Semiramis

[Gardenia]

A legendary Assyrian queen, often identified with Sammu-Ramat, the wife of Shamshi-Adad V, she was believed to be the daughter of the goddess Atargatis. Her youth was filled with mythic adventure, and her otherworldly beauty and voluptuous sexuality ensured her two advantageous marriages. When she took the reins of power of Empress of Assyria, she expanded her kingdom by conquering much of Mesopotamia and Asia. She beautified and revitalized Babylon, and implemented improvements in Nineveh that helped to moderate the flow of the Tigris. She was renowned for her military and political prowess, as well as her ferocious and merciless sexual appetite.

HER PERFUME
Red musk, pomegranate, orange blossom, and melon.

In the bottle: Mmm.. the red musk really stands out here, and there's a soft sweetness in the background.

Wet: I can really start getting hints of the orange blossom, along with the red musk.

Dry: The red musk really seems to be the predominant note here, if you like red musk I recommend trying this scent. In the background the pomegranate adds a nice tartness to the sweet scent of the orange blossom and melon.. something is also adding just a bare hint of spice (the musk, perhaps?), very lovely. The balance of the notes in this blend is really quite amazing. Nothing truly overpowers anything else for me, and they all work together nicely.

Red musk is normally one of my "meh" notes, but this works out very well, and it isn't an overpowering musk scent, for those who may be a bit worried about that. Edited June 11, 2009 by Gardenia

[angelicruin]

Inside the bottle, strong red musk scent.

 

On my skin, red musk, orange blossom, and pomegranate. Resinous, fruity, but not foody.

 

Average throw. Lasts several hours on my skin before fading completely.

 

 

[Myrrha]

Wet -- At first it is a glorious haze of red musk. I am probably getting the pomegranate mixed in there as well but can’t separate it out. At this point if I sniff my wrists directly there is a sharp note (probably the orange blossom). Not nice! But the waft is incredibly good.

 

10 minutes -- I can smell it pretty strongly with my arms down at my sides and I am attracting speculative glances from gentlemen some distance away so this does have throw. I can sniff my wrist directly without much of the sharp note at this stage. The orange blossom now smells *lovely* in the waft. I catch drifts of it as I walk around.

 

20 minutes -- Now I think I can separate out the scent of pomegranate in with the red musk and the scent is lightening up. The orange blossom continues to be gorgeous. When I sniff my wrist directly there is no sharp note at all.

 

1.5 hours -- At first I thought the orange blossom note had gone away and there was just the red musk and pomegranate base of the scent but then I caught a couple whiffs of orange blossom so it is still there. The overall scent is more delicate now and I feel like it is more realistically wearable than it seemed when first applied. I can still smell it with my arms down at my sides, but not as strongly.

 

3 hours -- at this point it is fading to where I would want to put some more on. My skin eats perfume oil so it would probably last longer on someone else.

 

I really like this! It makes up for not being able to wear Madame Moriarty and Midnight Kiss (which also have red musk) due to patchouli.

 

EDIT -- My boyfriend thought it smelled "fantastic" "It's fruty but also kind of erotic..." "Is it as sexy as Lilith?" I asked "No, not like that, it's just a really nice scent but there is something sexy about it." He commented on it several times.

 

 

Edited June 18, 2009 by Myrrha

[PiraticalFrogg]

At first sniff, I picked up on the fruit.

 

Wearing: The fruit is there, but the red musk comes more into play. There's a great balance between sweet and earthy. All of the notes work well together.

 

The scent lasts all day and does not morph. I tend to stick to lighter scents and was glad this did not smell foody. I'm sure I will be wearing Semiramis often.

[MissMorbus]

In the bottle: Whoa...sweet fruits with maybe a teeny bit of red musk in the background.

 

Wet on skin: Still sweet fruits but the musk is more noticeable. This is very sweet, but the musk tempers it just enough that its not too sweet.

