I figure the first of my new reviews on my new blog in my home should be about a product near and dear to my heart.
Black Baccara Perfume Co.
I made a purchase from Kalliope ( the owner and creator of Black Baccara) about 1.5 weeks ago and received my package today. I selected a mixed lot of ten fragrance samples from her vast collection to try out and see if this company would be a new fit for me and my olfactory OCD.
The ten samples came packaged with care on protective bedding inside collector tins.
The ten sample fragrances I chose were :
❀ALICE'S TEA PARTY- A peculiar and curious scent; sweet but hinting at something surreal. The atmosphere and magic of tea time with Alice is captured in an apothecary bottle. Hints of freshly brewed green tea mix with tart wild cherries, oranges, pomegranates, honey, marshmallows, whispers of vanilla and the faintest hint of baking bread. Comforting and delicious with the perfect dose of strangeness.
❀OLD FASHIONED HOLIDAY CANDY: After much experimentation, this is my most precise match to the old fashioned holiday hard candies I remember from my childhood. A multitude of colors, shapes and scents float through this blend. It is a fruity blend, yet it is very complex with hints of caramel, vanilla and just a whisper of peppermint. Sweet, but not a heavy sugar scent; just pure nostalgic candy.
❀CARNIVAL OF GHOSTS- Old ghosts hold a carnival at dusk and imbue this bottle with nostalgic glimpses of pumpkins and kettle corn, slowly revealing whispers of apples, licorice, freshly turned soil, and a cauldron of witches brew. Candy apples and popcorn merge with damp, earthy darkness to create a story of the ghost carnival.
❀ POISON QUEEN~ The Queen and her poisoned apple in a bottle; the potion that seduces and leads one to danger. This blend is heavy on the apple, but it is not at all what you would expect from a primarily fruit-based blend. This blend goes through many interesting changes as it sits on the skin. First, the apples are the primary scent. Slowly, the apples give way to a darker story of fire, embers and perhaps a faint hint of the Queen’s perfume. Three kinds of apple combine with the scent of fire, anise and the faintest bit of patchouli. Enveloping the fragrance is a rich almond blend; a must for a perfume meant to bring to mind visions of the poison queen.
❀NEW DOLL: Inspired by flashbacks of childhood and the first fruity, leathery, baby-powdery whiffs of a brand new doll. This unusual, complex, aromatic recreation of that "new doll" smell might just take you back in time too. Along the journey through this perfumes layers, you may pick up hints of cupcakes, strawberries, lemons, and a dusting of baby powder.
❀POISONED PUDDING- Sweet, yet utterly twisted. This intoxicating blend is both delicious and sinister. Marshmallow, chocolate, and vanilla blend with the faintest touch of fire and roots. This perfume smells like a mouthwatering dessert with an added dash of something wicked. Indeed, it is the delicious desert that just might kill.
❀SUGAR COOKIE- The precise recipe for sugar cookies…in aromatic form. Brown sugar, butter and vanilla tempered by a touch of almonds to add warmth. This is a warm, comforting blend which smells exactly like sugar cookies fresh from the oven.
❀SUMMER OF LOVE- This trippy blend is a time machine that will bring you back to 1967. This complex fusion begins with a whisper of cloves and a hint of watermelon. It then slowly reveals dark patchouli, pomegranates, oranges, lotus blossoms, all against a backdrop of bonfires and earth. This is an unusual, inspiring blend perfect for hippies and rebels of all stripes.
❀VICTORIAN YULE- A beautiful yule log on the fire, a cup of cider, and the scent of freshly plucked pine cones. This complex scent is a variation on the "Ancient Fire" perfume oil. It starts with the deep, smoky smell of a crackling fireplace and gradually reveals layers of pine needle and apple cider. This unisex fragrance is perfect for any time of year when you want to be transported to a place of nostalgia and comfort.
❀WILDE- An enchanting and timeless cologne for men. The base of this cologne is classic bay rum augmented by exotic cardamom, delicate cloves, and hints of smoke and leather. It is a wonderful dance between the timelessly classic, the exotic and the truly decadent.
First off I must say that the presentation here is wonderful. There are some companies who just toss things in a bag and send them off.. but these have been put together quite well. Having the samples on a bed of wool ( i think its wool?) so they dont clank around in the tin container is very nice. The tin containers instead of the samples being in a ziplock bag are a very nice addition as well. The shipping time was AMAZING. Ever since Ive moved to the rock ( Newfoundland ) Ive found that aside from having access to NO companies ( we dont have MAC here, or Bath and Body Works... or anything professional for that matter) on the island, we also have a very long postal delivery time. If packages are not flown in airmail ( which is more expensive as we know) then it takes ages from them to arrive on the island. Black Baccara, from the day Kalliope informed me that she shipped my product ( 1 day TAT people.. isnt that awesome?) to the time it arrived was only 5 business days. I am ecstatic. Im not sure if she sent them airmail but if she did, she did so at her own cost. Lovely lady.
