Black Cat

[aedes]

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.

What a quirky little scent! And how odd that everyone's reviews are different. I guess that's what happens when no components are listed!

In the imp: "Mm! Chocolate and Mint! Smells like a Girl Scout cookie"
On: the mint is still strong, but there are spices, resins, or musks; darker things behind it. It definitely has some sinus-clearing powers, like a really good herbal cough drop. Warms and darkens a little as it dries (as pretty much all BPAL scents I like do on me, for some reason), which balances out the mint a little more, which is a good thing. I'm pretty sure there's a musk in here, as my skin usually amps that stuff.

I just have to say that this is one of the many scents that make me LOVE the lab. Nowere else could you find a perfume that smells like this. I mean nowhere. It's definitely unique and I think I like it more the longer it stays on me.

This would probably be good as an all-seasons scent. The mint (or eucalyptus or pennyroyal or whatever it is!) would clear you up in the winter and warm you up with the base notes. In the summer the mint element would be cooling, but the base notes aren't so heady as to feel gross in warm weather. And it has enough playfulness and quirkyness to be fun for the transition seasons, too.

[donsixgun]

I know this is more for a purpose than to smell nice, but the soapy smell I got wont let me keep it on long enough to see if it can serve a purpose.

[Yvaine]

Out of the bottle, I was not in love with this scent. It was good but too astringent. I put it on, and it didn't change too much, but somehow it mellowed. The astringency was gone and the good remained. It was still sharp, but in a much better way. The background notes stayed where they were, wafting micheif out into the ether.

 

The best part however, is that it seemed to work. I put it on to test when I knew I was going to encounter someone unpleasant. Sure enough, just after I walked by she tripped and fell and then I immediately met the most interesting person to chat with while I had to wait for my bus. I am so buying a big bottle.

[roesmoker]

I did not like Black Cat at all! In terms of fragrance, it was OK but I didn't love it - rosy/minty, sort of like a weaker version of Venus. But in terms of effect, I think it brought ME bad luck… I was irritated and hassled by countless small annoyances all day both times I tried it!

[Lori]

I had 3 of these imps, two were from swaps and then I got a lab freebie! (thank you!) :-) I swapped one away and donated the other to an auction, but tonight I found myself wanting more than the one imp as I feel I may use this up quicker than I thought and am lamenting the 8 weeks it will take to get a bottle.

 

I think that I figured I didn't need that much, as I already have the catlike sexuality and the childlike curiosity in spades, that it is supposed to invoke. Plus, I do tend to lean toward experiencing a joyful life and remind myself that pain is optional.

 

And up till now, the only person I wanted to put a hex on was my obnoxious neighbours (though I have refrained from doing so.)

 

I don't always wear the Voodoo oils, but tonight I am, and it is invoking memories of my black cat, Sebastian, lying in my lap, giving himself a bath and then purring till he falls asleep. That is joy being invoked right there and reminding me that pets do make living worthwhile. And that I need another one, NOW!

 

There we are. The power of a drop is quite enough, and so I will use each drop to my advantage. But I am ordering a big bottle of this, to go along with the other big bottles that I am collecting of the Voodoo Blends. I can't say enough how much I love these blends, and even if none of the perfume scents worked out for me, and even though there seem to be hurtful people involved in the BPAL community, finding these scents made finding BPAL totally worthwhile to me!

Edited September 30, 2005 by Lori

[girlmadasbirds]

hmm...i smell something floral like rose or maybe lilac... something sweet.... and licorice.

it seems like a very playful scent. i'm not sure i'd ever really wear it for the scent, but we'll see how it works.

[carolinachiquita]

I've smelt this before - it is really familiar to me but I really don't know why!! I get the rose smell and I get a minty but not cool smell with it as well. Its really nice but I didn't excpect to like it...As it is I'm convincing myself that I don't need a 5ml of this as I can't stop smelling my wrist. Divine!

[youhavenoidea]

In the bottle: Sweet floral, like a blushing rose with a hint of mint that took me by surprise.

 

On my skin: The mint disappeared quickly. It was rosey almost instantaneously.

 

On my skin dry: This one stuck with me all day. I was wearing a wool sweater when I first tried it, so I think it sucked into the sweater a bit. It was soft and sweet all day long and cheered me up every time I pulled my sweater up over my face. This seems to be a trend for me lately, rosey scents that is. The rose tends to overpower most of the other notes on my skin.

 

Overall: I liked it, but it wasn't anything like what I expected. I'll be trying it at different times of the month in an attempt to pull the minty notes out more.

