The Eternal Queen

[Lycanthrope]

A whisper of names: Nandi, Dido, Clytemnestra, Hatshepsut, Merneith, Olga of Kiev, Boudicca, Urraca the Reckless, Makeda, Sasaban, Semiramis, Rabodoandrianampoinimerina, Theodora, Julia Agrippina, Wu Zeitan, Irene Sarantapechaina, Elizabeth. She is every queen that has ever walked on this Earth, and every queen that shall come. She rules the past, the present, and the future; she is the archetypical sovereign, the amalgamation of feminine power – dark and light – throughout all of mankind’s history.

White gardenia and tuberose with ambergris accord, vegetal vanilla musk, bourbon vanilla, and amber incense.

From the bottle whiff: High pitched, bright, clarion call creamy gardenia petals. A bit of sweetness, but without too much foodiness. Waxy, but waxy like buttercream frosting, not candles.

Wet, the gardenia is joined by tuberose, and the two make for a distinctively LOUD opener. Heady, sensual, yes, but very tropical and extremely white floral! There's a more floral vanilla attempting to bring down the florals over the first 10-15 minutes, a little tickle of cream at the edges of the floral bouquet. I'm sniffing around, it's getting... somehow, smoother? The initial very potent tropical blast is starting to calm down into a very interesting combination of scents. I'm getting a little bit of a salty, smoky amber, but just a hint. Like an extinguished vanilla incense stick. I think I'm actually getting a kiss of white musk, but again not dominating.

Over time, this has a bit of a 'gauzy' overtone with the florals amazingly draped over but not dominating the central notes of the blend, which strike me as being a very inoffensive, well-blended melange of subtle incense, a white or light amber, and a mysterious vanilla that grounds this, without making it dessert-y.

Over time, the tuberose starts to be stronger than the gardenia, but that could just be my skin... as it does that to tuberose.

Glittery diaphanous gauze over a polished ivory marble stone, strewn with ripped tuberose petals.

[VetchVesper]

When my mom first smelled The Eternal Queen, she said it smelled like Charmin toilet paper, which is kind of hilarious, but now I can't quite get the comparison out of my head. It's the NICEST Charmin toilet paper though, and we both ended up liking the perfume.

 

There's a clean, comforting, whiteness to it. It smells feminine and soft. I thought it might be similar to the Torture Queen, as they share similar notes, but this is pretty different. This is mostly creamy white floral made a bit hazy with soft musk. I smell a light, dry vanilla in the dry down, along with some soft amber, but mostly, this is about the florals which are lady like and gentle without being prim or fussy. It's funny that Lycanthrope found this tropical, because I noted it as far less lush than other gardenia fragrances I've tried. It seems more refined and contained to my nose than scents like Cascading Blossoms, Venus Cloacina, or Swans on the River. Very pretty in it's own right though, and definitely worth a try to lovers of white florals.

Edited July 17, 2018 by VetchVesper

[LiberAmoris]

I dreamed I reviewed The Eternal Queen but it was all a charade. I bought this because tuberose is my homegirl. Gardenia is beautiful. And I'm obsessed with the vegetal modifier in BPAL...it always goes somewhere interesting. The Eternal Queen does not disappoint. This is 'go big or go home' white waxy florals, with ambergris, vanilla musk, and amber—and a hint of something vegetal, rooty. Like carrot or parsnip, in a good way. I agree that this smells tropical (thank you, white florals) but it's truly 'queenly' in the most sheer way possible, as this is the kind of scent that confidence pulls off beautifully. It's gorgeous, but you gotta love gardenia and tuberose, my doves. If you love those notes, invest and profit.

[Atrous]

Eternal Queen combines my two favorite floral notes with my all time favorite note, Ambergris. Grabbing a bottle was a no-brainer.

This is as good as I thought it would be. Lovely, heady, white florals tempered by musk and vanilla. A haze of incense surrounds it.

