Bakeneko

[diamondstars]

Warm amber musk, Satsuma tangerine, black tea leaf, cardamom, cherry blossom and cinnamon.

To me, this smells like a combination of chai tea and amber musk.

Cinnamon usually turns to a curry-like stench on my skin, but luckily with this one the cinnamon is toned down by the musk.

It's a gorgeous scent for Winter, very warm and musky. Lovely!

[puddingirl]

I discovered this in my swap pile but haven't reviewed it. I can't seem to describe the scent. Fresh of the yellowy/green colour variety (for those of you who can smell with colour). It's almost fruity but is too fresh to turn sweet, maybe more like rinds or peels. This isn't doing much of anything on my skin but maybe the oranges are creeping out. As it dries it gets zestier with a bit of tea creeping out. I think it will stay in my swap pile.

[Penance]

Origin:

 

5mL from Bloody Sore.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

This was somewhat of an impulse buy, although not entirely. I do love amber, musk and black tea and I like cinnamon and cardamom, but I generally hate citrus and I don't do florals. But my brain keeps suggesting that I could like tangerine, tea and spices together because I love the smell of Constant Comment tea, which is black tea with orange and spice. So I'm giving the Monster Kitty a chance.

 

First sniff:

 

My bottle leaked in transit and as soon as I opened the envelope, this cloud of delicious amber and musk came wafting out. I don't know what Bakeneko smelled like when it was fresh (this is my first time trying it, some 4 years after it was released), but it smells amazing now. I get a little bit of spice, but mainly it's just a delicious, resinous, golden musky cloud. It's comfortable and comforting smelling, but somehow kind of sexy.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Still getting mostly the amber musk and a hint of spice. There's a touch of tea here, but I wouldn't have picked it out if I hadn't known it was there. The cherry blossom is nowhere to be found, thankfully. The tangerine might be putting in a subtle appearance, but it's hard to tell for sure since everything is blended so well. This is a feel-good scent for me. It has a similar "feel" as The Lion, although they're only similar in that they've both got amber in them.

 

Dry down:

 

I'm definitely going to have to slather this one because it either doesn't last long (period) or my skin eats it up. Granted, it was extremely hot today, so maybe the heat made it disappear faster than it would have otherwise, but Bakeneko was all but gone within an hour of my putting it on. About 10 hours later, I get the tiniest hint of musk and spice, but it's essentially gone.

 

The bottom line:

 

While it lasts, iBakeneko is gorgeous. I wasn't expecting to love this one, but it's an instant favorite, no doubt about it. I'll put up with a short wear-time if it means smelling so wonderfully warm and cozy.

[mxtine]

I've avoided this because of the cinnamon. I amp cinnamon so any amount usually smacks me over the head big time or it burns my skin. I decided on a partial decant because I like to try all "cat" scents. The cardamom reminds me of Spanked, and the whole blend is similar to Bengal, without the honey. I don't really get any tangerine or cherry blossom, which isn't a bad thing. It's like warm chai, all the spices are very muted and I love the amber musk base. I might be looking for a partial of this, it's very pretty.

[yakiguri]

EDIT: Wanted to revise my original review now that I'm far more familiar with notes.

 

Bakeneko could almost be Voyeurs Among the Cherry Blossoms' feisty sister. They share the same clean, soft cherry blossom note, but where Voyeurs is ethereal and calm Bakeneko is fiery and fiesty. Citrus is typically my nemesis but the Satsuma tangerine is quite soft and subtle here; it along with the cherry blossom adds a nice splash of lightness to the heavy depths of the black tea and amber. Cardamom and cinnamon add a bright spike of energy to the blend--this isn't your mellow lap cat, but the crazy energy of kitties at play.

 

Bakeneko is STRONG too, with major throw just with a small application. I MUST get a bottle!

Edited May 27, 2012 by thatbrownelf

[Vega]

Sniffed: Warm and spicy! Cinnamon is definitely present.

 

On skin: This is the first BPAL blend that actually seems gently warm without feeling so. Warm (but not skin-burning) cinnamon is the standout note, giving it a hot bite, cardamom provides a contrasting spiciness, black tea and amber musk contribute gentle enfolding warmth. I don't smell any tangerine, but cherry is faintly present; perhaps the fruity notes are adding some colour amidst the other notes. The blend mellows, becoming calm and dry: smooth tea and cozy musk tempering the warm spices. Bakeneko is a giant orange cat, loudly purring -- indeed, the scent seems the very embodiment of a contented purr. Colour impression is vivid, rich red-orange.

 

Verdict: Bakeneko is essence of cat through and through! While it's a fine and very evocative blend, it's not quite my kind of scent to wear.

[windbourne]

Initially a strong strangely herbal blast of tea, soured slightly by cherry blossom and amber musk. The cinnamon adds some warmth, but also stings my nose. No tangerine, either in the bottle or on me. Cherry blossom is not a great note on me (and I amp it liek woah, naturally), as it trends towards the 'dryer sheets' end of the spectrum, but this is not the most offensive iteration of it.

