Katrina van Tassel

[lookingglass]

KATRINA VAN TASSEL
… and though he had seen many spectres in his time, and been more than once beset by Satan in divers shapes, in his lonely perambulations, yet daylight put an end to all these evils; and he would have passed a pleasant life of it, in despite of the devil and all his works, if his path had not been crossed by a being that causes more perplexity to mortal man than ghosts, goblins, and the whole race of witches put together, and that was-a woman.

Among the musical disciples who assembled, one evening in each week, to receive his instructions in psalmody, was Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter and only child of a substantial Dutch farmer. She was a blooming lass of fresh eighteen; plump as a partridge; ripe and melting and rosy cheeked as one of her father's peaches, and universally famed, not merely for her beauty, but her vast expectations. She was withal a little of a coquette, as might be perceived even in her dress, which was a mixture of ancient and modern fashions, as most suited to set off her charms. She wore the ornaments of pure yellow gold, which her great-great-grandmother had brought over from Saardam, the tempting stomacher of the olden time; and withal a provokingly short petticoat, to display the prettiest foot and ankle in the country round.

White rose and honeyed cream.

Oh, I am so excited that Beth made a another blend that showcases white roses (Ouija is my current fave in this category)! Katrina's white rose is fresh but light, distictly "white", with the honeyed cream note making adding depth and sweetness. There is not a trace of sourness that sometimes happens with milky notes on me. It sits very close to my skin and becomes one with it, as if I became young, innocent and lovely. She's like Alice's pale, shy little sister. It reminds me, also, of Brambleberry's Basmati Rice scent, which does not smell at all like the name suggests... For being such a light skin scent it has suprisingly long wearlength (and I really eat up scent). The absolute drydown is really my favorite...soft, slightly sweet, and lush, like a virgin O.

[misfitroxy]

I've already been a'gushing over my love for this story in my review for The Churchyard. But keeping with in that vein...

 

The batting of long lashes {Wet}: Mmm, cream and rose. Delicate and delectable.

 

A swish of silken skirts {First Applied}: More rose than cream to start (whereas they were in balance when I sniffed directly from the bottle). But it's a light rose. Certainly more white than red. With just a smidgeon of green. I'm reminded of a more subtle Peacock Queen. I call this reaction "skin rose", as it brings about a rose scent that smells as if it's blending perfectly with my chemistry and is simply wafting gently from my pores. In other words, I wish I smelled this way naturally!

 

She collapses her fan and holds it, trembling, in a small, gloved hand {Drying}: There's the cream. It was hiding for a bit. And it's only just popping out enough now to round out the rose. It takes away some of the sharpness that can be characteristic of florals ('specially the single/prominent note ones). And makes the blend positively pretty. Like a delicate bouquet at the center of a table set for high tea.

 

Interestingly, it almost turns the rose to candy. I haven't tried Hope from the CD line yet, so I can't make comparisons there. But this does come across as a lightly sugared rose. Maybe a slightly vanilla-brushed one, or honeyed, as lookingglass said above.

 

OMG!! I know what this blend smells like. If you remember Maxie dolls from the 80s ("Who's that girl with the beautiful hair?") and the scented heart necklace they all came with - that's TOTALLY what KvT stirs from the memory box. Minus the plastic overtone. d0000d. I just fell (teased & Aquanet-ed) head over (stilettoed) heeds for this one!!

 

Leaving only the tinkling bells of her laughter in her wake {Final Thoughts}: Light, girlie, associated with favorite childhood toys. A sure winner. And even though it's probably crazy dirty to suggest it... I can imagine that she'd be fabulous with a bit of tea and spice added. Even if it wasn't to be in the Irving fable, I see much blending of the Lady Katrina and Ichabod Crane in the future...

[dronzeka]

If you like rose, this is SO BEAUTIFUL.

 

I get white rose, which I find is lighter and sweeter than red rose, with honey, and cream.

 

Um, yeah, I know that's helpful, since that's what the description says already.

 

But really, this is frakking gorgeous. If you're not into rose or sweet scents - if it doesn't sound like something that appeals to you - it won't. But if it sounds like something you like? you'll LOVE it.

 

It is a little bit in the vein of Hope (though to me that's a very pink rose), in that it's a very simple, sweetened rose scent. The honey is a bit richer than the sugar in Hope, which I find very white sugar/cotton-candy-esque, and the cream adds a little bit of depth and is a tempers the sweetness just a bit - it's like good quality whipping cream, which has richness and depth and is in a gazillion desserts but isn't itself sweet. Hope, to me, is so simple that it's a little creepy as an expression of a vampiric Siamese twin - there's such a contrast between the sweetness of the scent and the sinisterness of the illustration. It's almost like Hope (the vampire twin) is so removed from reality that she can think she's all sweetness as she sinks her teeth into someone's neck. This, in contrast, is the scent of a young woman who's flirty, and knows darn well she's flirty, but isn't really experienced enough to know where that flirting might end up.

