Alabaster Vulva

[VioletChaos]

White amber and sheer vanilla, orris butter, Italian bergamot, and narcissus.

This sounded too intriguing to pass up but I have *no* idea what it'll smell like. Let's see, shall we?

 

In The Bottle: I get the narcissus and the sheer vanilla in abundance as soon as I sniff. There's something about the narcissus that tugs at my heart, like it reminds me of an era I didn't get to live through but miss just the same.

Wet On Skin: As the oil warms on my skin the orris butter starts to come out and balances the floral quite well. I like orris root, though it can be a bit overwhelmingly "dusty". Doing an orris butter for this eliminates the 'dust' aspect and helps round out the sweetness of the narcissus without overpowering it.

Dry Down: I get just a peek of the vanilla at this point, joined by equally small -but present- roles by the amber and bergamot. Though I'd been hoping for more bergamot when I made my decision to get this scent, I think any more than a drop would be overkill, because it would clash with the orris too much. The fragrance is light with a low-medium throw. I don't think it's good for the remains of winter, because it's not strong enough to stand up to winter's ravages. But I look forward to favoring this once spring's first blush shows itself in the next month or two.

[Happicuppa]

Fresh from the mail, a few hours rested:

 

In the bottle: Huh. Creamy and vanillic with a tiny punch of non-aggressive floral.

 

Wet: I think this buttery scent is the orris butter + vanilla...little bergamot coming out to play. I'm getting a...medicinal scent? But it's not bad! It's just...strange.

 

Dry down: powdery but not baby powder - I think this is the amber and not the orris. Still some creamy vanilla hanging out on the edges, but there is a really strange medicinal quality to this one on me...and then there are sniffs that are just f'kn amazing. I'm so confused! I would second that this is totally more of a spring/summer scent. It's floral, but not FLORAL.

I'm still thrown off by the medicinal plastic bandage whiff I get, I'm going to chalk it up to fresh-from-the-mail-ness.. I really want to like this and at other times, the whiffs I'm getting are amazing.

 

Verdict: I'll give this baby some time to settle in, but iffy on whether I need it in my life.

Edited February 18, 2018 by Happicuppa

[Jenjin]

This takes me into the springtime field lined with happy faced flowers, wafting butterflies and blushing cheeks. Very elegant and refined, the vanilla is light and slightly sweet, drying down to a creamy skin scent that reminds me a bit of sugary marshmallows. The florals balance out the vanilla nicely, giving it a bit of air. This is a gorgeous, simple, versatile fragrance with just a bit of veiled innocence. Perfect for snuggling up with your lover (or yourself).

[Sangria2]

Oh my word, you guys. Blind bottle WIN.

 

In the bottle it smells like a pale vanillic foral. I have to really sniff to get a sense of it. Then when I put it on it just blossoms into this wonderful creamy vanilla amber, edged with the narcissus. The floral is almost on the edge of green, like it's the petals as well as the leaves. When I put my nose to my wrist and inhale deeply the front notes remind me a bit of Kitten with Shamisen Daydreams from last year, which was the hit of the 2017 Lupers for me.

 

Dry, the narcissus comes a bit to the forefront but only in whiffs. The underlying scent is an intoxicating cloud of amber vanilla citrus goodness, without any of the notes overpowering the others. It lasts over six hours which is awesome. I am not doing this description justice, it's just too beautiful for words. If you think you will like this one, do yourself a favor and definitely get it.

[Casablanca]

Wet on my skin, Alabaster Vulva strongly features the Florentine orris butter from Mythological Scene, one of the Unicorns. That note grew on me over time, and I'm pleased to find it here.

 

A silky vanilla and narcissus blend is draped over the iris butter, like some lingerie tossed lazily onto a pale, satiny cushion. A waft of summer bergamot now and then lifts a corner of the draped silk, like a breeze from a sunlit window that no one is troubled to close.

 

This reads as privileged, idle, floating, and refined. Love it.

Edited February 24, 2018 by Casablanca

[fenharel]

okay, when i tested it straight from the mail i DID get a little bit of plastic. but after letting it rest and coming to revisit, that's gone. i am wholly unfamiliar with what orris butter or narcissus smells like, so this might not be the most technologically helpful review, but i'm gonna do my best!

 

wet, this is sweet, creamy, and lightly floral. i do get a hint of green - must be the bergamot - and honestly, that's perfect. it keeps the scent from being too cloying or too heady. the throw is perfect - it's one of those scents that 'wafts up.' i feel softly surrounded in a pillowy cloud of fragrance, but i'm not self-conscious about offending others with it. i can almost smell it better when i'm not trying, or when i don't have my nose shoved into my wrist. the drydown is lovely - soft, powdery, sweet, floral, and green. this is the perfect spring perfume, and i love it.

