Bilquis

[Little Bird]

Honey, myrrh, lily of the valley, rose otto, fig leaf, almond, ambrette, red apple, and warm musk.

I can't handle Bilquis at all. None of the notes sounded so bad to me, but this is stomach turning on my skin. The almond is super strong on me and doesn't smell like cherry as it often does, but it's a strong and sweet nutty aroma. Sweet, wooden, nutty. I don't do well with nutty perfumes.

On me, this is that strong nutty smell paired with some note that goes very fresh and dryer sheet-esque. Nutty almond and soapy, fresh, breezy dryer sheets. I toughed it out for a bit over fifteen minutes before I washed it off, and it didn't change at all during that time. This stuff is crazy strong and has a lot of throw and staying power.

Normally I figure I have to wait at least an hour for a scent to go its course, but I honestly can't handle Bilquis. I couldn't make it through 15 minutes of the nutty-soapy smell again. Bilquis makes me queasy Edited September 12, 2007 by quantum spice

[twistygirl]

Mondo almond-o.

 

I have a strong love for almond scents, and when I first put this on, it was amazingly powerful and nearly purely almond. Exceptional throw and staying power - as others have said, this may be the most potent BPAL ever. It does dry down to something more complex than pure almond, though, as the other notes come out. The almond still predominates, but the other notes blend in, although I honestly can't pick out any *one* of the oils besides the almond.

 

Suggestion: Put this one on at least a half hour before you leave your house. Yep, it's that intense. But I like intense. And I love Bilquis.

[PurringPulsar]

Bilquis

 

In the imp: very much like Queen of Sheba meets the Penitent Magdalen, with a sharp wet apple note.

Wet on skin: nutty almond with crisp apple and a little lily.

Dry on skin: as the almond recedes from it's cherry state it becomes more of a smoky toasted nut scent, like the almond in Asp Viper and Queen of Sheba. Underneath are the green floral and fruity notes, whilst the musk adds a soft fuzzy warmth at the base. This is a really unusual scent-warm honeyed almond with fresh flowers and apple and the greenness of fig leaf. The lily of the valley is surprisingly prominent but for now it isn't turning to soap. And I hope it doesn't do so at all.

After a while: this is a very unusual mix of notes-contrasting themes of damp floral notes and greenery from the lily, apple and fig leaf, and the almost dusty dry warmth of ground almonds and smoky myrrh (think the Asp) and musk. It's like a more exotic version of the Penitent Magdalene, but also reminds me of Uruk's figgy green floral lushness.

Then the scent's odd contrasts start to mellow out nicely as the scent sweetens, but also starts to gain a tart scent of rosy apple, with a little touch of golden honeycomb. It reminds me a little of Les Bijoux, but not as sweet. The toasted layer of almonds at the base give a soft dryness, along with musk, the effect is almost 'fuzzy'. But the best thing is that I'm still not getting any soap from lily of the valley, which is fantastic! And the scent really stabilises nicely after about 20 minutes of wear, where there's a very nice balance of all the notes…honeyed flowers and apple with a dry-and almost spicy-ground almond base reminiscent of soft desert sands.

And then the scent settles into the nicest lily, a fresh white lily scent (still no soap!) and crisp apples resting on a golden sweet spicy myrrh-musk with a hint of honeycomb. This is really gorgeous now. Fresh and cool yet also dry and warm…and it is really growing on me. It sweetens and becomes even smoother and smoother over time, a soft and feminine floral honeyed musk.

Verdict: at first, this was a highly unusual, contrasting and jumbled up scent with notes of almond and apple and flowers mixed up together. I liked it, but was a little worried that the notes would clash and that after this point, the scent could go either way-it either turns disastrous, or beautiful. Thank goodness the scent gradually turned to something truly magnificent. This is one of those scents that really grew on me, I was patient with it and let it evolve on my skin, and I'm glad I did. It brings to mind a white lily bouquet lying on golden sands, or an oasis in the desert. A core of fresh juicy apples and flowers surrounded by a warm blanket of dusty golden exotic musk and myrrh and almond. Really gorgeous, unique, exotically feminine and seductive. The best thing about this scent is that despite the fact that the lily of the valley is very prominent, it doesn't turn soapy like it usually does, in here it is so beautiful. I do prefer Queen of Sheba, but this is such a unique, complex and fascinating scent, I'm definitely keeping it…especially for the breathtaking drydown. I think it will grow on me the more I wear it. And it's my favourite lily of the valley scent so far.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? yes! This is one of those scents I probably will love more with each wear.

