Black Rose

[Witch's Dagger]

Black Rose

 

Exquisitely melancholy. The background scent to an ancient exequies. Heavy, dark and floral: a blend of roses, with a touch of amber and musk.

 

Origin: Ordered from the lab

 

Preconceived notions: I was able to smell it once at morseren’s house, and found it to be darkly lovely. It took me awhile to order it to try it more thoroughly because I’ve always been susceptible to scents I haven’t *ever* tried.

 

In the vial: A very somber, deathly, almost earthy rose.

 

On me: I don’t know what’s in this, but it reminds me somewhat of Blood Rose, yet smokier, drier, and darker. It’s also as elegant, but colder, not as carnal or erotic. I don’t get much rose in Blood Rose, but the rose that’s there is this one. And it’s one I can’t describe - It’s a very deep scent, almost spicy. I’m guessing there’s some kind of incense in this blend, myrrh or frankincense would be my first choice, because there’s a dark, resiny spice to it.

 

In 25 minutes: It has softened, perhaps due to the influence of the musk - I’ve found that musk makes things softer for me (well, except for red musk...). So, now, it’s a deep, dark, soporific, soft, comfortable black rose.

 

In 45 minutes: This is such a rich scent. I’ve checked my notes and found out that the resin involved is amber. That makes as lot of sense at this stage in the scent, though it seems too light for the earlier stage. Not that this is lighter now, just that it does seem tinged by something warm and golden - a single black rose sitting on a cherry night table with a lit candle illuminating it just slightly. It’s also much more sensual than it was initially, though still drier, not as wanton as the Blood Rose. The sensuality is the kind you feel after a really good massage or sauna experience. I imagine a woman, dressed in a black evening gown in a hotel. She has just been to the hot tub and the sauna, and she’s now awaiting an excellent dinner of something with a rich sauce, a bold red wine, and a decadent dessert. The room service arrives, and she is gracious, yet reserved. She is alone, but completely comfortable in her own skin.

 

In an hour: Wow, the rose has gently faded slightly to the background, and I’m left with a glowing amber musk scent. The rose is still there, but it’s not the prominent note. This is really nice, and it’s still quite strong, which is odd for me (BPAL oils tend to have at least *begun* fading by now, if they’re not completely gone).

 

Overall: This is beautiful. I think I’ll definitely need more of this when I run out.

 

Edited to add: 2 hours later and it's all sweet amber - very sweet amber. Which I do like, particularly late at night with a candle burning.

 

Also, I've read other reviews, and I can say for me, it's nothing like Spellbound. The rose in Spellbound was incredibly sharp, as was the amber and red musk. It gave me a headache in 5 minutes and I had to swap it - the notes all tended to make each other sharper on my skin, instead of fuller and softer. This one did the opposite. For me, as can be seen in the review itself, it was much more similar to Blood Rose, in that the other notes added depth to a round, soft rose.

Edited September 28, 2005 by Shollin

[requieminblack]

First sniff from the bottle- Whoa Momma!! That is some strong rose!

 

After 10 minutes- This smells like a pack of rose incense I have that is from India. It is a very strong musky rose.

 

After 30 minutes- I really, really wanted to like this. I was hoping this darker blend of rose would work for me, but alas as all rose scents do this burned and irritated my poor nose.

 

Summery- Swap city

[misfitroxy]

The imp smells very sweet and musky. Not at all heavy, and almost honey-like.

 

On my skin, I instantly pick up on the rose, but it’s unlike the rose notes I’m used to. Still almost honey-like, sticky. Not nearly as dark as I anticipated. But it’s not powdery either. I think my skin is eating it too, as it’s fading very fast. There’s a very slight touch of spice (more of the oriental kind than cinnamon or the like) that comes through which must be the musk (unless it's the amber. I'm not well versed in the difference yet). This pleases me, as my skin normally turns musk into an overpowering, heady sort of scent that blocks out all other components.

 

The rose that lingers is indeed a darker rose than most. But it’s sweet and light enough to be a daytime scent on me. The amber increases as it dries, turning this into a more “mature” scent, but still nothing near imposing or overwhelming.

 

I see this as an ideal date scent as it’s subtly sexy and slightly mysterious (especially when compared to more traditional rose perfumes). While it’s not something I’d choose to wear all the time, I’ll definitely break it out for special occasions or times when I’m feeling both naughty and flirty.

