Our Lady of Pain

[HerbGirl]

OUR LADY OF PAIN
Cold eyelids that hide like a jewel
Hard eyes that grow soft for an hour;
The heavy white limbs, and the cruel
Red mouth like a venomous flower;
When these are gone by with their glories,
What shall rest of thee then, what remain,
O mystic and sombre Dolores,
Our Lady of Pain?

Sumatran patchouli, blood musk, white lavender, opium tar, and black orchid.

Um whoa...I think this one was made for me. I will be honest- I literally tore through my package 10 minutes ago and immediately put this one on...immediate love and I can only imagine how beautiful this will smell when it has had even a day to settle.

Dark, sorta sharp (its brand new...) opium tar laced black orchid with a GORGEOUS soft, dark patchouli underneath.

When I first applied, it was mostly lavender and opium tar...the lavender almost disappears and morphs into black orchid...I suspect she will resurface in an hour or so!

After 20 minutes...opium poppy laced black orchid over soft patchouli...not the patch from mme. moriarty or #occupy...soft, and sultry.

This perfume is sultry ad infinitum. I cannot possibly do this perfume justice with the words that exist...yes, its that frickin' good.

Hoard worthy indeed...

ETA: I reapplied just a touch and it dried down with a bit more lavender. Yeah...200000/10.

ETA again: I can't compare this to anything I've ever smelled because it is truly unique, in my humble opinion.

If this scent had a song double, it would be: "The Moment I Said It" by Imogen Heap especially the end, beginning with "Don't..."

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

i generally don't like to post reviews before my decant circle folks have gotten their pakkitches.... but this one struck me so much while i was decanting it (and i sampled a drop!) that i had to post.

 

for anyone who loves this? to me, it's a dead ringer for Sundog's (Doc Bronner Soap) Patchouli Lime body lotion and tattoo balm.

 

this isn't the hamster cage patchouli, and it also isn't the bitter patchouli... it's also not the sweet one that i love so much. in other words, patchouli-haters, don't be afraid to give this one a try!

[Circaea]

Sad that this one did not work on me. I love opium/poppy/laudanum notes, and I can smell them a little, but the lavender seems to drown them out. This scent is a bit off, a little sour, and rather faint. If I put my wrist up to my nose a I get a nice exotic floral smell, but when my hand is down at the keyboard, I smell something like old perfume sprayed on paperstock. Don't know if it's my nose, or a skin chemistry fail. It's like it's missing some grounding note. I can't detect the patchouli at all.

[Mellifluous]

I really really love this.

Here, I get a gentle and warm floral-musk. Not something I'd usually imagine myself liking, but it is all very soft and comforting. No sharpness, and not too powdery either. The patchouli is a very nuzzly one, especially combined with the lavender. But, there doesnt seem to be much of either on my skin. Just enough to add complexity to the musks. The opium tar is present as well, but to my nose, only in that it lends a faint incense-touched feel.

If I wasnt so curious of the other blends in this line, I would immediately buy at least 2 more back-ups. I may just need to splurge anyhow.

 

ETA: I realized, this somewhat reminds me of Heretic mixed with Dorian. Well, not actually note for note. But its somewhere between the "clean and fresh" of Dorian, and the "dark and incensy" aspect of Heretic.

Edited March 9, 2013 by Mellifluous

[SophieCedar]

So, I'll talk about the note that alarms me the most: patchouli. Patchouli's been hit or miss for me lately and overall, unless well-blended, I'm finding I can't really stick with it past 10 minutes. I did not get an overt patchouli stamp from this.

 

I get a soulful resinous powder combination like frankincense, but deeper. I couldn't put my finger on it and didn't have the description in front of me. Something about it struck me as "OMG its something from my teenage years in Harvard Square." I figured out this reminds me of the patchouli and oakmoss combo I wore, mixed with an old friend's perfume..I think it was Aramis or Hermes..one of those, and dried eucalyptus & heather arrangements.

