Bastet

[isyche]

Bast, Ubasti, Ailuros, Ba-en-Aset. Represented as both a domestic cat and a fierce lioness, she truly evidences traits of both. She is the Mother of All Cats, Goddess of Sensuality, Fertility, and a guardian and protector of women. She is also one of the Eyes of Ra, and in that aspect is an Avenging Goddess, seeking retribution and punishing enemies of her people. Luxuriant amber, warm Egyptian musk, fierce saffron and soft myrrh, almond, cardamom and golden lotus.

Bastet is a lovely, smooth, golden almondy amber on me. It blends into my skin and doesn't throw far, but it's beautiful...amber seems to be really working for me lately.

It's a little like Old Morocco without the notes that went “off” in that for me – I'm surprised to see there's lotus in it, because usually lotus screams candy on me, and I don't smell it at all here.

The scent reminds me of that aura of residual heat left on one's skin after lying in the sun awhile. Sexy in a self-contained way, without trying to be or caring if anyone notices. Very nice – my bottle list is growing so fast!

[pekeana]

In the vial, Bastet is all about the sharp, fierce almond.

 

On me, the almond wears strong for a while, then it goes back and forth between being powdery and being absolutely incredible. One moment, I love it, the next I hate it because of the powder, and then BOOM! Up comes a hit of saffron and musk that reminds me of Scherezade, only sweeter and a touch more resinous.

 

Still not completely sold on it, but I'm going to try to layer it with some other things and see if I can't make The Curse Of Bast get over itself. /gratitous West Wing reference

[anmorata]

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one getting those luscious cherry-almond notes in the bottle. In the imp, it's all I could smell.

 

Sadly, Bastet turned into pure powder on my skin. I suspect that could be the amber, but this isn't a scent I'm enjoying.

 

Ah well, back to the drawing board.

[Finny]

Out of the imp... spicy almonds.

 

On though, the almond is only there for a moment, then I get a wonderful spicy and warm scent. The amber is wonderful, I get a dry powdery warmth holding all the spices together from it. The lotus is very subtle, it doesn't really show itself, except for keeping this blend from being foody. This scent blends together so well it is hard to pick out individual components.

 

I like this one, it is warm, spicy and rich. Lovely.

[darkling]

Bastet started out as sweet, rich almond very similar to Eclipse.

 

As it dries, Bastet becomes much sharper and spicier. The saffron is very noticeable in this blend as it merges with the almond.

 

The amber seems to fuse with the almond insuch as way that the almond actually fades over time although a richness to the scent remains.

 

Bastet is a very beautiful scent with its combination of sweet and spicy.

[Glitzie]

WOW, I am absolutely loving this.

 

Initially it smelt like Cherries and almond- as has already been mentioned.

I am not great at reviews but now ot is dry I definately smell the amber with a touch of something warmer and spicier (maybe the saffron?)

 

Whatever it is I love it and it seems to love me.

I don't have a great history with resin scents but this is purrrfect.

[Shollin]

First sniff: Whisker-tingling furry almond over deeper musk.

 

Wearing: Bastet is a gorgeous warm scent, lioness-gold, with an overtone of sweet almond. Fantastically beautiful. I got a lot of golden scents in this order; that wasn’t intentional, but the last four I’ve tried (Mantis, Arachne, Delphi and Bastet) give me almost exactly the same scent-colour.

[warmfuzzies]

in the vial, this has a lovely straightforward fruity smell. however, on me bastet smelled like fruit & opium/obsession. after a while, this was aaaaalllllll obsession, all the time. like haunted without the baby powder finish. ok, a tad old-lady-ish...maybe just toooo sophisticated for my taste, as i am not into "perfumey" at all.

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: The sweet almond is nearly overpowering. There is some interesting spiciness slinking around the background, as well.

Wearing: The overpowering almond fades rapidly into a warm golden glow of amber, musk, and spices. The musk quickly overtakes the amber (and everything else, really), leaving a pleasant musky glow until it all fades away a few hours later.

Final Impressions: This is nice while it lasts, but... I just don't know. My expectations were very high going in (I purchased a 5ml unsniffed), and this really just doesn't live up to those expectations. I think I'll try it again during a different hormonal time before I completely give up on this though!

[Lucretia]

Let me just start off by saying that I've already ordered a 5ml of this, because I looove it!

Goes on almond, but then.... all these amazing spices and incenses come out and I smell like a church or a sacrifical offering. This scent smells so holy, so feline and so etereally beautiful on me. I just can't stop sniffing my wrists. I can't even place the notes, they all blend together into a smooth, warm and sultry exotic blend. Prrrrrfect if you'll excuse the cliche!

