La Calavera Catrina

[AmyO'Shields]

The Lady of the Graveyard! Autumn leaves, wild roses, bourbon vanilla, dry chamomile, and a bouquet of bright chrysanthemums and Mexican marigolds.

Aw...I'm first? La Calavera Catrina is one of the most beautiful Autumnal scents ever. The Autumn flowers are perfectly blended, and the vanilla sweetens them up. There's a hint of rose, and chamomile, but neither one overpowers the blend. I get a hint (or more a "feel") of leaves, and they are definitely the crunchy sort that have already fallen to the ground. If you liked Flor de Muerto and Nothing Gold Can Stay, I would highly recommend this. 10/10

 

ETA: I just wanted to add that this has aged so beautifully and I get compliments every time I wear it. Every. Time. It has become really well blended and more perfumey which is just fine with me! Gorgeous scent and I hope I don't run out.

[SophieCedar]

In imp: marigolds and chrysanthemums.. strong and sharp! ow!

Wet: wow. what a wonderful surprise. Beautiful sweet almost syrupy bourbon vanilla, yellow green soothing herbal chamomile, wet red and brown autumn leaves. I'm not a marigold or chrysanthemum fan but this is actually working for me. They just provide a fresh greenness to it. They actually make it come alive. The rose is deep and crimson pink without being sharp or too sweet.

 

drydown: sweet, herbal, color impression brown, red and green with flashes of gold. Wonderful autumn scent. This just floats and flows. The surprise like of 2011's weenies.

Edited October 16, 2011 by SophieCedar

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

La Calavera starts out as sunflowers on me! Bright, fresh, light, pretty! I guess that is actually the marigolds. Drying down, it becomes much less fresh and more "dusty" chamomile and 'mums. I don't really get roses and vanilla, which is a shame because I would like that. But this is very different from other 'Weenies and I like it.

[calivianya]

La Calavera Catrina was an impulse buy for me, and I'm glad I made that leap. I get mostly warm, bright, yellow flowers - the chrysanthemums and marigolds, I suppose. These are not old lady flowers; they have a lot of energy. I can also smell the leaves note very clearly. It is a very similar leaves note to the one in Sonnet d'Automne, but this is more bright and crisp while Sonnet is sweeter and more subdued. I think I'm picking up hints of rose on the drydown, but this scent never becomes super sweet on me. It's very different, and I like it.

[rhubarb3point14]

This scent reminds me very, very much of something from my childhood (that would be the 1970s, for those of you keeping score at home ), but I can't place it. Some kind of personal care product, I imagine. Maybe a shampoo or a fragrance popular at the time? God, it's not "Gee, Your Hair Smells Terrific," is it? Let's just say no for the sake of everyone's sanity.

 

[uPDATE: I slept on it, literally, and woke up convinced that it reminds me of Avon Field Flowers, which I had in the "Roll-a-Hoop" decorative decanter circa 1977. About 90 percent sure of this.]

 

Anyway, straight out of the bottle, La Calavera Catrina is assertively herby-peppery. Then, once it's drying on my wrists, I start to be able to sort out more of the notes. I get a ton of chamomile, a lesser amount of chrysanthemum, and a touch of rose. There is a hint of straw and warm aridity. It becomes powdery, but luckily not soapy.

 

I don't get vanilla at all, which is probably a good thing because vanillas can be awfully cloying on me sometimes. I also don't get marigold at all, which is really disappointing, because that's one of my favorite, closest-to-my-heart smells of all time, and is what I was hoping for the most.

 

Verdict: It smells like a fall meadow, but with a strongly nostalgic component. If I had to translate it into visual terms, it would be one of those late-60s/early-70s album covers with two people walking in golden sunlight, washed out by droplets of lens flare. I like it, but I'm not sure if it's "me." I will probably sell or swap it.

Edited October 21, 2011 by rhubarb3point14

[angelicruin]

Leaves, flowers, and bourbon vanilla on my skin. It reminds me of early Fall when the first leaves begin to fall.