 

Edit: It is remotely possible that I'm allergic to a component (possibly eucalyptus, which I know I'm allergic to) in this scent. The spot where I placed it turned red, however it wasn't terribly irritated. It was bearable, but I'd probably wear it on clothes rather than on my skin if that's the case.

Edited October 13, 2005 by youhavenoidea

[olympia301]

 

Yesterday I finally got around to trying Black Cat. I was in a pissy mood. I had (as usual) just gotten screwed in the art world (peeps, art sucks, go in for something like plumbing or electrical work, dig?) anyway I was simmering and heading for full boil. I tried Black Cat and really loved the almost licorice smell I was getting. It was so pleasant and it physically lifted me out of my doldrums. Really. Within 60 seconds I was saying things like "I don't care if that gallery owner screwed me again, I have better things I can do than worry about that!"

 

I am going to try it out with a hex. Never threw one of those before but I think it's time to take this kitty witch out on a road trip.

 

As for how it smells, I second the possible dill. There is something volatile in here and it's not simple mint or eucalyptus. Rose, yes I think there is. It is unique, could be seen as a bit of candy like component to it. Really pretty. Now all I have to do is figure out how to cast a minor hex and I am in business.

[SeaMonkey]

It smells of chocolate mint in the vial.

 

On the skin:

 

It starts out minty, maybe eucalyptus.

 

Then it dries and the roses come out.

 

Mostly roses, but still with the mintyness in the background

 

Go away roses! There is something volatile in this. Its starting to smell like pickles. It keeps morphing. Its becoming pretty faint now.

 

Trying this was a bizarre experience

[emzebel]

I first wore Black Cat on a day a while back when I generally wanted to give myself a boost and bring some goodness into my life - it was the sort of day when you just need some help getting through.

 

The scent itself doesn't appeal to me overmuch - I definitely do not get chocolate mint out of this - more of a soapy herbal scent that is common through a lot of the voodoo and TAL blends that I've tried. It is not the best smelling perfume for me, but it rounds out to a nice enough herbal, non-floral smell that is not unpleasant to the nose and that can blend with other things that I like more from a purely aesthetic sense.

 

Because Black Cat is a working kitty in my collection - every time I have worn her, I have been...cheerful. Not in a zoMYGODTHEWORLDISFABULOUS sort of way, out in a getting joy out of simple pleasures sort of way, which I believe is the point.

 

Which reminds me, I should really get a bottle of this, so that I wil actually *wear* it.

[BlackDahlia]

I am going through a rather rough patch in my life, just now...

so, just from the description ~ I wanted to give this one a go.

 

From the Imp ~ I smell roses... and something that has a rather musky scent to it. It smells like a fresh, clean scent. (Not like other musk-y musks...)

 

Wet ~ more roses. Very nice. Crisp, refreshing... like a walk through a park in England.

 

On the dry down ~ Roses and Powder. I like powder... so this is not a problem for me. I think it gives the roses a little bit of a vintage aroma.

 

Very nice fragrance.

Hopefully it brings joy back into my life ~ or at least opens me back up to it... and an outgoing hex or two on the side would be a definite plus.

Edited December 31, 2005 by BlackDahlia

[blu°]

It's been some time since I tried Black Cat which to me was a very soapy floral & voodoo herbish scent.

 

After reading the reviews I tried again and I wasn't quite sure but thought, that, as all I perceived was a soapy chaos, there might be rose and may be dill in it.

 

However, some weeks ago a friend of mine tried Black Cat from my imp, sniffed her wrist and said "Hmm, lilac!".

 

Though I know what lilacs are and have seen many, their scent never caught my attention, and I wouldn't be able to tell if, what it smelled like on her, was lilacs.

 

It sure was a pretty floral, though.

 

Fresh, pure and glowing the way that sometimes floral scents, when turning beautiful, can feel like drops of water look.

[couscous]

Thank you so much , Sookster! This scent is SO much fun.

 

Wet, it's rose, something minty, and something pickled and mildly salty. No, it's not gross, no matter how that sounds! It's tangy, minty, rosey. Chaotic but great.

 

The rose comes out more and more as it first hits the skin, which worried me greatly (roses are often bad on me), but then it turns into...Ivory soap!!

 

I swear to you. This is Ivory soap. Or maybe Irish Spring. Some commercial soap. It's got a sharp, bracing cleanliness.

 

As it dries down, the rose comes out again for one last ride, but she's VERY well behaved, and, as the entire scent itself is on the light side, she never becomes offensive or overpowering. The rose adds an element of grace to the soap, in fact, making it...high end soap.