 

Wearing: The fruits begin to fade and the musk comes out to play. It still stays sweet, but it calms down a lot. This reminds me a lot of Mme. Moriarty, but sweeter and a little less sexy. If Mme. Moriarty is the sexy bad sister that smokes, drinks, and has sex with random hot strangers in bar bathrooms, then Semiramis is the good sister that goes to class, does her homework, but still likes to party on the weekend.

 

It lasts for several hours. I probably need to reapply it half way through the day. It stays sweet (like when wet) for most of the day in my hair.

 

Overall, I love it. Mme. Moriarty is my all time favorite, and I was hoping for something along the same lines with Semiramis. That is definitely what I got.

 

*edit*

lol...disclaimer....I'm not implying that Beth is anything like my description of Mme. Moriarty.

Edited June 19, 2009 by MissMorbus

[EspressoSnail]

This smells wonderful.

At first it's a nice mix of red musk and fruit. I was worried about the pomegranate, it will sometimes give me a headache, but it seems to be agreeing with me here.

After a while the musk dies down and the melon and orange blossom linger. It's a very pleasing scent and I had to go back and beg the goblins for a backup bottle.

[thekittenkat]

In the bottle: The musk is the top note, with the fruit and floral deep in the mix.

 

Wet: All red musk, all the time.

 

The dry-down: That's better! The other notes are coming out some now, giving this perfume oil a sweet note, but not too sweet! The melon (wish I knew which melon) is present as a bit of a sparkle. The red musk is lovely, but I tend to amp musk at times, and red musk isn't one that I remember trying before. This is a (dare I say it) rather sexy and sultry blend, and one that I would probably wear only on a special night out with the bf. Very elegant, this Queen. Yet, she knows what she wants and will go for it, in a warm and frank manner.

 

I've now layered the perfume oil with the bath oil, and that makes this divine! The musk is now tempered by the myrrh, and the fruits amp up the sweetness, but only a little bit. I think that I will always layer these two.

 

ETA: After wearing this for a few hours, this became yummy! Everything blended together so well that I can only call it a red fruit musk, or musky melon and orange blossom. A keeper for sure, and bottle-worthy. And I think it will work with or without layering with the bath oil.

Edited June 22, 2009 by thekittenkat

[caitilarkin]

In the bottle: Red musk and dark fruit

 

Wet on skin: The tartness of the orange blossom is coming out, and so is the medicinal quality that is sometimes apparent in fresh red musk.

 

Dry on skin: After about 20 minutes, the sharpness of the red musk yields to the sweetness of the orange blossom and the deep earthiness of the pomegranate. I can't detect the melon at all.

 

This is a very sensual, grown-up, take-no-prisoners kind of scent. Even though the red musk is very raw and strong right now, I still love this blend and will probably adore it even more as my bottle ages.

[ravenfeathers]

in the bottle red mussssssssssssssk!

wet on skin red mussssssssssssssk!

dry on skin sweet, heavy, dusky, just beautiful. the orange blossom here, one of my NO! notes, is combining with the pomegranate and is beautiful. it smells a little bit like an orange pez... but, you know, not powdery and gross. against the red musk, it's stunning. one of my first BPAL loves was ravenous and this is a sweeter, prettier ravenous. it also has the same musk note as scherezade. the melon, which was scaring me as a concept, is nowhere to be found.

 

this is far prettier than i thought it would be. i have to admit that i got this one for the bath oil and planned to pass on the perfume, but this is highly wearable and will be staying with me! candy sweet and sexy, this is better and more nuanced than both of its GC scent cousins.

Edited June 24, 2009 by ravenfeathers

[lefthandmade]

Fruity and red-musky all the way with a whiff of orange flower. I don't get melon but i'm thinking it blends into the pomegranate and is a part of the fruit feel. Man this is gorgeous. It's regal and not too heavy. I love her!

