High John the Conqueror

[rivki8699]

A fast-acting, powerful scent used to overcome adversity through positive means. Attracts wealth, prestige, good health, and enhances others’ opinions of you. Grants courage and steadfastness.

In the imp: Grape. Sweet grape.

Wet: Wine. Boozy wine. Sickly sweet.

Since the only way I like alcohol is in vodka sauce this is way too boozy on me, and not my thing.

[alliekat13]

It does smell like grape and cherry juice, very sweet, very light. There's also a bit of a light floral scent underneath, it's almost indistinguishable. But I like this scent because it reminds me of something from when I was a kid, I can't place it though, and it feels like it's on the top of my tongue. On my skin it still smells like grape/cherry juice, but something creamy and incensy comes out and I can't figure out what this smell reminds me of, but I like it, and I can't attest to the voodoo properties yet because I haven't worn this out yet. It's good, I like it.

[tinyvulture]

i haven’t yet tested this oil’s ability to attract wealth, but it sure does smell good. like a sweet red lollipop. strawberry or cherry, i can’t quite tell. it kind of reminds me of cherry chapstick, actually. but wait, i smell grape too. like a grape popsicle. there’s a light floral perfume in the background, too. a nice cheerful scent. i’ll wear it to my job where i’m campaigning for a raise, and report back.

[sh1mm3r]

This was an interesting experience when I wore it for the first time yesterday. The scent itself was hardly noticeable on my skin - I had to put my nose right up to my wrist to smell it.

 

BUT - at work I was so productive it was almost scary. And I went over to the main library and stayed 2 hours longer than planned because everyone needed something from me or wanted my opinion on something.

 

I went home exhausted (after getting an oil change, taking a walk, and getting groceries!) and didn't realize until this morning what I had been wearing. So I really think it works. And it doesn't say it won't make you tired.

[zankoku_zen]

In the imp: Grape juicy!

 

On skin: Wet, the most distinctive note is grape juice. It is bubbly and effervescent and immediately it's a mood enhancer. Hard to be somber when you're wearing something to cheerful!

 

After it dries a bit, I get more of the floral undertone.

 

On Drydown: Definitely floral. The grape is gone. There is still a certain amount of fruitiness but I think I smell jasmine. It's a very light, playful sort of floral.

 

Verdict: Most of the Voodoo Blends haven't worked for me... but I think does! It makes me happy. And everyone knows that happiness allows you to work through a number of problems. I was wearing it when I've emailed a number of resumes, so hopefully, it will also help in that aspect.

 

And yes, at the beginning I did get a purple sort of vibe from it... and then it streaked straight into white.

 

ETA: weekend of 5/20/2007

So my husband and I drive up to State College, PA to visit his bestfriend who is living out there and I put on HJC earlier that day. On the drive up, mapquest directions took us OFF the highway and the interstate and into basically back country roads... several of which passed through state parks... at about 10 PM. And let me tell you, I'm usually easily creeped out. Heck, even my husband, who grew up in rural MD and is used to no lamp posts at every 10 feet was feeling mildly creeped out. Me? I was chill as a cucumber. The trees, the darkness, the unknown roads didn't creep me out. I was serene as a clam. That really proved to me that HJC works (even if it was a placebo effect, meaning it worked because I thought it would... but that's okay because fear is a psychological thing anyway).

Edited May 22, 2007 by zankoku_zen

[mspixieears]

So no idea what the scent notes are in this as they are simply not stated! This is a gorgeous, creamy, slightly gourmand fragrance which has hints of light florals and fruitiness. This is unexpected bliss for me and the oil in my imp at least seems thicker than my other imps tried thus far. I think I detect some almond and/or primrose oil notes in this. Overall, a very calming and pleasing experience. I expected something a bit more 'masculine' based purely on the name, silly me!

