Description
I went to the bookstore to scan the Shakespeare play to determine what theme I would use. I saw fairies, magic, a love story, and several themes that would work. When I sat down to formulate it was another story.
The feeling I had was to create a night perfume…with flowers and attributes of the night. Not a Solstice perfume but a unique fragrance of what night time scents are out there to fascinate your nose.
So it begins. I had ordered an interesting oil named Night Queen and had not used it. This was my chance. What a strange and inviting smell. So in the course of an afternoon I added rhododendron, night queen, peru balsam, rosewood, damask rose oil, neroli, tuberose . .one of my favorite night smells in India or France, vintage jasmine sambac.. another queen of the night, frankincense, yuzu, clove bud, tulsi, frankincense noir – dark and for the night, champa that you smell on warm Indian nights, vetiver, violet leaf that wonderful green forest smell, and ylang ylang for some extra romance. With 17 oils this 100% natural perfume said yes. It will transform you if you allow it. Dark Mistress was launched in 2011. The nose behind this fragrance is JoAnne Bassett.
beked – :
After 20 years, I thought nothing could threaten my signature’s position. Then along came JoAnne! Dark Mistress is one of two scents which are threatening to take over (the other is JoAnne’s Opulence).
Inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream, this captures the beauty, magic and mystery of the story all in one bottle.
It is truly a scent suitable for the Queen of Fairies, elegant and rich, dark but sparkling with light, it envelops you with an air of majesty and mystery, and perhaps, even a hint of mischief.
As it was inspired by Shakespeare, so it inspired me to write. This just poured from me, I wonder if I should attribute it to me or the the Dark Mistress herself?
NECTAR
Pale golden moon, a bloom caught in the tangled tresses of the night.
Cast your glow across this land, let flower heads turn to the sight
And fair folk, who attend them, too will pause and gaze
Then gather sparkling dew drops, quick, in which to trap your beams.
Now lay them out on unfurled petals, catching too their sweet perfume,
Which then is safely stored away in jars of stardust, waiting, for the day
Will come, when She, the Queen of all, will visit with her king and court
And drink the nectar wine, and bless the land, and all its life.
In other words, I think this is the most beautiful perfume I have ever experienced, I can’t rate it highly enough.
(Christinaeeee, I’m so glad you love it. I knew you would!)
Dement1um – :
It is hard not to fall head over heels in love with this one. First whiff I immediately got the spices, clove and frankincense, it is a deep and haunting scent. I checked the JoAnne Bassett website to confirm if it had frankincense because I detected it initially, and yes, it did. Within minutes, the gorgeous blend of ethereal flowers pushed its way out and it is intoxicating and beautiful with hints of natural sweetness.
Dark Mistress gives an aura of royalty, opulence and distinct charm. It is a conglomeration of dark and light, mystery and understanding. The beginning to me was the dark and night side with the well-blended spices and wood, then the brightness of the flower and citrus opens the senses to a whole new world of fragrant sensation.
What an artful creation! I am looking forward to trying out more JoAnne Bassett scents.
* Thanks for bringing this perfume to my attention, Lyndale!
yt8t-2827 – :
Dark Mistress EDP by JoAnne Bassett (Sample) New(Review) , this is classified as an Oriental Woody, the notes are Jasmine, Rose, Yuzu, Tuberose, Tulsi, Champace, Violet Leaf, Ylang-Ylang, Clove, Rhododendron, Peru Balsam, Olibanum, Brazilian Rosewood and Neroli.
I keep noticing the more I explore Indie perfumes the more I love them, more so over the last year, the perfumers seem to take their time and put their love, heart and soul into each and everyone of their creations, their perfumes are a reflection of their character.
Each oil they use, every minute, hour and day they spend putting together something perfect, magical and exquisite, not only for them but mostly for you, Dark Mistress is no exception, so come, take a journey with me and experience JoAnne Bassett’s alluring and mystical dark side.
I get the Jasmine, Tuberose, Clove, Violet Leaf, Olibanum and Brazilian Rosewood, it starts of with some jasmine and tuberose making it creamy, bitter with a touch of soapiness, the opening of this the floral notes are very heady, it does taper off within fifteen minutes, the jasmine is strong the tuberose is mild.
Then after about thirty minutes the tuberose dissipates along with the bitterness and soapiness, the tuberose softens and remains, in comes the clove and violet leaf, making it green, fresh and dry, the clove is strong, the violet leaf is soft, when the fragrance develops to this point I get a soft animalic smell that lasts about thirty minutes.
Then after about two hours the jasmine dissipates, along with the violet leaf, the clove softens and remains, in comes the Brazilian rosewood and olibanum making it resinous, spicy and incensed. the Brazilian rosewood and olibanum are mild.
Dark Mistress reminds me of Serge Lutens A La Nuit and Tubereuse Criminelle, A La Nuit is sweeter and softer, Tubereuse Criminelle comes off more animalic and bitter, they all have similar floral and spicy notes.
I can see someone like Elizabeth Taylor, Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis and Marilyn Monroe wearing this, they’re rough, brash and fierce, yet mysterious, glamorous and beautiful style icons, Dark Mistress is just that.
What I love most about Dark Mistress is has a vintage feel and smell, but it’s very timeless at the same time, even though it has quite a few notes, it’s very smooth and refined, it’s very well blended, the notes flow together seamlessly.
Dark Mistress is a very classy, elegant, sophisticated, smoky, bright yet dark, strong, with soft touches of citrus and woody undertones Oriental Woody fragrance, this is unisex and mature, perfect for ages thirty and above.
This can be worn all; year round; it would be perfect for the fall and winter, I get average projection and average longevity, this fragrance is a beautiful Dark Mistress indeed, wonderful JoAnne 4/5 Stars.
You can purchase this in a 1ML sample for $6.00, Travel Size Spray for $30.00, 30ML EDP $170.00 and a Parfum in Jojoba oil 1/4oz French Flacon $200.00,
VladymyrV – :
Joanne has a unique talent to create fragrances that capture the nostalgic beauty, sophistication and elegance of classic scents. This fragrance was inspired by the mystical beauty of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and the intigue of the night. It is a gorgeous floral, rich with exquisite jasmine, tuberose, and rosewood. It has a spicy depth of frankincense and cloves, and a lush greenness with violet leaf. It feels timeless, beautiful and mysterious. I feel elegant and beautiful wearing this scent. I love this sample!!