[Sheila]

Although I generally dislike almond and lotus notes, I had to get Bastet because (1) I love the rest of the notes, especially musk, myrrh, amber and saffron and (2) I love my cat

Yes! I also dislike almond and detest lotus, but love this.

 

First, it's a blast of cherry almond sweetness. Then, I get a honey scent for an hour or two. This stage is followed by a gentle, incensy spice, with the beautiful amber and myrrh providing a warm sunshiney base. Unfortunately it doesn't last long on me.

 

On to the big-bottle list it goes. Meow!

 

ETA: I don't notice the dreaded lotus at all; maybe because it's "golden" lotus in this blend? Although that could be the cause of the sweet honey scent...hm.

[bodegaselkie]

This is a gorgeous scent. The cherry-almond note that others have mentioned is present in the vial for me, but disappears seconds after I apply. It fades to a warm, golden glow -- which reminds me of entering a temple. I feel self-possessed when I wear this, and walk with my chin a little higher (when I'm not sneaking sniffs of myself). It reminds me of the way cats sit sometimes, their shoulders thrown back, their eyes open, their mouths curled into the faintest smile. They know they are regal! Bastet is definitely one of my favorites thus far. Its scent lasts quite well for me throughout the day, though if I apply too much it smells to "perfumey" for my taste. As an added bonus, I wore it to bed one night and had incredibly sexy dreams!

[antimony]

Heavy cherry-almond scent. It's pretty, but it's too cough-syrupy when wet.

 

The fist wet notes are strong, but they evaporate quickly. The scent dissapears for a while, then after half an hour, it starts to come back. That 2nd round is not almondy, but it's heavy on the amber and super-sweet.

[Lit Chick]

Oh. My. God.

 

This is a Holy Grail scent to me. Instantly gorgeous - perfection, making me swoon in the bliss of it.

 

I can't describe any notes of this - only that it is a second skin scent. It does not smell like perfume - it smells like me, but obviously better. As if I bathed myself in rich, scented cream - dried myself in warm afternoon sunlight, and then wrapped myself in silk.

 

It's also a very feline scent, in terms of how it makes me feel. Languid, sensual, content to stretch and curl up on the couch in a puddle of light. It makes me purr.

[tangle]

Bastet is a really nice amber scent. It's got this warm, sleepy, sweet feel to it. I'm getting the slightly cherry scent too, but that might just be how I'm smelling the almond/lotus combination. I think it could be worn in either summer or winter. I like the slightly spicy (cardamom, saffron) undertone: it brings the amber, almond and myrrh together in a really appealing and complex scent.

[Cat]

This is my first BPAL review, and along with Alice that I also received today, my first BPAL scent EVER! I am so excited.

 

Right, down to business, first I should mention its not a great time for me to try BPAL for the first time as I am in that stage of a cold where I can't smell the true scent of things, so this may be off, but I will edit when I can smell again.

 

In the Bottle: Almond. Pure almond. Luckily, I quite like almond as a scent, but have never really worn it as a perfume. Something slightly spicy underneath it, but mainly just a ton of almond.

 

Wet: The almond fades very quickly. There is a warmth, and I would describe it as golden, definately. I don't know what cardamom or saffron really smell like, but there is a touch of a spicy sharpness present.

 

Dry: A bit more powdery now. Still golden, but more like a golden desert sunset wrapped in velvet and silk than the sharper, dreamy desert afternoon seen through chiffon in its wet stage. I only have Alice (currently on other wrist) to compare it to at the moment, but it certainly isn't as strong. But, remember, I have a cold and that could be having a big effect.

 

Overall: I do really like this. It is comforting yet there is something sexy about it too. I am glad I went and got that 5ml bottle unsniffed now

[Ice]

This is a scent that needs to warm up before I like it. I got a few drops on some clothing and I really didn't care for the smell. It seemed like it had a potential, but there was one note that just seemed... off-key. Like beautiful music where one instrument needs tuning or is just enough off the beat to be jarring.

 

I tried it again today on my skin and I like it much better. It's warm, very yellow (but not quite sparkling enough to call golden on me), and not at all sweet. I think the saffron is a predominant note on me. I like it, but I don't *love* it. Which is sad, because I adore Bastet the goddess, and I was hoping I'd equally love Bastet the perfume.

[vitawash24]

At first, all I got from this scent was almond, and I wondered if I'd put Dana O'Shee on by mistake! But then it mellowed and the musk and amber and spices came out, and it was gorgeous. It makes me think of sun-warmed skin and while it doesn't have a lot of throw, I really like the subtlety. Gorgeous and exotic. This is headed for my big bottle list.

[Spastik_Kitty]

In the bottle: Wet juicy cherries with a warm undertone.