If you like this, try: Queen of Sheba, Penitent Magdalene, Seraglio, Asp Viper, Bastet, Uruk, Les Bijoux

[sofaking6]

Oh, Bilquis has me by the short n curlies!

 

As noted right above, if you are (as I am) a fan of Bastet, Queen of Sheba, Asp Viper or anything with that almond/myrrh headiness, you are morally obligated to try Bilquis.

 

It does come on strong, and yet I slather. The experience of the scent morphing from dark to light, from earth-bound to sky-high, from introvert to extrovert is joyful.

 

There are those BPAL days, when you get a package full of new imps and you can't wait to try them all, so you put one on one wrist, one on the other, one a little further up your arm, some on the back of your hands, etc..you know?

 

I am covering myself in Bilquis. At work!

 

At first it is all almond and myrrh. The first morph is the fading of the myrrh, and the going-bitter of the almond (when it gets up in the back of your nose), but the honey steps up just at the right time to smooth and sweeten the transition. It's just after this that I can smell the apple tartness, and you'd think it might be too much all at once, but it's really, really not.

 

On me, the lily never comes out on top. It emerges after about 20-30 minutes and it just that perfect touch to freshen the scent, to make it float.

 

Thanks to quickslvr's wonderful decant circle for this. Big bottle for sure.

[Tesseljoan]

At first, this smells like almond cookies with orange and a hint of rose water. On my skin, it does the 'florals go sharp-thing, but this remains lovely in a locket. When the almond settles down a little, I can notice the myrrh and honey a bit more. Beautiful, feminine, and as reviewers befor eme have said, if you like almond, you must try this one.

 

ADDED June 13:

 

This works for about two seconds on my skin, but my, those are two beautiful seconds! The almonds are very obvious on application, but there is lots more going on.... it's a very sensual skin scent. The touch of floral that's in this blend decided to take over, but if your skin doesn't do naughty things with flowers and you like almond, try it. It sure is a masterpiece.

[filigree_shadow]

Initial reaction: Woah, that's a lotsa almond. This smells like almonds and honey on me, and very little else. I mean, I can tell there's more in the oil than just those notes, but I never would be able to guess what they are.

 

As it's drying: The almond becomes a lot less strong, and the scent sweetens up. I can't pick out any florals, no ambrette, no apple (maybe the apple is what's causing the sweetness behind the scenes?)... and there's something that smells slightly dry in it, so I'm betting that's the fig leaf. It has a deep richness, so I'm assuming that's from the myrrh and musk.

 

It's a warm, golden, deep scent. Once the almond backs off it's really quite lovely.

[supremegoddessofall]

More honey goodness, with lovely rose and apple mixed in. The almond is trying to rise it's head up, which makes me unhappy, but it's still overall a good scent. Only lightly musky.

[fountaingrl]

Ooooohhhhhh Bilquis!!

 

In the bottle: sort of plastic-y fruit and flowers. I am concerned, other fruit notes have either disappeared on me or turned bilious. I do not want to have to call this Bilious!

 

Wet on the skin: First slather is weird. Sweetness, almost cookies. That must be the almond, it is very strong at first application.

 

Then it goes through this weird, unfortunate morph stage. I almost quit Bilquis here, strongly considered going to the bathroom and scrubbing it off. The sweetness stays, amps a bit even, but the musk joins it. When the musk first shows up, it isn't an easy pairing. I sat sniffing myself, wrinking my nose, feeling that the smell (more like 'smells', it feels like several disconnected scents at this point) was familiar if unpleasant. Finally it hit me: coffee cake, and feet.

 

I swear to you, for five to ten minutes this goes coffee cake and feet on me. Like the apple crumb coffee cake that is buttery and sugary and apple-ish, that is the main note, but like you are eating this next to someone two tables down who has taken off their shoes under the table and should NOT have done so.

 

I did what I could to keep my arms down from my face and stick it out. I prayed that this would stop.

