The Dole of the King's Daughter

[Bluestocking]

Even stars in the still water,
And seven in the sky;
Seven sins on the King's daughter,
Deep in her soul to lie.

Red roses at her feet,
(Roses are red in her red-gold hair)
And O where her bosom and girdle meet
Red roses are hidden there.

Fair is the knight who lieth slain
Amid the rush and reed,
See the lean fishes that are fain
Upon dead men to feed.

Sweet is the page that lieth there,
(Cloth of gold is goodly prey,)
See the black ravens in the air,
Black, O black as the night are they.

What do they there so stark and dead?
(There is blood upon her hand)
Why are the lilies flecked with red?
(There is blood on the river sand.)

There are two that ride from the south to the east,
And two from the north and west,
For the black raven a goodly feast,
For the King's daughter to rest.

There is one man who loves her true,
(Red, O red, is the stain of gore!)
He hath duggen a grave by the darksome yew,
(One grave will do for four.)

No moon in the still heaven,
In the black water none,
The sins on her soul are seven,
The sin upon his is one.
- OSCAR WILDE

Red roses, blood-flecked lilies, upturned earth, yew branches, and blood mingled with river sand.

In the bottle: Cool and very dark and ominous, but feminine. The lilies are strongest, very white but not soapy, and they're cradled by all the darker, more mineral scents from the earth, sand and yew. I don't really get much, if anything, from the roses here, and both the yew and the earth are restrained. It's not a snootful of dirt, and the yew adds a streak of deep, muddy green.
On, wet: Red rose and lily, but not too heady or sweet. They're held back by the darkly mineral earth and the yew, which smells less green and more like the bark to me now, just a teensy bit bitter. There's something watery and almost dank here, too, like the black water of the poem. The throw is mostly really white, innocent, church-like lily, but closer to the skin you get all the darker elements.
On, dry: Lilies and rose petals with an undertone of earth and dark green yew. It smells like a bouquet left in a graveyard, so it perfectly conjures the image of the grave dug by the yew. The yew isn't very strong, but it perfectly balances the sweeter flowers. It's still cool and very dark, like a cloudless night.
Later: Red roses and lilies, drier and sweeter, but still with that cold, dark mineral tinge to make this ominous. For the first time, this is more rose than lily, but it's a beautiful, young-smelling rose—no old-lady dusting powder here.
Overall: This is fascinating—feminine but dark and eerie, with innocent, young lilies and rose petals swirled with black water and earth and yew and minerals. It's a chilly and unsettling blend, very well blended, and it perfectly captures the poem. I never got anything that smelled specifically like blood, but maybe that was part of the overall mineral feel. The yew worked especially well here, darkening the flowers and keeping them from getting overly sweet or heady. However, if you just can't handle (or don't like) lilies, I'd steer clear of this one, because the lily is the heart of the perfume. But for me? A keeper, with surprisingly good throw and staying power.

[angelicruin]

Sniffing the bottle, this is roses, lilies, and earth.

 

On my skin, it's mostly roses mixed with earth and green yew. The blood note adds just a bit of bitterness that balances out the floral and earthy notes.

[twilighteyes]

First thought: whew, the dirt is barely noticable.

 

Second: Roses, lilies, and woah -- Helllloooo Yew!! This reminds me a bit of Rose Red because of the green waving at me except that, of course, it isn't pure rose otherwise.

 

I like this one a lot -- I expected not to like it as much as others because of the dirt note, but I can't smell dirt at all.

 

[riflmom]

I like this, and am glad I ordered a bottle. Not oppressively flowery lily and rose, tempered with earth and dark sadness. I can see wearing this often.

[CynicalPink]

High hopes for a unique scent

 

Bottle: Rose and lily with something earthy. Very deep. Semi-aquatic

 

Wet: Somber. Takes a few seconds for the flowers to come out, but they're on their way!

