High John the Conqueror

[acquiesce]

A fast-acting, powerful scent used to overcome adversity through positive means. Attracts wealth, prestige, good health, and enhances others’ opinions of you. Grants courage and steadfastness.

I don't really get grapes out of this. It's a generic floral scent to me, maybe ylang-ylang or hyacinth - it actually reminds me of what my grandmother wears, either Sung or in the 80's, Zen.

I'm not a huge fan of the scent at all, actually. However...

I had a job interview today and they called me 15 minutes after I left and offered me the position. They want me to start tomorrow.

I'll gladly smell like an old lady if it means more days like this.

[modesty_blaise]

High John smells quite pleasant from the imp, which made me go Yay!, cause I´ve had bad luck with most Voodoo blends and I want to be a witch doctor too

 

However, as it dried down, it smelled exactly like Come To Me, a green, soapy smell. It´s not really yuck!, but still not something I want to wear. However, reading about acquiesce´s job interview, I think I want to keep the imp around and try wearing it when something special comes up. Maybe I can layer it with something else?

[Firewaver]

Grape limeade!

 

Or maybe my nose is just fooling me.. this actually smells like lavender from far away. It's a very soapy, floral smell.. in a good way, if that's possible. This scent isn't me by any means, but it's actually kind of a nice change from what I usually get.

 

It's a high green smell.. with a soapy finish. Dried down, it's more herbal green rather than soap, but still green green.

 

I like it, though this would be a "just for the occasion" type of scent, not one I would wear often. I'll have to contemplate this one.

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 2/5

Rating (efficacy): N/A

Summarised in a word or two: Grape.

 

In the imp/bottle: A sweet, chilled grape and something soft and creamy.

 

On skin, wet: This is a very close-to-the-skin scent already. It's faint, and I have to put my nose very close to my wrist to get a sniff of anything.

 

On skin, dry: There continued to be something there for a few hours -- I can smell it! -- but it's certainly not what it started out as. This has a very weak throw, and sticks around for about three hours before disappearing completely.

 

Conclusion: As a scent, this is nice, but has no staying power. I can't speak to is efficacy, as I tested this purely as a perfume.

Edited June 1, 2008 by Aredhel

[Khaman]

As far as actual scent goes, this was... interesting. Very clean. Herby water, with a hint of something else. Possibly the grape scent others have noted. It's not a scent I would constantly wear with genuine pleasure, however, I am presently gaining a lot of faith in its hoodoo potentials.

 

I used it in a ritual last Friday, the outcome of which is still in debate. From here it's really more of the person I meant the ritual for riding the energy. However, he HAS been a lot more motivated about the situation, which pleases me.

 

Today, though, I dabbed on a bit because I needed to go shopping for new glasses, have no insurance, and suck at dealing with people face to face. I felt confident, cheery, had very few moments of vocal stumbling, and ended up with a pretty fair deal on my new glasses. I could have gone cheaper yet, but I may have been less happy with them than I am.

 

If you've got the desire to use scents for power or guidance or help, I DEFINITELY recommend this one. Even if it's not a big-time wearer for me, I will be ordering a bottle sometime not far down the road.

 

--UPDATE FROM NOVEMBER: During the ritual I referenced above, I made a pair of tiny sealed pouches filled with some stones empowered for luck, some herbs, other sundries, and, of course, some serious High John dabbage.

 

My boyfriend, once I worked up the nerve to give him his pouch, kept it next to his laptop while searching for a job, then took it with him on his last interview. These were his only two direct interactions with the pouch, and this was very recent. He got the job.

 

Also, I took my pouch with me when buying my first lottery ticket ever. I had a hunch. I won ten bucks. Hee. It'll help pay for a video game I desperately want. So I definitely dig this blend.

Edited November 22, 2005 by Khaman

[zenvodunista]

i tried this on this morning for a bit of a boost, figuring that i'd need it later on today when i go to this art opening, and to deal with my highly stressed collegues at the office.

 

i really should have waited to put it on though, since my personal power was amped so high that it made every computer i sat at freak out and freeze up!

 

i still will dab before my art opening, as not only do i feel confident, powerful, sociable and cheerful, i think the perfume itself is *lovely*. it reminds me of the APothecary, minus the fruit. it's sweet lovely herbal mix, that *actually stays true* on my skin. most of them go to soap/irish spring on me after a few hours, but HJtC stays true.

 

i'll be layering him with Aizen Myoo later on. i like HJtC to wear enough on his own, though i'll have to restrain myself so as not to wear him out

 

good stuff! powerful, and BEAUTIFUL!

 

 

n.

[Cesare]

Wet: High John is sweet, and on first blush it's really similar to the lily scent that dominates the Queen of Hearts.

 

Drydown: Sweet with an edge of resin or soap. The lily-like scent is getting richer and even sweeter, almost fruity.

 

Dry: I actually dabbed some Queen of Hearts on my other wrist to compare because I thought High John was so similar. Queen's lily is strong with a whiff of cherry. I think High John has a lighter lily as part of a more complex blend, with cinnamon and spice, maybe a hint of wood, maybe ylang-ylang and maybe some fruit. Other people smelled grapes in it, and once I read that, I could understand why they said so, though it didn't immediately jump out as grape to me.

