Nefertiti

[erraticprophet]

“The Beautiful One Is Come”. Egyptian iris and olibanum with red and white sandalwood, soft myrrh and a breath of North African herbs.

Initial Impression: iris, sandalwood

On Wet: sandalwood, myrrh, iris

On Dry: very blended but still predominantly iris, herbs, hint of sandalwood.

Final Impression: Not bad. I think I'll age the imp to see if it mellows out the iris and brings out the myrrh and herbs more.

Rating (on a scale from 1-5): 2.5

[alicia_stardust]

Nefertiti was one of my very first BPAL loves. She is glowing and golden, regal, commanding. The two sandalwoods mingle well together. There's something about the herbs and the way they mix with the woods that really gives this a glowing quality. When I wear this it's as if there's a golden aura around me. Nefertiti is beautiful and commanding. It smells so different on my skin than it does in the bottle. Every single time I wear this my husband asks what I'm wearing because he likes it so much.

[AEris]

Wow, another winner! I have reviewed like 6 new loves in a row the past few days, this is crazy!

 

The combination of iris, white florals, gentle herbs, and the softest bass note of myrrh and sandalwood...it is just magical.

Upon drydown, the florals die down somewhat and the sandalwood and myrrh take the stage. What a lovely morph! Simple and elegant and just makes me feel a little like royalty, myself. I miss the opening stage, but it's still really pretty.

 

My dog just went nuts over the spot where I tested on my finger : -D She likes it, all sniffing and trying to lick it! Hehehe she's never done that before for BPAL (peanut butter maybe, but perfume?)

 

Nefertiti is another perfectly balanced blend. Beth continues to amaze me. BPAL oils are all masterpieces of fine art!

 

Did I say I'm a fan of this scent? Yeah? Good.

 

4.3 out of 5

[econley]

I should have known better when I saw myrrh in the description, but I couldn't resist. I repeatedly try scents that have notes in them that hate me because I am intrigued or excited by the descriptions. And you never know, there could be that one time where you try it, and it works.

 

Wet..Ok, nothing bad yet, soft herbs, lots of yummy sandalwood.

 

Dry...Plastic. Horrible, horrible plastic.

 

 

 

*sigh*

[fireflower]

Strangely, in the imp and first applied, this reminds me strongly of the scent of the refrigerated section of a flower shop. It's cool, and there's no real distinct scent, but it smells nice.

 

When dried, the sandalwood is what's dominant. The green part that I detected in the imp is still there (probably the herbs), but somewhere in the background. I definitely get whiffs of the iris, and it's pretty strong.

 

It's all right, but I'm definitely not in love just yet. I think the iris is making it a little soapy. I'm going to age my imp to see if the iris calms down a little bit. Perhaps the sandalwood will come to the fore then.

[phoenix1558]

Iris, some spicy sandlewood, some tempering green notes....I'm sniffing, and sniffing, and sniffing, and thinking, 'man, I've smelled this before. I've WORN this before.' My mental memory banks are going full tilt, sparks are flying, trying to access long stored files. Lovely, very feminine scent. The flower shop mentioned is apt also, in a good way. A flower shop with some incense sticks burning. Very nice. Damn, what was that perfume? Scent memories flying through the synapses now. Good memories. College memories. 'Oh, yeah, that night' -naughty memories!

 

Then it comes to me. Eureka!!! Ralph Lauren...the original Lauren formulation in the red bottle from the late 70s

[Epiphany]

This was yet another BPAL scent that surprised me. I was expecting to be overwhelmed with sandalwood and myrrh (but still curious, based on the idea alone and because I love iris), but it is wonderfully balanced. In the bottle, the expected incense-notes (resin and wood) were very much at the forefront, but even there I could smell the complex and lush scent of iris and herbs.

 

Wet on my skin, I can smell the warmth of this. The iris and herbal notes begin to assert themselves, mellowing the incense-like aroma.

 

Dry, it is just gorgeous. This is a sensual scent, for me, a gentle sweetness enveloped in an exotic earthy embrace. It is the smell of the sun-warmed skin of a queen--skin that is just damp to the touch.

 

Lovely.

