Copper Phoenix

[splendidissima]

Rose-infused dark amber, with sweet orange, honey, cardamom, patchouli, apricot, pink pepper, and red sandalwood.

This is probably one of the more unusual scents I've tried...

Wet, it's a delicious orange-honey-slightly-rose scent, more fruity than floral. Dry, it becomes more balanced between fruit-floral-something unidentifiable...actually, there's something in here that reminds me of Schrodinger's Cat. Almost citrus-soapy, but not quite. Huh. No patchouli or sandalwood, really, unless that's contributing to the unidentifiable vaguely Irish Spring edge.

Then, as someone upthread mentioned, it disappears almost entirely, to the point where I couldn't even find it on my arm.

Then it comes back, phoenix-style, and is now a sweet, resiny, slightly powdery (darn amber), slightly spicy rose. Interesting. I'm not normally a huge rose fan, but this is pretty.

Overall, while not my absolute favorite (I prefer more fruit than floral), this is interesting, surprisingly light, kind of a mature (not old-lady, just competent and professional) rose. I'll wear it for job interviews or academic conferences and such.

Boyfriend verdict: "Meh. Too floral."

[nekogrrl]

This scent (so far) has disappointed me more than worked.

 

I was really hoping for something.. more ambery/peppery. Which still could happen, as I don't think this has finished completely morphing. Right now, the rose and honey are prominent, and it's slightly gag-making. The amber is there, which is preventing me from completely washing this off and.. *sniffs* ... *sniffs again* Oh hai thar pepper!

 

Okay, now this blend is into spicy floral, and it's /much/ better than the initial wet to drydown phase. This will be a keeper after all. Hopefully as it ages the spice will be more prominent.

[zankoku_zen]

Oh Copper Phoenix, I had high hopes for you. Unfortunately the rose, pink pepper, and sandalwood are the most dominant notes. It's smooth, polished, but in general, too rosy, too peppery and too... spicy/dirty for me.

 

Sad.

[amyw]

This is well-blended enough that it's really hard to describe. I smell no rose when it's on, but I do smell a bit of just about every other note except maybe the pepper. The orange is very very subtle, for which I'm glad. I don't actually like the common citrus notes that much, at least not in perfume oils. They're fine in other things, but I don't like smelling like orange, lemon, or lime myself.

 

It has no throw currently, so I have to get up really close to smell it, but what I smell is really beautiful and has huge aging potential. I think it will get deeper and stronger as it ages and I'll have to update this as the process goes on. It actually reminds me a tiny bit of Snake Charmer, only with apricot and a very light hint of orange instead of plum. Looking at the notes, I have to wonder why it reminds me of Snake Charmer, but there it is.

 

It's very pretty now, but I also can't wait to see what it becomes.

 

 

ETA: I realized what it really reminds me of. It's not that it reminds me of Snake Charmer directly. It's that it reminds me of Mlle Lilith, which in turn reminds me of Snake Charmer.

Edited January 14, 2010 by amyw

[Little Bird]

I really love the mix of apricot and sweet orange here <3. It smells juicy, sweet, feminine, and summery to me. I think that it's actually reminding me of the peach wine note in Aglaea. The fruity notes are strongest on my skin, but the other notes sort of linger in the background and smolder in a warm, sensual way. My skin usually ampa up rose, but I don't smell any rose here.

 

As this dries down, it's less of a juicy fruit scent, but I can still smell sweet fruitiness mixed with dry, warmer notes. The amber amps up and goes very dry and dusty on me, but this is still a nice scent. It's like dust, sweet fruits, and a dry, woodsy spiciness.

 

I love this a lot more in the beginning when the fruits are all juicy and dominating the blend. The fruits make it a very cheery, uplifting scent for me. The drydown isn't as good, but it's still a nice enough scent. I don't need a full bottle of this, but I'll keep my decant.

[kohimame]

Haha, yet another blend that I was convinced would work beautifully on me and ended up failing. I'm not a big fan of patchouli, but most of the time the BPAL blends it in scents so well that I hardly notice it. Not with Copper Phoenix though. Going on me, it went citrus, citrus, PATCHOULI. Eventually it faded down to an orange-tinged patchouli. Not really my thing.

 

It seems like other people got something different than me, so maybe I'm just amping patchouli in this blend? /shrug

[Coldfire]

 

 

 

Decant: Orange and apricot and honey and amder. Mostly the orange over the other notes.

Wet on Me: Mostly Orange/apricot and amber now.

Drying Down: The orange and the baby powder of the amder are fighting for scent dominance with my nose. Not really getting any of the other notes at all.

Dry: mostly baby powder now. Nice. Not sure I will track down a bottle of it.

 

 

[rayvn1]

Very pretty, light and sweet scent. Some rose, some amber, some orange, some honey. Not terribly distinctive, but ...pretty

[ElectraV]

In the decant: Patchouli and pink pepper

 

Wet: Patchouli, pink pepper, touch of honey. I agree with whoever said that there seems to be some vertiver in here

 

Dry: Amber, honey and a touch of pepper.

