BPAL review: Blood Countess

[rikibeth]

I bought an imp of Blood Countess in a fundraising auction. It arrived yesterday, and today I tried it out.

Here's their description:
BLOOD COUNTESS
Elizabeth Báthory, also called Erzsébet Báthory in Hungarian and Alžbeta Bátoriová-Nádašdy in Slovak, was the Bloody Lady of Hungary. In order to preserve her youth and loveliness, the brutal and incomparably savage countess captured, tortured and slaughtered innumerable young women and bathed in their blood as part of her beauty regimen. Ah, vanity. Corrupted black plum, smoky opium and crumbling dead roses covered by a deceptive veil of Hungarian lilac, white gardenia and wild berry.

On me: Whoa. I used the tiniest, tiniest dab of this, applied to one wrist and then rubbed on both, and it was STRONG, like I'd doused myself in conventional-strength perfume, or used a SPLASH of an essential oil.

I am out of practice identifying fragrance notes. I used to be really good at it. But I got out of the habit of wearing any, because in a kitchen you can't, and eternaleponine gets sinus headaches from most perfumes, so my usage has dwindled to a single spritz of Karl Lagerfeld's Sun Moon Stars when I'm going out dancing or on a date.

That said: I could definitely tease out red-and-purple fruit smells, and white flowers. And, of course, the opium sweetness. It was kind of like being encased in a blackcurrant-and-lily-flavored lollipop.

It has staying power. I put it on this morning and it's still there as a spicy sweetness.

I like how it smells, but I'm not sure it's how *I'm* supposed to smell. I think I'd have to be three inches taller, two cup sizes bustier, and have much poutier lips to feel like this scent belonged to me.

I'd probably put it on if I were dressing up as Inara.

Comments

[deguspice.livejournal.com]

I think the second-to-last line of your post does a better job of describing the scent that BPAL does.

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

Which, the explanation of how I'd have to have a different body to wear it, or the thing about the blackcurrant-and-lily lollipop?

[deguspice.livejournal.com]

a different body.

[gentlyepigrams]

I think that sounds more like a me scent than a you scent, except that it might be too sweet for me.

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

It's SWEET. If they could make a cupcake this flavor? And put a bitter chocolate frosting on it? SO THERE.

[angevin2.livejournal.com]

Opium Cupcake = BAND NAME.

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

There's always Rock Band!

[mhaille.livejournal.com]

Hey, I have four you might want to sniff. Mind if I give this one a whirl next time I pass through? (I also have the army jacket, plaid docs, and....something.)

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

Sure, no problem. I might have another stray imp or two hanging around as well.

[quinby.livejournal.com]

I have a vial of Viola and it's totally exactly how I think I should smell. Then again, I had the luck to go to the one place on the East Coast that actually physically sells the stuff. (In Hershey, PA).

If you're ever visiting/stopping by gehayi's, let me know. I'll definitely let you give it a sniff. It's about a year old, and I think it's lost a bit of it's strength, but it's still awesome.