Frumious Bandersnatch

[sarada]

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

Bandersnatch musk, redolent of spicy carnations, wild plums and chrysanthemum.

This is SO GOOD!

Plum lovers rejoice! This is the richest, sweetest, darkest plum -- brought to life with spicy carnation. The spiciness makes me think for a moment of a sort of craft store candle smell but that dark juicy plum twists it and instead of standing in a store of little old ladies buying candles and yarn, they peer up at you with twinkling eyes and you realize they are witches in disguise.

I love plum and this is the sort of vivacious, bloody, deep dark jeweled plum that I love in Blood Countess...maybe even a little like Queen of Spades...

I'm not sure if musk is an ingredient but I don't really smell anything musky...maybe a little bit dusty, but there is something throbbing beneath this that helps to keep all of the elements warm and alive.

This is going to be a 5 ml so fast it won't know what hit it. I should have just ordered one at first based on the name!

[shelldoo]

i couldn't wait for this one, i do not know if i was anticipating this or the monsterbaits more.....

 

in the bottle:plum, and....something, i can't quite place, not spicey, but...fall? maybe the chrysanthamum?

 

wet: lil' shelldoo horner (that's horner not horny) sat in a corner...how does that go...anyway PLUM! and carnation. have i mentioned i love carnation?

 

as it dries, this becomes one of the most incredible scents! just omg wow. it is a plummy carnation w/ a hint of chrysanthamum. i am so happy i bought a big bottle, and i will promptly place an order for another. this could be a top 10 ladies and gents. i am not getting loved on by the musk (and musks love me) but i can feel them giving this a depth that just adds to my entrancement

 

oh and i agree it is a realative of qos

[coulrophobe]

In the imp: OK, the first time I took a whiff it seriously smelled like grape bubblegum - luckily, I sniffed more deeply, and my nose was able to detect something besides the artificial candy-smell.

 

On: I'm getting a lot of spice - but it's more of a cinnamon/cassia smell on my skin, rather than carnation. And there's definitely fruit - the plum isn't too sweet, but a nice, tart, juicy note. I love spicy-fruit smells like QofS, Malkuth, Carnal... but there's always the chance I'll end up smelling like a candle.

 

And I *do* smell like a candle wearing Frumious Bandersnatch, but it's a damn good candle. And how could I not approve of a perfume named Frumious Bandersnatch?

Edited April 5, 2006 by coulrophobe

[zillah37]

Frumious Bandersnatch:

 

I couldn't *not* order this. Just like Mock Turtle's Lessons.

 

In the imp, this is very similar to Queen of Spades actually, just not as dark as that one. It's plum. Shiny plum.

 

On my skin, I'm definitely getting the plum, but it's got this floral thing and this spiciness. I'm guessing that's the bandersnatch musk acting up. But it's light and pretty and man, this is another winner. Yeah. It's starting to smell a little like a candle shop. Like my Shiraz Yankee candle. That's not a bad thing. That's one of my favourite candles ever.

 

The verdict, I need a bottle of this. Seriously. This is so wonderful. Wow. Just ... this is another winner. Yeah.

[filigree_shadow]

I saw all the comparisons to Queen of Spades in the reviews here, so I put Frumious Bandersnatch on one arm and QoS on my other arm.

 

FB is spicier on me. The "spicy carnation" part is prominent. QoS is fruitier, rounder, and more floral. Actually, I expected FB to be more floral than it is. They are slightly similar to my nose, but I like the sweetness of QoS better than the spiciness of FB. Wish I got more plum out of this like some other reviewers do.

 

This is scent is plenty pleasant in its own right, but I'm afraid that nothing will win when being compared to QoS for me. Kinda wish I hadn't done that comparison now, just to see what I had thought of FB all on its own.

[niter]

Imp

I think I bought this partially because of how fun it is to say bandersnatch! When I sniff this, I think dark, gooey spiced plum pie and country craft/candle stores. It is very dark and spicy.