[Bamels]

At first sniff it smells clean and beautiful, reminiscent of one of my mum's old Chanel perfumes. Wet it smells pretty much the same; a light and green scent. Dry it smells much lighter, is there a hint of jasmine? Not really what I was expecting, and I don't think it will have much staying power. After a few hours all the greeness has gone and I am left with a light, spicy scent. Not bad, but not worth a bottle.

[donnatron]

Imp: Pure sandalwood with a bit of a generic floral scent in the background.

 

Wet: Threatens to disappear. Maybe it's just a day where scents feel the need to tease me as the same thing happened with Hungry Ghost Moon this morning.

 

Dry: A dry, balanced spicy scent. There is a note in this--I think it's the iris--that threatens to go old lady on me. It's a little weird. I used to wear patchouli oil in my hair and this smells like when I would first get into the shower and hot water came in contact with the patchouli in my hair. It evokes memories, but it's not the greatest scent memory. I definitely see that this is pretty--I smell a really nice balance of sandalwood and myrrh, but there's something about the iris that is making it unruly.

 

Throw: Pretty close to the skin.

 

Overall: It's such a nice concept and it seems so true to the mythos of Nefertiti, but I'm not overly taken with it. I'll probably hang onto the imp and wear it every once in awhile, but that's about it.

[savage_rose]

An intoxicating floral! It's not too sweet, and the incense background is a perfect complement to the tangy floral foreground. This scent is LOVE.

[Kitrona]

In imp: *wrinkles nose*

 

Wet: Dunno about this... it could go either way.

 

Dry: Oh HELL YES. This is awesome. Definitely feminine, but not delicate. I love this.

 

Verdict: Considering a bottle.

 

Mar's verdict: Not sure. Seems decent.

[hkhm]

imp: there's the iris and sandalwood but there's also a a sort of sweet, watery aquatic scent as well.

 

wet: well, this went straight to ick on my skin and i don't know what's causing it since these notes usually work on me. it's like some awful floral aquatic that makes me think of the ladies room at a department store.

 

dry: still a sharpish aquatic floral disaster. oh well.

[dluszcz]

BPAL can be a lot like online dating. Nefertiti is like this: love on paper, not so much chemistry in real life.

 

In the imp, this was perfume. Just perfume, floral and a bit chemical, nothing jumping out.

Wet on my skin, this was a sharp, dry, sandalwood, the kind I'm often disappointed with when I buy sandalwood soap. Through the sandalwood ran a sharp, clearly green note, that I wasn't expecting in a perfume named for a queen of a desert civilization.

As it began to dry, something began tickling my nose, like a snort of... ginger brew. I thought this might be a positive turn, but-

I then began to detect something like used up potpourri- which I guessed must be "Egyptian herbs" (is that all one blended note, something that would sit next to a pot of Herbs de Provence in your spice rack?). This began giving me the ucky, squelchy headache that has developed with some scents, notibly, Queen Mab.

At this point, is was still very strong, wafting up to my nose as it evolved into... drying latex wall paint.

After a couple of hours of drydown, it is softer, sweeter, dusty potpourri and wet paint rollers.

 

I wanted this to be a bottle-worthy scent, but my search for a "perfect match" will go on.

[djsiberia]

i loved this scent in the imp. it was a floral/spicey scent

 

i think the iris popped out more than any other scent.

 

i'm not certain what it was about the scent that i didn't like, but i doubt i will purchasse this in bottle form.

[Coldfire]

Freebie imp from the lab on my last order:

 

 

Imp: Sharp Astringent Green. Almost bitter

Wet on Me: More Bitter greens almost catching

a whiff of the sandalwood.

Drying down: Still sharp greens, somewhat watery

Dry: Greens and smells like an herbal limeade. And

then about half hour after...sandalwood and greens and limeade.

 

 

It's interesting going on.....nicer after it drys. Not sure about bottle. Maybe I'll put this in the outbound collection

[mgrazulis]

In the imp: Iris, sweet herbs and myrrh

 

Wet: olibanun (Arabic for frankinsense), soft and earthy sandalwod, more green herbs

 

Dry: soft green watery air emerges. The florals have gone beneath. Becomes tranquil. Very regal, reminescent of BPAL's Cairo.

 

Verdict: On me this is not so much floral as it is warm and sensual, like an earthy embrace. Excellent blend and suits the concept. This is not overly perfumey at all. Regal and sedate. The sandalwoods and incenses are gentle and not smokey.