[Ghost of a Rose]

My imp is a decant from schackjj, The Goddess of Decanters (to borrow a quote from another participant in our decant circle.)

 

I've been to Mexico many times, and just reading the ingredients list evokes images of that country for me - especially the chrysanthemums and marigolds. In my mind I see baskets of the big colorful blossoms - both real ones and handcrafted paper ones - for sale at outdoor markets.

 

In the imp: Oil is clear, with just the palest tint of greenish yellow. The scent is of spicy, non-sweet flowers - the chrysanthemums and marigolds; together with the chamomile and possibly the leaves. Highly unusual - not at all what you expect when you think "floral fragrance." So far, I don't notice the rose or vanilla at all.

 

On me, wet: It's pretty much the same on my skin, except that the green herbal note of the chamomile has a stronger presence and there's more sweetness. I love this! It's casual, playful, and floral without being overly sweet or girly.

 

After 15 minutes: It's now a somewhat sweet scent, but the pepperiness of the mums and marigolds remains the dominating note, with the chamomile running a close second. The chamomile (and leaves?) make this very fresh and grassy. I can detect the rose now, but it's extremely discreet. I don't think I would notice it if I wasn't looking for it.

 

After 30 minutes: It's gotten rather faint, and the peppery flowers are gone. It's now mostly a herbal, green, scent with a touch of florals. At this point it reminds of the original Clairol Herbal Essence shampoo, which I loved.

 

After 1 hour: Although now quite faint, the fragrance has changed and doesn't smell like Herbal Essence anymore. It's still herbal and beautiful, but has lost that bright grassy freshness. Also, I can now pick up the vanilla, as a very understated nuance. As with the rose, I wouldn't notice the vanilla, either, if I didn't already know it was there.

 

After 2 hours: It's virtually gone. There's just the faintest hint of herbal greenery lingering.

 

Verdict: This is lovely at all stages, but especially interesting at first. For that reason, and to give it more throw and longevity, I recommend wearing it in a scent locket as well as on the skin.

 

My rating: 5 stars

[taramarie]

In the bottle and wet on my skin, La Calavera Catrina is chamomile, mums, and marigolds. Drying, the leaves come through. This is definitely a cousin of October and November. I like it, but I'd love it if the bourbon vanilla and roses came through.

[dawndie]

Wet: green vegetation

 

Initially on skin: lots of brown crunchy leaves

 

Half-hour later: mishmash of dry flowers

 

In conclusion: I really liked the beginning, Beth does the best "dry leaves in fall" blends. Something in the flowers wasn't coming out right on my skin, however -- maybe chamomile was causing a slight plastic smell. Oh well.

[tajana]

Fresh, crisp, and clean, while still in keeping with the season. An early autumn breeze in a field of marigolds, with golden chamomile sunlight filtered through leaves just beginning to turn. Soft dried rose petals crumble into the drydown, but it stays very consistent otherwise. Surprisingly potent, too - I can't pick out much vanilla as a note, but maybe that's what's lending some volume and lasting power to this scent? I suspect it will age well because of that.

[Antoinette]

This reminds me so much of the Herbal Essence shampoo I used as a kid in the 70's. And I loved that shampoo! I'm not completely sold on the idea of this as a perfume for me, but it is beautiful and does feel like a golden fall afternoon. Just lovely!

[coldandsleepy]

Long ago, when the planet was young and dinosaurs roamed the earth and I was in middle school, I bought this body spray that was "herbal meadow" scented. It was quickly discontinued-- I guess no one else in the tween set wanted to smell like an herbal meadow-- and I pined for it for years. This is eerily similar to my nose. It takes me right back.

 

Um, anyway. Something in this screams HERBALLLLLLLLLLLLL! to my nose and drowns out everything else. I don't think it's the marigolds-- I loved them in Flor de Muerto and don't usually think they come across as herbal. It doesn't seem like chamomile, but maybe. Or maybe it's the autumn leaves? I don't know. But point being, this doesn't smell like fall to me at all and I can't pick out any of the notes listed.

