[shriekingviolet]

Site Description:

Bast, Ubasti, Ailuros, Ba-en-Aset. Represented as both a domestic cat and a fierce lioness, she truly evidences traits of both. She is the Mother of All Cats, Goddess of Sensuality, Fertility, and a guardian and protector of women. She is also one of the Eyes of Ra, and in that aspect is an Avenging Goddess, seeking retribution and punishing enemies of her people. Luxuriant amber, warm Egyptian musk, fierce saffron and soft myrrh, almond, cardamom and golden lotus.

Initial Impression:
Smells like hot cherries and spice.

After Wearing It:
Wet and in the bottle, Bastet made me shudder in delight. My first thought on putting it on was that Bastet smelled like LOVE, though I'm not exactly sure where the thought came from. It certainly is a sexy scent, but there were no visions of romance or lust coming from the oil, it was just my reaction to it.

Wet the almond note is really strong in it, though it was one of those shifty almond notes that smell deceptively like cherry and not too much like almond. The lotus in the blend probably helped this impression. I could smell the amber too in the background, really warming the scent up.

The almond/cherry not that was so strong in the beginning backed off rather quickly, and within twenty minutes or so was just a whisper. From then on, Bastet was all about amber, rich, warm and lovely. The blend was very spicy and a bit smoky. In the middle stages I could definitely smell the myrrh, saffron and the cardamom as the provided a glorious pedestal to the amber.

Bastet is just exotic and blazing, evocative of grand marble temples, large comfortable cushions made of luxurious, golden fabrics, and air thick with perfumed smoke. Of just lazing around in splendor, quick smug about the fact that it's all for you and you quite deserve it all, much like a spoiled feline so it's very appropriate!

Final Thoughts:
I love this lots! So glad I got a bottle. It just wears beautifully, and since I'm such an amber fan, there's no way I couldn't adore this.

[velvet]

this is a beautiful blend and i recommend it to anyone who likes amber.
it smells like pale gold to me. anchient and comforting. sexy yet low key.
the saffron really gives this a kick in a good way

it wore on strong for the first couple of hours and now has settled down into a soft kiss of amber on my wrist. beautiful.

[Andra]

First Impression: That sharp cherry almond note from Black Phoenix and Seraglio straight out of the vial.

Second Impression: OMG, this is amazing. It's golden and glorious, ultra feminine and sensual. Once it dries, that cherry almond is gone, replaced with a velvety smooth, luxurious, silky fragrance. The Egyptian musk blends seamlessly with the amber, the resin and spices are warm and subtle and the lotus adds a bit of feminine sexuality that is really making me crazy with lust. I'm even getting imagery from this one...a sinewy, cat-like woman languishing in a desert oasis.

Final Analysis: Big bottle, no doubt about it. I'm making the prediction that this scent will be very popular.

[Astarte]

Let me start off by saying, normally amber scents and I dont get along. Theres something about the note which really hates my body chemistry. But this blend sounded so divine,being inspired by the great cat goddess, I had to give Bastet a go.
:D

My first impression was the cherry/almond scent I recognise more from Eclipse than anywehre else. Which imediately dies down into a golden scent.

One minute later and my arm smells like luxury itself; the spices, musk and amber have changed into a golden aura which surrounds me, and like Andra, I cant stop smelling my arm its soo moreish and definitely a bigger bottle order.
:P

[silverangel]

Also got that cherry/almond....but the soft musks and the spices, oh the spices. Cardamom comes out to play too. This is the sexiness of a sophisticated older woman. It's the golden gleam of the deset in the noon sun. It makes me feel slinky, like a golden kitty cat, lounging in the sun, saying "come serve me, you know you want to." It makes me feel decadent and regal and elegent and gorgeous. This is a gold scent, it's luxurious and no description of the how the scents intermingle will do it justice, not coming from me anyway.

[ViolentKitten]

As soon as Bastet was upon my skin, my first thought was how beautiful and regal she was. Just like a cat when they are sitting up, cooly observing you and all that is around them. This is indeed a golden scent, and it absolutely glows on my skin. The first note which struck me was the almond, but it quickly fades to the background as the musk and amber come to the forefront, with what I think might be the saffron (not really sure what saffron might smell like in a scent though). Sometimes I feel like it's almost lashing out at me, but there's a beautiful softness there too with the myrrh and lotus, and then, I think, a dry cardamom playing about. But it's that soft, gently spiced warmth that continues to radiate from my skin, and it's just gorgeous.

I've been very much looking forward to trying this scent! I adore Bastet... I have a little figurine of her and Anubis sitting amongst the perfumes on my dresser. Now that I have her scent, I just need Anubis'...

