Black Lace

[VioletChaos]

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.

this one easilly makes it into my top five!

in the bottle: funeral flowers emit strongly, that scent of lilies and carnations near a big open casket, with an under current of that cognac coming through.

wet on skin: delicious! the vanilla comes through, and the floral eases off. the cognac stays the same, giving the impression of being comforted by a caring uncle who's grieving the same loss.

dry down: it gets more complex and more beautiful. deep, sweet notes of vanilla, a resinous sweet note, like rum cake, the cognac and tobacco adding something more adult to the mix, taking it away from being foodie and making it something mysterious and sexy.


LOVE!

[Nisaba]

I was in two minds about this scent when I first read the description - see, for a long time I thought I absolutely hated vanilla. Snake Oil and others of that ilk eventually taught me wrong. But then I tried Antique Lace, and that sugar sweet foody vanilla is exactly the one I can't stand.

 

So, you can see why I was wary. But every other note in Black Lacec sounded like Little Nisaba Heaven, so I jumped on a bottle.

 

And ohmigawd Some people have compared it to a naughty Antique Lace, and I can just, if I try, detect some of the overly sweet vanilla buried in the blend. But I have to really really try to isolate it. What I get wafting at me in beautiful cohesion is cognac and incense, the occasional waft of tobacco, underpined with what must be the Indian musk, all twined together with a sweetness I know is the vanilla but combined it just balanced all the other heady notes nicely. I love it and am very sad that I only have one bottle, but also very grateful!

 

I should add, it's sexy as hell. All that 'repressed' Victorian sexuality, hell yeah.

Edited December 30, 2007 by Nisaba

[Eemia]

This is very smoky and deep on me. Mostly I can smell the cognac and tobacco. It almost borders on masculine. None of the sweetness or vanilla appears at all, and I like it better because of that. It feels aged and classic.

 

This lasts a long time on my skin, and it's very strong. It's even better than I expected it to be. Very, very beautiful.

[filigree_shadow]

Well, I know this one seems to be very popular, but I guess it's another one of those popular ones that doesn't do anything for me. It just smells like incense smoke. It reminds me of the way opium smells very perfumey to me. It's that sort of smokiness. I don't smell much of the "vanilla cream cotton" at all. Possibly some cognac, but not very much.

 

It's nice enough, but I like other BPAL scents in the GC better than this one. And it bears no similarity at all to Antique Lace on me. Smells more like Anathema with vanilla, to me. I guess my skin just amps the smoke.

[Cheri]

Black Lace is aging nicely. I have to say that it reminds me a lot of MB Underpants. I had Underpants on the top of my hand and Black Lace on my wrist and they smell very similar. I'm not sure which note it is that's similar, but it's a good thing since I have a bottle of BL and only a sniffy of Underpants. This one is definitely a keeper, and I suspect it's only going to get better as it ages. Now why do I have to like the ones that are so hard to get more of?

[Little Bird]

My initial review of this was not glowing. It's just not the sort of scent that I would normally wear. It starts off with a sharp, cutting musk that I really don't like.

 

However, my boy *LOVES* this on me. For that reason alone, I have to go back and edit this. Black Lace seems to be quite the man magnet, lol.

 

I still don't care for Black Lace the first few hours that it's on me. It's just too musky for me. However, when it dries down and settles, it has crazy staying power and smells like the sexiest vanilla ever. It's a bit clean, a bit sweet, and just has an overall feel of an incredibly sexy date perfume (the sort of date where you spend a few minutes making your date crazy and then spend the rest of the night in bed).

 

So now I have to track down more of this. My man is rarely fanatical about my perfume, but he loves Black Lace and Boomslang on me. His attraction to the scent and the lovely drydown have made this a winner for me.

Edited January 17, 2009 by Little Bird

[pensarepink]

I'm sorry to say I was disappointed with Black Lace. After all the hype and buzz I thought I would instantly fall in love. No so.

 

In the bottle: Very perfumey, too formal and fussy. Lace is an apt description. It smells like a dusty doily.

Wet: Incense is coming through, still very traditional-perfume in smell. This feels cold and dry to me -- no warmth. I'm not detecting any booze or vanilla.

