Zorya Polunochnaya

[Minh Scent]

Pale amber and ambergris, gossamer vanilla, moonflower, and white tobacco petals.

 

A lovely, eterereal vanilla. Antique Lace light. It also reminds me of Lyonnese. I cannot pick out the ambergris, but do get the suggestion of very light florals. For as lunar as it is, it has incredible longivity.

[rawgirl75]

My first blind bottle purchase in a long time because I knew this was going to be perfect - and it is!

 

I finally found a pretty, girly, sweet scent that works (most others usually amp too much on me). This seems in the same vein of scent types as Antique Lace and Morocco. Creamy musk, cool vanilla, white florals.

 

The only downside is that it fades pretty fast on me so I have to reapply by afternoon, but aging should improve it's longevity.

 

I predict that Zorya P. is going to become a bpal classic.

Edited July 26, 2017 by rawgirl75

[milo]

I've been waiting awhile to try this, and it was straight to bottle purchase. ZP is a "cool" vanilla, rather than a warm one. To me, it's kind of a cross between Pediophobia and fresh Mouses Long and Sad Tale. It's quite faint on me, but I also have a cold, so that may be a factor. Gentle, floral vanilla, and I can't wait to see how it ages.

[Pave.Gurl]

Ooooh. I have always been hesitant about florals, because they so often go directly to reminding my of my Gramma and my Aunt Sarah, in a classic Cutlass Supreme with the windows down. Florals just have such a specific connotation for me! But I've had some successes lately, and I had a little extra scratch...

 

 

But this... OH, Polu, you have stolen my heart, in darkness, like your star. This is ethereal in its lightness, but never, ever to be mistaken for weak. The amber and ambergris give depth to the vanilla and white tobacco. I can't stop smelling myself, which while I have a lot of oils I enjoy, it's not often I can't stop smelling myself. This is so well balanced and a lilt of moonflower just wafted up and now I am lost again in examining all of the scents that I normally don't gravitate towards.

 

I had high hopes based on the reviews, and while I haven't gotten through all of my AG scents yet... this is in contention against Mithras for my fave.They're so different, and yet... I would be hard pressed to choose one I prefer.

[Lunasariel]

In the imp: Smooth, omnidirectional sweetness. Sometimes I think I can pick out hints of all the listed notes, but sometimes I think they're so well-blended, I'm just trying to smell what's listed. It's difficult to describe, but right now it's a little floral, a little creamy, and even a little smoky. A pale, gossamer scent indeed! Even ITI, it's elusive, making you want to lean forward and find out more, like a gauze veil trailing behind a famous courtesan.

 

Wet: Wowwwwwwwww. Still an elusive scent, but now in the sense of a gauze veil set with stars. Still too well-blended to distinguish any notes with reliability, but I think I'm getting a little more vanilla now? It could be ambergris making the scent meld with my skin so well - ambergris tends to go "your skin but awesome" on me. I'm also getting a breath of flowers and amber, my first and truest love, at the base. Finally, and most intriguingly, there's almost definitely a curl of tobacco (flower?) winding through the blend, giving it an elusive, unexpected smokiness that takes it from merely something lovely to something truly unique. I can see why this is the one everybody has been raving about!

 

Dry: More vanilla-centric, but still an elusive, gossamer vanilla. I can see the comparisons to both Mouse's Long and Sad Tale, and to Lyonesse (which happen to be two of my favorite amber-vanilla scents) - less floral-sweet than the former, and less ambergris-forward than the latter, but definitely a relative of both. The tobacco flower is also a little more noticeable, and that fascinating, unique smoky element is a little more prominent.

 

Boy, does this one *last*! I applied one swipe to my wrists and one to my collarbones around 7:30 this morning, and by 10 PM, it's soft but still noticeable. Beth, you really knocked it out of the park on this one.

[renfair]

I got Zorya P as a half bottle from a decant circle. I was really looking forward to trying it because I've become a total sucker for vanilla.

First Sniff Impression: More "perfumey" than I thought it would be, less heavy on the vanilla. More linen floral?

Wet in Vial: All I can think of in the vial is that it's mainly a sort of fake "fresh linens" smell. Like it smells more like what I thought Antique Lace would be like before I tried that one and loved it.

Drying Down on Skin: This seems fairly heavy on the floral part, probably the moon flower. There's definitely something there "softening" it, but I don't get any overt vanilla note. It's definitely an interesting scent where it feels old yet innocent at the same time.

Dry on Skin: This is really just amped super sweet floral on me. In a much lighter dose it would be pretty, but it's giving me a headache the way it is. A review here said it was like "vanilla dryer sheet" which is pretty much what I'm getting. It kind of smells like a nicer version of the scent you get walking through the cleaning/air freshener aisle at the store.