 

Overall, the notes don't hit me as what's in the description. Sign of a well-blended scent. If you asked me blindly to pick out notes, I'd say rooty oakmoss, white leather, orchid, & opium.

 

Impressed.

Edited March 10, 2013 by SophieCedar

[yakiguri]

I was looking to this scent the most out of the Our Lady of Pain update, and while I like it, I don't love it like I thought I would. Lavender is one of my favorite notes but it's more prominent in this blend than I would like, and can swing between being soft and going sharp and herbally. I get patch and some hints of orchid and opium and not much else. I have a feeling Our Lady of Pain might need quite a few more months of aging to be fully appreciated, and for that reason alone I might just pick up a backup.

[plainjean]

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. On me, it's all smoky orchid and dark lavender. It's not quite the perfect orchid of Great Vampire Bat, but it's definitely in the same family, and it satiates my need for dark orchid. For now, anyway...

[stellamaris]

I love this, the lavender does come through but it's not too aggressive, it's lovely.

I am getting the same feeling as from the Hair Gloss of the same name, but the scent of this is thankfully much stronger to me.

Another Pain-ful win.

[Atrous]

Oh, how I love this scent!

In the bottle the scent is heavy on the floral with sharp, tangy citrus. Not sure where I'm getting citrus from since there doesn't appear to be any in the mix.

As soon as it hit my skin the musk and patchouli came out. On the dry down this scent becomes musky, floral underscored by deep,rich (and slightly scorched?) earth. Not sure what is causing the scorched effect...maybe the tar? This is a brooding scent; perfect for overcast days. On a scale of 1-5 I give this a 5+. It has a decent throw. A dab is all you need.

[OctoberGwen]

Oh, Our Lady of Pain.

 

Like every other scent in this collection, it is beautifully blended and quite sophisticated. Initially I can pick out the lavender and the patchouli; after several minutes I am definitely able to smell the gorgeous, gorgeous orchid. The blood musk is lending a slightly dangerous edge.

 

This is sultry and intimidating; a very adult scent. I love it.

 

It just smells fantastic.

 

Edited March 19, 2013 by OctoberGwen

[Alethia]

Thoughts before testing: Patchouli has been hit or miss on me lately, and I'm afraid that the blood musk will have too much red musk in it and ruin OLOP for me. But after the glowing reviews here and around the forum, I had to take a chance on this!

 

Wet: Smooth patchouli and strong floral (but not sharp) lavender. This is awesome wet, as the patch is the kind that agrees with my skin chemistry and I detect no musk at this point.

 

Dry down: After about 15 minutes, the lavender is strong and beautiful and the patchouli is taking a backseat. I can smell the orchid just around the edges and it's beautiful.

 

Dry: OLOP dries down to a beautiful musky orchid with just a hint of patchouli and stays this way for hours.

 

Final thoughts: This is such a sophisticated blend and it is gorgeous. Everything in this blend is just beautiful, it lasts for hours, and I am absolutely in love with Our Lady of Pain.

 

Verdict: Backup bottle worthy!

 

ETA wear time!

Edited March 19, 2013 by Alethia

[strahlend]

The forum ate my review.... but the gist of it is this, the patchouli in here is absolutely the best I've ever had the pleasure of smelling. It is somehow both earthy and almost syrupy sweet. The lavender floral counterpoint seems like it would clash, but in fact seems to emphasize the sexy aspect.

I can't quite put into words how much I love this scent, but suffice it to say I did place a Lab order for a small stockpile today.

I kept thinking it reminded me of Obsession for Men, and it turns out that there are some notes in common - I would much rather buy Our Lady of Pain and revel in its glorious nuances than buy that stuff though.

[mymymai]

ITI: That's actually more soothing than I hand anticipated. It reminds me of that oil Aveda has you sniff as they complete the sensory experience on you. I think it's the white lavender and the patchouli together that is giving me that impression.

 

Wet: The lavender is pure and clean, which I love. I can also pick up the musk and sweetened patchouli. So far, it's a lovely scent.