[Nepthys]

I don't think I can add anything to a review that everyone else hasn't already said! This is intoxicatingly beautiful. It's exotic, golden and sultry, and yet subtle enough that I don't think I could OD on it, the way I have on some other scents like Snake Oil. I don't get the cherry note at all - the almond is fairly pure, and the myrrh (which I like but can be off-putting to me) is lightened enough to be pretty but not overpowering. Similarly, the lotus in this works for me here. But mostly I pick up on the cardamom, musk (subtle), and saffron topped by glorious amber and they make for an alluring, feminine, powerful scent that is just divine. All the relevant associations of the goddess of felines, pleasure and fertility are there -- this so hits what I imagine Bastet to be that I think she must have whispered in Beth's ear. :P I agree that this will probably become very popular, as it should.

[starrykitten]

This reminds me of O, but more subtle. It stays closer to your skin, so you can still slink around all furtively and catlike, but it has the same ambery warmth of O.

[xoe]

AT first on my skin and in the bottle, Bastet is pure Almond. Something about almond and my chemistry. It's like my body goes, "Is that almond? Turn it UP!" Luckily, however, the almond blast faded after about 15 minutes.

Now it is pure gorgeousness. My boyfriend said it made him "hungry. Sexy hungry." I'm not really sure what that means, but I like the sound of it. I can't pick out the individual notes, even knowing what is in it.

This goes on my big bottle list for sure. Yowza!

[roisnoir]

I bought a 5ml of Bastet unsniffed - the description was enough.

On, she's all golden musk and soft. The first time I wore her, she faded within an hour, but I slathered this morning, and the scent is going strong.

I'm still of two minds on this - it's gorgeous and I like it, but at the same time, it's not as -me- as I might wish. I expect that I'll keep her, though. A different mood may make all the difference.

[Reinaluna]

Bastet, If Old Morocco and Queen of Sheba were to have a baby this would be it! :D :D I get almondy spicyness like in QOS and Buttery golden muskyness like in OM. :P When first applied all I get is streight almond but after a min or two it morphes into a beautifully exotic warm aroma. Another masterpeice from BP! :D

[fallow deer]

Reinaluna, on Dec 25 2004, 12:52 AM, said:

Bastet, If Old Morocco and Queen of Sheba were to have a baby this would be it! :D :D I get almondy spicyness like in QOS and Buttery golden muskyness like in OM. :P
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes yes yes! I didn't get on with either QoS or OM, one was too burny-almondy, and the other too dry spicewise - but I /wanted/ to so much.

Bastet is /ahem!/ purrfect ambery warmth :D

ETA: Good Lord! I've just slathered myself in Bastet scented lotion and oil and I smell absolutely divine! I feel like I'm glowing with golden light! I feel like I'm lying in a pool of warm sunshine! Wow!

This post has been edited by fallow deer: 30 December 2004 - 06:00 PM

[FireInCairo]

MEOW!!! Kitty likes cherries! :P This scent reminds me so much of Luden's cherry cough drops. Or... fruit salad.... very delightful and playful... here kitty kitty...

[wolfie13]

In the bottle: I smell an overwhelming cherry-almond scent and not much else.

Wearing: This Bpal may be the one that changes the most dramatically upon wearing for me. The cherry scent fades away almost immediately. What is left
is a very smooth combination of the other notes that are mentioned.
However the overall smell on me becomes - peach????

It definitely smells like peaches - mixed with some amber and spices - and comes
off on me as potpourri-ish - not in a good way. Sad - everyone seems so crazy about this one!

(This is not surprising, as MANY bpal's that people just love range from not so great to horrible on me. Though it doesn't stop me from trying!)

[rhubarbbear]

when i put this on, it reminded me of a sweeter version of queen of sheba (which i love). yum! the visual i get from this is of the temple at luxor- very golden, dry, desert, warm sun, powerful statues, regal bearing. the almond fades rather quickly on me, but the sweet amber touched with mild spices lingers for a good while.

i'm very fond of this scent, and am considering it for a big bottle :P

[phaedrine]

I very nearly ordered a 5ml of this unsniffed, because it is Bast, glorious Bast, and the warm amber scents really work for me....but the almond note made me hesitate, and I'm glad I did.

Wet, it's the hated cherry-almond bathroom cleaner scent, but I was prepared for that based on the reviews I've read.

After it dries down, it's a nice, soft, warm musky amber with just the right amount of spice. Sadly, the nice smell only lasts about an hour. After that, there's hardly any throw, and the warm amber is now totally unremarkable.

The six hour test leaves us with a faint, sickly smell. Not good.

I tried this first on the back of my hand, and got this reaction, and then a few days later, slatered over the pulse points and even in my cleavage. Same thing.

So sad! I wanted to adore and worship this scent. Instead, I will be swapping it, and I hope someone else can worship it for me.

