Bathsheba

[angharad]

The Seventh Daughter, Daughter of the Oath. She was King David’s lover, and the mother of King Solomon. Her scent is breathtakingly lovely, exotic and powerfully sensual in its innocence: carnation, sensual plum, and Arabian musk.

 

Ooh, I so much love this one. It's a gorgeous, exotic, spicy, musky, sweetness on me. I can't really pick any one note out over another because they all blend so well. Bathsheba has average throw and doesn't last more than a couple hours, but I love it.

Edited January 29, 2006 by angharad

[Blueelm]

Wow. I went to edit my review of this and realized I hadn't submitted one. Good thing, as this proved to be a sleeper scent for me. When I first tried it, I was distinctly unimpressed. It wasn't bad, just not that much of a standout. The scent is immiately spicy with carnation, and then quickly dries to a subtle musk and amber scent.

 

Months later I tried this imp again and now I'm in love. It is a similar amber scent to that in Aglaea, but the plum is much more pleasant and subtle than the peach, IMO. I love love love carnation too so all in all this is a beautiful sensual perfume. My only complaint would be that it doesn't last that long. Drydown picks up some of the carnation spice. My goodness, what a classic and lovely scent. I'm now finding myself wanting to bathe in this!

[theseagrows]

this is a sweet fruity-floral, i dont get much spiciness at all. it has a similar quality to something in ides of march, and the both give me a headache. which is too bad, because the description is just lovely!

 

off to wash my wrists profusely.

[AlaskaSnows]

Carnation, plum and musk, well blended so as to make one scent. It's a bright happy scent, sexy, playful, and feminine. I'd say it's mainly floral, with the plum as a topnote and the musk as a base.

 

Very pretty and fun, but not enough to take my interest away from other scents.

Edited February 16, 2006 by AlaskaSnows

[Wench457]

Bathsheba ITB: sweet, like lillies.

 

On: something dusty and a bit sour underneath, like violets sometimes go on me, though I don't think this is really violet. The throw smells like freesia, which I adore.

 

Dry: lovely spicy, clovey carnation. It was headed for the top of my "buy a bottle quick" list, but after a half hour, it morphed into bubblegum and resin.

Edited February 18, 2006 by Wench457

[Heretic]

In the vial: What I like to call "the generic BPAL smell." Sweetly floral and slightly musky. This is a good thing.

 

On my wrist, wet: Pez. But in a really good way (this must be the plum). Quickly turns into a fizzing spicy, floral.

 

After 20 minutes: Musk and carnation. And it's that lovely, delicate musk that I love so much. Beautiful.

After an hour: So nice. Soft carnation and that gorgeous Arabian musk.This is Maiden's exotic, more experienced cousin. I don't get much plum from this at all, but that's OK. The feminine floral/musk combination is enough to warrant a bottle.

[themerrybaker]

A little Pez-candy deal going on at first. But out comes the nice pollen and spice with the musk refrains from spraying the baseboards and inflicting other mayhem. This will probably be a replacement for Danube when that bottle is gone. Good warm weather scent.

[Scarlettfish]

Oh, this is gorgeous. The notes are so well-blended that nothing stands out for me - it smells like a fruity, musky, sexy floral. This is exotic and intoxicating without being overwhelming. Love!

[Miss_Trisha]

Bathsheba reminds me tremendously of Blood Countess, but Bathsheba is much spicier.

 

Out of the bottle, Bathsheba is very fruity floral to me. The plum is very dominant. I really like plum so I was anxious to put this one on.

 

On my skin, it stays plummy floral for awhile then WHAM! spiciness. The carnation comes through very strongly and gives the plum an edge. It had great staying power too. 3 hours after application it was still going stong.

 

All and all, I love this scent. It's not as devious as Blood Countess, but Bathsheba is so much more sultry. This scent is my perfect "mysterious date" scent.

[feline.by.design]

My, this is kooky.

 

I smell in Bathsheba cinnamon and spice, although that could be the carnation tricking me. Really spicy, and quite rockin'.

 

Plum normally smells like candle wax on my skin. Initially, the plum note doesn't make an appearance, as the spices overwhelm in Bathsheba. Man, does this have some bite!

 

As my skin chemistry works on beating Bathsheba into submission, I take another whiff and realise the spices have toned way down, revealing something that smells like... Poison?! Naw, couldn't be. Naaah...

 

But it does sort of smell like something I'd find in the department store, which kind of takes all the fun out of a particular BPAL oil, especially when the scent comparison isn't particularly flattering for me. Nah, too "perfumey." The fragrance is a little too heady; just not for me.