 

Dry: I really enjoy this one - sweet musk, lavender, opium, and patchouli. It's heady and soothing at the same time.

[angelamaria]

In the vial: lavender, opium, and orchid. Color impression is a mix of deep and bright oranges, blended but distinct.

 

Wet on skin: the lavender softens immediately, and the black orchid shines through better. The patchouli and opium are subdued, gentle, really a support for the other two notes. There's a green feeling to this...probably contributed to by the combination of lavender and patchouli. This is a unique kind of lavender...a full bodied but gentle lavender. Soothing.

 

Dry: lavender, smoky orchid, and languorous opium tar. This is...sultry, like that previous review said. It feels a bit odd to have a sultry, languorous lavender scent, but this is it, in spades. The patchouli is present, and noticeable (there are times there's a dirt note coming through) but it's just a hint of a note, an undercurrent of character in this scent

 

Verdict: a clean, sultry and fabulous deep lavender scent. I AM SO THERE.

[Little Bird]

Lots of herbal, sharp lavender paired with a perfumey, slightly smoky smelling mix of orchid and opium. It's a dark, perfumey, herbal-floral scent on my skin. As it dries down, I get a little bit of the dark, dry earthiness from the patchouli. I sort of like the sultry floral qualities of this, but the lavender & opium turn a bit sour and sharp on me. Lady of Pain is probably too perfumey/sharp for me to wear often, but I think I'll keep my decant of this one and see how it ages.

[cherrycherry]

Our Lady Of Pain gets a rave review from me. Wet, it's dark and red on my skin and the top note is a clean lavender with musky incense and a little kiss of patchouli. I was worried about the lavender at first because though I love lavender on an oil burner or in an Aromatherapy treatement, I do not like it as a perfume. I don't have any negative associations with the note, I just don't want to smell like lavender and only lavender. The lavender in OLOP disappears quite quickly on my skin and as the drydown begins, the blend loses all of its crispness and becomes dark, resinous and sexy. We have a winner with this one, alright. It is a very unique perfume oil as I have never quite smelt one like this before and I have tried a LOT of Beth's wondrous creations. OLOP is so sultry and yet entirely ladylike at the same time.

 

I loved Blood Countess (RIP, dear friend) but to me, OLOP smells a lot more like I would expect Elizabeth Bathory to smell than that blend. There is throw, the scent is commanding, it is empowering and it is handsome rather than out-and-out beautiful. There is a strength and a dignity to it and I sense a little lick of cruelty also. Our Lady Of Pain is a trip. I absolutely *love* it.

[thekittenkat]

In the decant: A very rich and powerful scent! The blood musk has been been poured all over the other notes, but they are still there.

 

Wet: The opium tar has burst through the musk and is driving the whole perfume car now.

 

The dry-down: Okay, things have settled down, thank goodness! The patch, the musk, and the opium tar are the more obvious notes, but the two floral notes of lavender & orchid add a flowery sweetness that is not really obvious, but keeps the first three notes from being too dark. A lovely scent, but perhaps too sophisticated for me. It's a scent for that woman in the elegant black dress who's out for a wonderful night on the town--perhaps this time she's at some party of the rich and famous in Manhattan.

[Monday]

Sharp lavender and cologne. The patchouli shows up after a while but only makes the blend extra dry. Unfortunately it stays that way on my skin, harsh patchouli and lavender which when sniffed make my throat ache. Something in the background smells like liquorice. I wish I got the sultry scent others are getting out of this but this blend never comes together on my skin.

I'll keep the decant maybe one day that sultry scent will turn up.

 

If you like this you might also like Love and Pain which I find practically a double of OLOP. Our Lady Of Pain ends up too masculine for me and that's coming from someone who wears Saint-Germain frequently.

[brilliantcat]

Imp: Smooth, complex patchouli not of the hippie feet variety and lavender plus something sweet?

 

Wet: Lavender, dry lavender. The patch is more apparent at arm's length and it's gorgeous, smooth, and earthy.

