Katharina

[leahcat]

Katharina

 

A strong, willful blend with a soft, utterly lovely soul: white musk with a trickle of bright, sharp apricot and orange blossom.

 

in the bottle: ...ack! this smells JUST like my apricot single note. Would have been nice to know there was a cheap (and not discontinued) substitute! Let’s see what it does....

wet: apricot, check. Something else is in there though ... musk, yes I can get that now. White musk is definitely lighter and easier to tolerate. A few more sniffs and it’s smelling more blossom like and not just straight dried apricots. Still, very similar to the SN. *mutters*

drying/5 minutes: I’m getting more musk as this dries and/or interacts with my skin chemistry. Rather nice, actually.

dry: Now it’s musky and orange without quite the apricot over-kill. This is one I’ll do more all-day testing on later.

[helarctos]

Like Shakespeare's shrew, this lady must be an acquired taste. Katharina in the vial and on my skin smells sharp and powdery. The powdery note has something of the character of the rind of a dry/hard cheese. Beneath this a strong fruit note shouts for attention.

 

Sadly, it just doesn't work on me.

[pekeana]

At first, Katharina is all apricot. After a while, it loses some of the sticky-sweet aspect and I can smell the orange blossom. Much later, it's all orange blossom and musk. Once in a very long while, I can smell a touch of sweet, sticky apricot.

 

This is definitely one of the most mature of the peach/apricot BPAL blends for me -- it's warm and rich without being powdery or overly sweet.

[Tesseljoan]

Katharina is all apricot on my skin. Later on, I detect some of the white musk, but it's not more then a breath. I find apricot a bit sickly sweet, so I'm not sure if I'll wear this often.

[theshapeshifter]

I had high hopes for the apricot in Katharina, but alas, 'twas not to be. Something about the combination of the apricot with the white musk gave me a strange tropical, almost 'pina colada' scent on my skin. And alas, pina colada is a scent with which I am not on speaking terms.

 

I had to wash it off straight away, but fortunately I already have a welcoming home lined up for the imp.

[yellowrose]

In the bottle: cherry-apricot with a hint of cough syrup.

 

Keep sniffing.

 

Wet: Interesting, but seems to be a scent more for a young woman (teen). Would have thought the musk would have made it headier. Cheery scent. Young and vibrant. Reminiscent of apricot stilton at times. Bit of orange peeks out now and again as it dries.

 

I'm having difficulties with this because I'm not feeling like what this scent is projecting: bright, sunny, and cheerful.

[Eris]

I was excited for this one, as I am a fan of both Katharina herself and the whole peach/apricot family. So, when I got it as a frimp, I was like, "Ah, bonus."

 

When first applied, I get a perfectly balanced apricot scent, not too strong or too light. I think there's a little of the orange blossom there as well. It reminds me a lot of Tamora in this phase, albeit a little less creamy. As Katharina dries, the true difference comes out. I think Tamora's vanilla holds its peachiness to my skin better. Katharina's apricot fades quickly, and the musk is too thin on me to be particularly noticeable. This would take a lot of reapplying, I think.

 

In the final verdict, the opening note is quite nice, but it doesn't last long enough on me. I'll stick to Tamora for my peachy/apricot fix.

[JazzieCazzie]

Received as an extra from a lovely forumite in a swap ...

 

BOTTLE: This is as far as I got. I didn't even open the imp, because a tiny bit had leaked and got on my fingers right away.

 

APRICOTAPRICOTAPRICOTAPRICOT. Waaaaaaaaaaaaay too much for me. I actually rather like apricot but this was just far too sticky sweet. I couldn't even deal with opening the bottle, no less trying it on.

 

Safe to say I'd give it a 1.

[quikslvr]

Applied only a light dab here. Beautiful soft apricot, right from the start. I'm loving it already. Very well balanced between the distilled flesh of a dried apricot and the very touch of the fully ripe fruit. Too ripe probably would've done it in for me. The musk tempers the bite of the fruit well.

 

Unlike others who find this a young scent, this one (as long as it's applied in moderation) speaks more of a sophisticate to me. It bespeaks strength, but fun playfulness, too.

