Black Cat

[Pixelpixie]

A very tricky kitty, indeed. Used most often as a key to bringing back the joy one needs to have in life in order for living to feel worthwhile. Brings back a sense of delight in simple pleasures, and creates a surge of childlike curiosity and a youthful sense of fun. This blend can also be used to reverse troublesome lesser crossings, create a playful air of catlike sexuality, and, because cats will be cats, it can also be used to throw minor, irritating or bothersome hexes, causing small amounts of chaos and disruption to your foes.

Powder, developing into Spicy Powder. A very dry and sharp scent but not unpleasantly sharp, just clear. Oddly enough I put some on a friend and it smelled much sweeter on her, slightly citrusy and I could make out the mint as well. I got no rose from this whatsoever, how strange.

[HennaFairy]

bottle:

fresh mischeivous can't place notes…

 

Wet:

I layered it over shanghai when it went soapy - warm, spicy. Need to try it on own though. Second time: I don't get strong florals, but spicy… however there's also that "cat" scent, that last for the first hour or so that I don't like.

 

Dry:

eventually it hits a place where I like it, but overall I'm not a huge fan.

 

overall:

it's ok, but now that I've tried ones I really like, I just know it's not for me.

 

rating: 3/10

Edited May 8, 2006 by HennaFairy

[eviltemptressdq]

let me first point out that I just don't seem to be a "musk" girl...

 

I opened the pack Hennafairy sent me, and this was the smell that hit me in the face. LOL. I wasn't very fond of it, but wanted to give it a fair shot, right?

 

Sniffing it, I was immediately just overwhelmed with the spicy smell i don't care much for. But, I passed it to my boyfriend to smell, and he LIKED it. Not feeling brave enough to put it on my wrists to try out, I decided to light a tea light and pour a small amount into the melted wax...

 

OMG. I loved it like that! Very incense-y? Reminded me of the shops in Philly on South Street that sell incense anyway. This burned and smelled strong all night long... probably 4 hours til I blew it out?

 

So, anyway, for you people that aren't sure if you like musky/spicy smells? Try it as a candle!

 

Because of the cool candle version of it, I'll give this one a 3 out of 5

Edited April 26, 2006 by eviltemptressdq

[Medici]

In the imp: Mint and chocolate... like the peppermint patty variety.

 

Wet: Mint that's gone a little herby... and you know, I don't think that's mint at all. In fact I think its catnip, which would totally be appropriate since the name is Black Cat. *a light flicks on somewhere*

 

Drydown: Herby catnip, a touch of wood behind it. Very pleasant, it’s both light and sure at the same time.

 

Verdict: I can't vouch for the effectiveness of this blend, but I can say I do like the smell. I did some digging in Cunningham's Herbal Encyclopaedia, and if that is indeed catnip, its supposed to be a very prosperous, fortuneful herb.

 

3.5/5 on Medici's Scale o' Lurrrve for the scent alone

[The_Merf]

In the imp: I get an herbal, minty smell from this.

 

Wet: It's a little oily on my skin, as are all the Voodoo Blends. However, the herbs seem to balance it out.

 

Drydown and wear: I do feel more playful when I wear it, and I smirk when I think about the oil. I'll have to wear it a few more times "out and about," but we'll see what happens!

[batsy]

I got a imp of this as a freebie, perfectly timed to a test I had to take. Plus, having spent the entire winter in a deep depression I've just come out of, I hoped it'd remind me of the good days. Boy did it ever!

 

This is a spicy blend -- it reminds me a tad of Toture King, only far more spicy -- and honestly I can say this is what I always though voodoo rituals to smell like. (Even though I've never been party to one, and never set foot in NOLA; I've got a crazy imagination.)

 

The throw is spicy, almost a burning my nose and throat, but when I sniff my wrists real close it's roses and floral, very sweet. It's hard to say; depending on how close up on it you are it's either really girly or really manly.