[smallvoice]

So, I have problems with severe anxiety, and today I started a new quarter at school. Someone kind frimped this to me in a recent swap and while I enjoy the scent, I have faith that the focus of this blend really works for me. I faced my day. The enormity of that is really something I'm unable to express. I know I have to credit myself, but High John deserves some recognition, too. I am seriously contemplating a bottle.

 

On to the scent, very quickly. Lovely, light, fruity and perfect for spring, for me. I love the vague sweetness that lingers on my skin even hours after I (very sparingly) applied, not knowing how it would react on my skin. This is lovely.

[Schnax]

In the imp and upon first application, this smells very grape. It dries down into an unidentifiable floral scent, with the grape note lingering at the top. After about half an hour it smells exactly like fabric softener to me. Mixed with grape bubble gum. Smelling freshly-laundered isn't exactly bad, but not really what I look for in a perfume.

 

As for its efficacy as a voodoo scent, it does seem to work. I applied this yesterday before stepping way outside of my comfort zone. I had to interact with many strangers, and a few musicians who I greatly respect. I found the courage to interact with all of these unfamiliar people, and even make some small talk. This is a huge deal for me. Perhaps it was a placebo effect, but I will try wearing this again when I know I will find myself surrounded by people I don't know very well.

[wyldeflower]

I'm not very good at picking out notes, but I love this oil! To me, it's light grape and hyacinth. I absoluetly love this oil and wear it very frequently because it is so comforting to me. I wear it when I feel like I need emotional strength or when I want others to think well of me.

[Castrensis]

Purple fizzy lifting drink.

 

Turns to a rancid powdery scent on my skin, but it gives me a rash right quick like most fragrances.

 

Maintains the most excellent bottle-scent when worn in a scent locket & (psychosomatic, I say!) I had the most amazing day at work, possibly my best day ever.

 

As a human of the male variety I wasn't certain I could pull it off, but (jesus christ on a cracker!) this stuff just smells good. This has officially been added to my bottle purchase list.

[Naamah_Darling]

Herbal grape with aquatic herbs and light florals.

 

On: honey, grape, and some light flower like lily or jasmine, in about that order of intensity. This is very sweet and slightly herbal, and 100% pleasant-smelling. I like it right away, despite the fact that I don't usually like the Lab's grape because it smells very candylike or candle-y. This smells like candy or candles, but not to excess. It's very cheerful.

 

It's slightly soapy, with no sharp edges. Very appealing and mild, yet distinctive.

[Diana]

wet: oddly sweet. since this is presumably made with high john the conqueror root, it thought it would smell more herbal or earthy.

 

dry: still very sweet. it almost has a suntan lotion kind of aroma to it, oddly enough. i have a high john the conqueror root--it doesn't smell at all like this. it's not a bad scent; to the contrary—i really like it a lot. but this is one that would probably get relegated to perfume (which, yes it is), and not be used for its magical qualities. or i'll wear it and hope for a lot of good luck. heh.

 

i just can't get over the smell and relate it to the actual root enough to use it as anointing oil. but i'll probably get a bottle of this eventually.

[mrsveteran]

In the imp: Grape and honeysuckle/lilac

 

Wet on skin: The lilac/honeysuckle note is getting stronger, and not so much of the fruity grape scent.

 

Drydown: Hm. It seems to be becoming a rather unfortunate synthetic lilac. Very strong. Lovely, but somehow "fake."

 

After an hour: This is a very lovely lilac scent with a bit of nag champa. I think the nag champa is where I'm getting "grape" from, as it always seems to smell a bit fruity to me.

 

Throw: Medium: I can smell it about a foot or so away.

 

Verdict: While I love the scent, it's not one I'll wear very often. I'll keep the imp, but won't be looking for any more ...

[coconutkitten]

Grapes? Seriously.. Where are they? I wanted grapes so bad. So very, very badly. I coveted a nice juicy grape smell. What I got took me forever to figure out.

