Queen of Sheba

[pekeana]

... Her scent is a bounty of golden honeyed almonds and a whisper of African and Middle Eastern spices.

In the bottle: orangey-almond, spice, sweet.

On me: The orange-alond intensifies for the first ten minutes or so, then disappears behind an influx of honey and spice.

I really, really, really like this.

[allamanda]

Resinous and spicy when wet with a slightly scorched note that often indicates myrrh on my skin.

 

As this dries I can smell nuts, but to me they smell like pistachios, not almonds. I’m guessing but think I can smell cardamom and perhaps saffron and clove, very complex scent.

 

This is making me think of an eastern spice market, Spices and nuts roasting and all manner of scents combined. I’m 90% sure about the saffron I keep thinking barley sugar, it must be saffron!

 

I find the smell of this oil fascinating, but whilst I want to be able to smell and enjoy it I’m not sure I want to wear it. I think this needs a burner trial.

[Fulltiltredhead]

I get very strong saffron at first, almost unbearable, and if I didn't know better, I'd have washed it off right then.

 

Fortunately, I waited 10 minutes. Saffron had to have her say, but once she did, she was happy to fall back and play with the other girls. This becomes a melange of sweetness and spice. It inhabits the nose and mouth, making you want to both smell and taste it simultaneously.

 

This reminds me more of Scherezade than Dana O'Shee, and it's the perfect inbetween of the two.

 

I can't stop sniffing my arm.

 

And this one is the first that I've loved on me AND wanted as a room scent (which I have not tried yet, but I feel sure it will be glorious).

 

Edited - 7 months later - this one ages really nicely in the bottle. If you have an imp and are not sure about it and not in a rush, set it aside and revisit after it's had time to mellow.

[velvet]

this is heaven in a bottle!

im pretty sure i havent reviewed this yet... uhhh

 

the spices are so beautifully blended

it actually smells abbout the same in the bottle as it does on me. i think its a first! its long lasting im lucky if anything lasts more than 3 hours on me and this is exceeding.

if you like like exotic, this is the one for you

[Murron]

Bottle: almonds so bitter, that it almost hurts to sniff them....

 

First sniff from skin: this scent immediatley starts to warm and soften up. To me, it smells the same as Lush's snowcake. It also reminds me of making sugary, almond cookies at work.

 

After a few hours: still there! It's all nice and slightly snuggly, with a sexy undertone.

 

Definetely a keeper!!!

[diabolique]

in the vial: very dry and sharpsharpsharp. it scared me off a little bit.

 

the first five minutes of this really intimidated me. this scent really jumps out at you. queen of sheba is probably the roughest scent i've tried from BPAL. some scents, like old morocco, are smooth. this one smells rough and somewhat scalding in its abrupt sharpness. i imagine this is how dry, hot desert wind would smell. i suppose i'll keep the imp around, although this blend isn't very "me." it's too rough around the edges. i've got another imp of this on the way which i'll put up for swap.

[quinkel]

Even after finishing an entire Imp, I couln't make up my mind about this one.

I had already a 5ml on order, based on the description and reviews it sounded very 'me'

 

There are days I really like it and it's almost as sweet and good as Dana O shee, but stronger.

Most days unfortunately, it turns into a sour after shave/old spice kind of scent.

In the bottle it is so nice and spice and very unusual. I am kind of sad I finally have to admit it's not for me.

 

It's for swap

ETA15/03/05

I was planning to put it up for swaps but forgot about the bottle. It has been aging in a cool dark place and today i decided to give it another try. It has already scent memories about the time i used it last year. In the end of summer it was very hot. And when i opend the bottle... BOOOM there was Hot August. This scent, I will probable never make up my mind about, but i will keep it around for a while...

Edited March 15, 2005 by quinkel

[asa805]

The first 2 minutes were horrendous. So digsuting i must admit. Its bitter, strong and smells alittle like sewage. Then after litterally 60 seconds it starts to dry and smooth out its rough yucky edges to something gorgeous and sweet and smooth. Yes smooth. I was so surprised that something so harsh could end up so smooth and delicious. It is a slightly spicy, very conforting honey scent. Much more depth and nicer than Dana. i must admit that i adore it, even with the disgusting wet smell. It lasts and lasts so i wouldnt have to reapply to often and deal with 2 mintues of yuck. But hey i can deal with those 2 minutes when its followed by hours of yum! I am definately keeping my imp and once it runs out will consider a 5ml.

 

PLease if you are trying out Queen of Sheba, rough it out for afew minutes so you can experience the drydown, then make your judgement. Do not judge this on its wet smell.

[Electra]

Oh dear.

 

I smell like hummus. How very unfortunate.

 

(Queen of Sheba and Snake Oil must have a note in common, as they both did very similar, very nasty things with my body chemistry.)

[octopusgrrl]

In the bottle: black pepper and sugar

 

Wet: intriguingly spicy and sweet, with a slight floral edge

 

Dry: bitter almonds and spiced honey

 

Verdict: I think I liked it better wet than once it dried, but it's still really yummy. I don't know whether I'd wear it every day because it's rather overwhelming, but at times when I want to smell and feel exotic, this would be the oil I'd go for.