 

I really liked this one. For some reason though it really reminds me of Ogun after the melon fades and since that's one of the ones for Haiti, I think I'll get a bottle of that instead this month.

[Wildbriar]

Yes folks, we have a winner!

 

Copper Phoenix is warm, soft and delicate but not sugary-sweet. It's truly delightful on my skin! I was afraid the rose would be a "note 'o doom" on me but it's very subtle and natural and grounded deliciously by the pink pepper and patchouli. After some time to warm on my skin the primary notes for me are the pink pepper and apricot with a hint of cardamom and amber.

 

Mmmmmmmmm!!!

[kikithepirate]

I pretty much LOVE all of the notes in this, so I was so excited for my bottle. It's spicy and warm and perfect when wet, but once it dries, it turns to a soapy powdery smell on me. Usually I love BPAL's amber, so I don't know what it is about this scent that makes it go so wonky. I didn't really like Inez until it had aged about six months though, so I'm going to stick this in a box and try it again in July to see if it's gotten any better.

[morinpm]

Alas, Copper Phoenix was a bust for me. At first when I put it on I get some floral/rose and what smells like melon(?!). But within an hour or so it fades to sweet, faintly powdery nothing. Aw man...

[Moryssa]

This is going to sound weird, but this smells like Cracker Barrel to me.

 

I can't figure out what it is that's triggering that association, since I don't get it with other honey or amber blends. I can't pick out any specific notes in this one-- it's just a really nice sweetness (but a tangy sweetness, not a cloying one). I don't get rose (which I usually amp), and I don't get patchouli (which I normally turn up my nose at), and I don't even *really* get honey, although that's probably where the sweetness is mainly coming from.

 

--M

 

[Molls]

To me, as soon as I opened the vial, it smelled like an awesome little new age-ish shop we used to have here in town. A mixture of incense, amber and dried flowers... I put the oil on, and it stayed pretty true to that. When my BFF stopped by later, I had her sniff my arm, and that's exactly what she said - "it smells like Nature's Gifts!" I thought it had faded a bit by then, but maybe my nose was just used to it because she said the throw was still good

I had to hunt down a bottle!

[MamaMoth]

Haha, yet another blend that I was convinced would work beautifully on me and ended up failing. I'm not a big fan of patchouli, but most of the time the BPAL blends it in scents so well that I hardly notice it. Not with Copper Phoenix though. Going on me, it went citrus, citrus, PATCHOULI. Eventually it faded down to an orange-tinged patchouli. Not really my thing.

Oh how I wish this was what I got from Copper Phoenix.

 

I really love orange/resin blends, so I had high hopes for this one. In the bottle and wet on: this is juicy sweet orange, amber, patchouli LOVE. As it dries, the amber gets a little powdery and the apricot and rose start to bloom out. Not so much love, but still very good.

 

Then my skin chemistry does its (evil) magic, and the rose (and to a lesser degree, apricot) just keeps amplifying. It ends up being a rosy apricot backed by powdery amber and a little bit of spicy citrus. Why is it that I always seem to amp my least favorite notes in a blend?

 

Very sad about this one. It came SO CLOSE to being a holy grail blend for me.

Edited January 28, 2010 by MamaMoth

[fiddledragon]

Interesting...I definitely get what people mean when they describe this as a "smooth" scent. At first this is tart and floral and the patchouli does a bit of that weird nutty thing it sometimes does on me. Once it dries down, the rose-infused amber takes over and leaves it a very refined floral. No fruit, no patchouli, no spice. Weird. It's almost like a lighter version of Rose Cross. I think I'll keep this one a while and let it age to see if the other notes develop a bit more.

[fairnymph]

Amber coloured oil. Slightly sour rose (rose-infused amber always means that sour rose note, I've learned, as in the Miller's Daughter and the Empress) sweetened a little by what smells like black amber to me, woefully light orange and honey and apricot, and some dry slightly spice warmth - but not that I can break down into individual notes.

 

Powdery, instantly. A little more fruit (especially apricot), but the sour rose still jumps out most. The red sandalwood is now distinct, stronger and dryer and warmer. And the pink pepper is peeking out, bright and slightly rosy. A tiny, tiny bit of cardamom. I'm not getting any patchouli, though. The honey here is very light, like a mild-flavoured type.

 

APRICOT. Totally dominating, with sour rose and powdery amber just below, then almost dusty red sandalwood, and I'm getting the cardamom now which also adds a slightly dusty, spicy-hot-dry bite. And a tiny bit of earthy but still very light and well-behaved patchouli has emerged. Orange is holding on pretty well, as are the other notes, but they are background.

 

Apricot even stronger, even more dominating. Super sweet, almost candyish - a bit too sweet and rich for me, alas. Beneath it is a bit of warm dust from the amber, sandalwood, and cardamom, though only the red sandalwood can be clearly distinguished. And along with that dust is the sour rose that just won't die, and clashes with the sweetness of the apricot instead of cutting it. I really hate that rose note! The other notes are just overwhelmed or have faded away. Great throw, fades a fair bit.

 

This is really alllll about the apricot on my skin. Sadly, not a fave note of mine, and the other notes aren't really either. I also never got anything remotely metallic.

