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wickedgoddess

Bearded Lady

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A seductive and flowing exaltation of femininity: Turkish rose, stargazer lily, violet, honeysuckle, amber, star jasmine and vanilla.


Am I the only one who finds this blend oddly masculine? It's appropriate for the name, though.

The predominant scent reminds me of Oisin's white musk, which was unbelievably overpowering on me. Perhaps this is the violet--I'm still not 100% sure I recognize violet when I smell it, as I have not ordered many violet scents. It is barely, faintly sour and makes my nose run as Oisin did. This smell is, to me, an artificial one, I guess what others term "department store," and reminds me of cheap men's perfumes.

I also smell a little soap, which is either the jasmine or the lily or both. I can smell the vanilla, which lends sweetness, and the rose and amber are squashed down by the other smells but are present.

I'm thinking about it and I can picture enjoying this scent if it weren't for that department-store effect. It would be a lightly incense-y floral. And, as it dries down on me, I get less of the masculine musk and more of the nice parts. I think I start to be able to smell the honeysuckle. But, overall, there's not enough difference to change my mind. I don't know if it's the violet, or the lily and jasmine ruining the violet, or all three.

It's got pretty good throw, though, which is quite uncommon on me--bummer.

What a pity, but this scent just doesn't work for me. On my scale, 2 out of 5. Edited by Shollin

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In the bottle, I smell yummy Stargazer lillies, with just a hint of honey underneath. Wet is pretty much the same. Now that it's been on for a while, I am surprised at the formality of this scent. It's reminding me a bit of Shalimar, though I have no idea if they really smell the same, or if it's just a feeling I'm getting. I'm going to have to compare them to see. This is a wonderful spicy floral which will be perfect for opening nights at the theatre. It does have a nice throw as well.

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When I got this one I was very scared about trying it because of the Stargazer. Real Stargazers are pretty flowers but I hate the smell of lilies and Stargazers seem to be the worst. But at the Meet 'n' Sniff today I to try to someone's imp just in case it didn't work out for me I could swap a never been used bottle. And I must say this is a very nice scent and the rose and the stargazer don't come out and attack me like normal. I was vert surprised. I like this one a lot. So I think I'll keep her around and try her a few more times before I totally write her off and find a new home for her.

 

Wearing it it turns into a nice soft amber-y vanilla very nice and soft, you and smell the rose but just as a background note.

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This is like Alice's older sister. Very floral, but sweet...and more than a little mischievous. This is a timeless scent for me...maybe it is 'old fashioned' (violet, rose, jasmine...) combination of florals with more 'modern' (vanilla, stargazer) scents. It is really lovely. I am a sucker for amber these days...here it emanates its golden light through the pastel florals.

 

It is a tapestry. I must find more!

 

I just hope the name is not a curse! :P

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Bearded Lady

 

Got to try a bit during the Oregn Meet 'n' Sniff too (:P Hi Emu!).

 

Every time I say something like "I don't do rose/florals/etc. etc." just... just tell me to shut my mouth. Or better yet, waft a little Bearded Lady my way.

 

Because this? Was lovely.

 

No particular floral stood out for me (which is surprising as I throw rose like a fiend) but rather blended very nicely into a soft yet persistent "pretty". Kind of like Queen Mab, in effect, but less exotic, more comforting.

 

The amber/vanilla/warmth underneath really grounded this. I could see how this could be interpreted as a hermaphroditic blend as well with this earthy bottom.

 

But the florals are just so darn... pretty. Really love this. Dangit. :D

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I'm one of those people that, whenever a scent has rose in it, the rose note goes completely into overdrive. I had hoped from the reviews that the rose would be a minor note (I'm looking for a floral I can wear), but it was really strong on me.

 

After the initial stages (which were just ROSE ROSE and more ROSE on me), it faded to a mix of rose + something fresh. I didn't get any vanilla at all.

 

As florals go on me, it wasn't so bad, but it's not "me," yannow?

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Florals are not generally something I care to wear so I didn't pay much attention to this blend, but my curiosity got the better of me since a few rare florals work on me if there are some other elements in it, like amber. Any kind of lily and jasmine, however, usually spells doom (usually).

