The Knave of Hearts

[Quillifer]

Crushed roses and blackcurrant tarts.

I was frimped with this by the Lab. I have found with other scents that anything with roses in just smells of them and nothing else in a very generic way, and I already have my favourite BPAL roses in The Rose and Spellbound. Also I often dislike berry scents.

HOWEVER this is utterly awesome
I cannot stop sniffing my wrists - I'm going to start bumping into things for having my hand in front of my face So pleased to have found a new favourite in the GC.

OK, so -
In the imp, and wet, and dry, on me it smells of rich buttery pastry and blackcurrant sauce. I get no trace of rose, for good or ill.

I can imagine really loving this in the autumn and winter, but so long as the weather isn't sweltering (and since I'm in England that's 51.5 weeks of the year fortunately since I don't like it) - I would love this. A bottle ASAP

[Erinofhere]

Frimp from the lab

 

All I can smell is Crunch and Munch. Very buttery, very edible. Only thing is I don't care so much for foody. I love creamy honey vanilla-ish type of smells, but this is just too close to dessert for me. I did not pick up on roses or blackcurrant.

 

My husband loved it on me, but I just kept wanting to eat my wrist. I will keep the imp and break it out occasionally this winter, but I don't see a big bottle in my future.

 

One weird side note. The day I got my package from BPAL I was at work and I broke all of the imps out and gave them all a quick smell. Knave of hearts smelled to me like coconut that day. I swear it did. But last night when i went to give that imp a test drive the coconut was nowhere to be found. Odd. Obviously coconut should not have been in there since it's not a note in this scent. I wonder if my brain short circuited from smelling all the other imps and registered caramel/buttery note as coconut?

[lucycat]

In the imp: Pastry with a background of fruit (currants.)

 

Wet: Currants and pastry

 

As this dries, the currants emerge more and more. They’re a bright scent, almost astringent. The fruit and pastry notes are equally balanced. I’ve always liked the scent of currants, which feels more sophisticated to me than many fruity smells because it isn’t super-sweet. I just hope the pasty doesn’t get that dreaded fake “baked goods” smell the way it did in Cockaigne.

 

I didn’t smell rose at all until I read the notes, but about 45 minutes to an hour after I applied, I can detect it. It balances the blackcurrant very well. As this dries down further, over hours, the roses emerge more and more.

[quickdrawkiddo]

I never would have picked this one for myself as I have an aversion to foody scents, but I got a frimp from the lab and I'm so glad I did! It's become one of my surprise favorites. In the imp it's a very strong tart, fruity scent, which made me a bit scared to try it. Wet, it's tart red fruit plus a buttery crust, and I think it's the butter note that makes it work on me. I never notice the roses emerging on the drydown until I sniff my wrist and notice that it's gone from DESSERT to a well-rounded, sophisticated scent. Roses are iffy on me too, but they're very subtle and well-blended here. I'm kind of blown away at how well these "notes of meh" (for me) work together and complement each other -- I really think this is the foody scent for people who don't like foody scents, and I wouldn't shy away from the rose either if it's a note you normally avoid. Such a delight.

[Deliciousness]

In the imp: pie and a light floral cologne.

 

Wet: Buttery pastry, which is starting to smell a little stale. There is also a background of a man's cologne - but it's ever so light, with a nice handful of berries.

 

Dry down: The cologne becomes a very light rose fragrance, with a fresh bunch of blackberries. And then there's the pastry which is ruining an otherwise great blend. I was hoping the "stale" scent was gong to dissipate, but it didn't.

 

I would love this scent, if the "pastry" part of this blend cooperated with my skin. The blackberry and rose portion of Knave is just lovely, but the somewhat fake and stale pastry is just ruining it for me. Low throw, but this scent has staying power. It's gone on strong for more than four hours - and for me that's good

[MiasmaResonance]

In the imp, definitely fruity-rosey pastry.

