Casanova

[Voleuse]

...Who says librarians can’t be sexy? A rakish blend of leather, anise, lavender, bergamot and amber with tonka, lemon peel and lusty patchouli.

This does, actually, remind me of a library on first sniff. There's dust, lemon polish, and a dry note that reminds me of cracked bindings. The anise is quite strong, and the lemon gets stronger over time. Interesting, and not at all what I expected.

Alas, as it dries, the rest of the ingredients do not appear. The lemon fades, but I get no leather, no patchouli, no tonka. I do smell the lavender, now. This ends up being a light, slightly herbal, slightly dusty blend. A weaker Clio, to my nose. Nice, but not quite what I wanted.

[forspecial_plate]

At first, this is like a commercial cologne, something more masculine I would say. I can smell the anise in there a little but the rest is pretty much blended together. I can pick out the amber and the lavender kind of drifts in and out of it. It seems to swirl around a lot for a while. Then after about an hour, the amber takes over almost completely! I like the smell of amber, more as a room scent than a cologne [Edit: WTF? This was obviously before I got to know amber a little better]. It smells good but I would like some of the other notes to come out more. Maybe a scent locket would be good for this. I'm going to let it age for a while and try again.

 

Edit: almost a year later, I like this a lot more. It seems close to Wilde to me, but I didn't like Wilde and I do like Casanova. The tonka seems to anchor this or round it out a little. Other than that I find that this is expertly blended and none of the notes really stand out (especially leather, which takes over on my skin sometimes). I think sometimes lavender smells like basil to me, this seems to have a hint of basil. I likie! I'm glad I kept trying it.

 

Edit Final verdict, this is just a little too salty for me. I don't know why it seems salty, but it does. I'll stick with Vicomte De Velmonte for now.

Edited May 9, 2008 by Forspecial Plate

[cranberry]

Imp: lavender, bergamot, leather

 

On the skin: this smells masculine – mainly lavender. It has a slight cologne tang to it, because these scents are traditionally found in men’s cologne. As it wears, the amber, tonka and leather come out, adding a sensuous note. The patchouli too. This is wonderful. The lavender and bergamot provide a bit of an edge to this scent. I’m not getting lemon peel or anise, which is good as I don’t generally care for those notes. This really is a sexy man kinda scent, confident, strong, sexy. It has a similar vibe to me as Doc Constantine, except there’s a herbal edge rather than a smoky one. Delicious!

[almeda]

First Sniff: Chemical and generically floral.

On: Warms up nicely, and de-harshifies, becoming richer but still unidentifiable. Pleasant, though.

Dry: Definitely incensey, and no longer 'chemical'-smelling at all, to my nose. Some florals in there somewhere, down below.

Long-Term: Interesting -- it's gone kind of dusty-incense-smoke, with florals. Alas, no leather. Fades in 3-4 hours.

 

Keeping it to try more, in heavier or lighter applications, to see what happens.

[waternight]

Ok, this review is going to be long and rambling, as I'm pasting it directly from my own personal review folder, and this blend certainly inspires complex reactions..

 

In the imp – Mmm… bergamot and lavender, with a hint of amber and tonka underneath.

Wet/Drydown – Lavender and amber swirling together to smell absolutely amazing. Definitely a sharp citrusy element that’s delicious. I love the sharpness of this. It’s a clean yet intoxicating scent. Thank GOD I’m not getting any anise – thank. God. I’m getting a muskiness that I think is a hint of patchouli. Leather is hiding pretty well, but I see it peeking shyly around the corner. Oh my God, I can’t stop sniffing myself, this is SO GOOD. It’s herbal and astringent as well and warm and sexy and I would LOVE to smell this on a guy. I wouldn’t be responsible for my actions. Seriously. Ok, as it’s drying it’s sweetening up, the tonka making it creamier and sweeter, but that lovely herbalness is definitely still there. This is a very active scent, totally invigorating. And naughty. The man who wears this is wicked. More drying – there’s that lovely amber that smells so amazing on me! Oh my God, I want to molest myself. There’s a soapy element, but I like it. It’s not soapy enough to make me not use this.

Dry - The soapiness goes away (whew!), leaving a somewhat sharp and herbal amber/tonka blend. Plus it’s giving me a sense of strength and confidence.

Overall: A fascinating, complex blend that plays on so many levels. So delicious.

 

I also enabled the boy of a friend of mine, and he loved it. He was like "it's so complex and interesting!", and I definitely agree. More must be obtained.

Edited January 23, 2007 by waternight

[evcelt]

Faintly sharp in the imp- the bergamot and lemon peel, I think

 

The bergamot in particular comes out on application. Later on, it's mostly lavender and patchouli with maybe some of the amber.

 

It's pleasant on me but fades quickly. Pity- I expected better of it.

