The Peacock Queen

[theseagrows]

In dramatic contrast to the soft innocence of Snow White and the dew-kissed freshness of her sister, Rose Red, this is a blood red, voluptuous rose, velvet-petaled, at the height of bloom. Haughty and imperious, vain, yet incomparably lovely to the eye, but thick with thorns of jealousy, pride and hatred.

this smells like velvety dark red roses to me with a bit of a watery undertone. i think crabtree and evelyn had a similar scent that my mom had, because this smells very familiar. this reminds me a bit of tea rose but is less sweet and more watery. it's less sharp and more well rounded than rose red. i like this a lot for days when i want a pure rose scent. Edited November 18, 2007 by Shollin

[metaldog32]

The Peacock Queen

 

Not something I would usually gravitate to as my sister is the one who wears rose fragrances well..but when I had read the description of her I couldn't pass her up. The idea of her...beautiful but vain and haughty....I had to possess her and see what she was like. Today seemed the perfect day to do it.

 

I am going to work a bit backwards...as I have been wearing it all day.

 

Drydown:Powdery rose...a faint pulse of it is there with my skin scent.

 

Lasting power is good...8+hours with throw for the most part soft to medium.

 

Couple of hours on skin: This is pretty much a solid rose fragrance...it's in bloom but as many reviewers have noted, it's a chilly/distant rose...and on me there is a bit of powder in it. It's a solid rose fragrance..but I don't get the lushness or dewy vibe that is so breathtakingly beautiful in Rose Red.

 

It's not a juicy rose..but a full rose in bloom...mature...and in full control.

 

Couple of minutes on skin:It's funny...like some other reviewers the fragrance seems to vanish on me..I have trouble finding it on my skin..even if I shove my wrist up my nose...for a brief time it's as if it is a shy rose...really soft and well..subtle.

 

Applied wet on skin: It's all rose..a twinge dry..but a mature fully bloomed rose..again nothing dewy or juicy about it. It's kind of distant..and very much the snobbish bloom. It's also seems very linear on me..which isn't a bad thing.

 

Initial sniff from bottle: It seems so subtle..it's kind of hard for me to picture a blood red bloom..from my sniffs from the bottle the mental image I get is more along the lines of a tea rose..and a pink one at that. It doesn't seem sweet either..almost a tad sour-like..but rose nonetheless.

 

Bottom Line:If you love rose fragrances, you would probably like this..if only to admire the very variations Beth weaves out of her rose fragrances. I myself find it an acceptable rose fragrance to wear for everyday if I was so inclined. It's a vain and haughty and conceited rose...nothing like the lush dewy Rose Red..and for that I have to admire it. However..it's probably not something I would reach for so it will be considered heavily for the sale pile.

[presotm]

The Peacock Queen is definitely a rose that prefers to keep you at a distance, unlike sister Rose Red who tried to smother me!

 

PQ is a gorgeous rose, and I prefer her laid back casuality to her sister's in-your-face assault.

[TheIceMaiden]

I have the 2005 version. This is a soft, slightly powdery rose from beginning to end. I didn't find it as much haughty and vain as I did confident and mature. Its one of my favourite rose blends from the Lab.

Edited November 17, 2009 by TheIceMaiden

[Rat The Unloved]

Initial Impressions: Rose and musk.

On the Skin: Bitter roses and musk.

Dry: The -most- authentic rose scent I've come across. It smells powdery, papery, bitter, somewhat spicy, and very rosey.

Mature: Same as the dry scent. Slightly earthy as well.

Several hours later: A muted, somewhat masculine rose with hints of rich, dark, vanilla. Evokes, for some reason, and in some fashion, the -very- different scent my ex used to wear. At once it's slightly disturbing and very alluring.

Over all: I am not a fan of roses, and I am not a fan of the earlier notes of this fragrance, but it's mature bloom is beautiful.

Buyability: I'm torn. Extremely torn.

[hackess]

It's not the freshly cut pile of roses in Rose Red, and it's not quite the fun rose in Two, Five & Seven. It's regal and cultivated. I wouldn't guess this was a red rose; smells more like pink and white roses.

 

Whatever the case, I'm a rose slut, so this is lovely!

[Ohmaude]

I received a almost full bottle of Peacock Queen in a swap at a meet-n-sniff last weekend. (Thanks again to all!) I liked the artwork, it's beautiful! I liked the scent wafting from the bottle so it seemed like a decent swap. I probably tried it on my wrist but at that point I was reeking from trying so many different scents that I was having getting overwhelmed, and didn't realize what had just fallen into my lap...

