Twenty-One

[WaltzforZizi]

A tribute to New York’s 21 Club on West 52nd, formerly the speakeasy Jack & Charlie’s Puncheon Club. This is the scent of the perfect martini.

I got Twenty-One as a frimp when I bought a bottle of Snow Moon on the Boards. In honour of my 21st birthday no less.
So we already know I like pine and that pine likes me.
(This would be my 3rd bottle of Snow Moon. )

This never got a pine-sol smell with me, it just doesn't have that sweet chemical smell to it for that. Well, at least on my skin. So when I first put it on the Juniper came out very nicely. Then when that calmed down a bit, the citrus and bubbly* notes came out, and from the few times I've come in contact with a martini it certainly smells like one. Rhubarbbear is right, Twenty-one has a hint of Sprite without the nasty syrup sweetness of soda.

The only thing bad about this scent I could say is that it doesn't last nearly as long as I'd like. It didn't last more than 2 hours on my skin.

Over all, I'd give it a 4 out of 5. Simply 'cause it fades too fast on me.

*A bubbly note? What is that exactly and how the heck does Beth do that? It's in Snow Angel too! So good. Edited February 17, 2006 by Shollin

[strawberry_star]

This one was an absolute nightmare. Admitedly I have never drank a martini and after this I have no desire to. I definitely recognized the juniper and it hates me almost as much as I hate it. I went and took a bath to wash it off and not only did I soak, but I also scrubbed my skin raw and I could still smell it. I went to sleep, woke up and it was still there the next morning. It was haunting me!

 

I was in it for the booze, but all I got was juniper.

[Scarlettfish]

Twenty-One is a perfect martini, as the description implies. I can't think of a better way to describe it! It is pine and juniper and booze and cigarettes and a swanky bar and all things sophisticated and glam. This isn't really a me scent so much, but it would be lovely to wear to a club.

[mandragora]

Initial sniff: Tangy alcohol smelling.

Wearing: This is like Sprite (as in a previous review above), with very little citrus and mostly just the sparkly fizzies. And I don't get the martini too

Verdict: Nope, not for me. Off to the swaps.

[yeahbutnobut]

Twenty One

 

In the imp: a fresh, tangy, very clear scent, with a hint of juniper for the gin.

Wet on skin: still fresh juniper, with a clear and almost aquatic aspect to it.

Dry: this is a lot better than I was expecting. Fresh, clear, sparkling and cool, this is predominantly juniper/gin, which is almost like pine or fir at times, but less green and more transparent, it’s a piercing, cold scent. There’s a note here that’s reminiscent of sparkling water-and I really do get a feel of pure ice to this scent, it’s almost like a scent that has no scent…it sounds odd, but that’s the best way to explain it. Maybe that’s vodka? I get hints of green to the scent, probably from the juniper. But the overall impression I get here is of clear, ice-cold liquid. And not an olive in sight (or should that be in smell?)

After a while: the scent turns a bit drier and greener, it’s alcoholic but not blatantly so-this is still cool, crisp and clear but with a greener, sharper juniper, and something slightly woody. It’s probably one of the few juniper notes that lasts for a long time on my skin.

Verdict: this is so much nicer than I thought it would be! It’s boozy but not blatantly so-this is a scent of unbelievable clarity. It’s cool, crisp, clear and fluid, at times reminiscent of pure ice and snow or sparkling spring water, and the scent is very fresh. The dominant scent is juniper, and unlike many juniper notes, this one lasts for ages on me. At times it seems as if the scent is of nothingness, just a feeling of crispness and effervescence and transparence, but then the juniper note strengthens, at times it gets greener, and at the end, a drier, almost woody note is detected. But I really do like this-I never thought a martini perfume would smell so nice (and no olives here!) and though not a bottle purchase, this is definitely something I will wear on my 21st birthday (of course!)

[Torrilin]

In the vial: juniper and something else I can't ID

 

On me: Smell This! Soda Pop. The creature says "it doesn't smell like you". It doesn't smell like me now, but it does smell like me at 20. Fun walk down memory lane, but even at 20 this was not a burning passionate love type of scent.

 

and it's already gone at 9.15. Not a keeper.

 

Kalli

[klio]

I'm so out of control, I've confused myself and doubled up on buying imps from folks. I'm pretty sure I'll end up with two imps of Fee Verte and two of this, so I was hoping I'd love these scents for their booziness. I'll try Fee Verte again before I review it, because so far: eh. Here are my thoughts on Twenty-one.

 

In the imp: Extremely sharp, bright, like a razor. A pure, unidentifiable hard liquor. Stings my nose a bit.

 

Wet: Still sharp, and something weird is bobbing underneath the distilled spirits. Could it be an olive?

 

Dry: Crisp and dazzling. Smells like tonic with a twist, though those are the wrong ingredients.

