Absinthe

[HKB]

Fall under the spell of our Green Fairy! An intoxicating blend containing wormwood essence, light mints, cardamom, anise, hyssop, and the barest hint of lemon.

Starts out too astringent; lemon and alcohol. Then the anise and cardamom come in and I like this stage, but shortly after the anise takes everything over. I like anise, but that's all I smell after 10 minutes and it's overpowering.

[DeltaCat]

I get a very strong anise. I fact that is all I smell unfortunately. Straight black licorice.

[quigza]

In the bottle: Tussin cough syrup- original flavor. With a slight woody lingering note.

 

Wet: still tussin, but the wood note is stronger, and the sharp note of anise is coming out. Nose tickling in its sharpness.

 

Dry: Oh thank goodness, no more tussin. Wood, sharp anise (not licorice in the candy sense at all), something almost lemony with mint, but really - AHA Lemon balm & mint!

 

Aftermath: There's not much staying power for this on me. a faint green drift of mint. My roomie swears it smells of Sandalwood. Which it must, as I can't smell sandalwood too well. LOL

 

 

I was really not expecting to like this, but I do

Edited March 30, 2010 by Lemonlife

[ami226]

Hmmmm, this smells quite medicinal with a hint of mint. Herbal and bitter green.

 

Definitely not for me. Ouch!

 

-ETA- Wow, this becomes total licorice. Eep.

Edited May 6, 2010 by Catseyes

[SophieCedar]

In imp and first wet: this smells like true absinthe straight from the bottle.

 

Further in toward drydown it smells like I drank it and it's oozing out of my pores. I get the bitter wormwood and anise and sour lemon. The mint burned off and left a dried version of itself.

 

End result: woody and medicinal smelling with more cardamom. Some may love to smell of this all the time.. but I prefer the "come hither" stinkies.

 

I'll keep it around for the novelty though!

[Dharklady]

In Bottle: Sharp and astringent. It smells like a very light green.

Wet: The mint and lemon slide and slither over a base of spice.

Dry: A light scent that remains true to the in bottle smell and description.

Notes: If the drink is anything like how this scent smells, I’m really curious to try it now.

 

[impolight]

:::ABSINTHE:::

 

 

Rapid-fire blinking did little to dispel a sense of Deja vu when this Frimp had arrived in an order.

Then, realization dawned; the review in question was actually Pontarlier...

The petting of self can now come to an end...

So, what to make of this Bewitching Brew? This is the Green Fairy Herself!

No enchanted, Fern-bespattered floral garden of Her birthplace here!

Here is the muse, the madness, mesmerizing!Surgically sharp Greenery!

Hell, if that's Wormwood that's giving this particular formula it's kick, it should certainly be encouraged by devotees to make it's presence well known in formulas of the future!

Absinthe is HEAVY green/black! The Wormwood, Mints, and Anise form a mentholated braid of something that is terrifying and delicious at the same time! Absinthe indeed!

For those unfamiliar with it's notes, imagine Jagermeister with the best rootbeer or Sasparilla in the world as its mixer And add something furious and scorched... Hyssop? Cardamom?

You can get the Lemon-peel vibe suspended in the air currents just a few moments later, giving Absinthe a luster that verges on... Prehistoric?On the Skin: WOW! The Wormwood's green in this becomes malevolent, vicious, even! This isn't so much an enchantment

as it is a murderous sorcery! This is the same violent, radiating sort of green that you get from Hemlock in Rapaccini's Garden.

 

This experience is akin to a late-night sit down in an opulent pub, brimming with old-world charm.

On opposite side of the bar, should you crane your neck and peer around the whiskey optics, you spy a comely, doe-eyed lass in a green dress with shimmering, ebon ringlets who returns your gaze with a smirk.

By the time you have worked up the courage to address Her, your choice of words in regrettably... Uncouthed.

This is the smell of your blood dribbling into a puddle of spilled Absinthe as it mingles with the smell of Her freshly polished boots.

 

Absinthe is worthy of it's status of an iconoclast of conventional folklore.

This is obsidian-sharp verdance that washes over a melange of delirium and poetry.

The Lemon Peel in this makes for a bright, clean, deluvian feel... As though you're lying, supine, in the tall grass next to a sparkling brook.

On Him, Absinthe Is sweet, sinister, and sexy.

On Her, Absinthe is vicious, vivacious, and verdant.

Another brilliant formula by the Lab.

4 out of 5.

[proserpine]

Black licorice madness that turn into a cross between a lemon Halls cough drop and wood polish. Once dry, turns back into straight black licorice.