[mmcfa2]

All I get from this is rose. No musk, no amber, nothing deep or dark, just ROSE! reminds me of the way whip smelled on me. Not at all a bad smell, but no complexity, which I adore in a scent.

 

This one falls into the nice rose but nothing more category and that makes me sad because I LOVE rose and amber. I'll keep it as a room scent. that said, have you tried harlot??? Now THERE is a rose!!

Edited March 21, 2005 by mmcfa2

[wickedgoddess]

Wet, I smell roses covered with dirt, mixed in with another scent. It's not rose, amber or musk that I am smelling but something green, like grass, but not quite. I don't get musk or amber out of it yet.

 

Dry, the musk really starts to come out. It overpowers the rose a bit, although I can still smell it. I still prefer the Black Rose scent of Dark Candles, but this is a nice rose blend.

 

On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5 (with 5 being best) 2 .

 

Edited - I went back and tried this a third time, after trying Zombi, and it doesn't work for me as well as I thought. It's got to be the amber; as much as I like amber it really isn't my friend.

Edited May 27, 2005 by wickedgoddess

[Diana]

On me it's predominantly rose, from wet through drydown.

Initially it is almost pure rose. It takes a while for the other components to appear, but that is usually the case for me + amber or me + musks. They seem to need to warm up on my skin for a while before I can notice much of it.

 

This is different from other rose scents the lab offers, I must say. Whereas Red Rose smells like a fresh red rose, Zombie smells like rose bushes + dirt, this I think reminds me of a yellow rose. I don't know why I get that impression, I just do. Maybe it's the sweetness of the amber and musk. They usually soften up blends, so this on me is very delicate and light.

 

I think this is yet another winner! I don't know if I'll ever end up with a full bottle of this, but it may be something to consider if I ever tire of Zombi. =)

[Eros]

Roses all the way. Lovely dead, forlorn roses~From wet to dry down. Unfortunately, gave me a headache immediately upon opening the bottle, this one will never work for me

I bit the bullet and kept it on for a few hours and it stayed true. Definitely has staying power, when I finally had to wash it off...it didn't go away. Wish this one didn't give me a headache, its absolutely beautiful!

[amrita]

Wet, I get rose and something that smells like lilac-- light, sweet, and very pretty. Unfortunately, it also smells strongly soapy right off the bat.

 

As it dries, the lilac fades and this becomes a warm dark powdery rose. It's nice, but definitely not my thing.

[joseybird]

Heavy, sour roses, bittered by the amber and musk With a cleaning fluid undertone...ug

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: A dark rose in a deep pool of thick, dark liquid.

 

Wearing: Rose.

 

Final Impressions: I should just stop reviewing rose scents, because they all end up smelling the same on me within 5 minutes of application.

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 0/5

Summarised in a word or two: Bug spray.

 

In the imp/bottle: Dark, crisp rose.

 

On skin, wet: This starts to turn into what someone likened to bug spray. It's a very bitter, sickly smell, and I'm tempted to wash the whole thing off.

 

On skin, dry: No change. It's an awful smell, and very, very strong. It stings the back of my throat, and reminds me of horrible, humid summer nights, covered in bug spray.

 

Conclusion: Definitely not for me. It starts out as tolerable rose, but turns into something that reminds me of the way I smell while trying to keep the bugs off of me in the middle of July. Ick.

Edited December 19, 2005 by Aredhel

[dreadeddragon]

In the bottle: Um...it smells like when you leave flowers out for too long & they start to rot. Ugh.

 

First on: Still got that rotting scent. Maybe it's jsut an old imp?

 

After an hour: Now I can smell the rose, but I still get a sour, rotting feel to it. I like Ouija and I've got Zombi on the way, so this is going to swap.

[Pixie-elf]

In the Vial: Kinda yucky roses, not good, it's bitter in the vial. ;

 

Wet: Roses, Sweet almost Candied Roses. Good thing I tried this on!

 

Dry: Dark Candied Roses, oh so very nice...

 

Conclusion: This is really nice, but I doubt I'll be buying a full sized bottle... I'm sure I'll use the imp though... Probably. ;;

[brownbear]

In the bottle: rose, duh. strong.