 

Dry: Unnerving is the best way to describe it. Evocative, certainly, but not how I want to smell I also find it to be more masculine than I would want to wear and I normally couldn't care less about masculine vs. feminine scents. I'd swear this has leather in it. Quite interesting and suits the description to be sure, but not for me.

[milo]

Wet, this is lovely lavender with a funky stench that I can only guess is the blood musk, as anything 'blood' tends to not work on me. Dry, soapy lavender, a touch of patch and that 'funk' sitting in the background. It's like someone is trying 'almost' successfully to cover BO, but you get that whiff every once in awhile. Even so, it is a bit soapy on me, so this is not an upgrade.

[theseagrows]

this is a great scent! at first it is all lavender, but later the blood musk and black orchid come to the forefront-two of my favorite notes. i love warm/musky florals, and this is just what this is. the patchouli is not overwhelming at all and the lavender seems to blend in after the initial blast of it. it's a nice complex floral scent and all the notes are blended expertly.

[DJ Sin]

I am in love with this scent. I wore it yesterday after waking up with a bad hang over. Oh smut led me astray and OLOP helped soothe my soul after partying with devil. My first whiff is the soft lavender and this blend deepens, I get the black orchid at times and in the dry down stage I really morph the blood musk, that I could have sworn that I was still wearing Smut. I need to track down a bottle of this!

[zankoku_zen]

I have to say that this smells fantastic to me. I have on the other heavily orchid Our Lady of Pain scent, O Daughter of Death and Priapus, and its such a contrast. Yes, to the orchid. With hints of patchouli, and opium and musk.

 

It's lighter, still feminine. Still wearable. Love it.

[doomsday_disco]

So… I got into BPAL during the 2013 Lupercalia update, and being the noob that I was, did not consider getting this scent because it had patchouli in it. I thought I hated the stuff, since I had been a Lush addict and was only familiar with their patchouli products. Naturally, after seeing the raves for this scent and realizing, thanks to the Lab, that there are some patchouli notes I appreciate, I have kicked myself for dismissing Our Lady of Pain ever since (especially after I wrote a paper for a Victorian Poetry class that featured the poem heavily: it was called A Study in Sable: Sexual Love in the Poetry of Swinburne (Sponsored by the Sluts for Swinburne Society) ). I really thought I would never get a chance to try it, but an extremely generous BPALista frimped me a decant of this, and I am eternally grateful!

 

In the decant: This is really strong on the red patchouli. The lavender is next in prominence, followed by the opium and orchid. I am not really getting the blood musk from the vial.

 

Wet: The patchouli and lavender are the first notes that appear, backed by the opium and orchid (I get more opium, though). The blood musk is present, but this doesn’t appear to be red musk, which is a relief for me, since that note usually stomps all over other notes on my skin. It has a tinge of spice in it and reminds me of the blood in Midian Unmade.

 

Dry: This is still very patchouli and lavender forward on me, although I definitely get a lot more opium than I did before, which gives it more of an incense-y vibe. I feel like I am getting more patchouli from this than most reviewers, and I wonder if it is from aging or just my skin chemistry. But eventually, it does manage to calm down, and it’s an oddly alluring spicy, woody, and somehow dirt-like patchouli and musk intertwining with wisps of lavender, incense-y opium tar, and orchid. It’s unlike anything else I own.

 

Verdict: I will cherish this forever. Thank you to the lovely BPALista that graciously bestowed a frimp of Our Lady of Pain upon me!

Edited May 3, 2020 by doomsday_disco

[torikitty]

Everybody's been talking about this, so I decided to jump on the bottle on Etsy. Opium tar and black orchid are the only things I'm unsure about. This is dark and herbaceous. No notes in particular really standing out to me. I can see this smelling amazing on the right person. Very mysterious and gothy.

 

ETA: Later in the evening, I think the black orchid finally did nice things with my chemistry. It smelled like the nice part of an expensive perfume. A slightly powdery floral that was very pleasing.

Edited October 1, 2019 by torikitty