Casanova

[Elisabeth-Anne]

...Who says librarians can’t be sexy? A rakish blend of leather, anise, lavender, bergamot and amber with tonka, lemon peel and lusty patchouli.

Casanova starts out, both in the bottle and on the skin, as pure lavender to my nose. This is great because lavender is one of my favorite notes.

When it dries down I sense the leather and tonka. This smells like a more masculine Shalimar. And yes, I do believe I'm picking up some incense as well! Very provocative and very nice! I could see wearing this with a tweedy suit.

[Penance]

Origin:

 

Lagniappe from the Lab.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I originally passed on Casanova when it came out because of the anise and lemon peel (both of which I despise) and, to a lesser degree, the bergamot and amber which don't normally work for me, but it does have leather and patchouli, both of which I love, so I'll admit that I'm curious.

 

First sniff:

 

Wow, that's a definite surprise. I smell expensive (if generic, as all commercial perfumes/colognes are to me now) men's cologne! I guess I was expecting something less well-blended. I mean that in a good way - something where the individual notes stood out more clearly, not as in something poorly made. This is actually pretty damn sexy if I do say so myself.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Expensive, sexy men's cologne. I don't know how else to describe it. I catch bits and pieces of the notes, but I only recognize them because I know they're there. I don't generally like the smell of men's cologne, but Casanova is sexy and comforting at the same time It's fresh and clean, brisk and biting and warm and welcoming all at once. This would be sexy as hell on a guy. ::Resolves to slather her husband the first chance she gets::

 

Dry down:

 

Warmer and more sensual. This is definitely a sexy masculine scent that smells great on me, too, both of which are pleasant surprises. The dry down on this is ten times better than the wet stage. I'm duly impressed. Kudos to Beth!

 

The bottom line:

 

Another reason not to make preconceived judgments about scents. I expected to hate this, but it's sexy as hell.

[Blood onmy hands]

My husband really likes Casanova, but I don't think that it smells particularly unique or interesting, and it's too sweet for my tastes.

 

When the hubby wears this one, he amps up the tonka, bergamot, and lemon, so it smells very sweet and clean on his skin. It actually smells better on me at first, in my opinion, lol.

On me, I get lots of sweet, candied lavender, creamy tonka, and a smoky leather dirtying the whole thing up. I can't ever pick out the patchouli. As it dries down, the leather dies off (unfortunately) and I'm left with sweet, cool lavender and sweet lemony cologne. I love the lavender, but the whole thing is too sweet and too simple to be a keeper for me.

 

Casanova is pleasant and worth trying, of course. I'm just disappointed that it smells better on me than it does on my hubby, and the simple, sweet drydown doesn't do much for me at all. I wish that the leather note were stronger.

Edited September 5, 2009 by Little Bird

[WidgetAlley]

Oh no. Nonononono. When will I learn that blends with long, complex lists of ingredients do not work on me? I had such high hopes, too....

 

Generic, spicy men's aftershave, and nothing else.... I'm not too keen on that scent, either. I actually ended up washing it off and replacing it with Embalming Fluid (*sigh*), because I was about to go to a family dinner and I didn't want to sit next to my grandmother smelling as though a guy with bad taste in the cologne department had just rubbed himself all over me. I'll see if my father wants this one, and if not... off to swaps it goes.

 

Well, thus continues my quest for the perfect librarian perfume. Back to the drawing board.

 

[edit] Because I am crazy, I swapped for this again, curious as to how my more sophistcated nose would deal with it this time around. Here goes nothing.

 

In the Imp: Lavender. Mmmmm, lavender. Maybe some tingly bergamot, a tiny hint of lemon, and spice, too.... but mostly sharp, almost minty lavender. I like it so far. I just hope the other notes come out to play.

 

Wet: Whoa, this is way more subtle than I remembered. I'm getting a very soft, gentle lavender, but it's almost not there. Hrrrm, I don't think I put enough on. *slathers* This is still really soft... it must be my skin chemistry at the moment, coming off of my monthlies, it seems like everything's fairly faint at the moment... but what I can smell of this, I really like! It's got a very masculine, men's-bar-of-soap sort of smell about it, but an expensive posh kind, not annoying cheap dime-store cologne. It's still mostly lavender, but with hints of anise, bergamot and a sweet tonka. I'm sure the amber is in there, grounding things, but I can't smell it specifically. No leather, alas, but this is quite pretty without it. I do wish this had more lemon and patchouli, though. As quiet as this is, it's still got quite a bit of throw, too.

