Bastet

[merebrillante]

... Luxuriant amber, warm Egyptian musk, fierce saffron and soft myrrh, almond, cardamom and golden lotus.

In the vial: Cherries.

Wet: Fruity sandalwood.

Drydown: Wow, the spices are really spreading out and flexing their muscles. This is so warm. Woody and resin-y notes are rising up as well. The fruit scent is completely gone now. So far, me likey!

Dry: While waiting for it to dry, I looked at the official description. Why does almond always smell like cherries to me? At any rate, that note is gone now. Wow, what a punch that Egyptian musk packs! This is all the spicy goodness a girl like me could ask for. Truth be told, I expected something a lot softer than what I'm getting right now. This kitty has claws.

Later: Six hours later, alas, the Goddess has departed. She was lovely, though, while she was around. Edited February 2, 2006 by Shollin

[terrierhead]

Before Bastet, I never realized why so many people think almonds and cherries smell alike. In the other almond fragrances I've tried the almonds have come out very almondy, for lack of a better term.

 

Not so with Bastet. In the imp, this is creamy, spicy, sweet cherries. The cherry pie filling fragrance continues through dry-down. Nice, but not what I was looking for. Luckily, I know just who will appreciate it.

Edited February 2, 2006 by Shollin

[Caltha]

Bastet

Bastet is candy sweet, warm, dry and powdery and a little plastic. I think I can detect some citrus and/or flower. As it dries it's still warm and spicy sweet but unfortionately turns more plastic and soapy. I'm afraid it is the Play-doh phenomenon.

[Prolixity]

In the bottle: I smell almonds strongly. Sweet amber, soft musk. Very distinctly bright gold and sweet.

Wet on skin: Almonds - candy-sweet marzipan and sugar. Spicy and edible. Mmm!

Dry on skin: Oooh. Musky soft incense coming up. The sweet almonds are receding slightly.

Over time: Musk and resin and amber notes - the almonds have left the building, but the spicy scent is still there. From sweet to fierce.

Overall: I was surprised by the sweetness in this when I opened the imp. On me, it's gone to distinctly perfumey, but not in a way I dislike - it's all incense and resin, with spicy sweetness underneath. It went from bright glittering gold to deep, roaring ambery gold. Bastet is really rather sexy. Not an everyday scent, but certainly a night-out scent, maybe something I'd reach for if I wanted to feel feminine and confident. 4/5

 

I have personal history with the concept and aspect of Bastet, so I had high hopes for this scent - luckily, they were quite well fulfilled. I like it very much indeed. The husband approves, too, so I'm quite happy.

[seamor]

In the bottle: Buttery spices – fruitcake and cardamom. A hint of something unidentifiable and slightly unpleasant. I might not have bought it if I'd smelled the bottle first.

 

Newly on the wrist: Yum! Dry, dusty spices, ancient but clearly present. A spice caravan preserved in warm sand.

 

Drydown: An implication of fruit (dates, a melon or two? - where is that coming from?) among the spices.

 

Later: Oh, now I’m getting dusty amber…and the almonds are there…

 

Even later: Mostly dusty amber, with other elements playfully peeking out from behind, ready for a friendly pounce as soon as my back is turned.

 

Still later: Now that hint of fruit is re-emerging, but still with lots of yummy amber.

 

Et cetera. This fragrance lingers for quite some time.

 

The scent is warm, soft, and purring (the way a lion would purr, with power behind it – some caution advised). It is definitely dry - how can something smell dry? But it does, very clearly. An ancient (how can it smell ancient?) desert cat - wise, confident, and sensual, with a playful aspect that took me by surprise.

 

This is one of those I-can’t-stop-smelling-myself blends. It is most definitely putting me in a mood to rub up against someone tasty and purr.

 

My imp won’t last long. I'd better put in an order right now.

 

 

Quick update: I went to the laundromat with Bastet still lightly on. Now, believe me, I do not dress up or paint to go to the laundromat, and this is a college neighborhood, so I am older than the mothers of most of the folks I run into there. Today I got checked out - I mean it! - twice! - by nice looking (young!) guys. Pheromones are everything. Best not wear this one to work.

