Black Lace

[orata]

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 got a bottle of the original version and I love it SO MUCH. On me, it's a cool, dry, clear vanilla-linen scent--I don't really get smokiness/tobacco/cognac or booziness at all. Just simple (but with depth) and clean.

I can see a certain similarity to White Rabbit if that scent didn't have so much else going on, or to Boo if you subtracted all the sugar and cream. It's less floral/fruity than Dirty. I actually associate it more with Harikata and Opuhi in terms of mood--it feels like a clean, "white" scent to me (go figure), almost powdery/perfumey, like freshly washed and starched sheets. Cool and comforting, good throw and longevity.

[jizatt]

I can't believe I've never reviewed this, especially since it lives in my top ten! I do have to confess that everytime I wear it (special occasions only!) I wonder why I had loved it so much the time before. The wet version is not my favorite - clean, but not soft, its almost sharp and harsh on me. As it dries, it gets sweeter, deeper, and darker. It takes about 30 minutes to settle down and then, THEN I remember the love. I get tobacco and musk sweetened with boozy vanilla, a pretty intense scent and a definite attention getter. The drydown stays with me longer than any other bpal too =)

[ami226]

Not sure if this is the Original or Res....

 

On the skin: Kinda alcohol smell with vanilla and linen. Weird!

 

After a bit this just smells like a wispy vanilla linen. The alcohol bit disappeared! It smells like pretty, clean linen. The vanilla does start to blossom.

 

I like the dry down okay enough, but this one just doesn't wow me as other blends have.

[ScabbyLucy]

Sadly, this both begins and ends soapy on me. And in the middle, its pretty, but the tobacco takes over and blocks out all the other notes. Sounds pretty in description, but on my skin just reminds me of road trips with 3+ relatives smoking out the windows.

[vanillabean]

So I tried this out last night. In the imp it smells exactly like I thought it would from the description. Smoky, boozy and sweet.

When I put it on my skin, instantly it turned into bug spray. Woohoo! I am safe! I won't fall in love with a scent I can't get anymore. Right? RIGHT?

Wrong. Wearing, it morphed back into a sweet and slightly smoky/musky thing of wonderful elegance. I LOVE IT.

*cherishes the imp she has forever*

[Erinofhere]

This started out as very soapy smelling. Then the floral hit.

 

I did like it, it seems a bit too masculine for me...but I did like it.

 

Then it gave me a headache. A pretty bad one at that. It took about 15 minutes for the headache to pop up. One of the floral must be the culprit.

 

I like the boozy smoky quality that black lace has but the fear of migraine is too strong.

 

I will be swapping out my decant sadly.

[Zii]

Wet: Fruity? It smells almost plum like for a moment before it resolves into what must be the vanilla. The cognac is not playing very nicely though, and I can't quite shake this plum thing.

 

Drying: There is still something fruity hanging about, but I'm getting much more of the vanilla and tobacco now. It's much smokier and much more what I was hoping for now. The incense is blooming on my skin as well.

 

HONEY! The foody smell is honeyed incense! The way it's playing with the vanilla is a bit strange.

 

Dry: Okay, here's the legendary black lace yumminess. It's like marshmellows and smoke and softness. It is a very velvety rich scent now that I really like. It's a bit girly for my tastes, but it's super seductive and warm.

 

Eh... Maybe it was because I tested something amazeballs before this, but I'm just not feeling it. I have other things that fill my smokey incense needs, and I'm just not completely sold. I'll keep it around for a retest, but I not sure the dry is worth the lingering berry oddness at the beginning.

[Missy_killer]

(I believe I have the 2009-version since the label is teal?)

 

Bottle: Cognac jumps out first with the incense, smoke and musk following close behind. It smells sour, but not at all in a bad way! I'm very surprised by the lack of tobacco which usually amps to high heavens and ruins every blend for me.

 

On: This is a grown-up smell. A very classy, aristocratic woman should wear this. But I'm shocked by how light and sweet Black Lace is. The tobacco sneaked in almost without me noticing it, but it's staying in the background so I mostly smell the lovely sweetness.

