Tweedledee

[cabinwench]

Ridiculous! Kumquat, white pepper, white tea and orange blossom.

I ordered an imp of this because I was hoping the "white pepper" note would be similar to a white pepper candle I have and love, and the whole combo sounded light and happy. I was not disappointed! Very fruity in the bottle and wet on the skin, but soon the pepper note showed up to rein in the orange blossoms and the kumquats. A twang keeps it from being totally orange-juicy--maybe the little bitter note in a kumquat?

It dried down to a musky white pepper smell (or what I associate with white pepper from sniffing my candle) brightened up with the orange note. The green tea is much more subtle than what I usually think of when I think of green tea--that herbal drugstore green tea scent. This is just enough to give it balance.

This is one that i could see re-applying during the day to get that juicy hit for the first 10 minutes.

It almost wants to think about going powdery, but then stays within its limits.

A happy, silly fragrance perfect for non-serious Fridays.

[mermaidrage]

At first sniff, all I got was Froot Loops! That's okay, I mean, I don't mind froot loops. I wasn't sure I wanted to smell like them, but it could work.

 

On the skin, the orange blossom and kumquat leap out IMMEDIATELY. This is incredibly wet and citrussy -- it actually reminds me a lot of the satsuma perfume from The Body Shop I wore all through middle school. It's similar, but the pepper gives it a sophisticated kick that keeps it from being too sweet or citrussy and for some reason the white tea makes it feel lightly musky and sexy.

 

This is really nice. I'm thrilled to have a bottle of this!

[yellowrose]

This imp is circulating as part of the General Catalogue Swap.

 

In the bottle: fruit bouquet. None of the expected acidic tartness that you get when you bite into a kumquat rind.

 

Wet: Ridiculously yum! Fruity and floral and spicy without being cloying. Youthful and happy. Summery green-orange scent.

 

Drying: Morphs into sweet, sweet, sweet candyish scent in about an hour. Unexpected! Becomes a tad dusty-powdery. Lasts about four hours.

 

Conclusion: Hmmm. I'm fence-sitting on this one. Cousin to Kunstkammer, at least the sweeter scent it's become with age. Worth trying again eventually.

 

Safe travels wandering imp.

 

edited to add additional info

Edited August 23, 2006 by yellowrose

[gwyllgi]

When I first applied this, the word 'effervescent' popped into my head and stuck. Initially, it is indeed effervescent, sweet and fruity and sparkling. It flirted with being too sweet, but never quite crossed the line. As it dries on my wrist, the white pepper comes out more; it's no longer bubbly. The pepper is strong for a few minutes - almost overwhelmingly so, but, again, never quite crossing the line - before settling in, giving the other notes an exotic twist. Once it's set, it weaves back and forth between the fruit and the pepper - all around very nice!

 

I like this a lot more than I'd expected to. It doesn't last terribly long, but it's nice enough while it's there that it's going right on my bottle list.

[ktesedale]

In the bottle, I agree with slave1 that it smells like a kid's breakfast cereal. I'm incredibly grateful it doesn't stay like that on me, though.

 

Juicy and ripe, this scent is incredibly fruity on my skin. The pepper gives it a faint kick, but you can't smell the tea or orange blossom very well. The kumquat smells a lot like mango, actually, but it's not exact - I could definitely smell the difference between this and actual mango.

 

This scent is terrific for summer, but I admit I'm really looking forward to using it in winter, when I need a bright kick in my day. It's great for work or going out, and it smells terrific right after a shower. I kind of wish this was a soap, actually - I think it'd help wake me up in the morning.

[steffanina]

Tweedledee-

 

In Bottle: This smells amazing. What an awesome fruit scent, like pomegranate and orange.

 

Wet: A bitter-orange smell blooms...oh, I like that!

 

Dry: Interesting. The bitter stays around, refuses to let this be a sweet fruity smell. It's not musty, though.

 

Overall: Interesting! I think I like.

[Ajila]

In the bottle - Orange blossom and pepper and sweetness like the syrup in canned fruit.

 

Wet on me - The sweetness softens and a bitter greeness (the kumquat?) comes out.

 

Dry on me - Soft sweet, but slightly sharp.

 

Overall - I like this, but I'm not convinced I'll wear it, I don't know why.

[Iceblink]

Holy Fruity Pebbles! There's an initial very strong kumquat note and then...cereal. But I like it; it's refreshing on a hot day. Not the best staying power but this still may go on my list of stuff to buy bottles of for next summer.

This would indeed make a great soap or shower gel.

[Miss Lynx]

It took me a while to get around to trying this, even though it came in an order back in June. But based on the notes we figured that Tweedledee was more for Kettu, and Tweedledum more for me, so I really didn't get around to dipping into hers to try it out until now.

 

I actually like it a bit more than I thought I would. It's definitely in the same ballpark scentwise as Tweedledum, being a sort of light fruity-floral mix that comes across as a bit scented-candle-ish. It doesn't have the earthiness that the patchouli gives Tweedledum, so this is definitely the lighter of the two scents.

 

It smells very tart and almost citrussy at first, but after a little while that element of it settles down and it becomes very sweet, and more floral-ish. A little while further along, the sweetness settles down too, leaving it abit more of a dry, semi-sweet floral/herbal/spicy hybrid. Very nice at this stage.