 

Drydown:

Round 1 - Creamy, down to earth floral. No choking rose or heady lily.

Round 2 - Dark and creamy. Fair bit of throw to it. I guess it's the yew that's giving it the "green" edge.

Round 3 - This is going to sound weird, but when i get really close, i think I can smell the sand.

 

Overall: This is SO cool. It's got florals that I love, but with a dark and foreboding edge to them. I can see wearing this when I need to be no nonsense for a power boost. Very happy to have my bottle.

[fairnymph]

In the bottle: Dark, salty-sandy, floral, a little fruity. I detect some dragon's blood, and maybe some lilies...not really any rose, yew, or earth. Faintly sweet and overall very mild.

 

Wet: Uhhh..spicy! And stronger on the dragon's blood. More bitter and planty, a bit of evergreen - ah, the yew. Soapy lilies. A suggestion of distant, lush red rose. Still salty.

 

Dry: More rose dry, and the yew is less sharp. Still no earth. Sadly, the lilies and dragon's blood are spicy, powdery, heady DOOM on me and I'm off to the sink.

[Dianora]

I get really excited about roses. I'm not sure what it is with me and roses, but I am so absurdly happy that BPAL rose likes me. As soon as I saw the Bards series, I knew The Dole of the King's Daughter and I were destined to be. Luckily, I was right and this is a gorgeous blend.

 

In the bottle, Dole smells strongly of roses, a hint of lily and a cool, sweet aquatic. When I put it on my skin, the rose bloomed right away, but not in a heady, in-your-face kind of way. It plays very nicely with the other notes, allowing this to become sweet and complex and a touch spicy. As it dries down, the earthy smell comes out to temper the aquatic notes, and the rose becomes spicier and darker as the dragon's blood comes out. I was reminded strongly of my beloved Blood Rose, but Dole is darker, richer and more melancholy.

 

Final verdict on this is love. I have enough lovely rose blends that I should be satisfied, but I am resisting strong impulses to buy a backup bottle.

[msbcozad]

The Dole of the King's Daughter

 

This smells sooooo good in the imp: fresh and green and delicious.

 

This smells sooooo bad on my arm: red rose and blood and ugh. Get it off! Get it off!

 

But wait a minute... where'd the ick go? It's gone to lilies and, oh wait. There's the blood again. Ick!

 

Oh well.

[TheOneTheyCallLuna]

Oh wow, this is lovely. Such a unique rose fragrance, unlike any I have ever sniffed. Thankfully I don't get too much of a dirt note...just something gritty and a bit grizzly around the edges in addition to the yew branches. This is a dark and edgy rose blend, very evocative of the work off which it is based. I quite like it, and well, I adore Oscar Wilde so this is definitely a keeper for me!

[sookster]

 

 

straight sniff from bottle is rosy grapes....yum

 

once applied, a total winner here folks!

 

the earthiness of this blend is beyond perfection and the roses and lilies are nothing

short of divine...i get a sensation of the sand as well...

 

heaven...i'm in heaven

[tativa]

I'll have to see what this is like after its not mail-fresh... But as of right now:

 

It starts off very very sandy... then I can smell a little bit of the sweet but sharp dragon's blood. Then the Yew comes and dominates everything for a few mins. Then its Yew and sand. Then the sand takes a back seat as the flowers blend with the sharp earthyness of everything else.

 

Its amazing how much the blend really gives the gritty feeling of sand through smell. Its interesting enough I am going to hold on to the bottle... but not a love love so far. The rose is kind of similar to the rose note in black rose.

 

Edit: now I am in love... this is a slightly more complicated slightly less sweet take on black rose. Which I loved, but never quite enough to get a bottle. I might need a back up if its as good when i try it later this week before the lunacy.

