Blood Phoenix, BPAL Anniversary 2007 Options

[Keslynn]

Blood: expressing passion, will, and a sensual aesthetic.
Dragon's blood resin, helichrysum, burgundy wine grape, red musk, opoponax, red poppy, myrrh, carnation, tonka, almond, mimosa, jonquil, and neroli.

In the bottle, Blood Phoenix smells like a sophisticated grape candy. It reminds me of that Christmas candy that comes without a wrapper. I don't think that candy has a grape flavor, but if it did, this would be it.

On my skin, this blend is all round, juicy, deeply purple grapes. I can picture them on the vine with dew dripping off them. It's very similar to the grape note in Purple Phoenix. As it dries down, a little of the other scents come out to add depth. I can't pick out any single notes. I just get the sense of depth though grape is still very much the main player. I think the florals or neroli might be contributing to the slightly candied edge of the grape. And any almond-haters out there (like me), do not fear! I don't get any almond at all. Throw is strong and weartime is long.

To my mind, it smells like someone took the plum out of Queen of Spades and substituted the grape from Purple Phoenix. I accidentally got some on the seatbelt in my car and I kept thinking it was QoS until I realized it had to be Blood Phoenix.

Verdict: A scent that manages to be rich and sophisticated while still having a slight candy-ish edge. Grapey and delicious. I love it! If I didn't have a "no multiple bottles" rule, I think I'd have extra of this.

[LadyCrow]

In the bottle: Who knew phoenix blood smelled like grape?

Wet: A strong whiff of dark, winey grape. I mean STRONG. This has the throw of a major-league baseball pitcher.

Drydown: Once the initial blast of burgundy grape recedes a bit, I get the poppy, which adds smoke to the sweetness, and close to my skin, the red musk, which I love so well in blends like Glasya and which helps make the overall effect a bit dryer. I can just about barely find the myrrh in back, making the DRAGONZ BLUD a bit tangier. Like Keslynn, I don't really get almond.

Considerably more grapey/winey than I'd expected, but it's a really happy wine, if that makes sense. I think I'd be a bit more on the fence about this if it weren't for that faint buzz of poppy underlying things; the Lab poppy/opium is always tasty on me, and really adds something for me here. (Kids! You know not to mix opiates and alcohol in any context except perfume notes, right? Okay, good.)

Verdict: Uplifting and a bit intoxicating -- I mean, the phoenix on the label art is trying really hard to look fierce and angry, but this is just too happy for that!

[alicia_stardust]

Blood Phoenix is sweet and grape-like. Despite that, this still smells "red" to me, and not purple. The red musk is present but not dominant. The dragon's blood resin gives me a sharp tingle and the myrrh and sweet myrrh darken and ground this and prevent it from smelling too candy-like.

As time passes, the dry bite of the poppy comes into play and, as with the resins and musk, it tempers the juicy grape scent. I can distinctly smell carnation and its floral spice as well.

Overall this is a very bold, red scent due to the resins, poppy, and musk. The wine grape, mimosa, and carnation sweeten and lighten the boldness to create a rich, blood-like scent that is also sweet like a fine, dark wine.

[hkhm]

bottle: grapes and almond with the spiciness of carnations. quite heady.

wet: strong grapes and a touch of almond. there is a very faint spiciness in the background but it no longer smells solely of carnations.

dry: the grapes fade a bit but they are still the most prominent scent. the neroil is quite apparent as well, giving it that "bite". i can still catch hints of carnation and almond as well. this is a definite keeper.

[edenssixthday]

Blood Phoenix – Holy moly, this is freaking GORGEOUS! It’s definitely swoon-worthy. It opens up with an incredibly lovely combination of sweet grape and dragon’s blood, followed by the sweetness of almond and more grape. It’s a very sweet, red scent, and I love how the other notes in it blend with the dragon’s blood to keep it from becoming overly-resinous and overpowering. It’s just a stunning, gorgeous scent and I’m head-over-heels in love with how it works on me. I will be trying to hunt down more of this scent, that’s for certain. It’s really strong when first applied, but becomes much more tame upon drydown. The staying power is about average on me.

[strangemodegirl]

I got the winey grape smell as soon as I opened the bottle, which had me a little worried.
On me, no grape at all. This turns to all dragons blood and musky goodness with a little of the myrrh and poppy thrown in. My skin has always seemed to love anything with musk or dragons blood. I was trying to describe it to my friend and all I could say was, "This is just a RED scent, it's just...red." (IMG:style_emoticons/default/00000288.gif) It is so beautiful.
This is one of the two I tried and fell totally head over heels in love with yesterday. I am definitely planning on getting a second bottle before they are gone.

[n3m3sis42]

In the bottle:
Booze.

Wet:
More specifically, sweet red wine, or maybe grape-scented purple markers, or kids' cough syrup. And also the almond note, but in a slightly plasticky way. My skin drinks almond, so that's gone quickly. This blend very rapidly becomes about red musk and Dragon's Blood, although I agree with the person that said this smells like the grapey part of Purple Phoenix.

