Vasilissa

[Incendiare]

She herself had cheeks like blood and milk and grew every day more and more beautiful: creamy skin musk and blushing pink musk with soft sandalwood, white amber, dutiful myrrh, and star jasmine.

Vasilissa is very soft and feminine in the imp. I automatically get amber with a touch of soft pink floral. Unfortunately, it doesn't smell as nice wet. The pinkness goes a little murky. But wait, as it's drying, it gets better again. I am catching the slightest whiffs of Pink Sugar in here combined with a sweet musk. After a few minutes, the soft floral is peeking out again, but I can't pinpoint what it is exactly. I really like this one and want to continue experimenting with it. Edited November 12, 2010 by Incendiare

[hkhm]

imp: pale musk and floral with something creamy underneath.

 

wet: this smells very feminine, i get creamy sandalwood with a delicate (yet long-lasting) amber undertone.

 

dry: the amber strengthens, but i tend to amp amber so that is no surprise. it's very well-balanced by the sandalwood and musk though. luckily, i never got a hint of jasmine.

[Penance]

Origin:

 

5mL from Scrappy.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

This one was an impulse buy. I'd never really paid any attention to it before I saw it listed for sale and I'm more than a little worried that it's going to hate me. Everything but the star jasmine in here should (in theory, at least) work well on me, although I'm not entirely sure how much I like pink musk, since I've only tried one scent (Mlle. Lilith) with it as a note and I'm not entirely sure what it smells like. Jasmine, though, I know the smell of. And I don't like it. It's one of those headache-inducing florals I'm so averse to wearing. So I'm hoping the other notes in this overpower the jasmine, because I think Vasilissa really could be beautiful, even on a grown-up tomboy like me.

 

First sniff:

 

The very first time I sniffed this, it was straight out of a cold package and all I got was skin musk. Light, delicate, slightly powdery. And pretty. The second time I sniffed it, I'd let Vasilissa set a while to warm up and I get a lot of pink musk. I definitely recognize it from Mlle. Lilith, although I was under the impression that the fruitiness I was smelling in Mlle. Lilith was the actual fruit notes. Apparently I was wrong. This is pink musk and it's decidedly fruity. It's red musks much younger and more innocent sister.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Fruity musk. Almost bubblegum fruity, which is definitely not my style. Not at all. But I'm going to guess that it'll settle down once it dries, because red musk scents do something similar on me.

 

Dry down:

 

Much different and definitely better. I get a lot of slightly powdery skin musk and the lightest touch of amber and sandalwood, with something very, very slightly floral in the background. I don't think I'd even have pegged it as floral if I didn't know there was jasmine in this, to be honest. Vasilissa is innocent smelling, but not girlish. Instead it smells like an innocent young woman.

 

The bottom line:

 

Vasilissa is pretty, but it's not really a "me" kind of scent and I'm not sure if I'll end up wearing it much because it just somehow skews too far towards the feminine to really be something I'd wear often. I think I'll keep my bottle around for a while and see how I feel about it later. I may end up keeping it and I may not. Hard to say at this point.

[FathomBelow]

On wet, Vasilissa reminds me almost of bananas - not literally, but it has the same mildly sweet fullness that the scent of bananas has. Vasilissa is not technically much of a morpher and smells almost the same once dry but it no longer reminds me of bananas in this stage (not sure whether to be thankful or not - the smell of bananas being somewhat ambiguous in my reckoning). Anyway, dry, this is difficult to describe except in the vaguest generalities and impressions. It seems slightly foody but not quite, slightly floral but not there yet. The impression I get is enveloping, gentle warmth touched with sweetness - sublimely comforting but not at all motherly. Very feminine, as other reviewers have said, but also very youthful. A scent for a happy, sweet, deeply loved girl-child.

 

Final opinion: Love it! As I have three imps (one that I ordered and two frimps), I am all set but if I use those up I might get a bottle.

[grrrlennyl]

Vasilissa

 

On: Sweet and creamy with very pretty star jasmine

2 hours in: I keep getting hints of this and it's really pretty. Still creamy, but powdery and dark, too. Very nice.