[galahad]

In the Bottle:

Narcissus at the forefront but also the white amber and the bergamot

On the Skin:

The narcissus is glorious - sweet and with that almost epoxy scent of Sol d'Or. The bergamot is not as evident as in the bottle but the vanilla warms to add depth

On the Drydown:

I love good narcissus scents and this is lovely. It rounds out to a smooth vanilla and narcissus with enough sharp dustiness from the white amber and a little orris. I agree there is an indolence to this. It would be a late winter/early spring scent for me

[violetvorpal]

Wow this is definitely different than what I was expecting (especially because I've read the reviews before buying). I have never tried something with orris butter but this reminds me a lot of orris root (especially like the orris root note in The Lady in Black Atmosphere Spray). My skin is amping the orris like crazy! It is perfumey and "expensive" smelling without the alcoholic undertones of high-end perfumes. It reminds me of Mrs. Valentine except without the red musk note.

 

The more it sits on the skin, a vanilla cashmere musk emerges in the background (reminiscent of Hoîru). The orris butter note is still very dominant on my skin but I get hints of bergamot and narcissus. I think this perfume is very unisex. Heavy throw, long wear.

 

I can see how others would really love this one. Sadly, I am not a fan of these notes with my skin chemistry.

[lady_pandora]

This is almost a narcissus single note on me, with the amber and vanilla more providing roundness and staying power rather than taking a starring role, and occasional wafts that remind me of sniffing my neighbor's irises as a kid. Really languid and pretty, giving me the impression of purple and gold. Smells amazing the morning after, too. I think the only other narcissus-heavy BPAL I have is Darkness, and this is a very different take on the note--I may need a bottle!

[Mountaingrrl00]

This does smell "alabaster" to me! It's a clear vanilla with soft floral and citrus nuances - very likable and accessible, sweet without being cloying. It seems especially well suited to springtime.

[roseus]

At first I might have argued that there was lotus in this, because it smelled like a soft, sweet bubblegum at first. But orris tends to be candy sweet on me and the butter must go further in that territory rather than dusty. However as this dries the bubblegum lets up and I am left with a silky vanilla with dark narcissus and bergamot. Surprisingly lovely.

Edited March 19, 2018 by roseus

[annemathematics]

this is a creamy vanilla floral on me. very pretty and girly. hints at innocence but exudes confidence.

[doomsday_disco]

In the decant: The white amber, orris butter, and narcissus stand out the most to me, followed by the bergamot. I'm not getting much vanilla.

 

Wet: I get the white amber, orris butter, and narcissus, as well as a bit of light vanilla. The white amber and orris butter are the strongest notes on me. I only get a bit of the bergamot.

 

Dry: The orris butter reigns, backed by the white amber, sweet narcissus, and the sheer vanilla. The bergamot note is fainter than it was before. I only get it if I press my nose to my wrist and inhale really deeply.

 

Verdict: I wanted to try this because VULVA, but I was wary of the scent because of the orris. Alas, the orris decided to have a powdery party on my skin, so this Vulva is not for me (even though I enjoy the other notes).

[zankoku_zen]

Amber, orris, and vanilla narcissus. This smells like a white floral with an amber undertone. But I get a distinctive "ivory" impression. Waxy white florals. Medium throw and wear length.

[ramblingrambler]

I like to leave extended reviews with more scent impressions than this, but this is all I’ve got for this particular blend: grandma perfume. This is a very specific type of scent that I associate with older women. Personally not my style, but you may enjoy it and wear it well!

[theseagrows]

i think i am getting orris butter and narcissus with a hint of vanilla. mostly white florals, but a hint of creamy sweetness from the vanilla to tone it down. it smells like springtime. after a few minutes i think i get hints of bergamot, but narcissus is definitely the front-runner here. after about 20 minutes, the narcissus has finally toned down a bit and the scent is more balanced, like a creamy white floral. i enjoy it much more at this point, but fear the narcissus is still just a bit too strong for me. i guess i was hoping that it would be more of a background note. ETA: i do like this after it's been on my skin one hour +, at this point it's a narcissus-vanilla and much creamier.

