Seraphim

[roisnoir]

A perfume sacred to the highest of the angelic hosts: calla lily, wisteria, white sandalwood, Damascus rose and frankincense.

In the bottle: Incensy, floral. Fainter in the bottle than I would expect.

On: Yes, I like this. It's sweet and pure. The sound of a perfect high note translated into smell.

Drying: It hasn't changed much at all - the sandalwood and frankincence are supporting the flowers, but are very subtle.

Dry: Oh, I love this! It's a pretty, pure, bright scent. Floral without being flowery. I wouldn't want it wafting off me, but as something that someone would have to be very close to me to smell, it's perfect.

Verdict: I think this is going on the big bottle list. It's not like the usual scents I favor, but this is truly beautiful.

[autumn24]

This is a high, windy scent-- the calla lily are papersheet white and flowery soft on the top note, but soon, the white sandalwood introduces itself by blending its smooth, arid graininess gently into the skin. There is the slight petal of rose, mixed with the resinous, church-y quality of the frankincense. Upon drydown, the scent is almost completely smooth-- feathery, flowery, lovely, and holy. Possesses the same sacred quality as Hymn, but is its floral cousin.

[Nadirah]

This is a light scent on me, for those days hot days this would be perfect. Not too strong but its there and lovely. I like most rosey oils, and this one has that dusty backround once its on for an hour or two that I like. Not sure if I will buy a big bottle, but the sample is a keeper.

[JazzieCazzie]

My first (though I am sure not last) absolute, definite keeper ... received this as an Imps Ear and will definitely be ordering a big bottle of it ...

 

In the vial, my first thought was sweet white flowers, but with an edge I couldn't quite put my finger on ...

 

When I put it on wet, though, it brought me back to the first perfume I ever loved, which a friend brought me from Bermuda when I was about 8 -- it was called "Passion Flower" and I'm guessing it's the calla lily and/or the wisteria which transports me so ...

 

This perfume, though, is such a perfect example of how different noses pick up different notes ... to me, it was strictly floral and I really didn't pick up on the sandalwood at all. But I walked into the living room where my husband (who generally doesn't have a strong sense of smell) was sitting ... I didn't say a word because I didn't think he'd notice I was wearing it ... instead he looked at me and said, "Whatever perfume you are wearing smells so much like incense that I feel like I should be lighting a joint."

 

 

Now, a few hours later, it is a very light almost powdery floral. I wish it had a little more staying power (I am really questioning my body's ability to hold a scent these days) but I really love it ... I'm waiting till I've gone through my whole collection to figure out my next shopping list, but this is definitely on it!!!

 

REVISITING AND RE-REVIEWING APRIL 2013:

 

Working my way through my collection of BPAL, A-Z, every imp, every bottle, to finally make both a comprehensive swap list AND wishlist. To that end, I did place a few impapalooza orders to fill in some of the blanks of scents I loved (based on re-reading ALL of my reviews) but no longer had all these years later.

 

I'm not a big floral person and definitely not a big white floral person, but this original review prompted me to add an imp of Seraphim to my most recent order and I am SO glad I did. It is from this fresh imp that I tested for this follow-up.

 

IN THE IMP: Wisteria is the predominant note for me. And since I'm on record as having every pair of fingers, and a few toes, crossed for a Wisteria single note this next update, it goes a long way towards explaining my love for this.

 

Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm.

 

WET: Wisteria, with sandalwood and frankincense softening and making the wet scent more complex. The lily is very faint which is good (for me, lily is one of those scents which I like very much in real life and in theory but which, more often than not. goes so soapy on me that it becomes a dealbreaker).

 

DRYDOWN: The lily never amps and the wisteria and resins stay the predominant notes throughout the life cycle of this blend, making it, indeed, one of my absolute favorite BPAL "white floral" blends. The rose does come up more on drydown (which it always does for me) but not to a huge degree.

 

OVERALL: I still don't really get the strong sandalwood note on this but i also haven't paraded my arm in front of my husband, so we'll see if he notices it -- again -- when he is finished recording in about two hours. This definitely goes on my next "big bottle" purchase list, though.

 

On a scale of 1-5, a 4.8

Edited April 11, 2013 by JazzieCazzie

[BitObsessive]

On me this is very strong, and almost all incense and sandalwood. The florals receded almost immediately and the green note pushed right into the background. This one is a bit too strong on me, still just as strong as when applied two hours ago.

[sirensongsouth]

Wet, I swear I smelled carnation, the spicy/floral carnation not the powdery one. I have no idea where I get it from since there is no carnation in this blend.

Dry, its a lovely light and bright white-floral. The sandalwood adds depth to the bright florals. This is very nice and I will undoubtedly be wearing this more as the weather gets hotter.

[shriekingviolet]

Initial Impression:

dry and wispy. Like a more somber, bitter scented incense flowing on the wind.

 

After Wearing It:

On me this smells like a typical women's department store perfume. Not in that it smells alcohol-y, but in that several of these notes (the rose, lily & white sandalwood) are a common combination that you'd find in department store fragrances. I'm getting particular Estee Lauder vibes here.