 

Wet on my skin, mmmm, spiced fruit tarts with a yummy buttery pastry lingering around. Currant usually smells weird on me but it's not too bad in this one.

 

Drying, it's all white cake and rose with black currant syrup... but... it's getting a wee green and powdery, oh no!

 

Okay, so, I like this. But it is starting to turn into Bread and Butterfly (B&B makes me retch, yikes) a little. That sort of high green note is present in both. I really don't know what's doing it. Must be the the Lab's sugar-bread note? Thankfully it's not quite there, but I'm not sure if I'd purchae a bottle of this. Oh well!

 

ETA: I think I know what it is. It's the stale bakery pastry/cake note, the same from B&B and Eat Me (which I didn't like either). Phooey.

Edited August 12, 2014 by MiasmaResonance

[hammy]

In the imp - Rose.

 

Wet - Powdery rose and some baked goods in the background. I’m not getting any fruit, and I’m guessing the roses are of the red variety.

 

Drydown - The baked goods didn’t last long, and they weren’t very prominent even when they were noticeable.

 

Verdict - Rose is never a good scent on me, but this rose is nicer than I get in a lot of blends. Still not a fan, though. Swap.

[vanilla323]

In the bottle: yummy currants

 

Wet: The rose comes out a little and adds a powderiness to the currant tarts. But it is all about the currant note. I really love it! It sweet juicy and tart and just foodie enough for me to make it a love. It helps make the roses not take over.

 

Drydown: The rose still hovers above as a powdery rose scent. I definitely see red roses here. And the currant tarts stays sweet and closer to my skin. I really love this scent. It has great staying power and really makes me think of the Knave of Hearts. It's perfect.

[andabri]

Whenever I wear this (I have an imp) it is either a very sweet rose (same rose note as Zombi) with currants, though mainly rose, and it remains rose. Other times it is solely buttery tart crust with a faint whisper of rose drifting in the back that fades to a very sugary rose jam. I have no clue which I'll get when I wear it. Being a gourmand lover, I do like the buttery tart/rose jam days best!

[kaykers]

In the imp: Fruit with a dash of roses.

 

Wet: The fruity note still seems to be the more dominant of the two, but I'm starting to get more of the rose coming through.

 

Dry: The rose has taken over (but not in a bad way) and just a hint of the fruit remains.

 

Overall, it reminds me of a milder version of Persephone. I don't think I'd ever get a full bottle, but it's still very nice.

[marilyn eyre]

Roses drenched in a buttery, fruity syrup. It sounds like it might clash horribly, but on my skin it gives me a mental picture of velvet, for some reason. Makes me picture a queen lounging on fancy throw pillows and eating delicious pastries all day. I love it, but it's a very heavy scent for special occasions.

[LizziesLuck]

Wet: This is all blackcurrant tarts. There's hints of custard in this tart, for sure. I do love rose, but this smells amazing even before the rose shows up. When I huff my arm really hard, I get a citrusy rose. Red roses always trick my nose into thinking there is citrus involved.

 

 

Dry: The throw from this is a nice fruity/foodie floral. Nose to skin though, the rose is quite sour and the pastry a little too buttery for me. I may do a full day test, because at time I really love this and think I should get a bottle. Other times I think it's just 'meh'. Can't tell whether it's constantly morphing on my skin or I'm just being fickle.

[BrittleJuggaloBones]

To me, "The Knave of Hearts" instantly smelled cake-y and bready. My mom quickly recoiled while smelling it and claimed that it smelled strongly of patchouli. I don't smell even a hint of patchouli here, so perhaps my mother's nose is far different from mine. I really like cake-y scents, but I'm not the biggest fan of this one.

 

"The Journey of the Oil"

In the bottle (imp): Large inhale. I smell sweet bread very strongly, with a tiny bit of blackberry creeping through. It's nice, but I am no big bread loaf boy.

(Pictured below: me while wearing this scent.)

