Bakeneko

[this machine]

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

When wet it's orangey and spicey and tea-like, with a bit of sharp floral in there. But for me when it dries the orange and spice fall back and that sharp floral in combo with the tea just puts it over the edge into floral-perfumey territory.

[Miss Lynx]

I was so looking forward to this one. These days, I'm usually pretty cautious about ordering full bottles of LEs unsniffed, and tend to opt for decant circles most of the time instead, but in this case I took one look at the description and knew I had to have a bottle. Amber, musk, tangerine, tea and spices? Too good to be true.

 

And, well, there was this little detail of cherry blossom also being included, which worried me a bit, but how could one little floral note, even of the high, sweet kind that are so terrifying on me, possibly outweigh all that goodness?

 

More easily than you might think, apparently. It smelled very floral and perfumey in the bottle, but I continued to cling to the hope that it would smell different on my skin. And it did... a bit. The spices came out a little more there, and eventually I caught a whiff of tangerine, but predominantly all I smelled was amber, a light powdery Body Shop-ish white musk, and that damn cherry blossom.

 

My skin loves to amp high, sweet florals like that, and as a result any scent containing them tends to turn into Screaming Floral Death on me. This one didn't quite do that, but it did go a lot more floral than I wanted. It was actually kind of reminiscent of Lyonesse, in a way -- I guess the amber-floral combo. But Lyonesse is more complex and interesting than this was on me. What little there was of the spices and tangerine faded right out fairly quickly, and left pretty much othing but amber and perfumey floral. It ended up smelling like a second-rate imitation of Lyonesse.

 

And just for added cruelty, the traces of it left on my coat collar the next day smelled lovely -- apparently, it's a beautiful scent, but just not on me!

 

*sigh* Why, why, why? I so wanted to love the monster cat! But apparently it was not meant to be. It's not awful or anything, but on my skin, it's just kind of... well, perfumey and blah. I guess I have to add cherry blossom to the list of "deal-breaker" notes like ylang ylang and ozone that can kill any scent for me, no matter how great the rest of the notes are.

 

Or maybe I just need to invest in a scent locket...

 

Grade: C+

Edited February 28, 2007 by Miss Lynx

[elenore]

In the bottle: spiced orange tea.

on: at first i get mostly the satsuma and cherry blossom. then it gets a little more spicy. cardamom and tea come to the front. cardamom! mmmmm! smell cinnamon lurking in the background. it gets a bit stronger as it dries but never overpowering. I love the tea smell. Love it!! As it dries, it almost smells a little like chai. but not too strong. Soo glad I got some of this!

[supremegoddessofall]

Rather beautiful. Lots of cardamom and a touch of cinnamon, floating in a gentle musk.

[hackess]

This is the one I was looking forward to and it didn't disappoint. Slightly spicy, like orange chai tea. The cardamom is really gorgeous in this. If clove is too strong for you, try cardamom instead. It's a very sweet-smelling spice that blends so nicely with the tangerine and cherry blossom.

 

It threatened to go soapy on me, but that could've just been wafts of everything else I was testing tonight because it passed pretty quickly.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: a super spicy tea scent.

on: warm cardamom and hot cinnamon

1 hour later: a bright cinnamon scent.

3.5 hours later: a spicy, sweet musk.

4.5 hours later: still spicy and sweet.

overall: this is a really nice scent, but i'm not one for spicy stuff.

[chrisann]

I HATE cinnamon on me. It does really wonky things on my skin. I cannot wear Bengal or any of the other cinnamon dominant bpal smellies out there. I got Bakeneko, b/c I LOVE cats, and thought, "heck, I'll give it a go.."

 

I don't know what kind of Voodoo is in this blend, but it is WONDERFUl on me!!

 

WET

It has sunnier aspects of orange chai tea, w/ swirls of dry cinnamon, and cardamon.

 

DRYDOWN

The cinnamon is present, but mingled with the other spices, it tones down, and just adds a sexy kick to the scent. This is so well balenced! The swirls of cherry blossoms with amber musk just makes my skin radiate this incredible wafting yumminess. This also lasts and lasts on my skin, esp, in my hair.