 

I have to say, before I tried this I felt certain that this would fail utterly on me, thinking the musk would be too dark and the tobacco would make this smell like sour campfire-smoke. I'm still completely blown away by how gorgeous this is. Black Lace smells like a sweet and delicate vanilla with just a touch of smoke to keep it grounded and it reminds me so much of a light and clean sister of Mme. Moriarty. After testing them both together I found that they share the same vanilla, but Moriarty is more "dirty" with her fruits and slightly heavier. However, they are both in my top 5 scents and I love them.

[Magycmyste]

Ok, so this is the Vintage 2007 version - black and grey label that looks like it's a picture of a section of lace as it's laid on a table (you can tell it's lace, but I wouldn't be able to describe the design of the lace.

 

In the bottle: Clean linen? There's definitely something dark about this scent (I'm guessing the tobacco and cognac, but also lightened by the vanilla. It's almost like vanilla and soap.)

 

Wet on skin: I went for two dots from the cap, on each wrist. On my skin, it smells a bit like soap, but a very pleasant smelling soap. The scent lightens a bit as my skin warms it up.

 

Dried down: The tobacco and cognac are there in the forefront, making this all dark and smoky, but there's still a bit of cottony soap in the background lightening it up. The vanilla is barely there, but I can kind of sense it hiding behind the cotton if I try to sniff my wrists. However, as I move my nose away from my wrists, the vanilla is definitely there.

 

Throw: The throw is rather light, but very vanilla. It makes me happy.

 

Verdict: ***** Oh man, this is complex! I liked the soap scent, but wasn't entirely sure about it, but as it keeps shifting between the vanilla and the tobacco/cognac... I just want to keep sniffing and discover which note is going to grab my nose this time. I think I'm going to have to find another bottle of this, and put a bit in one of my rollers.

[petrichorandleather]

In the imp: Clean cotton, incense, vanilla. Incredible.

 

Wet, on skin: Blossomy fresh damp cotton and incense. Cognac coming forth in perfect harmony.

 

Later: I'm amping the cognacand tobacco in the most sexy and flattering way. I am in love with this one. Instant favorite.

I need a whole bottle of this ASAP.

[SimplySyra]

In the bottle: Smooth and strong. Both slightly sweet and slightly bitter. Perhaps the cognac.

Wet: Yikes! Sharp and bitter tobacco and cognac to the point that I can taste it and it tastes like I'm sucking on an aspirin.

Dry: What a complete turnaround! A couple minutes into the wet stage just as I'm starting to worry this much sought-after scent is going to go horribly wrong on me, it dries down into a soft, clean, powdery vanilla cotton blossom. Slightly sweet with a touch of dry incense and warm musk to add some elegance. This vanilla is almost foody but not quite.

Verdict: Not blowing the doors off, but I don't regret tracking down a bottle and suspect this will get plenty of wear. It's delicate but also warm and sultry enough (the musk I suppose) to be a bit sexy, too. Very nice!

[LexieBlom]

Black Lace bottle

 

Wet/Bottle - Incense, tobacco, vanilla and cognac. It's soft, powdery, delicate - everything you'd expect from the name.

 

Wet/Skin (5 minutes) - Vanilla and cognac, mostly now. It's so soft and whispy, almost not there yet still so defined. It really is just like lace on your skin.

 

Dry/Skin (30 minutes+) - The same vanilla and cognac as before. This blend lasts surprisingly long, given how soft it is.

 

I bought this bottle because I've loved every Lace collection member I've tried thus far, and this is no different. I am SO glad I got this.

[BeyondBad1313]

This smells to me like a old garment that had traces of vanilla around the collar that has been trapped in a chest in an attic for years. I get an old linen and vanilla smell as well as some tobacco and old paper. Beautiful scent, would love to get my hands on some more.

