Cheshire Cat

[Monster]

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

I'm a little worried about the notes in this one. While I love lavender it sometimes over powers everything else (and I really hope that won't happen here as the other notes are so so beautiful).

First whiff out of the vial I smell citrus and of course, lavender.

On my skin this smells almost exactly like a citrus glass cleaner. These days they're making lavender cleaning products as well so i guess it could pass for one of those too

As this dries down a bit I can smell more of the grapefruit coming out, but the lavender is still very heavy and strong. I can definitely see why beth mixed these two together. It reminds me of the purple and pink striped cat snarling at me from the shadows.

This is starting to morph into something a bit more clean smelling now. The cleaning fluid smell slowly starts to disappear. I think what I'm smelling is probably the chamomile. Surprisingly the lavender isn't taking over as much now. it's a bit more subdued and lets the grapefruit take center stage.

Overall this is a very unique scent. I can definitely see why so many people like it, but unfortunately it's just not for me. :/

[PilotKitten]

On me this starts out with a very juicy grapefuit. And not that sour rind scent I usually get with grapefruit BPAL blends... this one is sweeter and very juicy. The dark musk in this though is just sort of perverted and bitter scented. Everything else smells good if it didn't have this bitter, contemptuous core note.

[mooncityminx]

In the imp: OMG Grapefruit!

 

Wet: It's getting sweeter but it's still grapefruit. Oh please let grapefruit not turn sick-sweet like the other citruses. Please!

 

Dry: too late It's not as bad as the other citrus I've turned lately, but it's smelling funny. Swaps.

[jasmine]

My initial impression was, “Wow! Grapefruit! Tasty grapefruit!” The grapefruit doesn’t reign through the entire scent, though -- there’s a creamy addition to it that is remarkably pleasant. Uselessly, I have no idea what it might be when I look at the scent list. I also catch a herbal quality that must be the chamomile and a very faint trace of mintiness.

 

As the scent dries, it acquires a bit more body (rather like the famous grin materializing a cat!) and I think I can pick up the currant underlying the grapefruit as the grapefruit backs down.

 

More time passes, and now it smells like iced tea to me -- specifically, Lipton’s. I can’t explain that from the notes, but I’m not complaining about it; while I hate the taste of iced tea, I love the smell, and this is perfectly lovely. It’s not a feminine scent, either; I can see this being fresh and wonderful and tasty-smelling on a man just as easily as a woman.

 

Cheshire Cat lacks staying power on me, unfortunately -- it faded out to nothingness within four hours. I still love the smell.

[Pachelbel]

This scent is definitely refreshing and almost invigorating. It's my "that time of the month" blend, I think, because it keeps me from feeling lethargic and it's also the only scent I've tried that doesn't change drastically no matter what my hormones are up to.

 

Up close, the grapefruit is almost astringent, but since I don't let most people press their nose right up to my wrist-neck-chest, all we get is the throw. And the throw is delicious. It's not fruity the way foody blends are, and it's not floral with the lavender the way a lot of perfumes are (thankfully! My skin does crazy things with florals). It's very pleasant and very, very unique.

[metaldog32]

Cheshire Cat

 

This very aged imp came from a super generous forumite..this is the original imp that had the hand-written labels with the black thread around it securing the label??? How old school is THAT????

 

Am excited to try this imp..I have a much newer one..but what the heck..I have had this imp for quite a while..let's see how it goes shall we???

 

Initial sniff from imp:Oh wow...talk about interesting..I get a whiff of citrus..must be the grapefruit...but then right behind it..it's an herbal vibe that is so mellow and aromatic..wow...it's the lavender and the chamomile and the lavender is SO not sharp at all...it's amazing really.

 

Applied wet on skin: Grapefruit is there...but it makes room for the chamomile and lavender..I think I smell some other floral..must be the delphinium?? I don't get the currant yet. Really very interesting.

 

Twenty to forty minutes later: Grapefruit has faded off..leaving a faint essence..but now it's the beautiful herbal bouquet..the chamomile and gentle lavender..with the delphinium weaving in and out.Throughout this period the currant did peek through with the grapefruit..it smelled so refreshing..but I have to say the herbal component made it sing.

 

 

Drydown: Faint notes of the herbal melange..it's actually a bit soothing..has to be that dynamic lavender/chamomile duo.heheheheheheheheehe

 

Lasting power..not that great..but I expected that..especially when grapefruit is involved...2+hours..and the throw was soft.

 

Bottom Line:Cheshire Cat turned out to be a refreshing but soft herbal floral scent on me. I would find it nice in early summer..on the weekend..when I felt like just being lazy and enjoying the nice weather. A great weekend fragrance..quiet and a bit soothing to me. I will definitely keep my imp and then compare with the fresh version to see how they compare.