 

Now, some of you may think that Ivory soap is a terrible thing in perfume, but i think it's great. The scent is cheeky and refreshing and completely unexpected, and after a good week of incense and vanilla, this is great for shocking your nose and wiping the slate clean.

 

I love Black Cat

Edited January 7, 2006 by couscous

[crescentwench]

in the bottle: um..not sure, a sharp smell, but not unpleasant

 

on me: still sharp, but warm, and definately animalistic, but not icky like civet.

I got no roses (thank god!) and it had a decent throw.

 

effects: i definately felt a little perkier and more playful, as i had been having a mopey day. I would what effect it would have if i was already perky....

 

overall: i really like the scent and would consider a 5ml. I think it's one of the Voodoos i'd actually use on a regular basis.

[Prolixity]

In the bottle: Light, clean cedar. Mint? If that's mint, it's really faint. Catnip, maybe! It has that dried-herb smell. I think I smell musk, too, faintly. Clean and woody and almost soapy. Lemony soapy.

Wet on skin: Cedar & patchouli. Definitely a hint of mint. Not candy-mint; this is dried mint leaves, vegetative and soft. Distinctly soapy now.

Dry on skin: Sweet and utterly clean, herbal and woody and spicy. The musk is faint, but it points up how absolutely clean the rest of the scent smells/feels.

Over time: Sweet-sharp-herbal. Vetiver, maybe? Sharp and gold and clean. The musky, patchouli scent is coming up, but not in a way that makes me feel dirty. I smell like hippie soap.

Overall: Oh, I like this. Requesting it was a gamble based on my personal interest in cats and curiosity as to what that description would smell like. I was a little apprehensive, since the person who gave it to me said it hated him and I had no idea what it would smell like, but on me it's clean and playful and lovely. A solid 4/5.

 

I'm not getting the rose out of this that other people are, how odd! I guess it just goes to show how different a scent can be on different people.

 

[edit] Right after I posted this, I walked down the hallway to put the imp away, walked back to my computer to sit back down, sniffed myself again, and *fwip!* Roses! *fwip* Oh hey, back to soap and no roses. WTF? Black Cat's chasing its tail!

Edited January 26, 2006 by Prolixity

[seamor]

Uhhhh….herby cinnamony citrusy?. It’s hard to pick out individual notes. Oh! Is that some peppermint? Yes, definitely peppermint coming out now. (Wow, I was very tired and I immediately feel better playing with this scent.) Now something sweet is coming through, peppermint receding. Sort of amber-ish now, still with that something sweet. Changing by the second. Something new I can’t quite put my finger on...

 

I have no idea how to describe this. It has definitely perked me up, though.

 

Oops! There it goes again – now there’s something “perfumey” (like the perfume aisle in the WalMart.) coming out over the other scent, just for a moment. And now there’s more peppermint…and Oh! I think that sweet one is honey! And it keeps cycling – peppermint, honey, incense, fruity amber, clean linen. Getting kind of powdery now... Is it settling at last?

 

No! Citrus beginning to come through again…what’s next? Baby powder, the perfume aisle, clean laundry…. This has been going on for more than an hour now, and there hasn’t been a facet that I don’t like. I haven't smelled the rose that others have reported ... yet.

 

This blend really wants to play,

I could wear it every day!

I would love it every time,

Even though it makes me rhyme.

 

(Oh, dear! Aaacckk!

A Dr. Seuss attack!)

 

I have never considered that I might need a 10 ml bottle of anything before, but I am thinking about it now. Too much fun!

 

 

Two hours later, this has settled down to a perfect ambery incense with just a hint of spicy peach throw. Yum!

 

Three hours later, mostly gone. A faint clean, soapy floral still on my wrists. It didn't last long, but what a great pick-me-up!

 

Edited February 1, 2006 by celtimor

[jewelbug]

 

Imp: A crushed green smell. I want to say lime, white rose and a sorta spicy (like anise spice, but not) herbal. Fennel?

 

Wet: This goes on extremely faint, despite having slathered a bit more than normal. Right now its faint rose.

 

Drying: Luckily, as this dries it gets stronger: rose, earth (a dry dusty smell), and a bitter green note. No hint of spice that others have mentioned.

Dry: Ahh, a fennel and rose combo, complete with dry potting soil and a twist of lime. This doesn't go soapy on me like most rose blends. It’s a very GREEN scent. There is even something reminiscent of violet--that quality of very green herbal.