 

Immediately I'm struck by how strong this one is...definitely a cloyingly sweet floral that makes me feel a little queasy. Not sure what it is that disagrees with me but I'm going to guess it's the lily and jasmine. It reminds me of the flood of heavy perfume that hits you when you open a big glossy Vogue magazine. The kind that made me think as a child that all perfume was a big headache.

 

There's a little underlying warm sweetness (honeysuckle, vanilla) that I like and a strange phase for a moment where I can pluck out the individual notes. The amber becomes very warm and resiny for a moment but then it's swallowed again by the flowers.

 

I like springtime and smelling flowers as they start to appear in the woods, but I absolutely hate them in perfumes unless they are very crisp and white (The Ghost, Juliet, Ophelia were all tolerable to wear outside in the woods in nice weather). This is, to me, a very cloying ladies' magazine insert perfume and I can't wear it. But that's OK because I love about five of the CN scents so I have plenty to enjoy!

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In the Bottle: A delicious lightly juicy fruity floral, and powder.

 

Dry: This is, for me, what some people call an "old lady perfume". This veritably SCREAMS grandma at me. It's powdery, light, fresh, and feminine, totally. Very sedate. Bearded lady is kind, and she will give you cookies and rest you on her plump, comfy lap and sing to you. Bearded Lady lives in a home with crocheted arm covers on the chairs. It's very comforting, and I will never wear it. It has little throw for me except in the powder part of the scent.

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this comes out on my skin as a slightly spicy, vanilla-floral. reminscent of gypsy queen and love in the asylum to me, except gypsy queen is deeper and sexier and more complex, and love in the asylum has a stronger rose note. i like this one, but of the vanilla/spice-florals, it lacks a little umph for my tastes. it is pretty though!

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Bottle: Flowery.

 

Just On: Pretty flowers.

 

An hour or two later: Hmmmm some soap to this.

 

Around 6 hours: Still kinda soapy. My skin does this a lot.

 

12 hours: It's mostly gone, with bits of soapiness lingering around.

 

Overall: I think this would prbably be gorgeous- on somebody else. My skin obviously ruins this one.

 

After reading other reviews: How come I didn't get that lovely vanilla scent?

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In the bottle this smells quite perfumey, almost like walking through the perfume section in a department store, so many notes hitting you at once, that you can't identify any of them.

 

Wet it smells much like it did in the bottle, a little bit lighter, with a strong hit of powder. It smells somewhat like love in the asylum, but with a stronger totally different top note. The top note is very sharp; I think it is the violet making itself known, quite loudly.

 

Dry, I can smell the creamy base of the vanilla now, the vanilla softly mixing with the honeysuckle, I think this is the powdery element I smelled earlier, they just need to be dry to fully present themselves. It is sweetening up as I write this, and becoming quite lovely. It is a much more gentle mix than the bottle suggested.

 

A few minutes later if I press my nose to my wrist this smells, lovely, but the throw is screaming jasmine. It smells, familiar but I cannot place it. The scent is all together very, very floral, as I expected it to be. I can clearly smell the amber now. As it dries down the throw becomes much more complex and pleasant.

 

 

Ten Minutes later, this smells very similar to Anna Sui Classic now, the powdery note is back but much calmer, and everything as a whole seems to have agreed on what they want to smell like, its a lovely, purple scent

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OMG why did I only get one bottle of this, WHY???

 

This is probably the most perfect blend of floral and vanilla I've smelled yet. It is just so rich and rounded and sweet and deep and PERFECT. It's completely intoxicating.

 

LOVE. :P

 

EDIT: NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

 

Violet. Oh, why must you ruin this for me. Evil evil violet, turning my beautiful baby into powder. :D

 

Sigh. I will try letting this be for a few months, and see how it ages.

Edited by maewitch

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Bearded Lady is a very comforting vanilla powder on me, with the powder connotations akin to a fine, light powder as opposed to baby powder. The jasmine was light, and every now and then I'd notice it, but otherwise it lurked in the background, merely amping up the faint sweetness of the Lady. Its staying power didn't seem too strong for me, which sort of adds to its ethereal nature. The fragrance is very gentle, actually very new-mother-esque, if that imagery makes any sense: the ideal new mother, graceful and caring, looking over her seraphim in an angel-white crib.

 

Yeah... so it was nice. I shared a dab with a coworker, too, who liked the fragrance. "I want some of that Bearded Lady."