5 hours in: Still really pretty. A sweet, creamy floral.

Overall: This is such a pretty, pretty scent.

[Drarra]

This came to me as a frimp from the lab. I was skeptical, but most of the notes are good on me. Except jasmine, one of my floral nemesis-es.

 

In the imp: This is creamy and musky. I suddenly understand "skin musk" (which I hadn't smelled before).

 

Wet on my skin: This is initially very sweet. I initially presumed it was from the amber, but from reading other reviews, the pink musk is probably a contributing factor. As it dries on my skin, the sandalwood and skin musk come out to play. I'm really not noticing the jasmine.

 

Dry: This becomes slightly sweet and musky on my skin. The jasmine completely fades into the background. It's a very pretty, feminine scent. It lasts like crazy on me, even overnight.

 

Overall: This scent isn't me, but I like how it showcases the musks. I should really pass this along to my sister, but I like it too much to do it!

[Gold Dust Kitten]

I've had this on my wishlist for such a long time that I forgot why it was there. Perhaps I was intrigued by "pink musk, creamy skin musk and soft sandalwood"... I love how star jasmine smells but jasmine notes in BPAL perfumes always makes me retch. I can barely tell there is jasmine in this! It has a white waxy floral note but it's very subdued by the beautiful musks, resins and the sweetest sandalwood I've ever smelled from the Lab.

 

Vasilissa is a lovely skin scent and definitely bottle-worthy.

[Diva Urd]

Vial: It's very hard to tell any of the notes apart in the imp. My nose tells me "pink, creamy, ever-so-slightly floral."

On: ... and it smells just like it on me. As it dries, I am starting to get the grounding musk, the slightly-powdery tinge of amber, and a slight floral-y zing from the jasmine on top. This is BEAUTIFUL <3 I can't stop sniffing myself. If I had to compare it to something, I'd say it invokes the same response from me as Bastet, only this has flowers where Bastet had the almonds.

Later: A musky-sweet skin scent, still very, very pretty. I really like this! Bottle list.

[khazakant]

This scent is so somber, as quiet and heady as a forest but also clean and forthright and innocent. I keep thinking of the phrase "the cusp of womanhood" and the portrait of the folklore character by Ivan Bilibin...if I could just point to the painting and say "It smells like that" I would be happier. *laughs* I'm male and although I gave up a long time ago on only masculine and unisex scents (the idea that something smells "manlier" than anything else is really pretty stupid if you think about it) my natural inclination is usually towards more traditionally manly blends. But Vasilissa is still always in my top ten. There's something extremely compelling about this - the pink musk is just hypnotic, and the sandalwood and myrrh give it an understated but solid base, somewhere between woody and resinous, but not as overbearing as you think when you hear that - almost "pragmatic." It blends perfectly with the sweeter star jasmine and musk although I initially amp the myrrh and sandalwood before drydown. I would definitely recommend it to a guy. This'll be one of the few imps to make it to a 5ml (unfortunately I'm not made of money!) when I get around to placing my next order.

[chimera87]

Definitely a Pink Scent! It was much sweeter in the imp, and that sweetness is now toned down on my skin. I think I have finally found the perfect Jasmine scent for myself! It's perfect and blends with all of it's other components perfectly. It's girly, creamy, slightly sweet, very pink but still a little sexy all at once. This is only with a few minutes of testing the scent. I could very well change my mind, but fingers crossed that it doesn't, because it's rare I come across such a girly, pink, jasmine scent that doesn't make me either sneeze, feel like i'm 12 years old or make me feel like i'm 70 years old.

[angelamaria]

In imp: not exactly sure what I'm smelling here--skin musk? A bright note is in there somewhere, but something is making my stomach churn...myrrh maybe, as this is the first time I'm encountering this note with this.

 

Wet on skin: creamy, with light musk, and powdery amber--and not much else. I think I can get faint jasmine. Very faint.

