The Avenging Vase

[TijuanaBible]

– from Acme Magazine, 1906

Rose dusting powder, night cream, and upturned, scattered irises.

The Rose is very--I initially said heavy, but that's not the case-- on this one, but that's definitely not a complaint from me. A very powdery, dusky rose with a hint of very high-end moisturizer-- reminds me of my Shesheido night cream. This is in no way a complaint, it's a clean (can't over emphasize the clean) rose scent that is a little bit powdery. The iris shows up a little but in the drydown, but this is, overall, a nice new rose scent. Very different than the ones I have now, so I'm thrilled. a breath of fresh air from my most recent favorite, Elizabeth of Bohemia. Would recommend this to any rose fans!!

 

Strong throw, lovely scent.

[catwoman30]

Oh I wish I had experienced this scent like the previous reviewer. On me this is is almost a rose SN start to finish. It's very powdery with a strong throw. Kinda like pink Dove soap x20. I'm a huge fan of rose so this isn't necessarily bad...that being said I also have a bunch of rose scents so I'm on the fence about keeping this one. Will test a few more times for sure.

Edited October 21, 2016 by catwoman30

[paperflowers]

I always love BPAL's rose scents but this one is kind of funky on me. It smells like a lovely rose plus Windex. I'm hoping that as time wears on it will ease up a bit.

[Little Bird]

Soapy rose, baby powder and a sharp, screechy, white floral, musky/perfumey iris. This isn't as gentle as I was hoping it might be. I like dusting powder, cosmetic powder, and lotion type scents (Perle von Mauren and Shadowless Like Silence are two of my favorites), but this isn't creamy and soft. It's sharp and soapy on my skin.

[stellamaris]

This is actually quite strong. I had to have it due to label art and name, please, had to.

The rose is the old fashioned dried rose thing, not a fresh rose, but the iris is a bit of a stronger presence to me. Overall a pleasant inoffensive thing, true rose lovers should explore it. I often crave that old timey rose thing, horrifyingly called "old lady" by some.

You know I had to pop in to amend this review just a bit, to say how much I am loving this one. It's really full and beautiful, not as innocuous as I first thought. Definitely a statement, and one that I am liking, old fashioned but not tired.

Edited November 14, 2016 by stellamaris

[Kay Torres]

This was overwhelmingly iris on my skin, and as such, I'm not a fan. I wish I was like previous reviewers that got rose, but nope. Iris scented cold cream. Kudos on getting the cold cream part down, but the iris ruined it for me.

[freyasfae]

Ha, this is exactly the kind of rose I expected in a scent like this - yes, the one often called "old lady," but I think of more old-fashioned, which is not bad. It captures the idea of this scent, so well! Little Bird described it as screeching, which I agree - it's a startled white floral across a marble vanity top, next to toppled cold cream. I love it.

[Aviatrix]

This is pure rose on me, very reminiscent of Rose Red. I was hoping for something darker, because upturned irises sounded ominous, but it's just rose on me. If you love rose, though, you'll want to give it a try!

[LizziesLuck]

I have no idea why this called to me - I have more than enough rose scents I hardly wear. But I just had to try it!

 

Wet: Mmm, that's actually quite lovely. The words that come to mind immediately upon smelling this are: classic, vintage, nostalgic, romantic. It's rose dominant, but it manages to be creamy and powdery at the same time. It's feminine and kind of moving. I like this A LOT so far. Not sure I would wear it. But I am sure thinking about it.

 

 

Dry: There is something about this that I really love, and I think it's actually the night cream, which is almost like a perfumey vanilla cream to my nose! Mixed with the powdery rose, this is totally lovely. Seriously considering getting a bottle, despite my promise to not buy more rose scents. Maybe I need to death match it with ones I already have.....

[sprout]

Yes, there are some who will say this perfume suggests women of a certain age. I agree with nostalgic, vintage, classic, and even grandmotherly. But these are not bad connotations. This does evoke an earlier and more flower centric age of perfumery and an Era where make up products were scented with Rose water and violet.