I'm not getting ambergris, but in my experience, this note takes some aging to really shine.

Overall, a beautiful scent that I think will be even better once its had a chance to mature.

Edited July 20, 2018 by Atrous

[violetvorpal]

This is absolutely gorgeous. I've wanted a gardenia perfume from bpal for a long time but none of the note combos in past scents worked for me. However this perfume is the perfect merriment of background notes to compliment the gardenia.

 

I smell mostly realistic, fresh, creamy, white gardenia with a touch of amber and ambergris. The tuberose is surprisingly tame and subtle on my skin. I don't notice any incense but maybe that is just my skin chemistry. It stays true on my skin and never morphs into anything unpleasant. The vanilla gives it that creamy vibe to help ground the floral to make it very romantic and soft. Medium throw and strong staying power!

 

If you love florals, don't sleep on this one! If you like The Bride or Cave of Treasures, The Eternal Queen has the same "creamy floral" vibe. Definitely reminds me of Lupercalia florals.

[roseus]

Despite the heady white florals and the regal, queenly vibe a good word for this blend is sheer. It has substance without being heavy or intense. The florals are everything you want from these tropical blooms: sweet, creamy, waxy. They are balanced by the skin warmth of ambergris, and the vanilla and musk. Gorgeous, romantic blend.

[Mountaingrrl00]

I'm surprised by how much I like this. It smells like gardenia that's still on the tree, wafting on the air when it's warm but not hot out. Fresh, new, just sweet enough, beautifully rounded.

[doomsday_disco]

In the decant: The gardenia and tuberose are the strongest notes, followed by the ambergris and vanilla musk. I get a bit of the amber incense in the background.

 

Wet: Gardenia and tuberose are the stars here, but I am also getting a fair amount of ambergris and vanilla musk as well. It’s heady and also sparkling. This is the scent of a queen that knows and gets what she wants. As it begins to dry, the amber incense begins to emerge.

 

Dry: Not much morphing going on here! The gardenia and tuberose are still the main players, but I am getting more of the ambergris and vanilla musk now. The amber incense continues to play a background role.

 

After a few hours, I get even more of the ambergris, vanilla musk, and bourbon vanilla accompanying the heady floral notes.

 

Verdict: This is a glittering, heady floral scent that makes me think of scents like Butterflies, Flowers, and Jewels Attending and Ava, although this isn’t as innocent as the former, and it’s not as vanilla-ed as the latter. I like it, but I don’t feel the need to grab a bottle, as I already own a few bottles of Ava and prefer that scent. But if that scent family is your jam, you should definitely look into trying this one!

Edited August 3, 2018 by dementia_divine

[Alethia]

Thoughts before testing: Despite my recent BPAL hiatus I had to come out of hiding for this one. I've been searching for a gardenia/tuberose perfume to round out my collection a little more and I'm hopeful that this one will be it!

 

Wet: Big, white, waxy, tropical gardenia and tuberose. Very big and loud but not screechy at all. Definitely not for the faint of heart.

 

Dry down: The ambergris and vanilla become more prominent and start wrapping up the florals in a sexy, salty gauze that turns everything from Classic Lady Perfume to a really interesting and beautiful scent.

 

Dry: Hello lover This is a creamy, slightly salty, vanilla'd white floral with just a hint of powdery amber on the very back end.

 

Final thoughts: Love, love, love. This is such a pretty and interesting take on the classic gardenia/tuberose combination. Really lovely, really classy, really womanly. I can see the comparison dementia_divine makes to Butterflies, Flowers, and Jewels Attending and Ava and I agree that this is in the same family but different enough to warrant owning all three. I might be biased here though as BFJA and Ava are in my top ten already; at this rate, The Eternal Queen is rapidly approaching that list as well.

 

Editing to add that the throw on this is moderate and it lasted for right around 6 hours on my (well-moisturized) skin here in humid Ohio.