 

The scent is quite dry and a touch grainy, from the frankincense. The florals are white and austere. Stainless. I'm not huge on florals, and the woody/incense notes aren't warming me up to this one as they help add to the scent's aura of classic polished lady's perfume. Which isn't my style at all.

 

Final Thoughts:

Mmm just couldn't get on with this at all. For once I don't even have something nice to say. It reminds me of the genres of commercial perfumes that I have always snubbed. But hey if you were an old fan of something like EL's Beautiful and want to find a better update, you might like this.

[Shollin]

First sniff: Bright incense with an ornate tracing of flowers above.

 

Wearing: For some reason Seraphim smells very fruity on my skin, like grapes or berries. I’d think sacramental wine, but it’s not an alcohol scent, just ripe red fruit (though come to think of it, it does smell a bit like port, which the church I grew up in uses at Communion…) After a few minutes it turns sharper and makes me want to sneeze.

[antimony]

I didn't care for this one... I really don't like florals, and this one is no exception.

 

The words that come to mind when I sniff my wrist are... insipid, simpering, and manipulatively flirtatious. "you're so big and strong! And I'm so helpless! Come and take care of me... and while you're at it, would you mind signing over all of your assets? Thanks."

 

The sandalwood and rose feel stuck on the inside of my nose, like there's a layer of spiderwebs coating my sinuses.

 

This is obviously one that is highly changable around body chemistry.

[jj_j]

I can't really add much to the reviews that are already here, ShriekingViolet's in particular. This is the only one of Beth's scents I've ever found that didn't know what it wanted to be once it settled in, and that disturbed me in its own right.

 

I was thrilled with the first 30 seconds of Seraphim, where it was all sweet wisteria and a splash of rose - like late spring in a bottle. The calla lily started to shine through, but the sandalwood and frankincense yanked it back - and I mean yanked; I could practically feel the struggle - and this became, for lack of a better term, hateful. It really fought with itself on my arm and in my nose.

 

Back and forth between the sandalwood and frankincense arguing with the calla, and the really lovely wisteria and rose the entire time I had it on, which was particularly frustrating as I wanted to love the florals in this one. I don't know why Seraphim wouldn't settle into anything on my skin, but it didn't.

 

Sad, because this could have been such a beautiful scent.

[Fulltiltredhead]

It settles within five minutes down to Wisteria on me, with an undercurrent of the smell of metal. I get the picture of a piece of jewelry in a celtic design, very intricate. And the color lavender (not the scent).

 

I could wear this every day.

[Koumori]

Seraphim is... nice. That's really all I can come up with; it's a perfectly pleasant, crisp white floral that doesn't leave much impression on me one way or the other. (It's the rare floral that does, and the rarer-still floral that I really like.) Like most other posters, I get mostly wisteria out of it; it doesn't have an incense feel at all to me.

[Ms. MSGirl]

Seraphim is lovely! I am getting a similar blend of notes to that in Queen of Hearts, but I like this SO much better -- it is lighter, sweeter, whiter, and younger. The sweetness of the lily peeks out around the crisp dryness of the sandalwood -- and the more this dries down on me, the sweeter it seems to get. I really love it; this will become a mainstay.

[Reinaluna]

Seraphim smells really good to me. I put some on my daughter for her baptism day. It blended with the anointing oil they put on her head and all day she carried the aroma of holy incense and spice!

[Donnababe]

A Note

 

I had to test this twice before I reviewed. The first time I tried it I had LUSH's Arabian Bright slathered all over my hair and was concerned it was playing with my sense of smell so I wore Seraphim again the next day. On trying again I'm convinced I've put on the wrong scent, this is Black Rose, (no, it is Seraphim) I will review again... and here we are..

 

Sniff Test

 

Very strong and sharp. I can detect a greeness despite the almost overwhelming smell of the frankincense. I can't wait to try this one (properly.)

 

After Application

 

Still lots of incense and that 'green' sharpness. There is a floral note here but I can't distinguish it yet.

 

Drydown

 

Here's the rose. I applied Black Rose on one wrist and Seraphim on the other and I can barely distinguish between the two. If I concentrate the frankincense is there but BR and Seraphim are very similiar on me. I can't smell any flower other than rose.

 

After A While

 

Since the drydown the rose in Seraphim has faded but I can still smell it on my BR wrist. The warmth from the frankincense is still there, just. Seraphim overall fades rather quickly on me and I'll need to reapply again very soon (after less than 3 hours.)

 

Verdict

 

Lovely. Very lovely. It's similarity to BR has left me undecided about getting a larger bottle but I will surely consider it. I love a lot about this one, particularly the incense note. I feel really calm when wearing it, it reminds me of my visits to Russian churches some years ago.

 

Thank you Shollin!

[any_old_actress]

FIRST SNIFF: lily, sandalwood

WEARING IT: still lily & sandalwood with the warmer frankincense putting its two cents in. i think what jj_j said is ringing true for me too. it seems the gentle and soothing effect i had when i first applied starts to get more chaotic on the dry down due to the conflict the different smells have with my nose.