 

I think b/c I do so well with amber, that the cinnamon tempers nicely in this blend. To show you how much I love this cat, I have tucked away 5 bottle's of it. (I think I can stop now ) also, my GF rarely comments on smellies that I'm wearing, she has complimented me everytime I wear this one.. Even if you too hate cinnamon, take a chance and at least try a decant, I'm glad I did!!!

[lightgatherer]

I never get the orange, cherry blossom, or tea in this, and I have to agree with another user who compared it to Bengal. Unlike Bengal, though, I think this works on me. The amber musk in this is very much like the note in Bengal that made me think of unwashed female genitals, but it stops just short of that. It's a warm musk that reminds me of lying close to a lover after just having rubbed their skin with a spiced oil. This is warm and sexy and has a long wear. I think I might just have to keep it.

[edenssixthday]

Bakaneko – This is such a pretty, golden, warm scent. The musk is the strongest note, and it’s most definitely amber-like. Right behind the amber musk is the gorgeous scent of softly spicy cardamom and very faintly behind that, the lovely, sweet scent of pink cherry blossoms and a drop of tangerine that brightens up the overall scent. I don’t ever smell the cinnamon or tea, which delights me, as those notes can often bring a scent down for me. I really love Bakaneko and think it’s an absolutely perfect softly sexy springtime scent. It sticks moderately close to my skin and the staying power is about average.

[Ghost_Light]

Bakeneko

A review in dialogue

 

Ghost Light: Yay! My imp is finally here! I can't wait to try it! (dabs on one drop per wrist. Really. Sniffs) Mmm...(sniff) Cherry! (sniff) and lots of cardamom! (sniff) And the tangerine! (sniff) It's like cinnamon in the back of really great, spicy tea! (gives up individual sniffs and simply superglues nose to wrist) Wow! I really...wait! Don't fade! Come back! Awwww...it's only been 20 minutes and now I kind of smell like Sure.

 

Hubby: You want me to smell that, don't you.

 

Ghost Light: Here! (thrusts out wrists)

 

Hubby: (mutters to self and sniffs) No, I kind of like that.

 

Ghost Light: Really? Because I like the starting notes better. Here, let me show you. (dabs on just a whisper more than one drop per wrist.)

 

Hubby: Ack! Ack! Too strong! (tries to climb over back of the couch to get away.) Ack!

 

Ghost Light: I didn't put on that much. (doesn't even get nose to wrist) Ack! Too strong! (tries to climb over back of the couch to get away from her own wrists) Ack!

 

Acey: Can I try it?

 

Ghost Light: Sure. (holds nose, slathers)

 

Acey: It's Perfect! (wanders around for hours, happy smelling wrists) Honey? Remember that website?

 

Keeping the imp? maybe...

 

Bottle: Only for Acey.

[stellans]

I wanted to like this scent so much. After the disappointment of Hunger Moon, I wanted any other Lunacies or Companions to mix well with my body chemistry, but this one smells badly on me, just like Hunger Moon.

 

I smell like a bottle of very cheap men's aftershave, all harsh notes. It's not the oil's fault, because it smells nice in the bottle. I don't know what notes are not working for me yet. Maybe the cardamom, maybe the tea. I just don't know. But it doesn't smell good on me at all, and I gave it another chance just in case it was a temporary problem. So, another bottle to my sell/trade basket. *sigh*

Edited June 5, 2010 by stellans

[Quiara]

I don't know what prompted me to try this. I mean, the description was nice, but it really didn't grab me. Plus, I'm allergic to cats and therefore think anything associated with them leads to death. And a demon kitty? Who'm I kidding?

 

Well, I got some anyway. Impulse buy, I suppose.

 

Wet: That's . . . interesting. I'm not sure how to describe it. There's a certain edge to it that's a little troubling to my nose. I don't smell the tangerine at all. Musk maybe? And some tea.

 

Drying: Bit more tea. Hello, tangerine! Cinnamon and cardamom amble out into the mix as well.

 

Dry: The most gorgeous, sexy, soft, spicy blend possible. Amazing. Very pretty and now a favorite.