Anyways, on to the blends. Im pretty happy with the most part regarding the choices Ive made. I always tend to lean toward the same types of fragrance blends when I order samples and Im not sure why I do this.. because I kick myself for it in the end. This happens with every one of my beloved artisans that I purchase from. They throw amazing descriptions in my face.. and I probably read them when im hungry ( which is always)... and then I end up ordering a boat load of Gourmand fragrances. Due to a short amount of versatile notes in the gourmand category.. I usually end up with some fragrances that smell similar to each other. This is my own mistake and Ive done it again here with Black Baccara. I have about 80% Gourmand/Foody type smells in this lot. They are all great in their own right but now my nose is lusting for some dissonance. Luckily for Kalliope, this meant me going right back to her shop and looking at more items to purchase from the NON gourmand selection she offers!
So my review... so far... ( updates to come later) .. about Kallipe Amorphous and her customer service? Fantastic. She contacted me multiple times from the moment I made my purchase to wish me well and thank me for being a customer. She also contacted me when my items were shipped. Her main shop is on etsy.com and is always fully stocked. Please check out her webpage with her photography and artisan perfumery. www.BlackBaccaraOils.com
How do I feel about my perfume oils selections? Well I guess Ill start from the top of the list.
Alice's Tea Party: In the vial it is super strong and sickly sweet sugared fruit. If you can imagine a Fruit Punch Concentrate... a syrupy Fruit Punch that would later be added to water to make a drink youd find at a kids soccer game or something LOL Red, Orange and Sugar are the words that come to mind.
On the Dry Down... Tea! the dominant note now is definitely Tea. That super sharp tang and overpowering fruit punch is gone and now its a Red citrus tea smell. Its quite nice. Reminds me of Starbucks Tazo Passion Tea. The similarities to Old Fashioned Hard Candy are now much fewer. I dont get the baking bread note but there still time for that! :)
Old Fashioned Holiday Candy: In the vial its very similar to Alice's Tea Party but with a bit less punch. Its strong and fruity... but not as harsh. not as thick and syrupy. Its less SHARP.. thats the best word to describe. Its still red , with slightly less orange ( I hope you can follow what im trying to say here lol) and very much a fruit cocktail. Theres something soft underneath all this fruit.
On the Dry Down... Its cooled down a bit and melded together. It smells like a fruity hard candy. Like when you pick up and sniff a handful of mixed fruit lifesavers. There is a slightly creamy base to this that brings it all together.
Carnival Of Ghosts:This is one that got a LOT of praise on the BB site. The notes are said to be popcorn and candy apple and soil etc... In the Vail it is apple. Apple and a bit of vanilla. Its a sharp tangy apple as well. SO far no popcorn or candy or earth.
On the Dry Down...Im getting a pumpkin pie spicy type scent now. The apple is still there but isnt as strong and now it smells like a creamy sweet spicy blend. Like a gentle apple spice cake :)
Poison Queen : This one is on the top of my list! Upon first sniff in the vial it is Rough Apple.. thats the best way I can describe it. Its not the tart sharp apple smell i get in Carnival of Ghosts... its a dirty rough apple... more sweet then sharp.. but covered in dirt LOL. This must be the patchouli or "firey" notes coming up.
On the Dry Down... Sexy dirty apple! Everything has softened together to become one unified scent. Its a grown up apple smell with an earthy base. Very slightly spicy.. and I have to be clear when i say spicey that i dont mean cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. its almost like a Pepper... or Pink Pepper note.. mixed with the patchouli/earthy note. All together its lovely.
New Doll: This is the fragrance I was looking forward to the most. When I read the description I fell in love and wrote it down right away. The image I had in my mind of new doll smell is NOT what this scent is.. BUT... its still great. IN the vial.. its gross. Offputting rancid lemon cleaner LOL . I smell a cakey type note.. and the lemon is very tangy.. and theres some sort of cleaner/VIM type smell thats so prominant.
On the Dry Down.... I LOVE LOVE LOVE this scent. What a morpher! It started off SO bad... and now its SO nice. Its delicate and feminine. Its very soft and powdery with a nice sugared lemon note sitting right next to that baby powder. Its not tangy or rancid or sour. Its not straight up lemon and powder either. Its much more refined and delicate.. the lemon is gentle and the powder isnt too BABY powder ish its almost like teh cake and powder mixed to eliminate the vanilla from the cake as well as the baby from the powder! So you are left with a powder cake and sweet lemon. ... so hard to explain but its VERY nice! I dont get any strawberry but thats ok. Its still great!