 

Which's not to say that it's a bad scent, just not at all what I was expecting. Wish I could at least smell the rose in this.

[Leopard403]

I think this is my favorite Weenie of 2011. Very evocative of Autumn, but it doesn't make you think of dead leaves and the "dying" aspect of the season. Rather, I get the warmth and the comfort of the season, the burrowing and the waiting of Fall, smeared very thick and bright. This is complex and well-blended, which makes it sophisticated. There's something about it that makes it feel French and expensive, one of those well-kept secret scents. Very much the kind of scent that could simply be the way a modern woman smells, rather than the way a woman's perfume smells. Plus, on me it has great throw and lasts all day. Love!

[lizardqueen]

This one surprised me. I got flowers--mostly the marigolds, I presume, though it occurs to me that I don't really know for sure what marigolds smell like--and a bit of an herbal vibe, maybe a bit of the leaves? No vanilla, not even any rose (which was the note I was actually most concerned about here). It made me think of green turning into gold, summer turning into autumn. (I adore the mental image rhubarb3point14 evoked above and think it's so spot-on I wish I'd thought of it myself!) It dries down into a soft herbal floral that, while not really being my thing, is still quite lovely. If that sounds up your alley, I definitely recommend!

[rivercitylizzy]

Just got a decant of this as part of my order from Catseyes' Happy Halloweenies circle and was most eager to try it and La Calavera Catrina to see if bottle purchases need to go in before the Weenies come down

 

In the Vial: I also get mostly a fresh, green, crisp scent, with the rose sneaking forward; this is not a lush and sweet tea rose but a brighter rose--the way I recall wild roses actually smelling. There is just a hint of sweetness in the background--probably the vanilla--but it's not rushing to the front at this point. This is pretty unique as my tastes run mostly to deep, dark, rich, and earthy/spicy scents and these are most heavily represented in my bottle purchases. However despite this being a "fresh, clean" scent it's not seeming soapy and I'm down for a skin test.

 

Wet on Skin: Oh, gods above the rose in this is stunning and as it warms up a bit to my skin the vanilla comes forward and the two are tempering the fresh & bright quality of the other floral notes--the astringent chamomile and dry/dusky marigolds & chrysanthemums. This I really could wear to work everyday--it has a zingy, alertness-inducing effect without being either minty or citrusy (again, unique) and as I'm caffeine sensitive this might be a good alternative to using coffee or black tea as a "wake up & get my ass to work" crutch

 

Dry on Skin: Throw is pretty decent on this one, though again because it's such a well-balanced and clean scent it probably won't offend anyone if I did wear it every day to work. Happily it's pretty consistent on my skin and keeps that lovely blend of wild rose, grown-up vanilla, and bright golden florals. MUST HAVE BOTTLE. Maybe even backup bottle.

[V294]

starts of very sharp and grass-y. I think I'm getting lot of the marigold, but I can't be sure. It's mellowing and becoming intriguing.

 

This is really growing on me. It's a bright fall scent. Like the beginning of fall when it's still sunny and there's a ton of energy. Not sure if I'll get a bottle, but it will go in the possible pile I think!

[Dark Alice]

Bright Marigolds and honeysuckle and grass. This is a wonderful spring blend. At least it is to me. I don't need a bottle but I will surely enjoy my decant. I now see why everyone is going a little nutty for this blend.

[angelamaria]

In tester: green, fresh newly cut roses. Also, chamomile and freshly turned soil.

 

Wet on skin: green, with soapy florals and cut stalks. Huh, this is going super powdery on me, it's making me sneeze something fierce!! I don't think the soapiness of the florals are helping any. It's hard to sniff when you keep wanting to sneeze.