[Lysi]

In the imp, this was, as others have said, medicinal and sharp, but it had a nice citrus tang to it. Wet on my skin, I only smelled licorice and nothing else. It has dried down to Irish Spring soap. It's nice, clean and fresh, but not as interesting as I had hoped. Glad I got to try it though!

[milo]

I have never smelled actual absinthe, so I can't comment on the similarities, but this very much reminds me of Ouzo, though not as strong a anise note. It's quite boozy when wet, but dries to a anise herb blend. This smells a lot like the anise my mom grew and the anise tea I drank when I was having trouble lactating (yes, it's good for that!! maybe a little too good!) I really can't see this as a personal or room fragrance, but it certainly brings on some memories!

[lahdeedah]

I really feel like this one is SO close to smelling like the real deal on my skin, but misses the mark because of that lemon note which comes out shrieking like a banshee and never totally dies down. Halls lemon drop, yes. Green Fairy, no.

[countessmouse]

Very astringent in the imp.

 

When I lived in Northern California, anise grew wild in spots amid the tall grass. That's what this smells like. While I didn't mind the scent outdoors, I don't really like it on me.

 

Oh, and now the lemon has popped. I smell like weird candy. Bleh.

[brilliantcat]

In the bottle: Fresh and sweet! The cardamom and anise stand out to my nose with hints of mint and lemon.

 

Immediately after application: Vague lemony earthy flower with a touch of licorice from the anise. I hate eating black licorice, but the smell is another thing altogether. I find it very attractive. The mint has been slurped up by my skin.

 

Warming up: Cardamom, lemon, and licorice. Vaguely candy and I keep going back to sniff it.

 

Fading: Lemon and anise/licorice-y smell have faded, leaving wormwood, cardamom, and what I presume is the hyssop. If I sniff close up, I still get hints of the lemon and anise but it's mostly a pleasant herbally floral.

 

Faded: Very soft herbal-floral, individual notes almost indistinguishable after several hours.

 

Overall: I doubt this is one I would go to on a regular basis and I had hoped for more mint, but I love the herbal scent of the wormwood and cardomom with the touches of hyssop, lemon, and anise. It worked well with my skin chemistry. Tinycat also enjoyed it and kept sniffing my wrist. Considering my preference for very boozy, sultry, spicy, and/or foody mixes I might go to this for a more professional setting as it not so in-your-face. And it's a general catalogue scent so I can always buy an imp or two if I'm in the mood!

[frecklestars]

In the bottle: oh goodness, I adore the mints and anise! those are the first identifiable notes that jump out at me from the bottle. it smells so cool and light. the more I sniff, the more I notice the lemon, which adds to the summery feel. there's a bit of bitterness in the background, which keeps it from being too icy cool, and I assume that's the wormwood.

 

On my skin: oh phooey! it turns into a nasty lemon cleaning fluid on me. the anise is an afterthought, and I still adore that cool lightness, but lemon is definitely overwhelming everything else. and in a decidedly sour-lemon way (instead of a sugary lemonade). perhaps that's the combination of the wormwood and the lemon. why why WHY couldn't it stay anise-and-mint?! it does change more into the anise-and-mint variety as it dries, but for me that bit before the drydown just isn't worth it.

 

Last thoughts: little lemon in the bottle, lotta lemon on the skin (or at least on _my_ skin). unbearably reminiscent of sour cleaning fluid.

[imaginepageant]

In the Vial: Mouthwash. Yup, this is mouthwash. Minty and herbal. I can just get that "barest hint of lemon" too.

 

Wet: Gets warmer and softer and less like mouthwash - but still very minty and herbal. And a little soapy. Oh, and here comes the anise to turn it into black licorice!

 

Dry: Black licorice with mint and a bit of lemon. OR NO, WAIT! It smells like a black lollipop! You know those little bundles of lollipops that grocery stores used to sell? Everyone always hated the black ones, but I liked them. And that's what this smells like!

 

An Hour Later: The same, but it's already faded quite a bit.

 

Overall: I'm getting a kick out of the black lollipop scent, and I actually like it, but - this isn't something I'd wear as a perfume.

[tkannon]

I wanted to like this since black licorice brings back memories of my childhood. Unfortunately the smell overwhelms me and I can't smell everything else. I wanted to like this but I just can't

[Missy_killer]

In the bottle: It's very minty, the kind of strong mint that makes your eyes water a bit and then I smell lemon with a faint hint of sweet black liquorice.

 

 

On me: This one is quite green-ish in the scent. Very bright mint and lemon. It smells exactly like Lush's "Snowdrops"-bath bomb/ballistic. When I went outside in the cold I got more of a "soapy" lemon than a "sharp" lemon. The mint is gone. And where is the liquorice?! I want more of that in here!

 

Hours later: The soapy lemon has stayed with me *sigh*. The mint never returned, which I am very sad about.

