Blood Amber

[kakiphony]

Slivers of warm, pulsating blood forever crystallized in golden amber resin.

In the imp: Sweet dragon's blood.

Wet: The dragon's blood is both floral and fruity on first contact with my skin. But it's more a tropical fruit flavored skittles smell than the grape Nehi of the dragon's blood in Tintagel.

Early dry down: After this has been on my wrist less than ten minutes, the sweetness of the dragon's blood has receded and the spice of the amber has started to emerge. It's developing a slightly soapy smell that I'm hoping disappears as it has more time to develop.

Dry down: Well, it's not as soapy as the early dry-down suggested, thank goodness. It's still fruity sweet, but that sweetness is layered over a spicy, salty, tangy smell that almost reminds me of a musk. I've been sitting here trying to figure out just how to describe this smell, and having a heck of a time with it. Finally, after holding my wrist up to my nose and sniffing for about two minutes, I have to say that what it reminds me of the most of is how my dog, Elliott, a bichon frise, used to smell right after a bath. We couldn't use doggy shampoo on him because he has skin allergies, so we used Johnson's Baby Shampoo and then condition him with Salon Selectives (bichon's have hair that is VERY prone to matting and tangling because it is so fine). He used to smell sweet and fruity, but you could smell the spicy/musky dog scent of him under that. I used to bury my head in his soft fur and sniff. Blood Amber smells like that to me.

Conclusion: This is a very nostalgic scent for me, so I may keep it around for that purpose. It's a good smell. It's pleasant and not offensive. However, I don't think this would ever be an everyday scent for me. It's a bit too sweet, and a bit too reminiscent of the artificial fruit smell of so many major brand shampoos and candies. I think this would be a great scent for a young teenager. It's innocent and fruity, yet the amber adds just enough spice behind it to make it slightly complex. It feels like a good starter perfume to me. I think I may send my imps (I have two!) to my younger sister who likes younger feeling fragrances than I do. Edited January 31, 2006 by Shollin

[hangingfire]

In the imp: Dragon's blood and amber. Doesn't get any more straightforward than that. Initial impression is mostly dragon's blood.

 

On, wet: Ah, there's the amber. There's also a slightly cinnamony note to it, like Bastet, or Blood Moon. In fact, right now it reminds me of Blood Moon but without the nutty creaminess.

 

Drydown: Mostly warm amber, not so much on the dragon's blood.

 

Lovely scent -- the kind that, given my preferences, is impossible for me to dislike.

[zenvodunista]

Beth's dragon blood is almost fruity, and her gorgeous amber is there too. I usually amp amber in blends, so I am interested to see what happens here. On though, I absorb this almost instantly. Weird.

 

....time passes....

 

Oy, and now it's just downright gross. Kinda plastic. Blech! Stupid skin!

 

n.

[fiddlehead]

This was the first scent I tried with Dragon's Blood in it. I had never smelled DB before but reading some people's experience with it I was worried I'd get cherries, which I love to eat but do not want to smell like.

 

I was pleasantly shocked when I put it on. No wonder they call it Dragon's Blood! I get a hot rush of something that has the same feel to me as cinnamon or cassia but also manages to smell like some sort of sweet wood. Makes sense as it's a resin! I can smell the Amber sort of mixed in with it, maybe mellowing it? It stays pretty much the same on me all day, giving me little wafts of deliciousness. Not too sweet and very natural smelling.

 

A 5ml bottle is on it's way to me! And I'm planning on adding other DB scents to my list to try

[concrescence]

i received a set of imps from a generous friend to whet my appetite for bpal, and decided to try blood amber first, as i was attracted to the lovely red color. smelled a little soapy upon first application, but then started smelling more cinnamony and slightly sweet. it ended up giving me a headache, though. i tried it again a few days later and had the same reaction, so i don't think this one's for me.

[Miss Lynx]

This was one I'd wanted from my first perusals of the BPAL site way back when, but ended up putting on the back burner after finding out that dragon's blood sadly doesn't seem to work well on my skin. But a little dab I tried at the last Meet'n'Sniff seemed nice enough that I decided to try and get hold of an imp of my own, and I'm glad I did, because this would seem to be the exception to the dragon's blood rule.

