Black Lace

[NeuroticaGirl]

The embodiment of Victorian funereal elegance. A delicate sugar-spun vanilla cream cotton, stained by tobacco and incense smoke, Indian musk, and drops of cognac.

I was only given a used cap to sniff but that was enough to get me hooked on this scent. It is this heady dark incense mixed with lush cream. It just makes you tingle. It is truly magical and one that i wish they would revisit!

[angelicruin]

Black Lace is definitely one of my favorites. I purchased a bottle after only having a sniffie to go by and I'm so happy I bought the bottle. This is a beautiful blend of incense, cream, and musk on me. And lasts for hours on my skin.

[crebbsgirl]

Oh I was so hoping I wouldn't fall in love with this, because it's so hard to find. And I did. Ugh. This is the perfect dirty vanilla on me it's not even funny. The tobacco and incense smoke are GORGEOUS in this, and the Indian musk sullies up the vanilla is such an unbelievably sexy way. This is slinky and sinister and darkly beautiful. I want to roll around with myself I smell so freaking good. GAH! It's so not fair

[savage_rose]

This is beautiful...vanilla paired with light tobacco and smoke, beautiful and warmly ethereal (if that's even possible!). It starts getting sweeter as it stays on my skin...almost cloyingly so. Hmmm...

[Schmoozy]

This is the shit. I love how the softness of vanilla cream cotton mingles with Indian musk. The darkness of tobacco, cognac and incense smoke make a great foil for the vanilla cotton, and while both play on the light and dark, together they balance each other out. It starts off fairly strong, but within minutes, it becomes this whisper light blend that smells so unbelievably sexy but muted.

[sharybaby]

Absolutely stunning! Tied with Dorian for my all-time favorite. It's incensey and vanilla, creamy and warm. I wish I had enough to wear every day.

[zomathesadist]

I was lucky enough to procure a very full imp in a swap. =)

 

On skin: it is smoky, and sweet, and boozy. The scent develops over time, and deepens and rounds out. It is all smoky vanilla at first, but then the tobacco comes out. The cognac really works in this, by giving it a nice sweetness. Often boozy scents like rum go butterscotch, but this is what I wish boozy notes did on me all the time.

 

I don't get a lot of incense or musk, but I like it as is. It's quite lovely, and works well for me, chemistry and personality wise.

 

nutshell: boozy smoky vanilla. Unsure of wearlength or throw, but I have a feeling it's fairly strong.

[Gwydion]

In bottle: Creamy vanilla goodness is strongest, but the incense, musk, and tobacco are beautifully and elegantly blended. I can definitely see what the fuss is about. Wet: Slightly more feminine than I normally choose for myself, but so beautifully designed, I don’t much care. The vanilla is rich and sweet. The musk is perfect, sexy without being sleazy or overwhelming, the incense elevates it. It's like a Siamese Catwoman dressed in an 1890's black lace mourning dress in a cool funeral parlor. Dry: Insanely sexy vanilla and incense with the ghost of musk for the win.

[TheOneTheyCallLuna]

I've been desperately searching for some of this to try after hearing everyone raving about it. I've been three for three today with orgasmically good BPAL blends. Needless to say, Black Lace did not disappoint! If Antique Lace is an upbeat ingenue with thrift store chic (what I personally get from that blend. Yes, I know, I'm weird!), then Black Lace is a sophisticated and slightly somber woman, with smoky eyeshadow in lacy black underwear with a garter belt and stiletto heels. This blend is soft, glowing, dark, a tad morose, and also a bit romantic, to my nose...

 

This is another BPAL masterpiece and I can see why it is so incredibly sought after! This blend perfectly encapsulates the concept and matches the lab description to a t. Exquisite!! Now if only I could track down some more! Hmmmm.....

[Ceri]

In the vial: Creamy incense and musk, as some others had mentioned - it does smells like cologne.

 

Wet: Smoky incense and musk.

 

Dry: Lovely vanilla with a hint of incense. Very nice!

 

Overall: Incense tends to go powdery on me, but I'm glad that this has remain a lovely smoky incense instead of becoming baby powder. Overall, this is quite lovely, I'll definitely treasure my imp. I'm dying to try this side by side with antique lace for a comparison between the two.

Edited February 25, 2009 by Ceri

[smokey188]

This has been the bpal that has morphed the most on me but what a journey. It just had the generic bpal smell in the bottle. Then on my skin it smelt like rum n raisin ice cream melted over a leather jacket. Then it dried down into two new scents. Far away it smells like vanilla but when i sniff my wrist it smells like perversion. Very nice.