 

First, let me start out, as I have said before in other reviews of BPAL scents where rose is a component, I usually can't handle rose. However, I have been pleasantly suprised by a couple of scents, Two, Five and Seven and Dia De Los Muertos. Both have loverly roses. I wear dia quite often (though more in the winter/fall)

 

This here Peacock Queen, however, this has the most lovely, deep, sweet, spicy, full, haughty, sophisticated rose I have ever, ever, ever had the honor to experience. It smells great in the bottle, but on my wrist... HO SWEET JEEBUS. It smells friggin incredible. There isn't much change during the dry down, it just deepens and softens and relaxes.. and there aren't many notes here, just rose, rose, rose. It gives me such a postive boost. I sit taller, and feel incredibly sexy, sophisticated and delightful when I am wearing it. I have to give it three loves!

This is great for any season, any time of day but I good def. see wearing this on a first date.

Edited April 19, 2007 by Ohmaude

[GoldenRubee]

I was very fortunate to have won Peacock Queen when BPAL offered it up on Ebay. It smells quite lovely-soft and sexy in the bottle. I normally am not a rose wearer but really wanted to try this just from the reviews alone. I dabbed a little on and then it actually smelled like a dozen blood red roses had just been picked, with a little spice thrown in. It is both a romantic and a compellingly haunting scent. It is not overwhelming which some rose fragrances tend to be, but very subtle and easy to wear.

[sofaking6]

One of Beth's countless accomplishments has been turning me on to rose scents. I love roses but have always been, frankly, sickened by the plastic rose in commercial perfumes. I have SO enjoyed sampling the many incarnations of rose offered by BPAL.

 

And really, what is lovelier than the gloriously bottled scent of a freshly cut red rose. Peacock Queen is just beautiful...not shy, wholly without guile in her pride and just plain reeking of the joy of being beautiful.

 

She smells like red rose in the bottle, on my wrist, and hours later. The scent does not change from application to dry down, only fades out gracefully after hours.

 

Awesome!

[filigree_shadow]

A red rose. At first it reminded me of Moon Rose because it smelled so dewy, but as it's drying it isn't quite so dewy-smelling. It's more velvety than the usual rose blends, and I think that's why I like this one more than most rose blends. It just smells pure and feminine. It's quite lovely.

 

Edited to add:

I originally wrote this review about the 05 version, but I've just tried the 07 version and I get exactly the same impression. I don't think that I still have any of the 05 one so I can't do a side-by-side comparison, but my old review would certainly fit the 07 scent too. It's still lovely.

Edited December 17, 2007 by filigree_shadow

[Naamah_Darling]

This is a full, sweet, perfumey, throaty rose. Beautiful, yes, but really, really intense, almost boozy.

 

It goes on the same . . . single-note rose, powerful and dark, very pretty, very haughty, and completely overwhelming. There's a warm note, almost a spiciness, that keeps it from smelling cool and sweet and fresh like Rose Red. This is a hot, velvety scent, a sexual rose, fleshy and spoiled rotten.

 

Definitely one to try for fans of rose scents.

[hellomoonglow]

In Imp: Reminds me of cologne my Dad used to wear when I was a little girl, with a smattering of something feminine over top of it.

Wet: More feminine, with a strong rose, but unlike many other BPAL roses. I like this the best of all the rose scents.

½ hr Dry Down: Strong and commanding. Something to wear when you need to keep attention. Rosey but in a very non-rose way, not fake. Overall, I like very much but would never have the “perfect” occasion to wear, entitling me to buy a whole bottle. The imp will suffice.

[alicia_stardust]

Where Rose Red is fresh and full of green stems and fresh blooms, Peacock Queen is lush and velvety rose, at the height of their bloom. I am so glad I was able to track down a decant of this because it is so lovely.

[squirrelmonkey]

My biggest disappointment to date. In the vial, it smelled just like rose oil exported from Bulgaria -- pure unadulterated rose oil, gorgeous! The moment it touched my skin it turned into evil soap -- the unscented kind, with extra lye. Not a hint of rose remaining. Time to start looking for rose oil again.

[mystery213]

Ooooo, heavenly!