Poisoned Pudding: In the vial this is so weird. Its not something Id like.. or that Id imagine going well together. Right off the bat I smell a dark chocolate and a very spicy harsh note that I can only say in all honesty.. smells like Zesty Doritos. No word of a lie. I made my husband smell this cause he loves all things Foody.. and he agreed right away and was like.. OH YEAH>> THATS DORITOS.. with a smile on his face. Lets let this one dry down on my skin for a bit LOL
On the Dry Down... Well this has sit for about 20 minutes now.. I personally can still smell the doritos. Not as strong as I could right out of the vial... but its still there. Now though I do smell something more creamy.. a vanilla type scent but with a peppery kick. The chocolate has also died down as isnt as dark and bitter as it once was. This scent confuses me. Even with the doritos gone down from a ten to a three.. its still too much. FYI... this doesnt mean it will be like this for you! My body chemistry does weird things to scents. One reason i LOVE perfume oil blends do much is because they act so unique with me and with everybody who wears them. This will be a gorgeous spicy chocolate on most people.. but just not on me !
Summer of Love : In the vial this is patchouli and green...I'm a horrible person for saying this but it smells like Vicks Vapor Rub and Patchouli with some grass mixed in for good measure.
On the Dry Down.. Bye Bye Vicks! The strong menthol vapor scent is gone now and its a pretty earthy hippie-esque patchouli scent now.. but without a lot of that "dirty" that patchouli tends to have. Its a gentle patchouli with a bit of floral and fruit in the background to ground out the patchouli scent. I definitely get a citrus note in there and its a really nice blend!
Sugar Cookie : Im a big fan of sugar cookie scented things. Anytime I purchase from an etailer I get something in Sugar cookie if they have it. Blends containing sugar cookie as a main component tend to be what i am always drawn toward and always work well with my body chemistry. So In the vial this Sugar cookie smells like . CHERRIES? yeah. Sweet .. buttery.. cherries. I have to stress all 3 of these notes here. There a sweetness and a buttery note and then BOOM Cherry. I think I know the culprit here.. Ill be sure later on when I apply and let dry :)
Interesting fact... that may have something to do with this mystery fruit appearance in my Sugar Cookies! Please go to http://www.greatcakessoapworks.com/handmade-soap-blog/index.php/bitter-almond-essential-oil-is-it-skin-safe/ and scroll half way down the page.. it states that due to safety concerns with human ingestion of bitter almond oil.. some production companies have switched up their source for the "almond" fragrance! ( fyi almond is a key note is most stock fragrance oil blends marketed as "sugar cookie" ) "In spite of the dangers associated with bitter almond essential oil, consumers continue to demand the scent of almonds in their essential oils. Therefore, oil distillers have responded to their requests and provided “bitter almond” essential oil marketed under the bitter oil name but being derived instead from cherry pits" They use this oil due to its lack of Prussic Acid. It all makes sense now.
On the Dry Down... Just as I suspected the cherry is GONE. Its a sweet vanilla cake scent now. It doesnt have that "baked" note that some Sugar cookie blends have that differentiate them from other Cakey type scents... but thats ok. Its still very nice , warm and butter! Oh! and Sans Cherry!
Victorian Yule : In the vial this smells like the best Campfire I have ever been around. It smells of pine and smoke. Very realistic.
On the Dry Down... This is still very much pine and smoke... but its melded and come together to be more gentle and sexier. Its firey and smokey but has a Regal distinction to it. Regal is the best word I can use to describe this. Its not a lumberjack scent. I do get a bit of the apple now as well, very lightly mixed in with the smoke. Its gorgeous. Id burn this fragrance in an oil burner and scent my home with it. Very comforting!
Wilde : In the vial this smells of so many things its hard to describe. The first thing that hits my nose is.. weird..but bear with me... Pears Baby Food. If you have ever opened a can of strained pureed pear baby food and taken a whiff .. thats what the top note scent is here out of the vial. Now right next to that Baby Pears scent is a big old shot of RUM. its unique.. and actually very very nice. It smells like a Carribean Cocktail of pears and Dark Rum.
On the Dry Down... Hate to be Cliche but... wow. Sexy Pirate. Thats what I think of with this blend. Its gorgeous. Its sultry and sexy. Most mens colognes out there abuse the spicy option that "masculine" can opt for... This doesnt. Its not spicy. Its soft but not powdery.. sexy but not feminine... masculine but not spicy. The pear puree has died down.. its still smelling slightly of pears to me.. ( i dont think theres pear in the official notes lol) and a light spot of clove....not spicy clove.. not enough to be spicy...just enough to add a bit of devilishness to the sweet fruit and rum scents... This is a winner. A sexy, refined Scholarly Gent wears this scent... .definitely suits its name!
So! Overall I am very pleased with my Black Baccara Perfume Co. experience and I am leaving this blog with a few new favorites!
I encourage all perfume oil fans to go out there and give Kalliope's Blends a try!
Customer Service = 5/5
Shipping TAT = 5/5
Products = 4/5 ( certain blends fade very very fast)
