Lucy's Kiss

[Vega]

Created to represent the essence of Bram Stoker’s tragic heroine, Lucy Westenra. Seductive, wanton and deadly, but underscored with a soft, wistful innocense. The gentle scent of rose and a blend of Victorian spices.

Sniffed: Simple, pure rose.

On skin: Lucy's Kiss is clear, sweet rose deepened with spices to become something pretty and fragrant, even a bit fruity. Simple, yet full-bodied and beautiful and "complete"; gentle, innocent and girly, like a proper, chaste Elizabethan maiden. Colour impression is a lush pink-orange. Perfect for those who love pure rose accentuated with other notes. (Another simple rose blend is Rose Cross.)

Verdict: I love rose, so Lucy's Kiss is beautiful! However, I have found other lovely rose blends with a bit more complexity, so this is likely to get overlooked and swapped.

[calivianya]

I received this as a frimp from the Lab.

 

All I really pick up is rose, not many spices at all. I have yet to find a BPAL blend with rose that works for me, and this is no exception.

[Invidiana]

This is a soft rose which very much reminds of me of rosewater (no wateriness, just the softness of the scent). There is a bit of a sweet element in here; I can't really pick out too much spice, just the barest whisper, which I suppose is appropriate considering the inspiration.

[Gold Dust Kitten]

Stinky rosewater. The scent gives me a piercing headache.

[Alethia]

This review should probably be prefaced with a disclaimer: I do not like scents with a lot of throw (I don't want my perfume announcing me. If a scent is strong enough for other people to smell without being relatively close to me, then it is definitely not for me. On to the review!

 

Wet: The spices were bashing the rose over the head with a crowbar here while yelling "I'm king of the blend!!!"

 

Dry: Still no rose. All I get from this is spice, which made me slightly ill. To add insult to injury, when I walked into my living room to get the boy to smell it, he was already pinching his nose as I entered the room.

 

Off to the swaps this goes!

[Marie_Nightingale]

I love this scent! This was the very first bpal scent I had ever smelled, and what a wonderful introduction it was!

 

In the Bottle: I was a little hesitant. The spices seemed a little strong for my tastes. I was afraid it would be too much spice and not enough rose.

 

Wet: I never knew you could bottle the smell of a flower so perfectly. The rose became the predominant scent with just enough spice in the background to add a beautiful depth.

 

Dry: The scents mellowed and blended so wonderfully! The only qualm I have with this scent is that it faded within a few hours of putting it on. But! That’s a small price to pay to smell so good!!

 

This scent made me feel like I was sitting in a Victorian tea room, waiting for my beau to arrive. I am in love love love! I realize that this is the first of many scents I’m going to try from bpal, but right now it’s my signature scent. And my boyfriend loves it! Bonus!!

[KatharinaNordh]

Rose rarely works on me so far (the exceptions being 2, 5 & 7 in small doses and Santa Muerte by the bucket)

 

This one smells nice enough, but gave me a headache - rose tends to do that one me.

 

I don't get anything but rose from this, seems I amp the Bad qualities of rose, somehow

[puellacaerulea]

This starts off as a really fresh, simple rose -- more freshly-cut rose than old-lady perfume. After a few minutes on, my skin starts amping the spices. I wouldn't call them harsh or medicinal, but they do add a darker, almost incense-like undertone to the rose note. It's not enough to make the scent heavy or especially dark; the overall impression is still quite light and simple. Unfortunately, the rose note fades on me after about an hour in and I mostly get faint spices. Still, this is a very pleasant scent. I'd recommend it to anyone who's on the fence about incense or spice notes, as this is a relatively subtle spice and the rose note keeps it firmly in floral territory.

[mistressfizz]

Sniff: I was expecting strong rose, but this is very astringent. If there's rose here, it's faint and overpowered by spices. The spices are along the flavor of clove or bay leaves or anise, sharp and almost bitter.

 

Wet: The spices start to mellow and now I can detect rose, fresh and dewy, like white and yellow roses climbing up a trestle with hints of smoke in the background.

 

Dry: Softens to a pleasant rose over a backdrop of spices. To my surprise, the rose is not powdery or heady. Overall, this is a pretty, everyday kind of scent, classic and feminine.

[whitsunweddings]

In the imp: Rose, something a bit spicy.

Wet: Yup. Kinda musty rose.

Dry: Weird. I tried this last week and it was really gross (kind of like rotting rose, not nice at all), but it's fine on me now. A sweet, light rose scent.

[jkfagtongpun]

Lovely - in the imp, subtle spice and rose…

 

On wet I get a really beautiful rose note (it doesn't give me a headache!!) mixed with what smells like light saffron and black pepper to me.

 

Really, really gorgeous. I feel like I should be wearing one of those huge, tafetta, grey Victorian dresses with matching headgear! This was an excellent whim buy! I love it!

 

This is pretty much my idea of the perfect rose scent.

[impolight]

:::LUCY'S KISS:::

 

 

This came as another endearing freebie from this year's Bat's Day Black Market.