 

It does have a bit of a perfumey edge right at the beginning which I don't quite like, but it quickly settles in to being a lovely incensey scent with a slightly spicy edge. In fact, it's probably the closest oil I've ever smelt to the actual scent of dragon's blood incense -- I've commented before on how dragon's blood oil never seems to smell as nice as the actual resin. Well, this does!

 

Not sure if it's really just dragon's blood and amber or if there's more in it -- from the scent, I wouldn't be surprised if there was some clove in it and maybe a bit of myrrh. Then again, real dragon's blood resin does have a spicy edge to it and a hint of darkness.

 

It's got a pretty good throw and lasts for quite a while -- I put it on at about 6pm today and I'm still getting whiffs of it at 2am. All in all, very nice! I guess the dragon and I have finally made peace.

 

Grade: A-

[jarvenpa]

Because I love amber I ordered Blood Amber in a set of imps with my second BPAL order.

This is a lovely and lasting combination of amberish scents. The red (from the Dragon's Blood?) is sort of disconcertingly like real blood as I dash it at my wrists (and it brings back old, old memories, that blood at wrists thing), but I rub it in and inhale nice powdery spicey amber plus something. Or ambers. I don't know.

Has a nice throw and lasts well. As it was fading I layered on some Antique Lace--ah, a very pretty combination indeed.

Oddly I am ever so slightly disappointed in Blood Amber though, because I have been indulging in and wondering at some more complicated Beth fragrances: this is basically amber and it stays basically amber.

Gosh, I am a fickle soul.

[sookster]

straight sniff from the imp is dragon's blood and beautifully complex amber

 

upon application this warms up beautifully with my chemistry.....the amber

amps up after awhile and sweetens this blend into something i will be wearing

time after time....i love this

[arabella]

First Impression: Very light, resin-y amber.

 

Dries down to: A very soft, elusive scent.

 

Additional Comments: Amber and dragon's blood are two of my favorite notes and usually work very well on me; so, I had such high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, it was just meh on me - I feel so betrayed. I got my imp in a swap, so maybe it's just old and faded. If I ever run across another imp of this, I'll give it another try but this one's getting dumped.

 

Lasted: An hour or so.

 

Rating: 2 out of 5

[Rhowan]

Blood always ends up too florally sweet for me so I am keeping my fingers crossed on this one!

 

In the vial and wet on my skin- in my face blood with a bit of resin.

 

As this dries down, the prominent blood retreats and the amber resin starts to emerge. The blending of the two is beautiful!

 

Complete dry down: Blood Amber ends up more resiny than the usual floral scent that dragon's blood usually leaves. This has AWESOME throw and LONG wear. This might be a keeper!

[ariansdreams]

First off, this oil is RED, which is pretty badass. I like interestingly-colored oils. Belladonna was a cool color of green, and this is red. Yay.

 

First sniff (in the imp) : A soft, powdery amber.

 

Wet: Well, it rubs in clear, so that's good. I don't have strange red stains on my arms. For some reason, I expected this oil to be more exotic smelling than it is. It isn't exotic...it's...intriguing. It smells like amber and evil flowers. Or something like that. I can't really pin it down that well.

 

Dry: This oil fades completely into my arm. If I press my nose right against my skin, I can smell a faintly spicy ambery note, but otherwise, it's gone.

[lady_pandora]

Both dragon's blood and amber love my skin like whoa, so this is a very good blend for me. I don't pick up much else in the blend other than these two notes, so if you like them you'll probably like Blood Amber, and if you dislike them you might want to keep well away.

 

Sorry, this is going to be another one of those short reviews! Basically, this smells like dragon's blood and amber in equal measure, staying strong for hours without much morphing. (Your mileage may vary. Again, these are two of my skin's favorite notes.)

 

I find it to be a very mellow, low-key scent, pleasantly agreeable without being in-your-face sexy or in any way distracting. This one is a good one for chilling around the house or a relaxed evening with friends. Definitely a "blue jeans" scent on me, not a "silks and satins" scent, if that makes sense. But very, very good to have around.

Edited April 5, 2006 by lady_pandora

[ViolentKitten]

In the Imp, Blood Amber reminded me of another BPAL blend, but I couldn’t place it. Then a particular antique feel hit me that I haven’t had since People of the Labyrinths Luctor et Emergo. Must get this on my skin.