 

*edit* I love this one so much, I've tracked down 2 bottles now and could possibly be persuaded to adopt a third.

Edited June 24, 2007 by Quiara

[diachrony]

Bakeneko is a charming little kitty with just the right touch of feisty playfulness.

 

On initial application, the spices have a rather loud bite ~ on me it seems to be first cinnamon, then cardamom, taking the front stage, but they quickly step back as the notes balance out. The satsuma note is yummy and very definitely present. After a few hours everything has gentled down into a soft, mellow coziness with just a little spicy kick when I nuzzle my wrist.

 

This is delicious and comforting; warm and bright, spicy and sweet, like a cup of hot orange chai tea, with just enough added sweetness to overcome tea's usual faint bitter note.

 

I'm glad I got a full bottle!

Edited March 27, 2007 by diachrony

[grifyn_whiffs]

I saw satsuma oranges and tea, and I dove headlong into this one, thinking of my favorite Orange & Spice tea. Every time I sniffed it to put it on, however, it just didn't SMELL right somehow.

 

I put some on one wrist this morning, and waited impatiently. It just didn't seem to smell like anything in the bottle, and once on my skin, it smelled like... a spicy green forest. I swear it did. Cue my "What the hell?" I sniffed it a bit more a few minutes later, but it was still a musty and manly-incense kind of green forest smell.

 

I was putting some bottles on eBay anyway (updates updates updates!), so I added this to the gang. Right after I had listed it, as it if could sense that it was on the, er, shopping block, the most beautiful spicy orange tea smell was on my wrist. Bakeneko redeemed itself beautifully, and I ended a premature eBay listing (phew, no bids or watchers yet!) so I could patiently wait for the oil to morph instead of being so hasty. Gooood kitty!

 

This one strikes me as a blend that will respond well to aging. I can't wait to sniff it again in the fall/winter (not that this will keep me away from it until then!).

[Bain]

MMm I just got a bottle of this today from another forumite and I'm in love (though truth be told, I layered this on top of what I wore today - TAL: Concentration, so I have this lovely minty cherry amber thing going on.. MMmmmmm).

 

When I first open the bottle I get a lot of the tangerine, and a teensy bit of tea.. it's spicy and very intriguing.. loving it for sure.

 

On my skin, it's warm, soft, fuzzy spices - the cardamom and cinnamon really pop and it's enough to make me wanna lick my arm lol.

 

(And apparently layers well with minty scents *laughs*)

 

All in all, this is definitely a keeper. I love this!

[bulletslc]

Damn you cinnamon!!!!!

 

This goes all cinnaminty on me....I like it...and may like it better when I'm not so tired...but I'm mildly allergic to cinnamon and this is amping cinnamon like none of the other oils ever have....BAD KITTY!!!

 

I think its the tea note that is making me think 'mint'.

 

I can't let it go just yet.....I want to love it.....maybe if I use it very sparingly????

 

 

**Edit**even though I had to wash off my slathering because of the allergic reaction there was still some lingering scent. I put Snake Oil on over top and the blend was very nice. However, I think Bakeneko is a fantastic scent.....I think I'll try it on my long-distance b-friend when next he comes to visit. Its a scent I think would be VERY sexy on a man!

 

***Edit #2.....even just smelling makes me swell up.....swapped for my new love 13!

 

But if you aren't allergic to cinnamon try this one.....its lovely smelling!!

Edited April 22, 2007 by Bulletslc

[kitsunenotsuki]

In Bottle: I get alot of amber, cardamom, and cherry blossom.

 

Wet: I'm still smelling the cardamom, and cherry blossom but I also smell a little of the tangerine.

 

Dry: It has faded into a nice blend of tangerine and cherry blossom with a hint of amber. I really didn't get any of the tea, but I still like this scent.

[sd357]

When am I going to learn that as much as I love amber, it just doesn't work on my skin? This is a very pleasant scent, but doesn't work on me. Worse yet, it starts to smell a bit rancid over time on me. This one will be getting traded off to someone who can appreciate the artistry, because my skin most certainly doesn't.

[batsy]

In the vial: warm, spicy oranges with amber. YAY!