 

Verdict: Hoarding

Edited August 20, 2018 by Alethia

[Soupy Twist]

White florals (that gorgeous gardenia/tuberose combination from Swans on the River) in the bottle and on application. I am swooning in this. A green/planty note comes in as it dries, but it doesn't overwhelm, and finishes as the white floral with faint green notes. Similar to the wet stage of Swans, which, oh dear. Imma have to do a death match, because I might get a bottle of this and rehome Swans.

[milo]

Gardenia, as advertised, only a fake waxy, buttery kind of scent. That being said, I have never found a perfume that actually smells like the real gardenia, in all her glory. This scent reminds me of my mom, as she used to wear a perfume like this in the late seventies, and it brings back fond memories of her getting ready to go out for dinner with my dad. I'm pretty sure she would like this, but not sure I want to give up this imp.

[LizziesLuck]

Wet: Gardenia and tuberose can both be really high pitched and screechy on me...they are trying hard to do that here, but the other notes keep reigning them in. I can't smell ambergris, however I do get a dampness to the scent, like there's dew on the blooms. This is all about the florals - the musk and amber incense really can't be picked out either, other than in that this has much more depth than "just a floral". It's settling more and growing more and more lovely the longer I have it on. Gardenia and tuberose are no longer having a fight to the death on my arm, and have settled into a partnership. Very pretty.

 

 

Dry: This is a beautiful heady, musky floral. It smells lush. It also has that "classic perfume" feel that I always gets from both gardenia and tuberose scents. It's quite lovely, and I am glad I got a partial, but I won't need more...a little goes a long way!

[zankoku_zen]

Creamy gardenia, vanilla, and hairspray tuberose. This smells queenly, in the sort of way a Pageant Queen is a Queen. It's feminine, and with eyeliner sharp enough to cut you. Imperious beauty. Good throw and wear length.

[Casablanca]

First impressions on skin: Amber incense, ambergris, and a soft musk. I anticipated an immediate flower fusillade, but this is playing differently at first. The ambergris is adding a fair dose of salt.

 

Drying: There they are. Queenly gardenia and tuberose sweep in and take over, throwing a pale, floral curtain over the earlier notes.

 

Dried: Tuberose dominates, with gardenia in its shadow, on a background of the other notes.

 

Tuberose, the grand salon blowout of florals.

 

Unfortunately, the amped tuberose makes this a bit too big and heady for me.

[LadyMedb]

I bought this unsniffed just based on the above reviews - I have a lot of issues with white florals, but if they lend towards "humidity" and "creaminess", it is ON. This one is no exception to that rule - it is so sweet and gentle, and not at all sneezy or dry. The amber and vanilla lend this scent a bit of richness and depth, and the white musk does not turn to dryer sheets. Overall, it kind of reminds me of the department store scent Gaultier 2 from ten years ago (a big amber-vanilla-musk deal), but more feminine and balanced and far better conceptualized.

 

This is a deliriously feminine creamy white floral that brings out all of the best of gardenia and tuberose, while remaining grounded and a little mysterious. Highly recommended to anyone who is willing to even think about a white floral for a second.

Edited September 22, 2018 by LadyMedb

[artisjok]

Very heady feminine white flowers, a touch of saltiness. The Eternal Queen is proud. She is fiercely in your face, yet, as you get to know her, a softening happens.The florals step back a pace and the smooth musky incense floats forward, mingling. The Eternal Queen is intricate. She sits on a vanilla throne. Sensual. 

[Lucchesa]

Tuberose is usually a hard pass for me, but this was a gift from a spectacular forumite (and I'd forgotten about the tuberose).  I do like gardenia, and all the other notes are favorites, so I was curious to see how much tuberose there would be.  And there is a lot.  The gardenia and tuberose are all I can make out when it's wet.  This is a white floral, in case you were in doubt.  Too floral for me, but if you dig femme white florals, this one is complicated and lovely, with the vanilla musk and ambergris and mysterious pale incense becoming more assertive in later drydown.