Absinthe

[Mechanical Death]

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.

In the bottle it smells like straight absinthe, swirling minty yummy wormwood liqueur.

It stays fairly the same on my skin. It smells, like I smiled some on me while I was drinking it. Perfect.

It dries a bit lighter and lemony, not overwhelmingly strong. Love it.

[Wren12]

In the bottle...love it, green and herbal with some warmth fro m the anise, which is a warm scent for me.

 

On wet...still love it, the anise spreads with am herbal warmth...the hyssop? Haven't smelled many hyssop notes so not sure. I get no citrus, or cardamom.

 

On dry...the anise recedes a touch, leaving a light herbal note with just a bit of liccorice. And now something sweet, not sure where that is coming from.

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Overall I quite enjoy this, not surprising as it has many notes I enjoy. My only issue is that my skin seems to eat it like candy, good thing I got a big bottle!

[kythe]

Mmm, this really does smell like absinthe. Sadly my skin completely swallows it and I can barely smell it after five minutes. Swap pile.

[yakiguri]

I've never smelled real absinthe before, but this blend on my skin is primarily lemony anise. I'm actually quite surprised that lemon's behaving on my skin, being that citrus tends to be a major skin nemesis. Wish it had something with a bit more oomph as an anchor...maybe I should hunt down a bottle of Absinthe & Lace. >_>

[RubyV]

I didn't get any citrus on me at all. Instead, it was very, very warm, and woody. I actually had strangers walking up to me to tell me that I smelled amazing. This may need to be a full sized bottle.

[welcometothefamily]

In the Imp: Mmm. Minty.

 

Wet: Minty, slightly herbal smelling, but in a soft, green, gentle way.

 

Drydown: This is still minty, and I can now smell anise. But it's very light and gentle, not like WAM BAM BLACK LICORICE. It's light green and herbal smelling, but still sweet, and I actually quite like it .

 

Verdict: This is quite nice. It's light and gentle and just yummy . I'll keep my imp for sure.

 

3/5

[welcometothefamily]

In the Imp: Mmm. Minty.

Wet: Minty, slightly herbal smelling, but in a soft, green, gentle way.

 

Drydown: This is still minty, and I can now smell anise. But it's very light and gentle, not like WAM BAM BLACK LICORICE. It's light green and herbal smelling, but still sweet, and I actually quite like it .

 

Verdict: This is quite nice. It's light and gentle and just yummy . I'll keep my imp for sure.

 

3/5

Edited October 10, 2013 by welcometothefamily

[lucycat]

This was one of the imps in my first imp pack.

 

In the imp and wet, I get herbal licorice. I've never tasted absinthe, so I can't say if the scent is accurate that way, but I love licorice and anise in all its forms.

 

As it dries, the anise predominates. In fact, this is almost a pure anise scent on me.

 

This imp is now over nine months old. When it was new, I seem to remember getting more lemon and mint, but I wasn't writing reviews then, so I can't be sure. In any case, those notes seem to have aged away.

[ShannonElisabethJones]

In the imp I get straight up licorice and mint. The kind of mint that you can almost taste at the back of your nose. Not unpleasant.

 

While putting it on, the mint was almost menthol-y, in that I could sense fumes wafting from me. Licorice is still there. I don't mind it, but my eyes and nose started to twitch.

 

A few minutes into wearing it and I'm catching something or other (wormwood? cardamom?) sort of grounding it, making it a little more earthy, but I have to get all up in it to be able to catch it. It's really just all mint with licorice popping up to say hi.

 

I don't think this one really works for me. It doesn't smell bad, it's just not something I would wear.

[mymymai]

ITI: It's absinthe, but with mint and a splash of lemon. Nice.

 

Wet: It's certainly absinthe! And it's strong. Very strong. The wormwood and anise pungent, clearly definable, but delicious on my skin and I still do pick up the mint and lemon with a light tone of hyssop underneath. This is a great brooding scent that I'll wear when I go out.

 

Dry: It's much drier in tone and a bit more medicinal after 4-5 hours. The wormwood and anise notes are more woody dried down and not as jarring or striking now that it's settled.

[miamaslegi]

Let me start by saying that I do not like licorice, anise, fennel, or anything similar in any form at all, period.

In the imp, I mostly got mint and lemon. Once on my skin, this became a light, inoffensive, herby-green and lemon scent that the anise snuck in and ruined. Granted I probably wouldn't reach for something like this sans anise, but still. Anise, why do you have to stink so bad??