Edited April 2, 2018 by theseagrows

[LizziesLuck]

Wet: In the bottle, this is terrifying. It smells like oudh, which is to say, it smells like poo. Smells like poo as it's going on also, but almost as soon as it hits my skin it smells like sweet powdery orris. I often dislike orris, as it typically smells like violet on me (which makes sense in a roundabout way, as it's the root of an iris, and iris smells like violet on me). ANYWAY, I digress. The orris in this doesn't smell like violet, it smells lighter, cleaner - I think because it's mixed with a lovely cool vanilla and pale amber. It's very light on me. I have had to add a drop more to really smell it. It's quite nice though! Very feminine and refined. Pretty, if still a touch powdery. For some reason I feel like it reminds me of Pip? (after looking up notes and seeing Pip has iris in it, that makes more sense to me).

 

Dry: Ugh! I can't get over the weird oudh/poo smell that I get in the waft of this! Nose to skin, I can identify that what I am really smelling is orris. But the silage is icky. Sad! Most of the Vulvas are awesome on me. I think I will age this a year before I give up on it.

[mishi-bear]

This is predominately a narcissus scent. An interesting floral, definitely white, but it lacks any of that soapy-sneezy quality of white florals like jasmine. It's pale, sweet, and also a touch bitter. The white amber lends a layer of powdery sweetness at the base of this blend. The vanilla takes a bit to come forward, but it's nice when it does. It's a sweet vanilla but definitely a sheer one, a light misty vanilla, more like a musk. The orris butter adds a light sweet powdery smell here alongside the amber, but this is very similar to the smell of make up. The bergamot adds just a hint of a spice note, really more on wrist sniff than in the throw though. Medium throw and wear length.

[Lucchesa]

Like dementia_divine, I had to try this because vulva, but I wasn't too optimistic. Orris is not a favorite note of mine, and wet, Alabaster Vulva was a lot of dusty orris, a little vanilla and white floral, no bergamot or amber. It made it through the yoga test just fine, in terms of wear length (throw, as is usual on my skin, is almost non-existent), and became more and more beautiful as time passed; now, four hours in, it's a faint, creamy, vanilla-amber floral, lovely. I'm delighted to have tried it, but will pass the decant on to someone who can appreciate it wet as well.

[AraliaShine]

In the decant and wet on skin I also get a bit of a dirty oudh-like smell-- not barnyard oudh on me, but more in the

medicinal/band aid range as Happicuppa noted. I sometimes like that scent, depending on what it's blended with,

but here it's a bit unsettling. While I don't have a lot of experience with narcissus as a perfumery note,

in real life, I sometimes find them overwhelming. Okay out-of-doors, but just too much for inside. So I'm

thinking that this odd latex/bandage sort of vibe is coming from an overblown narcissus. All of the other notes

are ones I like that play well on my skin in other blends.

 

The good news is that as it dries, I have to sniff harder and closer to the skin to even find that irksome band aid.

The wafts are pure delight! I think I'll let this sit a bit more then try it again to see if the first aid kit gets put

away when it's no longer needed.

[Epiphany]

This smells like Easter, likely due to the way I amp the narcissus combined with the softer vanilla. I saw someone else mention that they thought it had that bubblegum lotus scent and I also get that impression here. A sweet, candy-like floral. Just...too much on the floral for me (which is not a surprise, I just am always willing to try things 'cause with BPAL you never know).

 

If you either don't amp floral or just really love that note, give it a try.

[milo]

Lovely white floral with greenery and I believe I'm getting the amber and vanilla in the background. This is fresh and florally, and would be a lovely scent for a bride on her wedding day, it's got that kind of 'feel' to it. It reminds me of the alyssum flower, the scent of it, though I didn't really like the lab's version of that sn.

[LiberAmoris]

Oh, the orrisssss. Alabaster Vulva is a 'white' blend, with layers of sheerness building to a semi-opaque floral. Narcissus is a quintessential white floral, really tough to describe, but to me smells powdery, papery, green, earthy and gently indolic. Orris butter smells like iris plus roots plus something creamy, almost buttery. The combo is a scent that pulls notes from below the ground and above the ground: stirred soil, a bit of bitter root, the stem, and the flower. White amber and vanilla warm the blend up, and bergamot gives it definition.

 

This would be the perfect perfume for a Hitchcock Blonde, an austere, untouchable floral with a subtly animalic center.

[RobberBaroness]

I have no idea why, but this goes on me as pure bubblegum. I had the same problem with Gothic Horror, but I can't find any overlapping ingredients so I'm stumped.

[tinyvulture]

Oooh nice! Creamy orris butter, vanilla, warm amber, and a light citrus vibe from the bergamot. I would love this as a lotion. It's thick, heady, sexy, I love it!  Kind of reminds me of Lyonesse.