If you want a strong, lush, rich, true rose scent, this is it! It is so full bodied and velvety yet sharp with a very good amount of throw and wear length. Hours and hours later when it dries down it becomes a very sweet, subtle scent, not at all off or powdery like some oils on the drydown. This is a very regal scent, and though it does not quite top Hope for my all-time-favorite Rose (I am a sucker for the sugared blends), it comes in a pretty darn close second.

[purplemoonshoes]

I like this more than Rose Red. It's a deep, lush rose- more of an open rose then the buds of Rose Red. Good throw and lasting power too. I'd wear this in the evening, especially in the spring.

[Limelight]

To compare the two, Rose Red and The Peacock Queen, one must turn to an episode of King of the Hill called "A Beer Can Named Desire." In the B plot, Bill Dauterive has gone home to his kinfolks in the Louisiana bayou, where he's greeted by, among others, his three young, fetching and extremely widowed cousins, one of whom is his blood kin (but he isn't sure who that is yet). To wit:

 

Rose (Rose Red) pushes herself out in front toward Bill: "I'm Rose, the youngest."

 

Lily (Peacock Queen) sidesteps Rose and faces Bill, wearing a sensuous, self-assured look: "I'm Lily, the youngest-lookin'."

 

 

There you have it. This Queen has the upper hand in this situation and on my wrist. The beauty of the rose is without question, starts out pink, comes over to red, and about halfway through, the thorns flash. Steel in the stem, then they fade somewhat, rejoining the velvety petals. A winner, and definitely a hoard choice for me.

[alicia_stardust]

PEACOCK QUEEN (2007 Version)

 

WET: A sweet, full rose.

 

DRY: On my skin this blooms into a lush, velvety red rose at the height of its bloom. This rose scent is prideful, beautiful, voluptuous. This is sophisticated and feminine. She is smooth and silky yet shows a touch of thorniness as time passes. It's a close call but I think I love this one more than Rose Red. There's just something about this that is so... sumptuous.

[Ningal61]

Oh my! I knew I liked rose in general, but I had no idea it could be this lovely. *sniffs* I just can't stop sniffing my wrists.

 

I think this scent is so well-named. This is a full-bodied, mature rose, and all the more beautiful for it. Sultry, yet regal.

 

Must buy another bottle or two for my hoard.

[sookster]

straight sniff from bottle is the rose of my liddle kiddle kologne rosebud scented dolli

when i was a girl!! immediate love!!

 

once applied this *is* a beauty...a vintage and full-bodied rose scent...

a true SN to me....gorgeous

Edited November 11, 2007 by sookster

[n3m3sis42]

In the bottle:

A sharp rose note that definitely brings to mind Rose Red.

 

Wet:

This rose is tempered with something else, making it not as green (or soapy) as Rose Red.

 

Dry:

A soft rose scent. I will have to wear it to see if it's "me" or not. If not, off to the swaps!

[euterpe414]

This is a vintage rose; it has a very "victorian" feel to it- somehwat powdery, perhaps a bit musky, very prim and proper. The rose in this is a little sharp and not something I would normally go for, but I love the antique feel that this has to it- almost like dry rose petals but without the dustiness. So, yes, this scent is a perfect fit with its description, and I'm very glad I finally got a chance ot try it. I'm not sure if it's something that I would wear often, but I will certainly find some occasions for it.

[lilirose]

2007 version. This is, like everyone else says, pure rose- a very genuine, velvety red rose.

 

On me, it's quite soft and doesn't have a lot of throw. Two hours after applying it, it's still there and still pure, but rather faint.

 

Even so, I like it...I think I'll be trying it in my scent locket to see if I can get it to last a bit longer.

[folledesmots]

I want to bathe in this scent. I've been looking for a BPAL rose that captivated me, as I love rose and I love BPAL, but Two, Five & Seven and Hymn just did not work for me. When I got my decant circle package I just sniffed everything and ended up testing Snow White. But I kept thinking about The Peacock Queen and I finally broke down and tried it. I am in love. It is deep, lush, red, red rose in full bloom. Sensuous and sophisticated, and I think I will need multiple bottles.

[Poenari]

I don't usually like to wear rose scents, but having heard so much about Peacock Queen, Snow White, and Rose Red, I ordered decants of each just to try them out.

 

Peacock Queen is definitely my favorite of the three. A dark, pure red rose, very beautiful and dusky in the vial. On me, it didn't morph, but I don't really see myself wearing it. However, my husband loves roses and he will probably like it. Hmmm... I wonder if men can wear rose scents? This might be worth having him try on just to see what happens to it with his chemistry- you never know till you try, right?