Cancer 2007

[euterpe414]

Cardinal Water: the essence of feeling.
Wild lettuce, wild pear, chamomile, germanica orris, sweet pea, and mallow.

This one is really well blended- I smell (on my skin) a green, yet creamy, sweetness. It's very light and pretty, even a touch little-girlish It also lasts for quite a while but tends to stick close to my skin. After a while it turns a tiny bit aquatic on me- but a creamy aquatic still, similar to Banded Sea Snake yet much much softer. I really am enjoying this one, it's quite unique. Well done!!

[juniperus]

bottle: er. I can't pick anything out, and actually can't really describe this. it is very dramatically different than anything else I usually go for (but you know - I just hadta get it. Cardinal water - froth. That's me, I guess.)

wet: some sweet (the mallow?), some pear (barely ripe), a hint of floral

dry: sweet, and still the notes aren't really trying to separate themselves out. it's pretty mellow, but much sweeter than I usually gravitate towards. patience, precious.

later: besides the fact that I really want this to work, I suspect I probably need to have my envelope pushed a bit. this isn't bad on me. it's gentle and a little sweet and the notes blend together so not one is amped or lost. it's summer and hot and my collection of hot-suitable scents is pretty thin since I usually gravitate to resins and woods and musks and spice/incense. I suspect my not considering gentle and pretty as "me" has nothing to do with perfume... I hope all 4 (damn!) planets in Cancer will approve..

[wichapi]

Cancer is a very soft, moist green scent gently supported by mellow florals. Absolutely lovely! The scent is also strangely comforting. I don’t know how else to put it. And, as with most lovely things, one would like it to stay for awhile. But so far my skin drinks it up, and it doesn’t seem to have much throw or staying-power. This seems to happening a lot with me lately. Whether it's the oils or my skin chemistry, its becoming expensively irksome.

Edited June 24, 2007 by wichapi

[Eemia]

I had this preconcieved notion of how wild lettuce would smell like when I ordered this. I thought it would be....well, lettuce-ish I guess. Maybe a type of vegetable scent....that bright green, bitter, somewhat spicy fragrance that I associate with lettuce. But this is very gentle, mild, and light. Nothing vegetable-like or bitter about this.

 

This is very dainty and floral and wet. There is something green about it, but not grassy. The sweetpea is very noticable, maybe because sweetpea is one of the most recognizable floral notes to me. I think it lends any fragrance a very youthful and innocent vibe. This feels very young, and new too. I love that aspect, and I wish I could describe my very vague declaration of "new" in better detail but I'm at a temporary loss for now. That's the only fitting way I could think to describe it.

 

No fruitiness or creaminess on me. This remains wet, vaguely green, and very full of sweetpea on me. It even dries down as a deeper sweetpea with something that just brushes into the perfumey category. I loved the sweetpea in Annabel Lee and I think it is equally beauttiful in this. It has a light throw but it does last a long time on my skin. The artwork is so pretty too.

[Blood onmy hands]

I hoped that Cancer would be a green, damp sort of scent from the wild lettuce and wild pear. I had visions of it smelling like a wild garden of sorts. Unfortunately, this is allll sweet pea on me. It's a very soft scent that clings close to the skin, but it did last for about six hours on me, so it has decent staying power. It just turns into a sickly sweet, perfumey, girly floral on my skin.

[ariosa]

There's something in Cancer 2007 that reminds me of TKO -- I'm guessing that it's the mallow. At any rate, I wasn't sure how this would be on me, given that it has sweet pea on me, and sweet pea tends to be one of those florals that amp to the nth degree and that I don't like. BUT! Once again, Beth has worked her magic, because this is fluffy warm and comforting, but still manages to be light and cool and aquatic at the same time. The sweet pea is there for me, but I smell more of the chamomile and the mallow, which makes this scent a delight. I love it.

