Jabberwocky

[viciousviolet]

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Come whiffing through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

An earthy yet buoyant scent: pine, eucalyptus and orange.

Snicker Snack! I love Jabberwocky! It’s a fresh, spring/summer scent, unlike any I’ve experienced in the past. There’s a bright green earthiness in it, the pine I’m sure, that is sweetened by orange (but not too sugary!) and just enough eucalyptus to really make it shine without going too far with it and making it smell like arthritis rub! It’s gender neutral, very refreshing, and a great WAKE UP! scent!

[jj_j]

When I decided to slather Jabberwocky on this morning, before ever even testing it, I kind of resigned myself to smelling like really good pine-scented cleaning products. I just wanted to wear this one ...

 

This is sooo good! Buoyant is such a good word for it, because within a few minutes I could smell the eucalyptus shining through, and the citrus notes of the orange made this just juicy and sparkling.

 

I smell like absolute clean, fresh branches and orange peel. It's fabulous, and as soon as I get home, I'm pouring part of this into the fountain and putting it on a cotton ball into the vacuum cleaner to help with spring cleaning.

 

It's not masculine, and it's not overpowering, and I don't smell like pine-sol. I didn't really need my 16 oz. Americano that's part of my morning ritual; my eyelids were still a little heavy, but my mind was racing and I was ready to go.

 

Brilliant, and totally different.

[minilux]

After the initial blast of eucalyptus, this mellowed into a nice bright foresty smell. The orange sweetens it a bit, but in the end the pine was just a bit too masuline for me to wear as a fragrance. However, if Blackrayne & Beth conspire to make a Jabberwocky soap, I'll definitely be getting some.

[Dispatcherbert]

I love the scent on this (I don't mind wearing masculine scents). It's very piney and I deliberately chose it to wear because I'd CO washed my hair with some leftover Suave garland conditioner left over from last Christmas.

 

Alas, it immediately disappeared on me ! BPAL scents usually go strong on me for well over eight if not ten hours but this was gone while I was on my way in to work.

 

I may wind up turning this over to my husband or else use it to freshen up a car freshener.

[Lady_Ell]

Why do all the pine scents dissipate into fleety nothings when they hit my wrists?

 

Oh well...

 

Jabberwocky is sublime for the few moments it stays on me. If there was a Jabberwocky soap (please?) I would buy quarts of it. I love how it smells - so fresh and bright and smack-you-in-the-face PINE - it got rid of my terrible stomachache and associated languishing on the couch and I perked up right away.

 

This might be good in bathwater as aromatherapy - it would have to be something that would be guaranteed smell-fun for a specific amount of time, because it just doesn't stay on my skin.

Edited June 7, 2004 by ladylatemar

[Vaniclion]

This is such a changeable, amorphous scent. Not that it lacks deffinition, but that it is as fickle about what face it presents as a Venitian courtisan.

 

When I first tried it at Tygher and Salice's house a few weeks ago, it was EUCALYPTUS! In bright green neon, at that. It faded to almost nothing, and then shockingly came back as a real honest-to-gods orange. Pith, peel and all... I could smell it. It was like holding one.

 

Now, I try it on again at home from an imp I got in my order today. It's completely different. Now it's PINE! costarring eucaluptus. And so subtly does the orange sneak in around the edges, like a child wanting to play.

 

I had myself talked into not really caring for this as a cologne... now I'm going to have to rethink that. See what it changes into next time.

[hypothermya]

I've gotten the poem memorized, and it's the best of Dodgeson's poems by far. The movie by Monte Python is one of my favorites. So the perfume can't fall far behind. My only reservation about getting this is that I was just recently told that I am allergic to eucalyptus. So I waited until my second order, and bit my lip, and prayed that it would work.

 

In the Bottle

 

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!"

 

This is the sort of scent that goes straight up your nose and attacks. And not in a bad way either. But think of the bitter bite of pine, and the clarifying sting of eucalyptus, and the sour citrus of orange -- each of them potent in their own right -- bearing arms against you. It's quite something at first sniff. Which one comes out on top? It's hard to tell. They seem to take equal parts in creating this scent, and just as you think it's the pine that's in the lead, the eucalyptus or orange will assert itself. To some extent the scent reminds me of cleaning products (think of pine sol and orange scented cleaning spray, mixed with the smell of eucalyptus), but it's more fresh and authentic than any cleaning products I've smelled. In fact, I wish cleaning products smelled more like this.