Edited April 4, 2009 by tativa

[GalaxyLei]

Wet I get no roses or lilies at all, just dirt...dry, dusty dirt. As it dries, the flowers come out more--covered in more dirt. I can see this as walking around by the shore and getting the flower scents mixed in with everything else, because it's not OMGROSE, which roses tend to do on me, just the smell of being outside on a hot day among the flowers naturally growing in spring or summer. Perfect for the season and the sun starting to come back.

[Lamia]

This smells rather old-lady-ish on me. The throw itself is nicely musky, and I would be extremely happy to be standing next to someone else who wore this, but on my actual skin, it's sort of ... meh. Trade bag.

[thekittenkat]

The dole referenced in the poem's title is an archaic use of the word, meaning sorrow or grief; or dolour, which is an obsolete word that means a painful grief or suffering (all these from the wiktionary for a reference that one can check, but I remember this usage of the word from studying medieval English literature and poetry).

 

 

 

In the imp: That sharp note that lilies have on me.

 

Wet: Lilies still like woah, but the rose is coming out to play. And the sand and yew are starting to ground those flowers. Not getting any blood, though.

 

The dry-down: it all seems to have blended together and is lingering close to the skin, and slowly fading away. Pretty but not for me, I think.

 

I had hoped that this would be like Sturgeon Moon, only with roses and not so much the lilies. It's nice to know that lilies can be tamed. I wanted to like this oil a lot, because of the wonderful sad and mysterious poem, and it's fine, but it's not lasting on me at all. I'm also really surprised that the roses were not stronger, as I usually amp rose.

[zankoku_zen]

Woof. This is rosey lilies and a hint of dirt. The lilies give the rose this soapy edge and it ends up smelling like an amped up Penny Dreadful on me.

[Little Bird]

In the bottle, this smells like spiced amber and rose, and an almost golden, perfumey muskiness.

 

On my skin, this reminds me a little bit of Bezoar. It smells intensely salty, like dry wood soaked in salt water. Stomping all over the wood is a sour smelling red rose. As it dries down, it's all sour, perfumey red rose and nothing else.

 

I was hoping for earth, soft lily, and sand, but The Dole is an intensely perfumey rose. I normally like rose (though I do amp rose quite a lot), but this is the sharp, musky/perfumey variety that I can't wear.

[naeelah]

It begins with a distinct earth note, but a rich, red rose quickly emerges as the most prominent note. It is underlain with blood (a little metallic, a little fruity, a hint of aquatics, and slightly spicy earth. I think the Yew is responsible for the warm, almost spicy quality and it also lends a lightly green edge. After about 10 minutes the lily finally comes out, adding another rich floral aspect but not taking over the rose. The earth is much less prominent. You can still smell the dark graveyard earth but there is also a lighter sand note, just as in the Ifrit. (On the whole, imagine the Ifrit in the shade with a rose garden.)

 

This is rich, strong, dark, and very evocative of the poem. Perhaps because of the aquatics, this is a more strongly perfume quality than I expected. Once totally dry, after about 15 minutes, it's really lovely but not for me.

 

In short, it's: strong red rose, strong lily, light, rich earth and aquatics

[benthic]

I love rose notes, so I was really looking forward to this scent. In the bottle, the rose is overpowered by the earth and yew, which worried me. Usually in any rose blend, the rose is what I can pick out first, and it's what my skin amps the most (which suits me just fine). Wet on my skin, I was still getting the earthy and yew notes most strongly, tinged with the metallic snap which must have been the blood. It took some drydown before it settled into a nice rose and lily scent on me with just a smidge of darkness from the earth and blood. It's a very nice oil, although because my skin did end up amping the rose in the very end, for a rose blend I think I'll stick to something like Pride where the rose is obvious right off the bat.

[theseagrows]

hm, i don't really get much rose (if any?) from this at all. mostly lilies and something grassy...yew branches? this smells kind of earthy and tree like...definitely, but i am having trouble picking out notes. and not one note seems to stand out more than the others. i dont get the blood at all. also, this totally reminds me of another bpal scent, but i can't place it. i wish i could be more clear on my review but i'm just not sure what i'm smelling here! it's kind of like...musty lilies(?)

