last for hours!!

 

another salon winner

[scarhead101]

This must just be my kooky chemistry. Lucretia smells like very expensive chocolate on my skin.

 

As it dries, I get a hint of lilacs. Which is good. I love both chocolate and lilacs.

Edited July 19, 2006 by scarhead101

[parrot_suspect]

I bought this unsniffed because the notes sounded so lovely. I sometimes have to watch it with scents that contain violet or citrus notes, because my skin tends to amp them up. Lucretia, however, is so well-blended that no one note stands out. The notes meld into a dusky, sexy, ethereal, come-hither sort of scent...lazy and seductive, but not rich, floral or heady. It whispers; it does not scream. It's sort of along the lines of Fallen and Sybaris, if that helps at all. The drydown is soft, powdery woods. I am very pleased with Lucretia.

[quikslvr]

Oooh, was my first reaction.

 

It's fascinating: iris, so certainly a floral component, but primarily resin and wood backed by the musk. There's some powder in the back, but it's a very grounded scent, and certainly on the musky and perfume-y end.

 

Complex but not confusing, well-blended but still identifiable, this blend is an awesome play in balance.

 

On me, I fear the florals are drowning out the beautiful musk and resin and wood. I'm not a floral person, and the iris and violet seem to be in the foreground for more of this scent's lifespan than I'd prefer.

 

Where the florals aren't, though, I'm there: and the waft, for me, is often much more musk than floral, so this one I'll probably hang onto a bit of, at least. And as it dries down and settles in properly, I find I'm falling in love with that waft: ever-so-vanilla musk, with a sharper topnote above that I suspect is the iris and wood interaction.

 

Oh, yes. This is the good stuff.

[Tesseljoan]

This one is so hard ro describe. When it's dry, I can smell the violets and a little musk, with a hint of powder underneath. There's more to it, the notes are definitely well-blended and hard to distinguish. It is very lady-like and beautiful. As someone who is thouroughly scared of florals I can say this works and might for others for whom florals are their nemesis.

[Kittyflop]

Lucretia is a floral with powder highlights. I'm terrible at describing florals, but to me it's in the same category as (but not the same as) Beatrice and Bearded Lady. It's a very feminine, womanly floral. The powder (amber?) 'sets' it and keeps it from being too too much. I don't get much of the wood that others have noticed, it's strictly floral / amber to me.

 

It's complex and has good staying power. The waft stays close. It's quite beautiful.

[Little Bird]

Mostly this is a very heady floral on my skin, with wafts of vanilla musk and burning sage every once in a while.

This is a very purple fragrance. The iris is an almost spicy floral, adding some oomph into the background of the dark, sickly sweet violets. This is primarily a strong violet perfume on me, but they don't go soapy or powdery as they often do. The other notes swirl around the violet and pop up every once in a while to lend a more exotic feel to them. It smells like a very expensive, rich violet perfume.

 

 

ETA 2016 frimp review, as I find most of these scents are composed completely differently over the years as components get discontinued and replaced:

Buttery iris that reminds me of Prada's Infusion d'Iris, baby powdery, clean musk, and a hint of sharp citrus mandarin and powdery violet. A powdery, clean floral-citrus that's just slightly sweet from the violet and vanilla. Has a warm, dry woodiness in the drydown and more of a powdery vanilla feel.

Warm, powdery, buttery, vanilla-iris with the other notes adding a hint of sweetness and dry, warm wood.

Too baby powdery for me, but very pleasant, soft and easy to wear.

This smells like a completely different fragrance to me when compared to the 2006 version. More iris than violet, and overall a warm, pale, white fragrance.

Edited June 14, 2016 by Little Bird

[juniperus]

Bottle: sage, vanilla, and mandarin, mostly. a hint of amber.

Wet: same, but with vanilla growing stronger.

Dry: I can identify the violet in this, now, and hints of the wood underneath are evident. less of the sage and mandarin, but the vanilla still immediate.

Later: I was worried about the vanilla musk in this - vanilla usually amps and grows sticky-sweet...but in this blend it's taking a front seat, but not totally taken over. the iris and violet are still very apparent, and although the mandarin and sage are mostly gone, the musk and wood beneath, however faint, lend it enough depth. I'm undecided whether a bottle is a good idea, but I'll definitely use up the decant imp. What a pleasant surprise!

[Shannihilation]

I really thought I'd like this one. It has so many of my favorite notes in it, but I just don't think it works for me. It's very strong and heavy and on me seems to be all black amber and wood with none of the other notes coming through. It's a very sharp scent, and I've had it on for over an hour now. I'd hoped that the vanilla would smoothe out the other notes but I can't even smell it at all.

 

I think Lucretia will have to find a new home. It's a nice blend, but not on me.

[jj_j]

Another Salon scent with notes I adore - iris, black amber, mandarin, violet - and one that sounds pretty good (vanilla musk) since I love Beth's vanilla and white musks.

 

In the vial, I get ... wine? Not quite the wine of Lady MacBeth, but a definite wine note. Where that comes from, I don't know, because it's obviously not in the list of components.

 

So I put on Lucretia, and I get ... wine. Where the hell did that come from? I can't find any of those notes I adore, with the exception of the mandarin; this is becoming mandarin wine.