 

Wearing It

 

My boyfriend tried this one first (mainly because I was busy bathing in White Chapel the first day that I got my order, and of the scents that he wanted to try, this was at the top of his list. Let me say that he smelled *delicious* in it. The pine was a grounding sort of smell, and the eucalyptus was the highlight. The orange was an accent on his skin, and smelled more like the peel of an orange (just as it's being torn from the fruit). It was wonderful!

 

But...sadly...it didn't last longer than a half an hour on his skin. After that, it was gone. Not even a whisp of it left. When we tried it the next day, it was the same thing. I kept quoting to him: "And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?" I probably shoudn't tease him about not being able to wear such a great scent.

 

On me, the smell becomes...well...It's a bit hard to describe because it created such a strong emotional reaction that I have trouble focusing on the smell. The same year that I was born, my father planted a eucalyptus tree in the backyard -- it sat against the fence, just between an orange tree and a pine tree. And I spent most of my childhood playing next to that eucalyptus tree. So there are plenty of good memories...but there are also the times when my mother and father were fighting, or when my father was angry at me, when I'd hide in the pine tree. And just a few years ago, my father chopped that eucalyptus down, limb by limb... It felt like he was trying to kill me. Ugh.

 

But in order to keep this from turning into a therapy session, let me just say that this scent evoked a *strong* surge of memories once it was on my flesh, and I'm surprised that I didn't remember that orange/pine/eucalyptus was a familiar combination of scents. On my skin, the orange turned very sweet (small surprise, knowing my skin chemistry), and smelled a great deal like the homemade orange juice that we'd make when I was younger. This is pure orange juice, no sweeteners, and was more watery than thick, and sweet and sticky. I also felt weirdly sticky because the scent of pine (the most overpowering scent on my skin) evoked memories of pine sap. And the eucalyptus was just underneath the orange and pine, bringing the two together. Much to my relief, I wasn't allergic to this scent at all. It lasted about 3 hours, before fading into oblivion. It was short lived, even for a BPAL oil.

 

 

So...I'm not sure what to do with this one. I love it on my boyfriend, but it doesn't love him enough to stay for more than a half hour. And on me, it doesn't smell nearly as good as on him...plus, it evokes a whole slew of memories, some of which I'd rather not bother with. It's a good scent, although it's so strong and arresting that I'm not surprised that it's not more popular, especially since it's not a very typical feminine scent. On the other hand, it isn't too masculine to wear. And on a man, it does smell terrific, so...

[isyche]

This is all pine and eucalyptus to me, and I'm not a fan of either smell (too cleaning product/vicks vaporub-y) - off to swap it goes.

(Also, after I opened the vial, the scent lingered in the air for a while, so if you like it it probably has good staying power.)

[Tesseljoan]

SMACK! I AM EUCALYPTUS! when first applied on the skin. Good thing I like it then. The eucalyptus fades out a bit, and the pine and the orange come out a bit. The orange is very gentle, not too bright and cheery on my skin. Great scent, a bit on the masculine side but not too much.

[jadis]

In the bottle, it smelled kind of painfully herbal. But when I put it on, it mellowed out really quick and smelled just lovely. Like the rolls of sweet tarts I used to get on Halloween. Very candy like. Unfortunately, the scent seems to disappear within about an hour, which makes me really sad as I would otherwise want to wallow in it.

[Alice Aforethought]

First on, the eucalyptus especially jumps out, tempered by the pine. There's a lovely hint of orangepeel lurking round the edge, as though it's sidling up to you and you glimpse it out of the corner of your eye. As it mellows, there's more, sweeter orangepeel and the softer laziness of the eucalyptus gently expiring as it has worn itself out in the flash-and-bang.

 

Very nice, actually - there's a metamporphosis there that I wasn't expecting.

Edited July 22, 2004 by Alice Aforethought

[leapylees]

My first review (beware, I'm not good at evocative language and descriptions). I the bottle and just after I put it on the eucalyptus jumped out. Overall the scent reminded me of Vicks VapoRub, Olbas Oil or something else you'd use when you've got a cold. Sadly the scent didn't last on my skin. Within a few minutes it had faded, leaving the barest hint of scent, leaving a faint smell of something synthetic - reminiscent of scented binbags I used to buy (sorry, I can't think of a nicer comparison).