 

On me it gets a bit stronger/more pointed, believe it or not, as it dries. Then the soft blossom emerges. Lovely. Oh, and the musk comes out at the tail end. Beautiful.

 

This is so beautiful. Work safe, too.

Edited June 29, 2005 by quikslvr

[Muppetk]

In the imp: sweet citrus, nice

 

Wet on me: GAG! SWEET! TOO SWEET! The same way that Jailbait was like in the imp.

 

Drying: Apricot with a hint of orange.

 

Dry: Fruit curse strikes again! Nada after 3 minutes. Why do I bother with anything with a fruit note?

[pensive]

If it were not for t3andcrumpets consistently going ON about this scent the last week or so, I wouldn't have been desperate to try it.

 

Oddly enough, as I ordered an imp, what shows up the next day as a frimp! I think I was meant to try it.

 

In the imp: Oh baby, lucious apricots.

On me, wet: Drizzled apricot syrup. I want to gnaw my wrist.

On me, dry: Stays put and doesn't get overbearing.

Lasting power: Not too bad. Would last longer over some lotion I think.

Impression: I'm almost afraid to wear this - bugs, okay. Summer means bugs around here. But I really really want to.

Verdict: This does for me what I was hoping Yerevan would do, and lasts longer, to boot.

[telesilla]

I added this to the wish list after liking Swank so much and wanting to try more of the fruity blends.

 

In the bottle and wet: Mostly I'm getting apricot here; the same apricot that's in March Hare.

 

Drying down: The orange blossom is coming up now but it's not as thickly overwhelming as orange blossoms can sometimes be. And there's still a lot of apricot happening.

 

Dry, later: It's lighter and sweeter than March Hare. I'm still not getting any actual musk, but I suspect the musk is toning down both the apricot and the orange blossom. I think I like March Hare better, but I'll make that call when I try March Hare again and review it.

[OriginalWacky]

Bottle (Imp): Sweet, maybe a hint of fruitiness.

 

Just On: Sweet fruit.

 

An hour or two later: Fruit. A blend of fruits.

 

Around 6 hours: Faint fruitiness.

 

12 hours: It's all gone.

 

Overall: I really like this one.

 

After reading other reviews: I don't get girly or teenager-ish out of this at all. This is a scent for a woman who is looking for someone who wants to take a bite, or maybe just a nip. She's secure enough to wear what she wants, when she wants, and is feeling coquettish.

[StormtrooperPrincess]

This brings to mind eating fresh apricots (or peaches, or any juicy fruit) outside on a beautiful day with someone you're interested in, playfully licking the nector off of your fingers—or perhaps their chin. Very lighthearted and playful yet in control of the situation. I agree with heartbeastabout this being the Katharina from the end of the play, mischevious & sassy as opposed to bitchy & shrewish.

 

Definately a "young at heart" kind of scent, and something I'm going to include on my work scents list.

[Brianne]

In the bottle:

A rather sharp combonation of apricot and floral orange

 

On me:

Oh wow. This is glorious! I have to admit that I wanted to try an imp of this for the sake of trying it, but honestly I had no expectations of liking it. I thought I'd probably feel pretty "meh" about it because of the apricot and orange blossom. But this just goes to show that a) there's just no telling what you're gonna like when it comes to Beth blends and I'm a musk girl.

This goes on pretty fruity when it's wet, but as it dries down that apricot is wonderfully tart and juicy, but not really sweet. This makes me think of tea, even though it doesn't have a particularly "tea" like scent to it. I definitely get a flavored tea vibe from it. The longer this dries, the more I love it. In the long run, this becomes a fruity, sparkling, warm musk.

 

Final note:

Don't be discouraged by the apricot if you're not a big fan of fruity scents. You just might like it anyways, like I did! I adore this, I'm definitely getting a bottle.

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 2/5

Summarised in a word or two: Strange.

 

In the imp/bottle: Apricot! Warm, sweet apricot.

 

On skin, wet: Orange blossom and apricot. Sweet, but a bit musky. I love orange blossom, and I don't dislike apricot, but I don't think I care for the combination of them.

