Croquet

[zee]

We have some trouble managing our flamingos, too. Pink lime, pink grapefruit, white nectarine, wild rose, sage, woody patchouli, bergamot, and ornery hedgehog musk.

When I saw the colour for the newly released Croquet Claw Polish, my thought process was "Surely that's a reference to the flamingoes, the scent can't be that pink... can it?"

Fortunately I was frimped some Croquet a couple of months ago and yes, yes the scent is that pink. Wet, the fruits are the the most prominent notes; the whole scent glistens with girly effervescent pinkness. Dry, the herbs raise their heads but this is still mainly a fruity blend, and oh it's fun. I don't mind rose but rose hates me and loves going soapy, but there was hide nor hair of rose in this blend, so don't be scared off if you're a fellow rose hater!

Wearlength was disappointing though, and that's what lets this blend down. I'll have to retest before deciding whether to invest in a bottle but so far, first impressions are good.

[Caerphilly]

In the imp: Not what I was expecting at all! I was expecting citrus rinds and rose. But this is sweet lemon juice and a bit of herbs.

 

Wet: Oooo..Pleasant! I'm getting something soapy and foody. Vanilla cupcake musk and soap....Dunno about this one...

 

Dry: Fabric Softener/Laundry detergent. A bit soapy, but in a refreshing way. A bit powdery from the rose and definite citrus. Some light musk, but just enough to ground it on my skin. Lovely!

 

Overall: I want a bottle! It's light with good throw and lasts a very long time. I never thought I would like the smell of pink fruity citrus fabric softener! Especially in a scent to wear!

 

 

[Invidiana]

Very light and citrusy-fruity with hints of roses and musk. Not really "me", but I can see it being a good spring/summer scent.

[PixieSkull]

So it's been a while since I've tested and made notes on BPAL, so I feel strange trying to pick out a bunch of new notes in one perfume.

 

In the imp: Complex citrus, yummm! The sweetness wafts out at first, turning bitter in milliseconds and registering that pink lime and pink grapefruit like a bittersweet citrus candy, then the sage and rose adding a green and slightly warm tone. The ornery hedgehog musk is just a little annoyed, not quite ornery, and the patchouli is hiding behind that... somewhere. I'm sure the bergamot is that tea-like scent behind the other citrus in the front.

Wet: Wow for bursting on my skin! All that whiteness came out like a white floral. So my nose is getting confused, florals? The nectarine comes out nice and juicy and sweet with the cleanness of the rose and sage. Very white and fresh, a tiiiiny bit earthy. Hello, patchouli and that ornery hedgehog's musk!

 

Drydown: After a few hours this is lovely. The whiteness is still there, a similar feeling to Zephyr's bright, white sweetness. There's also a similarity to Imp with the wet fruit and light patchouli but the floral makes it different. Not a lot of throw, not overwhelming, no baby powder, but entirely pleasant

 

I like it a bit. It's a soft, creamy, pink citrus with a little throw. Not necessarily a HG scent, but nice. 3/5

[pandorasmuse]

Received from a forumite.

 

In the imp: Bright, sunny, and citrusy! Perfect for lawn games. The patchouli keeps it from being too insanely sugary.

 

Wet: I smell the nectarine and roses, with a bit of woodiness. This is pretty.

 

Drydown: Some of the woodiness returns, with a snap of citrus at the end. It's a very happy smell. Not too fruity, not too flowery or woody... just NICE.

 

Later: Very very interesting. Balanced citrus and musks. Just a hint of patchouli. It smells vaguely like an uncut pineapple to me.

 

I'll have to retest, because I'm not 100% positive, but I am seriously considering a bottle of this one.

 

EDIT: Much later: The longer I wear this, the more I like it. I will probably spring for a bottle at some point!

Edited January 17, 2010 by pandorasmuse

[moosue]

When I put this on, I smelled mainly pineapple and coconut. As it dried, I got more of a grassy, clean scent.