 

First on: It becomes more obvious the cherry scent if from almond. It smells like Disorano Amaretto with a slight hint of saffron and amber. This is heavenly.

 

After a few seconds: This morphs into a rich comfortable scent. The almond is a faint wisp and the lotus and amber and more dominant now.

 

After a few minutes: Amber amber amber, oh how I love thee. The amber is very dominant and hardly any other notes are coming through. On occasion I will get a slight waft of cardamon (I double checked my herb rack to make sure this is what I was smelling). I do wish that the Egyptian Musk would rear it's head and that the almond would have stayed around, but it's beautiful nonetheless.

 

After an hour: It's now a sultry faded amber with a kiss of saffron.

 

I'm going to have to try The Lion before I decide on a bottle.

Edited March 10, 2005 by Spastik_Kitty

[surf-tormented]

It was a bit disappointing.

 

The ambers didn't last long and none of the other notes came up on me, except the almond, which hates my skin...I do like The Lion a lot more than this one.

 

Swap it is...

Edited March 13, 2005 by Madame Nyx

[shelldoo]

when i first aplied this it was all almond. i love almonds so i was a sniffing fool. but very quickly it morphed, the almond all but disappeared and as it dried it became a deep, sexy amber, musk w/ a saffron kick. this is very feral, ultra sexy, i adore it

[UltraViolet]

In the bottle

Sweet almond

 

Wet

Nice. The amber, almond and musk seem primary to me. The cardomom and myrrh are light, together with the saffron and lotus make this what I always thought Snake Oil to be.

 

10 Minutes

It seems like I smell sandalwood now (which I love), but it must be the musk.

It's more lightly spicey and incensey now and less sweet and foody but it's still gorgeous.

 

20 minutes

It's more powdery now. More perfumey now too but not alot. I smell mainly musk, amber and almond. It's still gorgeous and sexy.

 

Throw:

light/medium

 

Scent category:

spicy/foody

 

Summary

This changed midway from real yummy almondy goodness to...

more of a sweet incensey spice blend but is still very nice.

For you Lush users this reminds me of Prince of Bathness mixed with Psychodelic a little bit

 

 

Purchase again?

Yes. An imp or a 5ml

 

1-5 rating, 5 being best.

4

Edited March 16, 2005 by UltraViolet

[slave1]

In Bottle: Spicy cherry bubblegum kind of like Hollywood Babylon, but spicy.

 

On skin: The musk and amber are strongest. The almond sweetens the scent which is also where the “cherry” note I smell is coming from. The inscense smell is very strong after a few minutes which must be from all the beautiful spicy notes. I generally don’t like inscense scents, but this is so sweet and sexy… and very light. My skin drank it up and after 10 minutes it’s already fading… I hope it’ll have some staying power because I love this scent! Bastet is one of my goddesses so I had realllllllly hoped this scent would work for me and apart from fading, it has!

[Ishtar]

Bastet is like a ray of golden light. Warm and soft and comforting, it makes me want to purr.

 

Unlike most reviewers, I didn't find that this blend started off overly almondy, but I cannot get enough almond anyway, so please don't mind me

My first impression was of a soft amber scent, with some Middle Eastern spices dancing in the background. The amber is gentle and feminine, yet at the same time there is something fierce and animal going on here. Which is quite fitting for Bastet, since her wrathful and bloothirsty incarnation as Sekhmet cannot be very far...

 

In this blend, though, it is definitely the most gentle side of the goddess that predominates. The drydown is all soft musk with a touch of cardamom and saffron.

 

It took me a little while to give Bastet the attention it deserves, as it is rather discreet for such a warm scent. It is well worth the effort and will reward you with an exotic, sexy scent that is nonetheless perfectly suitable for daytime and work. Spectacular yet understated and with an Egyptian goddess as its inspiration, what more could I ask for in a perfume?

[misfitroxy]

In the imp, this is a very candied almond type of scent. Syrupy sweet but not unpleasantly so.

 

It warms up quickly on my wrist, and while it’s still very heavy on the almond a kind of additional sweetness appears. It reminds me of coconut, strangely enough, just a touch more spicy.

 

Once it’s dried, it’s definitely very warm and golden, as others have noted. And thoroughly Egyptian, though I really can’t elaborate on what I mean by that. Let's just say that the resins are spot on. And I have visions of Egyptian cabaret dancers balancing swords on their foreheads.

 

Beyond the spice, it’s almost buttery to the point of being food-like but I think the spices ground it well enough to keep it from classifying in that category.

 

As much as I’m enjoying the blend, I can’t imagine ever wearing it or even burning it. It would definitely provoke compliments from me, it’s just not right for me.

Edited March 22, 2005 by misfitroxy