[Precis]

My first impression of Cancer, on my wrist but from a bit of a distance, is that it's light and sporty and encased in a cocoon of water. Up close it smells lighter and more pillowy and I can almost detect something like cotton up close (probably the sweet pea or chamomile?) As it dries I am getting more and more of the pear, with the rest of the notes weaving into a sweet, aquatic incense smell behind it. I can't decide if I like this or dislike it, it's crazy. It's upbeat and nice for summer, but it reminds me of a scent you would find in a mall's bath and body works/body shop/victoria's secret garden products section as if it were a soap or lotion.

[alicia_stardust]

I had to get this no matter what, but it helped that I have Cancer as my Ascendant.

 

Cancer 2007 is a dewy, soft, green, light floral that is simply gorgeous. It is very faint in the bottle with just a touch of cool water and an aqua colored smell. On my skin it blooms and warms into a lovely, greenish fruit floral. The pear doesn't overwhelm, and the flowers aren't too strong. The sweet pea gives this a lovely spring-like quality and the mallow softens it up.

 

Perfect! This is at the top of my favorites for all of 2007!

[Nidaba]

Oh, I love this one. I really wish I had ordered a full bottle of it!

On me this is a light, sweet floral with just enough pear showing. It is slightly powdery, but not bad. A lot of sweet pea in this, so if you like sweet pea definitely check this one out!!!

[Phaedra]

Wet this is sweet, a bit fruity, a bit floral and a hint of sharpness. This definitely feels like water. When first on this is very soft and delicate- pear mixed with floral notes. It reminds me of water lilies (even though there's none in here). This stays very soft and light. It almost reminds me of Black Moon. This is very ethereal, watery, luminous and calm. I was worried that this would be too sharply aquatic but it's not. This is a beautiful representation of my sign. I love it!

[supremegoddessofall]

In bottle: Pear and sweet pea and something a touch spicy, too.

 

On me: More chamomile than anything else. Soft.

[mystery213]

Oooo, this one really is delightful!

When wet, I really get a prominent scent of wild lettuce and chamomile with what seems to be a touch of sweet pea... Once this is on for a moment, a really neat aquatic type quality comes out on this one, and the notes blend together so well, it is hard to pinpoint any on their own. It turns into a really complex blend that seems not quite floral and not quite aquatic, but a little of both.

On the drydown, this become a very beautiful, very feminine scent that seems to have a more traditional 'perfumey' smell than most BPAL blends, like something you would wear out somewhere very nice. It is not too rich, but does not seem casual in the least to me. A watery sweet pea and chamomile seem to take center stage with the wild lettuce making a bit of noise in the background in the final stages of drying.

I can see this one being popular!

[sookster]

straight sniff from imp is pear and sweet pea...

once applied the chamomile becomes apparent and swirls with the sweet

pea...a lovely and interesting blend...on the hunt for a big bottle

[yeahbutnobut]

Cancer 07

 

In the imp: oh, this is so pretty. A sweet, gentle flowery scent. I'm tempted to say mallow, since it reminds me of marshmallows.

Wet on skin: a greenish, almost herbal note comes out and mingles with the soft flowery scent.

Dry on skin: there's now a more bitter note that comes through, probably the lettuce. But the mallow and pear are still there and smell sweet and approachable. I smell camomile as well, a little bit of orris too, and the sweet pea is, for now, quite subtle. This is a fresh, watery and crisp scent, like a dewy garden, wet leaves and herbs, with a hint of fruitiness.

After a while: now the sweet pea is more apparent, and there's that odd waxy scent that the sweet pea note usually gives me, bitter waxy petals with a hint of soap. However, the lettuce, mallow and orris are preventing this waxy-soapy floral note from taking over. There's still that pleasant watery-leafy scent with an almost fluffy, comforting sweetness. Is this fluffy note mallow? If so, I love it, it almost reminds me of the soft musk notes, downy and sweet and gentle. I'm sure there's something like this in Beltane 06, I even get a hint of Buck Moon, of all things, from this.

The scent moves between the bitter sweet pea and lettuce to the soft powdery orris and mallow, but never turns too soapy like most sweet pea scents do. In fact, I swear I even smell vanilla!

