[Polychrome]

Cardinal Water: the essence of feeling.
Wild lettuce, wild pear, chamomile, germanica orris, sweet pea, and mallow.

Cancer is my sun sign and I'm very much a Cancerian, so I had to buy this one! The scent is barely detectable in the bottle, and equally light upon initial application to the skin, but it soon blossoms into an absolutely beautiful fragrance which, while still gentle, has definite presence and quite a bit of throw. It's soft and dreamy, delicately sweet with fruit and florals, and altogether beautifully balanced. There's something in this scent that gives it depth and keeps it from being overly sweet or too light, but I don't know what it is. No one note stands out above the others for me-- the overwhelming impression is a sweet softness with an underlying strength... which, to me, captures the Cancerian personality perfectly. Wonderful blend!

[Ah Xia]

To me, this fragrance it utterly bizarre. I'm a Cancer moon so I had to try it. First of all, when applied it has a very strange burnt caramel note on my skin...it might be the wild lettuce? It smells a bit like Scarecrow or Coyote or blends with a "grasses" sort of vibe. After a couple minutes it calms down and the barest whiff of chammomile and something very sweet come out. On me it is a very sticky floral...I'm happy I tried it but can think of no other BPAL this compares to.

This post has been edited by Ah Xia: 11 June 2007 - 09:27 PM

[Mattie]

First off, the bottle art for Cancer is absolutely gorgeous! And the fragrance is as lovely as the artwork. Cancer is a soft, gentle floral, as light as air on my skin. I'm terrible at identifying notes, but I think the wild lettuce is what gives the fragrance in the bottle a grassy, green feeling, and maybe the orris is what makes the drydown slightly spicy. I don't really smell fruit at all, but that's not surprising - my skin amps florals to the nth degree. I love sweet peas - they embody spring to me - and I can definitely detect them in the blend. For those of us who are wary of light/pale flower notes, don't worry! The throw is soft and understated. Nothing in Cancer makes my dumb head hurt.

As it dries, the spicier notes linger deliciously close to the skin.

This would be a perfect scent for daily wear as well as at work, or on dress-up occasions. It's the kind of blend that enhances the scent of your own skin instead of overwhelming it or announcing your arrival from across the room. It works with you, quietly. An almost introverted fragrance, if you will.

Very, very beautiful. :P

[dawndie]

In bottle: green floral, slightly fruity

On skin: sweet green fruit (melon?), juicy and watery

Half-hour later: perfumey florals with added juice

In conclusion: this sounds like a nice summer blend, and sweet pea is a big player here. I have an imp of the Sweet Pea SN and it's a bright fizzy citrussy floral, almost making me sneeze. The sweet pea is deciding if it wants to dominate or not, and I wish this was a bit more green from the lettuce and pear. Definitely smells clean and refreshing though, and as long as it's below 100 degrees this will work for the summer.

[Rheliwen]

Mmm, I don't consciously know a Cancer but lettuce had me signed up regardless!!

Cancer is wonderful! It's green and sweet. I smell a crisp, slightly spicy lettuce (the orris may be lending the spice but it's really mellow), mellow pear and sweet pea.

This is juicy and floral and so very feminine and delicate. It's a wonderful green floral for summer.

[Keristai]

Cancer definably seems like a, well cancer scent to me. It embodies the things that first jump to mind about the star sign : Calm, somehow oddly appealing with that snap hiding in the background.

In the bottle : Swore I smelled peaches, probably because I've been thinking about them all day, after re-reading the description its must be pear.

First on (wet) : Soapy. But a good soapy. Florals don't work well on me at all so my heart sank when i first smelled it. Then i realized that its not punchy or spicy as flowers tend to be for me and smells much much more watery then anything else. (woo!)

Dry down : Water all over. The chamomile pops out and I think thats orris too is peeking out. Juicy pear scent is still recognizably there but toned down.

It might in the distance be comparable to being a sweet non-salty Penthus. This is a bottle that I might look for a duplicate of, its tying, maybe above, on my favs list right there with Tamora and Snake Charmer.