Dry:
A lovely combination of grapes and resins, with just a hint of carnation. Beautiful.

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Grapes, almonds, and sweet musk.

Immediately on skin: I was expecting this to smell like other blends from the reviews, but it’s holding its own. It is grape at first… like wine, not grape candy. It’s sweetened up by the myrrh and almond and there’s a nice musk base to it. This blend is very complex… there’s a touch of florals as well. The dragon’s blood resin just sits on top of everything, soaking into the other notes.

After a few minutes: This blend has gotten even sweeter. It’s a sweet and slightly tart grape scent with perfume-y dragon’s blood, myrrh, and just a hint of florals. The almond has all but disappeared.

Overall Impressions: I have bad experiences with blends containing red musk, but this one is very nice on me. The grape is there, but controlled, and the dragon’s blood is sweet and rich. The myrrh and florals blend in nicely, adding depth to the blend. I didn’t think I’d like this, but I do!

[sookster]

straight sniff from imp is grape and neroli....
once applied the myrrhy takes over with the dragon's blood and makes a delightfully and fruity
incense blend...i think this could be a blend to love from time to time...

[Iceblink]

SWEET. This is SO sweet! Dragon's blood, grapes, tonka, almond, red musk--ok, no wonder it's sweet, considering. I'm getting mostly slightly musky grapes from this; it's very winey and I'm not sure if I can wear it in the daytime. We'll see. So pretty though and it's got great throw!

[TrailerTrashPrin...]

sniffed from the imp: dragon's blood, grape jolly ranchers, musk and liquid tylenol for children.
on skin: grape jolly ranchers mixed with Smut

very interesting, i'm glad i got a decant before i got a bottle...
this reminds me of Urd...and i have no idea why...this is also quite faint, i slathered it on and in less than half an hour it has faded nearly to oblivion.
to note: i hate almond, and i don't get any almond out of this -- so yay!

[Jilara]

Wow. This is AMAZING stuff. Of course, with dragon's blood and red musk, both of which are favorite notes, I had to like it!

Wet, it's very in-your-face dragon's blood, wine, and a backnote of red musk. You hardly would think there were other ingredients. There's just a hinting of Mme Moriarty in it at this point.

But as it dries, the neroli comes up and tames down the other notes, and then the carnation and tonka start adding depth in other directions. Dry, I also get a slightly aquatic floral note that I suspect comes from the jonquil. This is so well blended that I really have to look for the other notes, and some (like the almond) I am missing altogether. It's very complex, with lots of depth, but still predominantly dragon's blood and red musk. I think this one has hit my top ten list.

[grrrlennyl]

At first: This smells like a grape popsicle.
On: A very bright red and purple scent. Lots of grape, with darker, red, earthy notes.
4 hours later: A powdery, red, earthy scent, with an odd woody note.
6 hours later: Just soft and powdery.
Overall: this is so crazy and sweet at first. I think it may make a good bath soak or hair mist on me.

[Forspecial Plate]

When first applied, this actually reminds me of candied cherries more than grape. I know this because I just made fruitcake yesterday and I sniffed the cherries. That's what Blood Phoenix smells like when wet, with maybe a hint of grape blended in. The very first time I wore this, right away it reminded me of Black Phoenix. Maybe that's intentional.

However.....as it dries, a real incense quality comes out. I can't pin it on any one note, but it's probably the dragon's blood and/or poppy. I could possibly smell the opoponax in there. But really, none of these stand out in particular. It's a candy/red/incense scent that reminds me of Hellion, but more candy sweet than that scent, a little less smokey. It's pretty light, especially for a scent with red musk......which I couldn't really smell either, now that I think about it.

[MaidMirawyn]

I love the phoenix and the dragon, so a phoenix fragrance with dragon's blood resin seemed like fun. After reading the reviews, I decided to take the plunge and buy a 5 mL.

In the imp, it's fruity as can be, mainly grape but with a touch of a candy scent. (Yeah, grape candy. What a surprise, right?)

Wet, there's still a lot of grape, but with more depth. Still sweet, but not overpoweringly so. (I like scents that are a bit sweet in non-floral sense, so that's fine.) It may be the dragon's blood.

As it dries, the fragrance blends and the notes meld, which has been my experience with every BPAL except Mouse's Long and Sad Tale. There's a touch of incense (myrrh and dragon's blood, perhaps?) and some floral, though I can't pick out the individual notes. I think I can also pick up on some foody warmth from the tonka and almond.

So far, this is a real winner. Very different from what I've been used to all these (non-BPAL) years, and that's great. I'm glad I bought a bottle!

[Brianne]

As other people have mentioned, it is very grapey and dragon's blood at first. It settles down A LOT when it hits my skin though and it becomes muskier and less fruity. The drydown reminds me a lot of the original Hunter Moon - incensey, winey and musky all together. It's actually nearly identical on my skin! This is really nice and I love it for all the same reasons I love Hunter Moon. It's very smooth but husky and just pure yummy.

[tasty]

Grape-y wine-like sweet and sassy. That's Blood Phoenix in a nutshell.

