Van Van

[brownbear]

A venerable voodoo blend, used for purification of the spirit and to amplify positive personal power.

This one is very very strong. It smells herbal and green. There's also a dirt note here. Once it's on my skin it gets stronger and stronger and makes me feel a little bit sick. I don't know if the voodooness works or not.

[pinkpoodle]

I like this one! When first applied, it smells like lemon drop. The tartness of the lemon quickly subsides, leaving a very warm vanilla-lemongrass scent. It's very cozy, relaxing, and inoffensive. Usually vanilla smells give me a headache, but this is very subtle and pleasant because of the lemongrass factor. Definitely a keeper!

[Voleuse]

This is a really odd scent on me. There's vanilla, but also a weird, dusty note that reminds me of feathers. As it dries, it separates into powder and herbs and musk, sharp and bitter and a little bit sweet. Really strong, and not unpleasant, but not something I think I'd wear, either.

[SeaMonkey]

This is definately a "Don't fuck with me" scent. I was very tired this morning, but now I feel like roaring.

 

The scent is herbal and green. I think I'm getting a bit of fennel with a bit of lemongrass. I'm not sure what sweet grass is, so maybe that is what I'm mistaking for fennel. It has a very familiar scent.

[eclecticaurora]

As a scent I keep on getting the image of lemon squares with powdered sugar on them. DELIGHTFUL! It is a keeper for the scent alone, but then I began to feel very confident (and this is great considering I'm working on my confidence) and calm and knew I HAD to have a bottle. I went from originally wanting a 5mL to a 10mL.

[angharad]

In the imp and on my skin, this smells like tart lemon squares. After a few minutes on my skin, though, it started smelling more and more sour. I kept sniffing it, trying to figure out what it reminded me of -- then I went to work and started mopping the floors (yay for being the newbie...). This scent smelled almost exactly like the floor cleaner we have. It wasn't necessarily bad, didn't make me sick or anything, but it was too lemony and too sour on my skin for me to appreciate it. I didn't notice any voodoo action goin' on, even though this lasted for several hours.

[Hawke]

This is one of the Voodoo blends I'd most wanted to try when I made my first of many lists. I have been struggling to get back to my spiritual self and so it seemed like a good one to have.

 

In the vial, this is a bitter citrus musk. Grapefruit maybe, which would account for bitterness, but definitely something else that catches at the back of my throat. I was wary.

 

But on! On is a whole different story. For starters, I tingled the moment I put this on. Not in bad ways, not in naughty ways, but a whole body-wide shiver. I call that a good sign.

 

Then, that musky bitterness blossomed into a smoky, vanilla-laced lemon that is so unique and so good to smell that I keep smelling myself. It is a scent that makes me happy.

 

I do get a little bit of powder, but not in a bad way. It's soft, not pure baby powder, and is very tolerable. That and did I mention that the scent makes me happy. I feel good wearing it.

 

I may have to order a 5ml for daily use.

[Silverstrike]

Nice to know it's not just me. . . Van Van is not quite right on me. Something about it smells off or raw, which I realize may not be the best way to describe it, but is the only way I can describe how it smells to me. This did smell better on my brother though, so I don't know. But on me. . . this doesn't work. It doesn't make me feel bolder either, just off.

[misfitroxy]

Van Van is somewhat musky and deep in the imp. It reminds me of wet vetiver.

 

That note stays strong on my skin, very herbal and deep woodsy. Though I agree with others that it's astringent as well. Just not in an alcohol-containing kind of way. More a potiony tonic.

 

I'm starting to catch some of the lemon powder sweetness that's mentioned in several of the above reviews. It does smell more like lemongrass than straight lemon essence or peel.

 

This is really a curious blend for me. Going by wearability alone, it's simultaneously invigorating and soft. I think my skin makes it smell too much like baby powder for my tastes. I wouldn't mind testing it out in a purification ritual, though. The oil is very cleansing in a way and mind-clearing (in a positive sense, not a comatose one!).

[this machine]

I got this as a lovely frimp. Unfortunatley it is definitely very powdery on me, and though i like most of the other notes i get out of this, the powder pushes it over the edge into smelling like a baby (or a 6th grader wearing luv's baby soft!).

[grrrlennyl]

at first: citrus and musk, i think. wonderful.

on: definitely something citrussy, plus something almost sweet.