 

I did receive a compliment from a counter worker at a local "Mexican" restaurant when I was getting my lunch. "Something smells really good.... what is that?" I didn't tell her the name of the oil, as the fact that I bought fragrance oil online seemed to evoke such a "hunh?" expression on her face, I didn't want to further be deemed as a weirdo.

 

Although not my favourite out of the Carnaval Noir bunch that I tried, I am really impressed and love my bottle. It's one of those where one bottle is enough for gentle, musing moments.

 

-doreen

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Wet this is a blend of warm floral notes and possibly vanilla. When first on this is a well blended floral with a hint of red fruit or berry- red currant? This is sophisticated, feminine, upscale. This dries down to a nice vanilla. I’m not sure about this one because it has a generic perfume smell on me. I’ll have to try again and decide if I need to keep it or not.

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The honeysuckle, violet, and vanilla notes are the most prominent in this scent. It's a really strong scent at first until the drydown. When dry, it is pretty, although the honeysuckle seems to dominate all of the other notes for several hours, until the vanilla becomes more prominent.

 

Still, given the fact that I would have never thought that Bearded Lady could smell so feminine, I have had to change my mind.

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upon application very, very warm florals with what i find have

a real "old fashioned" nostalgic kind of fragrance...strong and

long lasting...not sure if this is so much of a winter scent at all

but i will be keeping it around for the springtime months

:P

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Roses and Vanilla. *eww*

 

Bearded Lady smells like a cheap generic perfume blend. The rose is sickly sweet and the vanilla is entirely too powerful for this blend. The two clash in an unsetteling way.

 

*sigh*

I really wanted to LOVE this scent based on the reviews, but sadly it's off to the swap pile.

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First sniff: Soft, lush, heady-sweet floral with a dash of resin. This is what Lilah’s trailer at Carnivale smells like – perfume that is All Woman, darlin’, and don’t you forget it, plus a hint of the smoke from her hookah.

 

Wearing: An explosion of vanilla, retreating into soft lush flowers. It’s a vanilla floral, like Regan or Antique Lace, but where Regan is youthful and bubbly and Antique Lace is soft-spoken and genteel, Bearded Lady is languid and sensual. And I simply adore all three of them.

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In Bottle: Lily

 

On Skin: This is so pretty, not what comes to mind when I think of a bearded lady, that’s for sure! The florals are so light and sweet, not tart like rose usually turns on me the vanilla must be softening the edge on them. I also smell fruit, maybe kiwi or star fruit? This scent starts strong but it’s throw fades quickly. The amber gives a nice resin base that keeps the flowers from drowning you. It is flirty but also has a deeper sexiness to it.

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I tried this blend a while ago, liked it, but decided against hunting down a bottle. However, the memory kept niggling at my mind, and I jumped at a half-bottle I saw for sale on the forum.

 

Let's get one thing out of the way: for the most part, I hate BPAL florals. They smell either soapy or murky to me, and one floral note in an otherwise floral-less blend can completely ruin it for me.

 

That being said, I nonetheless LOVE Bearded Lady.

 

The scent begins with a burst of Stargazer Lily, which is not only the only BPAL floral note I love, it's a single note that I'd KILL for (I had the pleasure of sniffing it in the SN circular swap). The honeysuckle arrives in a cloud of violet-laced vanilla; the amber note isn't obvious but instead lends a hint of warmth to counteract violet's natural chilliness.

 

This is definately a deep, sensual floral blend, very "purple and white" in tone and satiny in texture. It is one of the very few BPAL scents I can genuinely call "elegant"--a scent that would fit right in at a fancy dress party or (better yet!) an upper-crust picnic on estate grounds in England.

 

I'm sure it's the Stargazer Lily that "makes" this blend for me; the only other BPAL floral I love--Juliet--also contains Stargazer Lily. It's such a pity that this note appears in only a small handful of BPAL blends!

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In the vial: Oh, so pretty and sweet. Very light flowers.

 

Wet: Soapy flowers, but in a lovely, fresh way. Not at all offensive, and very charming.

 

Drydown: This one says, "Oh, please take me home with you. I'll be ever so nice. I'll clean and cook and not get in the way. And if you want a true heart, mine is yours forever."