 

I keep sniffing. And sniffing. Waiting and sniffing. This wine thing is making me crazy, but I'm not giving up on Lucretia. There's no way so many of these particular notes can end up a wine scent.

 

And finally ... the mandarin fades out, and I get violets and wine. A little more time, and the wine fades out. Where it came from, I don't know, but I'm glad it's gone just so I can get to the scents I love. It was actually a lovely variation on a wine scent, but because I was looking for all those other notes, it made me a little insane.

 

Violets, iris, and an anchoring wooden note finally emerge. I can only guess that's Kashmir woods; it's warm and woody, regardless of where they came from. Mostly iris and woods; just enough violet to peppery-powdery the scent a bit and give it a little more "refined" and a little less "earthy".

 

No sign of Beth's vanilla, but vanilla musk is obviously not the same thing as vanilla plus musk; I was taking a guess on that one.

 

This ends up as rich woods that seem to be dry and faded - like an old wooden box made of precious wood that's dried and cracked as it's handed down over the years, but still smells faintly when you open it - and a slightly peppery powder note that contradicts itself by being a little warm. I suppose you could think of it as a very expensive, beautiful potpourri in that wooden box that's faded and lightened up over time, but still makes you think of how rich and elegant it once was.

 

I'm actually glad I didn't purchase this one, all those favorite notes of mine combined in a totally unexpected way. While that's not a bad thing - in fact, this is a beautiful blend - Lucretia wasn't any of the things I love about those notes when they stand alone.

Edited July 29, 2006 by jj_j

[herbhealer]

Lucretia smells like a well-crafted vintage perfume to me: a rich, powdery floral that could have been an evening scent in Victorian times.

[euterpe414]

Wow, this is incredibly gorgeous!!! All the notes seem very well blended on my skin, although sometimes I get strong wafts of citrus and violet. This is a refined blend, and I am definetely going to save it for special occasions when I want to feel, umm, classy. I don't have much else to say about this, except that I am in love.

[aedes]

At first this was too "oef! Floral!" for my nose. It smells a lot like (I hate saying "commercial") perfume, but good perfume. Annick Goutal kinda stuff.

 

But as it dries, you know, if I had never heard of BPAL and I came across a perfume like this, I'd be sold. It's texturally soft, very feminine, like a ballet slipper pink cashmere sweater. It's exceptionally balanced and very lovely. For reference, it actually smells like Peony Moon combined with Florence, to this nose at least.

 

I wasn't expecting to like this very much from the reviews, but this is really quite nice. I think I'll be keeping this around.

[cranberry]

Wow, this is a complex scent. I think it’s going to take a wearing or two to get this scent.

 

**Later, after a couple wearings**

 

In the imp, it’s very soft, slightly floral.

 

Once applied, the mandarin, iris, and violet make the initial appearance, soon followed by woods and what I’m thinking is the vanilla musk. This is such a complex scent, I’ve worn it a few times and still having a hard time describing it. This is soft, sweet, and slightly off putting to my nose. I think it’s the mandarin and sage in combination with the vanilla musk.

 

As it wears, the sweetness of the vanilla musk comes out. It ends powdery, with the violets and iris dominating. I like this scent, but I’m not sure how much I’ll wear it. I’m glad that I have an imp, but I am glad I didn’t get a bottle.

[PurringPulsar]

Lucretia

 

In the imp: soft, powdery orris and violet, with a sweet undertone.

Wet on skin: powdery orris with a hint of green sage, amber, vanilla musk and darker woods.

Dry on skin: oh, this is very pretty. I'm reminded slightly of Morella thanks to the orris-sage combination, but this has more depth to it-it's less floral and has deeper, more exotic base notes. I can smell a gorgeous dark wood, a rich wood that I've not encountered before-maybe it's the Kashmir wood. I get sweet dark amber and also a little hint of musk mingling into the powdered violet-orris. This scent is mature, grown up and refined, but with bolder, more mysterious undercurrent.

After a while: the scent warms up, becomes less pale in feel-it's still powdery and soft but I can smell those fabulous woods gilded by the slightly smoky amber, all of it rounded by a delightful light musk which, while not as vanilla-y as I hoped, is gorgeous.

Verdict: Lucretia in the painting may not exactly be, erm, the prettiest thing out there, but this scent shows her inner beauty-look beyond her face and see what lies beneath. Soft, gentle, refined powdered notes of orris, violet and light vanilla musk dusted lightly over a richer, sweeter undertone of exotic woods, and amber. Now when I say powdery, I mean it in a good way-this is powdery done excellently. There's a scent to this lingering around the base which reminds me of expensive perfume, and that's a compliment. This is a scent of subtle, sublime beauty, a calm, reserved scent which is growing on me, I will mull over whether I need a bottle or not-it does seem a bit too mature for me, but I like the fragrance enough to keep the decant.

Emoticon rating:

If you like this, try: Morella, Florence

Edited September 28, 2006 by yeahbutnobut

[themerrybaker]

My nose was fooling around with this one at first: telling me that rose geranium is in Lucretia. After reading the notes, yes I believe there is orris root and sage. But I don't think the point of the Salon blends is to guess the particular notes, just to enjoy the overall impression.

 

Which is...Feminine, elegant, and powdery. Picture 1930's french cinema?