[Invidiana]

This is velvety red rose made sexier by dragon's blood (which gives the rose a lovely deep berry-ish undertone on me ) mingled with light woods. If dragon's blood reacts similarly on you, you DEFINITELY ought to try this--it's like a rose-berry cocktail with an evergreen sprig. The Dole is just one of the many examples of how Beth can work her magic with rose and turn it from the eau de old lady we all dread to something gorgeous in the right blend

[ralenth]

This started out a bit perfumey and pretty, but pretty quickly went down to sharp green, rose and powder-lily hell. I should have known it wouldn't agree with me as these two florals are death notes, but I had to try anyway. Off to swaps.

[edenssixthday]

The Dole of the King's Daughter - For a split second, when I first put this on, I thought I smelled frankincense, then I realized that it must be the scent of the dragon's blood, rose, and earth mingled together. Once it's on my skin, the rose and lily are the strongest notes. For once the lily doesn't amp on me and overpower everything else. The notes blend together beautifully to create a deep and sensual scent, that is romantic, innocent, earthy, and incredibly sexy all at the same time. I love this. I really love it. And I can't believe that dirt note is behaving on me. I didn't try this scent until now because I thought it would be awful due to the lilies and dirt. This once again proves that with BPAL, you just never know.

[Vega]

Sniffed: Quite a few things going on -- I'm smelling notes of flowers, aquatics, fresh greenness, and dirt/earth.

 

On skin: The Dole of the King's Daughter begins as dewy roses and fresh stems floating on tangy water, lightly touched with woods. It darkens during the drydown, as dirt and more woods come out. I can smell the faintest breath of decay; there's no blood at all. Ultimately it ends up a clean, mild, feminine floral, grounded by woods, water and earth. Like most blends, it doesn't morph much on my skin, and remains the same over time. Colour impression is a pale jade green.

What an evocative scent! Beth has done it again, she's captured the spirit of the poem perfectly in this blend. The Dole of the King's Daughter is pretty, delicate and wispy, but subdued and sorrowful. I can envision the scene: the King's daughter, dressed in scarlet, with red roses in her lap and a bloodied dagger in her hand, sitting and weeping by a swift-running brook, feet and dress covered in mud and sand, while the sky is filled with gray clouds and rooks. I'd imagine this is how fresh roses mingled with tears would smell.

 

Verdict: I like this blend, it's a pretty, light green-floral. And I keep being amazed by Beth's genius at making such evocative scents. Well done!

[puellacaerulea]

Somehow I never wrote a review for this one despite its being my first ever LE purchase! The roses and lilies predominate, but they have a very chilly edge -- the effect is like a dark reprise of a classic, feminine floral perfume. The yew/earth notes are there in the background, giving the scent a dark green undertone, with a mineral-like edge from the sand. This is my standby when I want something that's reminiscent of a classic, old-fashioned perfume, but with enough of an edge to keep it fresh. I'll have to do some serious hunting when I eventually run out.

[Aviatrix]

I love the poem and the concept behind this one, so I was very hopeful! It is pretty much as I expected, with an added emphasis on the flowers and the dirt and river sand taking a seat in the background. I'm not sure how yew branches smell, though.

 

It is darkly gothic, but in a distinctly feminine way. The flowers seem almost warm on my skin - like warm blood on the cold ground!

No, actually, I'm not sure I smell any distinct blood note in here - but then again, I'm probably not good at identifying it if it's there - so to me it smells like a lot of lilies and a few damp roses on a secret garden path. It feels very mysterious and adventurous to me, so that fits it well.

 

If you like lilies especially, you will enjoy this one! And if you like the gothic mystery of the poem behind it, you might also want to give it a try; it certainly seems fitting for the concept.

 

I blind-bought a bottle, but I'm glad I did and will hold onto it for now.