[zankoku_zen]

On HIS Skin: What he calls 'smells like may apple, a spicy/earthy one'. Definitely the earthiness is coming from the patchouli. I think what he smells is a combination of the lemon peel and the lavender. The spiciness might also come from the anise.

 

On Drydown: Old Spice.

 

Verdict: He doesn't enjoy this one. I don't think it smells all that bad, but I think he associates 'Old Spice' smells with his father and grandfather... and therefore, has no desire to smell like either of them. Ah well.

[wolfwynd]

I can't really do reviews and this is my first one but dear GOD this is wonderful!

 

There is a sweetness (which I guess it the tonka bean) and a kick just behind that must be the leather.

 

I think I can also smell a little lavender and something else, I think it Patchouli.

 

I don't care that it's masculine, I love it! It's sexy and makes me feel almost naughty!

 

Must.Have.More... guh.

[Browneyes]

I find this to be a sexy men's fresh/herbal cologne. It's quite nice, but a little generic, and I just don't know if I will ever use it.

[moon_lemming]

This blend smells remarkably nondescript in the vial, like a generic men's cologne. Once on, though, the lavender in Casanova amps (on my skin, anyway) to medicinal proportions.

 

As it dries, it becomes much nicer and less single-note. The lavender steps back and the leather pops up, along with a little patchouli -- I think -- and something that mellows it out a bit, probably the tonka. It's good, but definitely masculine, and I can't really pull off masculine.

 

This seems like one of those rare blends my husband would actually wear, even as perfume-oil-averse as he is. I might try it on him, although I think it would go over better if the lavender wasn't so obvious in the beginning. Maybe it will show up less on him.

Edited June 21, 2007 by karen

[gravedigger]

To the Totally Uneducated Nose:

 

In the vial: Onions? Heavy cooking spices, definitely. Smells like something I'd love to eat (Indian food? maybe?) but definitely not to smell like.

 

Wet, on: Curry powder that quickly changes to lavender and some other herbal something.

 

Drydown: This smells a lot like my best friend's cologne. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. I didn't like his cologne at first, but it sort of grew on me. He absolutely refuses to tell anyone what he wears, so I couldn't say exactly what it smells like, but I sort of like it. There's still an undercurrent of curry, though.

 

Overall: I might keep this for the scent association, but certainly not to wear out and about. It's making me rather hungry.

[funkmoppet]

Whoa. My skin chemistry is doing seriously ghastly things to this one.

 

In the imp, Cassanova smells like a lovely masculine floral cologne, and I'm all keen to give it a whirl.

 

Then it hits my skin and it's positively horrid. Straight up, it's a mix between the smell a refuse tip, then goes to sweaty-crotch. And I seriously mean "sweaty-crotch". Uncannily. How the hell my skin has done that to these notes that ought to play very nicely on me is a complete mystery - but that's nevertheless what this blend is doing on me.

 

I've let it dry, and it's improved. The tip and the crotch smell have gone. Now the lavender and lemon are through and giving me a glimpse of what this might smell like on skin that isn't having a serious tantrum. But this is way too little too late and there's no way I can survive that wet phase more than once.

 

I've never had a blend fail this spectacularly on me before. Skin, skin, you curious thing...

[storme]

In the imp: very sharp and manly - bitter lavender and citrus reined in by a hint of warm amber.

 

On me, wet: that lavender now smells a little soapy, but that amber is working away to make it sexier - every sniff is better and more masculine.

 

On me, dry: mmm. This is very nice indeed - lavender and amber and yumminess. Very much a scent for a man with plenty of confidence and rakish charm.

 

Verdict: my only complain is that this is perhaps a little close to a commercial cologne sort of scent. But it's deeper and more mischievous that those. The imp is staying.

[Maia]

On me, Casanova is men's cologne. A little generic, but nice. Masculine, yet quite elegant; fresh, herbal and a little leather-y. I wouldn't mind smelling this on a man at all.

Edited September 2, 2007 by Maia

[pinkpepper]

Wet on skin: Very, very deep and smoky. Black.

 

Dry on skin: Still deep and dark. It brings to mind a scene of a man in a big, soft armchair sitting in a dark room in front of a fireplace. His legs are crossed, his chin rests on one hand. There is an open book on his lap, but he sits staring into the fire, lost in thought, rather than reading.

 

Conclusion: I want to say, if you don't like smoke, don't get this, but I hate smoky scents and I'm loving this. . . . I also don't usually get along with leather (though I do love the actual scent) and it's doing fine! Yippee! It's definitely a manly scent (and I am not a man ), and there aren't many places I can think of that it would be suitable for me to wear it to, but I think I'll keep it for sniffing and wearing on stay-at-home days. It's tense and cozy at the same time. Warm. I think it would make a good scent for just curling up and reading a good book. That's it, it's the perfect reading scent! "Who says librarians can't be sexy?" perfectly defines this one. Love it, love it, love it!