 

The rose is indeed divaesque initially, over a bed of what could be cosmetic cream, as in cold cream. This isn't Ponds purchased from your five and dime though, it's something exclusive and probably costs more than $100 per ounce. It does remind me of Clown White, but less vanilla.

 

Drying the iris makes her appearance, upstaging the rose, which is teetering on the edge of powdery and soapy. Rose and Iris battle for a few minutes, but Rose is no match for Grand Dame Iris. No soil here, just regal iris, pale and almost violaceous, a watery rose water backing, in a bed of expensive cosmetic cream.

 

This is beautiful. I am a stay at home wallflower type that rarely goes to parties so I'm not sure that I could use a full bottle of this but Lawd! it is beautiful. I love iris as a note and I'm quite tempted. I may get a full bottle yet.

 

If you are looking for a Springtime floral that isn't high pitched or cloying, you have a match.

Edited November 22, 2016 by sprout

[zankoku_zen]

Night cream and roses. This smells like grandma! There's a white cold cream note that is kinda ghostly and kinda nostalgic. Very feminine. Great throw and wear length.

Edited November 27, 2016 by zankoku_zen

[SmilesSunshine]

Ponds cold cream if there is a Rose scented one. It has that old world charm.

It is not the way I love my roses. Make me feel I am wearing a flannel night gown with lace eyelet frills.

[joopjoop]

As others have said, it smells remarkably like rose-scented cold cream - very realistic. To me, it smells like high-end Japanese skin care products - I think it is the hint of iris that does it - the iris gives it a bit of dimension that keeps the rose from reading too old-fashioned. It makes me feel fancy and pampered.

 

I like it. Not enough to want to wear it regularly as a perfume, but I'll be keeping my decant.

Edited January 4, 2017 by joopjoop

[KittyHawk]

Oh, I LOVE this. As others have mentioned, it does skew "old-fashioned" but in a really beautiful way. I really have nothing original to add - like many other reviewers, I get a bit of iris and rose-scented cold cream. This feels very nostalgic for me, and triggers a very specific scent memory. I'd like it regardless, but the time it transports me back to makes this a surprise hit. I'm so glad I took a chance on a bottle!

[roseus]

I don't get much rose unfortunately. On me this is a soft iris powder, pleasantly old-fashioned. Not my thing but one of the most agreeable iris scents on my skin!

[Minh Scent]

This is one of those "I can't stop sniffing perfumes". It starts out as VERY strong rose. Not a "rose dusting powder" as per the description (I would love finding a rose powder this strong!), but a heavy rose perfume. I get the cold cream reference others have made. It's a lovely accord that peeks out when the initial rose settles. Drydown is powdery iris and yes, finally, a powdery rose. Delightful!

[doomsday_disco]

I only applied a small dab of this to the back of my hand, and it is strong!

It goes on as a fresh type of rose, with the cold cream in the background, but after a while, the iris comes out, and the whole thing becomes very high-pitched and powdery rose and iris scent on me. I am not surprised about the iris, as it can be a problematic note for me, but this is also a rose that doesn't seem to agree with my skin chemistry. It has been a while since I've tried it, but it might be similar to the rose in Les Fleurs du Mal. It's not nearly as sharp in the bottle as it is on me, so I imagine it would be better on someone with different skin chemistry. Hopefully whoever I pass it on to will end up having a better experience with this one!

[Fancyfetus]

Finally getting around to reviewing this after receiving it secondhand a little while back. 

 

In the bottle this frightens me. It is sharp, soapy, and powdery, with an aggressive rose note. On the skin, the soap thankfully melts into cosmetic cream. I agree with previous reviews that this cream is clearly expensive, thick, and luxurious. The rose here could be pink, and it is strong! I only start to get a touch of iris after the dry down. This does very much have a vintage feel, though it doesn't say "Grandma" to me unless your grandmother was Joan Crawford. This is a high-drama, vintage, diva's perfume. Fun and pretty, but just short of camp.