 

Wet

Wet, this maintains that thick, lingering spice reminiscent of a mulled berry/fruit country candle.

 

Dry

This blend rounded out quite nicely. It is spicy like a candle/country store, but it is a GOOD spicey. Mulled autumn plums and the softest touch of florals. Carnation wears so well on me (along with plum) and I think I will not be letting this one go to soon.

[Kittyflop]

On wet - spiced plums.

Drydown - spiced plums!

 

Not sure how long it lasts; I washed it off. It’s a wonderful scent, but much too not-summery; the spices make it seem like an autumn scent, which I just couldn’t face today. I agree with others that it initially smells like a candle scent, but that wears off pretty quickly. This should be lovely in the fall.

[GypsyRoseRed]

This is, hands down, my absolute favorite of Beth's creations. Even above my beloved Snake Charmer. The plums are achingly sweet without being too cloying, and the chrysanthemum/carnation notes remind me of being a little girl picking stolen flowers from gardens on my way home from school. This is unique, and I'm definitely going to get a 10ml or three of this.

[LittleGreyKitten]

No thank you. The Bandersnatch smells like an artificially scented potpourri on me. It has that weird edge to it that smells off, and artificial. Oddly, since that's rarely a thing I get out of Beth's oils. So no Bandersnatch for me, thanks.

 

For me, 1 out of 5. It just tickles me all wrong.

[Voleuse]

What a great name! Hee. This is all spice and plums on first application, light and sweet. It smells rather like a juicy reddish-purple, if that makes sense. Dark but vibrant. As it dries, the scent gets a little lighter, and I can discern a drier, floral note in this. Pretty!

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: Mmmmm. Juicy plum with a hint of spice.

 

Wearing: Wet, this smells like a candle. Strong spice competing with strong, dark fruits. As it dries, the plum goes away completely, leaving a dry floral spice behind.

 

Final Impressions: I was really excited about this, because Beth's carnation is the most amazin creamy spice EVAH. Plum is almost always a Very Good Thing as well. Unfortunately, this partcular combination doesn't really work for me.

[slave1]

In Bottle: Spicy plum bubblegum

 

On Skin: Wow! This is spicy! A very sweet spice, the carnation I think. This is what sadly ruined Alice for me. Carnation always goes hogwild on my skin and it’s a note I don’t care for. I got this not only for the name and context, I am an Alice in Wonderland finatic… but for the plum, I LOVE plum. Like I said, it’s spicy and sweet… almost like a soft cinnamon bubblegum (not anything harsh like Big Red or Dentyne). The musk gives the scent a nice soft and warm bed to lie on, and the chrysanthemum adds to the dainty floral blend. The plum is there, but its light and very dry… a bit powdery, this isn’t a juicy plum at all. The scent has a deep purple feel, with a little burgandy. I also get a candle feel from this, I’d love to have this as a candle in my living room, it’s so comforting and warm. I wouldn’t wear this I don’t think, since it does really smell like a candle or potporri, but it’s still a nice fragrance.

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 5/5

Summarised in a word or two: Spiced plum!

 

Preconceived notions: I'm really wary of this -- because if it's horrible on me, I might cry.

 

In the imp: Plums! And... metal? Something sharp and cold. Weird.

 

On skin, wet: Plums. Plum in scents is starting to grow on me. Plums, carnation and musk. Strangely, it's not a warm scent at all; no, this is very cold.

 

On skin, dry: Plums, spice and musk! This does smell a bit like a Yule/Christmas candle, but really, that's not a bad thing. If I sniff deeply, I could swear there's clove in this.

 

Conclusion: Yes indeed, I do really, really like this. It borders on love. It would be love, but my attentions been drawn to more spring-like/cooler scents lately. I think I'll pick up a bottle -- 10ml, methinks -- come July or August.

[PurringPulsar]

Frumious Bandersnatch

 

In the imp: delightful, sweet stewed plum jam. This is fruity and fun!

Wet on skin: mmm, still plummy, with an almost cherry like feel to it. It's spicy as well.