 

Within another five minutes, maybe ten, the perseverance paid off. The musk finally decided to play nice, and it started smelling sexy instead of sweatsock. Then the honey showed up, and oh my GODS the honey!! It doesn't smell like plain old Sue Bee honey either, it smells like Tupelo honey, a dark almost spiced honey. And apples, and buttery sugar but very faintly sugared. With a light lush undertone of lilies and rose.

 

I am so in love. I am actually willng to smell like feet, every time I put this on, for ten to fifteen minutes until Bilquis is ready to show me some lovin' again.

[lady_pandora]

I almost bought a 5ml of this unsniffed when it first came out, based on the listed notes, but I held back because of the almond. I was so afraid it would go Play-Doh like it did in Hecate...

 

I tried a friend's decant last night and as I opened the vial, I was chanting "Almond, be good. Almond, be good."

 

The first fifteen or twenty minutes weren't spectacular on me. It didn't smell *bad* but it didn't blow me away either.

 

Then, BAM! My skin went "Oooh, there's honey here, aren't we supposed to be amping that?" And suddenly it smelled like an apple dipped in honey, with maybe a bit of musk, and it was amazing. The first words out of my mouth were, "I should have bought that bottle." It's glorious and feminine and above all *golden*. After a while a sweet, sensual floral note rises to the surface as well.

 

Thankfully I do have my own decant on its way soon, and hopefully I won't use that all up before I've got the money to go for the 5ml. Love this stuff. Love it.

 

Try it if you like O, Brisingamen, Les Bijoux.

 

ETA, 11/11/07: Usually I edit my reviews to say that I've come to love something I was "meh" about before. Unfortunately, this edit is the opposite. I find that I don't like Bilquis nearly as much as I thought I did at first wearing. It's just kind of...too much, if that makes any sense: too sweet, too "sticky" (not literally sticky, of course, but that's the way the scent comes across to me). It's definitely evocative of the American Gods character and the way she...ahem...sucks men in. And not in a good way. Also, about half the time, the almond goes play-doh on me.

Edited November 11, 2007 by lady_pandora

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 2/5

Summarised in a few words/smilie: MYRRH! ...And honeyed almonds.

 

Pr-review Thoughts: The myrrh, rose otto, and fig leaf could trash this for me, but the honey, almond, apple, and musk intrigue me.

 

In the imp: Sweet, honeyed almonds!

 

On skin, wet: Alas, the myrrh appears almost instantaneously, and settles itself in to ruin the party. Myrrh is such a strange, acrid note on me that I'm already tempted to wash this off.

 

On skin, dry: Beneath the behemoth that is myrrh, there is a very distinct, wonderful trace of musky, sweet honeyed almonds that comes close to saving the blend for me. It comes close, but doesn't quite make it; the myrrh has asserted its dominance, and is in no mood to make enough room for the musk, honey, or almond to let me enjoy Bilquis properly.

 

Conclusion: Were it not for the myrrh, I would adore this.

[moon_lemming]

Almond and honey and apples, eh? Yum. Smells like foody goodness in the imp.

 

Unfortunately, on my skin the lily of the valley (I believe) amps like crazy and it's a floral foody Frankenstein. Doesn't get any better with time, either. Can't win 'em all.

[GypsyRoseRed]

I loved the description for Bilquis, and thought 'why not?'. I was clearly out of my mind. Almond is the topmost note for me, and it turns the scent into something a little sickly. Just when it seems it might turn into something else on me, it's gone. Boo hoo.

[bryghtrose]

I almost didn't wear this because of the sickly, sticky-sweet almond scent that came from the bottle. I dislike almonds, and it reeked. I put it on, though, because I know everything smells different on than in the bottle.

 

On my skin the nasty almond almost instantly turned rich and buttery.There was a bit of floral.

 

It dried pretty quickly, and it faded to honey and milk. It's pretty, but I literally have to sniff at my wrists for a good 10 seconds to get a whiff of it.

 

I don't pick up on any of the myrrh or musk at all, and I was hoping for some of that.

 

I'm glad I tried it, but I'm even more glad I got a decanted imp rather than a bottle.

