Cheshire Cat

[Effluvia]

Grapefruit, red currant, dark musk, Roman chamomile, delphinium, and lavender.

in the vial: Ooooh, yummy! This smells like ruby red grapefruit with sugar and something else fruity, slightly herbally and very yummy...maybe a wee bit boozy. Bright yellows, magentas and purples, with green bits. Very groovy, indeed.

on my skin: Sweet and herbally and fruity and bright. Hallucinatory. DREAMY. Very dreamy. This reminds me of a cartoony, surrealist Oneroi in some ways, probably because of the lavender link. I also smell sweet chamomile tea. (Eeee!) There's just enough eerie darkness about this to keep me into it.

This is hitting a happy part of my brain. This captures The Cheshire Cat perfectly for me. I totally dig it.

[AnnetteL]

At first this is strong grapefruit - sour, not sweet. After a few minutes it starts to allow the other notes through, and they form a very fresh, clean undertone. Sort of like soap, without the soapiness - by which I mean it has a hint of cleaning product zest, but not the murky hand-soap note that lots of florals turn into on me.

 

It gets sweeter as it wears, but it keeps the twang - almost like fizzy grapefruit sherbet. Very cheerful, and extremely appropriate for the Cheshire Cat!

 

I like it a lot, but there's something holding me back from really *loving* it. I'm not yet decided on whether to buy a full bottle or not - it really depends on how I go with some of the other citrus blends, which I haven't tried many of. If there's one of those I like more I will get that instead.

[Lucretia]

This is one of the most well blended scents I've tried so far. In the bottle and first on I get really sharp grapefuit but after about half an hour I get a very smooth calm, soft and fruity scent. It reminds me of something from my childhood by I have no clue as to what!

This smells to me like what an emperor would wear. Very smooth, exotic and secretive. I like it alot! I like the lavander and chamomile. Very calming I think/

I don't know if I love it yet, but I may come to after a few more wears.

[sarada]

While I'm waiting for a big bottle to arrive, let me tell you a little about me and Cheshire Cat...

 

This is one of my very favorites, but it crept up on me after awhile. All of the notes in this combine into something completely different -- again, as with many BPAL oils, I cannot always pick out the individual notes but they peek through now and then.

 

The grapefruit smell is there, but is sweetened and reddened by the currant. Currant (any variety) is one of my very favorite smells so it's no surprise that I am drawn to this. I don't pick up any lavender at all, but it must be lending the antique quality to this that really captures me. The lavender and chamomile take what would be a tangy, fruity mixture and tuck it away in a drawer with some fragrant, dry herbal tea. To be honest, it smells exactly like a childhood memory for me, which is too subjective of an experience to really describe...but it really hits me with the smell of my late great-aunt's home, which i last visited at age 5! Lavender sachets, fresh knitting, a warm cat on your lap, a cup of berry tea -- all of these things together, in one big smiling radiant fragrance.

 

Almost all fragrances burn off very quickly on my skin except the strongest incensey resins, but this lingers for awhile...still, I always am quick to apply more so I can hold my wrists up to my nose and breathe deep, to get those little glimpses at childhood back. Utterly unique. I'll have to order a bathtub full of it.

[Eris]

Whoa. Someone described this as 'manic,' which I'd say is mightily accurate. It went on lemony and creamy, just managing to stay more on the meringue side than the Pledge side. Unfortunately, that phase was short-lived, and the whole scent darkened and turned on me becoming more like...well, the only way I can really describe it is to say it reminded me of decaying leaves and fruit. Not exactly rotten, but definitely well past prime. I washed it off, and a sort of bitter fruit scent--not good, but much less offensive--remained. I'm glad this has worked so well with others because this one will be a swap for me, alas.

[surf-tormented]

This one has a unique scent both in the bottle and put on the wrist. Herbal with a sweet but not overly sweet undertone. The oil was also strong enough for me to smell tonight at the theatre without having to bring my wrist anywhere near my face.

 

It basically smells like no oil or perfume I have ever sampled before. Might actually break into my Top Ten, which is a hard for an oil to do.

 

Reminds me of being outside on a warm spring day. Magical.

[Fyre_in_Winter]

On me Cheshire Cat became very strong lime and grapefruit. After a bit the musk peeked out and smelled very animalistic. The dry down was a soft, not too bad herbal. Definitely masculine, definitely not for me.

[Theravada]

Honestly, I was expecting to dislike this one because I haven't been a fan of many of the citrusy scents and the reviews here were so love/hate. I pretty much wanted this one for the name, because I the Cheshire Cat!

 

Surprise, surprise! I really like this one! I was expecting the grapefruit to be really sharp and acidic like some of the other citrus notes. But this pink grapefruit is really lovely...just tart enough with a nice sweetness to it. The currant is not a big player here at all. I really like musks, and the musk note here is so perfect! Sweet, powdery, and slightly devious. And lavendar is one of the few florals I can ejnjoy. Pink grapefruit, musk, chamomile and lavendar....what a crazy combination, but it really works well!

