Frumious Bandersnatch

[Miss Lynx]

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

 

At last! I've been dying to try this one since it was first announced, and finally got my shipment. And it is indeed quite nice, though not quite the stunner I'd hoped.

 

At first sniff, it's spicy fruity flowers. There's a definite cinnamon-ish kick to it, which may be the carnation, or maybe there really is cinnamon in there -- not sure. The floral element is definitely there, but not to an extent that I find bothersome. I'm not a floral person, and my skin often amps florals horribly, but that doesn't seem to be happening here. Then again, carnation usually behaves itself pretty well on me. Never tried chrysanthemum before, but it doesn't seem to be causing any problems.

 

There's definitely a strong, sweet fruit note here as well, presumably the plum, which blends really nicely with the cinnamony note. I'm starting to think this is Red Phoenix's femmier sister. The spicy fruitiness is also a bit reminiscent of March Hare, but with more complexity. It's kind of like what I wanted March Hare to be. I'm also a bit reminded of Maenad, though I'm not entirely sure why -- I think the only note they have in common is carnation. Not much musk that I can notice, except maybe as a background presence helping the other notes blend together. Musks are often good for that. From what I can pick up of it, I'm guessing that "bandersnatch musk" is red musk -- it has that kind of feel, anyway.

 

Interestingly, it seems to be drying down quite differently on my wrists than in the crooks of my arms -- that happens sometimes. On my wrists it's mainly spicy fruit; on my arm it's more floral, but not excessively so. You can still kind of tell it's the same scent, but different aspects of it come out more in different places. After a few hours, the faint trace that's left on my wrists is softly incensey. In the crooks of my arms, it's longer-lasting, with all its notes intact.

 

Overall, it's sweet, spicy, fresh, uplifting and a little quirky -- I like it, even if I didn't swoon over it as much as I'd expected. It seems like it would be an especially good springtime or early summer scent.

 

Grade: B+/A-

[cuervosueno]

this came in my dragon moon order, and it was the one I was most anticipating.

 

Luckily, I decided just to buy an imp, though I did consider getting a bottle unsniffed, because I love carnation so.

 

Glad I didn't do that.

 

At first, this is lovely carnation, with a bit of fruit (plum, no doubt) and spice. I like that softness. but then the spice becomes more aggressive, and while that's not bad, it doesn't smell too much like carnation on me. Instead it smells like a spiced candle. So while this is pleasant enough, I'm glad I didn't get a full 5 ml.

[Rhowan]

In the imp and wet on my skin: OMG! Spicy, spicy, plum- did I say spicy? The spice is like cardamon, maybe a hint of clove! Very nice!!

 

On the dry down: The plum seems to be fading and the carnation begins to come forward but still the prominent note is spice!

 

Completely dried down: The notes have finally blended together to make one beautiful scent. This is spicy plum and carnation (can't get the chrysanthemum) all resting on a beautiful warm musk

 

Conclusion: This is definitely a 5ml. Great throw, pretty good wear. Great compliments when I wear it. Definitely a thumbs up.

[moon_lemming]

Oh man. this one made me sad because how cool would it be to say you're wearing Frumious Bandersnatch? In the bottle, zee Bandersnatch smells of grape lollipops and tasty spices.

 

On me, once we get past the initial grape cough syrup stage, the spice picks up, the grape drops back, and the scent becomes more of a spicy carnation with a swirl of blackberry wine, which smells awfully grape-y.

 

Sadly, I'm not a fan of smelling like grape ANYTHING -- not even subtly -- because it reminds me of being sick (the cough syrup thing), so off to the swap pile it goes.

[redlisse]

After I'd ordered the Frumious Bandersnatch (shun the beast!), I figured out that plum doesn't like me. Any 'dark' or 'red' fruit in general, in fact, tends to dry down into a thick, almost fermented smell that strongly reminds me of my mother, who I in no way want to emulate. So I wasn't expecting much from the Bandersnatch.