 

Dry: the thing that was making me sneeze is gone--now it's a slightly grandmothery, soapy floral with a slash of green and fresh soil. It's very evocative, and quite a pleasing scent, if only the florals held their own and the rose did not go all powder on me (I can still get a bit of it). Sadly, no presence of bourbon vanilla for me here.

 

Verdict: passing on this one. I guess I should have expected it based on the rose note present.

[Blood onmy hands]

I was hopeful for the vanilla and marigold (I actually love the smell of real marigolds), but this is mostly clean, perfumey floral and slightly herbal smelling greenery on me. It's not sweet enough for me and I don't get a lot of complexity from it. The rose comes out in the drydown, but it's a soapy rose that I'm not loving. I was hoping for dried flowers and vanilla from this, but it's more of a clean, perfumey floral smell.

[TheIceMaiden]

This starts off autumn leaves, marigolds, and mums and reminds me of an early autumn afternoon. Very pretty! Alas, as it dries, the marigold note becomes a bit "dryer sheet" on me but disappears by the drydown, which is a soft vanilla with a little rose and chamomile.

 

This is a lovely scent that is bringing me back to the lovely warm autumn days we had earlier this season (not the freaky, snow-covered autumn we're having now.) I'll be hanging on to my decant of this, but don't think I need a full bottle.

[countessmouse]

It starts off smelling very strongly of wet leaves, which had me thinking that I probably wasn't going to like this scent. I waited it out, however, and was rewarded with a layering of florals and bourbon vanilla. After the initial unpleasantness, this one has morphed into a lovely fall scent that is definitely on the keeper list.

[Incendiare]

This screams autumn in the vial. The autumn leaves, chamomile, and a sharpness, probably from the mums, are present. Odd how the autumn leaves instantly vanish once I apply this to my skin. I'm surprised the roses aren't taking everything over. They normally do for me.

 

Ten minutes have gone by and both the roses and leaves are behaving very surprisingly well. This is such a refreshing, gentle floral. I used to frequently wear florals like this, but despite the fact that I have moved away from them, I just may need a bottle of this. I can see this one age beautifully.

[rabbitwhisperer]

This smells good -- a bright green herbal floral mix. Dry. It goes a bit dryer sheet on me, but really a dryer sheet could only pray to smell this nice. I don't think I'll buy a bottle because it's not really me (a little too sharp and sneezy), but it is a nice blend!

[Caper]

bright bright bright!

 

imp: crisp and high pitched sort of smell. it really does make me think of bright yellow flowers and, honestly, a bit of a commercial perfume. clinique happy or something?

 

wet: whoa! really bright and sharp. it smells good but i think even my one tester swipe was too much.

 

dry: mellows slightly but it lasts for a very long time and i can consistently smell it on my wrist through out the day. i'm not getting much vanilla but the roses are coming out. soft and sweet but not powdery at all. just a nice delicate bright rose.

 

verdict: i was definitely going to get a bottle but for some reason the idea of suave shampoo that my friend used to use after swim practice popped into my head and now i can't get rid of it. i'll keep my imp for brightening winter days but i think i'm going to skip the bottle.

[angelmecha]

In Imp: Whew, super sharp floral (marigold?). It actually kinda smells soapy? I definitely get a "sunflower" impression too. It smells just like a scratch and sniff book of The Secret of Nimh I had growing up that had a sunflower smell. Off the bat, I wouldn't call it very Autumnal; just a cool, orange floral.

Wet: Hmmm. I think that's some of the bourbon vanilla coming in now. It's still a bit sharp for my taste, though... Herbal and sharp. It still smells like that Secret of Nimh flower. o_o

Drydown: Honestly it smells a little too herbal and plasticy on me. I don't know why. I almost bought this bottle unsniffed and I really wanted/expected it to work... It's been on for about ten minutes and hasn't really morphed or done anything. Just sat there being sharp and ... like scented wax potpourri balls at best. :\

Verdict: La Calavera Catrina, whyyyy? I guess it's a good thing I didn't get a bottle. *hangs head and sets her in swaps* 2/5