 

Anyway. That's a random comparison. This perfume is wonderful.

[azndragoncrimson]

Hm, I'm relatively new to reviewing, but Katrina starts out as a lovely light rose on my skin, drying down to a creamy honey. It keeps close to the skin, as Lookingglass pointed out, but that's quite alright with me since I wear it to make me happy and don't want to broadcast it to my entire workplace. And I kept getting whiffs of Katrina since it lasted the whole workday! ^_____^

[icing]

This is the cream of Snow White and Zarita.

It’s beautiful, delicate, clean (but not in any way linen-y or soapy), soft, and innocent, yet classy and alluring.

 

I loathe roses in most perfume blends. They often smell dry and scratchy, perfumey, boozy and slightly rotting, soured, fat, dark and spoiled. I look at otherwise perfect blends with despair and avoid them at all costs because of that loathsome flower.

 

But roses hold a deep significance to me, regardless of how they turn out, so now and then I go on the hunt for a delicate, pretty rose.

 

The rose in Kat Van T works. It blends seamlessly and evenly with the cream, only lightly laced with the honey (think, golden, warmed, drizzled honey, not thick, rich and musky honeycomb), to give it an added touch of depth and a slight dewy richness.

It’s a soft, fresh, live, and unpicked white rose, soft and damp, and while still fresh, devoid of green, yet that newness is still conveyed.

 

I can only really associate it as a white Zarita (Zarita screams “orange cream” to me), or the rose rendition of Snow White (which is a closer fit than Zarita), only I don’t get the touch of coconut milk that I pick up in Snow White.

 

This is a really soft, and lovely blend, yet it’s not faint, and the wear-length has lasted into the next day. As time goes on, the honey gets stronger, and the cream/rose become more of a dewy, slightly sweet, clean but damp skin musk, yet it never becomes cloying.

 

I can’t believe I love wearing a rose blend.

[darling]

It's been a while since I made a purchase from bpal, but I'm sure glad I did once the new Autumn LE's launched.

 

I've come to the realization that less is more with me, as I tend to fancy the blends that consist of very few notes.

 

Katrina van Tassel.

 

I've always been a snot when it comes to rose.

majority of the time it's a flower I do not care for, especially in any perfume situation.

I tend to find it too stale and claustrophobic for me.

 

I decided to give Kat a whirl, well.. because I did, and gut instincts are my forté.

hesitant at first that maybe it would be that rose I loathed, as opposed to the hope it would be one I loved.

 

pleasantly surprised I'll say.

it's delicate, in a manner that is understated and totally appreciated.

the subtly works as the rose is not an overpowering statement but aids in the clean wafting marriage with the honeyed cream.

 

on the days that I feel abundance is not necessary, innocence is doting, and a close graze of the skin evokes a calming pleasure, I'll fancy this bottle.

[TooMuchTemptation]

I had to get this, there was no question that I was buying a bottle unsniffed. Honey is an iffy note for me, but I didn't care.

 

In the bottle, I mostly smell honey and cream, and something a bit funky. I think it's the honey taking on a bit of an edge.

 

Wet on my skin, this is nothing but white rose, and since I love the Lab's take on white rose, that's just fine with me. It's true, clear, sweet and delicate. It's a clean, dewy, fresh rose, nothing heady or blowsy about it. As it dries, it gets creamier, but not the thick cream note that I'm used to. This is lighter and smoother. After a bit, I notice the powderyness that I get from honey coming out, but rather than turning the whole blend into baby powder, it keeps the rose and the cream in check. Neither of them gets too much out of hand, because the sweet honey note is backing them up. The rose isn't sweet at all, so the honey isn't overwhelming.

 

Dry, it's the white rose that I love in Penthus, but instead of salt water and incense, there's the light touch of cream and the dry, almost musky sweetness of honey. It hasn't gone wrong on me yet. Yay! Lovely formal rose, with a slight kick.

 

This scent is delicate, traditionally feminine, and a bit flirtatious. Not sexy or anything so overt as that. It's rosy and enticing, the most pink and white thing I've ever smelled. It's like the flash of lacy petticoat under an otherwise austere Sunday dress. I really like this scent, though I have to think about what occasion this will be the scent for. I was afraid that this might be too similar to Hope, but it's not. It's a completely different style of rose. It can occupy it's own space in my collection.

[Leopard403]

Fantastic.

