Lady of Saintonge

[zankoku_zen]

 Perfumed black silk encasing a mangled, blood-spattered talon of white sandalwood, ivory accord, and inky fur.
 

[RoseThornAndOak]

I'm testing multiple frags from this release today, and can't stop being drawn to her in the crux of my elbow. She reminds me of Black Silk Orchid, but dare I say even darker? She's scary and intense, but so dang alluring. The perfume + black silk is mesmerizing, modern, yet ancient, overlaid, shrouded and clouded in gloom. Gritty, dark, sharp, and cold. The blood lends a coldness like Liz (that almost metallic twang) that really sucks me in. The white sandalwood adds this sexy, spice/woods to it and lures you out into the forest. The fur is distant yet palpable, snuggly even. Warmth in the cold.

 

I know Mina Murray is popular and I love her. Yet, I've been wanting a Gwen Conliffe perfume for a while, and I could see Gwen wearing this, more from the newer Wolfman movie than the 1940s one. It has her enigmatic perfume, but the slight feralness of the wolfman lurking. So it's very Gwen + Lawrence. 

 

I'm freaking swooning y'all. I was not expecting this to be a favorite this year and to be quite honest, I was intimidated by the notes and almost didn't get it. Emotion overran my senses thankfully as I couldn't pass up a good werewolf blend, and it paid off. It's literally this scene in a bottle for me:

 

 

Side note, 12 days later: if you missed Black Baccara's Undead or love that one this is in the same wheelhouse. There's almost a grey musk vibe. This has softened quite a bit and I'm loving it so much.

Edited October 28, 2023 by RoseThornAndOak

[theseagrows]

i definitely get a note that i believe is the silk note at first. it's floral, maybe orchid? with a hint of something sort of like detergent or dryer sheets. almost aquatic. i get the other notes after a few minutes, and it becomes a bit less fresh and light. i think it's what some might think of as 'perfumey', and i realized it smells a lot like fendi furiosa. i don't seem to get much fur here that i can detect. at first i wasn't sure about this, but the longer i wear it, the more i am intrigued! 
 

 

[ghoulnextdoor]

A woodsy phantom limb of creamy white sandalwood aches beneath a veil of slithery black silk, its fading perfume an opulent counter to the metallic tang of blood and the ironclad resolve of self-preservation’s small, sharp curved blade. The scent of forever caught between two worlds, a beast in disguise and a ghost not yet dead.

The luxurious warmth of sandalwood and the sweet summer whispers of jasmine paint a specter of ambiguous innocence, while coconut milk and rosewater offer a fleeting glimpse of soft youth and beauty, but a shadow lurks beneath. Labdanum’s leathery balsamic resin and cardamom’s uneasy floral spice weave a tale of forbidden desires and dark bargains, leaving a scent that evokes a seductive, albeit perilous transformation.

[Ennikar]

I had no idea what to expect with this one, given 'white sandalwood' is the only note with a real point of reference, but I was a little concerned about things like 'perfumed black silk' going soap, clean-linen, or dryer-sheet. What I actually got wasn't exactly that, though tones of it are there. I believe the 'perfume' referenced in the description is iris (or orris) , and for me this ends up as a cool musky iris-sandalwood blend. The blood is more an iron-y version pulling things in that 'cool' direction, not the sweet red 'blood musk' I've gotten in some other BPAL blends. Reminds me of Alkemia's Black Iris, but less 'rainy' and more musky cool night air. I get the 'classic perfume with foreboding undertones' intent, though I'm not sure someone else smelling it without the description would get any of the 'foreboding' aspect - my beta tester described it as 'light. It seems fruity, but I'm pretty sure it's actually floral. I like it.' I like it too, though I think it's a situational pick.