[quinctia]

In the imp, lots of musk, little bit of orange blossom. On me, ORANGE BLOSSSSSSSSOM. (Luckily, it's not a floral note of doom for me.) It burns down after awhile, leaving mostly musk. This blends well with the bath oil, though I shower in the evening and the bath oils don't last long enough to blend with my morning perfume application, generally!

[Lamia]

This reminds me a lot of Kabuki (cherry, red musk, and star anise), only, y'know, LIKE WHOA!

 

Sexy and red. Sweet without being sticky, strong without being harsh.

 

Man, this is YUMMY!

[Concupiscentia]

Wet, on the wrist it is all orange blossom and a bit sharp. Once dried it turns into a glorious, sweetened red musk with fruity notes, but really well blended. It is amazingly sexy, without smelling like sex litterally. It is also strong and elegant and so vibrantly red.

Perfect scent for a summer night.

[fairnymph]

Sniffed: Very dark reddish brown oil, like concentrated cola. Medicinal red musk and fruity-floral orange blossom jump out. A little tart pomegranate below, but I don't really get any melon. This is fruity, but not that sweet, and sort of heavy feeling.

 

Wet: Still very heavy on the red musk and orange blossom, but more of the pomegranate comes through. This is surprisingly tart, almost juicy, and almost makes me suspect some sort of citrus fruit, maybe white grapefruit? It smells almost kind of green! Reminds me a little of Vampire From Planet X, actually. But less incensey, and the pomegranate note is pretty awesome.

 

Dry: My skin has absorbed this dark oil, as if by magic. The orange blossom has gone sort of sharp/acrid as it can on me, and mixed with the harshness of the red musk, it's a bad effect. I often find that a strong red musk note leads to a 'mentholic' quality, and that is definitely occurring here. The pomegranate and citrus are delicious below, but there's still no sign of the melon.

 

Summary: The red musk goes sort of plastic on me, the way it does in aged Snake Oil (which is much worse on me than the still-nasty fresh kind), and much of the orange blossom dies down, as does that mysterious citrus note. Medicinal-sharp red musk and a bit of pomegranate is what remains. Strong throw & decent longevity.

 

[ami226]

On the skin: Wow, a really strong melon and semi spiciness that must be red musk. After a bit, the musk dies down, and it is just the melon left.

 

I am afraid that this was not one of my favorite Warrior Queens.

[rayvn1]

This was great at first - all musk and orange (two of my favorite notes), but then the fruit started barging in and my skin doesn't play well with melon Too bad - I thought this was going to be a big win for me.

[Little Bird]

In the bottle, this is loads of red musk and a hint of red fruitiness (almost smells like red wine, but I suppose that's just the pomegranate giving me that impression). It reminds me of the Mme. Moriarty blend.

 

On my skin, this is pretty much all red musk. I expected this blend to be lighter, juicier, and fruitier thanks to the melon and orange blossom, but I get absolutely no trace of either of those notes.

 

Red musk smells like heated skin, sweet, dark, pulsating reds, and a little bit earthy on me (maybe like tobacco flower or a very light patchouli). It's a very dark, sultry, sweet musk on me - not sharp or perfumey as some musk notes can be. And that's all I smell for about an hour, before a tiny bit of pomegranate manages to make its way through the musk. Pomegranate smells like bitter sweet tarts on me.

 

This is tons of red musk and a drop of bitter pomegranate on me. No melons or orange blossom. I really wanted this to be more complex and unique than it is. Semiramis is probably my biggest disappointment of the warrior queens series.

[tarotgirl99]

In the imp, red musk and little else.

 

On me, this is nothing like the note description...which is a good thing, since red musk and I aren't buds. The pomegranate amps in a big way, mixing with the melon (and the red part of the musk) to create a juicy plumy plum scent. It's the holy and healthy spawn of Dionysia and Queen of Spades, with great throw and wear length. I love Orange Blossom but there's none to be found here. Not on my (admittedly strange) skin.