 

Applying Blood Amber is like dabbing on a spot of pale blood. And just that small dab packs a powerful punch! I can smell it all around me. And on, I’m not getting the POTL feel so much. It reminds me of the dragon’s blood in Dragon’s Milk, but it’s most definitely NOT sweet and girly like Dragon’s Milk. Blood Amber is commanding, yet not overwhelming. I smell Dragon’s blood with a definite blood tang, spice, incense, but not a dry incense, this is full and wet. Opulent. As it further dries, it does evolve into a dryer incense with a spicy amber resin, and it’s still gorgeous.

 

Thank you Lab, for this glorious Frimp! It’s a thick, dark orange oil with good staying power, so I only need a touch, and wouldn’t need a full size, but I do like this one.

[Naamah_Darling]

I love dragon's blood and I love amber, so I fail to see how this could screw up on me. In the bottle it's sweet and cool, a light dragon's blood blended with a very pure and airy amber.

 

On, it's great. A very fine amber blends perfectly with the dragon's blood and warms it up to a luminously red scent. The aromas of the two -- powdery amber with its whiff of spice and juicy dragon's blood with its fruity edge -- blend beautifully, making this a fine, rich scent without a tremendous amount of throw. It's a sensual, spicy smell, inviting and warm, and just the slightest bit playful.

 

Really, really nice. It smells almost exactly like I imagined it would, only brighter – both the dragon's blood and the amber used here are toward the lighter end. It gets really warm and fuzzy as it dries, quite incense-like, actually. It darkens and deepens as it goes on, from red-gold to a golden brown; so very, very fine. This is to the nose as lush and guilty a delight as the tactile pleasure of fine, long-fiber velvet. To me it seems like a very warm and safe and embracing scent; protective.

 

For a rarity, it's a scent that only gets more beautiful as it ages. Hours later, it's become a sweet, fuzzy, warmly cuddlesome scent with just a hint of dignified poise around the edges.

 

Truly lovely, a very simple and uncomplicated scent that is nevertheless quite alluring.

[juniperus]

Bottle: Sweet, but subtle. Floral, but not-floral. Complex.

Wet: Amber and a slightly-sweet rose.

Dry: warm, complex. the amber golden, and the rose-affect gives it a sort of rosy-hue..like that black hills rose-toned gold (for an image). Amber-y sweetness. interesting, unexpected, and niiice.

Later: Warm and round and complex and amber-y goodness. Oh, we loves it. The precious.

[mirutai]

Well, er, it's dragon blood and amber. Just like the label says. It smells just like you'd expect dragon's blood and amber to smell - warm, reddish-gold, slightly spicey, slightly incensey.

 

On me the amber tends to dominate the dragon's blood, so this goes powdery rather than having that juicy dragon's blood fruit-tang. The blood sweetens up the blend a little, but it's basically straight-up, warm amber. No morphing, no changes, no complexity.

 

If you love amber, you'll like this one. Personally, it's nice, but not my thing - there's not enough going on to keep my interest. I like Brisangamen better, as a more complex amber-based scent.

[pink.owl]

First off, I must say that this oil is, so far, the prettiest colored Black Phoenix Oil I have seen. It is perfectly hot orange, and if you know me, you know how much I love the color orange.

 

In the bottle this is Amber and Dragon's Blood in all their amazing glory. So beautiful.

As soon as this hits my skin, it is predominantly Dragon's Blood. Then, a minute later, my weird-ass chemistry turns this into the MOST BEAUTIFUL laundry detergent smell EVER.

I have no idea how my body does this, but I seriously make this smell like amazing laundry! If you have ANY idea why this happens, PM me!

 

I love it, it is in my top 10. I bought a 10ml. It lasts and lasts on my skin and is a big hit with my husband.

[Thaleia]

Let me preface this review by saying that dragon's blood is hit-or-miss with me, depending on what's in it. I haven't figured out what goes well with it on me and what doesn't, given my limited experience with it, but somehow this one works. Blood Amber is definitely resiny, which is obvious from the amber and dragon’s blood combination. This is actually really pretty – warm and sweet and just a little bit floral. Amber works well for me in most blends, so that could be it. I've since decanted my two imps into a little shortie bottle for me to carry around. It might not merit a 5ml, but I'm glad I have my two imps' worth - there are other amber blends I prefer over this one, but you never know, I might get a big bottle in the future. 7.5/10.