1.5 hours later: yes. definitely something citrussy, but very soft.

3 hours later: lovely. faintly fruity.

overall: this is really soft and beautiful. i'll have to try this for its intended purpose.

[yeahbutnobut]

Van Van

 

In the imp: vanilla and vetiver! An odd combination, but it’s surprisingly pleasant.

Wet on skin: light vanilla and green-yellow vetiver and now I get hints of something lemony as well.

Dry: oh, this is nice. I now get the scent of sugared lemon juice! The vetiver note is still there but the scent now is of vanilla, citronella, and vetiver…and this particular combination brings back memories of my mother’s birthplace, a French island near Mauritius. The main scents I smell when I go on holiday there are that of vanilla, vetiver and citronella (the latter used mainly to keep mosquitoes away!) and I get all three in here…and that makes me all nostalgic. The sugary vanilla-lemon scent must be a special voodoo blend as I also noticed it in Follow Me Boy, and I get it in here (and I love it). Here it’s coupled with a stronger lemon scent (citronella) and vetiver.

After a while: the sugary vanilla-lemon scent gets stronger, with the green, dark vetiver in the background. This vanilla scent is so delicious and light, almost creamy, it makes me think of a lemon dessert, like a lemon meringue pie or lemon pancakes with ice cream, but with vetiver oil burning to scent the kitchen, citronella added to keep insects at bay. And of course the nostalgic memories keep on coming.

Verdict: this scent makes me feel good all right, and the reason is rather sentimental…this scent reminds me of my mum’s home, the French tropical island of Reunion, where vanilla is grown and vetiver and citronella oils are produced. I smell all of these in here, and it brings back memories of all my relatives, and holidays there…and at times, it smells like lemons and sugar-which I adore. As for its purpose, for amplifying positive personal power, I certainly think that is the case. With me, and the positive memories the scent brings, it’s like getting a compliment or motivational boost from my mum and aunts and uncles and cousins and (sadly, late) grandparents saying ‘go for it, you know you can do it. We have faith in you. Believe in yourself.’ And that makes me feel good. I may get more of this one day…

[aedes]

Lemongrass and bitter herbs, at least on the outset. I agree that I think I smell a light musk in there somewhere, too. I have trouble with a lot of the voodoo blends, many of them just smell pungent and herbal and I can't enjoy them as perfume.

 

I wonder if cajeput is in any of them, as that's a note notorious for smelling like green dish soap on me. And Van Van in particular is giving me the green dish soap smell. Eek!

[bifemmefatale]

Despite the name, no traditional Van Van recipes contain vanilla, and as I know Beth is an initiate, I'm sure she did not put vanilla in this one either.

 

There are many recipes for Van Van, but almost all of them contain lemongrass. Here's one traditional recipe I found:

16 parts lemongrass oil

8 parts citronella oil

1 part vetivert oil

1 part palmarosa oil

1 part gingergrass oil if you can get it

 

On me, the lemongrass jumps out right away, and vetivert, giving it that dirt note people have smelled, along with something that is almost peanutty and a gingery white pepper note. This quickly turns to funky lemon herbal bleah on me and is giving me dizzy spells and the beginnings of a bad headache. Off to the swaps with you, icky. There are other blends for strengthening Will that smell better.

 

ETA: Ack! I have scrubbed it off with soap and it still lingers! The drydown note is DEET, I swear! Ths is worse than my reaction to Highwayman. Hatehatehate.

Edited April 27, 2006 by bifemmefatale

[themerrybaker]

Lemon and vetiver. Van Van is warmer and drier than some of the other lemon blends, such as Cairo and Mantis. Since I like dry and citrus, this imp is a keeper.

[valentina]

A frimp from the Lab. Thankyouthankyouthankyou!

 

There's not a lot that I can add about the scent... it truly is lemongrass and vetivert. I actually really like the smell a lot -- it's an intriguing combination. Clarity with groundedness is the emotional "hit" that I get when I put it on, which to me translates to the purpose of the blend -- finding the clarity of purification and the ground of one's own personal power.

[Nekomata]

Dirty vetiver-y herbs, but not in a bad way. Very dry. Gonna try this in more detail when the occasion arises.

[Athena's Owl]

I was looking for a sleeping oil last night, and the contest came down to the two Voodoo blends in my collection - horn of Plenty and Van Van. I thought Horn of Plenty smelled nice, but my first whiff of Van Van was all about the vetiver. Lemongrass? where?