 

Dry: Ah, a little tang in the afterglow. Once you get her home, you see her masculine side, but it's well hidden by her charming manners. A lady so intent on pleasing and ingratiating herself, how can you help but like her? A pretty scent, but not overwhelming. I'll keep it, but I don't regret not having a bottle.

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This is a bearded lady. Completely true to the concept. It's by no way close to a drag queen. It's a woman with such strong testosterone, anything about her smells womanly strong, and looks like that, I see hairy cheeks with extra-bold pink blusher applied to them and a musty scarf/veil that she uses for effect.

Amazing.

 

Unfortunately this morning I was a bit easy handed with the imp and quite slathered without thinking. Before going to work.

 

Quite uncomfortable.

 

I might try this again very carefully on a weekend. Not this weekend though.

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Got a bottle of this in a swap with the fantabulous dawndie. Mad love, gorgeous. :P

 

Let me preface this by saying, I was kinda "Eh" about swapping for it. Strong florals aren't really my thing: rose has been known to go soapy on me, jasmine occasionally eats every other note in a blend, I'm just not a huge fan of violet, and I'm slowly facing the realization that vanilla sometimes isn't the deliciousness I always hope it will be on my skin. But the bottle I had to swap was Rose Red, which really, really didn't work on me, and I hadn't tried much from the Carnaval Noir line, and I do really like amber, lily and honeysuckle (and jasmine and rose and vanilla, when they don't freak out.) So what the Hell. I could always swap it again, right?

 

How very wrong I was. This one is staying with me. Forever and ever. In fact, I might have to hunt down another bottle. Or two. Me/Bearded Lady OTP!!!!!11eleventy *cough* Right. On with the review.

 

In the bottle: I don't know what I'm smelling, but it's damn sure not registering a floral. The thing that hits me first is an impression of powder, but sophisticated and femme powder that a beautiful lady dusted on just before stepping out, not gross baby powder. I smell vanilla, golden amber, and.... lemon? Yep. Something in here is registering as distinctly lemony to my nose: not so much the tart, citrussy lemon of, say, Embalming Fluid, but rather a sweet lemon sugar. It could be the amber-- doesn't the amber note in Haunted have a lemon tint? There's a faint impression of flowers floating on top, but they're hardly the main attraction. As nice as this smells in the bottle, it comes off as a little perfumey and traditional for my tastes, and I had my misgivings at first.

 

Wet: Oh SWEET asdfjkl; .............. *swoon* Lemon. Sugar. Seriously. It smells like you took a bowl of powdered sugar, dumped lemon syrup in it and scraped vanilla beans on top. There's a gorgeous base of golden amber, and a lovely overlay of what I suspect is rose, but isn't screamingly floral at all. Just a nice, slightly more grown-up touch to a really, really delicious concoction. The kind of 'fumey edge dies off straight away and the powder tones down a good deal: it's there enough to give an impression, but not enough to annoy. The throw isn't very strong, but what there is is identical to the stronger scent on my wrists. Gaaaah. So.... good.

 

Dry: The amber comes forward a little more, and the sweetness dies down a tad, making this much less childish, but still absolutely :D It's almost like a girlier, less tea-ish and musky Dorian. This stays true until most of the notes vanish about three hours later, leaving a gorgeous amber that will linger for ages; not great staying time on the top notes, but enough. I really, really love this. I want to slather myself and my surroundings-- nay, I want to roll in it-- but, alas, I only have the one bottle! I may have to remedy that.

 

This one's in my top ten, baby.

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At first I didn't love this much. It grew on me though. While it's still more "generic perfume" smelling than most BPAL fragrances, the vanilla finally won me over. It's only faintly rosy on me. Mostly it's a well blended grown-up smelling perfume. It's one I'd feel comfortable wearing at work, for sure, which is one reason I decided I liked it more than I initially thought. It's sweet, girly-but-not-too-young, and flowery. The vanilla and amber make it better too. Nice but not an enormous favorite.

 

For me, it's a 4 out of 5.

Edited by LittleGreyKitten

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In the bottles, this is floral to the max, heavy on the Stargazer lily. More generic-floral than I'd expected. I wasn't sure that I was going to be able to wear it since I can't take strong mixed florals without getting a headache, but somewhere along the way this morphed into light, distinctive floral with a sugary-lemony note that really grew on me. :P This is really beautiful and unique, and I know I'll use both bottles I have this summer, when I want to feel girlie.

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