[dragonryder]

Amber has the best combo with my chemistry and stays amazingly long. Add this to the dragon's blood......a sweet combo. Definitely a dragonryder fav.

[angharad]

Eh. Dragon's blood seems to be hit-or-miss with me. I've learned that I love amber, though, so while the dragon's blood is a definite miss this time, the amber almost makes up for it.

 

Initial application: Dragon's blood. Cloyingly cherry-sweet. A bit dry, but I can't really smell the amber.

 

Dry-down: The amber starts to come out. Yay!

 

Hour later: The dragon's blood has faded back, letting the amber take over the scent. It still reminds me of cherries, but they're much drier and have a hint of gold around the edges.

 

Overall: It's okay but not one of my favorites.

[Elrianra]

In the bottle, it's sweetly vague. I can't pick out the exact scent that makes it pepperish however, but it's a dusty smell like ground pepper. Once on, it's sweet but base, very sticky and strangely hypnotic. It brings to mind the image of biting your lip while making out. Pleasurable but with a shocking tinge of blood. As it warms up, it gets tantalizingly spicy; both sweet and hot at once. It's not pepper-ish now, it's just spicy. Very coy and flirtatious with a hint of naughty intentions hiding behind the sweetness. The amber is sweet and smooth, suppressing a rough, rowdy, heated scent of desire and energetic mayhem. As time goes on, it softens out and mellows - very slowly the amber overrides the wildness and begins to fade out to a final sweet ending note - echoed by the last touches of mischief.

 

Absolutely lovely from start to finish with a pleasant mix of surprise and impropriety thrown in. Just naughty enough that wearing it in church would be a mistake but wearing it around your parents is still alright - barely.

Edited May 22, 2006 by Elri

[opaleyes]

Oof! This is really pretty, but if I wasn't sure before, I am now. Amber does NOT like me, no matter how much I like it. Ahh, here comes that migraine.

[dtp]

Ooh, this is gorgeous!

 

In the bottle: Spicy, a little sweet, and perhaps slightly floral. I love the colour, which might be biasing me towards the scent, I'm not sure. It's not what I expected--I've never encountered dragon's blood before, though, but I was expecting it to be more immediately resinous.

 

Wet: Ah, there's the resin! This is just beautiful. It's warm and rich. Mmm. The amber comes out as soon as I apply it. Lovely.

 

Dry: This softens and sweetens. I smell warm and spicy, and it's divine. A beautiful balance.

 

Later: I could sit around sniffing my wrists for hours. It's delicate, but it's got good staying power. I am in love with this scent!

 

Definitely purchasing more of this in my next order--I love everything about this, from the first sniff to the dry-down to the lasting hint after several hours of wear. This is definitely a winner for me! I'll have to look out for more dragon's blood blends to try.

[edenssixthday]

Blood Amber - Absolutely gorgeous! Blood Amber is a beautiful combination of warm, sensual amber mixed with a pinch of resinous dragon's blood, and the combination knocks my socks off! It's rich and warm and comforting and soothing. I find that when I don't know what scent I want to wear, if I pick Blood Amber, it fits perfectly, no matter what my mood. It's also a great soothing, warm scent to wear at night and while it's not (to my knowledge) known for being a scent that aids sleep, it lulls me off into happy, cozy, dreamland every time. I have a decanted imp someone sent me, and I fully plan to buy a 10 ml bottle. Two actually -- I think my sister will love this, too.

[valentina]

Blood Amber, in the imp, was a really knockout whiff of Dragon's Blood, with that amber-resin undertone. But mainly Dragon's Blood, a scent that when it hits my skin, smells like fresh blood. It's very feral; I think of wolves eating their kill when I smell it. After a while, the scent took on a peppery top note, with that scent of blood hovering just underneath and some resin lurking around the edges. And it's a very strong scent that holds its place very well. To my nose, and mixed with my body chemistry, it's wild and animalistic. I know a lot of people find this scent very warm and comforting, but it just doesn't work that way on my body -- not that it's bad, but I rather smell like a she-wolf who just came in from the hunt!