Conclusion: I really, really wanted to love this one since it seems like the run away favorite of the American Gods line, but it either doesn't like me or I have a personal preference for not really loving it. I'll probably let it sit for a few months and see if aging bring the vanilla more to the forefront. Honestly I want to just smell someone else's too because it SO heavy on the floral and so light on the vanilla I almost feel like I got a different scent than what everyone else here is describing (and I want THAT ONE!). I do have to say that the next day what was left was a gorgeous soft, floral vanilla. I wish I was like that straight off :/

[sixthsentinel]

This is very much The Girl without the musk. Lovely and ethereal.

[doomsday_disco]

In the decant: I can smell all of the notes in the order that they're listed. I'm somewhat reminded of Lyonesse, likely due to the amber, ambergris, and vanilla, but this is a different (not golden vanilla) and contains different florals, so they're not that similar.

 

Wet: I'm getting the ambergris, moonflower, amber, and vanilla with the white tobacco petals (which kind of reminds me of the tobacco found in Fake News – but it's not as strong here). The vanilla note is getting stronger over time, and it's a soft, creamy vanilla.

 

Dry: The soft vanilla note reigns, and I think this may be the creamy vanilla found in Antique Lace (2017). I'm still getting lots of ambergris, moonflower, and the white tobacco petals are more present during this stage. The amber note isn't as prominent as it was before. It's soft, pale, ethereal, and really pretty.

 

Verdict: I really like this and think I may need a bottle!

[hawkbae]

I got this at DragonCon 2017, and it's an absolutely gorgeous scent. I've been describing it as a delicate floral--the vanilla adds a sweetness, and I find that it's overall a very light scent. Gossamer really is a good word for it. I find that I bring out the amber a touch more in scents, and it makes this scent feel rounded out and full without losing that ethereal lightness about it.

[Madame Mew]

Soft, beautiful, ethereal, and just oh so pretty! This has very similar vanilla to the one in AL, but with soft florals and amber. It is barely there and at the same time has great wear. I LOVE this!!!

[hroki97]

I believe we all feel absolutely blessed to have a perfume as beautiful as The Girl or Antique Lace readily available.

 

In the bottle:

VERY perfumey and lovely. There's almost a slight citrusy overtone, similar to the lemon I sometimes smell from the 2017 reincarnation of AL. But all around, a gorgeous complex vanillic floral.

 

Wet:

Is it possible for this to turn into a more beautiful, nostalgic and dreamy fragrance? I am definitely getting the "saltiness" from the amergris, which is such an interesting sensation to the nose. On me at least, this is NOT a foodie vanilla, it's much more mature and evocative. Though people describe this as the youngest Zorya, it is not a naïve or completely innocent scent such as Mouse's long and sad tale. Older women can definitely enjoy this

 

Dry: The tobacco flower is coming out now, and it's settling into a warm, comforting elusive vanilla. I can tell this is going to linger on my skin for a long while.

 

Overall: I am immediately going to purchase more bottles of this, and prance around in the moonlight like Luna Lovegood would

[h_yeti]

This one's an interesting one for me because when I first got it I didn't really like it, there was actually a smell in there that turned my stomach a bit! But 6 months on or so everything seems to have mellowed out and I quite enjoy it now. To me it's a very soft, clean vanilla- I do get the vanilla dryer sheet comparison. But the overall impression I get when I wear it is of drinking a very milky cup of vanilla scented tea, it is so spot on! I pretty much only wear this scent to sleep in because it is so cosy and light, but I could imagine wearing it in winter on a cold rainy day when I can just stay home and chill. Definitely a fluffy jumper scent.

Edited March 19, 2018 by h_yeti

[donkehpoo]

Wet: Musky vanilla.

 

Dry: Mmmmmm. People have described this as an "ethereal vanilla", and I'd have to agree. Warm vanilla, lightly touched by florals.

If floral perfumes aren't your thing, I would recommend this; floral notes are notorious for smelly soapy on my skin, and this one doesn't. It's so, so pretty.

 

If you were lucky enough to try the discontinued scent Moon Rose, that's like a sister scent to Zorya P. Same type of "ethereal" vibe, which I'm guessing is the moonflower.

Edited June 16, 2018 by donkehpoo

[alterosen]

I had high hopes for this one but ultimately it doesn't work on me. The florals are well-behaved & the vanilla lovely & ethereal but then after a while a pungent tangy note develops that reminds me of fish Not sure where that emerged from: maybe the ambergris & tobacco are combining strangely? Freakin' skin chemistry.

[goblingrin]

This is lovely in the imp, light and sweet and perfumey. On my skin, it's an absolute dream. I see everyone describing it as ethereal and it really is. The vanilla is a cozy undertone to soft florals and a sort of creaminess? It doesn't have much throw on me but the longevity is fantastic and just... the smell is so dreamy! I just want to sit in a cloud of it, it's so nice.

[SilentWolf]

This. This one is my absolute favourite. I can't get enough of it. This makes me think of the times I take a midnight stroll in the forest when the moon is shining so bright that you can see your shadow.