 

I honestly have *zero* idea what could be in this. It did start out incense-y, like this record store I used to go in, but moved quickly into the spicy sassy scent and it's still strong hours later!

 

God I need a bottle.

Edited May 16, 2006 by bat

[themerrybaker]

Oh goodie, no tuna.

 

 

 

I get pungent aromatic/herbal rosy lavender. Black Cat is energizing and frisky and makes me want to pounce on the Mouse's Long Sad Tale.

 

 

 

Although I've never found the Voodoo oils to be all that great as perfumes and wear them for the effect, Black Cat is one of the better-smelling blends.

[Rhowan]

I had never thought about using Voodoo oils until someone gave me Red Devil - that was awesome and worked well! So, I was excited to try Black Cat out:

 

It is a good thing Black Cat is not meant as a perfume oil - it has a beautiful base of herbs and greens with maybe a hint of lemongrass? in it, but the top note? It is pure rose and rose and I do not get along at all.

 

Completely dried down and the rose is still the prominent note which doesn't make me happy. It has a huge throw (maybe because I am very sensitive to the rose) and a very long wear (maybe my sensitivity again)I don't know if I could even wear this for the effect it's supposed to give because the rose note is so prominent.

[opaleyes]

In the vial- sharp and herbal with a hint of lemon.

Wet- Lemon, and catnip! Hee!

As soon as it dries- baby powder ::throws hands up in a Vader-like fashion:: NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Hours later- rose, but it's really faint. It's been about 2 hours since I put it on, and I've definitely got to sniff my wrist to smell the perfume at all.

 

This is a toughy. To keep or not to keep? I love the lemon and catnip. I have fond memories of my cats going nuts over catnip, and I love the description. I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a little more cheerful and playful today. It's just that baby powder stage. I can't stand it! I'll have to try it on another day and see.

[Eunice]

Rose and mint. It's an interesting combination that really works. I'd swear there was some lotus that comes out after a bit. I really enjoy this one!!

[neuilly]

Going into this having no idea what this is supposed to smell like...I'll mostly be way off on the ingredients I'm sure!

 

In the bottle: A little spicy and vaguely warm. About as specific as I can be.

 

Wet: A little citrus coming out? And something that smells a little stale. I suppose it could be catnip, would make sense...some kind of herb. And some rose. Not loving it, not hating it. Rather indifferent about the scent.

 

Dry: Turns herbally and combined with the rose smells a bit old lady-ish for me. Happy I tried it but not me at all.

[Ciircee]

This is a playful scent on me. It's definately a rose scent, but there is a spiciness to it and something clean to keep the rose from being too sweet or cloying. Could be mint, because it's a sharp clean and the spiciniess reminds me of carnations (not that it smells like carnations, but the same kind of spicy-flower scent, if you take my meaning).

 

Sadly, my skin devours this in about two hours and turns it into a very herbal soap smell for the last ten or fifteen minutes, too. My daughters adore it, however, and it stays true on them for ages (they're 9 and 11).

[Summerpixy]

Herbal, spicy... a tricky kitty indeed, it's hard to place the notes in this blend. Minty is the first thing that pops out, it smells similar to Nine Mysteries which is almost entirely mint. Yum, you have to be in a particular mood to wear this scent as mint is not a normal ingredient. A fun scent.

[edenssixthday]

Black Cat smells awful in the vial, and wet on my skin, it's acrid as all get-out. I thought I was going to have to wash it off, but I waited a few minutes, and the acridness faded leaving behind a soft, subtle musk mixed with crushed herbals and rose. It's incredibly subtle and stays close to the skin. Despite the initial unpleasantness of the scent, it turns into something nice. Not great. Just nice. I don't think I'll use it again when there are so many great BPAL scents that are so much better than “just nice.”

[nightbird]

When wet, it smells kind of minty; when it dries, it smells like roses. Lots of roses. I'm not a big fan of the way roses smell on me, unfortunately. This one's off to be swapped!