[mtlaise]

Wet, this scent smells very grapefruity. Oh, how I love citrusy smells! As it dries, the grapefruit recedes and the musk and florals come out more. It's still a nice, light/mild scent. Although I would probably wear this occasionally, I probably won't buy a bottle of this.

[RaeiNarcissus]

This scent was ok, unfortunately I was looking at this to be a grapefruit scent, and I primarily got bergamot out of it. It's like grapefruit, where did you go!!!!

[glass_cat]

I was actually really excited to try this scent, as the Cheshire Cat is one of my all-time favorite literary characters. The notes sounded really promising as well, especially the lavendar and grapefruit.

 

When this was freshly applied, all I could really smell was the grapefruit, and that was fine, I suppose, although I was hoping some of the other elements would be more obvious and make for a more complex scent. After a while, I did start to smell them coming through, especially the chamomile, and then I liked it quite a bit more. It morphed quite a bit from when I first applied this to when it had dried down and been on a bit though.

 

Overall, this is a very nice scent, and I can see why it's popular. I can certainly see wearing this every so often as a summer fragrance, or possibly one of the ones I like to pull out when I'm looking for a "get-me-started" scent on a slower lethargic day... one that isn't as "in-your-face" as some of the more vibrant blends. However, I have other citrus-based scents that I prefer. I doubt I'd buy a bottle of this, because I can't see myself wearing it but once in a while, but it's nice enough to keep the imp, I think.

[tempestteapot]

I think my nose my be wonky or I'm sniffing by memory now, but this one smells like dark chocolate with orange/grapefruit in it. I know it's a hit when I can't keep my nose off my wrists.

[supremegoddessofall]

Damn you grapefruit, damn you! This reminds me of Ice Queen. Not really getting the currant, and under the bully grapefruit I get the lavender and chamomile. Not really musky. The grapefruit is giving me a headache. Bah.

[cecelle]

In the imp - grapefruit. Not really all that appealing

 

Wet - still mostly grapefruit.

 

Dry - this is really starting to grow on me. The sharpness of the grapefruit has faded to a more unobtrusive note, and some sweeter notes have come through - the chamomile especially. Can't really get much of the lavender, which is just fine by me. It has softened to a well-rounded, warm, summery citrus note. Very nice!

 

After not expecting much from the in-the-bottle scent, I really was pleasantly surprised that this turned out to be one of my favorites.

 

Definitely a keeper.

[Brianne]

In the vial:

Mm chamomile!

 

On me:

This goes on like chamomile tea with currant - it's soothing and yet... kind of wild too with that vivid currant smell and tart, bright grapefruit. It actually makes me think of a "proper" breakfast - chamomile tea, grapefruit with a currant jam or something. It just melds together to make something that - while not strongly foodie - makes me think of food.

 

The dark musk acts as a binder for all those scents and brings them together with a smooth warmth. They all blend beautifully and though I wouldn't call this a fruit scent, the fruit notes are definitely on top.

 

 

Final note:

I adore this scent way more than I thought I would. It's refreshing and bright and yet has a comforting warmth to it as well. Truly excellent blend!

[zankoku_zen]

In the imp: Grapefruit and something else.

 

On Skin: Grapefruit explosion! There is a softer white-like floral than in Baobhan Sith. More like linen-like floral.

 

On Drydown: No more grapefruit. I smell a soft floral, and it's not something I've smelled before... possibly the combination of chamomile and delphinium. It is very soft and comforting.

 

Verdict: This is a very strange and wondrous scent. It's invigorating and quite unlike any other floral that I've tried. I quite like it. I have to admit that the Cheshire Cat defies any pre-conceived notions that I had.

[QueenFae]

Crisp, bright, fruity and effervescent. The Cheshire Cat is a lovely grapefruit scent; very sharp, commanding, and lovely. The grapefruit note dominates, but the beautiful fruitiness of red currant is close behind. The undertones are blended quite well, and they combine to form a sharp, straight froward undertone of clean chamomile and lavendar. This is a fun, young, energizing blend. Pretty and sunny!

[almeda]

First Sniff: Fruit juice? Some kind of grapefruit cocktail, maybe, though I have to think about it to find the citrusness.

On: Turns more sharply/obviously citrus once it warms. More like a shampoo.

Dry: Definitely a 'crisp and refreshing' shampoo smell. A 'wake up smiling' smell, they might call it in soaps. Not actively annoying; I'll leave it on and see if it changes any.

Long-Term: It has in fact mellowed and un-sharpened (though not dulled!), and a note has crept in that I could call 'yummy skin,' or if I wanted to be verbose, 'your high school boyfriend's letterman jacket's lining'. I like it. This may become another 'buy a bottle' scent, after another couple of unconnected days of long-term road testing.