[awesomeoverlord]

Holy crap on a stick...I really wish I hadn't tried this since there's no way I'll ever get my hands on anything more than this tiny decant...jeez, this is amazing...

 

Imp: incensy sweet smokey perfume -- really nice.

 

Wet: the tobacco comes out, giving it that sexy naughty kind of feel. The cotton is not so much cotton as leather, all with that yummy smoky vanilla.

 

Dry: the tobacco disappears, which saddens me, but it settles in very nicely -- sort of like Morocco, actually, but less powdery and stronger. Mmmm...I want to smell like this forever...or well, maybe I'll settle for smelling like this just on Tuesdays

[cinderfallen]

I get a whole lot of the cognac, which turns this into a kind of traditional perfume/cologne, with that aldehyde hint. But it is very much musk and the kind of linen note in Antique Lace, that reigns in the foody element of the vanilla. The musk is really awesome here; I've quite smelled anything like this musk in the BPAL catalogue, I think; or maybe it's the effect of being combined with everything else, including the tobacco? It's very much a costume scent for me, for certain going out days, not for every day--haha, this is so not a day scent--night wear.

 

 

I'd say that this is a BPAL that is popular because it smells like it should be a high end perfume--yes, from the DEPARTMENT STORE. *cue horror* It's mainstream sexy in that it smells almost familiar, what with the vanilla and musk, and "sexy" like you think in the Vogue magazine shoots. I do think this is a unique scent, but probably not worth all the hype unless you're a collector, and a completist at that. I only hesitate because I'm not sure whether I like the scent for its hype, because it does tinge on a very androgynous cologne.

Edited March 25, 2009 by cinderfallen

[asciident]

Wet: Musky.

 

First on: Florals and dark musk.

 

Dry: Strong and dark.

[MCS4096]

I got a generous decant in a swap with the lovely ObsidianSwirl71

 

In the imp: Antique Lace with subtle musk and a sour incense/smoke note.

 

Wet: hello tobacco smoke!

 

Drying down: Hmm.. I think I like regular Antique Lace better! This does smell pretty "traditional" on me-- it's got a sweet vanilla base, but the throw is mostly slightly sour incense/tobacco (winds up smelling like the lab's 'opium smoke' note IMO) I will no doubt treasure my imp though!

[sirensea]

In the imp: Vanilla, vanilla, vanilla. With sugar. Mmm.

 

On my skin: Soft, lilting vanilla. This is a beautiful scent, sweet and smoky at the same time. As it dries, the vanilla deepens, and I can catch a note of the incense.

[rayvn1]

Oh my goodness, this is beautiful! Rich, dark and soft vanilla. Thick like syrup on my skin. Amazing!

[Icekitten]

Aahh I didnt even review my love! ^^

 

The first time i got Black Lace was from a very sweet girl from my country we were swapping some stuff and i wanted to know what the fuss was all about Black Lace.

 

In the decant and even after i put it on my skin, i just thought this is sooo not me.

This is a perfect man perfume the one that is gonna turn your head to look at him mmm so sexy!!

So i thought i will give it to my sexy boyfriend ^^.

 

But after i got home (i was having a sniff n meet with my friends) the scent was changed to the most wonderful lovely and mindblowing scent that i ever had on!!

 

It comforts me and reminds me of days that were easy and sunny.

So everytime i put this on i just dream away and think of the most lovely things.

 

To you my love, i will wear thee forever....

(untill it's gone and need me a bottle ^^)

 

 

[devilot]

In the vial: Smells so much like a generic bottle of women's perfume I found on a playground as a v young child. Meh.

 

Wet: Sharp. Again, like generic, super sharp perfume, almost cologne-like. Incense, yes!!! Loads of incense. I personally think that incensey blends come across as "cheap" smelling to my nose. Uh oh.

 

Drydown: Starts to warm up a bit, round out and simmer down. Ah, here comes the musk to play. And a hint of vanilla now. Five minutes later, I get the booze. Yes, definitely boozy-- odd that I'm not going nuts over this since I tend to really like boozy scents. About ten minutes later, I finally get some more sweetness and it starts to become something I could like, something I could tolerate, but then? It just vanishes! All of it! My skin just refuses to hold onto scents (unless it's something I hate like patchouli).