 

In bottle.. wood.. not normal wood.. wood mixed in with a bunch of herbs... then I applied it and sniffed my arm for an eternity.. trying to place that smell.. Then pop.. it appeared.. it's freaking ginseng. My arm smells like ginseng. Not a bad smell.. just not grape.. the throw is several hours though.. maybe my nose is off, maybe I will smell like grapes to other people.. One can hope.

[n3m3sis42]

I wore this to work today.

 

In the bottle, it smelled like... spicy herbs? I didn't get the grapey smell that everyone else mentioned. After I had it on for 30 minutes or so, it did start to smell a bit more grapey, but I'd still say the herbals were more powerful. This leveled off to a spicy herbal with hints of grape after 45 minutes to an hour, and then seemed to stay more or less the same until 6 or 7 hours later when I noticed that I smelled sort of... floral (but not in a bad way, and I don't always like florals). The smell on its own wasn't anything that wowed me, but it was pleasing enough and not something that seems likely to offend others around me.

 

As for the stated effects, I did notice that I felt almost giddy for the first hour or so after I got to my office. This didn't exactly help me to be more productive, but it did make me feel social, which is something that's much more difficult for me than just managing my workload. I can totally see how this could have the advertised effects under the proper circumstances--there wasn't any real reason for me to need it today, I just liked the idea of it so much I thought I'd test-drive it.

 

I would definitely wear this one again, and I'm going to consider it as a potential big-bottle purchase later, depending on how future test runs turn out.

[aquazoo]

Another one that starts off subtle. Sweet, fruity, foody withouth the way most food scents overwhelm. It feels good, definitely magical. Keep

[alianthe]

Wet - on my man - Extremely sharp, somewhat woody with a hint of citrus. He said he could smell just a dash of hospital cleaner, but I wasn't catching that.

Dry - on my man - His interpretation of the cleaner smell disappeared quite quickly. Dry, it is still somewhat sharp and rather brusque, but also rounder, deeper, rather pleasant. Slightly golden. He felt confident and more awake and self-posessed wearing it.

 

Conclusions - I am still planning to try it on myself (and expand my review), but either way I'm giving him the imp, because it's doing wonders for his confidence level.

[CrazyPretzel]

In the imp: Red grapes and flowers.

 

Wet on me: The flowers amp a little bit - this is a surprisingly feminine scent. The grape-like scent is fruity and syrupy; smells like cassis or some sort of flavoured syrup you'd put in coffee or drizzle over ice cream. Very sweet!

 

After a few minutes: Honeyed florals - maybe honeysuckle. The fruitiness has toned down considerably. Once every few sniffs I pick it up as a wine-like scent - perhaps my nose is just getting slightly numb to it.

 

Drydown: Mild red wine and sweet flowers, like lilac or honeysuckle.

 

A beautiful scent, and one to add to my emergency stash of voodoo pick-me-ups (along with Has No Hanna and Water of Notre Dame)

 

ETA: The more time goes by, the more floral this becomes - now it's making me think of a heavy white flower like gardenia.

Edited September 25, 2007 by Baitu

[Honeygirl]

High John the Conquerer

First impression: That is yummy. Don't know what note that is, but yum!

 

Wet: Strong, but not overly strong, you don't have to stick your nose right up to your wrist to smell it.

 

Dry: Beautiful and green. I'm bad at notes, but this is a lovely green scent. My husband swears it's straight hydrangea. I've never smelled hydrangeas before, but I do get a hint of floral and herbal. Love this, I give it a 4.5 out of 5.

[YoakeNoKami]

Imp: This is a bit weird in the bottle--a strange, sort of musty smell.

On/wet: Yeeagh. Still the weird mustiness, like I got all the way through from Music of Erich Zahn.

Drydown: Strange herbs and florals… wow, I'm not too sure about this one. That musty smell lingers a loooong time on me, and I get very little of the flowers and herbs before it fades, although the final is a beautiful scent. I'm not too sure I can stand it through the drydown, so I'll be passing it on to a friend of mine, as she gets the floral note from it.