Then, at some other stages of the scent, I get a hint of the scent of the beach, a strangely beautiful sweet-salty scent of sand and sea mosses and salty rocks…the kind crabs like to hide in. There's even a scent of skin with a hint of sun cream. Now the scent reminds me of Lyonesse, with that soft musky golden scent mixing with mosses and floral notes. It also reminds me of a floral Banded Sea Snake, but not as vanilla-y. This is gorgeous. It really does have a feel of mossy salty stone to it at times-dusty vanilla stone like Black Opal, with a touch of green salted moss, and a lot of sweetness. The lettuce, now a drier, deep green, bitter leaf, makes a comeback at the end.

Verdict: I think this is the only zodiac sign so far that works so well on me, and I have no planets in Cancer whatsoever. Go figure. But it is beautiful. I worried that the sweet pea (the note that prevented me from getting a bottle) would take over but it doesn't. In fact it is gorgeous in here. At first it is sweet pea and lettuce with something that may be mallow, but the scent then eventually turns into that wonderful 'BPAL on the beach' scent that I love. Some recent BPALs-like Lyonesse and Banded Sea Snake-have this gorgeous non-stereotypical beach scent of warm skin with a touch of sand and non-coconutty suncream, salty rocks, sea moss and clear water, with a touch of vanilla musk. Cancer has this beachy scent too, which is appropriate for a crab! This gentle scent does really capture the 'essence of feeling', there's a downy texture to this scent, cosy and warm, yet also with a contrasting green-watery feel to it. It is really unique, soft and touching (and has surprising throw at times too) and well blended. I wonder if Cancer works because I don't have anything in that sign-sort of like a compensation for an 'empty' sign? (If so then I have high hopes for Leo and Pisces!) All I know is that it works and I wish I had bought a bottle of this now!

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Definitely the decant. I think I need to hunt down a bottle!

If you like this, try: Aeval, Juliet, Mouse's Long and Sad Tale, Desdemona, Lyonesse, Banded Sea Snake, Annabel Lee

[Brianne]

In the vial:

sweet and sugary

 

On me:

The first thing I smell is a very sweet pear - it's not tart and fruity, but more candy like. This is really mellow and yet sweet at the same time, and has a very "girly" appeal to it.

 

I feel like I'm wearing something totally different because the scent on me is sugary and smooth and sweet - with no herbal or lettuce note. In fact, it reminds me of Xanthe in the way it is sort of girly and sugary smelling.

 

Final note:

I really love this a lot more than I expected. Now I have to get my hands on a bottle!

[dreadeddragon]

In the bottle: Lightly floral, lightly fruity

 

First on: It's an aquatic fruit salad. Light & fresh, I can pick up the pear, but that's it.

 

Drydown: I think that's the lettuce that's the aquatic slightly bitter note, which is starting to take over. Everything else is underneath it, and I love it. It's a great summer scent.

 

Overall: A sweet and slightly bitter water scent? Sounds perfect for Cancer to me.

[theGreatMissJJ]

Sent to me by the marvelous GypsyRoseRed from Will Call after I had a fit of "Shit, I didn't order my birthday lunacy and now I'm sorely regretting it!" It arrived yesterday (along with a bottle of Selkie) just in time for my birthday itself! Hurrah!

 

In the bottle: The sweet aquatic note hits me first and is strongly reminiscent of Selkie. I opened Selkie and tested it on my other arm just to make sure they weren't the same scent. They aren't. However, even though there are no aquatic notes listed for Cancer, I am getting a watery quality from both. Aside from the aquatic feeling, there is a sweetness to Cancer that I think is the sweet pea or pear. I smell a bit of both on and off.

 

Wet: More floral now on me, but a sweet floral (just the way I like 'em!) and it feels like a light blue/white scent. It's getting sweeter by the minute and there's that fluffy "marshmallow" quality other people have been mentioning.

