Roses, Pearls, and Diamonds

[hkhm]

ROSES, PEARLS, AND DIAMONDS
The youngest, who was the very picture of her father for courtesy and sweetness of temper, was withal one of the most beautiful girls ever seen. As people naturally love their own likeness, this mother even doted on her eldest daughter and at the same time had a horrible aversion for the youngest--she made her eat in the kitchen and work continually.

Among other things, this poor child was forced twice a day to draw water above a mile and a-half off the house, and bring home a pitcher full of it. One day, as she was at this fountain, there came to her a poor woman, who begged of her to let her drink.

"Oh! ay, with all my heart, Goody," said this pretty little girl; and rinsing immediately the pitcher, she took up some water from the clearest place of the fountain, and gave it to her, holding up the pitcher all the while, that she might drink the easier.

The good woman, having drunk, said to her:

You are so very pretty, my dear, so good and so mannerly, that I cannot help giving you a gift." For this was a fairy, who had taken the form of a poor country woman, to see how far the civility and good manners of this pretty girl would go. "I will give you for a gift," continued the Fairy, "that, at every word you speak, there shall come out of your mouth either a flower or a jewel."

When this pretty girl came home her mother scolded her for staying so long at the fountain.

"I beg your pardon, mamma," said the poor girl, "for not making more haste."

And in speaking these words there came out of her mouth two roses, two pearls, and two diamonds.

Red roses, dazzling crystalline musks, and pearlescent coconut-tinged orris.

imp: orris! beautiful, soft orris!

wet: the rose really wants to dominate this blend but for once it's being contained. the coconut-tinged orris is amazingly beautiful and balances the rose well-enough so that it has not turned soapy on me!

dry: the rose just vanishes alltogether after about ten minutes. i was really worried this blend would not work on me since rose tends to amp like crazy and turn soapy. i need not have worried at all! in fact, this might be a bottle purchase for me!

[Iceblink]

I almost went right for a bottle of this unsniffed because it just sounded so perfect...and I think it may indeed be...there's tangy, musky rose and beautifully coconutty orris here, wonderfully balanced. The orris/coconut give this a summery feel; it's light and somehow warm. Simple but gorgeous!

[edenssixthday]

Roses, Pearls, and Diamonds - Oh my goodness, this is lovely! The rose -- a fresh, red rose -- is definitely the strongest on me, with the orris right behind it. I love how the orris works in this scent, with its quality of dry-root whiteness against the lush red of the rose. I can't smell the coconut at all. It's a very lovely and calming scent, very feminine.

[Sapphy]

Definitely rose, but the softer kind--the coconut keeps it very fresh and bright. It reminds me of Katrina, but without the honey sweet note, with an additional coconut undertone. There's a little musk, but I think it's mostly just holding it together rather than standing out. As it dries down, the rose does this fruity thing that some roses do on me--like I get apple under the rose in Rose Red. This has a little bit of that tinge for me too.

[oakmoss]

This was just rose rose rose on me, a veritable rose parade. I like BPAL's rose perfumes, and this is a nice one, but I was hoping the coconut and orris would add something new -- alas, not on me. I may get a bottle just for the name alone and hope that age brings out the other notes, as orris is one of my faves.

[AliBabble]

ooh, this is so nice - let me see if i can describe it...the rose is juicy and fruity, almost citrussy at first - like orange-y, but light. the orris helps to balance and subdue the rose - i agree, it's a bit coconutty, but very slight. i have to say i'm not getting much of a musky feel, just the rose and the orris. i love this - may need a bottle, as it seems kind of light, and might need heavy application.

[Myrrha]

On me this is a very balanced scent at first, I can smell the rose, the coconut and the orris. After about an hour the rose fades into the background and it is a lovely coconut orris with a tint of rose. Very beautiful.

 

It is a very smooth, soft scent. There are no rough or sharp notes at all. Lately I've been enjoying florals that are a bit more crisp so I'm not sure about this one. I feel I might get bored with roses and pearls, with the niceness and sweetness of this blend and start looking around for a snake or a toad.

 

It made me feel relaxed and beautiful, maybe this is the "vacation" feeling scent I've been looking for. I will try it again before deciding on a bottle.