[zankoku_zen]

There is a faint blush of orange blossom but on me, this is mainly red musk and perhaps the tiniest hint of pomegranate.

 

Erm. Pass.

[Gin]

I ordered Semiramis before I decided that red musk is not a note I especially enjoy, and Semiramis is chock-full of red musk. Genius Beth, however, added the pomegranate and melon which soften it a bit and make it really wearable.

[jewelbug]

Bottle: strong red musk with a wee bit of citrus mixed in. Very dirty smelling, to my nose.

 

Wet: less dirty, a bit sweeter. Sweet mimosa/citrus (I guess that’s the orange blossom) , kinda heady with a southern floral feel, with the dirty red musk underneath.

 

Drying: red musk amps up more and more. There’s also an almost plummy quality going on—a red fruit that must be the pom. The pom verges on red candies at time (bubblegumish). I never get a hint of melon, the red musk (on my skin, at least) is just too strong to let something that delicate through. I just don't like red musk in large quantities....Eventually, the pom takes center stage and red musk supports in the back, but I know from experience, that other days of the month, the red musk amps like nobody's biz on me. Lasta about 6 hrs

 

Overall: For the majority of the time, I get soiled orange pomegranates. I’m finding lately that I just don’t like red musk much—in any significant quantity, it goes to a weird dirty smell on my skin-- Mme moriarty, spellbound, scherezade, lust, war…its finally dawning on me that its red musk that I don’t much care for! I'll pass this one along.

 

[Lyrical]

In vial: strong and medicinal.

 

Wet on skin: dirty! As in Debauchery, but sweeter. Also reminiscent of Ravenous. Very strong throw, even though I applied it sparingly.

 

Dry on skin: after a while the medicinal note wears off and orange blossom comes to the fore, sweetened by melon. I don't recognise any pomegranate here. There is a greasy feel I associate with amber, and a deep, rich spiciness from the red musk. Red musk isn't a favourite of mine, though, and this bottle has already been rehomed.

[gingiemay]

The red musk is very strong in the bottle, along with the pomegranate and a hint of melon. I get almost no orange blossom in sniffing.

 

On my skin the red musk blends very nicely with the pomegranate and orange blossom. It has become quite faint, though, after about two hours of wear. Lovely and sexy but not as stunning as other red musk blends on me.

[hlinspjalda]

In the vial: Fruity, with a heady floral edge.

 

Wet: Yummy musk and pomegranate right away, in what I think of as a signature BPAL combination. The orange blossom I fear so much hasn't come to drive a pointy stick through my brain yet, so that's good.

 

One hour: Arm-chewing musk with fruit. Normally the orange blossom should have ruined this for me by now, but it hasn't. It's very nice, but not as complex as some of the other musk-pomegranante blends. I think this is going to be a near-miss on me.

 

Three hours: The red musk is really dominating this one, and there's an almost gritty edge to it. That might be the sharpness of orange blossom, I'm not sure. The fruit is sweet, the musk thick and chewy. I like it very much, but it is a bit overwhelming for a warm humid day.

 

Five hours: More or less unchanged. Persistent, still with a lot of throw.

 

Semiramis was my favorite of the Warrior Queens bath oils, but her perfume doesn't like me as much. I will re-home this decant.

 

[ladyjc]

Oh my gosh! I just realized, while perusing this thread, that I had failed to review the oil of Semiramis! I can't believe it. I knew I had posted a review of the bath oil...guess the perfume oil slipped my mind.

 

Anyway, I'm wearing this queen today and boy does she blow my mind. I love love love the combo of pomegranate and red musk. I love the way the sweetness of the fruit supports the sexiness of the red musk and vice-versa. This blend is just *too*freakin*gorgeous*

 

I love it and I can't say much more about it other than that. I just love it and would marry it if I could

 

oh, and also: throw and longevity are superb!