But then, I'm a rose whore, so that's not surprise.

This is a very different rose than my other LE favorite, Rose Red. Where RR is dark and lush and slutty and RED, Katrina is a softer, more innocent, and slightly sweeter little sister. If Red is the leather-clad, matte-lipstick-wearing power tripper, Katrina is the pink-cheeked but barefaced nature lover. Very nice.

 

ETA: Over 12 hours later, and I just had to come back and add this: This morning, as I was preparing for my shower, I caught a whiff of something and thought, "Mmm, what is that? It's nice. (And maybe I don't need a shower yet after all.)" After chuckling a mo' over my lame joke, I realized that I still smelled like Katrina. STILL! And I'd only dabbed a bit on my wrists! Yes, Miz van Tassel, I luuuurve you.

Edited September 6, 2008 by Leopard403

[TheIceMaiden]

Katrina Van Tassle starts off with a cool, crisp white rose that reminds me of the rose in Moon Rose (one of my favourites). The rose stays prominent until drydown, although it is joined by a very subtle cream note in the midstage. By the drydown, its a light cream with maybe a tiny drop of honey.

 

ETA: This was light when it first arrived, but a couple years of aging has made Miss Katrina quite strong! This is also one of the very few blends with honey I can wear. Katrina Van Tassle has become one of my top four BPAL scents of all time.

Edited September 1, 2010 by TheIceMaiden

[violetblue]

When I was little, I had a "Barbie Perfume Making Machine." One of the perfumes you could make was a rose one, and the minute I smelled this oil, I remembered being 6 or 7 and playing with that toy. I was also reminded of Rose Red from many years ago at first sniff too. As someone said, this is a "formal" rose scent. For some reason, it almost seems wintery and cold to me too, and not a scent you'd wear on a warm summer/autumn day. I will be stowing mine away for when it's cooler out and trying it out again then. Very pretty and pristine.

[reenie212]

Hrm. This is definitely a white rose, with lots of green undertones on me. I'm not getting any cream from it. Unfortunately the rose is super amping on me. I think I'll have to pass this on to a new home. I was so hoping it would work on me!

[sofaking6]

I love this, I'm also a sucker for so many of the lab's rose blends, but my favorite was always Parlement of Foules. This has the gentle, fancy rose of Parlement but even more delicate, and beautifully tempered by the sweet cream. As others have mentioned, this is no heavy sour cream, but a cream so....creamy (!) that it's practically a sensation instead of a scent. The honey is very mild and sweet as well. I'm really glad I got a bottle of this already.

[ivyandpeony]

Zounds, do I love this scent! Honey is hands down one of my top three notes and white rose is my favorite of all BPAL roses, so I knew that this would have to be a winner - cream may have let me down once or twice, but no problems here. The white rose is sweet and lush without being overpowering, the honey complements it perfectly and the cream swirls it all together and takes it to the next level. I had it on the back of my hand and I could hardly take it away from my nose for hours. I hope I don't use up my decant today waiting for my bottle to arrive tomorrow. This is like a more sophisticated version of Hope (not that Hope is plebian or something) - Hope is a pink rose candied with sugar crystals, while Katrina is a white rose floating in a bowl of cream and honey.

[sookster]

straight sniff from imp is creamy, honeyed rose

 

once applied this is the most beautiful rose and the creamy vanilla balances this to

perfection .... this is such an elegant blend...pure love

[veronicafranco]

ohhhhhh. i am one of those who often don't feel rose suits me, but strangely craved this one... it's nice to be right! to start out with, this is such a light delicate rose scent. i get the honey fairly quickly (one of my fave notes), the cream only later as it dries (and it's a nice, true cream, no sourness). somehow, when fully dry it doesn't really say "rose" to me - just an elegant, girly sweetness. it begs to be mixed with unscented lotion so it can just softly emanate from my skin. i like this one!

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Creamy rose perfume.

 

Immediately on skin: Lots of rose, but it’s girly and soft. Add to that a bit of light creaminess in the background and that’s what this smells like. It’s sort of sharp-smelling however… the rose and cream don’t seem to be really blending.

 

After a little while: I know that bpal honey doesn’t like me, and while it’s behaving almost here, it’s still a bit off. This smells like rose perfume drenched with cream and slightly powdery and bitter honey. It’s a little off to my nose, as it still doesn’t all blend together.

 

Overall Impressions: I can imagine this is gorgeous on the right person, but unfortunately that doesn’t me. Bpal honey goes a bit powdery or bitter on me, and it does a little of both of those here, even tempered with the cream. The rose note’s a bit perfumey, but it’s rose after all. If you like girly rose blends and can handle the lab’s honey note, try this one for sure.

