Black Cat

[Janie]

A very tricky kitty, indeed. Used most often as a key to bringing back the joy one needs to have in life in order for living to feel worthwhile. Brings back a sense of delight in simple pleasures, and creates a surge of childlike curiosity and a youthful sense of fun. This blend can also be used to reverse troublesome lesser crossings, create a playful air of catlike sexuality, and, because cats will be cats, it can also be used to throw minor, irritating or bothersome hexes, causing small amounts of chaos and disruption to your foes.

I don't know why I love wearing Black Cat to bed, but I do.

It's not the rose, because honestly I'm not a huge rose fan. It's darker than just rose.

I just love it. It wears well and it smells great in the morning.

[dreadeddragon]

In the bottle: Strong mint. Not what I would expect from something called Black Cat, but it's a Voodoo Blend, and that's why I got it. I can also smell some woodsy type stuff in it.

 

First on: Another one I already can't find on my arm. Well, at least the mint didn't scream at me like it did when I tried requieminblack's Spooky.

 

Drydown: The mint mostly faded away on me, well actually the whole thing mostly faded away on me. I'm not planning on using it as a perfume anyways, so as long as it does it's job if I need it to I'm happy.

[slave1]

On Bottle: Soap and rose.

 

On Skin: It smells like a rose scented dish soap on me at first. Very clean and fresh. While I don’t like rose or soap scents… part of me wants to keep it and try again and see if it really does all it says. I’m a Leo so I’m half feline and they name appealed to me right away. Now there is a mint note showing through… interesting but not quite me.

[13bodies]

in the imp: Mint, but not any particular mint, just mint with a hint of sweetness beneath it.

 

wet: still the mint, but it alternates with a floral-herbal scent.

 

dry: amazing--it has an "incense-y" scent that smells exactly like my tabby cat. It lasts well, too. I like this.

[tesao]

i'm testing black cat today. i have NO idea if i ordered this imp or if it was a freebie. it's odd.

 

in the bottle, it smelled like that "generic bpal smell", you know, the one that every order from the lab smells like when you first open the box.....

 

on my wrist, wet, it was very incensy. then it dried to be green. herbal. i'm wondering a few things that i haven't checked out yet: a) is this a voodoo blend??? i'm feeling downright SILLY since i put it on and i wonder if this has CATNIP in it?? alexei seems to like it a LOT. it has a lot of throw, too.

 

okay, i just found out that this IS a voodoo blend. there really ought to be some other way of reviewing them....it isn't about the way they smell, or at least it shouldn't be.

 

i've got to admit that this made me downright GIDDY. i was silly, full of nonsense and non-sequiturs. giggly. everything struck me as funny. i had FUN. for no apparent reason. i'm going to say that this oil does what it is SUPPOSED to do. forget that it smelled vile on me. forget that it might smell vile on YOU. buy it for what it is and what it does.

[VelvetSky]

Black Cat is cool, sly, slinky, sleek, mysterious and bewitching. The name fits.

 

This fragrance is minty and soft with some kind of flower underpinning the herbal topnotes. I don't think it's rose, but it is sweet like rose. It seems more aquatic to me, like water lily.

 

I like this one a lot. This smells cool and sophisticated to me.

 

I love the Lab for sending this to me as a gift, as I would never have ordered it. Now I'm thinking I need a bottle.

[lavenderblue]

I got this as a freebie in a swap - its a very strange scent but I think I like it.

 

In the bottle - liquorice with flowers underneath - I am disapointed as I hate liquorice but will persevere.

 

On my skin wet - the liquorice shouts out but there is a softer, floral underneath - I can't put my finger on what floral scent it is but it is lovely

 

Drydown - mmm liquorice fading now, liking this more, it is floral but not overwhelmingly so. The spicey, herbly top layer are seperating clearly...its werid I can bearly smell this as I breath in but its stronger when I breath out - its a mystery scent.

 

AFter a few hours - mmm just the floral left now, i thought lilac notes, its lovely. Am so glad I didn't throw it out after the liquorice incident...

 

A keeper!

[quikslvr]

Minty floral and green grass. Turns soapy-sharp: certainly wakes you up. Soapy-sweet floral again, softer. Probably ok for work.

[emz83]

This scent is quirky as all hell: it's green and yet softly so, it's lemon-y yet it doesn't turn into pinesol on me, it's flowery but I don't think it's the rose that everyone keeps on mentioning 'cause it doesn't change into baby powder...though I smell a floral. If so, this may be one of the only flowerish scents that's worked on me so far. The scent makes me feel mischevious, I love this!

[OriginalWacky]

Bottle (Imp): It smells crisp and clean, but not in an aquatic way.

 

Just On: Pennyroyal?

 

An hour or two later: Kind of minty sweet flowers.

 

Around 6 hours: More flowers than mint now, and it's fading fast.