 

Alas, every time I think I have managed to pare down my wishlist a bit, I discover that a problem note can work in the right circumstances. The plum was gorgeous; I think the chrysanthemum and the fading remnants of carnation kept it from doing its usual overripe-headtrip tango. But before it got to the sweetly soft and plummy stage, there was Carnation. Fear the wrath of Carnation, for it is terrible. I have a feeling that the carnation is what makes the Bandersnatch frumious; were it not for that floral note, the monster would purr and roll on its belly for a good scratch.

 

Unfortunately, carnation goes to bloody town, prancing its spicy-spiky self all over my arm in a nose-burny screaming dance. I kept sniffing for that fuzzy Bandersnatch I knew was there, but the carnation kept jumping in the way, yelling rather loudly that it was FRUMIOUS, dammit, PAY ATTENTION, and then stabbing me in the nose and attempting to burn out all the sensory receptors therein.

 

So...the drydown was nice, yes, but not really worth the wait. I'm sorry, dear Bandersnatch; I know you're really a pussycat at heart, but you've got to get over that attitude problem. I can't wait for your naptime just to cuddle you.

[portalkat]

Yum, fruity floral at first sniff of my wrist. This surprises me because usually, if there are florals in a blend, my skin will amp them up initially. I can really smell the plum and the spice is coming from the carnation. There's an interesting sort of green note in the background and I am figuring that this is the chrysanthemum. I'm not really getting too much musk out of this, but maybe it's the musk that is muting the carnation. I awoke smelling my wrist and thinking that I needed a bottle of this.

[purrbox]

i can't believe i'm going to say this. you ARE going to think i am completely mad, but i can think of no better description for this scent than this:

 

this smells like the word "sproing" sounds.

 

 

sproinnnnnnnng!!!

 

i don't get any plum... it smells green, and... weird.

 

that is all.

[muselette]

The reddest of all red scents- to me, this is even redder than Red Phoenix. It's warmed by the lovely clove-like scent of carnation, and filled out with the sweetest, ripest plum. There's a catch, though:

 

In the vial it's decidedly fruity, with a bit of marmalade scent on top of the plum.

 

No, scratch that- it's actualy just like spiced plum jam.

 

Wet, the carnation comes to the forefront, and there's a bit of a dusky green scent in there as well. I actually have a gardening client that has large pots planted with all red flowers, including miniature red carnations and oxblood colored chrysanthemums. This smells a lot like that pot of flowers. However, I can totally understand where people are getting the spiced candle impression. As it dries, it gets a bit more plummy. I love fruity scents, but there's just something about this one...

 

CURSE YOU YANKEE CANDLE COMPANY

 

I think if I could shake that impression, I'd really love Bandersnatch. It smells yummy- I just don't like being reminded of shopping malls.

[edenssixthday]

Frumious Bandersnatch - What a wonderful scent! I love it so much (and the name!) that I picked up a full bottle, despite having several imps on hand. I just adore this blend! In the bottle, I smell sweet, plummy fruit, and when it's first applied to my skin, it remains sweet, dark plum. However, as it begins to dry down, the carnation in the blend takes on a scent that dominates the plum (although I can still smell the plum underneath), and leaves a wonderful, spicy swirl about me. The first time I tried it, I was testing a friend's, and when I noticed the fruit scent was turning to spice, I had her smell it, and she agreed it was getting spicy. She thought it smelled like cinnamon. I thought it smelled a bit like cinnamon, but more like pepper, clove and/or nutmeg. (It was only a day or two later that I discovered the spiciness was actually carnation.) Then, after another 20-30 minutes, we both noticed that the spiciness has receded into the background, and the dark, sweet plum was once again the dominant scent, with just the tiniest hint of . It remained this way until the blend faded from my skin. Unfortunately, this happens way too fast on me, and the scent is gone within 2 hours; however, this is such a pretty scent that I bought a full bottle and will enjoy reapplying and experiencing over and again the stages of the blend as it morphs and changes over time.