[metterklume]

When wet, all I can think is green spikes, as someone (Andrabell?) said earlier. If I put it in my hair, it stays at that harsh green-ness – this really needs body heat to bloom. As it warms up and dries out, all these uncommon spices come out – not the usual apple pie spices at all, which makes sense, and I do smell a little honey but it’s under the spices, and all together it is a very dry scent. Thankfully it’s not powdery though, and I really like it as soon as it gets over the spikes. This is another scent where I can't smell the almonds at all...I'd say my nose is broken but I can smell them in Dana!

 

The boy says he likes this because it reminds him of Santa Fe, due to the dryness and the smell of incense in the dorms (to cover up other green smells!)

[Caitfish]

In the bottle: almost pure cherries and almonds. I don't know where the cherries are coming from, but they are definately there.

 

Initial on-me: more almond, less cherry - and I can smell some spices rising.

 

Dry: Woah, so much more spicy, and warm. I can smell the sweetness of the honey and it's making me a bit dizzy, but I think that I just put a bit too much on. Or it could be that I just ran 5 miles. Yeah. I'll report on how this one stays after sushi dinners.

 

After Dinner: Oh man, so many compliments at dinner. This made me feel so confident. I smelled sweet, but not young. *Much later* that night, and in bed with my darling, Queen of Sheba really showed her stuff. I think I fell in love with myself I smelled so good. It made me feel passionate and powerful. Good stuff.

 

In the morning: Still loving it. I hate to hop in the shower.

 

So far, I love it. I would get a big bottle, but I haven't smelled enough of the lab's stuff to prioritize yet.

[rhubarbbear]

I was really excited to try this one- the description sounded so amazing!

 

When I opened the imp I was underwhelmed. Very underwhelmed. So sad. I tried it on and still didn't like it. Even sadder. A couple days later, tho, I decided there was no reason for me not to like this scent! Everything in it is yummy! So I tried again. And I liked it! Only OK, tho. But I found myself *wanting* to wear it over the next several days. So I wore it again and I LOVED it. Kind of strange, but this one grew on me and twined all around the desire part of my brain...

 

This is my favorite BPAL scent thus far

 

ADDED Nov. 29:

 

oh how i love queen of sheba!

 

at first it has a slightly off-putting scent that i can't put my finger on, both in the vial and on my skin. within 5 minutes it has turned to a lovely golden scent, bitter dry almonds dipped in spiced honey. very warm and exotic, no cinnamon that i can detect, for instance.

 

this one has great staying power and throw on me, and my skin seems to eat a lot of scents. i can still smell queen of sheeba after 6 hours! more

 

this will clearly be a big bottle purchase, and soon!

Edited December 6, 2004 by Shollin

[glampyre]

Queen of Sheba.

 

This ranks up there with Old Morocco in the collection of Warm, not-overly-sweet, spicy scents that the Lab does so well.

 

The almond is gorgeous, and I think there must be a little vanilla and something musky. It's just a nice, warm, well-rounded, calming scent.

 

I love it.

[sheelanagig]

Now this is lovely. There's absolutely no difference to my nose between the scent in the vial and after wearing for several hours.

There's a middle eastern grocery near my parents' house that smells exactly like this. I'm not sure if it's the incense they burn or what, but god, I love this.

[Belladonnastrap]

All hail the queen.

 

First sniff

Wow spicy.I can smell some almonds which makes me eep as I'm a bit allegic to almond based scents but I have high hopes for the queen!

 

When wet

Oooooooo. Lovely almonds wafting up to say "allo miss!" as the spices lightly carress my skin. It's not a kick you in the face spice more of a one that you don't notice is there unless someone brings it to your attention. Very very nice.

 

Drydown

Oh wow, could it be I've found an almond scent that agrees with me?! The drydown on this is very lovely, a bit sweet and honeyed, the spices are very much toned down into a sort of mulled haze.

 

 

Aftermath

FINALLY an almond scent that doesn't cause me to break out! Queen of Sheba is like as low working Old Morrocco...it's heady but not so much that it leaves you drunk. Prolonged exposure will result in inebriation after awhile though. It's a lovely scent, perfect for fall>winter and I plan on buying more.

[darkitysnark]

Queen of Sheba

 

(...another gift imp from clover)

 

In the bottle:

Very green crushed nuts... tart, sharp, a little scary.

 

Wet:

The green is almost overwhelming, but there is a hint at warmer spiciness behind the wave of green.

 

Drydown:

The green is subsiding (thank goodness!) and a warm, well-blended mixture of spices is blossoming. This has the same feel as Old Morroco to me. The scents are intertwined enough for me to have trouble discerning individual notes.

 

Hours later (approximately 8):

Mostly faded, but still a hint of honeyed, spicy goodness. The almond is still a bit green, but not nearly as sharp as fresh out of the bottle.