 

As it dries, there is a hesitant bright spark of citrus, and the amber musk really starts amping up. The tea leaf remains very strong, however. It reminds me a little of a couple of different orange spice teas, but still with this odd sweetly floral note of the cherry blossom bubbling to the surface.

 

Late drydown is pretty sharp, dry cinnamon with a little bit of tea, cardamom, and dryer sheets. It gets very strong about the four hour mark and fades gently after that.

 

I like this, but it's not as heart-meltingly gorgeous as I was somehow expecting it to be. I think I would completely love this without the cherry blossom.

 

It is also worth noting that I've had this blend as a decant and it was substantially different, less dry and sharp, more citrus and spice. It may age differently depending on how it was handled. YMMV.

[Edeniade]

I'm shocked that I never posted a review for this scent! I bought an entire bottle of Bakeneko off LJ on a whim and I have not regretted it for a second.

 

On me, I don't smell the cherry blossom at all. Instead, it's like a mildly citrusy chai tea that is utterly fantastic. The cinnamon doesn't bite, but the cardamom and black tea blend perfectly to create a scent that's warm, mellow, and a touch spicy. Basically, I want to drink myself. The best thing about this blend is that it lasts all day on me without reapplication. I have gone 12 hours with just 2 small drops of Bakeneko on my chest.

 

I don't think I consciously expected to love this blend as much as I do now, but I'm a huge sucker for musks and this hits all the spots.

[Quiet_Owl]

Mmmm...so happy I was able to find a bottle of Bakeneko! Only thing I'm worried about is that I only have one bottle, and it seems hard to track down others!

 

Sniffing from the bottle, Bakeneko smells like a delicious full-bodied Christmas tea. (Tea, cinnamon, citrus.) Cannot wait to put this on!

 

On my skin: First applied, I'm getting a lot of spice and citrus. Cardamon is popping out to say hi as well. This is a wonderfully blended scent.

 

Drying down: The citrus and spice are mellowing, blending more with the musk and the tea. This is such a warm, lovely and comforting scent. I have it in my scent locket as well, and I'm loving that I keep catching whiffs of it. It is spicy and sophisticated! I've even gotten compliments on it from other people.

 

As I really love scents with a tea note, I had a feeling this would be a winner, but I didn't expect it would be such a grand slam! (Forgive me my baseball metaphors, I'm a superfan!) There's not many phases I experience with it, on me it retains it's warmth, spiciness and delicious tea scent, and makes me happy all day. Lasts me quite a long time as well, a drop on each wrist and 3 drops in my scent locket have lasted well over 8 hours.

 

Yummy goodness, one of my favorites!

[MCS4096]

Of course I had to have The Monster Cat in my collection

 

The tea and spices (even the cinnamon) are well blended and fairly subdued here. I don't get anything floral. This is a very balanced blend-- musk and a low-pitched amber in equal measure, with the other elements fading in and out of the throw.

 

The overall effect for me is, somehow, a bit like my favorite cinnamon toothpaste Good thing I love that toothpaste, and I love the imagery of the Bakeneko!

[Invidiana]

This reminds me of orange spice tea, very well-rounded with the citrus and tea notes balancing each other without the tea going bitter. The spices stay tempered, and this is coming from someone who amps spices. They just warm it up and finish it off, giving it that extra something ideal for a cool autumn night. It's pleasant,and while personally it wasn't for me but I can see why it appeals to so many people.

[porcelina]

i got bakeneko from the bpal etsy shop a while back. i imagine my bottle is rather well-aged, especially since i myself have had it for quite a while!

something seems to have gone a bit powdery (amber, probably), although it's not terrible. the scent is a light powdery amber with a good amount of cherry blossom, dry spices and tea leaf. there's not much tangerine or musk. i love the way the cardamom, cinnamon and black tea work together (i would so drink that tea).

this is a very soft, dry scent, with great spice notes. it isn't at all what i expected (more fresh citrus and floral) but it's nice and i think i can see myself wearing it in the autumn, especially.

[ModderRhu]

in the bottle, this smells like clockwork couture: male. I don't think they have any notes in common. that one is woodsy vanilla with clove, patchouli, leather, and metallics.

 

on my skin, it becomes slightly foody and woody. similar to cake smash somehow. Kind of has a cookie vibe. that foodiness contrasts with the cherry blossom in a really interesting way. it's very well blended.

 

I guess I can smell all the notes if I really smell it close. not really much of the tangerine, though. I wouldn't say it smells like spanked like other reviewers have.

 

overall I'm definitely pleased with this one. I am so, so picky when it comes to cinnamon and I'm happy that this works well and doesn't smell like red hots. very cozy, snuggly and warm!

[porcelina]

bakeneko is a warm furry cat and a cup of spiced black tea. i love the fuzzy amber musk with a touch of tangerine, and the lovely black tea leaf with spices. i'm not getting a whole lot of cherry blossom, but that's ok. on my skin, this is more subtle than i would have guessed, and sticks pretty close to my skin without much throw. such a cuddly, comforting scent!