 

5 hours later: Scent is almost gone. I don't mind applying again. Don't know that I would want a full bottle, but I will treasure my imp!

[idoru]

I'd never tried iris, and sandalwood is usually brilliant for me. I've liked myrrh in other blends. Why not?

 

Initially, Nefertiti smelled like inoffensive (!) violet, with a powdery throw. I detest violet, so the "inoffensive" part is surprising.

 

About 10 minutes in, hints of hidden, sharper herbs started to kick in, but she's still predominantly floral.

 

Eventually, it faded to a slightly herbal sandalwood, which was nice, but not enough to sell me on the scent.

 

From my notes: "Too violet-y overall, though not the sharp, soapy blargh."

[ErinZ]

Wet in imp:

spicy, fruity wood

 

Wet on skin:

floral wood

 

Drydown:

nice floral (maks me think of a blend of rose, lily and jasmine, but it's most likely the iris, which I'm not as familiar with) with a bit of wood to warm it up

 

Wearlength:

a light scent remains hours later

 

Final impression:

This initially reminds me of an Estee Lauder bath and shower gel I had years ago, then mellows out very nicely.

 

This is a scent I never would have chosen for myself. I tend to be a bit scared of sandalwood. But our wise and all-knowing labbies were sweet enough to send this as a frimp. It's amazing, and I will be getting a bottle of it at some point.

[Raqassah]

Wet:Corrupted violets sprinkled with salt. Hints of woodsy/resin notes.

 

Dry down: Myrrh and sandlewood overlaid with sweet flag note.

 

Final impression: Sophisticated and formal with a hint of a dark brooding quality. Mmmmm....

[voodoocatwoman]

I love sandalwood and I love this frgrance. It is warm and soft. That's the only way I can describe it.

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Lightly, delicately floral with dry (but not bitter) herbs and wafting resins.

 

Immediately on skin: This is a lightly spicy sandalwood scent with soft resins and an airy, light touch of iris. It has a note that is making it feel a little sharp, but overall the blend is smooth and well blended. It’s almost musky, but I think that’s just the sandalwood, which is very deep in this blend.

 

After a little while: The iris in this has bloomed on my skin, and the olibanum has come out a bit more. This is a resinous iris scent with a nice dose of sandalwood. It’s lightly fresh and floral, resinous, and a bit warm and spicy all at the same time. The herbs are just lightly there, a breath of them like the description says.

 

Overall Impressions: This is a very pretty scent. The iris really freshens up this blend of frankincense, sandalwood, and myrrh with the trailing scent of light herbs. This isn’t overly sweet or heavy, and manages to be warm and floral at the same time.

[Czarina]

Lab frimp.

 

In the imp: light floral.

Wet: soapy green floral, plus frankincense.

Drydown: florals fade, frankincense amps up.

 

Pleasant enough but not me.

[modillian]

This is reedy, aquatic, and fresh with a little bit of spice in the back. The sandalwoods mingle well in the back, and olibanum is...frankincense, a resin. Huh, didn't see that one coming. Well, I vaguely recognize that smell now, from church, and it's definitely the dominant note in the blend. Strange. But beautiful. Definitely a keeper. Frankincense hitting high on top, middle iris and sandalwood, rounded out with soft spicey myrrh. Very distinctive, but for some reason the with Marquise de Merteuil on my other hand they're both pinging a similar fresh smell that renders them...pretty similar, actually. Good, but sadly it doesn't fit my personality at all. It's a pity I'm losing out on the most beautiful woman in the world.

Edited October 4, 2008 by modillian

[rayvn1]

I could have sworn there was papyrus in here! Dry and slightly floral sweet. Hardly any throw, and is now only a pleasant breath of myrrh a few hours after application. Feminine and pretty, but not my cup of tea - give me Mr. Ibis instead.

[zankoku_zen]

This one is such a golden and regal scent. I get a womanly perfume, on a base of sandalwood. It's like skin musk. It stays close to the skin, enveloping you. There's a teeny touch of honey that I could really smell when I put it on, but other than that, this is a scent that is more than it's components.

 

Regal, sexual, sensual, commanding. This is indeed, fit for a queen.