 

This is really a great scent. I think I'll be adding this to my list of 5mls to buy. It's so hard to describe. I think this is one of those blends where you really need to test it on your own skin to see how it behaves. But even if you're afraid of florals or fruity scents, don't pass this one by. It might work for you too.

 

I'm certainly glad I gave it a chance!

[sarahmarie]

I'm surprised I didn't review this one before, but I just looked through twice and didn't see a review by me anywhere!

 

This was one of the first 6 imps I ordered from BPAL back in August. I liked it, but my spouse immediately took a liking to it and he wears it much more than I do. I really like it on him - it's a sweet, ruby red grapfruit, with just a touch of tartness, and smelling it makes me long for a halved grapefruit and a spoon. Mmmm... I also pick up a hint of herbiness and a touch of currant, but I can't distinguish those notes as well as the delicious-smelling grapefruit. It's very difficult to describe, actually. It may be a Disney association, but whenever I smell Chesire Cat I think it's deep pink and purple. It is a very happy, slightly odd scent that I really like.

[luxuria]

This starts out very grapefruit-y. Tart, not sweet, but still slightly juicy..I think I smell a bit of the currant.

 

On drydown and thereafter, the lavendar and chamomile came out more and more. Now I only smell a hint of the grapefruit and the rest is slightly herbal, slightly floral..very strange. Not much lasting power on this one, though it packs a punch when you first put it on. I'm keeping it just because of the AIW assocation, but it's not my cup of tea so to speak

[rhubarbbear]

in the imp i smelled a kind of dark fruit scent- the currants and the musk, i think.

 

when i put it on it morphed into a kind of very fruity marmalade, shifting around to make room for flashes of lavender and delphinium. it really is a very changing scent, appropriatly named!

 

i liked this one a lot, but every time i sniffed my wrist i thought of a friend of mine, so i'll probably send the imp on to her. probably. i haven't quite convinced myself yet

[fairywingmaker]

I'm definitely getting the grapefruit, but its very sweet. I think the red currant is sweetening it. The musk is right there, giving this a very interesting twist. I can't seem to smell the lavendar at all. This one is a bit masculine for my taste...but I think my husband will love it.

[judifruit]

I really like this one! Luck would have it, I got this as a gift.

 

Grapefruit leaps out at first, but ultimately everything mellows out to a light fruity, clean scent (not soapy, but fresh).

Downside is that I had to reapply this later in the day to enjoy the fragrance some more...upside is that I bothered to reapply. Happy to have found a keeper

Edited January 10, 2005 by judifruit

[UltraViolet]

Wet

I smell orangey citrus and mint, no mint listed but that's what I'm smelling. Very biting acidic citrus and very wonderful smelling.

5 minutes

The grapefruit is still primary but now that it's starting to dry something's allowed to come to the foreground, the chamomile and delphinium perhaps?

10 minutes

I smell the red current way in the background and the lavender is not noticeable to me whatsoever.

20 minutes

I smell red musk and grapefruit primarily now and it's at this stage that I can associate this with the Chesire Cat's smile.

Now it's a bit powdery (this is a good thing) because of the Chamomile I'm guessing.

This fades way too much for my taste. I'm loving this scent and I want more! More I say! Ah well, I'll just have to drench myself or reapply this one. Not a big deal as it is worth it.

[tempete]

Initially, Cheshire Cat is pure grapefruit. As it dries down, the red currant note peeks through, and the dark musk note makes a brief appearance, but this is mostly grapefruit on me. I can't detect any of the other notes in the description for this scent. Since I'm not that fond of grapefruit, this imp will be headed to the swap pile.

[harlequin]

In the imp: This one had what i thought was a lemony scent when I first sniffed it in the car, but that must actually be the grapefruit on top. I couldn't remember what was in it at the time, though, so my nose must've smelled citrus and immediately thought lemon. Now that I'm inside again, it does smell more like grapefruit, actually.

 

On: Ooh, for a little bit this actually smelled a bit like like fruit loops! that actually seems apropriate for such a loopy cat.

 

After awhile: The chamomile is much more noticeable now. It's kind of musky, but doesn't smell "dark" to me at all.. there's still a bit of a fruity undertone left..

 

 

Verdict: yup. likin it as much as I thought I might.. very light and lovely on me.

[Falathwen]

The grapefruit and musk appear simultaneously at first. The mix of the rather feral dark note and the grapefruit (which for some reason is an inherently fun scent to me) seems very appropriate to the character. The other notes come forward as this dries, but they blend too closely for me to pick them out individually even though they are familiar. I guess that confusion is also appropriate! Still, I want to try this again (probably more than a few times) to see if I can figure it out. The dry down is rather powdery and floral, but the musk reappears as the final note.