[omly]

Wet there was a definite smell of eucalyptus which masked much of the rest of the scent. For those who fear a vicks vapor rub smell I only ask that they leave it a few minutes before making a decision about what they think about Jabberwocky. Within a few minutes the eucalyptus mellowed and allowed the pine and the orange to come out. By orange I don't mean that artificial orange smell, but rather the pithy peel. In fact I wasn't even sure that it was orange until going back to the decription. Surprisingly this had an almost warm smell after about 5 minutes and I though I even caught a whift of some subtle vanilla. This is not a strong smell on me, but unexpected and intriguing not the less. I only wish that it lasted a little longer. I get about 3 hours before it is completely gone.

[Jonquil]

On my skin, this was eucalyptus and nothing else. I like the smell of eucalyptus trees after a rain, when they've dropped branches and leaves, but on my skin it's too intense.

[xoe]

At first on me, Jabberwocky is mainly eucalyptus, with a strong blast of pine. I made my boyfriend smell it and he said, "Smells like a monster!" But it quickly settles down, and is nice and foresty and happy. And then it's gone.

 

I like smelling like a monster!

[Mint Tea]

My first smell of this in the vial was "Woah! Eucalyptus!!" (which isn't a bad thing. I really like eucalyptus). Once it was on, the eucalyptus faded a bit and a cinnamon-y slightly musk scent along with some pine came out. It changed a little on me at one point, giving off a scent that made me want to take a bath ASAP. Luckily, that particular change in scent only lasted 5 minutes before the perfume (after less than an hour from application) drifted into oblivion. All in all, it was a little too masculine for my tastes. I'm tempted to give it to my brother, but I think he'll say it's too feminine. I suppose this is a gender neutral scent. I really had high hopes for this in the vial, but in reality... it just leaves me wanting a bath.

[Penance]

I tried this one because several people suggested it as a woodsy fragrance, but sadly this was a major crash and burn on me.

 

First sniff:

 

Vicks Vaporub! That usually means a ton of eucalyptus, which is fine by me because I love eucalyptus. I also love Vicks Vaporub, but that's another story for another time.

 

Wet on skin:

 

The eucalyptus is still predominating, but there's a growing citrus behind it. It's quickly starting to smell scarily like the cleaning solution that they used to clean the bathrooms in my elementary school with; like bleach and citrus and eye-watering fumes. This is going downhill fast.

 

Dry down:

 

Ugh, the citrus has really come out and now it smells like cleaning solution mixed with that orange scented hand degreaser. This is not good. Not good at all. I wanted something woodsy, but this is like Jabberwocky brand industrial strength cleanser and hand degreaser. Not a good thing.

 

The bottom line:

 

Maybe it was my skin chemistry screwing this up, but this was a train wreck on me. I'm glad I got a tiny bit of this as a freebie in a swap, because this just did not work at all.

[orangepoppy]

In the vial this smells *very* sharp but in a good "wake up" sort of way. As soon as the wand touched my skin, the air in front of my face exploded with eucalyptus! Jabberwocky is quite the experience. It quickly toned down, though and the pine and orange surfaced. After about 30 minutes I can barely detect it, a nicely balanced and pleasant pine and orange lingers.

 

This would be great to use to test one's sinuses! That first blast is really unique. I can see myself using this on particularly groggy mornings.

[Mrs. K]

Mostly everybody has summed up Jabberwocky: a pine, eucalyptus blast with a touch of sweetness from citrus. The only thing I can add, I smell a bit of cedarwood. I really, really do! I also did not last very long. The scent was gone within an hour.

 

A nice scent for what it is but I don't think I will go for a bottle of it.

[darkitysnark]

Jabberwocky

 

Got this as a swap with Velvet (thank you!) and have had my first heartbreak. I love this so much, but it just didn't last.

 

In the bottle:

The pine is very strong in the bottle, I can also pick up the orange faintly with the eucalyptus coming in third. From previous Pledgey experiences with lemon scents, I'm a little leary about citrusy things going to household cleaner on me... I'm worried the pine will turn to Pinesol.

 

Wet:

The orange takes over and absolutely blossoms. This scent is very light and gentle, so I slather. The eucalyptus and pine are also there, but a sweetness in the orange keeps everything from swinging toward medicine or cleaner. It's a very delicate, but very well struck balance.

 

Drydown:

As the oil warms and wafts, I fall absolutely in love. This smells so comforting. I'm home. All of the notes are so interwoven now that I can't pick them out. The Mr. is very "meh" about it (he loves French Creole, may she RIP) but I just can't stop smelling my wrists.

 

Later:

We went to see "The Nutcracker" and by the time we got out (maybe two hours later) Jabberwocky was gone. It was a beautiful scent, and having it waft while I was reminiscing about my days as a dancer had me in a very nostalgic mood. Normally when I think about "the old days" I get morose and morbid. Somehow seeing all those bright and eager ballerinas in their spangly tutus and smelling this perfectly balanced clean orange floating about had me smiling and practically sashaying along.