[LizziesLuck]

I can barely contain my excitement. After coveting this scent for what felt like forever, I managed to get my hands on both a bottle of the Resurrected version, AND the original version, in the same week! The BPAL gods have been kind to me. Problem is, it's bloody allergy season, and I am so stuffed up! So I have taken copious amount of medication, eaten fiery buffalo wings, and had a crazy hot steamy shower....you know, the things one does to clear ones sinuses. I've really only had moderate success, but I am not waiting any longer!

 

 

Right wrist (Resurrected)

Wet: Sweet tobacco, vanilla. Gorgeous! Lighter than I expected. Oh it's so good. I thought for a second I got the apple some people were talking about, but I think it was in my head? I'll likely never know, unless it's the dominant note (and usually even then) apple burns off on my skin. A hint of a fabric note, but not the "clean" fabric from Boo, this is..well, like old lace. I totally get it now. It's warm and rich, almost spicy, but not quite. Feminine, sophisticated, beautiful.

 

Dry: Even better than I expected. Sweet, creamy, sensual vanilla with a hint of tobacco and cognac. Glorious. So happy to have it! Can't wait to test the original.

 

Left wrist (Original)

Wet: Strong tobacco! Very strong indeed, and dark. Interesting, because when I smelled them both in the bottle, they smelled quite similar, but this is much different on my skin. I wonder if it's on account of the aging? If I recall, the original is from 2007 and it was resurrected in 2010. The tobacco in this is sharper, not as sweet, almost gritty/

 

Dry: This settles nicely. It's still much darker, more incense. Not as sweet. Less vanilla. But they're quite similar now, and unmistakable as the same scent, I would attribute the difference to age, perhaps? Or it could be slight batch variation, as others have thought.

 

To be perfectly honest, I love resurrected more, and am hoping it is batch variation, because I want my resurrected to stay just as it is. Resurrected is beautiful from application all the way through dry down. The original really takes a while to settle in and bloom on my skin, and in the end I find the slightly sweeter resurrected version just that much better.

[aylafr]

I only tried the apple batch variation:

It has a crisp green apple, with vanilla and tobacco..It is slightly darkened by the incense and in the dry down theres the famous cotton/lace note which links all the other scents together.

I love it. One of my favourites and I'm extremely curious to try the non-apple version

[nolifeking]

Ahhhh Black Lace..how I love you! If bpal could revive you one more time..I'll buy dozen of you because I can't live without you♡♡♡

 

The cotton is the first thing to bloom on my skin, followed by the musk and the cognac .it is a bit perfumey in the wet stage, but in a good way ( if that make sence ) Once fully dry, incense and tobacco deepen even further the scent,creating this dark, smoky, heavy and complex masterpiece :3

 

There is some vanilla, very subtle and not sweet like baked goods; it only appears hours later and is incredibly sexy combine with the musky incense ♡

BL stay strong on me about 10 hrs and I can still smell faint wiff of it the next morning

 

Is that a HG? YES!!

[celestia]

♔ Black Lace

(Trunk Show Label, 2007 vintage; 2007 teal label; 2009 grey label)

 

In the Bottle: Perfumey Vanilla tinged with cognac and smoke

 

Wet: I get a smoky vanilla incense with a very smooth cognac blended into it. It already starts turning sensually musky, the cognac comes out and it’s still wonderfully smooth, as expected, much like the original teal label. Although tobacco is supposed to smell like sweet, unlit cigars with maybe a little woodsiness, I get this more closer to the drydown, rather than during the wet stage.

 

Drydown: The tobacco and incense both seem to sort of blend into one glorious golden-brown note. Delicately smooth, sweet unlit tobacco and vanilla incense.

 

2007 vs. 2009: On skin, the 2007 version smells richer and creamier compared to the 2009 version. It is also more sweet, more vanillic, more incense-y, and more burnt-golden in colour (which I suppose translates to smelling more dense, rich and heady). Overall, the 2009 version feels more understated, and smells a touch more cologne-y to my nose, it is also more subtle compared to the 2007 version. And while I do like the proportions in the 2007 version more, I wouldn’t kick 2009 to the curb. I love this scent. Always have always will.