 

Edit: On trying it again the rose notes did not seem to be working so well on my skin.

Edited March 27, 2010 by Myrrha

[abejita]

I almost didn't bother with this one because of the orris. Orris isn't a dealbreaker necessarily, but it does tend to lower my interested in a blend. Something about the coconut takes the orris from powdery-perfumey hell to rich and smooth. The rose is definitely red and velvety, the musks are *just* short of too high-pitched. I could see wearing this just as a day to day blend, or to a formal event. It's not over the top or inaccessible to the average nose, I think.

 

This has become my go-to rose blend. I've wanted one for years, and none of them have really done it for me. I've traded away Peacock Queen, Rose Red, Two, Five, and Seven, Rose Moon, and almost everything else I'd hoped would be my perfect rose scent. Now I've found it. I'll be buying a full bottle next lunacy!

[cfrancesca]

In the bottle this reminds me a bit of a grown-up and red rose version of Snow White.

 

On my skin I get the same creamy coconut from Dia, it's blended beautifully with the fresh red rose (it doesn't have that bite or sharpness rose scents can have for me sometimes), the orris also blends well with the rose to making a gorgeous and sophisticated scent. I get some sweetness and the crystalline musk reminds me of the musk in The Girl. Good throw, but didn't as long as I'd hoped.

 

You should definitely try this if you like rose scents!

[Xanon]

Just got an imp of this today, but I am a little unimpressed. I think that has more to do with skin chemistry then anything else.

 

In the imp i get the same rose that I get in my aged bottle of whip. Whip is my all time favorite rose scent that Beth has out out there and I have tried. There is something a little more delicate in the imp. Smells promising.

 

On this gets a little odd as the coconut tinged orris comes out. I think this is where my skin rebels.

 

Dry this went powdery. I get beautiful rose, a hint of the musk, and powdery orris. Sad.

 

This is not bad, and will probably be great on someone else. But my skin and orris are not meant to be together.

[Dark Alice]

Crystal red roses. This is what it smells like. The coconut is barely there...but it makes this blend sweet. And this rose is red. Most definitely. It is the red rose from whip. Not a fan...but glad I got to try it.

[fairnymph]

Colourless clear oil. Sweet, fruity and lush red rose without any sharpness - like the red rose note in Rose Red 2005, and also a bit like tea rose - a very luxurious and elegant rose that's rich and round without being overwhelming, or having any hint of soap, powder or sourness. I do get some orris, truly pearlescent in feel - slightly-almost creamy but more shimmery - and the coconut is white and very faint, subtly sweet and barely apparent, mild and mostly just adds to the white, creamy effect - same note from Mme Lilith, Fortune Teller. There is a general feminine musky brightness that to me seems to include white musk and skin musk, and maybe more.

 

Rosier, but not by much - still well balanced as a scent overall without rose dominating, but the rose does blossom as most florals and especially roses do on my skin - it is more overtly floral and the other nuances in the bottle are fainter on my skin, although a definite fruity, fresh tart-sweet edge remains distinct. The coconut is much more distinct and gives this an almost tropical feel, as well as making the blend more creamy and white in feel - but not really sweeter - it is still not a very foody, sweet or rich coconut note, thankfully - since I'm not a fan of coconut in perfume. The orris is a touch stronger and also more floral, but otherwise unchanged - being a note I often have issues with (POWDER DOOM!), I am very pleased with its behaviour here. More musky, sexier - but the musks are even more blended on my skin and more difficult to dissect, though I still think white and skin musks are present. Much sexier, but still simply elegant, feminine, and expensive in vibe - wonderfully accurate conceptually!

 

Not much morphing, just more blending and melding - and this scent is very well-balanced and quite unified even in the bottle. But its well-rounded, seamless nature is perhaps one of its finest and most obvious attributes. Surprisingly, after a little while dry on my skin the rose FADES - and I'd say it's now on par with the orris, which has amped a little but remains the same in quality - only vaguely powdery, more slightly creamy, soft, feminine and indeed pearlescent - it really does evoke pearls for me, quite strongly. The coconut which amped so abruptly and significantly on my skin while wet has faded back into its barely-noticeable state, as it was in the bottle, or perhaps fainted - I really think it's more of an invisible base note to contribute creamy, slightly sweet, rounded whiteness rather than a note that is meant to be distinct. Sadly, the musks have faded a little, and become so integrated into the scent that I don't find them as obviously sexy as they were earlier.