[Edens Sixth Day]

Cancer 2007 - Oh. WOW. Seriously, I am blown away by this blend so much that I had a crazy notion to get rid of ALL of my BPAL and make this my #1 scent. I didn't have high hopes for this blend because sweet pea typically turns soapy on my skin and overwhelms all other notes. But I'm a Cancer's Cancer, so I had to order this. I am so glad I did! When I sniff it in the vial, I don't smell much at all -- it just smells light, clean, and almost watery. When I apply it to my skin, the lettuce and chamomile are the strongest notes. It smells very grassy and herbal and I definitely smell the spicy note that Mattie mentioned in her review. However, as the oil dries down, the green and spicy notes dissipate, and suddenly, I am caught off guard by the most gorgeous waft of "sweet pink" that I have ever encountered. The sweet pea is not turning to soap on me. Rather, it blends with the mallow to make the most gorgeous floral I have possibly ever encountered. I am just stunned at the way this morphs on my skin and becomes so ultra-pretty. I am so glad I bought this despite the sweet pea! It's got the most perfect level of throw -- enough that you can experience it around you, yet it's not noxious or offensive in the least. It's almost like it's just a scented extension of me, as a Cancer. It also lasts and lasts. I really can't say enough good things about this year's Cancer blend. It really may be the climax of my entire BPAL experience.

[alizarin]

I'm a Cancer Sun person and I've been wanting to expand my scent horizons, so I felt obliged to pick up a bottle. I'm very, very pleased with it.

Wet on me it's very watery, in a summer rain sort of way. Light and refreshing and just a little bit crisp. I can't easily discern specific notes, maybe a little bit of orris and chamomile, but really it's beautifully balanced into one scent.

On drydown the wateryness dissipates and it's just soft and vaguely sweet and positively lovely. It will be in heavy rotation for the summer, I can tell already.

[slave1]

CANCER 2007

In Bottle: Sweet green and fruity

On Skin: Wow! This is interesting… Very sweet off the bat with a nice green fresh edge cutting through it. The lettuce is crisp, the pear is sticky sweet, the chamomile is soft and perfectly comforting. The sweet pea and mallow bring a nice gentle floral bouquet and the orris gives it just the right earthiness. It’s quite the blend! I was really looking forward to it since I’m a Leo with a Cancer rising and this fits my soft side perfectly. I would say it’s a floral/fruity blend. Sweet yet also refreshing, a nice combination of both. To me no one note dominates and they take turns shining through. Very Spring like… I love that the sweetness isn’t cloying and there’s enough clean fresh notes to balance it so well. It’s has a soft mellow throw and a farily good wearlength.

[Extispex]

I haven't had a whole lotta luck with the astrological oils so far. Aries had the dread honeysuckle in it. Taurus... too many flowers. And though I'm a Gemini, I skipped it because I felt like I had enough lavender blends. I'm not a Cancer but when I saw those notes, well... I had to try it, even though I tried to talk myself out of ordering it.

I am so glad I did!

This is awsome. In the bottle, its quite fruity and has a sour edge that was a bit off-putting. Like under-ripe fruit.

On, wet, the fruit hangs around just a wee bit longer, grows sweeter, and the florals begin to assert themselves.

The dry-down is drop-dead gorgeous. Miracle of miracles, the sweet-pea manages to stay true on me. Doesn't go soapy or powdery. The fruity smell all but vanishes (just enough remains to add some body to the scent), and there's just a hint of bitter-sweet cool wild lettuce.

I get nothing light or watery from this. In fact its just the opposite on me. Its strong with a lot of throw, sweet but bold, and very unusual. And to think I almost didn't order it!

This one is a winner.

[Jilara]

Holy creamy crustaceans, Crabman, this is one heckuva unusual scent! And I love it! As a cusp Gemini/Cancer, I was hoping for this one, since Gemini and my skin chemistry had a serious falling out.

In the bottle, all I get is a vague aquatic note.

Wet: whoah, there be crabs here! Seriously, my first throught was "I just took the Dungeness crab out of the pot..." It smells like wet crab shells. Behind them is that aqueous note. As it starts to dry down, a very creamy note (mallow?) comes up, and the crab shell element fades out as the lettuce scent phases in.

Dry, I'm definitely getting a creamy lettuce/pear scent, with a slight vague spiciness hinted at. Nutmeg or maybe green cardamom? No crab shells any more, but every now and then, I get a waft of something that almost makes me think of food, but I can't identify, something that somehow makes me think of Southeast Asian markets. There's also something a little sharp and herbal, that might be chamomile. I don't detect anything I could ID as sweet pea, and on me it's not floral at all. It's a mysical scent, dreamy yet focused, staying fairly close to my skin. It's got to be one of the more unusual scents, but I like it a lot. Too bad it's an LE, as I could wear this regularily.

June 21 update: Is this shifting because we've crossed the cusp into Cancer? I'm getting that creamy-salty quality all the way through, and the sweat pea bloomed out about three or four hours in. What's more, it lasted for 12 hours. I liked it a lot initially, but now I like it even more!