 

I like it, but I have to be in a bright and bouncy mood for it. On my comfort-scent days it just annoys me. :->

[tinyvulture]

at first it smells like sweet, tart grapefruit. after it dries, a soft, sweet powdery note comes out as well. the myrrh, maybe? i can’t smell the lavender or chamomile at all. i feel like i have smelled this before...perhaps in my childhood?... and have good associations with it. it does smell a bit like lipton iced tea, as jasmineboreal said! i think it is a happy, innocent scent, something a young girl could wear. i normally don’t like citrus scents, but this is the first grapefruit BPAL i’ve tried, and i am a fan.

[maijasu]

I have an older imp of this from another forumite, so I don't know if this review will apply to this oil when it is fresh. From the aged oil, I get a very faint grapefruit, very faint herbs, and then...nothing. It disappears within half an hour. I do like the scent while it lasts, and I think it would be worth testing a fresh imp when I'm looking for refreshing summer scents, so I may put one in a future order.

[little_galaxie]

I've never been a big fan of fruit scents before, but the Cat has a strange addicting quality for me...slather too much on and I'll start feeling ill, but just a little dab on my wrists and a swipe across my collarbone and I'm in olfactory heaven.

 

On the top this is fresh, slightly bitter grapefruit, but there's something bubbling at the bottom, which I think might be the currants, and I smell a little musk in here as well.

 

Overall, I don't think I need a big bottle of this, it's too *weird* to wear every day, but I'll enjoy my imp very much.

[euterpe414]

Being the Alice in Wonderland addict that I am, I was surprised one day when I realized that I had not tried this one yet. So of course I did the sensible thing, I ordered a bottle unsniffed.

 

I am not a huuuge citrus fan, although I enjoy it now and and then, but I must agree with the other reviewers when I say that this scent is addictive! It is a sweet, screamy, herbal grapefruit. This scent has a very silky feel to it and seems to gracefully make itself known (who knew a Cheshire Cat was graceful? ). I had no idea ordering this what it would smell like with such a hodgepodge of notes (imo at least) but it is simply glorious!

 

Any lovers of citrus MUST try this as well as those who think they can't do citrus- trust me, you will be pleasantly surprised!

[bombus]

I love just about anything with grapefruit in it. I think I mostly smell the grapefruit and the musk, and it is a good combination. I am getting slight whiffs of the red currant and chamomile, but none of the lavender. It feels very bright and clean, a good spring scent. I think I might need a bottle of this one.

[Joke]

I have an old bottle of Cheshire Cat (from before the resurrection) and when I apply it, I first get a very sharp herbal scent. That must be the chamomile and the lavender aging. After a few mintues the herbal scent looses it's sharpness and I can defenitely smell some citrus. It doesn't last very long on me, but I like it (I love herbal scents!). Dh likes it too.

Edited February 12, 2007 by Joke

[andhowever]

My very first review!

 

In the imp, I don't smell much of anything, but that seems to be a pervasive problem with me so I put it on my skin. Boy, am I glad I did. It starts out as a sweet, tangy grapefruit with some soft floral hanging out in the background (the delphinium, maybe?), and dries down to a mixed-up, mashed-up, citrus/floral/musk that I love. I liked Baobhan Sith (before I lost my imp - grr!) and tried this on that basis, but I think I prefer this one. It just has that little extra je ne sais quoi. It's young, fresh, sweet, and more than a little quirky - just like me! I can see myself wearing this to work in the summer (I'm 19, so I think I could get away with it).

[CiCi]

I has tried Cheshire Cat before at will call and I guess with the other scents on and around me it did not impress me. But today I received an imp with my order and decided to give it a try since I do love the Alice in Wonderland series and the Cheshire Cat in particular. After applying, it was sparkling grapefruit with a touch of sweet florals. It was much lighter than I had anticipated. I had a very rough day today and I must admit I kept sniffing the back of my hand and I found it to have soothing properties in it. Maybe that is the chamomile in it.

 

After wearing for several hours it is still there and now I find myself wanting a 5ml bottle of this. It's an overall wearable scent for daytime wear or evening wear and I believe any age group could wear this.

[nikkoblue]

once again, skin chemistry is a truly bizarre thing.

 

Bottle: grapefruit with a touch of sweet....i think the currant.

 

At first the grapefruit is like a ruby red grapefruit that you're about to eat in the morning. It's a very bright grapefruit but it's not the sour, strong grapefruit in Night Gaunt; it's more like the Baobhan Sith grapefruit. The grapefruit continues to sweeten with the help of the currant, but instead of showing any lavender or herby feeling, the chamomile and musk? combine to make: vanilla. So I'm left with a realllllllly nice grapefruit vanilla scent. I don't know if I'll buy a bottle because there are no many other things I want, but it's on the list of potential future purchase.