Bilquis

[LiberAmoris]

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

The almond note is so strong in Bilquis, that for the first ten minutes or so, it's a little much. But as soon as that dies down, it's all sumptuous honey and myrrh with the red apple and fig leaf. I can't smell the rose otto at all, and the lily is just barely there on my skin. The musk is similarly subtle. It's very pretty, and there's also something very sexy about it.

There's something about this that smells like a vintage perfume---something classic and classy.

[edenssixthday]

Bilquis – Mmm… this open ups as a warm, resinous, almond scent. As it dries down, it becomes evident that there is a lot of honey in this blend, and there’s a bit of apple tartness that surprisingly does not turn rancid on my skin. This scent is very hard to describe – it’s warm, sweet, smooth, resinous, and a very full and well-rounded scent. This is probably my favorite honey blend, and I’m just delighted at how gorgeously the honey, myrrh, almond, and apple blend together – it’s not something I would have ever thought I’d like, but it’s really gorgeous. This blend starts off with very strong throw, but after about an hour on my skin, it becomes mostly a skin scent. I’m not sure I need a full bottle, but I definitely need more than an imp.

[angelfish323]

I want to love this. I really, truly do. I keep shoving my nose onto my arm in hopes I'll get some of the notes I originally sniffed when it was wet. But, alas, my skin ate them up I guess . . .

 

Wet this was absolutely delicious. Foody with a touch of floral. It was a gorgeous blend of honey, almond, and fig with lilies hanging out in the background. After a few minutes the apple showed itself. Subtle, but there. And then . . . it's all gone, wiped away by the musk and myrrh. Which aren't bad necessarily, but I had high hopes for Bilquis. *sigh*

[forspecial_plate]

I love the character in the book so I did want to try this. Smells weird in the vial. On my skin, though, a nice spicy scent comes forward. I almost smell cake or baked goods. Smells womanly to me, and strikes me as appropriate for the character. Very nice! Reading over the description, I don't think I smelled many of those notes. Very well balanced and blended scent.

[taramarie]

In the bottle, Bilquis is mostly almond and apple. On my skin, it starts off as almond and honey then long after it's dry, floral starts to come through. I like it but it's not really me. I'll keep it for now.

[Nidaba]

Oh Bilquis, how I love you!...At first.

 

 

Wet: Almond and honey! That is all that I am getting, but I love it. This is what I wanted from Queen of Sheba!

 

Dry: Still lots of almond, but it is getting powdery... Argh, no! Stop!

 

I am not sure what I think about this one. I have only had it on 40 minutes, so I will have to let it sit a bit longer.

 

ADDED 2/6/09:

 

Oh man, how did I not try this? I got decants of the Gaiman scents when they went live, but stuck them in the to be tested pile and forgot about them.

 

Bilquis is exactly what I wanted Queen of Sheba to be on me. Rich honey and almond with other spices, a touch of rose, and NO POWDER!!! I am so happy! I love honey scents but so many turn to powder on me. This will be a bottle purchase!

[smallvoice]

This is BEAUTIFUL. And, sadly, powdery. It's an odd powder drydown, too. (I'm doing this in reverse, I know. Bear with me.) Have you ever mixed crystal lite or an off brand? When I open the package, I sort of inhale a bit of the powder- same when I pour it into the pitcher. This smells sort of like that. It resembles the off-brand peach flavour, as a matter of fact. (Peaches and almonds are in the same family, y'know... I don't know. I'm tired. But tis true.)

 

I love the honeyed almonds with a floral in the background when it's wet. This wears really well, lasts quite a while, and it's quite pretty. I'm just not terribly sure the drydown works for me.

 

ETA: I think it's the myrrh doing the powdery thing. I bet this'll age well, though I could be wrong. I'm really pleased the lily is behaving, though.

Edited July 12, 2007 by cordia

[jewelbug]

Imp: I smell mostly almond, with a bit of rose and a...dirtiness....that I can't describe.

 

Wet: Still a predominantly almond blend. The rose supports it, and there is a honey (i think that's the souce of the "dirtiness", actually) myrrh evident. I also smell something distinctly spicy--dunno what it is. This is a very rich scent, smooth, round, womanly.

 

Dry: As it dries, Bilquis goes a bit powdery on me (roses often do)...still almondy, but its a dirty powdery almond. If you've read American Gods, you know what Bilquis does with unsuspecting menfolk--This smells like that--powerful, womanly, and DIRTY (sexually honeyed spicy dirty). Honestly, its too powerful for me--I'm overwhelmed and have been fighting the urge to wash it off. Usually I wash off scents that have gone horribly wrong. This one is not wrong, its just...intimidating.