 

Dry: I don't know what I was on last time I tried this, but I must have been crazy. The smell wafting up from my wrists is warm, sweet, complex, clean, manly and very, very sexy. Up close, it's all tonka and warm amber. In the middle distance, the top and bottom notes mingle: sweet lavender, bergamot, maybe a slight hint of anise... this is so well-blended it's very hard to pick out individual notes. It's the sort of blend Giles would wear. Which is awesome, 'cause I loves me some Giles.

 

Verdict: I'm going to try to collect Imps of all the masculine BPALS before I make a decision, but so far, this is brilliant! I will probably hang on to the Imp and slather both the Boy and myself in it. The only downside is my mum doesn't like this one.... at all. So I won't be able to wear it around her... but that's all right. Casanova isn't for every mood and every occasion, anyway, but I'll look forward to using it when the time seems right.

Edited February 23, 2006 by WidgetAlley

[Monster]

Cassanova is almost pure lavender and bergamont out of the bottle. The two completly overpowr and drown any of the other notes mentioned. This is an older gentlemans cologne, very strong and mature smelling. It's definilty a classic scent. Something I can imagine well dressed Englishman wearing.

 

On my skin this turns to pure mens cologne. The lavender and bergamont are still very strong and prominent. Again, all of the other notes are completly masked by the two.

 

Overall, this one is very beautiful, just not me

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 1/5

Summarised in a word or two: Lemony aftershave.

 

In the imp/bottle: A very strong, biting lavender-lemon scent.

 

On skin, wet: This smells like... rotting lemon peel and a strong aftershave. June Gloom meets Jolly Roger, almost. Strange.

 

On skin, dry: I'm not digging this in the least. I get no leather, anise or tonka -- nothing but lemon and lavender, and something strangely aquatic.

 

Conclusion: All I can think of is an aftershave, or a high-end men's cologne. Definitely not for me.

Edited December 19, 2005 by Aredhel

[sarahj]

Casanova

 

in vial: leather and lavender

 

wet: lavender and bergamot...very masculine...I am tempted to promptly pass this on to my husband

 

dry: dries to a soft blend of lavender, bergamot, amber, tonka, and patchouli...I will share with my husband, but he can't have it all!...lasts about 6 hours

 

verdict: very nice...I will try again before I decide whether or not to buy a big bottle

[lookingglass]

This is so well blended...complex, fresh, distinguished. An entirely confident scent.

[jewelbug]

I only tried this on him.

Imp: Leather and bergamot. This is kinda what I was expecting from Severin--like earl grey with more leather.

Wet: Herbal and lemony and leathery, but clean leather, like it was in Jolly Roger. This reminds me of Jolly Roger a great deal, actually, but it's got something a bit rounder, creamier, sweeter to it. Jolly Roger is salty instead. But both are shower-clean man smells.

30 min: clean leather and a sweet herb/spice. But overall still very much like a sweeter, rounder, Jolly Roger.

1hr20min: The spices on this really come out in the late try down. That's the anise, I guess, but it really doesn't smell like licorice. This is still clean and fresh and has the clean leather tinge. By this point in time, though, Jolly Roger and Casanova have definitely diverged.

Overall:

Casanova is a great shower-clean man smell, with a sexy hint of spice and a kindof creamy roundness. As far as shower clean leathery man smells, I like Casanova better, and he likes Jolly Roger better. Figures. But ultimately, he's the one that's gotta wear it all day, and I did like both. So this one will go to the swaps, and we'll be keeping Jolly Roger. I might have him revisit this one some day.

[kuroitsuki]

Of the oils I've tried so far, Casanova is one of my favorites. Wet, I smell lavender and bergamot with a trace of lemon. As it dries, the citrus fades and the leather and tonka become prominent. As others have said, this is a very smooth scent, with a soft, sensuous texture.

 

Oddy, I get a very calm, reassuring feeling from it. On me, Casanova may have a suave and sexy exterior, but a gentle heart. It's playfully naughty, comfortable and familiar, wry and delicious. I feel content when wearing it. Strange, huh?

 

I wish it lasted a bit longer on me, though; it fades after about 3 hours on my skin.