 

Ten minutes: The crispness is going mushy, and this is acquiring a strong juniper smell. Not the smell of cheap gin,though. Like spilling juniper berries across the floor and crushing them under the high heels of your pumps.

 

Half hour: Juniper, but it's also acquired a distinct sawdust smell. Now, that's a little bit too dry a martini.

 

Throw: Pretty good distance, but not overpowering in strength.

 

Six hours later: I can still smell it, and I didn't apply very much. Go figure.

 

Overall: Too much juniper on me, too much unfinished-wood aisle of the Home Depot. I'm having no luck with scents that should have some vermouth overtones. I get no vermouth here at all. Just juniper, juniper, sawdust, and perhaps an unwelcome olive. I'm glad I tried it, but I'll pass it along to someone else.

[abbycomix]

Ooooh, bubbles! It's magic! I love Swank and I'm loving Twenty-One. Funny since I don't actually like to drink martinis. I associate this fizzy bubble smell with champagne and it works better on me than the actual BPAL champagne notes. It's like Swank but not as fruity-tart. I've walked by Twenty-One in NYC, now maybe I'll wear it and actually go inside! Much thanks to madelf for including this in the boatload of frimps she so kindly sent!

Edited April 8, 2006 by abbycomix

[Abbie]

In the bottle: If I'd have sniffed this unseen I'd have said vermouth rather than gin. It's sweetish, but definitely alcoholic. No juniper or what-have-you so far.

 

First on: Juniper comes out strong on my skin... which is a DEFINITE good thing for me. I love juniper. I may have misidentified the smell as vermouth, bc now overall I smell like a G&T. Personally this does not bother me, as G&Ts smell good, but it might not be everybody's idea of a good thing.

 

Dry: Citrusy and juniper. A good G&T. I think it's a winner!

[Shollin]

First sniff: WHOA, this is boozey. I’ve never had a proper martini – I’m more inclined toward fruity and/or creamy drinks – so I can’t really judge this on trueness of scent, but it certainly smells like a fancy drink.

 

Wearing: It’s very evergreen and very boozey… make that very alcohol-y, as it’s way more sophisticated than “boozey” implies.

[ayelienne]

This one is a bit too much juniper and gin for me, although I think the description is right on the mark.

[blackheartedangel]

twenty one reminds me of a martini or a gin & tonic ... very refreshing & crisp, but not something i would wear regularly. still, the description is spot on!

[malanna]

I got this scent as a snimp from Shollin.

 

I'm very picky with scents and I didn't actually think this would be a scent I'd like and keep, but I really wanted to try Twenty-One and had it on my wishlist because I desperately wanted to smell martinis in perfume form. Or martinis period. I, not having the one in twenty-one and not fond of drinking, have never had a martini. So I'm super happy to smell this. And since I've never had a martini, I'll just have to take everyone's word that this smells like a martini. It's a nice, clean, crisp scent with a bit of bite. Martinis, yay!

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 2/5

Summarised in a word or two: Martini!

 

Preconceived notions: I'm sure it'll hate me (booze in perfume and I, we do not agree), but as my 21st birthday very soon, how can I not, for pure short-lived novelty alone? That said... booze.

 

In the imp: Juniper! I don't love it, but I like juniper a fair bit.

 

On skin, wet: Pine-Sol. I have to say, I hate the fact that things like Pine-Sol smell of real things, and that so many people can't help but associate things with other things (such a horrid sentence, but you get the idea — like saying "cough syrup!" when something smells strongly of bright red cherries, or "Pledge!" when sniffing strong lemon). Anyway. Juniper and gin.

 

On skin, dry: Sharp and almost crystalline, this. It has a distinctively aquatic quality on my skin, which, given that it is supposed to be based on a drink, doesn't surprise me. It definitely is the scent of a martini, but, as martinis aren't my bag (give me a Bloody Mary or straight vanilla vodka instead!), I'm not big on this. I do like juniper, but not this much juniper, and I don't dig gin.

 

Conclusion: Perfect for those that 1) love juniper, 2) like gin, or 3) want to smell like a walking martini. Me, I don't like gin, don't "love" juniper, and don't care for smelling of liquor, so this isn't for me. However, I may have a hard task convincing myself not to wear this out come my birthday, for the novelty of it.

Edited April 22, 2006 by Aredhel

[QueenFae]

This is refreshing, effervescent, and crisp. Not as boozy as I expected from some of the reviews; just really fun and kickin'. I like this type of boozy note that Beth uses; it's the same one I enjoy so much in The Hamptons and Swank. It's not a scent I would sniff and think, "oh my god that smells like booze!" No, it's just something that would wake me up and make me feel clean and flirty. I like this one, not enough to buy a bottle, but I think I'll hold onto my imp.