This was a bottle that I blind-bought and yup, SO glad that I did. I've had my bottles for about a year now (HAD to buy a backup) and I can recall that I thought they smelled clean, almost soapy in the beginning. Not anymore. Now it's just delicious goodness that I slather on heaps of. It's creamy, light and a teeny, tiny bit floral. The vanilla almost makes me hungry. It's delicate and beautiful. My friend got her own bottle and it smelles much cleaner. So if you don't like it at first, let it age a while.

[Amoraexcena]

I couldn't put my finger on what this reminded me of at first. Then I was reading a bit about Only Lovers Left Alive (as I ordered some Ava/Eve), and vampires... And it hit me. It's The Girl!

 

I had a bottle of The Girl that I let go of. Something about that scent curdled on my skin, and I sadly couldn't wear it. Best for someone who could give it the love it deserves, right?

Zorya is a version of The Girl that I can wear. It's definitely a cool, ethereal floral-vanillic-amber-musk. More similar to the original Antique Lace than the most recent reincarnation of AL, which I find much sweeter and almost-foody vanilla. This is much more crystalline and certainly not edible, but I find it very wearable. So does my boyfriend. On him, it's a little more musk-forward.

 

Just ordered another bottle to tag along with Ava and Eve. If you ever need a The Girl replacement, this is definitely along those lines. It works way better than TG on my skin so big winner for me. Top 5 maybe. So glad it's not an LE!!!

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

i've got a little squatty bottle of this that i've had sitting on my desk for over a year. (a sale that fell through and i just never got around to dealing with moving it).

 

and for some reason i opened it and put a drop on the top of my hand a little while ago.

 

didn't really mean to, was thinkin' about trying one of the mainstream (non-BPAL) perfume samples i've gotten in the last week.

 

anyhow, then i got wrapped up in other stuff and forgot. until i had my hand near my face and wondered when i'd put on Black Opal.

 

which i do love Black Opal and i do still have some and could do a comparison, but somehow this year-and-a-bit aged Zorya P turns into something very much like Black Opal on my crazy skin.

 

that is to say ... it is very like Ombre Rose (not BPAL, but also not hard to find).

[birthdaycake]

Something about Zorya P turns my stomach a bit - in the bottle and on my skin it smells straight up cloying and very very sweet, syrupy even. There's a note here that reminds me of Celeste which I found similarly overpowering - maybe the vanilla? I may give my bottles a chance and see if they mellow out after a few months but overall disappointed that Z P and I didn't happen and that it didn't translate to ethereal/clean, just very heavy and syrupy.

[Beatrice33]

Wow, I just love this, and my husband adores it as well. I can't figure out why it doesn't have pages and pages of glowing reviews! I can't wear Antique Lace because it becomes cloying on my skin, and The Girl didn't work on me either, but this one, though similar to both, works on me beautifully. It lingers on my skin all day, but it's subtle. As others have mentioned, it's an ethereal vanilla with touches of light floral, and it envelops me in a light, beautiful cloud of scent. This description certainly doesn't do it justice, but it's beautiful, and I will definitely need a back up bottle, and I hope it is always in the general catalog.

[theredkilt]

i let my bottle age for 7-8 months after purchasing it, a decision i made after testing a fresh Zorya P., which was very powdery.

Cut to 8 months later, this is a beautiful vanilla veil with wisps of amber and light tobacco. Very ethereal and comforting. 

[LadyLuckless]

A dreamy, chilly, sheer vanilla veil of loveliness! It makes me think of an open window with cool night air fluttering the sheer white, moonlit curtains. Gorgeous!

[hufflepuff]

I blind bought this when I first got into BPAL 2 years ago and it's been my number 1 ever since. Nothing smells as good as Zorya P does to me. This is pale, silvery moonlight against a blanket of stars. This is what I want to smell like when my eyes close for the last time. It smells ethereal and other worldly to me. 

[Kayah]

I got the perfume despite the name. The idea of a mid-anything Zorya is as nonsensical as saying that midsummer is a time in between the seasons. Zorya is the magical transition time between day and night. Its the cusp of day into night and night unto day. With poetic license Mr. Gaiman might as well have said that there are three gods of the circle of life: Life, Death and Steve. It makes about as much sense as three Zoryas.

Nevertheless... the scent surpasses the individual notes that drew me to it in the first place. It's crystalline vanilla that doesn't stay on too long, but while it is there is soft and lends itself to the sweetest of dreams.

[RoseThornAndOak]

This one is very soft, pretty, and light. It starts out with the light AL type of vanilla and a slight metallic note, then dries down to a slightly more floral cross between AL and Mouses Long and Sad Tale. It wears close to the skin. Very lovely. I have a dupe of Vanilla Lace that works even better but this will get lots and lots of wear. 

 

For fans of Antique Lace, Mouses Long and Sad Tale, Lullaby, and Moonshine and Mist.