 

Conclusion:

I will definitely use up this imp, but the lack of staying power has me hesitant about getting a larger bottle. I will most likely use this as a personal pick me up for moments when I need to feel calm and comforted. Perhaps I'll rotate between Jabberwocky and Somnus for my bedtime scent.

 

Along with being a geeky, spangled, sashaying theatre nerd back in the day, I also memorized this poem and recited it (in a Scottish accent) all the time... much to my embarrassment now that I'm a self-conscious adult. Oh, the folly and bravado of youth!

[Azrhiaz]

As noted by others, this is a strong blast of eucalyptus wet-- enough to actually clear sinuses. Which is a nice side effect, but I'm pleased that the eucalyptus is gone within ten minutes, since I don't really want to smell like Vaporub.

 

Drying down, the orange comes out, and it's not a dry orange-- somehow it's creamy on me, rather like a Creamsicle, and I LOVE Creamsicles, so that's nice. The pine isn't very piney, actually, but that's fine-- there's no musk listed, but I swear I smell black musk (my favorite). Either it's there, or the pine is turning black-musky on me. Either way, this stage is completely gorgeous. Warm and sunshiny.

 

It doesn't last as long as I'd like (I think it made it about three hours on me, which is better luck than some have had with it), but I like it so much it's on the big bottle list anyway.

[sh1mm3r]

In the bottle: I smell the pine, really strongly. Am not expecting to like this one.

Wet: Vic's Vapo Rub! Really sharp and pungent, not at all pleasant.

Dry: Piney, so sharp it almost lends itself to "feeling" citrusey, although I cannot smell the orange. The eucalyptus has creeped into the background, bringing it back to the smells that remind me of being sick as a child. Vic's Vapo Rub, baby.

[sarada]

Thus continues my quest for the deep dark woods. The Jabberwocky poem has been a favorite of mine since childhood and I always assumed that the words and creatures in it were real...at any rate, almost every Mad Tea Party blend has captured my heart and imagination in some way and this is one I've been looking forward to.

 

With pine and eucalyptus figuring so prominently I figured this would be a lot like Loup Garou. And it is in the bottle, as others have said with eucalyptus dominating. I like it though -- it's much stronger than any other I've sniffed, but I am still digging it.

 

When I put it on, it does marvelous things. The eucalyptus burns off immediately and I mostly have pine. Pine, pine, pine! This does indeed smell like the deep dark woods. The orange is still waiting in the wings...it does tame the pine a bit, and take the edge off it. After a little while, it incorporates nicely into the blend. Orange does tame the piney beast and ride around on its back. After an hour or so they are playing together happily and I really like it. Piney woodsy scents and citrus are both things that I like, and I don't really have any medicinal or cleaning fluid associations with this, because it does not smell artificial at all. I feel as though I have just rubbed pine needles and resin from a pine tree on my arms, and then some freshly peeled orange rind. The scent lingers for awhile, not too strong, but I think it would hang around longer in my hair.

 

This will work well at any time of year I think, as it is very refreshing and stimulating, and would be like a cool splash of water on the face in the summer...or like a mischievous Christmas tree, in the winter. I imagine it would work great in other forms as well -- in the bath, a room oil, or whatnot. But I think I like it best on my skin!

[scourgeotheseas]

Jabberwocky

 

Got this as a lab freebie many, many weeks ago and avoided it due to the eucalyptus, which I generally don't like. Today seemed like a good time to try it...

 

In the bottle: Fresh pine (not Pinesol!), a tiny whiff of dreaded eucalyptus, and orange peel.

 

On me/wet: The pine jumps out immediately, but it's lightened by the orange. I smell no eucalyptus! Yay! It's a bright, refreshing, morning scent. I could see this as a body scrub, definitely.

 

Drydown: The orange is becoming more prominent, with the pine fading into the background. It is a bubbly, light orange, like when you first dig into one with your fingernails, well-tempered by the freshness of pine. I hope it doesn't fade as quickly as I think it's going to...

 

I love this, and totally did not expect to at all!

[Northernminx]

Pine and eucalyptus, this was definitly a scent that screamed WAKE UP into my nose. I found this a lilttle too intense to really love, although it was sort of pleasantly cooling and dark and green. I imagine I'd actually love this if I were not feeling well or if it was oppressively hot out but in the middle of winter this just didn't do much for me. Off to swaps.