 

 

It's very sugar-biscuit like. I like having hints of cake in my perfume, like Tokyo Milk's (I think that's the name) Bittersweet. I LOVED that perfume, but sadly it had very little staying power. But this is TOO MUCH CAKE.

 

On my skin initially: Knave of Hearts reminds me, oddly enough, of a Joanne's/Michael's craft store which inevitably has that odd, artificial old lady scent that sort of permeates the air at all times. Maybe it's from the really cheap holiday candles they have? Anyway, I am not the biggest fan of smelling like cheap old lady candle. Smelling this intensely has given me a mild headache. I smell like a big blueberry muffin candle.

Post drydown: This is the first BPAL scent so far I've actively tried to remove. I really, really don't like this one It's actually mildly nauseating after a while. Something about it has a little artificial acrid-ness as well that just doesn't rub well with me. Oh well

[roseus]

As I make my way around the roses, I wasn't too sure about this one as I don't usually go for fruity scents.

 

In the imp: very buttery pie crust, and a touch of rose in the background. To me it's not bread-y or cake-y. It's distinctly the warm, buttery smell of freshly baked pie crust.

 

On wet: the roses bloom and so does the blackcurrant. They completely take over for a bit, making it very fruity and perfume-y.

 

Dry: Everything balances out. There is a base of buttery pie crust, with lightly sweet blackcurrant, and deep velvety rose.

 

Overall: it's a very red scent, something I'm not a fan of. It also leans a little perfume-y on me even dry. It's interesting though, and something I may reach for on occasion.

[d0gbones]

In the imp: Verrrry buttery. It does smell like pie crusts, but very synthetic.

 

Wet: This is all pie crusts 😭 And it's STRONG.

 

Dry: I'm getting the rose and blackcurrant but there's a heavy synthetic, buttery, musky pie crust weighing it down. I'll keep it and hope the pie part calms the fuck down after some aging, because it's ruining what I suspect is a really great rose scent.

[Teamama]

In the imp, straight up buttery piecrust. I wasn't sure I dared put it on, but bravely took the plunge.

 

Wet, the pastry slowly started to allow the blackcurrant through. It reminds me of blackberry, and I can smell some vine-y green in there.

 

Dry, the pastry has finally died off, which is a good thing for me. The rose is very faint, but the berries are nice.

 

Second trial, same results except less Rose. Nice, but I don't see a need for a bottle at this time; a bit food-y for me.

 

ETA my hair stylist complimented me on K of H, and said it smelled floral. I still smell blackcurrant.

Edited January 11, 2016 by Teamama

[ivyblossom]

Pie. Definitely pie. I don't know if I can confidently pick out the smell of blackcurrant, but it's definitely a dark berry pie filling, like blackberry and blueberry. And it's got a pie crust in there, rough puff, not anything fancier. No rose so far.

 

As a foody fan, I'm absolutely on board with this. I ordered it because of how many people found it too foody. Too foody is just foody enough for me!

[freyasfae]

Oh my, this is fruit pastry goodness! As it dries down, it gets a little spicier, but then the spices mellow out and the fruit comes back in, and it eventually all mellows out to fruit pastry with baking spices. I couldn't find a lot of rose in this though.

[Cali]

Oh no. The only foody I get from this is something caramel-y and rotting pie. It's very strong and has a huge throw on me.
Physically hurts to smell the imp. I'm sorry, I hate this.

[ShunnerOfHugs]

Unfortunately, I didn't smell any roses or currants in Knave of Hearts. It was all super strong cinnamon and vanilla on me. It would be nice as an air freshener (if it was toned down a ton), but it is definitely not something I want on my body.