 

Update, I managed to keep it on longer: It gets an incensual powderyness to it, and you can definitely start to smell the lillies. These are strong lillies, not the soft sweet type that I usually smell. The almond blends into the rest and I'm left with a very womanly incense/honey/floral blend.

 

Overall: I'm just not typically drawn to almond blends. Add that to the fact that I wouldn't feel comfortable wearing this in most company (its intimidating) and this will have to be swapped. As a blend it portrays the subject matter EXPERTLY, its just not a scent I can pull off. The feel reminds me of Mama-Ji (strong womanly florals with spice and deep complexity), and I'm more comfy spending my time with MJ.

[Delirium1009]

When I first put this on, it smelled of almonds and honey with a light fruity undertone. It’s pretty foody, but it isn’t a bakery type of scent.

 

This faded into a very strong honey scent with musk and a little touch of almonds. There’s a tangy musky smell in the background which I think is the myrr, and a tiny touch of roses or another powdery floral in the background.

[Severuslovesme]

In the bottle I smell almond and apple, with a hint of honey. Wet on my skin it's still very almond-y, but there's myrrh there as well, and the honey is a little stronger. This is an incredibly complex blend, I feel like everytime I sniff my wrist I smell a different note. At first it's not quite as sweet as I was expecting, but I like it. As it dries down I get a lot more honey, though it's tempered by the myrrh. There are also hints of the apple and rose. It's much sweeter now, sort of similar to Thaleia but with more florals. I may not buy a big bottle but I will definitely cherish my imp.

[Lucretia]

This is really nice. At first I got a lot of florals, which then turned to strong almonds, and finally a warm sexy sort of scent. It reminds a little bit of Bastet, but somewhat more mellow. Also the honey note is really similar to the one in Jezebel. I could see myself wearing this a lot as a day time scent in the fall. It's a really warm, sultry kind of scent.

[hkhm]

bottle: honeyed apples and almonds. this smells like some wonderful coffee cake.

 

wet: there's something tangy next to the almond that smells almost like lemon or orange zest. there's also a sweet swell of florals mixing with the apple. this is really nice smelling!

 

dry: this is a more refined apple fragrance, more 'autumn apple' than 'spring apple-blossom'. this goes to soft apple with a scent that feels like warm evenings spent inside reading and snuggling under afghans. kind of spicy and incensey.

[ravenfeathers]

in the bottle sweet, but not cloying, it's neither fruit nor floral, but both. a little sharp.

wet on skin the sharpness fades and the notes warm up; it makes a huge cloud of scent around me and it's marvelous.

dry on skin the throw on this is strong. people kept coming into my office and saying "wow, what smells so good in here??" it sweetens slightly as it dries, but then everything does on me. the apple and attar of rose are the strongest notes, but it's very much tethered by the musk. this is a winner and i'd definitely do a bottle of this.

 

eta my second test of this, it lasted 12+ hours, the longest of any BPAL i've tried so far. i'm also getting whiffs of something sweetly poisonous and, guh! i just love this scent so much. it makes me feel like a million [incredibly sexy] dollars.

[maribouquet]

imp: almonds

wet: warm, sweet almond and the juiciness of apple. The lily begins to peek out, and the rose...and the fig! This is nice.

dry: has morphed from a lightly floral foody scent into a musky, figgy floral.

 

now honeyed lily, which is working like a miracle...with hints of fig and apple here and there.

 

So neat - I am going to wear this some more and see how the stages play out/around.

[CrazyPretzel]

The sweetened almond amaretto goodness of this one reminds me of Asp Viper, but it's girlied up with just a light touch of rose and apple - they're stronger in the early stages than in the drydown. Sweet without being cloying, just a little bit foody: this is *very* nice indeed.

[Lyrical]

In vial: almond, apple and honey - a little sharp and thin.

 

Wet on skin: the fig leaf, honey and almond remind me of Eden (which I love), while the red apple brightens it. I'm not getting rose or myrrh.

 

Dry on skin: ah - there's the rose! It's there, but it doesn't take over. This is complex and lovely, neither too heavy or too light, with a decent throw. Well balanced. After a while it gets more like Libra, but it's fresher and also dryer than Libra. NICE!

[VioletChaos]

in the bottle: creamy caramel fruit tart

 

wet on skin: at this point it morphs into a sweet incense-y treat- deep, resinous and smoky/spicy. very decadent.