[gangstaknitta]

Woah, plum and spicy carnations...all the way through. On my skin, I get nothing but cloying carnations with the plums lurking beneath. Much too floral to me, but anyone who likes carnations should check this one out.

[Gin]

Frumious Bandersnatch

 

Yay plum! Yay spicy clovey carnations! Sadly, booo to the plum + carnation + chrysanthemum. As some have said, it does have a bit of candle/potpourri-type scent to it... and I'm not sure I can get past that. That said, I still like the scent, even if I don't want to smell like it. I think I'll hide this little imp o'bandersnatch away to use as a home fragrance in cooler weather.

[rinoastar]

In the bottle: A little soapy, a floral-type fruit. Similar to the blossoms of flowering fruit, I'd best describe this stage as "plum blossoms". There's something bright underneath, though. It doesn't strike me as the generic BPAL "red fruit" scent, though...

 

Wet: Holy throw, Batman! One drop and I can smell it across the room! I hope I don't get a headache from this one! It's all sweet fruit, with an undercurrent of flowers right now.

 

Dry: Oh, this is gorgeousness. There are very few floral scents that I like, and this is definitely one of them. This is exactly the plum I wanted in Bordello, but couldn't show its bright and cheerful face under all of the heavier layers of scent. This is so pretty *_*

 

Overall: 4.5/5

Edited July 18, 2006 by rinoastar

[Em-]

Spicy spicy spicy plum. Almost like a mulled spiced baked plum, but not overtly foody, if that makes any sense whatsoever.

 

I bought a bottle of this unsniffed, based on a love of plum and carnation, and am not disappointed. This is not an everyday sort of scent, but definitely something I am getting good use of and that is slather worthy. It might also be good as a room scent, were I an oil burner sort of gal.

[mermaidrage]

I can really see how people get a scented candle out of this one. I do as well, for the first 15 minutes.

 

Once it hits the perfect point, it's a rich plum that's fruity without being in my face like berries tend to be, and beautifully spicy from the carnations. There's not much musk, but there's enough to make me feel warm and glow-y.

 

This will be such a gorgeous fall scent.

[AliBabble]

this is very nice - out of the imp, and on my skin, i'd say it's more spicy carnations, than the plum. the plum is definitely there - and this is a nice pairing - but it's the spice of the carnations that hits me first. the plum comes out more as it dries down. it's got a cinnamon, candy-ish feel to it, yet not overly-sweet. i could see wearing this in a variety of situations, including at work. will wear well into the fall and winter, too. smells like warm plums cooking with cinnamom and cloves..pretty.

[Trish]

In the imp: Sweet plum.

 

Wet: Very sweet juicy plum at first, with the carnation and chrysanthemum following fast behind.

 

Dry: The extreme sweetness subsides, but the plum remains the dominant note. the florals are also noticeably present, although the spicyness of carnation fades fairly quickly. There's also a slight musky note, or something that reminds me of it at least.

 

Two hours later there's only the barest hint of it left.

 

This reminds me a lot of Bathsheba, except lighter and more floral. No doubt that's the plum doing that. I do like this, but I prefer the depth of Bathsheba, plus it lasts longer.

[QueenFae]

Yum!! Spicy plums! This smells awesome, it's really fruity and fun. The plum note is on top. and it's really sweet and juicy. There is a beautiful cinnamon-y spice note in there, and I can dectect the carnation as well in the undertone. This is unlike anything I've ever smelled; really unique. I love it, I may need a 5 ml of this. It makes me happy

[flyingpizza]

Wow, I feel like I all my reviews are so negatively lately, but yeesh, my skin is insane!

 

When I first applied Frumious Bandersnatch, I definitely smelled the Yankee Candle smell some have mentioned here. Still, there was enough of a darker, dusky scent beneath (chrysthanemum?) that I thought it might work out. It went really sweet to a grape-y plum-y scent, and now, 3 hours later, it's just soap again.

 

Maybe everything turns to soap on me because of the musk? There is some type of musk in nearly everything I've tried...

