Black Cat

Ohhhhhhhhhhh, this one. I may actually end up getting a bottle of this, but really what I want is a guy to put this on! Wet, this goes on with an intensity that is a little overpowering and I get what people mean about the medicinal tinge -- although to me that adds to the sense of power. It's like a masculine version of what I get with Bewitching Hour (the scents are necessarily similar, just that sense of intense mojo). Then in the early drydown, it's an intoxicating blend of sage and cannabis, with a hint of amber and vanilla holding it together and the clove starts to blossom... it's heady, and wild but also not a lone wolf in nature smell, a very peopled smell, if that makes sense? I think in the review for Wanderer someone mentioned that very few scents have the power to stand up to being recognized in a big outdoor crowded event, and this totally could. When I woke up this morning, I finally got the patchouli and it was to die for. Just gorgeous. This isn't something I would wear for anyone else, because to me it is intensely masculine, but I confess that in absence of anyone to wear it for me, I would probably indulge in it myself. Because. It is just wonderful!

So I've been having computer issues, which meant that I did my first run of trials without access to description or notes. I remembered that there was some intense description of this one, but could not remember why. I feel as if this will be a useless review, because these notes are so different from anything I am familiar with (well, except for coconut!) but oh, my goodness (interesting typo: I just wrote "godness"!). I absolutely echo what NuTrix said about this having a spell potion feel to this. It's a creamy powerful scent that evokes nature but doesn't correspond to smells I recognize, and yet at the same time it evokes an intensel wave of nostalgia and emotion every time I sniff it. And interestingly, while in one sense I want to dub it unisex because on me it doesn't have the sweetness I usually associate with women's scents, it has a powerful goddess-y energy to it. I guess I could picture it on a guy, but it makes me feel All Woman with a capital W. Damn it! I was going to stick to samples this collection, but I might need this. Also -- FWIW I have been around long enough that with most things now, even though each NR is unique and has its own distinct character, I can usually place them in "scent families" -- orange cupcake, lavender gourmand, sophisticated glamour potion, etc. This one.... I can't. I have never smelled anything like this. Others with more history than I have may be able to, of course! But this is new to me. Wow. Just wow.

Just slathered in this for the night, and realized that StacyK is right on the money (as she is with that whole gorgeous review!) to say how quickly this has deepened and matured. I am 2/3 through my first bottle, so I am really hoping I'll have the chance to experience it over time.... sheer magic, this one.

Oh, tink, what a beautiful review! I feel as if you and Elizabeth have been way more eloquent about this one than I was able to be.... thank you!

Welcome, BilliJo -- you're right, it is the coolest! We are glad to have you!

I kind of love the reservation process, and using the GC feature makes it possible to pay without requesting an invoice, right? But if it makes more sense for you to put everything directly on Etsy, of course that should happen! I have to say that the notes for these look amazing! Lariel, Morning Star and Rose Dust are all calling to me, although I'm going to try to return to my sampling policy. But what an amazing and memorable collection! And so perfect for spring!

DD, yay! I'm so glad you're getting one, can't wait to hear what you think! I have been speculating about this myself.....

Oh, Mara, you know me so well!!! YES PLEASE to Lisa's Outback!! It looks amazing! And Luna -- I doff my hat. Absolutely. Frigging. Brilliant!

OMG LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!!! Mara, names and labels are spectacular! Outback and Bella Donna both sound enticing and I'm dying to know notes for those as well... And a rebrew of Bohemian Beauty! Uh-oh!

Opal's Joie de Vivre Blackcat came up with some very clever combos this month. The first, a love letter to her precious little Opal crafted of fleshy black coconut overlaid with green grasses, a touch of linen, and a trio of fuzzy animalic musks. This really has a lovely warm skin and clean fur kind of vibe that surprised me with it's authenticity. Love! COCONUT ~ Chastity, protection, purification, receptivity. GRASSES ~ Wishes granted, enhances psychic powers, protection. LINEN ~ Luck, healing, protection, return of lost love. MUSK ~ Self confidence and strength, sexual attractant, heightens passions and arousal. I can't believe I haven't reviewed this yet, since I've been wearing it a lot! I love it, and I also think that if I can let some of the bottles age, they will become even more spectacular. When this goes on wet, the linen really dominates it, and is a bit raw. What this does, though, is call up an immediate association for me with the town swimming pool from when I was a kid! This stage only lasts a few minutes, and the longer the dry down, the more the linen recedes to the background and coconut comes forward. Suddenly it's summer -- damp towels laid out on the sun-warmed grass, fresh air and clear blue skies. Just magic! It's so hard to describe this without sounding quite weird, but the whole thing settles into the loveliest milky clean scent you can imagine. It's in the family of Invi's October Laundry, which I loved, but a summer rather than a fall scent. I will totally be able to wear this to work, and it really just carries the best snuggly clean little dog vibe with it. Thank you so much, Mara!

So this is AMAZING. i didn't dare grab a full bottle unsniffed, because I was worried that both the dragon's blood and the tobacco could be headache inducing for me. It turns out not to be so! This is the perfect fall scent -- I don't know how Mara does it, but it totally has a fresh air, outdoors vibe, and it serves to mitigate those notes and make them purely delicious. This remind me a little bit of Hauntings -- it has that coolness to it -- but at the same time it's very much its own thing. The civit honey is not dirty at all -- just dark and adding a little raw sweetness. Congrats, Memorare and Mara!