 

I like this scent best in the wet stage except for the strong coconut, although I admire the seamlessness of its later stages - I just prefer stronger rose and musk notes, although in the much later drydown the white musk makes a strong comeback. and actually dominates the blend in an unfortunate bullying manner, the way it did in Thoos. In the earlier stages this is on the fringe of the one the scent categories I go for, but the later dry stages are sadly & intolerably WHITE MUSK SN - I think it's a beautiful scent, but my skin chemistry just doesn't play nicely with the white musk here . A lusher, rosier, stronger, shimmery and intensely musky sister to White Rose. Decent throw that fades a bit at first then holds well. Absolutely feminine, and definitely upscale.

 

Skin, I hate you sometimes!

Edited April 5, 2010 by fairnymph

[Little Bird]

My bottle of this has aged weird (got lighter, sour and more powdery) and the recent imps I've tried have been lackluster as well, with no coconut that I can identify.

The coconut cream in this was light initially, but is completely nonexistent with some aging . It's just a faint, watery, baby powdery rose. Not much sweetness at all. Really disappointing.


ETA:
Purchased an imp on 10/2016 to re-try a bunch of roses and the imp that I got from the lab is foul. It smells sour and strange, really reminiscent of PineSol with an undertone of powdery sweetness from the orris and what smells like white musks and aquatic... turns a bit soapy on my skin.

This hasn't aged well at all.

Edited October 31, 2016 by Little Bird

[angelicruin]

I will be buying a bottle of this at C2 next weekend if the Lab has it available for purchase there. This is gorgeous on my skin. Soft rose, orris, and coconut on me.

[zankoku_zen]

I get the same rose note as in Rose Red, with the coconut from Snow White.

 

Erm. Pass.

[cherrycherry]

In the bottle -- very subtle, floral, sweet and... something else. Not sure what it is.

 

On my wrist, wet -- the coconut is lifting and becoming sweeter, mingling beautifully with the heavy roses. Mmm...

 

On my wrist, dry -- I'm becoming more familiar with the orris and I think I love it. This is an uplifting scent, but remains subtle and effortlessly feminine. It doesn't smell exactly as I wanted to, but is still sweetly haunting enough for me to know that I will wear it regularly. Lovely

[crebbsgirl]

So let me start off by saying that I am not a fan of rose.

 

That being said, I think I might actually really like this. The rose and musk are pretty dominant in this blend. And the coconut doesn't really come out on my skin as coconut, but it more sweetens up the rose/musk combo. There is definitely hints of Snow White in here, but it's not as sweet on me as SW was. Also, SW went to suntan lotion on me, and I'm not getting that here.

[Phikli]

Whilst it says red rose in the description, on me it is much more reminiscent of bpal's white rose note (which is my favourite) - it reminds me of Katrina Van Tassel (without the cream and honey) and especially White Rose from the Unity Set, with the combination of rose and a touch of coconut. However it might just be my nose mixing the rose with the creamier scents of coconut etc that leads me to read it as white rose.

 

I love it. It is beautiful, light and magical. A bottle purchase for sure!

 

 

ETA: The rose has all but disappeared on the dry down and now it's just dusty and musky. Not so perfect after all.

Edited April 17, 2010 by Phikli

[mooncityminx]

I tried on this oil the moment it arrived in the mail, and was not impressed. But being a veteran BPALer, I knew not to rush to any conclusions. I'm so glad, because in one week, it has become everything I was hoping for. With a name like Roses, Pearls and Diamonds, I was hoping for something really special.

 

In the bottle: some sort of liquor. I don't know what.

 

Wet: Roses, really rich red roses, like the BPTP Red Rose oil. Really, it reminds me strongly of Red Rose and of the combination of Red Rose and White Rose. Rose-y, slightly spicy and alluring. As it settles I can start to smell some coconut, but only because I know it's there. It doesn't smell anything like sunscreen or tropical drinks. The coconut blends with the rose so well that I am only aware of it as something creamy. It has a texture rather than a scent. Don't misunderstand, it doesn't smell like Milk Moon. It smells a bit like a fresh glass of milk next to a vase overflowing with red roses in full bloom.