[Magycmyste]

Honestly, while I love the ideas and associations behind absinthe, I have yet to really think of it as an alcohol of choice for me. Still, that might be because I've never had it properly.

 

In the imp: Mint and anise, more than anything.

 

Wet on skin: Ah yes, there's the cardamom jumping into the mix

 

Dried down: Mint and anise.

 

Throw: Not much at all - I have to sniff my wrist to smell anything, though it's pretty strong up close.

 

Verdict: *** Not bad, but not for me.

[JuliskaMarie]

In the imp: It's been a while since I've had Absinthe, but this is more or less what I remember it smelling like, only the perfume is a bit more magical-smelling than the drink... so maybe it's what the Green Fairy smells like!

Wet on skin: Not quite as fresh as in the imp - the same notes, but they've moved around a bit.

Dry on skin: Less like the Green Fairy, more like actual Absinthe, only less alcoholic. Something in it has turned slightly soapy, but it's just giving the whole thing a really "clean" feeling at the moment. I quite like this!

After a few hours: The soapiness is still there, but it doesn't ruin it. My husband says I smell like a lolly shop, haha!

Verdict: It fades to a light, sweet lolly-soap smell fairly quickly, but it's still strangely nice! Not for days when I need a lasting perfume, but if I just need something pretty & exciting to boost my mood for a little while, this works wonderfully. I'd be curious to try it in a scent locket too!

[Astarial]

ITI, this is mint, anise, wormwood, and a touch of lemon. Herbal and minty.

 

Wet, I get a flare of toothpaste-like mint, which I'm pretty sure is the mint/anise combination. Mint has never lasted long on my skin, so it quickly settles back and lets the anise come through alone. The notes don't list any sugar, but I swear I'm getting just a tinge of it.

 

Anise also pulls back as this dries down, leaving a lightly sweet, herbal-lemon scent. I can still get some anise and mint if I huff the crook of my arm, but not on the wrist applications (front and back).

 

Unsurprisingly, this doesn't last terribly long. Only a couple of hours.

[tharsei-thanate]

Got a frimp of this recently!

 

Smells very much like the drink, only sweeter and with a bright tang from the lemon. Funnily enough, I'm not usually big on anise or citrus but I really like this blend. Probably because I like the drink so I can forgive the licorice stank in this instance. It's also not very strong, to be honest, so it isn't overwhelming. Not sure if this would be something I'd wear often but I can definitely use it as a pick-me-up when I don't have the actual drink on hand, haha.

[Lunasariel]

In the imp: (Disclaimer: I'm the world's worst drinker, so I've never smelled absinthe in situ.) Primarily sharp anise, but a bit of the edge is taken off by a subtle hint of mint (or possibly lemon? The anise is pretty darn strong, and obscures everything else). My first thought was "ugh licorice", but I've found myself going back to re-sniff it several times - surprisingly intriguing!

 

Wet: The mint comes forward, making it just about equal with the anise. Okay, *now* it smells like something disaffected writers would drink! Especially because I'd swear there's some sugar in there, too. I can't tell if it's actually leaning a little plasticky/soapy, or that's just the way anise works, but there's also an element of that.

 

Dry: The anise fades to a general herbal-sweet scent, and then to nothing, relatively quickly - maybe four hours from beginning to end?

[Jeni Mullen]

About my skin: My skin loves sugar and cakes but any chocolate and many vanillas turn plastic and powdery. Booze gets amped (but wonderfully) and will tone down the plastic smells of vanilla but NOT chocolate. Wine, creams and honey often turn sour immediately. White, red and dark musks are love. Vetiver and Civet are not. I can also be sensitive to cinnamon in a blend but a little Snake Oil almost always takes the burny away.

 

About my nose: Kitchen spices (peppers, ginger, cardamom and sage) make me sneeze. Frankincense reminds me of sage. I dislike the smell of leather. Almost anything floral or wood (including sandalwood) gives me a headaches but I can do bergamot, rose and sweetpea in small doses. I don't like licorice either. Forest smells are great, decay is not. I really love linen and clean smells. Citrus is hit or miss.

 

Imp: Oooh, there's that licorice-y wormwood. I was hoping that the anise would be toned down but I guess not!

 

Skin: Ugh, wet, it's all licorice all the time. Hoping for a mellower dry down.