Without looking at the notes, I was sure this was a coconut/pineapple/grass blend.

I now see that I was dead wrong.

 

I don't think this smells pink, more like somewhere between light yellow and bright green.

 

This one will need to be tried again to see if I get any of the citrus notes.

It wasn't a favourite, but I didn't mind it. The scent didn't last long on me (although it's still on my jammies, so my skin must eat it) and had a short throw.

[CitizenBree]

This is much more sweet fruity and nectarine than it is straight up citrus. There might even be a hint of citrus towards the end of the sniff, but it has much more of the peachy feel to it on the overall. I wanted to double check my nose because the citrus I smell is more pink grapefruit so I was glad to see that listed as a note. I don't get any lime though. Same goes for the rose. I wouldn't know from smelling but after seeing the notes, I can tell there is bergamot.

 

The life of this imp is unknown, but it's label kinda beat up so maybe this has been aged and this is what happens when it ages.

 

I am a much bigger fan of peachy scents than citrus so I'm more interested in this now that I've tried it than just reading these reviews. It didn't have much of a throw on it and didn't last all that long either. It was all gone about 4 hours later. I love peach so much but I'm having trouble with peachy scents getting eaten by my skin. This was no exception.

[musichappens]

Sweet, soft citrus. This is a very juicy blend with a hint of musk that seems to take away the tart/bitterness of the fruit and replace it with something more creamy. The dry down is absolutely gorgeous and I can actually see myself wearing this blend on those spring days where the temperature is a little bit warmer than usual. I'll definitely be picking up a bottle in my next order.

[countessmouse]

In the imp - very, very citrusy with a note of tea and I wasn't sure I was going to like this one. Wet on my skin: sharp citrus at first which quickly mellows out and turns into a lovely blend of rose, bergamot and patchouli. Very nice! I must get a bottle of this!

[Celenth]

Just got an imp of this -- and when putting it away, realized I'd already had an imp that I totally forgot about right after I received it.

 

In the imp: Wow. It's super citrusy and fun, grapefruit and nectarine and everything else. This just smells... exciting!

 

Wet: There's a blast of something very... green. It's an undercurrent of grass that's actually pretty delightful, even though it's a note that normally isn't my thing. Still citrusy. A little bergamot/patchouliness.

 

Dry: And now I'm bummed. The smell's even more delicious -- turning into something very grapefruity, very citrusy, with just soft hints of rose and a light patchouli dusting at the back of the scent. It's really nice, but it vanished from me so fast. A few minutes, and it's gone to nothing. I'd be getting a bottle of this SO FAST if my skin were more loving. Maybe I'll try a scent locket. Definitely hanging onto this imp to see if time helps either my skin chemistry or the staying power of the scent. It's a clean, fresh, very fun scent.

[stellans]

I really love this blend, but it's kind of on and off with my skin chemistry. I'm happy that today is an 'on' day, because this is a perfect blend to wear on a spring day. The citrus effect (lime and grapefruit) in this blend is very light, just enough to keep the sweeter notes from being cloying. I don't really get a lot of rose or patchouli while wet, but the nectarine is evident, and luscious. As the oil dries, there's maybe a touch of patchouli, perhaps a whisper of rose, but so fleeting as to be hardly recognizable. Still, this is a very nice light blend, and in my opinion, bottle-worthy. The throw is mild, but the scent hangs on for a good 3-4 hours. 2 of 5 stars

Edited April 19, 2011 by stellans

[Dharklady]

In Bottle: Bright citrus with a hint of earthier scents.

Wet: It glistens and shines. You can almost smell the effervescent pinkness of it. I’m getting more lime and nectarine for fruit notes then the grapefruit that I was hoping for. The rose and sage seem to be shining through as well.

Dry: Fruits fade and I get more of the rose now, with the patchouli and musk slowly making itself known, but they add to the lightness rather then ground it. It’s still a very pink scent and everything appears to be blending and swirling together rather then one or two notes stealing center stage.