This post has been edited by Jilara: 22 June 2007 - 10:01 PM

[sarada]

Cancer '07 reminds me at first of Blue Moon '07, which I also haven't written a review for yet because I don't know how to describe it. Both are watery -- glassy, even, with a sense of clarity and vivid blue-green blooms or leaves swaying in rain or ponds.

This also has the succulent wet vegetable smell that is also in Blue Moon, a crisp leaf drenched in dew, an oddly neutral scent, not sweet, not herbal, just...wet and vegetable-like. It lifts up on my skin a little, with some vaguely floral notes swaying underwater. A misty garden soaked in dew with the first leafy greens of spring. Dreamlike, a fainy herbal-fruity scent (which come to think of it reminds me of a few shampoos)...fades very quickly though. I think this would work best in a locket for me, but I do enjoy the early stages on my skin. It's always overcast, unseasonably cool and rainy this week and I am just loving these odd watery scents I've been trying all week. Perfect for this time of year (a cool, rainy June, spent in the garden).

Oh yes and I don't really smell sweet pea, which is good, because that note can tend to completely take over a blend on me.

[nikkoblue]

I agree with Sarada on the vague similarity to Blue Moon; however, Cancer is what i wanted Blue Moon to be. It's a sweet, vaguely aquatic, aqua blue scent that doesn't throw any weird ozone into the mix or get too choking with the sweetness. This reminds me of sitting outside near the seashore in a place where there are still trees around you, so you get fresh breezes, the light tang of water, and that indefineable sweetness of a summer day.

Beautiful! I only regret that I only purchased a single bottle.......my Aquarius rising is rearing its aquatic head.....and luckily THIS semi-aquatic actually works on me.

[waternight]

In the bottle: First sniff is very sugary-sweet, which I think is the sweet pea. On deeper sniff, I get the crisp, watery lettuce, and a little bit of juicy pear.
Wet/Drydown: Alright, mainly sweet pea, but the lettuce and pear are backing it quite nicely, and getting stronger. Oh wow – now I’m getting a warmer floral note that’s slightly herbal, slightly rosey, and it’s GORGEOUS. This smells like purity.
Dry: Stunning. This has a gentle, dewy, pure feel to it like Moon Rose does. It’s very feminine and delicate and moonlit. I’ll get a lot of wear out of this one, that’s for sure.

[Heavenlyrabbit]

In the bottle this is divine.

First on it's an exquisite perfume. Light with a touch of fruit, touch of herbal and a slightly sweet floral.

I get an almost creamy perfume with the slightest most gentle touch of powder.

And then the sweet pea goes not-quite-right.

Damn damn damn.

It's like in print making when the registration on the final color is ever so slightly off. Still looks good but something is amiss.

Broke my heart to pass this one on.

Stupid Sweet Pea. It ruined Mouse's Long & Sad Tale for me too.

Cancer was so close to working on me.

This post has been edited by Shollin: 25 June 2007 - 09:58 AM
Reason for edit: Removed Lab description --Shollin

[steffanina]

Cancer 2007-

In Bottle: Hmm, vague aquatic scent with a little bit of must.

Wet: Not a heavy aquatic. A bit grassy and hot and weedy and spicy.

Dry: This is very much the scent of walking through a weedy field on a dry DRY hot sunny day. It's not quite the same as Roadhouse with its dandelion smell; it's less floral than that (though Roadhouse is not very floral at all to me). It is hot and dry and there's nothing floral or fruit at all. And the dryness means there's nothing sweet at all, either. It is not really aquatic at all, either, unlike my first in-the-bottle impression. And there is a mustiness that never resolves on me which makes it a scent I'm unlikely to want. Too bad; I was hoping the lettuce note would work for me!

Overall: Not for me.

[EveningStar]

In the bottle: grassy, almost kelpy then a little sweet and marshmallowly on the back end.

On skin wet: Very similar to in the bottle, but there a more pronounced carmel scent.

On Skin Dry: With the exception of the first time I tried it, my skin eat this very quickly (like in an hour). Before it does there is a nice creamy floral with the sweat pea prominent.

[L-z_Empress]

Okay, this is the third scent that I have tried today and with each one I have gotten a different impression of the scent than all the other reviewers so maybe my body chemistry is off-kilter. Wet, Cancer 07 smells like Pink Moon 05 to me. There is the same slightly dry, grassy note in the background and the same candy sweet, slightly floral scent in the foreground. Once it dries down for a bit, it does take on an ever-so-slight aquatic tinge which tempers the florals and sweetness nicely. Overall, I'm very glad that I purchased it. It will do nicely at the end of the summer when the temperatures start to wind down a bit.