 

I worried it might go soapy on me since it had a hint of soap on the drydown, but it didn't get any more soapy than that. It's not very strong on me, but I like it.

[starfire]

in the imp: grape! kool-aid grape! with just a hint of white flowers hiding under the heavy, sugared fruit.

 

wet: hmmm. this instantly turned massively floral on me. ick. i was looking forward to the fruity scents.

 

later: yep, this one's strictly floral, thanks to my body chemistry. if you're into florals, this one's quite lovely, but not for me.

[Little Bird]

First on, weak cherry limeade. I like the smell of cherry limeade, but this quickly turns into a floral blend on me.

 

Light, sweet floral, but with a weird smell mixed in... kind of reminding me of burnt rubber. The burnt rubber smell gets stronger and stronger too. This is what dragon's blood sometimes smells like on my skin, so I wouldn't be surprised if it was one of the notes.

 

I had to wash this one off. It was making me sick.

[KieLocke]

I bought this to attract prestige, etc... but I can't say if it works in this regard. I'm afraid to wear this to work.

 

In the vial I smell ripe open berries. Not cloying and sweet, just fresh. Wet on my wrist it smells more like a wine cooler. It's not heavily alcoholic but definitely there. Not a bad scent but not appropriate for my work.

 

As it dries the grape smell fades a bit and it becomes more herbal. Clean and clear. However the wine is beneath it, subtle but still there.

 

Besides my fear of being mistaken for drunk on the job I'm not certain I like this scent. I like herbals but this may be too soft for me. I'll keep the vial but doubt I'll buy the bottle or another vial.

[carolinachiquita]

I also got a grape smell when I put this on, apart from that I couldn't make any other notes from it. It smells slightly aquatic but not too much which is a good thing as aquatic blends and me just don't mix (which is strange seeing as I am a pisces!). This is loverly - I Like it very much!

[LushNatty]

In the bottle: This is a really strong fruity smell, but for some reason I can’t quite identify the fruit. Fig, maybe?

Applied: Oh, I know! This is like one of those really good-smelling permanent markers!! I LOVE the smell of those markers—I don’t know if they make this kind anymore, but it was the permanent marker of choice throughout my grade school years—all the teachers used them. It’s kind of a cross between that and the grape (and non-toxic) Mr. Marker. I don’t mean this in a bad way at all—I think it’s a really pleasant smell or I wouldn’t have huffed so many of those pens when I was a kid. Wow, this takes me back.

I am interested to try this one out and see if it works well for its purpose. If it does, I’m buying a bottle, definitely. If not, I might buy a bottle anyway because it just smells good—it’s pretty darn close to smelling as good as the amazing French Love.

On a scale of 1 to 5: 4.

[Blueelm]

Hmmm... I almost recognized this as it reminds me of something from my life though I can't think of what. Very different from the High John Root that I'm familiar with, but a good smell.

 

Wisteria. I certainly get the scent of big wisteria blossoms, and grapes or melon. In fact the smell of the grape vine as well. This is a very uplifting clean fruity floral. I loved this from the first minute I put it on because it seemed so, well, purple.

 

Also I felt happier, more confident while wearing it. Underneath the Grapey-Honeyed-Floral, there is a gentle herbal note that keeps this perfume interesting to the very drydown. Some what clean and close to the skin, this scent stays with me all day.

 

I have to say this is one of my most worn BPAL scents. A long term favorite.

[Kalasin]

On the skin, wet and dry, this smells like figs sweetened with almond oil. It also smells a bit spicy, like it has a hint of cinnamon or cassia. Regardless, this unexplainable scent is yummy!

 

I feel quite confident wearing this and I'll have to try it out at a job interview or some such.

 

ETA: applied for jobs with this on and got an interview on the spot! Also won a contest wearing this, so I'm totally grooving on it's good luck properties.

Edited February 21, 2006 by Kalasin

[Hawke]

In the vial: Faintly fruity, but mostly *air*. This has the same sort of instant impact as Hurricane, to me. Almost chilly.

 

Wet: Maybe it's not fruit and it's sweet flora, like lotus. Whatever it is, it's strong.

 

Dry, many hours later: I'm still not sure I would call this fruit, but I guess that's the closest thing it comes to. Maybe the bastard love child of grapes and lotus. Whatever it is for real, it's very sweet. I still get the feeling of air, even on my skin. It really hasn't changed at all.

 

I don't know about the voodoo potential, as I wasn't really testing it. I'll keep the imp for experimenting, though.

[ktesedale]

In the bottle, it's very, very grape.

 

Wet, it's grape and some sort of strong green herbs. They don't blend together well at all.

 

Dry, though, it's a wonderful mix of herbs, grapes, and a faint soapy scent that mixes together wonderfully. It smells delicious (as in edible), and it's really, really nice.

 

Even without testing the voodoo nature of this, I want a big bottle - this scent is great!