[JuliskaMarie]

In the imp: WOW TARTS! There's maybe the teensiest bit of roses in the background if you're looking for it, but this is basically just sweet, blackcurrant tarts! Yum!
Wet on skin: Same as in the imp only the pastry smells slightly sharp (some other pastry scents do this on my skin too too)! I love this!
Dry on skin: It's softened a lot & the roses are slightly more noticeable. Absolutely gorgeous!
After a few hours: About the same as dry, maybe a little more faded.
Verdict: I'm going to need a bottle of this! I absolutely love it!

[KezzieZ]

This was a frimp I got in a Trading Post order (two frimps had been Mad Tea Party scents; this one and The Dormouse, which I've also reviewed).

 

In Bottle: Sweetened berries, definitely. It smells like blueberry syrup, almost; it must be those blackcurrants and they have a heaviness to them. There's almost a nuttiness as well, which I suppose is approximation for the pastry bit of the tart smell.

 

Wet on Skin: The nuttiness has lightened. I can smell the crushed roses now as well. The floral note gives it a different sweetness now; less syrup-y up close, though I feel it's still a tad like that syrup-y vibe at a distance. The berry is pretty strong.

 

Approx. 1 Hour Later: It smells mostly the same, but muskier. It's not unpleasant or anything. Maybe I'm also getting the smallest hint of a buttery side? Not much, though. I feel like the scent occasionally morphs, so it can be slightly difficult for me to pin down.

 

------

 

Overall, it's a nice scent, but I'm not sure it's me. I don't think I'm the heavy berry type and I'm not even really sure I'm the foody type, either.

 

Maybe the timing is a bit off for testing this, so I may try it again at a later time to see what I think. This isn't bad or anything, so I'll probably use the rest of it.

Edited November 15, 2016 by KezzieZ

[InThePines]

I've been wanting to try this for a long time and I just got this lovely frimp in a swap. Upon application, the oil smelled like sweet, juicy red berry and hint of rose (nearing Lush Rose Jam territory). Granted this may need more time to settle after traveling and sitting in my mailbox, but the dry-down of this smells to me mostly of brown sugar or caramel (black currant?). I'm not getting "butter" or anything red/berry-ish. I can detect a hint of powdery rose in the background. I want to test this again. I was hoping for more of a juicy fruity-rose, but the brown sugar-powdery rose thing is interesting too.

 

eta: Not sure what to make of this; it's a morpher! After about an hour, I'm getting primarily fruity-rose and the caramelly aspect has moved way in the background.

Edited November 27, 2016 by InThePines

[Katillac]

Just recently started rebuilding my collection and this was a frimp

In the imp: OMG BERRIES
wet: OMG BERRIES
dry down: wait...there's something else...ooo, kinda sexy but not my usual go to...i likes
1 hour later: this odd butter-floral-musk-berry (in that order) scent

I'm still not sure if i love it, or am confused by it. I normally amp anything fruit/food likes and this was both...yet not?
I never really smelled the rose (which, is good, because rose just goes bad soapy on my skin. Not even those pretty rose soaps left out for company but like the dried out rose soaps that your grandma bought in bulk back in the 70s and kept in a closet...that's what rose does to me).
Knave was more of a chestnut, butter, berry, It reminded me of tarts, but didn't smell like a tart...

If you're iffy on it, for sure pick up a sample. If nothing else, it's pretty cool how it changes.

[Lunameth]

This was a frimp but one I've been wanting to try for a while, so I was really pleased to get it! Bit nervous about the rose because it tends to dominate on me.

 

In the imp and wet this was buttery pastry and tart juicy blackberries. The rose then comes out but it's not a fresh cut rose, it's rose flavouring, like syrup. It's quite discordant at this point with all three notes vying for attention.

 

As it dries down the notes all blend together and the pastry takes a step back, becoming a bit less foody to me. The tart blackberries and rose syrup are at the top and it's lovely.

 

This is dark and juicy and slightly buttery, love it!

 

EDIT: After a while this goes back to smelling how it did when wet, like a Christmas mince pie with added rose flavouring! Still really love it!

Edited January 16, 2017 by Lunameth