 

On the skin: Well, cinnamon. Hrm. But the oranges push it down, the tangerine pops, the tea and cadamom aren't killing me, and for once I can stand cinnamon! Wow.

 

I might actually need a bottle of this one. It reminds me of this tea we used to make in 6th grade with a lot of the same spices. Excellent!

[sarada]

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

 

Despite my love of the name and inspiration for Bakeneko, I didn't order a bottle at the time because it was such a huge update, and I don't like cinnamon-orange type scents, which I assumed it would be.

 

But then after trying it some time later, it grew on me. First, it's incredible in a locket. It positively smoulders. The amber musk is a comforting embrace of sweet golden warmth, and the amber shines through like a glowing ember. There is not a strong hit of cinnamon, which is good news for me since I vastly prefer cardamom. It definitely reminds me of my spice and tea cabinet -- when you open it, cardamom and cinnamon bark mingle with the scent of dozens of bags of loose leaf black tea, in my kitchen.

 

This is a much more warm and ambery scent than I expected, and it never just becomes a potpourri-type spice/citrus scent as I feared. Tangerine is preferable to orange for me -- it's lighter, and the hint of cherry blossom also reminds me of a cherry blossom tea that I have. Mild, mellow, understated, but it really comes to life on me, as anything with an amber or musk base does. Finally got a bottle, so now my Therianthropes are all lined up in a row and happy!

[girl_android]

I've had this decant for a little while, and I must like something of it, because I've tested it enough times to drop the level in the vial!

 

In the imp, I get something warmly spicy, tea leaves mixed with cinnamon and cardamom, with what I guess would be the tangerine, with a hint of something floral floating over the top.

 

Wet on skin, it's like a warm spicy tea, with the peel of the tangerine steeping in the tea.

 

Once dry, the musk just rounds everything out. The floral thing isn't all sharp and in your face; I like how most things I've tried with musk so far have worked to just round things out in a scent, no sharp edges! My own evil kitty (grep! the black and white cat in my avatar) has decided he wants to sit on my lap while I have the laptop on my lap also. I'm glad I have my decant, I'm not likely to need bottles of much - I have so many things to wear now! Not that this stops me from wanting to pick more things, mind you *grin*

[Maia]

Warm spicy tea with a zest of orange. I think it's maybe the cherryblossom that's giving this a slightly "perfumey" quality - and is keeping it from going foody. I get the amber musk as well. A nice scent for fall or winter I would say. Warm, spicy in a soft way and kind of sexy. It's "dry", rather than sweet to my nose. I like, but right now I'm into sweeter scents.

[LadyCrow]

In the imp: Spicy citrus.

 

Wet: Cardamom, then cherry blossom, then cinnamon. Ooh, shapeshifting!

 

Drydown: The tea note itself does seem more green than black, but the citrus and spices give it the flavor of pekoe. The amber musk really glows, keeping the cherry blossom around longer than might be possible on my skin otherwise.

 

I've heard that if you put this, Bastet, and Black Cat on at the same time, you explode. Or get really bad hairballs. I can't remember which.

[CrazyPretzel]

Mmm! As is usual with musk, this is staying pretty subtle and close to my skin -- like a dozey little kitten. (are kittens subtle? ) I'm very keen on cardamom but am not getting too much of that from this, which is a bit sad. Wet, the cinnamon and a tiny bit of orange are more noticeable. Still, it's a very cosy scent and good for a gloomy day like today. Cuddly.

[labeth]

This one was pretty quiet on me as well-- I'm used to the in-your-face cinnamon of 13, so Bakeneko seemed a little lackluster to me, unfortunately. It wasn't bad or anything, and I may keep the decant, but I think that in practice I would probably end up reaching for my bottle of 13 way more than I would bother with this.

 

The primary smells are the cinnamon and the orange-- I don't get much tea at all, which is disappointing, because I'm a big fan of tea blends. It comes out a little more after it's been on for a while, but it's never particularly strong.

 

I put it on at night and I could still smell it in the morning until I took my shower, so I guess this one has a lot of staying power, which is a bonus, but it's just not making my favorites list.