Dry: The vanilla finally surfaces after about 3 hours. It still has a very clean/cold smell to me, even with the vanilla note.

 

I'm not a fan of this. I'll give it another try, but I'm so glad I snagged an imp and didn't fork over the current ebay prices on this one.

[Honeygirl]

Bottle: Dark Vanilla

 

Wet: Lots of tobacco and very little vanilla. Disappointing!

 

Drydown: It's a bit perfumey. Not my favorite, but DH loves it on me. I'll try it again next week.

3.0 outta 5

 

ETA: I had to edit this one and give it a better rating of 4.0 outta 5. I don't know what I was thinking earlier, this is now in my top 5!

Edited February 4, 2008 by Honeygirl

[HappyLoveJoy]

Simply stated, this smells like sickly sweet men's cologne on me and nothing much else. Bummer.

[evanescence]

This is a "like it a lot but I only need one bottle" scent for me... I do get men's cologne when wet and the tobacco was prominent. But on the dry-down, it mellowed into a deep warm, slightly boozy scent that did garner a few compliments throughout the day.

 

I kept thinking "I've smelled this before"... reminiscent of Arcana's Devilish maybe? Or maybe I just have too many "smoky vanilla musky with tobacco" oils... but it is not a standout scent for me.

[Torrain]

On my skin, smoke and cognac starts coming out.

 

2 min: hint of dry soft musk—I think it's being padded by the cotton. Still the cognac, dry and now sweeter...

 

8 min: cognac and cotton and musk. Somehow it's a very cosy white scent; I think it's the cotton that's producing this impression. Makes me think of lying in a warm bed with your love when it's a a cold and sunlit winter's day outside, knowing that despite the recent passing (what? It *is* a mourning scent) you have each other and being secure in that. Oh bloody hell, this kind of image/setting evocation usually means that I'm going to go hunting down bottles on eBay...

 

45 min: sweet and musky, with a solid soft backnote of cotton vanilla... Oh, it smells good.

 

About an hour in, it's solidly cream-cotton, with warm and spice from the musk, vanilla, and cognac. I'm not really getting much tobacco or incense, but that's okay. Continues to be lovely for hours.

 

(Since testing, a very kind friend sent me her empty bottle and a decant to start filling it with. This scent is *really* lovely; I'm kicking myself for not grabbing a bottle when I had the chance.)

 

Love and coffee,

Frances

[SmileCat]

Ohhhhhhh.

 

I'm not sure *what* this smells like in the bottle, but it dries down into a soft, velvety vanilla. It's the mellow vanilla of Dorian and cotton fuzziness of Snow Bunny with a swirl of smoke and something else. There's a brief moment where the tobacco goes slightly sour, but that goes away and what's left is good.

 

This doesn't fade and doesn't amp on my skin, but it...matures. Not so much a bloom as a gradual unfolding of complexities. And it lasts! Seven hours later and going just as strong as new, now with a background of sensual musk.

 

Yeah, I can call it an introverted Snake Oil. Snake Oil will give you a lap dance, but Black Lace will take you behind closed doors and give you a slow strip tease to candlelight and Vivaldi.

 

I got to try this at a MnS from the generous GypsyRoseRed and I spent about half the sniffing time with my hand draped over my nose, inhaling the scent.

[heartlilly]

While this is wet on my skin it is kind of scary because the tobacco and cognac are so strong; sort of like being surrounded by a bunch of rich drunks in a fancy Vegas bar.

This odd phase lasts quite a while, but once it dries and mellows some (after about an hour or so) it is lovely.

A really dark musky, slightly sweet, spicy scent. Still a bit strong, but very beautiful.

[PurringPulsar]

Black Lace

 

In the bottle: rich, sweet, smoky vanilla. Mmm.

Wet on skin: oohhh…this is sweet vanilla with smoky incense and a little bit of booze!

Dry on skin: oh yes, this is gorgeous. It is like a dark Antique Lace, but so much more than that. the vanilla is so delectable, and it actually reminds me more of the vanilla-amber of Mouse's Long Sad Tale than anything else. I also smell the tobacco and cognac, which add a dark, corrupted smoky-boozy feel to the scent, adding an edge to the sweet fluffy vanilla without making it too masculine. I also smell the same fantastic incense that was in Lurid Library. All in all, this is a fabulous combination!