 

VERDICT: just not for me

[allamanda]

Seraphim

 

When first applied; floral incense. The wisteria is quite prominent but I also detect white florals. My nose says gardenia, the ingredients list says lily. Perhaps the rose is confusing me. Anyway this is an extremely attractive floral smell backed with frankincense.

 

As this dries the florals seem wispy and quite ethereal. I find it very calming and appealing but not quite tangible.

 

I have just read the other reviews and am going to pinch some of the comments made by autumn24

 

This is a high, windy scent

 

I was trying to think of a way to describe this. I felt as though the scent was floating over me.

 

Possesses the same sacred quality as Hymn

 

Very much so, this induced a similar feeling of calmness in me.

 

Needless to say a larger bottle is on order.

Edited September 13, 2004 by allamanda

[FireInCairo]

I really love this scent. It's just like it's name-angelic. I find that this fragrance is very fresh, sophisticated, and oh so lasy like. It's fit for a shimmering..shining..princess!

[Becky]

I got this in a swap and I quite like it. on me its a soft sweet floral, but kept from being too flowery. I guess by the frankincense. I don't know if I'll buy a big bottle, but I'll definatly use up the imp.

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: A sweet floral with the depth of resin for backbone.

 

Second Impression: Lillies, roses and a touch of resin makes for an angelic scent. It's soft, sweet with a quiet strength. All goodness and light with a power hiding somewhere underneath.

 

Final Analysis: Can't stop smelling it, another addictive blend.

[renaissancerouge]

I really wanted to love Seraphim, to dab it on and feel like a golden-haired angel in a deserted baroque cathedral soaring up to the...but no. I did love it in the imp- where it met my angelic expectations, being both dry and light and floral with an underlayer of incense smoke. However, my skin sucked all the flowers and delicacy and light out of this and left me smelling like gold...golden showers, that is! So I sent it to my sister who claims not to smell the pee. I have fairly oily skin which I think can wreak absolute havoc on the more delicate florals.

[Belladonnastrap]

Seraphim actually smelled a lot like I imagined it would ...which is a first for me.

 

 

First sniff

Mmm incense and floral. This smells like Notre Dame smelled to me...very old, very beautiful and very mysterious. I love the lily and sandalwood combination.

 

When wet

The rose pops out now that I'm wearing it...I could barely smell it in the imp but on me it really stands out. I think my body chemistry loves roses. That and the calla lily are the most outstanding to me...I can barely smell the frankincense.

 

Drydown

This definitely reminds me oof something Angelic..it's softer now and the roses and lily barely pop out now. It's quite a warm scent.

 

Aftermath

I'm not sure if I like the way this smells on me but I think it would be lovely as a meditative room scent. I'll be using up the imp but I doubt I would ever buy a bottle of this.

[Dianella]

I wore this the other day, and while it was alright I don't think that my skin chemistry and it get along. As soon as I put it on it screamed FLORAL and just stayed that way for a long time. It eventually toned down to something that smelled (to me, anyway) like Bounce. I'm thinking that lilies and I are incompatible...

[TheDarkMother]

I'll do my best to review this one, but my nose is stuffy, so be warned.

 

In the Bottle: I smell the Rose and Cala Lily in Seraphim very strongly, sweet and angelic. Its a white scent, warm and glowing instead of bright and blinding. Maybe a little close to a golden color as well.

 

On Me: The Rose is completely overpowering in this scent, followed up by the sweetness of the lily. They both are teeter-tottering in this scent, first I'll only smell rose, and then only lily. This scent is innocence, pure and true. But its a haughtiness within that purity, a holier than thou attitude that gives this so much depth. The "Holier than thou" is coming from a faint sandalwood scent, not overpowering like regular sandalwood.

 

I love this fragrance! Yet another rose/floral scent. BPAL is the only producer that I actually like those scents. You guys rock my world!

[with coffee spoons]

Huh. I thought I'd reviewed this, but apparently not.

 

Initially the lilies and wisteria are most apparent, warmed with a modest rose and grounded by the sandlewood and frankincence. While white florals and I are not on the best of terms, this one is so smooth and achingly beautiful that I consider keeping it, and what is more odd, wearing it occasionally.

 

And then the white sandlewood becomes angry. It turns discordant, the proverbial bull in what was, in this case, a serenely angelic little flower shop. Its voice is strident, insisting an acrid note behind the still gentle lilies. Breathing it in burns the throat.

 

The raging anger of the sandlewood may be connected to the frankincense--I've had no other experience with frankincense and I may be attributing the harshness of the smell to sandlewood wrongly. I don't think that I am, however, as sandlewood and I do not have the best relations. It tends to be a trifle hard-edged on me--it's the one note in Serglio that keeps it from being unequivicably gorgeous on me, provides an unhappily bitter edge. And the harshness is magnified to the nth degree when it's that special time of month--it becomes ghastly, so monstrously, abusively angry.

 

This will most likely work nicely on those whose chemistries aren't so opposed to sandlewood.