Notes: This appears to be a light throw and quick fader on me (granted I only tested lightly). I wish the grapefruit note was more dominant instead of the nectarine but overall it’s a very pretty blend.

 

[SophieCedar]

Ok this is the one I've been dying to try for months however put off in favor of others..

 

In imp and first wet: sweet sweet grapefruit and lime. Not orangey, so I don't say "citrus". It's very precisely just these 2 fruits. I say to myself that this reminds me of highschool.. no idea why. I never wore anything like this...

Drydown: this gives me a saccharine taste in my mouth. Weird.. Anyways, the throw is big. I can barely pick up on the rose and sage, but knowing the notes, can detect them. The hedgehog musk develops through this period giving it a slippery (I know strange but that's the only way I can describe it) meaty element.

 

End result: Reminds me of combos that would be marketed by a popular lingerie or body product store. Definitely something that would appeal to young women..for good reason.. has a lot of effervescence and perkiness with a touch of seduction. I like it but makes me feel old. hahah

[batakbeatrix]

This bottle is starting to get some heavy rotation from me as the weather starts warming up, as it's one of my few sunny happy scents. On me, Croquet is primarily grapefruit, tangerine, and musk, with a hint of lime. I'm terrified of patchouli and rose, as they do horrible things on my skin, but if they're present, the other elements do a fantastic job of beating them into submission. I would definitely recommend this scent to people who want a slightly understated fruity scent.

 

Throw is medium, wear length is very respectable.

[aquazoo]

Starts with some fruit salad. A few other things, tea? Woody green, a croquet match in a lovely field with some tasty refreshments.

[London]

Lime! It morphed a bit on me. For the first 30 min. the scent was pure sweet limes on me. Then the rose and bergmont popped up abrupty to tone down the lime.

 

A little later as it fully dried and settled down the grapefruit came out to mingle some.

 

I agree with the pink description of how it smells.

[INFJ4w3]

Croquet is lime, grapefruit, and sage/bergamot/woodsy scent underneath. Believe it or not, INCREDIBLE staying power: 24 hours!

My SO said "yum". But again, he loves fruity scents.

This was a frimp: I wouldn't have ordered it. It's nice; a good spring/summery perfume. There's nothing objectionable about it. Not really me, though: I lean towards resins/incense or "clean" smells. But I'll give this 3 out of 5 stars, anyway. If you like citrus and spice/cedary wood mixed, you will love Croquet. (Don't look for nectarine, rose or musk....they never appeared.)

[sunlitgarden]

Croquet

 

Grapefruit! And a hint of astringency - mint? Hm, checking the notes, it might be the sage. This is a light, citrusy fruity mix with grounding patchouli and musk. I'm not getting rose. Unfortunately, I'm also getting a bit of a sour smell. I'm still not sure what note does this with my skin chemistry (although whatever it is, it ended up in my Vanilla CT as well.) It's not awful, but not great either... I think it's just not a good match for my chemistry.

[sirensea]

Soft, pretty, sweet. Very fruity with hints of lime and the same rose note I get from The Knave of Hearts. Yum!

[claudia6913]

Frimp from the lab. This is one that I wanted to try, but was so afraid of the citrus notes that I never even thought too much about it. Glad I get to try it now.

 

In the imp I get lots and lots of citrus and fruits. Not bad, but it's definitely in your face. Wet on my skin, the citrus and fruits calm down a lot, and very quickly. It's kind of a fun wacky scent - which makes sense considering. ;p The incense and musk keep it kind of grounded, but you can tell the scent just wants to take off. It's sweet and a bit crazy. I like it much better than I thought I would and will now have to keep an eye out for a bottle. Thanks labbies!

[Betula]

I got this imp as a wish list fill from the wonderful Roogna (Thanks, Roogna!).