 

On skin, dry: I might like this a bit more if the apricot were sweeter. On drydown, the apricot is tart and bitter, which doesn't compliment the sweet and floral orange blossom very well.

 

Conclusion: Very strange.

Edited December 17, 2005 by Aredhel

[olympia301]

I liked this one a lot, and I will admit that I am a sucker for the Lab's treatment of apricots and peachy scents. It reminds me of Fae or Aglaea, especially Aglaea because it does have a sort of herby part in the background. Sad to say that I like Aglaea better, and ditto for Fae (whick is much sweeter). I think if I had smelled Katharina first, I might not be feeling this way but, alas, I do. So, it's off to the swaps to see if Katharina can find a newbie who really really loves her. Shouldn't be too hard, she is actually a real doll underneath it all.

[Serrated_Angel]

When wet, I can smell the warm, sweet, soft undertone of the white musk with an icing of clear, juicy, crisp apricot taking the fore. I really enjoyed the dichotomy, but as it reached drydown the apricot mellowed greatly. When I say mellow, the fruity overtone merely assimliated into the gentle warmth of the musk. I'm not familiar with orange blossom, but the scent isn't pure apricot anymore. I will say that in my mind's eye, this scent is a pale (but not fragile) light orange, or even a coral color.

 

Overall this is one of the more accurate descriptions I've come across, and while it isn't overbearing or screeching as her namesake could be, I'll say I love it very much the way it is. I might be getting a 5 or even a 10, because my roomate adores it.

[ScrimHazard]

In the bottle: screaming apricot...barely ripe.

 

Wet: apricot and white musk. Apricot begins to ripen.

 

Dry: Perfect blend of all three notes. While I'm more of a green girl, this really evokes comforting feeling for me. I think I'd like to buy a 10ml to use to make conditioners and lotions with.

 

I feel very nostalgic when I wear this. I must have had something similar as a small child that my mom would use on me.

 

I am delighted.

[joseybird]

This isn't the Kool-Aid apricot I smell in Tamora and March Hare; rather, it smells like apricot or peach gummies (it might be the orange blossom calming things down...?)!! The white musk gives this a lovely soft edge, too My fave of all the peach/apricot scents, this is bright and bubbly without smelling like sugary juice

[absinthe21]

juicy sexy fruit all the way! this is such a well rounded scent, it smells even better when it's been on my skin for awhile. Love this oil!!

[rellyjean]

In the imp: Peach, sparkly.

 

On, wet: Oooooh! It's a sharp peach, and something's keeping it high and tangy. Not too sweet, nice and crisp.

 

Drydown: There's - musk I think??? - coming out to play with me. Teasing a bit. Making it all a bit warmer and rounder.

 

Oooookay, I checked the notes, and that's an apricot, not a peach. Oops.

 

Hour or so in: Just as I was starting to think the apricot was too shrill on its own, the musk comes out in full force. I adore white musk.

 

Later: White musk with the tang of the apricots hanging around. The musk is taking center stage.

 

Lovely. Not one of my all-time favorites, and there's an odd patch where the apricot is too dominant, but it's gorgeous all the same.

[rrain]

I have finally found my first "Where have you been all my life?!" scent!

 

From start to finish (and it does last a fair while) it's a delicious balance of apricot and musk - at first more apricot than musk, at the end more musk than apricot, but always both present and balancing one another out. The orange blossom, while it does peek out from time to time, really just adds something to the blend, it doesn't change the interaction between the apricot-musk duo.

 

It's not a complex scent but I don't think it's meant to be - the musk keeps it from being particularly girly, the apricot gives it a pleasant sweetness. Just perfect.

[theseagrows]

i had a feeling i wouldn't like this one, but figured i'd try it anyway. it was mostly apricot on me, and far too sickly sweet. had the musk been more prominent, and the apricot the subtlest note, i think this may have worked for me.

[Ajila]

Wet on me this was fizzy (which is how I seem to smell white musk) apricots, it particular it seems to have the slightly earthy edge of the apricot peel. Dry on me this is the same as it is when wet. I like this, but it doesn't last very long at all, oh well it's pretty whilst it lasts.