[captainecchi]

This is a complex, tricky scent!

 

In the decant: Woody and resinous, with a touch of citrus. I assume the wood is the sandalwood, the resin is amber, and the citrus is the sweet orange.

 

Wet, on my skin: Every time I sniff this, I get something different. (Of course, this could be my stuffed nose from my allergies playing tricks on me). At first, I get a chocolate-orange scent, reminiscent of Vice. Then, trying it again, I get a scent that reminds me of Anne Bonny - probably the mix of the sandalwood and patchouli.

 

I'm not sure I could pick out the cardamom or the apricot - but then, those notes usually escape me. I'm surprised the rose is MIA - usually I amp rose like crazy.

 

Dry, on my skin: This has dried down to honey and an almost commercial-perfume note - perhaps the amber (I'm not sure I could isolate amber). This is a sort of unisex scent, maybe slightly masculine.

 

Verdict: It's okay; not great. They're all notes that work on me, but they don't do anything special together - and I already have perfumes with all these notes. Might or might not keep the decant; definitely don't need a bottle.

Edited January 30, 2010 by CaptainEcchi

[Myrrha]

Wet -- Orange! I'm not really into orange scents. There are hints of amber and spice but mostly it is orange.

 

As it dries -- The apricot and amber blend with the orange and I like it much better now although it is quite powdery.

 

Dry -- After about a half hour there is a wonderful cloud of softly spiced and fruited amber-rose. As others have mentioned it is a very blended scent so no singe note really stands out. Well, the rose does seem a bit dominant but it is so permeated by the amber, fruit and spice that it almost isn't rose anymore.

 

Something about this scent lifts my spirits and makes me feel happy-- but in a grounded, calm way. The softness of the scent is relaxing. It is really a lovely oil.

 

EDIT I tried another scent with "dark amber" prominently listed and realized that on me dark amber = dark powder.

Edited February 17, 2010 by Myrrha

[crebbsgirl]

I was a little afraid of this as the rose-infused amber scared me. I had tried something else with rose-infused amber and it went all rose all the time on my skin. Here it behaved and I only got a hint of the rose. It turned into a dusky citrus scent on me. The orange and apricot were fruity without being overly so, while the amber lended a depth and sweetness. The sandalwood note here is gorgeous, as is the patchouli. The whole thing ends up feeling like a sunset on skin.

[Argentwolf]

At first, this starts out as a bright, light citrus, made sweet by rose. Alas, in the end, it morphs into generic cologne. Not much throw, but it lasts a long time...I just don't fancy smelling like generic cologne. Into the trade box with you!

[thebirdofhermes]

First, let it be known that I only purchased a bottle of Copper Phoenix in the interests of a complete set of bottles. Because I'm like that. I did not particularly think this would work for me. Disclaimer out of the way...

 

Rose-infused dark amber, with sweet orange, honey, cardamom, patchouli, apricot, pink pepper, and red sandalwood.

 

In bottle: Brassy coloured oil. (Consider me vaguely disappointed. ) Very orange-y apricot-y sweet. Huh. Not bad...

 

Wet: Still somewhat fruity, but the fruitiness is undercut by something slightly spicy (most likely the cardamom, it's not peppery) and just a touch of amber. It's worth noting here that I can smell something rose-like. Not complaining; I've always wanted to smell rose from a blend with that listed. It's a nice rose note, but very subtle. Although I'd keep in mind, if I were you, that I cannot smell rose typically, even when everyone else can smell it from across the house.

 

Dry: Slightly powdery and just this side of not dryer sheets (thank you patchouli for your rousing interpretation of Eau d'Bounce). The sandalwood has gained some prominence, making this even dryer a scent. Now, if I stop trying to pick things apart, I can safely say that it smells like copper. Like that smell you get on your hands from holding a bunch of pennies. Too much sniffing and I can even taste it in my mouth a bit. So I'd say it's a very accurate interpretation of what copper smells like.

 

It actually kind of works on me. Not something I can see myself reaching for a lot, but it's not what I was expecting.

[ellebelle]

I do not get any rose at all in this. For my, it is all spiced orange/apricot - a very "copper" smell, actually. Amber behaves well on my skin and it makes this scent more resinous. I like it, not as much as I thought I would, and I'm not sure enough to keep the bottle.

[Dharklady]

In bottle: Like the other phoenix’s, this one is super well blended. It’s hard to pick out the individual notes but it just feels bright and coppery, with a solid base of amber, patchouli, and peppery spice.

Wet: This is somehow both bright and dark at the same time. The sweet notes or amber and a slight citrus glide over the darker patchouli, wood, and pepper.

Dry: Eventually this morphs to an accented patchouli/amber blend, with the other subtle notes emerging on different sniffs to keep it interesting.

Notes: Definitely a keeper. A complex scent that definitely evokes the concept and shows off the different facets of it’s personality throughout the drydown.

 

[SueTigger]

What an interesting and complex fragrance! It reminds me of visiting my Nana, evoking warm memories and feelings of being cherished. In no way does it smell grandmotherly, though. I'll be interested to hear my hubby's take on this one.