This post has been edited by L-z_Empress: 18 June 2007 - 06:39 PM

[QueenFae]

This is very unique! After reviewing the ingredients, I realize this smells primarily of wild lettuce, sweet pea, and pear on me. There is definitely a green, leafy bite to this blend. It reminds me of a rainy day in the jungles of Florida. The sweet pea is subtle, but lovely, and is beautifully complimented by the earthiness of the greens.

I like this; as I hoped I would since my hubbie and father are cancers.

[jessiesquash]

I'm very much a Cancer from my hard outer shell to my squishy insides. This is such an interesting take on the Cancer sign. First on, it's sweet, aquatic with something peppery. It's a morpher, this one. It changes briefly into something vaguely like Sea of Glass but that peppery note is still there. Finally this dries down to something soft and peppery with an interesting sandalwood base. This is gorgeous - like a flowery version of Underpants. This might be my new favorite scent!

[eviltemptressdq]

Hmmm... well, from the bottle this smells really good. A light floral. Very spring-y and lovely. On my skin, though? Yikes. It goes wonky... Sweet Pea takes over and goes even a little sour... makes it smell artificial on me, and even reminds me maybe of how a cheap dollar store Sweet Pea lotion might smell. Which isn't the fault of the oil, but of my skin chemistry.

*sniffs it a few more times so it leaves me with loving thoughts*

[Lunaratu]

Very sweet like melons and definitely sweet pea with something slightly aquatic and green smelling.

As it’s drying that melon and sweet herbs amps a bit. This is reminding me of a stronger, sweeter version of The Unicorn on my skin thusfar. Which I guess is nice enough but given that my sun is majorly in Cancer I was really hoping to love this here. It is refreshing in its sweetness though which at least makes it wearable in the beginning for my tastes.

It quiets down after awhile and stops amping to become something very watery green and fruity that also sticks close to the skin. This is an interesting scent—it dries down to something crisply succulent and lightly green with something thrown in there for interest. This is a scent for when you’re sunbathing and want to smell fresh and clean while doing so by the pool.

It eventually becomes this light, fresh, sweet herb scent. Pretty but certainly nowhere near the type of scent I’m usually attracted to and yet there is something about it that I like very much. It reminds me of the “Still waters run deep” cliche as if you smell this calming scent but there is some undercurrent there that draws you deeper into it.

The end scent is certainly appropriate for us Cancers. I can actually see myself scenting my sheets with this and snuggling right down into them because it really is a comforting scent, oddly enough, mixed in with that little bit of herbal spice.
Rating: 3.5/5

This post has been edited by Lunaratu: 07 October 2007 - 02:11 AM

[funkmoppet]

The first sniff from the imp was incredible. Sweet, juicy, unique and the underlying floral.

On my skin - Sweet pretty floral. It seems to be the sweet pea and pear that dominate.

Drying down, it's fading. The sweet pea lingers and now I get the "something warm" just underneath. But yep...fading. My skin's letting this one go, I'm afraid.

I'm a cancer, but not this sort of cancer. While florals tend to behave on my skin, I feel like a bit of a liar when I wear them. I'm just not a sweet floral girl, despite loving sweet pea and jasmine when they're in someone's garden.

That said, Cancer 2007 is a lovely blend. It's pretty, slyly romantic, wistful and very summery (which is another thing with me and this blend - Southern Hemisphere Cancerians are winter kids. It's freezing and this really is a sunshine and cool breezes scent. I'll try this again when summer hits.).

If you're a sweet floral girl, I can't see how you wouldn't love it. It's doing everything right.

Me? Personally I liked the wet stage far more than the dry. It would be the sort of scent I'd love to smell on someone else.

Edit: Okay, the longer this stays on my skin, the more I go from "not for me" to :P . Hours later and the sweet pea is cloying and making me sick. I had to purge it from my wrist and change tops. I'll be avoiding sweet pea like the plague. Shame, because the wet stage really was beautiful.

This post has been edited by funkmoppet: 21 June 2007 - 07:40 AM

[jade_starlight]

The first thing I can smell is the pear, which is nice and light and just slightly juicy. However, the pear is quickly overpowered by the floral, which while fairly light, is still amped way too much on my skin. I'm sure it would be perfectly lovely on someone else, but it just doesn't work with my chemistry. Which is a pity.

[DreamerGirl]

Being a Cancer I just had to buy this, if not only for the bottle itself.

It's the perfect floral in my opinion. Light, gentle, and doesn't scream out on my skin.

Sadly, it still is very floral to me and I'll be imping some of it out for swaps and things. I just can't do florals! :P I wish it would have gone more fruity on me.