[Phaedra]

WOW WOW WOW!!! This is truly worthy of a Goddess!!! (I feel kind of dorky saying that but it's true). This starts out with a lovely almond note. After several minutes the almond begins to fade and a lovely warm amber develops. I can't quite pick out the other notes in the blend such as the saffron and cardamon but I know they must be there because there is a complexity to this blend that develops as it dries down. It dries down beautifully mellow. Bastet is very sensual, slinky and calming at the same time. Truly gorgeous and another one on my big bottle list! :P

[lorajc]

Bastet -
Either my sinuses were stuffed up the day I wore this or this wears very lightly on me.
This was soft but beautiful on. I got the almond note first with a slight undercurrent of spice (saffron/cardamom...I'm guessing) and then on the dry down it was ambery, warmed by the almond and tinged with the lotus........it was lovely but very soft. I will update this again after I wear it for a second time.

This post has been edited by lorajc: 02 January 2005 - 11:52 PM

[Northernminx]

This doesn't last terribly long on me, at least not today but it is gorgeous. Warm and golden and exotic, like a cat slinking around the temple. Initially a burst of cherry and almond, fades into sultry amber and lots of yummy lotus. I didn't get a lot of spice on this, but warm golden lotus, very soft, slinky, sexy and uber-feminine. Definite keeper.

[Fulltiltredhead]

The best of its type of BPAL scent, IMO. And you know that's saying a lot.

[tempete]

Although I generally dislike almond and lotus notes, I had to get Bastet because (1) I love the rest of the notes, especially musk, myrrh, amber and saffron and (2) I love my cat :P

The initial wet phase is pure sweet almond, but it fortunately morphs into a golden, warm, glowing scent overlaid with the spice notes. Even into the final drydown, it retains a sweetness that must either come from the almond or lotus note but this sweetness is not overpowering. Overall, I wouldn't say that this makes me feel particularly sexy, but it is very comforting and I can see myself wearing this to work. Definitely bottle-worthy!

This post has been edited by tempete: 12 January 2005 - 10:56 PM

[Stanzi]

I'm probably not the only person who ordered an imp's ear of this scent just because I loved the name and the concept. :P

When I applied Bastet to my skin, I smelled an initial blast of cherry that reminded me of cough drops. I was already mentally listing this imp for swap, when the cherry note dissipated and Bastet revealed her true nature as a warm, sultry blend of amber and sandalwood, with some additional spices in the background. (I didn't notice any musk, which is fine with me.)

I'm usually more of a floral type, but I've been enjoying my sample of Bastet so far. If I decide to continue worshipping her, I'll purchase a 5 ml bottle.

[ChupaChup]

Reinaluna, on Dec 24 2004, 04:52 PM, said:

Bastet, If Old Morocco and Queen of Sheba were to have a baby this would be it! :D  :D  I get almondy spicyness like in QOS and Buttery golden muskyness like in OM. :P When first applied all I get is streight almond but after a min or two it morphes into a beautifully exotic warm aroma. Another masterpeice from BP! :D
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, yes, yes! Red Hot Mama let my try her Bastet and I really liked it. I was very afraid of the lotus, since that note usually goes yucky on me, but it's so lovely and golden in Bastet. In fact, after that initial cherry burst, everything about this scent is golden. I only wish it had more staying power on me. I think it's because of the amber, which I love, but amber seems to make scents evaporate on me really quickly. Definitely try this if you like either Morrocco or Queen of Sheba.

[pkwench]

Bastet

Bastet and Bathsheba were the first two non-LE scents that I ever ordered on description alone. Which, in the case of Bastet is amazing when you consider that it has lotus and that I've never done so well with lotus. (Reason #476,589 to love Beth-she keeps finding ways to prove me wrong. First Frost Moon's lotus and now Bastet. Genius!) But, you know. Amber. I LOVE amber. Add the fact that it also has myrrh, saffron, and cardamom in the description and I was a lost cause.

I love not being disappointed. This smells warm. Golden. Dry. The amber doesn't go overly sweet in this blend at all. It's too late for me to be at all logical or even coherently descriptive. So, maybe I should just say that I love Bastet. I can wear it and easily transport myself away to the stifling desert. Great on cold days! I'll try to remember to revisit when I have more brain!

[northern]

Hmmm, I smell saffron right at first when I put it on. Then the warmth of amber, softening it. Possibly some cardamom and... I don't know, butter? Feels like it. Something very round and fat. Makes me think of brown, coarse bars of soap, luxuriantly scented.

After a while: oh no... it's turned soapy in that sharp way on me. I'm so sad, because I so wanted to love this so much. I'll give it some more time, just to make sure.

*waits*

No, it's still a mix of the round, buttery smell and the soap. Gah. Okay.