[sofiaviolet]

This sounds wonderfully versatile! It smells pretty simple, though. Like minty mint with a smidge of juniper.

[buzz23666]

whoa!! wicked spearmint in the bottle and wet

 

dry - this is sooo cool. Yup - it IS rose. Little tiny, just bloomed, en masse roses - with a vague hint of wintergreen for some reason.

 

This is a great lighter rose blend. I would put it in the same strength catagory as Moon Rose (at least on my skin)

 

This is a lovely scent that does not remind me of cats at all. Probably because if this was a cat it would be a sweet one that dotes on its owner - not like the two lunatics that bound around my house.

 

A keeper!

[Vampy]

When I got this, it smelled sort of fresh and green and herbally, a faint hint of mint which I supposed to be catnip.

 

Within a week, though, it'd turned to soap. Girly dove soap. Or that weird pink bubblebath powder my grandmother used to have. Not unpleasant, exactly, but certainly not something I want to wear as perfume. And I liked it in the beginning...

[juniperus]

Sharply minty, sassy, and a little dark resiny (I think) underneath. The darkness of the bottom note is an interesting contrast to the green, this blend feels energizing, to me, as this just doesn't dry down to a comfortable muddle of the two.

[steffanina]

Black Cat-

 

In Bottle: Minty. Pepperminty, with herbs.

 

Wet: The mint is only a nose-tickle now, like the memory of mint only. Like it's just a vehicle for the herby scent in my nose. Grasses?

 

Dry: The peppermint comes back--this is like someone's herbal toothpaste, but that's not a bad thing! I think I actually like it.

 

Overall: Conditional, but will keep for now.

[lunareclipse]

A frimp from the lab, and I figured I could use some playfulness in my life...

 

In the imp: herbal, minty, sharp, with a sweet rose note. Not overwhelmingly appealing to me, but I know it'll change the moment I put it on.

 

Wet: Yep, I was right... it changed. The herbals are still there, but the rose - which has an odd, musty, sickly-sweet quality to it - has taken over.

 

Drydown: Even worse. The rose has completely taken over, and Beloved can't get within five feet of me without starting to sneeze (I should have known - he's allergic to cats, of course). Sadly enough, not for me.

[Concupiscentia]

It smells a bit soapy at first but then turns into a love refreshing herbal rose with some creamy mint in it. Frankly, this is the first bpalrose that does not turn to plain soap or plain rose. I'm not sure I need a bottle, but I'm happy to have this imp

[CoveredInRain]

This is the easiest review I've ever written: in the vial, on the skin and dry it smells like soap. Clean soap, no real complexity on me. Damn my chemistry.

[supremegoddessofall]

Tried this at a meet and sniff. I have absolutely no idea what's in this, but it's mysterious and gorgeous!

[jasmine]

Upon applying, I instantly think of this as a contradictory scent. It’s very difficult to class because there are hints of spice and hints of plant all at once, so I can’t quite call it a spicy or a green smell. It has a distinct warmth, and I have a terrible tip-of-the-tongue feeling upon inhaling and concentrating -- there is some specific spice here normally used in cooking, something I like, and I have no idea what it is. It smells familiar, but not in a perfumey sense.

 

It melts very, very rapidly into my skin. There is basically no throw -- just a hint of presence and warmth. I think there may be honey in this, or the scent that BPAL calls “honey”, because it reminds me of last night’s application of Athens. If so, it’s very mild and subtle, but it’s gaining in force. I currently detect a hint of quasi-familiar spice, a hint of -- mint, maybe? -- and a ghost of that honey scent.

 

The throw has arrived, and it’s a soft, spicy warmth. Not bad. Not very impressive, but not bad.

 

This scent faded almost entirely within two hours after application. I can still smell it, but only when my nose is within touching distance of my wrist. It doesn’t blow me away, not when compared with some of the scents produced by the lab, but I like it. It seems like a scent for days when I want to wear a scent for me rather than for the world.