 

In the bottle: Whoah! Something sort of sharp and... stinky? I THINK it's lime, but it's a little... off.

 

Wet: The stinky lime plays about for a bit (it's not an ENTIRELY unpleasant stinky lime), and then vanishes to be replaced solidly by grapefruit and what I think is the nectarine. Okay... Oh, shit. Rose.

 

Dry: The rose amps like mad and combines with the fruit and becomes what can only be described as Tide dryer sheets. I'm still new to BPAL, so when I read about people's scents turning to dryer sheets I never quite believed them. I believe now. I even shoved my wrist under one of my friends' noses and asked, "What does this smell like?" to which she replied, "Laundry detergent?"

After a while, the sage comes 'round and is pungent at me. I can't really pick up the musk, but if it's there it only strengthens the dryer sheets smell.

 

I am a little disappointed in this one. It has some of my favorite notes (musk, patchouli, grapefruit, and I even enjoy rose if it behaves well). The combination was a miss, unfortunately. I don't want to smell like dryer sheets (admittedly, I wouldn't mind having dryer sheets that smell like this- they'd make the best laundry in the world!)

 

Despite my disappointment, I am very glad I got to try this.

[darlingdiva27]

In the imp: mmmmmmm pink grapefruit with a hint of pink lime, nectarine and patchouli

 

Wet: smells kinda like candy, but also really sweet citrus with a hint of florals, patchouli, and musk

 

Drydown: The grapefruit and lime has pretty much disappeared, leaving a WONDERFUL scent of rose, patchouli, musk, and a light hint of sage. Its fresh and sweet and my new pick-me-up-scent.

 

4.5/5 on my scale!! I can see myself purchasing a big bottle in the future!!

[meredevachon]

Frimp from the Lab

 

In the imp: CITRUS!!! and hints of a kind of funky musk.

 

Wet: CITRUS!!! but it very quickly starts to calm down some

 

Dry down: After the citrus calms down enough I'm not reminded of cleaning products, it turns soapy. No sage, and I miss having it. But rose and citrus (mostly grapefruit, I think, and I've never liked the flavor of grapefruit)

 

Dry: Within half an hour, it's almost gone. Just a hint of soap, like being fresh from the shower and a faint scent of what you washed with clinging close to the skin if you try to smell it.

 

Overall: I eventually try all the frimps I get, and I try to keep an open mind, because BPAL can always surprise me. But I'm not fond of citrus scents, rose and I have a complicated relationship, and once it hit skin I never got any other notes before it all disappeared. I'll find a better home for Croquet.

[Girl with the Curious Nose]

Wet: The fruity explosion that is the opening of Croquet is dense, golden and syrupy - I know so many people say this smells 'pink' but to my it's like a warm ray of golden sunshine! Depsite the notes listing it's far from citrusy on my skin. The opening is fresh but balmy, there's a slight tangy feel from the grapefruit but without any of the sourness that often accompanies it. Unfortunately the rose is almost undetectable on me, only occasionally will I catch the faintest whisper of flowers. Croquet is all about the fruit.

 

Drydown: This cheerful scent wears well and the sweetness fades into a slightly herbal, creamy base of very faint patchouli and musk. Croquet retains it's golden, cheerful light well into the dry down.

 

Overall: I can see myself wearing Croquet in the midst of a warm summer night whilst drinking green and yellow cocktails. A nice scent but not FB worthy for me, I will however continue to use my imp.

[ajansuz]

This was a frimp from my last order.

 

In the imp: Very sweet and bright citrus with a kind of creamy base. Almost like a creamsicle.

 

Wet: Sadly, I usually amp and sour grapefruit notes, and this is no exception. All that sweet promise in the bottle goes kind of tart and sharp.

 

Dry down: A very bitter note emerges and drowns out anything pleasant in the blend. It makes me sad, because the imp was fresh and spring-like. This just doesn't work with my body chemistry at all. It got bad enough I actually had to wash it off.