[Diana]

This was one that I'd been meaning to try for a long time, since it has a lot of my favorite notes in it.

 

Putting it on, it's a very sharp combination of citrus peels and lavendar. It smells very much like Men's Cologne is supposed to smell like.

 

After a few hours, the sharpness fades a bit, but the cologney aspect still remains. The lavendar (I wonder if this is a fougere... it seems similar a bit to some of the others that BPAL has to offer) softens a bit, but not a whole lot. It does pick up a bit of a powdery aspect. The leather I think was part of the softened aspect, waaaaaaaaaaaaaay off in the background, but it was not determinable as a specific note. I never really got any patchouli, amber, tonka or anise. Shame, since those are some of my top note preferences.

 

This lasted ALL day. One of the longest lasting scents I've tried.

 

It is really masculine, but a light masculine scent. I usually enjoy heavy, typically male scents, but this one didn't seem to fit me very well. I do enjoy it, but I this this is one I'm going to have to chalk up as "it's a nice scent, I'm glad I tried it, but I probably won't wear this again, and don't need to even consider a 5mL."

[ebbtide]

I applied this to the boy! He was amused by me sniffing him every 10 minutes to see how the scent was developing.

 

In the imp: Smells like every men's cologne aspires to smell. Completely manly.

 

On the boy: I get light musk, and pine. The pine really sticks out, but it's a good thing. (Am I the only one who smelled pine?) There's a touch of herbs and citrusy stuff behind it, but it's mostly musk and pine.

 

I like it! Must apply to boy more often

[Nia]

This is embarrasing to admit, but I find this scent very sexy at the same time it reminds me a lot of my father's "official dress-up cologne" when I was in my early teens, Cacharel pour Homme. I've checked a description online and they both share the lavender, but there is something deeper than that. The leather tone, maybe? In any case, this smells like a nicer, mellowed and more complex version of my old favourite, which was very obviously a standard male cologne, while this makes me want to wear it myself.

[sixthsentinel]

This is, to me, an herbal lavender scent. I find myself reaching for it when I wish to be taken seriously and/or be seen as intelligent. One word that leapt to mind upon wearing it for the first time was 'refined'. It does smell rather masculine, but in an aloof & scholarly way rather than in a testosterone-driven, beer-chugging, scratching-his-balls-unashamedly-in-public way. I guess what I mean is, it doesn't just scream, "HEY, I'M WEARING MEN'S COLOGNE!" so I don't feel awkward wearing it--or like I just finished rolling around with a man all night and still reek of his cologne, giving away the fact that there was no time for a morning shower.

I like it, I like the way it makes me feel introspective & like I actually finished college. When I am wearing Casanova, I feel like I can sit around without a thought in my head while appearing to anyone who happens by to be quite probably pondering the cosmos. It almost feels like wearing a disguise. Needless to say, an imp would never do, so I have a big bottle on the way. *stikes pose of Rodan's "The Thinker"*

[Fefferbella]

This is pure lemon zest, like Emballming Fluid at first. Gradually it settles down, and a sweet lavender undertone takes over.

 

There is a richness to this blend that *must* be leather, but I'm so used to smelling it in rich/spicey blends like Perversion and Whip that it doesn't strike me as a leather note in Cassanova.

 

 

This is a really unique blend, but it fades quickly.

[ouch!]

I think that casanova (after wearing it for two weeks) is a scent that you need to try at least 5 times on 5 different days, just to get the real effect.

 

When I first smelled this in the imp I thought oh no.... just another typical man smell (Mysef being a bloke, I tend to go for something a litttle bit unusal) but I wore it for a little while (at least 5 days) and learned that this scent has other secrets to offer.

 

Cassanova on me, turns into this lovely crisp spicy smell that lingers for a long time, it kind of reminds me of Obsession at first but turns into something much much nicer after a while!

 

Al the blokes out there, get some.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: men's cologne.

on: still men's cologne.

45 minutes later: men's cologne, men's cologne, men's cologne.

1.5 hours later: this has finally calmed down enough for me to pick up some notes. i can smell the bergamot (i'm not a fan.), along with leather, a bit of citrussy rind, and some soft tonka. not as bad as when i first put it on.

3 hours later: i can't believe i'm going to say this but...this is nice. tonka and leather. soft and oddly comforting.

overall: if this oil didn't have such a long man smell stage, i would probably keep it.