After a while: ok, this is a bit odd. Now I can smell the musk (which is a good thing because the musk here is delightful! Sensual and sweet and deep but not too heavy) but I also smell something like charred woods. I don't mean wood smoke or fragrant wood incense, but smouldering woods or dry leaves. Maybe it's the tobacco, or a kind of myrrh? I'm not sure, but I only smell it close up to the wrist. And other than that I still smell the gorgeous 'lacy' vanilla and incense. But the burnt woody/tobacco-y note is a tiny bit off putting. But away from the wrist, sexy vanilla-musk wafts around me. the vanilla-musk seems to strengthen though…there's still that burnt wood scent, but now it really does remind me of Antique Lace veiled with smoke, this scent is very fittingly named! I also get the Underpants similarity, with a slight hint of something like sandalwood underneath the vanilla.

The scent then turns gorgeous again, a delightful vanilla-musk with incense swirling round. It’s very sensual and dark and alluring. It also lasts for ages on the skin!

Verdict: mmm, definitely worth the hype, this has some winning notes and some moments when it is truly glorious, even though it’s not quite the perfection I expected. Whilst Antique Lace was a pretty frilly petticoat, this is sexy slinky black lingerie. This isn’t innocent and young, this is heady and sultry and smouldering. At first I get the most gorgeous vanilla scent, kind of like a mix of Mouse’s Long Sad Tale and Antique Lace, but with added incense and tobacco and sensual musk. But I’m not so keen on the middle stage of this scent, when one note, probably the tobacco, smells much too burnt on me, like charred woods, a bitter and harsh smoke as opposed to a gentle incense smoke. That is what stops me from truly loving this scent. A few hours later the scent becomes much nicer, a smoky vanilla musk that lasts for ages, a sexed-up Antique Lace. And this lasts for ages on the skin. this is a really beautiful scent and I would love this to bits were it not for that ‘burnt’ stage! Even so, this is a classic.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? yes! But I'm still unsure of whether this is a two-bottle scent.

If you like this, try: Antique Lace, Lurid Library, Forbidden Foyer, Mouse's Long and Sad Tale, Perversion, Hastur

[maribouquet]

Black Lace is a truly surprise love for me. ALL of the notes are on my mental gross to iffy lists, and yet somehow it is awesome. The vanilla is light and the smoky incense and tobacco give it a vintage feel instead of a burnt barbecue one - the cognac is delightful and sophisticated and is a minor miracle in and of itself (no headache!). The cream doesn't smell like ick.

 

It smells, in fact, AMAZING. This is my dress up scent. Womanly and achingly sophisticated with a bluestocking, pipe-smoking petticoat underneath.

[Avery]

Hmm. Black Lace is not a scent for me. Based on the description of the notes I thought it would be *love*, but I think that these fabric-y/cotton/linen/lace notes don´t work on me. It´s not that it smells BAD . . . it just doesn´t smell like "me". I don´t smell cognac (yum) and don´t really smell much of the vanilla... it´s overwhelmed with the fabric note. I must amp that, as I think that might be what ruined White Rabbit for me too. Anyway Black Lace is very feminine feeling. However, I´m not a girlie girl and usually don´t like floral or overly femmy perfumes.

 

This one makes me feel like I was up in grandma´s attic trying on all of her fancy dresses and funky hats, playing dress-up from a long-forgotten trunk. While it´s fun to play, I never really feel at home in those dusty clothes from a different era (maybe as a costume) and wouldn´t feel comfortable going to work in it, going out with my friends, doing much of anything wearing those clothes. So, black lace is sort of the scent equivalent of that feeling. Oh well, can´t win ´em all. I am glad I just got a decant, as my swap pile is growing and growing without access to a reliable postal service.

Edited January 30, 2008 by Avery

[phedre]

I haven't written a review in a while, but this one needs it.

 

Slightly acrid and perfumy in the vial, it goes on a touch strong. But once it dries down, it becomes the most incredibly gorgeous scent: a touch of refined cognac, rich smoky vanilla, and spicy musk all meld together to become something indescribably lovely.