 

Verdict: Well, this whole experience was rather anti-climatic. I had thought that this might be my HG, though I guess, it's actually great that Black Lace isn't working for me-- given how hard it is to get some these days. Shrug. I don't even know if I'll hang onto this decant, honestly. Sigh.

 

 

Yule 2009 Rerelease on DD's site:

ZOMG! This is amazing! This is what I wanted Black Lace to be before, but wasn't for me. I still get a bit of the weird cologneyness, which I now attribute to the cognac (also detected it in Dreadful Lies). But in this super fresh batch, I just... I love this new Black Lace! I finally get the tobacco! Beautiful, delicious, deep, smoky, intense. I love this blend. I'm hoping someone else won't love theirs and will swap me their bottle!

Edited January 5, 2010 by devilot

[CreamyJade]

This is for the original version (2007)

 

In the decant: Sharp cologne and a hint of vanilla.

Wet on skin: Softer cologne, vanilla, hint of musk.

Dry on skin: Sugared vanilla, musk, incense, a bit of tobacco.

Final thoughts: This is delicious and absolutely gorgeous. It's sophisticated, feminine, dark, a bit smoky at the finish. It's the scent of a woman. It's really beautiful! Must find tons of bottles. Truly a holy grail scent.

 

This is for the 2009 version

 

In the decant: Sharp cologne, cognac, musk.

Wet on skin: Cologne, cognac, musk. It's a bit "soapy".

Dry on skin: Musk, vanilla (finally!), smoky tobacco. Very good throw.

Final thoughts: I really like this "ressurected" blend, but unfortunately not as much as the aged 2007 vintage. Aging has certainly helped the scent, but the vanilla is less predominant during drydown, which doesn't make the 2009 blend as creamy as the 2007 version. The 2009 version also seems (to my humble nose) more musky, which is not a bad thing, but changes the feel of the scent. Don't get me wrong, the 2009 version is beautiful, just not as amazing as the 2007 version. It's my "everyday Black Lace", when I need a fix but don't want to break out my sexy womanly special occasions 2007 Black Lace.

Edited November 11, 2010 by CreamyJade

[quinctia]

This is a scent that has two possible endings in my head. One is a booze-addled, patchouli filled stinkfest (I can deal with a touch of either in moderation), and the other is a softly sweet vanilla tempered with some darker notes...that may reach the lofty point of “What I Imagined Snake Oil Smelled Like Before I Actually Tried It.” In the imp, I get... Patchouli, being a big bully, shoving everyone out of the way, and daring me to put it on my skin. D: It's not actually that bad on me, but it is definitely masculine in nature. As most masculine scents end up to me, I'd love this on a man, but not on myself.

 

I didn't get hardly any sense of vanilla on me at all.

[thewondersmith]

Imp: Cognac and thick incense. :/ I hope I don't get lynched for saying this, but it smells awfully commercial and generic, like department store perfume. Bah, damn me and my inelegant nostrils.

 

Wet: Woah, incense! Very, very smokey and a little acrid- and there's the tobacco. Blurgh. I'm not getting any vanilla or cream, or even cotton. I do get... dried flowers? I think? A very odd smell, and I don't think it's really for me. Sorta gives me the same vibe as Gypsy Queen.

 

Dry: Cream, but not sweet at ALL. Rather "thick" smelling, which is absolutely bewildering to my nose. There's still heavy smoke lingering in the background, and a hell of a lot of musk too. This really isn't for me. A shame, but at least I won't have to spend insane amounts trying to track more down!

[stellans]

O.M.G. This is such a perfect combination of incense, smoke, vanilla and sex! I love incense notes, so I was excited about this blend from the moment I heard about it. When my bottle arrived, I was in heaven. It was wonderful: smoky sex in a bottle, and I reveled in wearing it. Now, a bit more than a year later this blend is even better than when I first tried it. Age has deepened the incense, mellowed the vanilla, and altogether improved this blend -- and I wouldn't have believed it could improve. But it has, it has, and I love it even more.

Edited April 30, 2011 by stellans

[djsiberia]

i finally got a frimp. i read so many good things about this.

 

i opened it to sniff...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

it's soooo floral and perfumey that i couldn't even bring myself to test it. so i passed it on to a friend who really wanted to sniff it, but she thought she would never have the chance.

[Gardenia]

Black Lace is, on me, a musky vanilla with a just a bare hint of tobacco. It doesn't really sound like something I'd be into, but it's really an amazing scent. I've had this bottle since it was released, and man, it just keeps getting better with age.