[mspixieears]

I can instantly get the honey, myrrh, fig leaf, almond, and warm musk from this. A spicy fragrance with hints of an innocent sweetness as well as a spiciness that suggests something oriental. This reminds me of Alice with more kick. Before drydown I thought I must have a bottle of this but it’s a lot like other BPAL fragrances I’ve sampled. If ambrette is anything like amber then I’m picking up a lot of this. Sadly, a lot of the fruitiness is lost at the beginning and I’m left with an amber-dominant fragrance. I don’t mind this but I’d prefer something more distinctive, especially as there are many things like it.

[oakmoss]

Oh, body chemistry, you are a funny thing. In spite of the almond note that always goes wonky on me, I took a chance with a smidgeon of Bilquis, and sure enough, this blend went through the wet-dog phase mentioned above and then into fishy. And a very particular kind of fishy -- not ocean-freshness fishy, but haven't-cleaned-the-aquarium-lately fishy. And the wet dog is still sitting there, nose against the aquarium. And someone is feeding him almonds. Old, dusty almonds. Okay, okay, this is NOT about whatever beautiful scent Beth made. This is between me and my chemistry (and the dog). Sorry, Bilquis.

[Miss Lynx]

Hmmm... On first contact, mixed impressions. The almond note is really strong, and I hate almond. But everything in there that isn't almond seems to smell good. Maybe once the almond fades it will be nice...

 

Ah, yes. As the almond fades down (the one redeeming feature of almond is that it's one of those sharp top notes that doesn't last long), it's getting much nicer -- warm and musky and incensey. Thankfully, the floral notes in it aren't too strong, though they're definitely there. So minus the almond, quite nice.

 

And the longer it lasts, the better it gets. I keep catching faint traces that remind me of other BPAL scents I like, from Khandita to Gypsy Queen to Desire to Scherezade to the Masque... While the overall feel of it is similar enough to a lot of other BPAL scents that fall into that same warm-musky-sexy-incensey category that I don't know if I need a bottle of this one when I have several others, it's certainly tempting. Once the dreaded almond goes away, it's really gorgeous.

 

Grade: B+

[bulletslc]

In the imp....ALMOND! Ugh. Almond and I do not get along.

 

Happily and almost immediately on my skin the almond vanishes and I'm hit with an amazing blend of all the other notes! I definitly smell the florals with rose being prominent, but they are equally balanced by the musk, honey and apple.

 

And it throws and lasts very, very well!

 

This is an ultra feminine scent. Warm, floral and yummy. Very heady and sexual.

I'm not quite convinced I need a full bottle yet (and I still have Mr. Ibis and Spider to try before I do my bottle purchase donation to the comic book fund), but Bilquis is definitly a lovely scent.

 

BTW....had to go start reading American Gods again after applying....anyone else motivated by the Carousel to start a Gaiman reading fest??LOL!

 

 

 

I almost bought a 5ml of this unsniffed when it first came out, based on the listed notes, but I held back because of the almond. I was so afraid it would go Play-Doh like it did in Hecate...

 

I tried a friend's decant last night and as I opened the vial, I was chanting "Almond, be good. Almond, be good."

 

The first fifteen or twenty minutes weren't spectacular on me. It didn't smell *bad* but it didn't blow me away either.

 

Then, BAM! My skin went "Oooh, there's honey here, aren't we supposed to be amping that?" And suddenly it smelled like an apple dipped in honey, with maybe a bit of musk, and it was amazing. The first words out of my mouth were, "I should have bought that bottle." It's glorious and feminine and above all *golden*. After a while a sweet, sensual floral note rises to the surface as well.

 

Thankfully I do have my own decant on its way soon, and hopefully I won't use that all up before I've got the money to go for the 5ml. Love this stuff. Love it.

 

Try it if you like O, Brisingamen, Les Bijoux.

 

LOL! Had almost the same reaction! I haven't tried O on my skin yet (wasn't impressed when I sniffed a friend's imp), but Brisingamen is one of my absolute favorites and Les Bijoux is lovely as well (just bought a bottle for a co-worker's girlfriend because he liked it on me so much...LOL!)

Edited April 21, 2007 by Bulletslc

[enderfem]

Bottle: oooh, almond and musk. Pretty. Where's the apple?

