Reflections Under Bereavement

[lookingglass]

I can only consider departed spirits and ministering angels, as one innumerable company continually surrounding us. And are they not as nearly united to their fellow soldiers now, as when in the body ! What should hinder ? Gratitude and affection are natives of heaven, and live for ever. Forgetfulness is a property of mortality, and drops off with the body. Therefore, they that loved us in the Lord, will surely love us for ever. Can anything material interrupt the sight or presence of a spirit ? Nay,—

 

‘Walk within walls no more the passage bar,
Than unopposing space of liquid air.’

 

– the British Spiritual Telegraph, Vol. 3 No. 6, April 1859

 

Blackened opoponax and frankincense smoke shrouded in wilted roses, black taffeta, and tear-stained lace.

 

A deliciate, somber, soft rose...this scent reminds me of Antique Lace and the Best Lies with some incense wafting through. The rose is pink and faded but still slightly juicy, with a bit of muskiness, but darkened to a lovely sepia around the edges. Wistful and unassuming, but still well estabilished.... I can see this scent fitting in nicely anywhere. 

[zankoku_zen]

Soft roses, and lace and frankincense. This reminds me a lot to all of those Lace blends - but softer and more ghostly. Medium throw and wear length.

[PrinceofcatS]

I agree with the "soft and ghostly" assessment.  This is a very gentle but insistent rose - these are those roses that remind me of a jam or wine note, which i find is accurate to how wilted roses smell - with delicate resins.  I don't know if I get black lace out of this, but a smoky grey scent for sure.  This one is really beautiful and I think any rose lover would be happy to have it, or anyone else who loves either Lupercalia roses or the Crimson Peak line, which it reminds me of a bit (The Waltz, Between Your Heart and Mine and Lucille are definitely similar rose-atmospheres to this imo).

[Rane.]

Love it. I get the impression of fresh laundry or if grandma's linen closet had a designer musk note. Soft incense smell & clean fabric with the lightest kiss of musk. I'd say this scent was a little outside my normal choices & I'm glad I picked it.

[starbrow]

The rose popped right out at me from all the other notes, but I'm hypersensitive to rose. Otherwise, it was quite pretty and delicate, and I'd agree, it's in the Lace mood family.

[brineydeep]

Roses mixed with resins represent some of my favorite BPALs and I’m very happy to add this blend to the list.

 

I would describe this blend as a rosy frankincense/opoponax. The resins are definitely the grounding note here with an overall tinting of rose. The rose is soft and sweet but more rounded and full than a light white or pink rose. The taffeta and lace notes add complexity that is hard to describe but they really elevate this blend and make it shine.

 

I really like this blend and expect to reach for it when I want some resins with just a hint of rose.

[doomsday_disco]

I initially cut this from my decant list because I reminded myself that I generally don't go for floral + resin combos, but then I couldn't stop thinking about it. The name, the wilted roses, and the lace aspect called to me. I was debating blind bottling it, but I ended up ordering a leftover decant. If I had gone the blind bottle route, I would not have been unhappy.

The first thing that leaps out at me from Reflections Under Bereavement is the resinous smoke note, which is actually a pretty light incense smoke (I get more frankincense than opoponax). Then the rose note emerges. It does not make think of wilted roses, but something like fresh pink or tea roses. There's an astringency to the rose note that is evocative of tears, in the same way that the herbal rose geranium gives off the impression of tears falling onto soil in Deep in Earth (but of course, there's no rose geranium here!). The vanilla resides in the background, adding a light sweetness to the scent, and it is indeed the sugar-spun vanilla from the lace family. The rose softens over time, so that after several hours of wear, it is a gentle rose scent with an even lighter resinous smoke and that lovely vanilla.

 

I really like this and am not sure my decant will be enough!

Edited February 15, 2019 by doomsday_disco

[tinyvulture]

A wistful blend of rose petals with taffeta and silk. Soft and ethereal like the Lace blends. Not picking up the opoponax or frankincense, just soft funereal roses and the feeling of the fabrics which Beth somehow gets across in perfume form, not even sure how that works! This scent is VERY soft and close to the skin!

[artisjok]

Wistful is such a perfect term for Reflections Under Bereavement. A delicate, powdery rose and just a hint of resins. I can pick out the taffeta when I focus.
When it was first released, I missed my chance to buy a bottle, and regretted it. Now that I have a bottle, I probably should have just found myself a decant. 
It’s a really pretty feminine scent, yet much softer than I expected with opoponax. I gravitate towards scents with strong throw, so this was a disappointment to me. It also is a bit too powdery on my skin.
Lovely lovely in the bottle, and probably on someone else’s skin.

[lipstickonmyteeth92]

Arrived yesterday and I was very excited to try it, waited a day so it could sit. 

 

In bottle: Rose and hairspray. Eep. 

Wet on skin: A very soft rose with a sweetness and juiciness. Wilted pink roses are a very accurate description, it's very delicate. I also get a very slight smoke/black lace note. It feels very funereal. 

(Hoping the frankincense and opoponax come through a bit more) 

Dry on skin:  Sweet, I definitely get the black lace/taffeta note more; it's like a sweet vanilla resin with a light wilted rose. A very pretty scent, much lighter than anything else in my collection. It's quite lovely!