Ah, yes Lucy Westerna... This brings back wistful memories of opening night at Francis Ford Coppola's version of the Dracula story. The Stygianati were present in all their dark finery and accoutrements and the mood was like airborne adrenaline. A person could practically feel the very air turn humid and the pulse wax thunderous in that first presence of Lucy and her fiery kink... and then again as the corrupted concubine.

So what to expect from this? Rose? Rose is always a pleasure (especially if it happens to be your birth-flower). All things Victorian allude to that wonderful, Steampunky vibe that is tragically and chronically underrated... Curiosity, however, abounds. How will this fit in with the characteristic conceptions?

From the Imp: Answer... Perfectly. At first sniff there was the sense of being immediately transported out of the current astral plane and into a Victorian parlor room joining the worshipful throng of admirers at the feet of Lucy. Almost tangibly, her green Wolf-lamp eyes roll down the length of your body like molten wax. Her smile is searing and voracious.

The Rose is seductive and innocent... This Rose wears a plaid skirt and knee-high stockings. The Spice element has the darkling secretiveness of some exotic import. There is a sense of belonging to a once exclusive club.

On the Skin: How this was accomplished, one can only guess at, but the Rose and the Spice have been impregnated with a spritz of the sanguine. This gets hot, coppery, and wonderful.

While distinctly Rose, this isn't as stalwartly feminine as originally predicted.

On Him, Lucy's Kiss is a dirty little secret that throbs in time with the thrill of a racing pulse.

On Her, Lucy's Kiss is a weapon of mass seduction.

Genius once again.

A strong 5 out of 5.

Edited July 13, 2012 by impolight

[sth0]

I first tried this perfume in 2005 and it came with 5 other floral scents; Reagan, Ava Maria Gratia Plena, Empyreal Mysts, Juliet, and Eve. I only liked Lucy's Kiss, Juliet, and Eve. The other three were overwhelmingly strong and turned acrid and Avon-y on me.

 

I bought a full sized Lucy's Kiss in 2008 and have been wearing it for dates and times when I need it's particular nostalgic and sexy power. I seem to have a chemistry that is already bold and animalic so simpler or lighter florals work the best.

 

When I sniff the bottle, it simply smells like an old rose kept in a perfumed hankie. There are only wisps of the spice and they tend to smell unremarkable and generic.

 

When put on, it transforms into a more intense rose. The green rose notes dance on top of the mature, spicy rose body.

 

The drydown calms the sillage into a glow. Most people cannot smell this on me until they get close, which is a part of the sexiness of this fragrance to me. The greener rose notes recede into the background and the warm spicy rose dominates. There is a slight edge to the fragrance until it mellows down. I believe it is one of the rose oils and it smells like hair product. As it matures, the spices temper the rose into a warm glow. I think of it like many others do, as the scent of a parlor room or the powder room of a proper lady with a dark secret. I always feel that the spiciness is a promise of darker things.

[JazzieCazzie]

Ordered an imp of this from the Lab during an impapalooza purchase (four six-packs) in February as I looked to revive my BPAL collection and dispersal. Am working my way through my entire collection -- old, new, imps, bottles, purchased, swapped-for and frimped/lagniapped -- either writing new reviews or updating old ones. Once I'm finished A-Z, I'll be able to post a full swap list AND wishlist.

 

I tend to be hit-or-miss with rose, based on what it's combined with and where it is in the mix. I knew this one was a little risky since there were fewer notes and a likelihood of it being really rosy but "spice" is always a draw for me.

 

IN THE IMP: The initial sniff is promising. Rosy, yes, but the spicy note seems to give it good balance.

 

Optimistically dabbed on wrist, crook of arm and in cleavage.

 

WET: Sweet and rosy but not TOO sweet or rosy at first application.

 

DRYDOWN: Sadly, for ME, the more it dries, the more prominent the rose gets and the more the balance of the spices take a backseat. I am not an expert by any means (I don't even play one on TV) but to me, the rose note seems like tea rose, more than, say, roses that bloom in my garden. I remember when I was in my early teens growing up in New York City, there was a perfume line that had a counter at Bloomingdales that would sell single-note tea rose and give it out in these little woody strips. EVERYONE had them and we'd stick them in our purses/bookbags and everyone smelled like tea rose for months. That's what this smells like to me. And it's got major legs.

 

OVERALL: I can totally see why this would be a scent that would be popular over the years. I think it would be one of those nice "first scents" for girls -- safe and yet slightly unusual - and also appeal to fans of the rose, the gothic, the victorian, etc. However, I'm really not one of those people so instead, Lucy's Kiss shall go into my swap box for future availability.

 

On a scale of 1-5, a 3, just not me.

[SadariEvenstar]

This smells really bizarre on my skin. Soap, a hint of rose, and a really awful scent I can't put my finger on. No spices.

 

Something in here is making my wrist itch, which has never happened to me before. Weird and definitely not for me.

[darkeyedfran]

Lucy's kiss can really be described as a vintage scent. This reminds me of dried roses in an old home, it's a gorgeous scent. There's seething faintly sweet about it, overall it's just a nostalgic scent. I'm considering a big bottle of this

[marcnatandcat]

I'll start this review off with a confession. I love rose. Rose everything. I'm a sucker for it.