I'm not getting anything even remotely musky from this scent, and I'm actually okay with that.

Once it's on, the sweet fruits settle into something deep and sinister. It becomes a much more serious blend.

[Atalanta Pendrag...]

I'm not quite getting the grape that most reviewers are describing, but there's a definite winey undertone. I can get a faint whiff of carnation, but sadly it goes to cherry cough syrup the way most dragon's blood blends do on me.

[showergrrl]

This is my first review, so it's a bit vague, but I'm hoping that I'll learn by reviewing.

In the bottle, I smell sweet grapey candy, almost to the point of being purple-scented rather than grape scented. Completely delicious, in my book!

Wet on, it smells almost exactly the same, though less artificial and more spicy every moment it's on.

Dry, it's a wonderful nose-tickling warm spicy scent, with only a touch of that initial grape candy flavor. It's a wonderful, adult scent with a secret sticky grape background.

[steelxrose]

Blood Phoenix

In the bottle, I found this one to be...sweet and spicy. It's hard to define any one note in there, all I get was a mixture.

Wet on my skin was a grapey-resiny mixture. Immediate dry down was met with grape. Grape. GRAPE!

This gets better, and the reason I love this scent.

About half an hour after application, I sniffed my wrist and found the musky, resiny dragon's blood, which comforted me. I'm not terribly fond of smelling like grape, thought I was safe.

Later, I started cleaning, and worked up quite a sweat, when all of a sudden, I could smell grapes again. WTF?

When my skin is cool to the touch, I smell of dragon's blood.
When my skin is hot, I smell like grapes.

Awesome creation! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy.gif)

[dawndie]

In bottle: sweet red cherries

On skin: sugary-sweet Pixy Stix grape candy

Half-hour later: still very grape-fruity, but lots of dry dusty flowers nearby

In conclusion: this is a more-perfumey blend, reminiscent of the Masque. The myrrh and carnation give this the drier floral feel on top of the rich dragon's blood and wine grapes. I really like the juicy red blends, this is great!

[VioletChaos]

in the bottle: cherry candy all the way. someone said pixy stix, and i must agree.

wet on skin: still with the cherry candy, but now it's more of a luden's cough drop sort. which i have fond childhood memories of.

dry down: cherry, cherry and cherry some more. the dragon's blood is here, but in a more candy-like form than i'm used to!

over all: sweet, mild and fruity, this is something i'd be apt to wear fro just daily running-errands time, and honestly, the world needs some of those.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/magtongue.gif)

[whiterosepetals]

On me, Blood Phoenix is just red musk, myrrh, and neroli. They smell pretty good together, but I'm disappointed (though not surprised) my skin ate all the dragon's blood. Still, I'll keep this around.

[naeelah]

Wet, it smells like cherry soda. A really complex cherry soda, but still soda. It's very sweet with a slightly effervescent quality, from the red musk.

It dries up almost immediately, so don't be afraid of the wet phase. This one is so well blended that I have an almost impossible time picking out any notes. Surprisingly, this one doesn't seem to morph a great deal on me. There's the usual minor shifting of balance, but I noticed no real changes.

This is a dry and complex scent with a sweetness for balance. The effect is nice and rich. Normally dragon's blood and grape together would make for a very syrupy scent, but it's very well balanced. I'd say the main quality is resinous, with a hint of grape. The florals don't seem to stand out to my nose, and just add color to the overall blend. This is yet another blend that reminds me a lot of Midnight Kiss, minus the cocoa and patchouli of death.

This has a traditional perfume house quality, in the best possible way. I think it's a boldly sophisticated and elegant type of scent. And it lasts forever! 4-5 hours after applying it, it had gotten a wee bit softer but was still hanging on very well. The throw is about average.

As a fan of red blends, I'm really glad I picked this one up. Try this if you like Midnight Kiss, anything in the dragon's blood family, Prospero, etc.

This post has been edited by naeelah: Jan 2 2008, 02:35 PM

[Miss Lynx]

The first thing that hits me from this one is the almond - strong and pungent and cyanide-like. Almond is one of my all-time least favourite scents, but thankfully I know it usually fades fast, so I've never let it stop me ordering something.

And sure enough, the almond is gone within a few minutes. What remains is really quite nice -- warm and rich and sweet and slightly spicy. The wine grapes are pretty strong in the mix, with the other notes blending together to give them a rich, incensey backdrop. Thankfully, despite there being several different flowers in it, it doesn't come across as a floral scent, at all. The florals settle really nicely into the mix, adding a light sweetness but not overpowering the incensey notes.

It's actually quite similar to Purple Phoenix -- maybe a touch warmer and less sweet, but very much in the same family. There's also, unsurprisingly I suppose, a strong resemblance to Blood at certain stages of its development, and a faint similarity to Urd.

On the whole, I very much like this one, though it's not quite as unique as I'd hoped -- given that I already have a bottle of Purple Phoenix, I don't know if I need this one too. And yet, I'm going through my decant imp pretty fast, having worn it about four times now, so maybe that's an indication that I really do need it. We'll see...

Grade: A