[modesty_blaise]

Oh, this is gin allright

 

Fresh, crisp gin, with the juniper note and a slice of lemon. It didn`t strike me as overly boozy at first try, but I had it coming when I reached for this at work... I had forgotten to put on any perfume one morning, and as I noticed, I grabbed Twenty-One from my purse, thinking it would be refreshing and help me through the day. Hah. Let`s just say that the Martini made it highly inappropriate for early morning wear, not to mention that I work with little kids and had to try to stay as far away from their parents as possible

[juniperus]

Bottle: sharp and..dunno. Not boozy, tho. I must admit that I've never had a martini, so I'm a poor reviewer.

Wet: astringent, the piney of the gin without the boozy (I'm a gin and tonic girl), rather strong..not pine-sol-y, but stronger than I expected.

Dry: Still very piney and astringent. Another note that I'm finding very irritating, but I'm not sure what it is. A hint of aquatic, er, something.

Later: This isn't changing over time at all so I can't wait - I need to wash. It's headache-inducing for some reason, funny, since I normally do fine with the pine..

[pickman's model]

Wet: I get a gin martini. I can almost taste it. This is eerily bang-on.

 

Dry: Odd, somehow the drink on my wrist has turned into a gin and tonic. Good gin, sparkly, bubbles climbing up the glass and just enough lemon.

 

This is oddly wearable. Bright, silvery and playful. I think I'll have topair this with the body shop's olive shower gel and make myself into a proper martini.

 

Strange, but I like that.

 

ETA: Now that it's been a bit longer, I detected a frankincense note. Baffled, I stuck my face into my bag of frankincense tears for confimation. Yep. Somehow, smelling like a gin-drinking priest is working for me. it's awesome, I love it but it's so very weird!

Edited April 28, 2006 by pickman's model

[themerrybaker]

Very effervescent, I can't decide whether Twenty One is Sprite on a hot day with models singing "crisp and clean and light", or gin and tonic in an Out-of-Africa elegant colonial outpost! One minute the juniper is around in all it's evergreen glory and the next minute it's sweet citrus.

 

 

 

Definitely a happy swap.

[Tesseljoan]

I don't drink Martini, but I must say that as a scent I find it exquisite. It's light and pleasant, little bit of herbs, not too much, fresh and gentle..

 

On my skin, lasts for about three seconds. After writing this short review I have to reapply again. Will do so with pleasure!

[batsy]

In the vial: mmm gin! Crystal clear aquatic here.

 

On the skin: I've never had an actual martini but in perfume form they smell awesome! The juniper berries and the gin are strongest, with a whiff of pine as a background note.

 

Yummy!

[Elrianra]

Dry and tangy in the bottle, with a sweep of florals and citrus - reminds me strongly of gin and lemon zest with a few violets in the mix. Hmm. On me wet, this is citrus leaves and a sharp aqautic note that's dry and slightly salty. Like sea water and orange juice. Dry, this is tart and tangy with a sweet floral undertone that's delightfully unexpected. Once warmed, the floral fades again, leaving a medley of citrus and a light bitter aquatic note. Very light, very clear and very very delicious. After it's breathed for a bit, the scent fades and clears - very short lived but delightful even in that aspect. I've never had a martini, but after this scent, I'm dying to try one. On the very final die-down, there's a sharp pine-y note, like fresh juniper that comes out for a few minutes and then that too fades. Very strange!

[angharad]

I've never had a martini. After wearing Twenty-One, I don't want to. The drink could never live up to the fabulousness that is this scent. It's sweet and dry with just a hint of an edge. Lasts for a couple of hours on me with average throw.

[edenssixthday]

Twenty-One - I have never cared for Gin. I think it smells and tastes exactly like Pine Sol. As someone who enjoys all different types of vodka and liqeuer martinis, and who has not touched gin since the last time I kissed a guy I used to date who drank gin (which was quite a few years ago), it didn't even occur to me that Twenty-One might be made to smell like a gin martini. But that's apparently what it's supposed to be, and I found it foul immediately upon opening up the imp. It smelled like I'd dunked my head in a bucket of Pine Sol. And the moment I applied it to my skin, it smelled like Pine-Sol. It's an incredibly powerful scent with tons of throw, and for as long as I wore it, I was sure people would think I would the Pine Sol Fairy because of the way I smelled. I can't speak to it's staying power, as I had to wash it off after 20-30 minutes. It was too strong and unpleasant. I won't be touching this one ever again. Into the swap pile it goes!

[elfmaiden]

I've had a martini and this scent just blows my mind.

 

I'm reviewing this one with a bit of a head cold, so my smell isn't 100% today. Hee hee!

 

From the imp I get a very sharp ozone type note that almost makes me sneeze with just how much bite it has! I love it! It's just like taking that first sip of a martini and realizing how strong that sucker is.

 

On my skin it mellows, but still keeps that juniper/pine gin quality while remaining as luscious as the drink.

 

4.5 outta 5!

 

Jenn