Poet's Hearts Break So

[Jenjin]

The shuddering beat of a poet’s heart ―filigree-fair, diaphanous:
bourbon vanilla fougere, violet leaf, iris root, Italian bergamot, porcelain accord, and a trickle of red musk.

 

 

Well, if my heart must break,

    Dear love, for your sake,

It will break in music, I know;

    Poets’ hearts break so.

 

But strange that I was not told,

    That the brain can hold

In a tiny ivory cell

    God’s Heaven and Hell.

– Oscar Wilde
 

[VioletChaos]

I'm a fan of violet, (if you couldn't tell from my screen name) and that alone grabbed my attention here. The addition of vanilla and bergamot plus the intrigue of..."what exactly does porcelain smell like?!" and I knew I had to snag a bottle.

the scent in the bottle is deceptively floral, with that iris singing lous and clear- don't be fooled, she runs off upon contact. That's when the changes begin.

First, the trickle of red musk here seems to be the same variety that stole my heart in Random Brothel, and I'm definitely not mad about it. Second, that violet leaf is more violet flower from what I can tell (the leaf tends to be quite 'green' smelling, whereas I'm definitely getting violets in this mix. The bourbon vanilla bites back the acrid note of the musk before it can get too intense or stuffy.

And the porcelain? Well, several minutes after application, I kid you not, there was a moment where the scent smelled mostly of...wet clay. Yep. Straight up, 'throwing on the wheel' clay situation. It was strange and, as an artist that has played with ceramics, strangely comforting. And then it was gone, to be replaced with the violet / musk combination. Chalk it up to one of Beth's genius "how does she DO that?!" moments, and marvel for a moment. 
Then enjoy the rest of what the scent has to offer  

[ghoulnextdoor]

Sun-leached bitter citrus, vanilla dust motes trembling in fractured light – lace curtains, cobwebbed and frayed. A single wilted violet bears witness to the fleeting nature of affection; a shattered porcelain angel weeps tears of melancholic orris-tinged grief; the air is thick with a euphoric effluvium of malefic ecstasy, the intense overripe sweetness of red musk and ravaged souls, beauty tinged with madness, a poet's overwrought breakup sonnet forever immortalized in a single, gleefully melodramatic, flamboyantly maddening scent.

[lady-logistikon]

Of all the red musk oils I've tried from BPAL, this is my most favorite blend. It's light--still musky, of course, but not so dry (raspy?) or heavy as other iterations. This scent actually reminds me strongly of a perfume gifted to me by an aunt when I was eight or so. It came in a vial shaped like a heart, and my aunt told me it was a patchouli, like she wore. Fitting that this memory would come up, as I know porcelain as a note comes up in things like Young Edith's Bedroom. There's a definite youth to this, swirled in with the sensuality. 

 

I get the bourbon vanilla, but not AS bourbon vanilla. If I didn't know that was what it was, I'd never guess. For brief flashes I recognize bergamot, but on the whole this is a perfume that is greater than the sum of its parts. It's sexy, but it's not weighted down. It doesn't feel dark and gritty. Neither does it feel overly innocent, or blushing. It's... pure like art is pure: not naive so much as... intentional. Sincere. Passionately focused. Mm.

[feyofthefellwood]

This is beautiful. Red musk can overpower a blend on me, but here, the (non-foody) vanilla and porcelain win on the dry down. I love the porcelain note. I agree the (lighter) red musk and violet combo is similar to that in Random Brothel, which I also love. I'll definitely be upgrading my decant to a bottle in the future. 

[theredkilt]

Poet's... echoes strongly Zorya P. I think Poet's is a bit more transparent, fluffier and easier to wear. If i didn't own Zorya P., I'd gladly bottle this.