 

Anyway, it' not you, Frumious, it's me. Perhaps as a room scent?

[fairy]

I can't decide if I like this one, or love it (I definitely don't hate it). I'm still on the fence. It's a bright, brilliant smell. I couldn't figure out the dominant scent so after peaking at the ingredients I would have to say carnation. But there is a cinnamon overtone to it. A very interesting scent for sure

[kythryne]

The first few times I tried this, my impression was "meh." It was nice enough, but it went kind of sweet and craft-store-ish on my skin. Not bad, just not something I wanted to smell like.

 

Tonight, I decided to try it one last time before I put it in my swap pile. I'm very glad I did, because it blossomed out into a gorgeous, gorgeous spicy carnation scent. It's still just slightly fruity, but not overpoweringly sweet like it was the first few times I tried it. I can really smell the carnations, and it actually reminds me very strongly of Lush's Red Ruby Slippers. This is a good thing, as that's one of my favorite scents ever.

 

I don't think I'll buy a bottle of this just yet, but I'll keep an imp or two around. Hopefully it's not just hormones making my skin chemistry go weird, because I really like what it's doing tonight.

 

ADDED 10/26/07:

 

I just described this elsewhere as "...a spicy carnation/musk/plum scent that smells slightly like fall at a craft store, only not so twee." This is a really gorgeous scent for early fall, since it's warm and spicy and slightly sweet without being cloying. It reminds me a lot of the Lion in feel, though not so much in scent -- they both have this lovely warmth.

[seamor]

Whoa! How does Beth do this?

 

This smells very large, wild and scaly to me. Smooth scales, softly grey, but something spiky somewhere just out of sight. Can't see the whole beast at once because it blends into the swirling mist and darkness - only a huge, scaly coil whipping by.

 

Sadly, it lost that wild and wooly chrysanthemum edge much too quickly on me. I guess my flower-eating skin drank it. Sigh...

 

A bit later - Has this bandersnatch been eating cotton candy?

 

Finally settles into a mild floral, which - of course - doesn't stay on my skin long.

 

I guess this will be another to try in a scent locket or on my hair. I really need that initial "large undefinable wild creature" scent to stay with me.

 

It was marvelous while it lasted!

Edited August 15, 2006 by celtimor

[stardreamer]

First impression: spicy/fruity; I can pick up just a bit of the carnation in the background, but fruit is dominant. It stays well-balanced throughout wearing; unfortunately, the staying power is only fair, and going out in the summer heat drives it off very quickly. Six hours after application, there's barely a trace of sweet plum left. Still, this is a pleasant light warm-weather scent -- just not really for the hottest part of the summer, I think. Certainly worth keeping and using up the imp.

 

Oh, and whoever guessed "red musk" -- I don't think so. Red musk does the overpowering "I smell like a NewAge store" thing on my skin, and this didn't even begin to approach that.

[storme]

In the imp: mmmm, plum and carnation and chrysanthemum, sweet and spicy and delicious.

 

On me, wet: that spiciness is almost gingerbreadish, but the plum keeps it juicy and the chrysanthemum keeps it from being oversweet.

 

On me, dry: warm, moist, delicious gingerbread with musk and plum beneath it. Man, this is very edible indeed.

 

Verdict: Aw yeah, I'l be keeping the imp of this around. It'll be awesome for winter.

[Eunice]

I usually shy away from plum scents but I can't make out any plum in this. The Frumious Bandersnatch is definitely spicy but not in a foody way. And if the floral that I am smelling is crysanthemum, I am sold! There is something very pleasing about this. I'd love a bottle for the scent and just to be able to tell people I am wearing Frumious Bandersnatch. Double the pleasure. Double the fun!

[mistri]

I can't decide whether I like this or not, whether I want to keep it or not.

 

It's mostly spicy on me, and a little plummy. It's very strong at first, and after a while I lose the ability to detect any separate notes, other than a general spiciness.

 

I suspect I might like it on cold days that need brightening up, but am still unsure whether to keep it