 

Dry: soapy. Uhh. It's both gotten spicy and soapy, and the musk is still around. This is very weird to my nose...I don't know exactly what it is, but my stomach is still complaining about it. Maybe it's some combination of notes, I don't know--it disappeared during the wet on skin phase but it's back. Later on it's a weird soapy slightly-sweet musk.

 

Verdict: maybe I need a fresh imp or something, this was very weird for me and totally not what I expected!

[Lanolin]

In the bottle: In the words of Roland from The Dark Tower series, when he first tries Pepsi - THE SWEETNESS!! THE SWEETNESS!!

 

On skin, it's not much improved. I can't smell anything but a nauseating cotton candy sweetness. I think, based on the other reviews, that this is the pink musk.

 

Not my thing. Learning experience.

[jkfagtongpun]

Wet and in the imp: SO creamy. Creamy, soft, pink and lovely. Not usually my kind of scent at all. But, for some reason, I cannot stop sniffing myself.

 

After a while I am still getting the creaminess, the softness and loveliness. It's warm and soft with a tiny hint of floral, but mostly the musks and something giving it the slightest edge, the white amber, perhaps? Dunno.

 

Unfortunately, it doesn't last long and barely any throw. BUT, if I'm having a day where I'd like to stay under the duvet where it's warm and comfy, I'd wear this. I can see what Lanolin is saying, I have a strange craving for cotton candy!

[Gwydion]

In bottle: It is indeed creamy. It’s cream and skin musk dominant with amber a close second. The incense and star jasmine are very soft and well blended with the other scents. This is foodier than I expected with a powdery subtle sexiness to it. I was expecting this to be more floral, but it really isn’t, the jasmine gently blending into amber and sandalwood. Wet: Creamy musks are still dominant. It is still vaguely foody and subtly sexy iin a very feminine sort of way. My skin coarsens it rather, but that is to be expected. It is still lovely, but ill suited to my personality, but it would be lovely on most women, I think. It has lots of throw. Dry: It doesn’t change that much, the cream softens leaving the musks and amber dominant, but faded, it is pretty close to fresh only softer.

[callmepenelope]

jasmine and i usually do not get along-- it has a tendency to smell like a dirty diaper on my skin. somehow, though, vasilissa contains some kind of alchemy that actually makes it work with my chemistry.

 

the word i would use to describe this scent is, strangely, "pink." i don't know why it smells particularly pink to me, but it does-- like rosy, slightly-faded pink curtains, actually. weird enough for you? the dry-down is when it smells best, and the scent is warm and a little dusty and woody on my skin. and pink. i love it.

[KatharinaNordh]

There may be something wrong with me - this was a frimp, I wouldn't have been interested in it based on the reviews - and now I am so happy I got it.

 

Maybe it's just me, I find that I describe most stuff I try as various candy, but this is like pink, chewy, cream-caramel - warm, and smooth and soft.

 

I adore it

[Alethia]

Preconceived notions: I generally do well with pink musk, amber, and sandalwood. I've never tried myrrh or skin musk before, and regular jasmine is my mortal enemy. It was a frimp from the Lab, which is good as I probably wouldn't have ever picked it up.

Wet: Very sweet, with the musks balancing it out so that it's not too overpowering.

Dry down: I'm detecting what I think is the myrrh with the musk and sweetness. This is very nice, and no appearance from the jasmine which is even better!

Dry: Alas, I spoke too soon! It turned a sharp corner into pure soap territory, and not the nice kind of soap but the shrieking, piercing soap that gives me a splitting headache. Damn.

Verdict: This was lovely until the soap phase. Off to the swaps, where hopefully someone else will adore it.

 

Update 6 February 2016

 

Thank goodness for my inability to check the reviews for my past trials, lol! I bought a bottle of Vasilissa on a whim after my skin and tastes changed and I realized that star jasmine works well on my skin.

 

Now, it's a creamy, slightly sweet, musky pink explosion on my skin. I love it and it's in my top ten favorites

Edited February 6, 2016 by Alethia

[Vega]

Sniffed: Warm, creamy-sweet musk touched with soft resins and sandalwood.