 

I like this one, but I don't love it. Given the choice of Old Morroco or this, I would still go with OM. This one seems a bit lighter, and the green tang, while it does subside, is enough to give me pause.

 

Definitely using up this imp though.

[Azrhiaz]

Someone else said this was "quiet", and that's very true. It's lovely, just a whisper of spices indeed, and makes me rather drowsy, in fact. It's lying in a shaded pavillion with pretty boys fanning you and the scent of spices in the air.

 

The only thing keeping me from *loving* it-- it's like, not love-- is that it's really too subtle for me. I like more oompfh in my scents, and it's faded really quickly from my skin. I can barely smell any trace of it now, and we're two hours out.

 

Edited to add: it's continued to grow on me, which is really frustrating, because I've reapplied it twice and it just will. not. stick. WAH. I want it to last, because it really is nice. Oh, well. I'm still looking for an "eastern spice" BPAL that will work on me. I have high hopes for Scheherazade...

Edited November 2, 2004 by Azrhiaz

[phaedrine]

Ew. Well, not ew, really....but yeah, ew.

 

For the first 15 minutes or so, all I could smell was cherry-almond, which makes me think of the stuff I use to clean my bathrooms. Gag.

 

After it dried down, it became ok, not spectaculary, but ok....but it just wasn't worth that first 15 minutes of ew.

 

I really wanted to like this one, but this is the oil that told me that I need to stay away from almonds!

[tart]

There is something unbelievably strong and bitter and a bit green when Queen of Sheba is wet, but hold on! It will go away! Once dry, Queen of Sheba is something that reminds me of an almondy O. After a few hours it dries into the same thing Le Petit Mort, O, and Decadence dry to -- it's kind of like an after-sex scent.

Edited November 19, 2004 by tart

[NoirRosaleen]

I was hoping to like this one, too...and in the beginning it was much akin to O and Follow Me Boy. However, I don*t know if it was the spices or what, but something went very bitter on me. The honeyed scent is still there underneath it, however whatever*s on top is kinda turning my stomach. Off to swaps, and here*s hoping Old Morocco or Snake Oil does better on me!

[Loviatar]

Well this is my first review so please forgive me if I miss anything out or get it wrong!

 

I got this from the lovely Erica and I must admit it's not one I would have thought of getting myself. However, I am really pleased she sent it because it is completely beautiful!

 

In the bottle: Almond almost overpowered everything else but I got hints of something floral and some sweet spice. And it made me sneeze!

 

Upon application: I can smell almonds, a slight tinge of spice - possibly nutmeg - makes my nose tingle inside, another sneeze is coming! Could there be a similar spice in this as used in some snuffs?? Something slightly floral lightens this but I cannot quite put my finger on it. There's a fleeting hint of star anise - lasting less than five minutes. Now there's cardomon and something else that reminds me of a wonderful Indian caterer we have near here - as you enter the place, all you can smell is the plethora of sweets that they make on the premises; I got a real blast of this for about ten minutes with QOS! Yummy - makes me want to go there and buy a huge box of Barfi!

 

Dry-down: A little powdery but is only really apparent if I get a vague waft as I move my hand in front of my face; not when I inhale deeply! I find it a dry, feminine, almost florally musky scent - possibly has red musk in it? Is the floral gardenia or magnolia? Am not sure. The almond has really calmed down now and taken a back seat, although I am still very aware of it. Thankfully the sneezing element has disappeared and I can actually smell this without messing up my screen!

 

I didn't get any of the sharpness or green/bitter notes that others have experienced, for which I am really thankful as this is such a gorgeous scent, it would be a pity to have it tainted in any way!

 

It's a definite keeper!

[zapevaj]

Something in this blend made me seriously nauseous. It's quite strange. I believe it's the honey, but I couldn't even get to putting it on- just sniffed in the vial and put back down. It got swapped to a better owner.

 

-Rae

 

ADDED Dec. 6:

 

Something about this scent makes me queasy. I've not yet isolated whether or not it's the honey or the almonds. It's a very warm, golden scent, but overwhelmingly so. I couldn't even birng myself to put it on my skin.

 

-Rae

Edited December 6, 2004 by Shollin

[tempete]

The wonderful Lab rats threw an imp of Queen of Sheba into my last order

 

The scent of sweet almonds dominates the wet phase of Queen of Sheba. Fortunately (since I hate almonds), the almonds recede as it dries and a gorgeous spiced honey scent emerged. Now, I would buy a bottle of Queen of Sheba if it stayed in this phase, but alas, it soaped out on me shortly thereafter. I don't know what the culprit note was in this scent, but I suspect that it might be star anise, which isn't listed in the official description but wouldn't be out of place in this particular scent.

[ismene]

I smell almonds and...cherries? Definitely candied fruit of some sort. Everything's all been covered with sugar and heated till it carmelizes a bit. It's a nice sort of sweetness, but I'm not sure if I like almonds enough to wear this one a lot. I also get really hungry when I wear it.