 

My parrots are acting a little strange. One of them won't come anywhere near me right now.

Edited January 29, 2006 by celtimor

[RainyDayGrey]

Bastet... Wow. Bastet is just gorgeous.

 

When I first sniffed it in the imp I thought it smelled like honey. I didn't know what the notes were, and the honey I thought I was smelling was almond. But it was a nice lovely almond, this is how almond is supposed to smell. So far all the BPAL blends I've smelled with almond have had a sharp cherry candyish smell, so my nose thought it was smelling honey.

 

When I put it on the other notes come up, and let me tell you, they smell beautiful together. It becomes saffron and cardomom on a bed of amber, myrhh and musk, the almond fades into the back ground to give it a warm slightly sweet presense. I'm not farmiliar with lotus, so I don't know what it does for this, but this is a wonderful perfume. If I had to describe Bastet in one word it would be sensual. This is good stuff.

[telesilla]

Why I tried it: There isn't a note here I don't like and several that I love.

 

In the bottle and wet: ALMOND!

 

Drying down: The almond is still strong, but I'm getting the cardamom and the saffron now. There's an almost dusty note that I think is the myrrh.

 

Dry: Oh this is nice. I'm still hoping to find something that's exactly like Scherezade only with almond, and while this isn't it, I still really like it. The dustiness is still there and the almond has died down so you can smell the spices and the amber. There's just a tiny hint of bitterness thanks to the myrrh, but it's mellowed by something--the musk maybe. I'm not getting the lotus at all, or at least I'm not getting anything floral.

 

Later: It's gotten even smoother, and it's hard to separate out the notes now. I like things like Swank, where the one note is obvious, but I also like things like this, where the individual notes get lost in the blend.

[Diva Urd]

In the vial: Almonds and nothing else. The scent initially even put me off trying it for a while.

 

On me: The almond overload instantly fades into the background and complements the other notes just wonderfully. I'm not getting much myrrh, this blend is all about the almonds, the amber and the spices for me, with the lotus paying a visit once in a while. This is gorgeous! So different from what I usually like, but I can't stop adoring it!

 

'Bastet' truly reminds me of a cat, basking in the sun in her favorite spot and stretching in contentment once in a while. It also sticks with me forever - the musk and the amber seem to anchor it on my skin for incredible staying power.

 

Big bottle a definite.

Edited February 14, 2006 by Diva Urd

[judas_kiss]

Oh, how I forgot what it is to bask in the golden lovelyness that is Bastet. Thanks to a kind forumite, I can now remember...

 

In the bottle: Almonds and something tangy underneath. Ah...I know I'll be in love with this...

 

On (wet): Sweet almonds with something spicey and tangy hiding underneath. I believe this is the saffron. I also get a light resin note at this time. Oh, this is pretty....but wait! There's more....

 

On (drydown): Oh dear Bastet, how could I have put you off for so long?? The almond goes to the background lending a slight sweetness while the amber, lotus and saffron come out to play. The myrrh lends some grounding to this scent and keeps it from being too fierce. This is sexy as all get out.

 

Overall: This is the scent of a yellow-eyed black cat basking in the golden sun. I have been looking for a sexy summer scent, and this is it. It captures the sexy langor of summer, but the lotus and almond lend a lazy playfulness to the scent, making it the purrrrrrfect tribute to this Goddess.

[GemmaCat]

In the imp: Oof, cherries!

 

On my skin: hot almonds, faint cherry note, and an unusual spicy smell

 

Drydown: sweet and spicy, soft amber with undertone of plain soap (not unpleasant, though).

 

Overall: it's very nice and REALLY warm, but I'm not sure it's for me. I'll probably test it a few more times before I decide.

[tereshkova2001]

Warm and sensual. Something like a large, dangerous cat sprawled in the sunshine, utterly relaxed but still posessed of sharp claws, just in case. Different from Tenochtitlan, but the same amber note is recognizable. It smells like golden light, both the sunlight and the Cat's eyes. Ah--this is Bastet as the mountain lion, an aspect I'm more at home with. I'm from the Old West, after all, not Egypt.