 

I have two full bottles and a half bottle in a roller ball, and I may just have to hunt down more. I have been wearing this daily since I got it, to the point that my entire wardrobe now smells like Black Lace, and I want more. I could quite happily have this as my only perfume - even my beloved bottle of Storyville hasn't been touched since I got my hands on this!

[Scylla]

In the vial: Black Lace spells kind of sharp and floral. Uh oh. Did I get the wrong decant?

 

Upon application: Ah, it is Black Lace after all. It is a sharp floral at first, but I can also smell the boozy note and vanilla and "cotton" notes I remember from Antique Lace.

 

A bit after application: The florals have died down and now I smell incense, booze and Antique Lace. It IS like Antique Lace's sexy, naughty older sister!

 

I had high hopes for Black Lace, but it's too boozy and sharp for me. I like Antique Lace much better.

[Honor]

In Bottle: Incense, Sugary-Vanilla and Booze... all identifiable and present, but not quite blended...

 

Skin: Mmmmm. Musky Sugared Vanilla with Booze. Not much incense here. Similar to Dorian, but without the Florals and Lemon

 

Dry/Throughout the Day: This doesn't morph much except to lose the Booziness later in the day and become creamier, taking a "baked vanilla goods" quality to it, but with enough musk so I don't smell precisely like a cupcake.

Later in the night, when I snuggled with the boy, he declared that I smelled like candy (i.e. - sweet). Given that he grew up in a smoking household and a less refined sense of smell than myself, I took it as a compliment.

 

Overall: One of my favorites and I'm sad I couldn't get a bottle (only a decant). This is similar to my beloved Dorian, but different enough that I'd wear both equally as often. An overall sweet, "warm" vanilla scent, with just enough muskiness to keep it from being too "young" or "old". Something for a mature young woman in the height of her sexuality.

[cranberry]

When I first tried this fresh from the box a few months ago, there was something almost vegetal at first. Luckily that burned off pretty quick and it turned into a wonderful vanilla-tobacco-musk scent.

 

Since then I’ve worn it quite a bit and am thrilled to say that the weird vegetal scent is no where to be found at any stage.

 

When first applied there’s a sugary sweet vanilla. It’s not a bright cheery vanilla by any means. It’s darker and offset by incense and tobacco. This is just sexy and so gorgeous. I agree that it is like a darker Antique Lace. It has the musk and vanilla but the tobacco and incense push it into that darker category. Cognac too. But there’s something soft and fuzzy here too – cottony and soft. It smells almost edible – like darkly sweet vanilla fluff. I love it and wish I had another bottle or two.

[tinyvulture]

the cotton (think White Rabbit) is clean and white and pure, in contrast with the rich, dark tobacco and incense (similar to the Lurid Library), all enveloped in a cloud of sweet vanilla. i can’t make out the musk or cognac but i know they are somehow adding to the overall charm of this blend. it’s so victorian -- elegant, refined, wistful, haunting, yet slightly depraved and dangerous thanks to the heady tobacco and the almost menacing incense. so glad i ordered a bottle of this, i LOVE it.

[tartchef]

I'd hoped that aging might tone Black Lace down a bit - alas, the sharp, highly-perfumed-fabric-softener note still clobbers me out of the gate... It's a high, cottony scent that pierces my sinuses. It does calm down after a bit, allowing a nicely smoky blend of vanilla tobacco & cognac to come through, but that nearly-hairspray note is still lurking, like a particularly tenacious gnat... Oh Black Lace, we tried to make it work, didn't we?

[DogNPonyShow]

In the bottle: Vanilla musk. A little boozy.

 

On: Like linens that have been in a room with burning incense. It drys down to a dark, smokey sugar with pretty good throw and staying power.

 

Verdict: From the description alone, I never would have thought I'm like this, but I'm going to have to find more.

[pinkstardust420]

Very strong at first....but softens to a powdery, boozy vanilla, sweet, but still lurking is the tobacco, though in the backround. Very nice!

[Pottersville]

BPAL heaven in a bottle! A sexy, smoky, slightly bawdy version of my beloved White Rabbit. Instead of tea-stained white linen, it's tobacco and cognac. Yum!