EOSP, thank you for these exquisite Aphrodite reviews! You capture them so beautifully! So I have been dipping into Inviting Aphrodite pretty much every night since I got it, and it is just amazing. If you can imagine a sky some place where human lighting hasn't taken over..... a black sky that shows all the whirls and swirls of the Milky Way, and the moon.... this smells like that darkness. The roses are so dark that they initially don't even read as rose to me. The time I most strongly get the rose notes is always the next morning, when it clings beautifully to my skin. This is just so sensuous and deep and fricking gorgeous! I wrote Mara, "For this one, I just want it to be an overwhelming intoxication of the senses.... deep, dark, rich, intense" and oh wow did she ever deliver.

Welcome! Looking forward to your reviews!

ephoebe, thanks for this; I keep trying to get a thread started in my journal and getting interrupted. Hopefully tomorrow!

Dear Mara, may I get a sampler?

It's amazing how that happens, isn't it! This sounds incredible, Memorare! I may need to grab a sampler so I can try!

Aphrodite in Vermont A fresh and inviting aphrodisiac comprised of just-plucked strawberries and freshly snipped roses of the baby pink sweetheart variety. The body is comprised of sweet butter lettuce leaves, a hint of chamomile and herbs, with a dot of fresh earth in the base. Happy, smiley, daytime love, by Blackcat. STRAWBERRY ~ Attraction, friendship, draws fortunate circumstances in all areas of your life. ROSE ~ Self confidence, strong aphrodisiac properties, attracts affection & love, fertility, divination/clairvoyance. LETTUCE ~ Cools lustful passions, chastity, love, divination, promotes rest. CHAMOMILE ~ Prosperity, calming & soothing. Love, peace, meditation. EARTH ~ Grounding, centering, protection, renewal, reincarnation, life. Another Aphrodite potion -- this is getting its solo slather today, and I am still head over heels in love with it! The rose and strawberry are perfectly balanced, and the rose is deep bright pink, while the strawberry is very tart, fresh and juicy. The lettuce (which I asked for because it's associated with Aphrodite, at least according to internet research) and the herbs and earth give it a fresh green cast. It absolutely evokes a sun-warmed garden. As it dries down, the greenness recedes a bit and the pink becomes deeper and sweeter and stronger. I am usually not a pink scent person, because I feel too old and not girly enough to pull it off, but this is a pink that really works for me! One of the really interesting things for me about this one is that it doesn't feel like a "Me" scent, but that is actually its attraction. It feels as if it is opening up access to a new dimension of Me, one that has been missing for quite a while. Definitely a total win! Thank you, Mara!

Inviting Aphrodite And Blackcat's nighttime ode...thick attars of red and black roses over rich black coffee and dark chocolate, with drops of warm silkiness in the base courtesy of vetiver and myrrh. ROSE ~ Self confidence, strong aphrodisiac properties, attracts affection & love, fertility, divination/clairvoyance. COFFEE ~ Focus, stamina, concentration, determination. CHOCOLATE/COCOA ~ Lightens emotions, evokes feelings of love. MYRRH ~ Stimulating, soothing. Powerful guard against evil. VETIVER ~ Enhances perception of beauty. Love, sensuality, money, luck, hex-breaking. Putting this up for Beach Goddess! I need to do a full slather before real review, but let me just say this one is dark and intoxicating! The vetiver/myrrh keeps it from being at all foodie. I'll also probably do a thread in my journal about intent with this one, but suffice to say, for the past few months it has appeared that Aphrodite is trying to get my intention, so I asked Mara for a couple of potions to help align with that energy.

Hey, BG, it's mine! I'm not ready to do full reviews but I'll throw up some threads so you can see notes and intent. :-)

Stacy, I think you'll love it! Fresh fragrant rose perfectly balanced with tart juicy strawberry, and the other notes really do it give a sunshine-warmed garden aspect. And definitely one of Mara's powerful potions -- sensuous, joyful, with a bit of mischievousness!

OMG you guys, I stalked the post man to avoid the dreaded peach slip and I HAVE PEs!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Going up to open the box and squee. Will report back! Mara, thank you in advance I know these are going to be so awesome!!!!!!!!! ETA: Oh oh oh! Mara, as I guessed, I can tell these will all be spectacular if they are this good straight out of the box! I'll do proper review threads when I've had a chance to test each separately, but I wanted to say that while I love them all my surprise fave is the Aphrodite in Vermont -- it's fantastic! I don't know how you did it -- this somehow manages to be pink and sweet but with a depth and power that will make me comfortable wearing it out and about (because I usually feel way too old for pink and sweet!)! Actually, I'll be more than comfortable. It smells like love. And magic. And power. Something about it is shiveringly nostalgic too! It's the perfect evocation of Aphrodite, and I adore it. Thank you so much, you are the most amazing potion master!!!!!!!! ETA: OMG the long drydown of Joie de Vivre and Inviting Aphrodite.... everyone is neck and neck now for my most favorite! These are just incredible!

Right now: Living Doll Opal Black Cat Mojo Tantalize Creamed Honey

This one is getting better on me, if that's possible! And while it's lovely going on, the killer is what's still there the next morning. Soooooooooo good!

How have I not reviewed this one yet? It's delectable -- I don't know how Mara does this but the texture is a gorgeous whipped frothiness, and the cherry/vanilla/marshmallow perfectly balanced and blended into a soft glowing pink cloud. Loving this for bedtime! On me, it feels lighter and frothier than the original, but that may be due to the other having had some time to age.

Mara, I'm reading my descriptions and literally squeeing with delight here at Black Cat Cottage! These sound AMAZING -- as always, I feel as if I hand you this bunch of blunt scribbly crayon drawings and you transform them into masterpieces in oils.... I am beyond excited to get these. Thank you SO much! And Memorare -- I thought that was you!!!! Congrats, Wanderer looks incredible! Actually (not surprisingly) they all look incredible! I think I'm gonna sit on my hands for a bit though and let my current ginormous order finish processing before coming in for round 2. :-)