 

On me: At first, the fig and the myrrh are really REALLY strong, but after an hour or so the almond and lily of the valley come out and temper it. I'm not getting a lot of honey and apple on this, which is what I wanted, but I like it. And the boy likes it, which is rare. It has incredible throw and staying power.

[steffanina]

Bilquis-

 

In Bottle: Honey and almond, right away!

 

Wet: Honeyed almond and wood and something floral.

 

Dry: I love the complexity of this scent. It's impossible to classify, except as something rich and sweet.

 

Overall: I like!

[OdetteOdile]

This is wonderful - lush, sweet, and oh boy, is it strong.

 

It went through three distinct stages on my skin. First fig - lots and lots of fig. Smelled sort of like a super-amped version of Eden. Then it folded itself into powder - a really strongly feminine powder smell with a base note of figs to keep it decadent.

Finally, about an hour later, it had faded into a gorgeous but subtle milk chocolate.

 

Verdict: like Eden + Antique Lace with a side order of Bliss.

[captainoats]

In the imp: Honey and musk and something bitter. Let's hope the almonds and rose behave themselves.

 

On, wet: Musky honeyed almonds, with some apple. No, no apple...the rose is coming...oh lord.

 

Drying: Getting powdery...but a very sweet, decadent powder. I actually kind of like it.

 

Final verdict: Musky, sweet powder. I don't know how I feel about it. If it didn't have the rose or the musk I think my chemistry would like it better, but I may use the imp up.

[pixsy_stix]

I have to admit I was a bit apprehensive about this one. In general, myrrh and I don't play well together, but I am dedicated to trying all of the Carousel scents, so here goes:

 

In the bottle: almond and...myrrh. Uh-oh

 

 

Wet: I smell honey, honey goodness, musk, almonds and just a hint of apple. The combination is rich, warm, and undeniably sexy. Nothing powdery here. Dare I hope that this will last.

 

 

Drydown: Still lots of honey and almonds, but now the floral element is kicking up and making itself noticed. The apple is also much more prevalent. I'm not complaining, in fact it's quite intoxicating.

 

 

Verdict: Sex, allure and power bottled. This stuff is simply amazing!! Maybe myrrh and I can coexist afterall. This goes straight to the bottles I must have list.

[jainabee]

At last! The combination of scents in the description enticed me more than anything I've seen so far. But how would it fare on the flesh?

 

Sweet and dark and nutty and delicious, like an almond latte. I kept inhaling deeply at my wrists until I thought I'd hyperventilate. It's everything I'd hoped for, and more.

 

A new top fave for me.

[Naamah_Darling]

Honey, apples, and sweet little flowers swirl with almond liqueur and a vibrantly golden musk in a blend that is both crisp and sexy.

 

The apple is the standout note here – an unexpected smell like a fresh-cut gala apple picked in the height of the season. It's gorgeous, and supported by the light florals and the musk. That part of the scent is very like Les Bijoux. The honey and almond give this a sticky sweetness, and the honey and amber give it depth. This is complex even before application, a medley of beautiful, golden notes.

 

On, it deepens. The amber comes out, and the fig leaf, which is a sticky, low note that rubs up against the honey. The musk and honey twist together, too, with the apple's thinner, cleaner scent swirling around on top.

 

As it dries, the musk, lily, and rose come out. The rose isn't apparent until the later stages on me, but here it is, pink and just a bit powdery, pretty and sweet. The musk is like golden fur . . . it's so soft and so pretty.

 

This is a wonderful scent, and one I'd recommend to those who like honey blends, but find scents like O a little too powerfully thick to wear. I'd also recommend it to those who like slightly more traditional perfumes; this has some very traditional elements that will appeal to those who are used to wearing commercial perfumes.

[bookofblues]

In the imp this scent is startlingly strong and almost sharp. I'm a little hesitant to give it a try, but plunge ahead.

On the skin, it's nutty with a hint of apple ..... but very buttery. I'm not sure where this is coming from. A friend just told me that I smell like buttered popcorn flavored Jelly Bellies! I'm disappointed to admit that she's right.

As strong as Bilquis is on me initially, it fades very quickly on drydown to a faint toasted almond with the sweetness of apple.

In an hour it's gone. I'm disappointed that Bilquis completely did not work with my chemistry. This is one to swap.