 

Dry-down: Hello sweet pea and mallow! This is a fluffy scent, sweet and light and just lovely. I'm marking this one as a bedtime scent as it goes quite well with the whiffs of Selkie that's wafting from my other arm, so snuggling down in bed with my Selkie-scented seal and Cancer-anointed body sounds fabulous.

 

Throw is medium. I love it. A lovely olfactory representation of my star sign.

 

Edited to add: Bear thinks I smell like candy.

Edited August 1, 2007 by theGreatMissJJ

[scourgeotheseas]

Cancer 2007

 

In the imp: Light, sweet-tartish. Kind of like the scent of those flavored waters, you know?

 

On me/wet: Very aquatic! Light, lovely. At first it's all kind of blended together, but then a sharp green smell pops out, then sweet pea and another floral. Mmmm....followed by pear.

 

Drydown: Getting sweeter! Unfortunately, it's also very faint. It seems to be disappearing. Oh, I guess not. It's sticking around, but very light.

 

This blend is a beaut! I will probably mix into a spray bottle or use a scent locket for longer-lasting coverage.

[zankoku_zen]

In the imp: Watery aquatic, smells like juicy candy as well

 

On Skin: Smells like a day at the beach! Like suntan oil on skin after you've been out in the sun for a couple hours and after a couple dips into the ocean. Somewhat salty.

 

On Drydown: This still smells like the beach to me.

 

Verdict: I don't think I'm getting what everyone else is. I was very excited about the lettuce note, but I don't think I can smell it. This is an aquatic - like the beach is aquatic and yet oddly appropriate because it does make me think of sand, sun, the turf and the little crabs that scuttle along the beach. I'm not a huge fan but if any BPAL could enable my little sister (who adores the beach), this would be it.

[filigree_shadow]

Sweet, light green, and soft. The pear is gentle in this, and mostly it seems like a supersweet chamomile to me. I wasn't sure what lettuce would smell like in perfume, but it seems like it's giving the scent a watery crispness.

 

It has a watery feel to it, but I wouldn't call it primarily aquatic. That part of the scent isn't strong. And surprisingly, the sweet pea doesn't ruin it for me at all.

 

This isn't my usual kind of scent, but it does smell good. It seems like a great scent for Cancer, to me.

[GypsyRoseRed]

It smelled more promising in the bottle than on my skin, which shouldn't surprise me because this Earth sign girl does not do aquatics. Wet, I could detect the sweetpea and something softer which has to be the marshamallow mentioned in other reviews. Dry, it just smells like a really insipid vaguely floral, aquatic air freshener and then quickly vanishes away into nothing.

[Ajila]

In the bottle – Camomile, lush juicy pears and just a hint of pepper

 

Wet on me – A sweet smooth, candy-like scent, with a hint of spicy. It really reminds me of a Lush ballistic, but I can’t work out which one

 

Dry on me – Sweet, fresh, clean pears

 

Overall – It disappeared quite quickly, but I liked what was there

[JennyGardener]

Definitely aquatic and moody, with lots of affection. There's something in this blend I just don't like, though. I don't want to be near the scent. Bleah!

 

Faerygirl: It's a good soap on me. It's watery.

[harmonyfb]

In the imp, this smelled watery and clean.

 

On my skin, it immediately turns to...well...P.inched with Four Aces, without the coffee. I swear I'm not making it up. I've even tried it twice at different times of the month, and it still has that warm, creamy undertone that Pinched does. The only thing missing is the coffee!

 

I have no idea what, if anything, those two scents share. ::boggles:: Isn't skin chemistry weird?

[medvssa]

The sickly sweet smell coming out of the vial got me scared... the pear I guess. Fruit tends to go very wonky on me. But when I put it on, well this one doesn't, the first sniff is true pear! and fresh greenery, with nothing bitter about it, though, it is a very spring-like, very pale, freshly grown greenery. Sweet pea is note I like a lot, but it tends to overpower... not here, it just lends its loveliness, like a faint whiff you get in the breeze.

 

Moist, most of all dewy, but also airy, dreamy, a little sweet. It's heavenly!