 

Overall: I wanted to love this one and thought it would be more sharp mint and liquorice than lemon. I was very wrong and therefor I can't bring myself to love this one

[Floria]

I got this as a frimp from the lab. I'd considered buying an imp to fill the missing "mint" slot in my perfume collection, but declined because I was worried about the wormwood being too bitter.

 

It turns out, Absinthe is neither bitter nor notably minty on me. I smell anise and undefinable herbs, my mother thought it smelled like tansy (the aromatic kind, not tansy ragwort) on me. Possibly that's the wormwood mellowed by the other ingredients.

 

I have no experience with absinthe, the beverage, but this does plausibly smell like a complex herb and anise liqueur, without the alcohol.

[BoneBone24]

Wet: sparkly and yellow

 

Drydown: I detect the wormwood and herbs first, followed by the anise and then the lemon.

 

Dry: An equal mix of lemon candies, wormwood, and herbs with a touch of the mint and anise mingling throughout. This is light and becomes even lighter as the hours go by. By the end of the day its morphed into a soft powder note.

 

 

 

Absinthe is a well-blended, sparkly scent with a slightly sinister edge to it. This green fairy is up to no good. It’s light but not too girly, which I appreciate. I’d declare it my go-to keeps-me-awake-at-work/refreshing-type scent if it didn’t disappear so darn quickly. I think I’ll save my imp for summer use to see if the higher temperatures increase its strength at all.

[persephonehazard]

I'm immediately taken with this in the imp. The anise is strong, which is excellent as I've always loved liqorish. I'm also getting a rounded, hebally waft, which is gorgeously refreshing after all the heavier scents I've been testing recently. The mint's coming through a tiny bit, even, which I somehow didn't quite expect. On wet, this holds true for a while and the lemon starts coming through with it. I am officially a happy camper.

 

Briefly.

 

It's really not very far into the drydown at all that suddenly, inexplicably, this turns into the smell of a pharmacy. It's not even quite medicinial: it's very specifically the scent of a chemist's shop. I recognise it instantly, but my suspicions are soon confirmed - I have to pop into my local pharmacy that very morning, and as soon as I step in there I know for a fact that it smells like I do just then, only stronger. And it stays that way for the next few hours, right up till it suddenly vanishes entirely.

 

I am sad! The age of the oil might not be helping - I have no idea where this imp came from or how old it was when it first came to me, and that was two years ago. It's been sat in the dark since then, almost entirely unused, but still.

[Doc M]

Considerations: Not a fan of the taste of black licorice but I do like the anise used in pizzelle cookies. Like the smell, generally. Love lemon but it doesn't love me back. Herbals tend to do well on me. Impressed to see wormwood used - a true ingredient of absinthe. Taking a chance and getting an imp.

 

Diagnosis: Licorice... Warming up on skin... As usual my skin has devoured the lovely mint and I don't even smell it. Very faint wood/herbal under the anise - perhaps the wormwood. Lemon is playing nice... GASP, it smells natural, hasn't gone into a burnt/artificial mode! It remains soft but noticeable in the backdrop. Mild-moderate throw. Somewhat subtle. Verrrry pleasant, almost invigorating. Work appropriate in small doses.

[whitsunweddings]

Though I like black licorice in small doses, I am not at all a fan of aniseed in any other form. Black jellybeans? Bleeeugh. I was frimped this, and though I know it's not for me, I will review it in the interests of SCIENCE!

 

In the imp: Fennel plants. We had some growing by my primary school when I was a kid, and they always smelled kind of rancid, especially on hot days. Yup, that exact smell. Groce.

 

Wet: Fennel like whoa.

 

Dry: It actually turns into a quite pleasant lemony-soap affair. However, I can still dectect some aniseed lurking in the background, and am afraid it's going to return and wallop me in the face, so I'd best go wash it off now.

[relax]

I evokes an image of a clear glass jug filled with crispy, translucent absinthe, where the green fairy lives

Mysterious, haunting, alluring, invating,sexy.

[detritius]

From the second I open the imp, all I get is liquorish. It doesn’t morph on my skin; although it does warm up, it’s the same strong liquorish smell. I generally enjoy anise, but this is like anise turned up to eleven. It has a pretty significant throw, too, so there’s no escaping it. Not sure this one is for me.

[sunlitgarden]

In the imp: Very "green" and herbal, fresh and minty. I can smell anise for sure. I have had absinthe (albeit a crappy brand) and this does smell like it!

 

On my skin Absinthe smells a bit floral, but mainly mints and anise. Mostly anise. Unfortunately, it is soapy as well. It's basically licorice soap. Doesn't work on me, it seems.

Edited April 24, 2012 by sunlitgarden