Bakeneko

[jesvet]

Warm amber musk, Satsuma tangerine, black tea leaf, cardamom, cherry blossom and cinnamon.

I got my decant circle imp today. I held my hand on ordering a bottle since I have such a crummy track record with citruses and especially cinnamon. So I put on a wee bit, expecting to blow up into a red rashy mess.

And waited.

And waited, and sniffed.

Bakeneko is a very nice orange kitty, purring and rubbing on you all ambery and cinnamony. But no biting. I want to curl up with him and rub noses. The drydown is not different from the wet for me, just a slight mellowing of the sharpenss of the citrus. Orange and bright and warm but not sharp.

Gorgeous. I'm in love and mourning the decision not to get a bottle! Edited November 29, 2007 by Shollin

[PixieSkull]

Vial: The cardamom and cinnamon are apparent and the lightness of the cherry blossom. No amber musk detected next.

 

On: And the amber musk is out and it's very interesting. A very fragrant scent, a bit too much cinnamon and musk for the blend.

 

Overall: While it's a nice scent, I think it's way too strong for me with too much amber musk. Too bad, it sounded very nice.

[euterpe414]

This is such a lovely, gentle scent (yes, gentle, even amidst the spices). It is a bit less "orange spice tea" than I expected it to be, and a touch more on the musky side. I would definitely not consider this to be a citrus blend, primarily.

 

I love how warm Bakeneko feels. It really captures this warm, purring fluffy cat quality. It's extremely comforting and perfect for rainy days (of which there are many here!). There is something in this (most likely the spice) that is reminding me a bit of Winter of Our Discontent, but they are definitely different blends, just a similar feel I suppose.

 

Great blend, and I am happy to have a bottle.

[strangefrontier]

I wasn't fussed about Hunger Moon, but its feline companion sounded like the best kind of fruity/spicy tea and - hurrah! - it does exactly what it says on the tin. And by "tin" I mean lab description, obviously.

 

It's a very orange scent (the colour, not the fruit), warm and gorgeous. It reminds me a bit of my favourite Twinings tea (orange,mango and cinnamon) and overall it's lovely and comforting like a fuzzy, snuggly cat.

[Brianne]

In the bottle:

powdery amber

 

On me:

I'm so jealous of all these people who are getting orange or citrus and cherry and the like. I wanted to like Bakeneko - so much so, that I've actually tried it three times now, hoping to get something different than I do. Unfortunately though, this is another case of amber going powdery and totally ruining a scent for me. It's ambery powdery + faint cardamom and that is *it*. I literally don't get anything else from this scent, no matter how much I want to.

 

Final note:

I'm going to keep Bakeneko and age it and see if it doesn't change for me. I'm hoping that if I age it for at least 6 months, I'll get something more than this wretched powdery amber.

[smallvoice]

Bakeneko is delicious! It is the lovely musky black tea from Dorian with a whiff of orange and spices. I get a hint of the floral cherry blossom- it's not quite as sugary or creamy as Dorian, either. The spices add a different element to it. I love this! The tea is beautiful. I'm so glad I swapped for a bit of this!

[Ajila]

In the bottle - Cinnamon and cardamon, with just a hint of citrus.

 

Dry on me - There is an immediate puff of gingerbread and then it softens to a light slightly sherbety citrus and cherry blossom scent.

 

Wet on me - Light, sweet, softly powdered cherry blossom.

 

Overall - Nice, but I was hoping for more spice.

[miss_rynn]

In the bottle a spicey, slightly citrussy sweet musk, Bakeneko is what I would call a very 'safe, yet unusual' perfume. It is gentle, calm, and has no nasty surprises to sneak up on you, but by the same token it tends to be a little too gentle for my likes.

 

The tangerine lasts on the skin only long enough to remind you that it is there. After it is gone, it is a sweet amber and cardamom scent, rounded out at the edges with tea and sweetened by the cherry blossom. The longer it is on the skin, the more the spice softens and the sweetness fades. Eventually (after mabye 30-60 minutes) all I was left with was a musky base, faintly coloured by amber and spice.

 

It is a comfortable blend, a languid blend, one that you can wear without offending anyone with any chaotic notes or offensively strong throw... but to be honest, I was hoping that it would have a little more ferocity to it, a little wickedness to make you sit up and take notice. Good to try, certainly, but I wouldn't call this a "must have" blend.

[em_h]

Aw, man, why did I not get a bottle of this?

 

Soft orange, warmed by the amber musk, and lots of well-blended spiciness, with neither the cinnamon nor the cardamom overwhelming the other. Hint of black tea as a kind of grounding note. SO nice.