 

Late dry (about 4 hrs): A beautiful non-assuming pale rose scent. Just a tiny hint of the herbals/spice citrus that was there before. Its fading fast by this point, but then, I did go out and shovel 15 inches of snow off 2 cars while wearing it, so I was just a tiny bit sweaty.

 

Overall: A lovely green herbal/spiced rose that is sweet and STAYS rose, instead of soapy. Were I ever to want a rose scent, this would be a very strong contender. I'll hold onto this imp for a bit longer.

Edited February 19, 2006 by jewelbug

[PirateMaggie]

At first, this does the usual unpleasant soapy-powdery rose morph on me, but it isn't overpowering. I wore this with Has No Hanna, which covered the worst of the dread rose bathroom deodorizer effect (and weirdly, smelled like nice roses) while it settled down. A little dab of this goes a long way for its intended use and the throw isn't terribly strong, so if the scent doesn't work for you then layering with something that does should help. After a couple of hours the air freshener smell morphs again into floral shampoo--still soapy, but not unpleasant. There is a hint of mint in this, which I didn't smell as much as feel that nice menthol tingle on my skin when I applied it.

 

I bought Black Cat for its described use rather than its smell, and if today is any indication, this is a very effective kitty. I wore it to work because I knew that a supervisor would be on duty with whom I and pretty much everyone else on my shift have had a personality conflict since he came to our division. As it turned out, I got to go out in the field while he stayed inside doing administrative duties, and apparently he kept having to deal with minor bureaucratic annoyances all evening which kept him too busy to annoy, threaten, or micro-manage any of us. Yay Black Cat, and yay Lab for delivering as promised!

 

edited to add: This got all over my bra, on which it smells completely different than it did on my skin. On my bra it smells like fresh pink tea roses with mint and cinnamon. I think I'll have to experiment to see if Black Cat is as effective applied to hair and clothing as to skin, because on my clothing it truly smells wonderful: herbal-floral and warm-yet-refreshing, without even a hint of soap or air freshener.

Edited February 19, 2006 by PirateMaggie

[shirasade]

Got this in a swap (my very first one).

 

Imp: Hard to describe. Something very sharp, biting, with an underlying spiciness.

 

Wet: Applied carefully, but it's still very strong. I'm still unable to pick out ingredients, but on me it smells like a spicy bathroom cleaner.

 

Dry: Dries a bit less pungent, more herbal, but still spicy. Finally I can smell the rose peeking out. Quite a throwing power.

 

Overall impression: Definitely not for me, although it's an intriguing scent.

[Neely]

I have had a review of this on paper and I thought I put it down already, guess not. Here goes:

 

In the bottle: fresh mint.

 

Dry down: mint that has taken on a musty tone.

 

30 minutes: this turns lemony fresh, not Pledge, but citrus and clean.

 

Conclusion: nice, fresh, clean smelling. I wouldn't wear this as an everyday fragrance, but for magical purposes, yes.

 

Rating 1-5 on my skin, this is a 3.5.

[littletingoddess]

This just doesn't work on my skin. It's a floral scent... it's difficult for me to pick out specific notes. It does give me a headache, though, and on my skin, it smells like the scent that's used on deoderant feminine hygiene products. I'm bummed... I love cats, and loved the idea behind this one.

[Diva Urd]

This one is definitely interesting from an olfactory standpoint. I also get roses and this faint dill smell, which thankfully never completely hijacks the scent. I also think I smell... catnip? How appropriate, and my kitty loves it!

 

As for the effect... I don't know, this one did not have much of an effect on me. I might have felt a bit more, well, youthful upon wearing it, but it wasn't a significant experience in my book. "Wolf's Heart" does a lot more for me than this one.

[Nekomata]

Wet it's minty and almost too sweet, on my wrists however it turns powdery and smells just like plain Dove soap. Nice, clean scent. I think I like it but I'm not sure.

[iroj_e]

My best friend ordered me an imp of the Black Cat as she thought the description fitting of something I'd enjoy having around and in great need of.

 

I couldn't be happier with this scent. To my nose Black Cat is a blend of fresh mint and a creamy rose. The mint mellows quite a bit after the initial awakening blast, that is rather joyous indeed, and the scent becomes very round and creamy on me. I recall something from my childhood, like a cold cream or lotion my grandmother once wore. (yes, evoking the childhood memories) It's feminine, clean, and soft yet there is a slight mysterious edge there which makes the name suitable yet deceptive at the same time.

 

This scent is camling and invigorating at the same time. I'm drawn to it's strange marriage of two contrasting vibes...

 

Can't wait to explore it further.