 

It's also very calming for me, though not so much with the courage (yet, at least). I have a job recruiter interview tomorrow, and I'm going to be doing a lot of job interviews in the next few weeks - I plan on wearing a little High John each time. I'll update if anything good happens.

[ancilla_morte]

this is an all around feel-good scent. I agree that it doesn't have any sharp edges at all. it is very comforting and calming and assuring. It's like having a loving guardian nudging you forward gently to the stage.

 

I too thought of grapes when I first smelled this. more candy-like to me. I love this.

[silver_springs]

This is a really boozy smell to me. And honestly I didn't get any grape like others have said, which is good because I hate grape.

 

I like this one. It's not wonderful smelling but it's nice. It's rich and fruity, something that I like. I wouldn't mind a 5ml in the future.

 

As for the voodoo, hmm... maybe? Every time I've worn this it has attracted a little more money my way (possibly coincidence) but then again one time I wore it, I got insulted by a 5 year old (not about the perfume oil), so apparently it didn't "enhance" his opinion of me too much. Although to be fair, it was more of a case of a kid being a kid and far too blunt rather than a mean-spirited intent. So I don't know. But just maybe.

Edited February 3, 2006 by silver_springs

[marzstar]

mm at first whiff from the bottle i did totally get that grape thing and i am not really a fan of grape flavored things so out of the 5 imps i got today, i tried this one last

but once on my skin, i didn't think grape anymore.

it is sweet and fruity, though i like sweet fruity things, so, i like this.

with a name like high john the conqueror, i wouldn't imagine this would smell at all like it does

though i don't know anything of the background of this name

*makes mental note to look into this person / story*

as it dries down i keep smelling my arm and definitely like it

think it's reminding me of something, as most bpal smells do, especially at first, though i have yet to place the memory

overall, i, without a doubt, want to try wearing a lot of this over the course of a day and seeing how i feel and smell and how the world responds to me

yep, guess i like it

 

<edit>gotta love wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_John_the_Conqueror

i like this even more now that i've read the bg of it

says it's perhaps the root of the st john's wart plant !!

now i think i should get a bottle and wear it everyday -- it almost seems that it might make a good base to layer with everything -- since i like sweet smells

just as i was thinking to myself that it may be time to let go of some imps, finally, too. . . i have this thought now i want to try everything over again haha</edit>

Edited March 10, 2006 by marzstar

[GypsyRoseRed]

I originally bought a 5ml of this for my Mom, as she's been going through a very tough time and although I mostly bought it for it's Voodoo properties, I was really surprised by the smell. I can't put my finger on specific notes, but for me, this is one of the ultimate clean and fresh, natural perfumes. No dryer sheets here! It's not unlike Budding Moon with it's clean, light fruitiness - a very easygoing scent. Now it's one of my top ten.

Edited March 11, 2006 by GypsyRoseRed

[moon_lemming]

Note: I am just reviewing the scent at this time; I will review the efficacy of this oil at a later date.

 

I expected High John the Conqueror to be an extremely masculine scent, but in the imp it reminds me of Now & Laters (the candy). Dry, it smells of grapes and herbs and a little sweet incense, maybe. The grapes fade pretty fast, leaving a soapy herby scent behind. Not the best smell ever, but it's okay.

 

Oddly, I do feel more centered and "get it done" right now than I did ten minutes ago. That might be a mental thing, or it might be the oil. I'll test it out more tomorrow at work and this weekend, when I have to attend a party with a bunch of folks who tend to think I'm stuck up because I'm quiet, which just makes me more quiet, heh.

 

eta: I never did leave a note here about efficacy, eh? Well, this was the first Voodoo blend I tried and it totally roped me into trying ALL the Voodoo blends, this one was so effective. It makes me feel more stable, more secure in myself and what I'm doing, and I seem to get along with people a little better when I wear it. I love the scent now; it's a green herbal blend with a purple feel to it, and it was one of the first BPALs my husband randomly complimented.

Edited August 4, 2006 by karen

[malanna]

High John the Conqueror is more pleasant than I'd expected it to be. Fruitier, too. It smells vaguely of grapes with a hint of clean herbals, à la Come to Me. I'm not sure if it works as a voodoo scent, so I may just be passing this on. I'm glad I got to try it, though (thanks to the swapper who included this! even if I can't remember your name ).

[Aurelius]

Sadly, this one just didn't work on my skin. It smelled quite pleasant and floral, but my skin clearly wasn't in the mood. I smelled like acrid flowers and was just plain wrong. I didn't notice a positive change, but then again, I was scrubbing it off. Bah. Lovely, just not on me.

[girlmadasbirds]

this reminds of an almond lotion with a grapey scent to it. it isn't totally unpleasant, but it's not something i'd wear for the smell either. i'm curious as to how it may work though.

[Melantha]

Weird. I didn't get grape, or fruit.... I got lily of the valley.

 

It's a lovely scent, but I wore it today more for the courage aspect. It must have worked, because I found the courage to tell STBXH all sorts of things that I had bottled up during this mess. I feel ever so much better now, even though at the time I was crying and yelling. And he's being nicer, so something must have gotten through...