 

so I said "Yay!" and put it on my wrists and throat.

 

I relaxed quickly, because vetiver does that to me. a slightly peppery note popped up and blended with the vetiver, and something faintly lemony, but pepper and vetiver...oh god I cannot wait for Two Monsters, what can I tell you.

 

I've taken to wearing scent to bed because I'm prone to elevated anxiety as I'm trying to go to sleep. vetiver is an ace bedtime belnd for me, as just smelling it makes my eyelids heavy. I didn't feel anxious, and I quite enjoyed the scent. I ended up resting with my wrist directly under my nose. It's redoubled my desire to get Every Single Scent with Vetiver in it! I am a fan!

 

The last thing I remember thinking was, "Hey, I wonder what this blend is supposed to do?"

 

...Then I was awakened by a phonecall. Normally this is irritating, but it's a phonecall I'd been waiting SIX MONTHS for, and my life was pretty much on hold until this person phoned me. To top it all off I had just been told a couple of days ago that I probably wouldn't be contacted for some time.

 

Hot. Damn.

 

I'm going to wear Horn of Plenty when I'm in interviews, if this luck reversal of Van Van works that well!

[ZSage]

Ugh. I just can't bring myself to wear this one on my skin. I hear people saying lemon, citrus, sweet grass, ect. but I just don't smell it - other than the lemon. I really don't like the scent of this one.

That being said, I do LOVE to wear this one in my hair because it does exactly what it's supposed to do. In my job, a positive personality directly translates into $$$ and Van Van gets the job done!

Thank you Beth, great voodoo oil!

[tamburlaine]

From afar, it smells like citronella. I was trying to recall what memory this brought up, and it was summer evenings on Cape Cod when I was young. Oddly enough, this bug spray smell is calming to me, since the times on Cape Cod were the best of my life.

 

So this one's got citrus, it's got wood, vetiver, it seems to have a touch of vanilla or amber or something resinous to hold it together and make it heady, but I've been really intrigued by the variety of responses people have had to this oil. I've yet to see its voodoo applications, but I REALLY like this one because of what it reminds me of. It's calming me down as we speak.

 

 

Aaaaah, Van Van.

[Eleri]

Quicky 5 minutes on body review.

 

Pine? Spruce? Very strong smell of something woody and musky. It reminds me of something, and it's driving me nuts that I can't place it.

 

Longer review:

 

Really strong at first, almost overpowering.

 

After a while this really settled into something nice, but still intense. The lemon and the vetiver seem to alternate in waves past my nose.

 

I really like it, but I think this is one that'll get mixed with a plain lotion so it doesn't hit me quite so hard.

Edited June 29, 2006 by Eleri

[Spastik_Kitty]

In the bottle: Like sweet woodruff and lemon

 

First on: Very yellow smelling, but like a golden yellow. Warm, sun bleached grasses and lemon.

 

After a bit: If lemongrass and sweet grass had a baby, this would be it.

 

A bit more: I'm noticing a shea butter in here now, with citronella or lemon balm.

 

I really like this.

[dragonryder]

A very nice scent, but lemon is not one of my fav scents to wear. Soft and clean, just not for me.

[Seanan]

On me, this goes straight to baby powder with a veeeery faint undertone of vanilla. The general concensus has been 'nice but bland'. As for wear length, well...I've been wearing a smaaaaall amount for about eight hours now, and it just is the fragrance that Will Not Die.

 

I can see where this would be nice for some people, but I think once was enough for me.

[edenssixthday]

Van Van - This is a difficult scent to describe. It’s fresh and crisp, slightly green, and almost smells like it has citrus in it – perhaps grapefruit and some lemongrass. It’s really sweet – the sweetest of the Voodoo blends I’ve tried. It lasts for hours and hours upon my skin and has just the perfect amount of throw. Van Van also has a distinct tobacco note in it that lends a really nice quality to the overall scent, but unfortunately, I appear to have issues with the tobacco because every time I wear a BPAL fragrance with tobacco in it, I start to get sickly and nauseated at about the 4 hour point. So as much as I love this fragrance for the initial few hours of wear, I can't continue to wear it and I won't be buying a bottle, as I would if I didn't have the initial adverse reaction.