On my skin it's a very deep, strong, dark rose. Apparantly rose is my thing. Oh and amber and musk too it seems. At some point I will own a bottle of this.

[quimerula]

Tis is a very discreet rose, almost dry, dark and melancholic.

The amber gives it a misterious touch, and the musk warms it up and puts it closer to the skin (if it has any meaning to you...).

Dry the amber comes out stronger, making it just a bit brighter.

This is a powdery floral perfume on my skin. Just as a black rose would smell.

[quikslvr]

Dark, musky rose at first. Kind of weird interaction between roses and amber, which I'm not sure I like. It evokes some memory I'm not completely comfortable with, but can't nail down. Later, though, it becomes a very nice overlay of soft, dusty rose on top of Black Phoenix-like incensey spice.

[Lycanthrope]

In the Bottle or Imp:

Rose, rose, rose. With maybe a hint of dark musk.

Wet, on Skin:

Comes across as a wet, damp rose, with a menacing undercurrent of something cloying or creepy. Must be the blend of musks and ambers in addition to the rose.

Drying Down:

The wet rose is screaming on me... but it has this odd creamy wood scent, perhaps a touch of sandalwood?

Over Time/Longterm:

An odd rose that doesn't sit well with me. Too potent.

Final Verdict?

Swaps.

[malanna]

First, this rose is a sweaty rose. I think I can safely assume that's the musk. Then, after an hour or two, it's not so sweaty (maybe even not sweaty at all), the musk recedes, and the amber comes out. I actually sort of like it after four hours. I don't really like rose scents, but it no longer smells like rose after four hours. It just smells like light amber and musk, with dry spices.

[zankoku_zen]

This was a gift from Finny!

 

In the Bottle: Amberish. Don't get much of a rose note.

On Skin: I get more of the amber and musk on contact. There is something somewhat floral lurking. After 5 minutes, I get more of the rose smell.

 

On Drydown: Exquisite in an regal lady sort of way. Very rosy.

 

Verdict: This is a somber scent. It is a rose in mourning. Very likeable but a bit overwhelming.

[OriginalWacky]

Bottle (Imp): Roses with something else.

 

Just On: Roses, and that something else I can't quite figure out.

 

An hour or two later: Stupid skin. Soap.

 

Around 6 hours: Soapy.

 

12 hours: Soapity soap soap soap.

 

Overall: Yes, surprise, my skin turns roses into soap, most times. This is one of those times.

 

After reading other reviews: Well, the roses are there, because they make soap with my skin. Great, except I hate most soaps. Away it goes.

[gingersnapp]

I like this because it is a truer rose (to my nose) than a lot of the blends, but it is slowly turning to soap / powder on my skin. I think that must be the musk because a similar thing happened yesterday with Black Lotus.

[QueenFae]

A sultry, dirty, swanky, lounge singer type rose. It's beautiful, I am continuously amazed at all the cool things Beth manages to do with roses. The base for this one is a strong, pink, perfumey rose. It's totally debauched by a black, smoky, sensuality that creeps up underneath. This is one that will hang in the room after you've left, a reminder of just how sexy you are.

[slave1]

In Bottle: Rose.

 

On Skin: I’m not a big fan of roses, but this has a few more layers. The musk and amber give a dark depth and a sticky resin note. The rose is very haevy and pungent, it reminds me of those rosarys made from rosewood. Very seductive yet sad… a very “goth” scent.

[sarahj]

Black Rose

 

in vial: rose and musk

 

wet: rose and musk with a little bit of amber

 

dry: a nice blend of rose, musk, and amber

 

verdict: this is nice, but there are several other rose scents that I prefer (Rakshasa, Delirium, Eve, and Zombi), so I will not be buying a big bottle

[Little Bird]

The rose is the main note that comes out on me in Black Rose. I think that the musk and amber might be present, but they seem to go powdery.

 

After a few minutes, that's what Black Rose smells like on me. The perfumey rose dusting powder that my grandmother used to use. I always thought that it smelled very elegant and mysterious.

 

This is a very strong blend and it stayed the same rose powder scent for about 8 hours. If I were a floral/rose person, I would get a full bottle of this. It is a darker more earthy rose. But, as it is, Whip remains my favorite rose blend and the only one that I have a full bottle of.