 

12 hours: It's gone now.

 

Overall: This is a gorgeous scent as a perfume, and I can certainly think of ways to use this in ritual, so it's going to be one I keep at least an imp of. Considering that I have three black cats, I guess it's a good thing I like this one <g>. I have two imps, and there is the slightest difference between them, but not enough that I can't tell it's the same scent.

 

After reading other reviews: Well, if this is rose, then it's one I can wear. This doesn't go soapy (which I don't tend to like) or powdery (which I do tend to like) on my skin. I didn't think it smelled like a cat (of course, I can identify my cats each by scent) and I didn't get much in the way of herbals in this. I'm definitely keeping one imp for working purposes. This goes on the bottle list.

[~AmusedMuse~]

Buttery roses with clean herbal notes. I love it and although I am not sure of any magickal properities I will wear it often and will purchase a bottle at some point although I have so many bottles I want to purchase I not sure when I will be able to get this one, so in the meantime I have to settle for a 2nd imp. A definite must try....

[Anbreen]

This is a naught kitty! It smells herby on ,me, but there are some sexy and subtle notes that I can't quite idetify. Do I smell catnip? And, maybe a touch of civet?

 

ADDED Dec. 16:

 

OK, maybe it's just me. But, I think I smell JUST a hint of the minty and herbal...CATNIP! I like it!

[Hawke]

It had to happen. A scent I can't wear. Such a pity.

 

In the vial: Something faintly floral and a whiff of ... strawberry?

 

Wet: No, the fruit is gone. Instead, a hint of powder. Uhoh, this reminds me of the White Diamond after-bath powder my mother used to wear. I almost want to call this talc and carnation. This may be too fluffy for me.

 

Drydown: More powder and rose now? Something's giving me a headache anyway.

 

Dry: Oh yes. Lots of rose. I'm not a roses sort of person, especially not with the powdery base underneath. This might be nice for someone more feminine or someone older. For me? So very much not. It's actually turning my stomach a little. This one must be swapped.

 

Edit: Four hours or so later, the spot I tried to wash off (this scent sticks to me, too) now smells of a sort of herby floral. No hint of the rose. If I could cut to this scent right away, I'd wear it. Unfortunately the powdery rose middle stage kills it for me.

Edited July 5, 2005 by Hawke

[yeahbutnobut]

Black Cat

 

In the imp: it's floral. Not sure what kind of floral, there may be rose there though.

Wet on skin: hmm. I'm sure there's rose here. It reminds me a bit of Lush's Tisty Tosty! I like this!

Dry on skin: oh, lovely. Dried rose petals and a light floral powdery note that I think could be iris or violet. It's still reminding me of Tisty Tosty, maybe Amondopondo, and also Lucy's Kiss. There may be some lemon or something herbal here too, maybe lavender?

After a while: yup, as can be expected of rose blends and my skin, the rose warms up nicely and becomes rounder and fuller. This is reminiscent of Victorian rose, it has a powdery and traditional feel. There's a tiny little hint of something green and herbal in the background. I'm wondering if there could be catnip in this-I'm not sure what it smells like, but it would be appropriate!

Verdict: this is surprisingly pleasant. If I do use this oil for a purpose, it won't be for hexes and curses (I'm not comfortable with that sort of magic). But the scent is lovely and really rosy-it's perfectly suited for it's more positive aspects and uses-to bring joy and childlike delight and catlike sensuality. It reminds me of the rose in Lucy's Kiss, but in here it's nicer. There's something else in here-it's either iris, lavender, violet or something else that's herbal-maybe catnip. This is a soft, floral, gentle blend that has a powdery aspect, another lovely BPAL rose blend. Not sure if I'll get a bottle yet, but I love this scent and it's feline connotations.

[QueenFae]

A lovely, light pink floral on me. Pink roses extrodinare. There's a faint underlying greeness as well. I like this one a lot, as I'm a big rose fan. I like the idea of what it's supposed to help you accomplish too. Very cool, this will go in my regular impie box.

[LunaDragonGirl]

Frimpy from the lab with my very first order ever. (: And I have three black furbabies myself, so quite appropriate.

 

In The Imp: Spicy, herby, dark,dark green almost turning black is the colour I smell. There is a note I can't place that I want to say is akin to licorice...but it's more like a really good hard alchohol...like scotch...it has a derinite edge to it.

 

Wet: Toning down immediately. I can BARELY get whiffs of the floral people are talking about, hiding behind the spicy/herby/green bits.

 

Drydown: For a few seconds, it is as if a giant red rose got squished under a large damp chunk of cedar wood. Wow. The colour is changing from dark, dark green to an almost warm wooden brown. Almost like a chunk of reddish cedar. I'm getting the incensey cedar scent on top of a rather nice floral/rose scent.

 

This one is quite the morphing smellie. Not quite something I want to keep around for wearing much though. Might get a bottle for ritual purposes however...as I like how I'm feeling as this scent goes into drydown.