Dry on skin: this is lovely! I'm quite surprised, since the plum in here isn't as sweet and juicy as I was expecting…it's almost like a stewed plum scent, or a plum preserve. It also has a slightly cherry like feel to it. I love what the carnation is doing to it though…it adds a wonderful clove like spiciness to the fruity scent, warm and vibrant. I can't pick out the chrysanthemum (I'm not familiar with what it should smell like) but I think there's a subtle musk to it, smoothing all the notes together.

After a while: this is reminds me of another BPAL-probably Carnivale, or even, dare I say it…Lughnasadh! Yes! I know, I know, don't take my word for it…but on my skin, it has that same clove-carnation spicy feel to it, and also a similar fruity vibe that translates to cherry and wine on my skin-or in this case, cherry, plum and wine with a nutty musk. And I'm not complaining. Not in the slightest. This is a gorgeous scent, it's laid back and warm and makes me think of those last days of summer and the balmy warmth of September…but with something a little bit crazy about it. In colour terms, this scent is magenta-purple.

After a few hours, I can see why people say this smells like a candle. But this is a good thing-because on me, it's reminiscent of candle smoke. And I love candle smoke. So now the scent is candle smoke, plum, carnation and a bit of musk and cherry.

Verdict: I knew I would like this, if only for the name…but I didn't expect I would love it as much as I do. This isn't as sweet as I expected…the plum note isn't the very ripe, bursting with juice plum note I get with most BPALs, but a plum note that reminds me of a stewed plum or a plum jam scent. and then there's the carnation…and what a wonderful note that is in here. Bold, warm and spicy, with a definite clove like feel, the carnation merges so nicely with the plum. The musk smoothes all the notes out very nicely. Oddly, I also get a cherry like scent from this, and something nutty. At times, the scent resembles a plummy Carnivale, and I could have sworn it even resembled Lughnasadh slightly! It has the same spiced warm autumnal fruit and carnation feel to it. The drydown has a hint of candle smoke to it. I love this scent and it's another proof that I am becoming very fond of BPAL's plum scents. I will need a bottle of this, and I reckon it will be worn a lot during late summer and early autumn.

To sum it up in a smiley:

Edited April 19, 2006 by yeahbutnobut

[Little Bird]

First on, spicy and fruity (but not in a good way)... this has a very generic candle smell on me. Sort of like wandering into the section of spicy candles in a knick-knack shop.

 

I like carnation and I like plum, but this isn't at all what I was expecting. It's not juicy or fruity, but more like dried plums. And the spicy carnation doesn't smell like real carnations so much as generic cinnamon-spice.

 

15 minutes later. This smells like pure cinnamon candle on me. Very spicy and sharp. Not even a hint of dried plum anymore.

 

I was hoping for a summery pairing of spicy florals and juicy plums... but Frumious Bandersnatch does not deliver. It's not a natural scent on me at all. Just headache-inducing spice candles

[Scarlettfish]

Wow, this is plum. Plum, plum, plum. And then more plum. I didn't get much carnation from this at all, but the plum is so delicious I don't care. If you like plum, you'll like this. YUMMY!

[cranberry]

Wowza - yes this is plum all right!

 

This is a yummy, plummy, rich scent, that is slightly spicy. When I first put it on, it's definitely purple fruit but then the spices come out. I smell the carnation and am getting a touch of clove. I don't know what chrysanthemum smells like so maybe that's what I'm getting, I couldn't tell ya. The carnation gets stronger the longer it wears. It does smell a bit like a candle, but a good candle. This would be an amazing room scent! It doesn't change a whole lot on me but it doesn't last a real long time either, however I did only put a couple/three swipes on too, so that's probably not a fair statement.

 

It smells edible, like a rich pie pulled out during a lunch at non-so successful florists shop (that only contains carnations ). I've been craving sweets lately so this is a good substitute.

 

Overall, I like it a lot. I'm not sure I'll be needing a bottle but I'll hang onto the imp and enjoy any more that come my way.