[AlaskaSnows]

Smells like a man's cologne I have smelled before, all I know is it isn't Old Spice. Other than that it is lovely, but compared to other stuff very department store men's cologne.

[Cagedflame]

Got a frimp of this with my Lupercalia order. It is strongly reminiscent of Axe Kilo body spray. Oh, it smells like cheap guy cologne, bummer, you might think, but nooooooo. I think Axe Kilo, on my guy at least, is the fucking sexiest smell for a male.

[jidabug]

Wet - Bright, but kind of male.

Dry - Very reminiscent of a cologne/aftershave someone I know used to wear. Is that the leather & patchouli? Hints of citrus coming through as it mellows and softens, and something else I can't quite put my finger on, perhaps it's the tonka.

Final - Way too much like aftershave for me, although nice aftershave. I wish I could remember which guy it was who smelled like this. So this is a fragrance filled with unidentifiable qualities and scent-memory, but in a good way. I think this would smell much better on my husband, though.

[Lit Chick]

Heh.

Tried this on the husband last night. He sniffed and said "It smells like Stetson." I'll have to take his word on it, as I've never smelled that knowingly.

It does smell like a very standard, very traditional aftershave. It's not cologne - pure aftershave. And that's not bad at all. There's something very nice about a smell that's just pleasant, as opposed to sensual, seductive, etc.

As for the boy's reaction, he deemed it a nice change of pace.

[yeahbutnobut]

Casanova

 

In the imp: gentlemanly lavender cologne, with a hint of lemon and leather.

Wet on skin: lavender cologne with a hint of leather and maybe amber/tonka.

Dry: mmm, not bad. Overall, I get a citrus-lavender cologne scent, very manly and sophisticated. Underneath that I get hints of black smoky leather, and also the amber and tonka underneath. The scent is reminiscent of Old Scratch, and also Saint Germain-it’s masculine, a traditional, slightly old fashioned men’s cologne scent.

After a while: eventually the sharp cologne scent mellows out, sweetens nicely under the influence of the amber and tonka, with leather underneath. The result is something almost like a fusion of Old Scratch and Saint Germain, but a little bit more manly and distinguished in tone and feel, yet with an edginess from the citrus. It brings to mind images of courtly palaces and decadent grandeur of the 18th century, powdered wigs and corsets. I don’t get much patchouli or anise.

Eventually, the scent settles down to a softer blend of amber, tonka and leather with a hint of lavender, a nicely balanced mix.

Verdict: this is another one of those gentlemanly scents which has a traditional cologne scent. A distinguished, dapper scent, it firsts starts off as a sharp, fresh lavender-lemon scent, very masculine in scent, but then the amber and tonka creep into the blend, smoothing it out and making it gentler, and the leather note darkens the scent. It resembles aspects of Saint Germain and Old Scratch, the beginning of the scent resembling the former, and the end stage resembling the latter. However, I do prefer Old Scratch to this scent (I find it softer and more unisex) so I’m unsure whether to keep this or not-I may swap it. I do like it, but I think it would be more suitable for a guy.

[madelf]

Cassanova helped me enable a male friend of mine. I gave him some imps to try, and this turned out to be the favourite.

 

On him it is fresh and warm, like a nice cup of herbal tea. It develops a nice hint of leather, and smooths into a slightly creamy version of the herbal scent. I never caught any patchouli. After a little bit, this softened into a lovely skin but better scent.

 

Overall Cassanova is a winner. It's masculine, sexy but still a very warm, comforting blend. It's gorgeous and I'm glad my friend fell in love with it.

[theseagrows]

i think i mostly get the lemon peel, lavender and bergamot. it's a bit too masculine in a way that i dislike. a bit sharp and soapy. once the leather came through i liked it a bit more, but i just don't think it's for me. and i love all those notes (except patchouli).

[batsy]

First smell in the bottle: Did this come out of a magazine sample?!

 

On skin: Ok I can smell the leather for sure, anise/lavender/bergamot are all present, and the patchouli is strong in this one. It's very male, very warm and certainly lusty if that's your bag. As it dried down it was almost sour to me and the amber popped out.

 

Would probably be a loved item by anyone who loves heady romantic scents. Sadly, not my thing. Pity it was my first frimp from the lab and didn't work out.

Edited November 4, 2008 by Shollin