 

The only weakness (I have to look for weaknesses to make me feel better about only having an imp) is that it's a bit light and quick-fading. But otherwise, this is a lovely lovely scent.

[TheIceMaiden]

On me, this is spicy amber musk with just a hint of black tea. The lack of tangerine surprises me as my skin normally loves citrus. This is a warm and cozy scent which is perfect for today since there is a wild snowstorm out there.

Edited February 14, 2007 by TheIceMaiden

[wolfie13]

In the bottle: Tea, orange and spice.

 

Wearing: Tea, orange and spice. It's funny it really does smell as if you are wearing some of the teas that have been mentioned - Constant Comment, etc!

 

Drydown: This one doesn't really change on me. I was actually hoping to get more of the amber or musk to deepen it up, but no, it's just light, spicy orange tea. I really don't even get the cherry blossom at all, which is a bummer, because I like that note. Wears light and fades fairly quickly.

 

Conclusion: Nice. But lacking a bit of complexity that would inspire me to keep it.

(Though I admit I did have second thoughts after I swapped it - I wondered what 6 months of aging might produce.)

[cuervosueno]

yep, this is gorgeous. Like everyone else has noted, it is like a very cinnamony constant comment tea. Orange, spice, lots of cinnamon.

 

I like it quite a bit, even if the cinnamon is a bit overwhelming. However, I wonder if I will like it over time, because while it is lovely, it is somewhat straightforward in smell, and not particularly a stand out.

 

Right now, though, I'm enjoying it.

[juniperus]

Bottle: surprisingly light, spicy floral

Wet: much the same, but with the tangering and cherr blossom taking a bit of a lead

Dry: cinnamon and cardamom leading, now, and the barest hint of the bottom still to come.

Later: still a little oddly foody on me, but terribly interesting...spiced subtle citrus over that lovely golden bottom...fascinating. Really. I can't stop pondering, sniffing, pondering, sniffing...

[midnight_aeval]

Oh the monster kitty does not disappoint. This is a lovely, light, warm, spiced orange scent.

 

It is much more faint than I expected. I tested a bit on my hand and was unsure that I got any oil on my skin! So, I applied a bit more.

 

The tea isn't promient on my skin. It reminds me of a spiced up Lionesse. I quite like it

[cranberry]

In the bottle: warm spice and amber

 

On the skin: Wet, I smell anise, other spices, and amber. As it dries, the anise sent disappears and it’s all spiced, warm tea. This is just beautiful and I absolutely adore this scent. I don’t get much tangerine, more musk, amber, and spice. Yum! I enjoy cats and this scent is no exception. It stays close but it does make me wish I’d gotten another bottle.

 

Overall: Beautiful – warm, spicy, musk. This scent reminds me just how much I adore amber musk. This scent is just wonderful.

[Jilara]

My three hell-kitties were on a real tear, so I put some Bakeneko on in their honor!

 

Wet: Okay, this is utterly unexpected. It's exactly the Hawaiian White Ginger perfume my godmother gave me when I was 11 (and I adored, though my mother said it made me smell "like a French whore.") Very spicy! I like it, but it's completely not what I was expecting!

 

Drydown: hmm, I'm now picking up tangerine, but it's still predominantly that spicy note of my godmother's White Ginger perfume.

 

Dry: the musk and tangerine come up, with that spicy background. I sense more than smell something floral, just at the edge of detection, that must be the cherry blossom. I don't get tea at all, though I suspect more than smell a slight green note in the very background. Definitely playful, as befits a beast-kitty!

 

Weeks later: this one morphs through the month. Sometimes the musky cinnamon is predominant, and sometimes it's the spicy tangerine (but still no tea). I still have trouble believing there's no ginger in it, when it's wet. I suppose shapeshifting is par for the course for the baka-kitty.

Edited March 27, 2007 by Jilara

[zankoku_zen]

In the imp: Citrus and florals

 

On Skin: Bright warm citrus. It's so delicious right now!

 

On Drydown: The citrus goes away and instead all I get is some 'generic' perfume smell. The cherry blossom is strong but I've never had it be 'this' strong. I was hoping for more cinnamon.

 

Verdict: I'm going to try this again in a few more days. I really do want to like Bakeneko. I do. I had high hopes for the cinnamon and satsuma tangerine. If the drydown were a spicy mix, I would love it too. But this 'floral' nonsense? GAH.

[femmefatale]

At first it's a very generic perfume smell, with something...else that I can't quite put my finger on.