Edited October 17, 2007 by pinkpepper

[Limelight]

First off, there is no way I'd let some man wear this instead of me, unless I just happened to want him to. The notes of this scent are all winners on me, and it develops right away into something tremendously lovely on my skin. I'm particularly at home with the Lab's leather note, and that dominates alongside of bergamot, lavender and lemon peel. Staying power of at least two hours. It makes my life better! Glad I have a bottle, will get some more for sure.

[TPOD]

I must second dirtytrip's review. I love lavender and bergamot and they really do this scent justice. I wore this to bed last night and I find it very invigorating. I had no problem waking up this am and it was still evident on my skin (I had slathered though).

 

I don't care for anise or patchouli and thankfully, I can't detect them at all. I also can't specifically detect amber or tonka, but I can tell that something is rounding out this scent I think the tonka is smoothing things out and the leather seems to really last on my skin. My first experience with BPAL's leather note and I think I need more.

 

Normally I end up with smoky/resinous scents and can't get along with florals, but here the citrus and lavender give me a much brighter scent to work with. It's definitely not girly, but I think I'll be able to wear this and i think it will be lovely for autumn, winter and spring.

[sassycheesehead]

What a pleasant surprise this turned out to be!

 

Wet: A clean fougere -- crisp, cool, and aloof like British gentleman. I smell the lavender and bergamot, but not the anise. Reminds me a little of Parfums Delrae Eau Illuminee.

 

Drydown: The sharp, herbal notes give way to something earthier. I could swear I smelled mushrooms and damp earth for a minute there, but that was probably the patchouli coming through... that stage didn't last very long. Then the leather and tonka emerged. The leather is smooth and supple, like fine gloves or your favorite leather jacket that feels like buttah and molds to your body.

 

Hours later: I can see how some people find this sexy, but to me it's more of a comfort scent. It finishes soft and warm, like sitting in a leather chair by the fireplace, drinking a cup of Earl Grey tea. I don't see wearing it in the summer, but it's perfect on a cold, snowy day like today. My husband was pretty indifferent to Casanova, but I might spring for a bottle anyway.

[SarahScent44]

In the imp, I pick up a hint of leather & patchouli over anise and lavender - very different, really interesting.

 

On my skin, the lemon peel comes out, and there's bergamot, lavender, and still a hint of anise.

 

When it dries, it's very odd - the lemon is there, and lavendar, and bergamot, and then there's patchouli. It's not meshing well for me.

[hkhm]

imp: bergamot, anise and patchouli. this smells sweet and sexy!

 

wet: bergamot and leather. and let me say: this is one seriously sexy combination.

 

dry: bergamot and anise. ths is the most tea-ish scent i've smelled yet.

[Pika]

In imp: Very manly, very cologne-y, but in a way I'd kind of like a guy to smell.

Wet on skin: Heavy on the lavender and bergamot, not so much on anything else. Getting that lemon pledge thing going my skin does to most things citrus.

Drying: Oooh, better than I thought! The leather and patchouliness is coming out, but not to the point of eliminating the herbal-citrus. I think I may foist this one on the boy... He might even like it!

 

While I like some masculine scents very much (Czernobog, Dee) this one is *too* traditionally masculine for me. It's all about traditional men's cologne. But that's not at all bad, if you put it on a sexy man! I'm just hoping Boy's chemistry will treat it somewhat like mine.

 

ETA: Tried it on boy, apparently he amps patchouli like crazy. He didn't like it, and it didn't have quite the same charm for me. Swaps it is.

Edited March 3, 2008 by Pika

[enderfem]

Imp: Something sharp, I think maybe bergamot, as I can place all the other scents. I can definitely pick up the lemon peel too.

 

Wet: It smells like a citrusy men's cologne. Hmm. Maybe it'll get better on drydown.

 

Drydown: I had to wash this off, actually. It smelled like icky bad cheap cologne and was REALLY strong.

[Gwydion]

In bottle: Oh, the patchouli. This smells like aftershave, with lavender, bergamot, and patchouli being the strongest elements. Wet: This smells unexpectedly dry with a flowery aftershavey scent floating over sand. Dry: It settles into something surprisingly seductive, the amber adding a wicked undertone to the more conventional elements. Normally, my skin amps citrus, but it doesn’t do that here. Seriously, this is masculine, slightly dandified, yet with an undercurrent of danger. It fits the concept and my skin beautifully.

[Dracoo9]

In the imp was as far as I got.

It smelt of pure leather and patchouli, two scents that become way to dark to pull off a feminine scent at all on my skin. Too bad

Edited March 30, 2008 by Dracoo9

[bombus]

wow, that is a man scent if there ever was one. it is not be at all! I wish I could get my father to wear this instead of that cheep drugstore crap he wears.