 

dry down: the honey really starts to come along, but not over powering the blend like my beloved 'O'. mixed in, it mellows and becomes a wonderful 'skin' scent. the apple didn't come out on me at all, which i'm relieved about because when it does i smell like a Yankee Candle shop

 

in all: i took a chance, and am REALLY glad i did!

 

 

[lizardqueen]

[Note: I bought this bottle when the Gaiman scents premiered, or soon thereafter, and I've definitely noticed that the scent has gotten richer as it's aged. However, even though I'm reviewing a year-old bottle, I loved the scent from the start, and all the elements in it now were there at the beginning.]

 

In the bottle: This is foody and floral and very well blended. My nose can pick out the rose otto and the almond, and maybe the honey and myrrh.... maybe.

 

On me, wet: I think I'm getting the apple now, too, and there's a warmth underneath that might be the musk, or maybe the myrrh, or both. If I concentrate I think I can pick out the lily, but really, this is exceptionally well blended.

 

On me, dry: This is gorgeous. It's warm and rich, sweet and resinous; if it were a color I think it would be gold and/or a deep royal purple. Maybe tinged with burgundy. Good throw, good staying power.

 

This was the first bottle I bought, and it's so appropriate, because I love, love, love it!

[djsiberia]

wet: honey and almonds...very sweet.

 

dry: interesting, the fig, myrrh and lily of the valley are popping out.

 

hours later, hrm, not sure this scent is for me.it's ok, but nothing is grabbing me and by the end of my 8 hour work day, the scent is gone and all thats left is a baby powder residue.

[MaeKitty]

In the bottle: Lily of the valley (YAY!), apple, musk and honey

On Me: Apple, Myrrh, Rose Otto and musk. I'm sad that the Lily of the Valley has faded a bit, but I'm not surprised. I have yet to find a good LotV scent that matches the lovely petal soft scent from the actual plant. This is really feminine and soft. Pretty. It's floral and just incensey enough that it balances really well and softly. I really like it.

[cloudedillusions]

I meant to post this review before this. I'm too easily distracted.

 

In the imp: Roasted almonds and ripe apples drenched in honey. Very foody to my nose, and almost cloyingly sweet, but I’m intrigued.

 

Wet on skin: Almonds! Nutty, dry almonds, not the sweet cherry-ish almonds I get from Bastet.

 

Initial drydown: Now there are some florals coming out a bit. The almond is still there underneath, though. I like it. Not over powering at all. I was sort of afraid of the rose.

 

Awhile later: Myrrh~ and some rose, but the myrrh is there being awesome and not letting the rose get out of hand. ilu, myrrh. There’s also some apple, but I tend to get that more in the throw than when I sniff my wrist up close.

 

Final thoughts: I think I love this. After an hour or so the notes are so well blended I can’t really pick them out any more. And it’s delicious. :D I need a bottle.

[PersephonesChild]

This may be the sexiest scent I can wear. It's rich, sweet, resiny, but the honey does not over power. The apple lends on edge of crispness, the almonds are earthy and delicious, but not quite foody, the ambrette doesn't turn to bubblegum on me, and it doesn't make me feel like I've just smeared myself in honey. It's also got incredible lasting power, and intense throw-- more so than any other bpal I've tried. Mmmyay.

[DogNPonyShow]

In the bottle: Non foody almond with apple hiding out in the background. I can only smell the apple if I inhale deeply.

On: The apple becomes more pronounced, but is still in the back. Almond and myrrh are way too strong and bitter. After a while, musk shows up and the whole thing turns into powder.

Verdict: This isn't for me.

[dorothy humbird]

Bilquis does all kinds of weird stuff on my skin. I cannot even properly describe what the notes smell like -- while testing, I kind of incredulously ventured, "Conditioner???" to my flatmate -- but, they are some funky shit.

 

It starts out really noticeably almond-y, but with an odd floral-ish fruity roundness that might be dominated by the lily of the valley. Perhaps the fig leaf is also screwing around here. All I can say is that it smells like it can't decide how to behave on my skin. Weirdly sweet in an almost synthetic nature, but there's this undernote of creaminess -- which I guess is why my brain said "Conditioner!" Remember when it used to be called creme rinse? (My mom called it that, at least.) That's what this smells like on me, to my nose. Not perfume. Weird, old conditioner - so old that the label says "creme rinse."

 

Alas, Bilquis and I are not meant to be. I'll be passing this along to someone else.

[fairnymph]

Sniffed in imp: Sweet, spicy and warm. The almond (very nutty, not benzaldehydey), honey, and notes of caramel stand out - not so much the florals or fruit. However, I can immediately predict this will go cloyingly sweet and heady-powdery on me.