 

As it dries it becomes a slightly spicey amber musk with just a hint of citrus tea and something floral.

 

I think I really like this one and I'm glad I got a bottle. It semlls a bit more sophisticated on me than the other oils I tend to wear, but it's nice having something different. I have a feeling I will use this more during cool weather than in the summer.

[asciident]

Wet: Ambery musk and cinnamon.

 

First on: *swoon* It's so. perfect. Spicy, light musk with the barest hint of something sweet.

 

Dry: Something very comforting/earthy about this. Dried down, it's just a wee bit spicier, but not overwhelming, and the black tea is coming through a bit more.

Edited February 22, 2007 by Melissa Della

[ilona]

Man, I just can't decide if I like Bakeneko or not.

 

Like Hawke and harmonyfb, I think this is a commercial-type scent, and I generally prefer something a little more original. That said, it still is a lovely softly spicy warm scent. It goes a little wonky on me as it dries, like a few of the other ambers do, but the spiciness makes it comforting.

[kraken]

In the Bottle: Sweet tangerines and cardamom dominate followed by the amber musk.

 

Initial Wet: It's sweet and, dare I say it, fruity without going bad on me. Underneath it is the tea and it all comes together almost like orange pekoe tea. As it dries, I can smell the spices coming through.

 

Initial Dry: Hello cinnamon! There's still some sweetness, but I almost can't tell under the wave of cinnamon. I can smell a bit of fruit sourness under the spice, but thankfully not much, and the throw has none of it. The throw is cinnamon and amber.

 

Drier Dry: The cinnamon is still very prominent, but it's smoothed by the undercurrent of amber musk. The result is a warm, spicy scent over a the occasional whiff of tea.

 

Ah, I think this is just the right cinnamon and fruit blend that will work well on my skin. I'm so unused to fruit smells and subdued cinnamon on my skin, I'm practically giddy.

[maijasu]

I freakin' LOVE this scent! It's warm, spicy, and cuddly. Not too sweet, but just sweet enough. It smells like musky, spicy citrus tea. I am so happy I ordered this one.

[jessiesquash]

Since I seem to live with a Bakeneko (my destructo-kitty Hermes) I thought it only appropriate that I test this.

 

It's spicy but not in that burns-my-skin kind of way, it's a softer spice. It literally smells like warmth, like curling up in front of a roaring fire with a cup of tea, a good book and your furry friend(s). I smell ginger and definitely the orange, although it's not overpowering any of the other notes. The amber musk gives it just the right amount of depth and staying power. I went to bed with this dabbed on my wrists and when I woke up, it was still there! I love when that happens.

 

Overall, it's not something that made me die of olfactory bliss but it's pretty and it lasts. It smells a bit like a tea blend I really like. I'll keep the three decants I was lucky enough to snag and maybe use it as a room scent. I wonder if Hermes would let me dab a bit on his ears......... haha just kidding, I value the use of my legs!!

Edited February 24, 2007 by Jessie

[bristlecone]

I didn't order a bottle of this because I was worried the cardamom and/or cinnamon would burn the hell out of my skin, like the last scent I tried with cardamom (Alone). A friend sent me a decant so I could test it out. And I'm kind of sorry now that I skipped it. I dabbed some on this morning and I did get a tiny bit of tingling behind one ear right after application, but it didn't develop into full-scale irritation. The scent starts out as cinnamon-orange. I was tempted to dismiss it as a potpourri scent, but then the amber musk came out and gave it a sexier edge. I couldn't detect the tea leaf, but beneath all the warmth, there is a certain coolness, which I think might be the cherry blossom. This is a great comfort scent for those who don't like to turn to foody fragrances to fill that niche. The perfect choice for a cold, gray day like today.

Edited February 26, 2007 by bristlecone

[outofrhyme]

In the bottle:

Mostly cinnamon and a sharp floral.

 

Wet:

The first thing that hits me is the cinnamon. When I smell up close, soft citrus, light floral, light musk... and the tea. Oh god. This is incredible. It reminds me of a warm cup of tea on a cold winter night. The tangerine + cinnamon definitely have a bite, but the tea and floral and musk seriously soften the edge. I wish this were drinkable.

 

Dry down:

It's more cinnamon than anything else, which is just a little disappointing. I liked the other notes. I can catch a little bit of tea, a little bit of floral, a little bit of soft citrus. It's sweet.

 

Final thoughts:

The wet is better than the dry down, but it's okay. I'll reserve my judgment on the dry until I've had more experience with it. I really really like it wet, though.