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 1/5

Rating (efficacy): N/A

Summarised in a word or two: Soap.

 

In the imp/bottle: Decidedly medicinal; herbal, with an undertone of mint.

 

On skin, wet: Mint, something herbal, and... lotus? I'd swear there was lotus in this.

 

On skin, dry: Grassy, green, herbal soap. Soapy to the point of expecting it to foam any minute now.

 

Conclusion: The mint and herbal note(s) was/were promising, but the lotus ruined it for me. I didn't use it for any of its Voodoo properties.

Edited January 12, 2006 by Aredhel

[Blueelm]

This was my first BPAL purchase. I ordered it as a multiple use oil, to bring a little playful fun into my life. Love it for a functional oil, but I love this scent just as a perfume too. For me, it makes a great scent for evenings out.

 

It's very strong, herbacious, and damp. This is so unique in a floral. There is a heady floral, but it's well tempered with lush green and woody scents. I love the mintyness. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought of catnip.

 

Wet grass and leaves, wood chips, potpourri, and something musky and sensual.

 

Love love love!

[Rackham's Vanity]

This is such an odd little scent, but I am wildly drawn to it.

 

It goes on minty, but not in a breath-mint way...it's more of a garden-mint scent. The mint is decidedly herbal, without any sweetness to it.

 

Then, and rather quickly, it morphs into the oddest scent...I haven't any idea what note charges to the forefront, but it really does for all the world smell like a cat. It smells like warm kitty ears just after they were bathed by paw and tongue.

 

I can't describe the drydown any other way. And it's not offensive to my nose...in fact I find it somewhat comforting, being far away from my own kitties at the moment.

 

Amazing. It's a baffling scent, but I love it.

[Galena]

okay. I'm a dog person, not a cat person.

 

I like this, it's lovely and clean for hot weather, without being cold, or too faint.

 

I get a sagey sort of mint, not like peppermint or spearmint. this is catnip, and sage and maybe a teensy of Rosemary. melissa without the lemon.

 

and rose, but a herbal rose, rather than floral. closer to Geranium or Clary Sage.

[HoneyHoneyNY]

I got this in a swap. I was kind of leery of it because there were no notes listed, but very curious.

 

In the imp this smells like unsweetened mint tea. I totally agree with the catnip assessment.

 

On my skin it's still minty, but now I'm getting a bloom of rose, and something else, cedar I think. Something woody. This is a very dry scent, but the rose keeps it from being harsh.

 

As it dries the mintiness fades, the rose steps gracefully into the background, and the scent gets more earthy. I'm starting to see how this scent could be sensual. It's still woody, but not in a masculine way, it's deep and velvety, with a slight spiciness underneath.

 

This one was another surprise for me. I didn't think I'd like this at all when I first sniffed it, but on my skin it became very appealing. I can't stop sniffing my wrist trying to pick apart what I like about it. It doesn't smell like my skin, but it sits well with my chemistry. I think it likes me! For that reason alone, I have to keep it.

 

ETA: After it was on me for a few hours, it made me think of a softer, earthier, Rakshasa. Not so overtly floral, but in the same mode.

Edited September 8, 2005 by HoneyHoneyNY

[sookster]

oooh...lovely!!

green and minty and floral combo!! this one is liking me so far!!

after awhile the scent turns into this lovely spicey mixture...astounding!!

strong and long lasting....as with all the voodoo blends i have tried thus

far......very nice indeed

[AngelFireHeart]

Black Cat – Out of the bottle this is a mainly sweet, minty scent, a little like those soft mints that you can buy, with just a hint of woodiness & musk. On my skin at first this smells just like the soft mints, then after a couple of minutes the musky woods come through more & the mint starts to recede a bit. Now this scent has turned just the tiniest bit floral as well. After about 5 minutes the mint has all but completely faded out, leaving just a slight edge to the scent. After 30 minutes sadly this has now turned quite powdery on me.

[Blood onmy hands]

Black Cat is most definitely a shapeshifter on me. I think I love it most in its first stage. It smells like I took a handful of herbs and green mint leaves and crushed them in my palm. Very refreshing and lovely.

 

In the drydown it starts to smell like sweet rose soap and musk. I don't like musk and for a while I feared that this would give me a headache. Then the musk fades away again and the mint creeps back in. Like sweet roses growing in a patch of mint leaves. It's odd and I don't know if I'd wear this frequently, but I want to test my imp a few more times.

 

Sadly, I'm not getting any civet out of this and I actually like civet.

[Nadirah]

Black Cat brings to mind blooming Datura flowers. Theres an occasional waft of Anise, but it only shows its face during the first stage while wearing this oil. It does make me in a cheery mood and I feel playful. Its definatly something to keep around for when times are stressed and you just need that little pick me up.