[Northernminx]

I wish I could give you a lovely description of this scent and all its complexity. Sadly all I can say is: grapefruit.

 

Yes citrus, once again, has pulled it's marvelous "drive every other scent out of town" routine. Sharp, citrusy grapefruit and maybe a touch of lavender in the four seconds I have before it totally dissapears. Sigh. Off to someone who can actually enjoy it.

[shelldoo]

hmmmm in the vial grapefruit

 

wet: more precicely grapefruit pith

 

dry: i still get mostly grapefruit, the floral is extremely light and playing peekaboo, it is a grapefruit musk combo on me mostly. at first I was liek ummm don't think so, but cheshire keeps luring me back for another sniff w/ that damn smile. definitely will use the imp, possibly buy more

[magikfanfic]

In the bottle: Lavender with that tart, citrus note behind it that means grapefruit. It's kind of a nice combination actually although like always I am deeply afraid of what the lavender will turn into once it touches my skin.

 

Wet: That's kinda weird. Grapefruit and red currant and lavender. And the lavender does not like me here. In fact, it kinda reeks like vomit on my skin. Oh, evil skin/lavender hate. I guess only lime makes it better. It also kinda smells like oranges, but i bet that's just the grapefruit and the currant mixing together.

 

Dry down: Still a vaguely fruity/herbal vomit, which is rather unpleasant. I had such high hopes for this one, centered mainly on the fact that grapefruit and I love each other. Yeah, this is pretty gross on me. The lavender has gone completely sour and yucky. (Hmmm...Wilde doesn't have lime. Must be something else that keeps the lavender in it from turning to sour rot.)

 

Dry: On me this is nasty, nasty, nasty, and I have to blame it on the combination of my skin and lavender. I'll give this to the boy and see if he likes it.

[Witch's Dagger]

Cheshire Cat

 

This was a freebie from the lab.

 

Preconceived notions: This sounds way too bright for me.

 

In the vial: Yes, I do get the grapefruit the most, but I can tell the lavender and musk. Still, it’s mostly grapefruit.

 

On: Wow, grapefruit! I’m really not a fan. Please let the lavender come out. Ah, there it is. But still too much grapefruit. It’s very sweet, also. I’m not sure what is making it so sweet.

 

In 15 minutes: Gone. No wonder I don’t remember anything from my first testing.

 

Overall: Between not liking grapefruit, and the fact that it disappears so fast, I’m swapping this one.

[Aberdonian]

My first impression was of a very mixed scent and I could definitely smell the lavender in it though I never smelt any grapefuit in. As soon as I put it on all I could smell was the musk and it stayed musk all through the wear.

 

I'll give it another go to be sure but it isn't looking like it's going to be a winner.

[lysithea]

In bottle: Bright, citrus upon first sniff. I'm thinking I might like this one already. My hubby's not too sure (not that he's ever sure with perfume...he's convinced I'm trying to kill his sinuses)

 

Wet: I smell grapefruit, a darker not terribly sweet grapefruit. It's a bit powerful for a minute, but here comes something else. Is that a hint of lavender? Something else fruity this way comes. It's getting interesting.

 

Dry: Bright cirtus and fruit has begun to disappear. Too quikly for me. I smell a very light musk begin to bubble up to the surface. It still retains a sweetness with a hint of powder. I do like the finished notes on this one.

 

Overall Impressions: This is a very changeable fragrance. It goes from very sweet and sharp to something mellow and lazy. I will say that I have enjoyed wearing Cheshire Cat today. I only put a little bit on, but I'm going to be a bit braver tomorrow.

 

I also wish that the smell lasted a bit longer, but overall I am quite pleased with the pleasant lasting phase that this one morphs into. It's all in your face, laughing happy jolly then it turns into a sulky cat who slowly evaporizes from your skin.

[pkwench]

Cheshire Cat

 

Sniff: Sweet teasing citrus. Grapefruit? Tangerine? I can’t look at the notes right now because the cable’s out. But, it’s an eye opener!

 

Wet: Definitely something citrus riding in a musk. It’s very happy and perky!

 

After 10: It’s getting darker now, the current is coming up, but something in my skin is mixing oddly with this. I can smell all of the lovely things that I was smelling before, but there’s something lurking beneath it that’s almost just wrong. It’s weird because I smell it one moment and then don’t the next.

[scourgeotheseas]

Cheshire Cat - lab freebie!

 

In the bottle: The tang of grapefruit, with a hint of dried cranberries. I even checked with the cranberries in the desk, and yup, that's what I smell.

 

On me/wet: As soon as this hits my skin, it smells like body odor. The musk comes out very strongly, with just a teeny background note of sharp grapefruit.

 

Drydown: The grapefruit is trying to make a comeback, but it just can't outcompete the dark musk on my skin. I can't smell any of the other notes except a faint whiff of floral when I'm far away from the "sweaty body" odor that is my left wrist.

 

Yup, going to wash this one off now.