 

On skin: The blend opens up now: creamy, warm musk forms the sweet base, over which gentle frankincense, sandalwood, and dry amber float, all wrapped up in heady, full-bodied jasmine. I'm quite glad that jasmine here isn't dominating, but blending beautifully with the other notes to create this musky-floral scent. Vasilissa is a feminine, demure, skin-hugging scent in the same league as Tamamo-no-Mae and Eos. In fact, she is like a younger version of Eos in my review: golden-haired, pink-skinned and radiant, but more demure and innocent of the world. Colour impression is a mix of ruddy pink flesh-tone and liquid gold.

 

Verdict: Vasilissa is a beautiful feminine scent, a young innocent maiden grown to the fullness of womanhood. Although I don't see myself wearing this often, it is a firm like and a fine catalogue blend!

[Klolly]

Just received a decant of this in a swap today. This has been my most coveted scent on my wish list for quite awhile now. I've been craving a "pink" scent for some reason so hopefully this will satisfy that desire.

 

In imp: Creamy and sweet, not really foody though at this point.

 

On wet: Super creamy, like heavy cream that's used to make whip cream, but it hasn't been whipped yet. There is a faint perfumey note mixed in that's super soft and does seem pink, but a baby pink, not cotton candy pink.

 

Dry: This is super beautiful. It seems faint on me right now but usually scents do that on me at first until my body warms them. It smells like pure, unblemished skin, pink with health and covered in expensive powder. At first it reminded me of Prunella a bit but it's definitely it's own unique thing now. Extremely beautiful in a simple, effortless way.

[orata]

This is a gorgeous scent. Very sweet, which I knew it would be, but also much fruitier than I had expected, which I suppose must be the pink musk--smells like an abstraction of strawberries and caramel. It dries down creamy and sugary-sweet, with grounding notes that I think are the sandalwood (but a nice, smooth, non-dry sandalwood), amber, and perhaps the jasmine, but no overt florals really ever come forward for me.

[ShannonElisabethJones]

In the imp it smelled like a creamy wood. Almost foody. After iit was applied, it was fruity, then a bit (just a bit) powdery. There's something really intriguing about it...if I could just keep from sneezing.

 

Now I'm getting the jasmine, which I love, but the myrrh and amber just don't agree with me. The go bad on me, like a diaper pail. I can't handle it without headaches. Ugh. Sorry, sweetheart, but it's off to swaps with you.

[becca_s]

In the imp and when I first put this on it smells really good - I love the musks It's very sweet and almost foody it kind of reminds me of coconut ice and for some reason I get coconut in this scent

 

When this drys down the amber starts to come out and amber doesn't really agree with me. If it didn't have the amber then I would like it more. I will be keeping the imp, but wont be getting a big bottle.

[eastbriar]

I got this as a free imp in one of my orders.

 

In the bottle: very sweet, almost candylike

Wet on skin: still sweet, but now a bit powdery

Dry: the sweetness is still there, but the sandalwood and musk is really starting to come out.

 

It's a very pretty and girlie scent, not exactly me, but still very nice.

[theseagrows]

i am really surprised there's no fruit in this! unless it is contained in the pink musk? this definitely seems like a soft, creamy fruity-floral to me, but the fruit is soft enough to not overwhelm me. it's kind of candyish, and i tend to not like foody scents, but don't mind sweet powdery scents, so i really like this! i just wish i knew what was in that pink musk :Di also seem to have good luck with star jasmine, and it is adding a nice touch in the background, so that is nice. i will definitely keep my imp.

[mymymai]

In the Imp (ITI): Sweet sandalwood and amber waft out of the bottle as jasmine tries to join the fray. It's a little too sweet for my nose as is. Hopefully it will tone down.

 

Wet: Overtly sweet amber with what I could swear are hints of vanilla and honey. After 10 seconds, the pepper and sandalwood come out, but not enough to dull the tooth-achingly sweet nature of the amber.

 

Dry: The scent is much more palatable when dry as it shifts to vanilla amber, myrrh, and sandalwood. It's a sweetly feminine scent, but I'm not sure how often I would reach for it.