[sestina]

Initial: Perhaps it's the almond and musk, but on initial application, this is a dead ringer for a dark vanilla musk I used to wear - ten years ago or so. Pleasant memories.

 

Thirty minutes: Hmm… the bright, sweet notes have given way to something that is almost unbearably floral. I don't know if this is the lotus that is mentioned in the description, but it doesn't agree with me.

 

Six Hours: I applied at 8 a.m. and at 2 p.m. this is finally something soft, round, and gorgeous. The floral unfolding was a bit too much for me, and I never detected what I generally imagine amber to smell like.

 

Verdict: If I could skip the opening four hours and get straight to the drydown, this would be a keeper. Just, too much of something in there for me to really feel like Bastet suits me.

[storme]

In the bottle: wow, this smells complex. A foodier scent than I expected, actually - warm, spicy cherries.

 

On me: Whuh? All I smell now is marzipan. As it dries, it becomes a powdery marzipan, like someone peeled off all the icing from a wedding cake and left it lying about for a week. I guess I should avoid almonds. Grumble.

 

Edit: a week later I tried this again, as I still had the imp lying around and, hunh, not so bad after all. Still a faint hint of marzipan, but it's playing nicely with the amber and cardamom now. Pleasanter, but still no real wow factor.

Edited March 8, 2006 by storme

[Missmoonlight]

liquid: caramel almonds or macadamia nuts!! brown sugar!

 

on my skin: this reminds me of an Egyptian spa!! something wooden, a very light talcum background but with caramel, compact powder

 

after 5 minutes: the talcum note is emerging and it's less "oriental". Nice, but not for me:(

[elphaba]

I bought Bastet as the ultimate amber scent and somehow banished the fact that there were any other notes in it from my mind. Consequently, as I sniffed it in the imp, I found myself thinking "What's all this then?" as a blend of musk and almond hit my nose. I was displeased. As it turns out, though, the drydown is a wonderful ambery scent (thankfully, the almond quickly goes into hiding) that will layer quite well with the amber scent I fell in love with from Melt. I'm happy to have it.

[gangstaknitta]

Historically, none of the notes in this really work on me. Almond turns to play doh and amber into old lady powder. Bastet did none of these on me. It smelled rather nutty--like toasted almond. It's lovely and warm, but not heavy or sweet. I got a big bottle.

 

Layered with Bow & Crown of Conquest is even better. Also works well with Verdandi and Dead Man's Hand.

[Ryvre]

I don't think I can say anything that hasn't already been said. This scent is sexy and luxurious. The almond comes out pretty strong on my skin, but I can't pick out any other notes. It all blends together and smells lovely.

[LittleGreyKitten]

Hi. I'm stooopid. I realize that Bastet I never gave a fair chance to. Yes, I tried it on skin, but I didn't *leave it* on my skin. It smelled like Death By Almonds, I said bah, and washed it off still wet. Yes, I'm dumb.

 

So I retried it finally... and let it dry. OHGOD. The almonds disappear, halleluja! This amazing golden, warm, almost creamysweet scent takes over. It's musky, spicy, yet not dark or deep. It feels playful and sexy, not overwhelmingly potent or in-your-face. The scent it throws is just gorgeous. Up close it's also really, really great, but the throw, oh man. It's beautiful.

 

Here, kitty kitty. Getting a full size STAT.

 

5 out of 5, woohoo!

Edited May 16, 2006 by LittleGreyKitten

[nevermore]

The almond shows up, briefly, on my skin. Once it receeds, I'm left with spices and lotus, and maybe some musk. Lotus is one of those ingrediants that can go either way on my skin - some days it's nice, some days it's overpoweringly bubblegum. Bastet behaves better than other lotus blends I've tried, and when it does behave, it's lovely. I don't think I'll be needing a larger bottle of it, as I have a bottle of Morocco, and I find the two similar, but Bastet is lovely nonetheless.

[batsy]

In the vial: spicy

 

On the skin: I was worried, since I read a lot about "cherries" because I really hate cherry... but this wasn't really "cherry" to me. It's very Egyptian-like, especially with the myrrh, but I love the amber so it works. It's a plesant surprise, really!