 

-doreen

[bicyclette]

This made its way out of my imp box and was chilling on my table for awhile. Hmm. I've been on a carnation kick and tried this one on last night, and holy crap! Love! Spicy and creamy and just a little bit fruity- the plum cuts out pretty quickly for me, which is too bad, but it leaves behind that wonderful carnation spicy sweetness so it's all good. Not much throw or staying power, alas, but I am contemplating a bottle purchase so I can slather. Beautiful.

[abberlaine]

Word-for-word.

 

My grandmother gave me a beautiful compliment on Bathsheba this morning: "I think this is the best one out of all the ones you've showed me. It's not like today's perfumes. It's like the perfume from way back... from fifty years ago. Today's perfumes are flimsy and cheap. This is the kind of perfume you'd buy from a desert stand -- original, pure. My mother wore perfume like that. We ate good food, dyed our hair with mud [i think she was talking about henna], and wore good perfume."

 

I rather like it when it's wet -- the musk is prominent with the carnation-water and the plums peeking out from the sides. It's dry like sandalwood, warm, and sweet without leaving musky territory. She's not a child, but she's not a full-fledged woman. It's the gentle scent wafting out of her chamber.

 

As it dries, the plum (soft and powdery) comes to center stage and sweetens the blend a little more than I'm happy with.

 

On the whole, though, this is a beautiful work. Thumbs up!

Edited April 20, 2006 by Shollin

[Miss Surreal]

My first BPAL I ever tried...so this will also be my first review . So bare with me.

 

In the bottle: I have to admit, since this was my first BPAL scent I ever tried, I recoiled from the bottle. Not because I disliked it, but because I had forgotten just how strong perfume oils are. Resniffing the bottle now, and I smell very heavy carnation (which is a good thing) and some plum.

 

Wet on wrists: Oh yeah there is the carnation. Very strong and very lovely. Not really smelling the other notes, although I am detecting something that isnt plum...maybe the musk?

 

Dry on wrists: Spicy and fruity, that must be the plum showing up and the musk getting stronger. The carnation and plum are a lovely combination.

 

30 mins later: It just keeps getting spicier and I just keep loving it more. The carnation dies down a bit, but just enough to give the musk and the plum some more attention.

 

Hour later: Now I can only smell it when I lift my wrist to my nose. Lasted barely an hour. Of course it could have been that I applied very little (not even really a dab) since the bottle kind of scared me. I think Im going to wear this out today and then edit my opinion on the longivity of Bathsheba...because I love this to much for it to only last an hour.

 

Closing thoughts: I didnt expect to love the carnation in this. Im not really a floral person, but I may have to change my mind after trying this out. Very glad I bought the whole 5 ML on a whim. To me this oil was sophisticated, yet also playful. Like a little girl playing with her mother's perfumes. Sensual, yet innocent. The lab's description was right on target.

 

Updated: Even when slathering, this barely lasted an hour and a half on me. Im am definetly going to have to make a perfume spray of this, in hopes that it will linger longer that way.

Edited April 21, 2006 by Jenn

[sarahmarie]

I did not expect to enjoy this one, but I got it as a generous freebie in a swap, so I gave it a shot. I was pleasantly surprised! It's spicy and sweet, with a nice skin-scent sort of feeling to it. It's warm and sexy and mmm. I don't know if it's a big bottle scent for me - I have to be pretty discerning in that area since I can only afford so many - but at this point, I plan to use the imp!

[seamor]

Oooh.... very "perfumey", in a really, really good way! All-grown-up, out-for -the-evening kind of perfume. Marvelously sexy and aristocratic, both at once. A red satin gown with tasteful diamonds.

 

 

I'm not really smelling the plum. Lots of carnation, which is great. I love a good carnation, and this is very good. Not much musk, either. I would swear I smell some lily in there somewhere, though...

 

Drying down, it lightens - perfectly wonderful. I could wear this anywhere (and probably will). I have been looking for a really good carnation scent literally for years! Thank you, thank you, Beth! This is terrific!

 

I haven't bought a 10 ml. yet, but I am certainly considering it now.

 

 

 

ADDED Aug. 1:

 

Gosh, this is perfectly lovely. It's a wonderful blend - nothing sticks out - just one marvelous multi-dimensional ollfactory delight.

 

I love the BPAL carnations scents, the plum adds a wonderful dimension, and the hint of musk is divine. It is not overpowering, but gently, beautifully present for about three hours, which is quite a good length of time for me.

 

[Em-]

I like all of the notes in this and it is a very nice sweet mellow sort of blend. The plum is a little strong on me and I would probably like this better if the musk came a little more to the party.

[gwyllgi]

I have a deep-rooted fear of carnation scents, which almost to a one go wonky on me and end up smelling like petroleum jelly. I love plum and Arabian musk, though, so I decided to give this one a try.

 

I had this in my list for large bottles in as long as it took me to move my hand from imp to mouse.