 

Verdict: Unfortunately, this is just a sweet licorice on me. If you love licorice (or anise cookies) this would be perfect. I think this is actually just triggering the taste more than the smell on me. I generally like the smell of faint licorice but the strength evokes a taste in my mouth that I can't get away from. I'll not keep this imp.

[Veronica]

I can't get past the anise--all I get is licorice

[DoktorDandy]

The Imp: Alright- this will sounds stupid, but this smells.. perfume-y. As in, a stereotypical perfume smell- bright, slight alcohol tinge with a bit of a nose-tingle. Not sweet, but not bitter either. Something between a floral and a citrus.

 

Wet: Went bitter, sticky, dark and the tingly quality increased. It's soapy and reminiscent of fennel. In a matter of minutes, an anise flavor arrives and stays. This is closer to an anise or aniseed soap smell than a liquorice candy smell. Pale green, rather than black liquorice. It's going extremely light and pretty clean.

 

Dry: Feels like it would be great to help keep cool on a warm spring day or a hot summer day. Snappy, cheerful, plucky smell. Not the longest life though. I'll keep the imp! Ah, also, do not wear it around anyone who can't take the smell of fennel/liquorice/anise- they will hate it because of how spot on it is, really. At least, that's how it acts on me. Also, I've had Absinthe before, albeit an American variety, as well as absinthe pastilles- and this is very reminiscent of both of them.

Edited May 26, 2015 by DoktorDandy

[LizziesLuck]

I wanted to smell mint and lemon and cardamom - what I get is anise and a smattering of mint.

 

It's nice and light, and I do like it, but it fades within minutes, and I feel as if I would likely need to bathe in it to have it last all day. I may keep the imp for a bit and retest, but it will likely eventually end up in the swap pile.

[Soupy Twist]

Lemon and mint in the bottle. Goes on as hyssop and anise, with a little menthol. This becomes a sweet, rounded woody note — I guess it's the wormwood? — which dries as a weird sweetish anise. It's an interesting scent, but I don't think I'd wear it again. I like my licorice a little more on the bitter side, closer to fennel. At least the cardamom didn't eat everything like it normally does on me.

Edited September 14, 2015 by Soupy Twist

[Redillon]

I was frimped this little number.

In the imp it definitely smelled like a version of absinthe. Yes, I've had it. And it's not bad. It had a minty, anise scent with a hint of CHOCOLATE? Humm...

 

On the skin there was no chocolate but the anise was stronger and cleaner. I don't get much lemon and that's good because I'm not a fan of the lemony scents.

 

As it melts into my skin it's minty without being really harsh. It's blending very nice with my skin and isn't being eaten up as a lot of the scents do with my chemistry. It's fresh and sort of clean.

 

I'm enjoying this very much. I keep getting wafts of the scent from the front of my shirt and it's SO LOVELY.

 

I can see a bottle of this in my future for certain!!!

[joopjoop]

Gorgeous! As others have said, it smells exactly like Absinthe in the imp.

 

On me this is mostly anise but tempered with lemon and something slightly herbal and warm - the hyssop? the cardamon?

 

I thought this would smell weird on, but it is quite lovely. It seems like the perfect scent for a rainy date night where you sit in a cozy corner of a dimly lit but classy bar.

[DeadlyNightshade]

Lovely! Smells like liquorice all the time with something herbal in the background, it stays strong for hours. I don't smell lemon at all.

[Mermaid-on-Land]

So excited to try this one! Mostly because I've been fascinated by the idea since a character in a book series I used to love drank some on a dare. So, I love the smell of anise because of a family recipe for christmas cookies, but that's a sugary sweet anise. This kind of anise is more the type to punch you in the nose, not bake you cookies. I hadn't realized how strong/sharp this spice is when not mixed into cookie dough. But I still really enjoyed it! I didn't find this to be foody at all. It was quite herbal and strong and sharp. The mint softened it a little and the anise stood out quite a bit at first. The lemon was sharp and tangy at the edges in the beginning, but I have a problem with citrus, it either fades to soap on me or disappears entirely. So it did go a bit soapy but it was very clean smelling and I didn't really mind. The color association is (as advertised) very green, almost luminous and sparkling clear chartreuse. This to me is a VERY unique scent, unlike anything I've smelled in perfume before. Sadly it disappeared on me in like a couple hours. And had almost no throw within a second of application. However, based just on the smell, I'm almost tempted to want to get a big bottle just to reapply all day anyway! I really loved this one but damn if it's just too subtle on me