[Elizabethm]

How weird!

 

I received an imp of this a few weeks ago.. aged from some nice forum person as a frimp. I loved it lots.. smelt sweet and pleasant and clean. I put it on at work and got.. "oh you smell so pretty!" "Wow you smell great!"

 

Then I received one as a frimp from the lab last week and so I brought the frimp to work with me. The T (boston public transportation) smelt of hoof and ass so I decided I'd put a dab of High John on the back of my hand since it smelt so pretty. So I smear a little on and..... BAM! Vetiver! Evil-ass grossest-smell-ever: vetiver. Right there.. stinking up the entire T.. people looking at me pissed off and my eyes watering. It was red sox rally day for winning the world series so the t was PACKED and I swear I was lucky to get away alive.

 

I don't get it. It's like a monkey got into the lab and somehow went and put vetiver in all the frimps I received lately while the lab employees slept.

Edited October 30, 2007 by Elizabethm

[greymatter]

I don't use oils for their ritual/voodoo uses, so I can't comment as to its efficaciousness insofar as that goes, but I *can* comment on it as a scent. As a scent, it's LOVELY.

 

I got frimped this when I got all the Sephiroth scents about a year ago. Sadly, my imp was decapitated, so HJC and I were not meant to be long-term. But the scent was sweet - grape without being artificial. Just nice, soft, happy. I really, really enjoyed it.

 

Actually, the memory of this scent has stayed with me for quite some time. . . why haven't I hunted down another imp??

[filigree_shadow]

This scent is extremely sweet on me at first. Not teeth-achingly sweet, but almost. Seems like a fruity sweetness for sure rather than a floral sweetness, and I know a lot of people have said it smells like grape, but that's not quite what I'm getting. It's not obvious grape, to me. Smells more like a red berry. Years and years ago I remember there were these little red round kind of squishy candies that had very smooth outsides and the insides were intensely sugary. I don't know what they were called, and I haven't thought of them in years, but when I sniffed this scent I thought of them.

 

There's kind of a smooth prettiness underneath the sweetness, but I have no idea what it is. It seems floral -- not a heady flower but a smooth one. Something like, I don't know... daffodils? Buttercups? Plumeria? It's hard to tell because of the other notes. It's floral but not OMG FLORAL. The fruity/candy sweetness wears off after about 20 minutes and what's left is that soft yellow-smelling floral. I like the dry part better.

[grashopper8]

This is a weird scent!

 

In the imp, it smells sharp, harsh, almost woody or something.

 

On my skin, it morphed into some kind of wildflowery scent. It smells so weird! I can not put my finger on it. Almost lilac - it's a light spring-floral kind of effect.

 

It's like, something you stuck your face into as a child....something blooming in the neighborhood, some kind of wild blossom. Not a classic-perfumey-floral, something a little herbal but a little creamy....my brain is doing backflips inside my skull right now trying to decide what it's smelling.

 

It makes me think of being a kid and I'm not sure why. Maybe I had dolls that smelled like this or something.

 

It is intriguing. I don't know what to make of it. I think I like it. I'm not drawn to it as something I'd use as a perfume, but I understand the gardenia comparison....it's like, if a gardenia was softer, less intense, and just a little herbal.

 

I do not get grape, and I do not get vetiver. All I get is brain scramblies.

 

3.9 out of 5

[prettybird]

I know I've smelled this before, but that's really not surprising to me. I'm having a hard time getting past the "this smells like that one shop on Bourbon Street across from Preservation Hall" sensation to what it actually smells like. Someone up thread said it doesn't have sharp edges, and I completely agree.

 

I don't really like to wear this as a perfume, because it smells like it ought to be an anointing oil. I suppose that's appropriate, though, because it does make an excellent anointing oil- particularly for tarot and road trips (...cause that's a logical combination...).