 

The plum dominates on me, but it's not a strong, fruity plum. The carnation makes it almost spicy, while the musk gives it a depth that draws it even farther away from fruity goodness. It's an innocent scent, somehow, and makes me feel protected. This is perhaps one of the most romantic scents that I've ever come across - not because it's particularly floral or mysterious, but because it feels somehow intimate without feeling contrived.

[Syzygy]

Oh my goodness. My fear of florals made me a bit leery of trying something with carnation in it, but this is just so, so good. The dark, sweet plum takes center stage, the carnation shading it with just enough warm spice so that it's not all about Hey, I smell like fruit! What fun! As usual, I don't notice the musk as a detectable scent so much as an effect: it softens and deepens the other notes. This is a rich, sweet, dark red-purple scent, mature and womanly. I'm so not dressed for it. For this blend, I feel like I should be wearing wine-red velvet and silk, my hair held up with bands of gold, more golden bands adorning my bare arms. A cushy velvet couch and a few comely, half-naked slaves offering me platters of fruit and little honeyed cakes wouldn't hurt, either. Just a suggestion.

[juniperus]

Bottle: spicy plum, very pretty

Wet: the blooming, fresh carnation is just behind the plum. this is subtle and delicate without being overly feminine

Dry: the musk is warming through, sinuously binding the other notes together.

Later: light and exquisite, the musk isn't overpowering the plum (one of the few fruits I can wear! yay!), and the carnation has no bite, all bloom. I really, really like this, a lot more than I suspected I might!

[GemmaCat]

I bought this from someone on LJ since I'd heard that it's very similar to Frumious Brandersnatch. I'm really hoping that is not true now, as this turned into a bit of a floral monster on me.

 

At first it's all soft, sweet plum but then the carnation starts to amp up to headache inducing levels.

 

Such a shame because I love the lab's plum note.

[kunoichi]

In the vial this has a fresh scent; I'm tempted to say green, because it doesn't smell floral, but I'm presuming it's the carnation. I wasn't sure about it when I smelled it, but I wanted to give it a go none the less, and wore it for a wedding and reception I went to.

 

It turns into something I like better, when it's on my skin. The carnation scent fades away, and it becomes something that I had to sniff every so often! It's tamer without the strong carnation smell, but deeper with a touch of sweetness to it.

 

After a few hours, it becomes very soft and I needed to refresh to scent. It's hardly got that carnation scent to it, so the faint smell must be a plum and musk combo; quite nice but I have to refresh!

Edited June 3, 2006 by kunoichi

[Elrianra]

In the bottle, a thick sweet musk and tangy plum with a soft breath of carnation. Wet, this is carnations and ripe plums on the branches with a dot of musk to deepen this. Dry, dark juicy plums pour over thick musk and dainty florals in a heady swirl. Warm, the carnation has lost some of it's cover and is simply strewn over plums and musk in a sensual and soft blend that is at once vixen-ish and child-like. Sensual and innocent is not an understatement, this is beautiful but designed to maintain a naive plainness in it's own eyes. Yum, I could just drink this up. Ooooh, this is so very nice. On the die-down, the plums sweeten just a tiny bit and the musk gets smoky. This is a sweltering summer day sort of scent - or just a good one to lay down in front of the fire in during the cooler months.

[ajcj213499]

I was able to try this as a part of quikslvr's GC Catalog Swap Circle.

 

I had tried this before and was kind of “meh” about it, which I thought was odd since I love each of Bathsheba’s components. Well, I’m so glad I tested this again! I don’t know if the imp I just tried was aged more than the first one, but it was wonderful on me… Warm musk with a bit of spicy floral- I think this will go on my bottle wishlist!

[filigree_shadow]

I am surprised to discover that I haven't written a review for Bathsheba yet.

 

I had an imp of it and liked the plum note, so I got a bottle. Somehow, the oil in the bottle that I got smells about 50 times as lovely as the oil in the imp. Maybe it's just because I feel free to put more on my skin, since I have a whole bottle. I'm not sure. But I'm glad I got the bottle.

 

It is breathtakingly lovely -- just like the description says -- sensual, too. The plum is great, the carnation is not too bitter, and I don't get too much musk. Very nice, and well-blended. This is an oil that I feel like I can wear anywhere, to the office, to school, to my in-laws' house, out with friends... it makes me feel pretty and womanly. It's an inviting scent, too -- I feel like people sit closer to me when I'm wearing it.

 

Bathsheba is one of my favorites from the GC.

[mirutai]

In the imp, this is all rich, ripe plums and spice. Wet, there's a sudden burst of sparkling carnation that explodes over the dark fruitiness of the plum - gorgeous! Over the day, this dries down to a muskier, less bright scent, though.

 

Gorgeous, just like the description.