[Celestyna]

A favorite!

It's a hot Sunday in church and you smell the fresh pomade and pressing creme. Smells like Braid Spray on too-tight twists.

And the hairdresser in the afternoon, wafting a rich blend of good musky perfume mixed with hard work and those strrange conditioner scents.

Out of Eden - “Sunny Day”.

Makes you wanna go play hopscotch. I'm in love.

[tajana]

Bastet is the first blend I purchased a full bottle of! (At the time I am writing this, my only bottle.) Mine is quite aged. In the bottle, it smells like almonds and smoothness. Wet on my wrist, it still smells like that. There's a definite Egyptian/desert vibe to it, with the hint of watery lotus giving it a bright twist. The blend of musk, amber, and myrrh is perfect. After it's completely dry, I'm sorry to say that the almonds aren't there in full force anymore. Though there's the nuance of the other notes, the dominant scent on becomes that of gentle lotus and soft amber, which is to say, delicately floral and a bit powdery. Not that that's a bad thing- it manages to smell clean, warm, and huggable all at once.

Edited December 17, 2008 by tajana

[Brianne]

In the vial:

Smoooooooooth myrhh

 

On me:

Oh Bastet, how I love thee! Bastet is my surprise love of the season, I thought I'd *like* Bastet, but I didn't know I'd fall in love with it. It has a lot of things in it that normally just don't work on me - amber (which usually goes to powder), lotus (which I really hate), and myrhh (which typically goes straight to pencil shavings on me). But somehow... in this blend they come together and work some serious magic.

 

Bastet is definitely sweet - it's not sweet in a foody way, but it is sweet so if that turns you off you might want to avoid it. But the sweetness is wonderfully tempered with the warmth of the scent and the spices in this. It does smell like almond oil + amber, in that those are the first things that really come across to me, but behind it all you can catch those airy spices and the soft breath of lotus which just lends a slightly sweet floral touch to the background.

 

Final note:

I love this so much, it's just an amazing scent and I find myself reaching for it often. And even though I wouldn't say it's my favorite BPAL scent, I do actually reach for it more than any other scent I own!

[jewelbug]

Imp: Smooth, sweet, and I catch quite a bit of spice in this, though I'm unsure if its saffron or cardamom. Either way, it’s not a sharp spice, it's golden.

 

Wet: Creamy and powdery--I think I'm getting the myrrh, amber and almond the most. But there is definitely the sweet (as always, slightly bubble-gummy) lotus floating in the back. The lotus is not at all overbearing, though, and adds just a perfect touch to this. The musks and spices take the creamy sweet and SEX it up. Really a lovely blend.

 

Dry: A soft golden powdery almond with warms strong musks. You know, this really reminds me of Devil's Night. I wonder if they share a musk note? Bastet is deep and musky like my DN, but is creamier and sweeter while DN has a smoky chocolate vibe to it. So, this is a lighter more golden devil's night, but I can't shake the similarity. The middle dry down is a non-smoky Devil's night mixed with a kiss of lotus, and the late drydown is a slightly powdery sweet amber with lotus and almond smooches.

 

Overall: Every stage of this blend was beautiful. Because it reminds me so strongly of devil's night for a few hours of its wear, I just can't resist characterizing this as a fall scent. Since spring is coming, I think that I'll have to try this again when the seasons change. Moderate to strong throw, lasts about 5 hrs.

[juniperus]

Bottle: Very sweet, the almond pronounced, lotus behind it adding to height. Yowza, sinus-grabbing.

Wet: Almond, then saffron and cardamom. I smell reminiscent of an Indian restaurant.

Dry: The cardamom is really prominent. The warmth of the musk and amber is hinted at, but they are overshadowed by the spicy. The almond has receded nicely, my sinuses appreciate that.

Later: The musk and amber really rounding the bottom out, very warm. Spicy, but I no longer smell like something edible, and the myrrh is a nice counterbalance to the spices. I can't find much of the lotus hanging around anymore, and the almond is barely a hint - almost feels like a top note to the myrrh, in a strange way. Exotic and lovely.