 

ETA: It has taken me a decade to learn that this is the only tobacco I like, which says a lot because I think what I smell as tobacco here, is clearly not what i smell in every other blend..so either it's super subtle and barely there, or it's wildly different from any other tobacco blend i've ever tried.

Edited August 30, 2017 by celestia

[roseus]

Got a little to test from a lovely forumite! At first the incense was a little too sharp for me, but dries to a beautiful smooth vanilla with a little tobacco and cognac. The linen note makes this unique. Only a little incensey smokiness remains. Unfortunately I find this freaking perfect.

[whisperstilled]

So I seem to have the apple version to test! It is indeed fresh and green with a soft linen and incense backing note, and a touch of tobacco. Thankfully, that burns off very quickly and I get the soft linen and incense quality so many people have lauded about the original Black Lace. It's a little sweet, but not too much. I'd say my only complaint is that the throw is pretty soft. It's an extremely appealing scent, and I'll definitely be hanging on to my little bottle.

[donkehpoo]

ETA: this is the old teal label version.

 

Wet: Cognac, incense, and tobacco. There's a small bit of sweetness here as well.

 

Dry: Much sweeter than the wet stage. This is a sweet musky-tobacco-incense, with maybe the smallest trace of vanilla. There's something slightly "clean" about this scent as well.

 

Lots of different layers to this scent, and I really enjoy them all.

Edited June 28, 2018 by donkehpoo

[doomsday_disco]

A lovely forumite frimped me a decant of this made from their own bottle. I am not sure which version of Black Lace I am trying.

 

In the decant: The cotton and Indian musk really stand out to my nose, followed by the tobacco and incense, and a little bit of cognac and vanilla.

 

Wet: The cotton takes the center stage, but I’m also getting lots of tobacco, incense, and the smooth musk. The vanilla and cognac are more prominent on me than they were in the vial, and the cognac quickly gains strength after a few minutes.

 

Dry: The cotton is still king on me, but I still get a fair amount of musk, tobacco, and incense. After several hours, the cotton and musk reign, followed by the tobacco, incense, and cognac, and they’re all floating on a soft vanilla cloud (which seems to be getting stronger over time).

 

Verdict: I love the Lace scents, so I am really happy to have gotten to try this one! It’s probably the darkest of the Laces I’ve tried, and I really like the combination of the linen, musk, and vanilla with the darker notes. I will cherish my decant. Thanks to the wonderful BPALista that frimped this to me!

[AirimirOfGondor]

I liked Black Lace (the resurrected version), but I didn't exactly get all the hype.

It is very nice; the Lace note is a star - I get the kind of apple-y quality, but it isn't exactly true apple to me. The other notes are just knd of...there...

 

It's sweet, and kind of dark, and a bit musky, and a little cologne-y, but clean, and sadly, just kind of boring. 😔

 

It's possible it was just my skin, but I didn't love this one enough to keep it, and have since moved it on to a happy new home.

[Madame Mew]

One of my wonderful FB sales page friends was kind enough to share an imp of Black Lace with me. I am unsure if it's the OG or the resurrected version. 

 

In the imp, it's cologne and tobacco. Wet on the skin, it's a very clean vanilla. After it dries down a bit, I get a very nice musky, vanilla tobacco. This is very "perfumey" to me, which is not a negative thing, but I like a bit more gnarl to my daily wear scents. Overall, it's a very pretty, musky, somber tobacco vanilla. I would wear this to a funeral. It's comforting and pretty. 

[ND¢]

Back in the day, when I'd only been introduced to BPAL the past year, Black Lace came out and I bought a bottle because everyone was so excited and I knew I'd better. Time and events intervened and I traded or sold it, only to be able to reacquire a bottle these many years later. Very lucky. I don't think I appreciated it back then. This oil definitely progresses in stages on me. The sort of cotton and a sudden stained smoky sense at first, that opens up into a musk that blends more nicely with, and itself unfolds into, the tobacco as the vanilla warms up. Complex, sophisticated, beautiful and still sweet in the end, but definitely debauched. 

 

Edited September 2, 2022 by ND¢