Edited April 21, 2006 by cranberry

[LiberAmoris]

Frumious Bandersnatch smells less like the Queen of Spades and more like Bathsheba to me. Either way, it's definitely in the sexy plum category. I love the carnation here, it really does spice the blend up in such a nice way.

 

On the drydown, the chrysanthemum appears, giving it just the slightest floral edge. Very nice.

[iriedanym]

I've fallen in love with the Mad Tea Party scents all over again, thanks to Frumious Bandersnatch. It's a dark, spicy scent with plum (mmm!) and carnation (double mmm!), and whatever Bandersnatch musk is, it is a winner. It tickled my nose, but not in an "ew! Dear god get this away from me!" way. Oddly enough, it also smells a little bit like Kool Aid to me. A very nice Spring/Summer scent.

[ChupaChup]

Plum is a pretty iffy note on me, it usually gives me a huge headache. But sometimes other notes in the blend can tame the evil fruit (ala Lenore, Snake Charmer) so that I just get mysterious whiffs of it every now and then and not enough of it to choke me. I was hoping the carnation would take care of the plum in Frumious Bandersnatch but alas, its spiciness seems to somehow sharpen the overpowering sweetness. I definitely get that potpourri/candle scent others have mentioned, it's just too much for me.

[cupide430]

So spicy, with a good deal of sweetness and a hint of floral, but just the barest hint of floral really. This was really spicy at first, both in the vial and on my skin though it has melllowed out as it started to dry. Plum doesn't tend to be my fruit, and this is unfortunately no different. A lovely scent, just not exactly one for me.

[Amberfishy]

First I would just like to say I am so overjoyed at this scent! When I sniff it, I can exactly picture the forest where Jabberwocky & Co. live. This scent is deep jungle green with splashed of ruby red, purple and pink. It’s a little exotic and very lush.

 

In the bottle it’s quite sweet, almost like some kind of hard candy. I can smell the floral notes quite distinctly too. Once on my wrist the plum comes into power and the notes play together well. The scent is a robust, juicy floral that has enough spice to give it an edge. This is a great scent for many occasions, and once again I just love the concept and I am so happy the way the notes fit it so well.

[furygrrl]

In the imp: Smells kinda like fruity paint.

 

On wet: A sweet splash of non-descript fruit that darkens into rich, syrupy, spiced plum-goodness after only a few seconds.

 

Drydown: Mmmm... Warm, spicy plums... Underscored by the barest hint of creamy carnations... Sooooo goooood....

 

Overall: This is a seriously delicious combination of notes - not really candle-esque to me, but I can understand how the scent of spiced fruit might smell like such to other noses. Likewise, to *this* grrl's nose, FB's warm, sweet darkness seems better suited to late summer/autumn/winter or as an evening fragrance, not so much for spring. No doubt this blend will be a bottle purchase, to be slathered with abandon come fall.

 

4.5 out of 5.

[crescentwench]

in the bottle: spicy plums

one me: spicy plums

throw: very little

duration: like 2 mintues

 

what's will the mad tea party's? Do they share a similar base like the lunars? A lot of them have little to no simliar notes, yet all the ones I've tried so far (most of them) fade right away on me. The only exception thus far was The Lion, because I amp amber. This makes me sad, because I would to say "i'm wearing frumious bandersnatch".

 

anyway, it smelled nice, but i won't wear it again since I can't be reapplying every five minutes.

[oakmoss]

Plunging past the initial goofy grape stage, fanning my wrists desperately to get to the drydown, and ahhh, here comes the carnation, so spicy and red. These are the small dark red field carnations, not the bland fluffy "filler flowers" -- these have magic and oomph behind them. The plum ripens and deepens with the carnations, and there's a distant ping of sharpness from the chrysanthemum. I get the candle association others have mentioned -- it's almost like there's a beeswax/honey undernote that thickens this scent. Nice on a spring afternoon, but I'm sure it will be most delicious in the autumn and winter. I'll squirrel away a bottle until then.