[UploadedLobster]

Normally I don't go for rose, but this one looked so good somehow. I was banking on the honey and cream to temper the rose's normal tendency to stand up and go O HAY IM A ROSE LOL.

 

Turns out, the honey and cream are actually the parts of this scent that I like least. The white rose is dewy and pert--just like Ms. Van T on the label. Sexy in a fresh, yet classical fashion. Exactly what a rose note should be. The honey and cream are afterthoughts in comparison, comparatively faint notes that I could happily take or leave. They provide some background softness to a rose that doesn't need it.

 

 

Lobster Rating

better than: mohair

[lmaunu]

Oh, my! This is a lovely, lovely scent! I have several red rose BPAL scents, but this is my first white rose one, and it's divine! Sometimes honey amps up too much on my skin, but this honeyed cream stays nicely in the background. Lookingglass called it "a virgin O," and I definitely agree; it contains overtures of O, but the white rose really is the dominant note. It's wonderful -- innocent, and yet sexy at the same time.

[ankhfangirl72]

Beautiful. A sweet, creamy rose. It reminds me a lot of Hope, it has that same sugared rose feel, but more innocent seeming. I think it would be a good choice for a gift for a young girl. It definitely fits the character it's based on. I love it.

[puck_nc]

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle

 

Initial Thoughts: I love rose. But quite often rose doesn't love me back.

 

In the Vial: Very fresh greeny rose with a swirl of sweetened cream. I'm a little afraid to put it on and have the green-stem stick erupt on my skin.

 

Wet: Gah, collard-green stank. The honey and cream are trying very hard to beat it into submission, but so far they aren't succeeding.

 

Drydown: I'm starting to think it's a draw. The honey-cream note is sweet and gentle and almost...almost has the rose behaving like rose and not some rampaging mutant stems.

 

Verdict: I have the feeling that it won't be worth getting a bottle, but I'll try the decant again.

[neuilly]

I actually bought this for my mother's birthday as she loves roses, but I could help but test it!

 

This is a beautifully light young white rose just freshly plucked. I don't get much honeyed cream on me but then again rose on me tends to take over.

[kikithepirate]

OH HAI THERE, ROSE.

 

Rose. Seriously. In-your-face, still-on-the vine roses. I can smell the honeyed cream, too, but it really just serves to give a little more oomph to the rose (as if it needed it!)

 

This is so amazing, but I'm going to have to be REALLY care to use it sparingly. I just have a bit on my hand that I tested, and it is almost overwhelming in its rose-y sweetness.

 

This is certainly a woman's rose. While Hope is a girly, flirtation rose, Katrina van Tassel is a strong, classy lady. Who will probably either ravage you in bed, or convince you to propose.

 

Or both.

[LadyLuckDoubt]

In the Bottle

A perfect blend. Yes, there are roses, but they're met with subtle, light, ultra-sweetness so nothing dominates here. The perfume is sweet-- not entirely innocent, but a yummy, almost edible scent. I'm iffy on the cream note, and I was when I ordered this-- cream doesn't like me even though the initial scent and description entice me...

 

On Me

Short-lived, but oh-so-pretty. It stays pretty much the same on me, too-- which rocks, because normally I amp rose something mad-- but the subtly of the roses wins out here, and lets the honey and YES-- the cream-- work. And damn-- the cream stays nice.

 

A touch of vanilla pops up about an hour into it-- then the whole thing fades to nothing over the next couple of hours.

 

I love it. It's what I was hoping Love's Philosophy would be like. LP went revolting on me, but this... has stayed divine. It's feminine and sweet, but classy and memorable. And just awesome. My son loves it, too.

 

Buy it, and reapply it, I'm saying.

[inurbanus]

I think that "pretty" would be the best term to describe this one. The rose is dewy and sweet, while the honey and cream gently mingle in the background. The rose is definitely the main note in this, so rose-haters beware. The honey note doesn't smell like the waxy one that keeps giving me trouble, and if it is, the rose hides it well. I haven't smelled a rose scent I've really liked in a long time, so this is a welcome change.

 

4/5

[goblinshark]

In the bottle: smells like white rose petals drenched in butter. Rich! Foodier than I was expecting.

 

On: This smells SO princessy. I do not know how else to describe it; it smells like princess hair. Creamy and rosey. Normally I prefer spicier or more gender neutral scents, but I do have a weakness for rose, and I really love this one. It stays pretty close to the skin, too, which I think is best for a rose scent since it can so easily get out of hand/scream Old Lady.

 

This is very girly and pretty; has faint throw but lasts for several hours on my skin, and I tend to eat up scents. I'm keeping the bottle despite the fact that my dude hates it.