 

Bottle: Spice, I'm thinking this is the Victorian Spices

 

Wet: This smells like potpourri. Like grandma's rose potpourri. Exactly. Rose oil under spices

 

Dry: Here comes the rose. I can still smell the spices, but this has finally gone more rose than spice. I wouldn't call this a traditional floral at all, but I like it.

 

Final Review: This is not "my rose." I like it though. If you don't like florals and prefer musk, this may be a great stepping stone. I'll wear this imp again for sure, but I doubt I'll buy a big bottle. This is a really nice and complex scent, just not for me.

 

3/5

[darkeyedfran]

I'll start this review off with a confession. I love rose. Rose everything. I'm a sucker for it.

 

Bottle: Spice, I'm thinking this is the Victorian Spices

 

Wet: This smells like potpourri. Like grandma's rose potpourri. Exactly. Rose oil under spices

 

Dry: Here comes the rose. I can still smell the spices, but this has finally gone more rose than spice. I wouldn't call this a traditional floral at all, but I like it.

 

Final Review: This is not "my rose." I like it though. If you don't like florals and prefer musk, this may be a great stepping stone. I'll wear this imp again for sure, but I doubt I'll buy a big bottle. This is a really nice and complex scent, just not for me.

 

3/5

 

I love your review! This is my kind of rose for sure

[Magycmyste]

In the imp: This reminds me more of a blend between rose and jasmine than just jasmine.

 

Wet on skin: Still a bit sweeter than I expect rose to be. This is nice though. I'm not sure what the Victorian spices are, but I'm not really getting them.

 

Dried down: Yes, this is definitely jasmine on me. Good think I like jasmine. It's a sweet one, but not overly sweet. And maybe there's a hint of rose, there - just on the edges.

 

Throw: Jasmine., with a hint of rose.

 

Verdict: **** This is very pretty. I think I'll definitely be keeping the imp, but I'm not so sure I'm going to get a bottle. It'll need another go before I go that far.

[Cazzadeathgirl]

So, cause I do like my rose scents, decided to go try this 1 1st...got this as a frimp from the lab months ago.

 

In imp: quite a strong rose fragrance...kind of overpowering at 1st, very slight hint of spice but with a medicinal edge to my nose

 

Wet on skin: very overpowering artificial smelling pot puri type of thing going on here I've lost all spice I got in the imp so not too happy

 

Few hours later: well powdery rose which I'm not too happy about, very long throw, a little really does go a long way, no spice at all on me.

 

Verdict: I think I'll use my imp up, maybe for a room fragrance in summer but as a perfume, doesn't work for me, will be sticking to my favorite deep in earth as it doesn't turn all yuck and pot puri like on me

[OctoberGwen]

Um, yeah.

 

Anyhoo, on me Lucy's Kiss is a girly, lovely, sweet rose scent with just a hint of spice. I too find it nostalgic; it makes me think of an elegant drawing room filled with bouquets of roses in cut crystal vases, lit with the sunlight that is streaming through the French doors and tall leaded glass windows.

 

It reminds me of a rose perfume I wore when I was a teenager. I have no memory at all of what it was called.

 

I think my favorite thing about it is the contrast to Lucy, Kissed (one of my favorite BPALs, btw.) If you've tried one, you really need to try the other. They are two sides to the same coin and as such, each is perfectly executed. (I've always been partial to Lucy Westenra, though.)

 

In short, if you like rose, you should like Lucy's Kiss. It's pretty classic.

[TorchedEarth]

This is a velvety lush rose, which I very much like.

My husband, however, told me I smell like soap.

[Minh Scent]

Yes, rose,and not a light or fresh cut one. Can barely pick out the spices. Pretty.

[lady_pandora]

Lucy's Kiss goes on pretty much straight rose, and I think it's tea rose, because it reminds me a lot of Fox Sisters. I don't like it quite as much as Fox Sisters, as it's a little more tart and a little more dusty, but it's a perfectly fine rose scent for about the first hour and 20 minutes.

 

And then. Ack. Suddenly, along with the rose, I get something burnt and something dryer-sheetsy. I have no idea what spices might be doing this. It's not doing it for me, though, and the Sisters keep their rosy throne.

 

(ETA: Dryer sheets effect might be from this morning's Talvikuu. WIll retest. Burnt thing still annoying though.)

Edited February 17, 2015 by lady_pandora

[DiesMali]

In the imp: ROSE.

 

Wet on my skin: ROSE, but green too. Like roses still on the bushes.

 

Dry: ROSE. Instead of spices, though, the Victorian spices make this smell like a row of rose bushes. Not red roses, though - these are the smaller-blossomed pink and orange roses. I think they're called tea roses? It's a very faithful rose and greenery scent. Very pretty, but definitely only for someone who REALLY likes roses. I happen to love them, and I love the fact that BPAL flowers (unlike most flower perfumes) actually work well on my skin.