 

Dry: Mostly the wonderful spicy roses. It's not dry rose like Maiden was for me. It's not green and dirty rose like a tomboy rose scent. It's not snooty or powdery or soapy like some other roses. And yet, it's not straight up fruity fresh rose, either. Still strongly spicy and creamy, radiant and spectacular. I like this slathered better than dabbed. (Why don't we have a "slather" smiley?)

 

An instant favorite for me!

[sighanne]

I got to sample this at Bat's Day, and it only took ten minutes for me to realize that it was for me. Actually, the description convinced me, but one must always skin-test. The rose is red, fat and juicy, and the orris seems to be keeping the coconut at bay (it doesn't dominate like BPTP White Rose, though there are some similarities). The musk shows up at dry-down, and it is beautiful. Though I must say that lighter musks simply sparkle on my skin. It does remind me very much of Katrina van Tassel, as someone said upthread, and I'd go as far to say that it should be listed as a smell-alike on the LE equivalents thread.

 

I had to buy a bottle at the event, I just had to. I have an imp coming, and I'll do the same thing I do whenever I get imps of my GC favorites: I'll put it in my train case with the rest of my travel stuffs!

 

This is one of those blends that I think was made for me. It just doesn't get any better than this; it's pretty much perfect.

[izile]

The reviews had me excited when this showed up as a surprise frimp at my door.

 

In the imp it smells like lovely green roses, like The Rose, but there's something tempering it, giving it a smoother, almost creamy edge. It's probably coconut, but it's not really "hey! I'm coconut!" or anything like that.

 

Wet - very rosey but starts to morph fast. . . . changes to baby powder, all the time (damn those musks).

 

Dry - I smell like a giant bottle of Johnson and Johnson baby powder. Nothing but.

 

Dry - much later - I slathered as I ran out the door for work, so I wasn't able to wash it off, I just figured I'd cope and smelling like baby powder, while not enjoyable for me, isn't a *bad* smell. It took a couple of hours, but the rose is starting to fight back. I haven't quite made my mind up on this one yet. I like the rose note, and it is balancing. . . but it's balancing with. . . baby powder? maybe slightly coconut hinted baby powder? maybe? (snuffling my arm, currently) no, no coconut, juust baby powder, with a touch of rose.

[moon_lemming]

I can only find roses in the imp, but once Roses, Pearls, and Diamonds is on, I detect the orris -- the only reason I recognize it is that it smells the same in Signoir Dildo. The coconut is just baaarely there, and there's a powdery hint of musk. Somehow the combination smells almost like oranges on my skin.

 

After it dries it's basically a powdery red rose, probably because of the musk, which turns to powder on me. Oh well.

[heatherovka]

This was a frimp from the lab and it is really pretty! I'm not entirely sure what orris smells like, but I get lush rose with a creamy light coconut. Who knew they would smell so great together?

 

I do sometimes get the slightest hint of eau-de-bugspray, but it doesn't bother me and DH says he doesn't smell that. And after having so many fade away way too quickly on me recently, I'm happy that this BPAL seems to actually last. I'm thinking that I tend to do that with rose scents.

 

This has been a really pleasant surprise!

[kjirstiben]

Mmmm... so good! This one has the effect, almost, of rose-flavored whipped frosting. At least on my (somewhat quixotic, chemistry-wise) skin... (after all, how many people get semi-foody out of "crystalline"?)

 

In the bottle this is very rosey, and while the description says red roses I get white rose out of it, much like (as others have mentioned) Katrina Van Tassel or White Rose. On my skin it quickly becomes sweet, and I want to say powdery but it's more like powdered sugar than talcum powder. A few hours later, I have a lovely sweet-rose scent lingering very close to my skin. I think one could easily slather this without overpowering anyone!

[sirensea]

Roses, Pearls, and Diamonds is lush, creamy and soft, and it also has a great throw without being overpowering. This scent is so elegant and so beautiful that I will be investing in a bottle as soon as I have the funds for it. Perfect!