 

Hmmm... I am starting to think I might like this better than Tweedledum! Haven't given up on the Dum yet -- I think my mixed feelings about it might be partly the result of the way fig sometimes loves and sometimes hates my skin. But I'm thinking this one is definitely a winner. Not top favourite material, but definitely likable.

 

Grade: B+

[jakey]

I like this but not enough to wear or keep. I don't know how a scent can be both sweet and bitter at the same time, but there you go.

 

FWIW, my only prior experience with kumquat is from Herbal Essences shampoo, and this is indeed similar. Nice in the hair, not so much on my skin.

[RaeiNarcissus]

Tweedledee is a very nice scent. In the bottle is smelled very citrusy, and on me, it went into such happy citrus.

 

I now have a fetish for kumquats, too.

[batsy]

In the vial: Orange-y. I can smell kumquat.

 

On the skin: It really is a ridiculous scent! Very orange-y, all citrus and bright smelling, deepened by the white tea. There's a tang, which I think is the pepper. It wouldn't be an everyday scent, but it'd be great for fun! I think I'll keep the imp.

[tempestteapot]

In the bottle: Sweet and citrus. Scents trigger colors for me, this one is bright lime green.

 

Wet: I get the froot loops cereal sweetness and a bit of the pepper that made my nose twitchy. Interestingly enough, my daughter described it as popcorn.

 

Drydown: light bright and airy citrus with a LOT of sugar. I didn't notice the pepper anymore but I did get a faint bit of tea.

 

Overall: I love it. This is my first scent I've received and I can't wait to get a 5ml.

[columbus]

In the bottle: Woah now. This is ridiculous! Such a strong pepper scent that this makes me cough.

 

Once it’s on, this is one of those complicated blends where every note is apparent. I’ve got the fruitiness of the kumquat (very citrusy! The orange blossom only adds to this) in a cup of tea with a dash of pepper. Okay, more than a dash. Someone apparently was being tricksy and put white pepper out at the tea party instead of sugar. Which was not very nice. Because it’s ruining my citrus blend! I must say, I am not a fan of this combination: there’s too much going on and not enough harmony between the notes.

 

Fortunately, after it’s dried down, everything starts to come together. What you end up with is a very peculiar citrus blend that’s not too sweet but still bright and fresh. It’s a bit foody: if I could find a cup of something that smelled like this (or tasted like this, I should say), I’d drink it right up. It’s thick and almost creamy. Very nice.

 

As for strength, ‘Dee has a great throw (in fact, it’s almost *too* strong for the first ten minutes or so; luckily, this doesn’t last) and lasts for a good long while.

 

Overall, I’m glad I gave Tweedledee a chance (I almost didn’t, after smelling it for the first time! ). He is ridiculous, but he grows on you if you give him some time.

[supremegoddessofall]

This is strange. Smells like fruit gum of some form. It also somehow reminds me of a carnival midway. Very odd combination, and I can't decide if I like it or not. I definitely get the tea. There's something citrus here, but it doesn't really smell like orange blossom.

[Clementine]

This smells brightly and sharply citrusy, peppery and very sweet to me. It's not a bad scent per se, but it is a slightly odd combo that doesn't really work for me. I will probably use it as bath oil.

[storme]

In the imp: kumquat and orange blossom and tea, sweet and slightly citric.

 

On me, wet: lots of kumquat and tea, sharply overriding something powdery and faint beneath it.

 

On me, dry: a very sharp orange-and-kumquat-and-lemony citrus, but that candyish sharp-sweet citrus note.

 

Verdict: It's a little too much like orange-scented kitchen cleanser, methinks. I'll never wear it, but if you like sweet citrus, this one is for you.

[Shollin]

First sniff: Did you ever watch The Electric Company as a kid? You remember that person at the beginning yelling “HEY YOU GUYYYYYYYS”? This is the citrus equivalent. It’s really bright, really loud and really silly. Electric yellow-orange.

 

Wearing: This is just fantastic. It’s Suuuper Citrus (and you have to say that in an sonorous, self-important comic-book narrator voice), with just a little bit of bittersweet.

[mtlaise]

when i first put this on, it smelled of slightly spicy orange, similar to the Body Shop's Satsuma, that I use to wear. As it dried, it became more fruity as a bit of the kumquat came through, and a bit spicier, as the pepper got stronger. I loved the first hour of this, but after that the tea note came through and the mix wasn't bad, just not one I liked as much.

[brownbear]

This one smells very fruit punchy sweetarts on me. It is orangey citrus with a little bit of the pepper. It is a bright scent.

[Brianne]

In the vial:

Oranges!!

 

On me:

Definitely oranges! The pepper is there, makes a kind of spicey sharpness to this scent. I have no idea if the kumquat is there because I've never smelled it before. And the tea is softening the orange up so rather than being a sharp citrus like a fresh orange, I would liken this to an orange bubblegum. It's more candylike and sweet.

 

Final note:

Very sweet, and really quite orange.

[girl_android]

I'm feeling quite incapable of having a proper not awake til noon kind of sleep-in, it's not that early though (:

 

In the imp, there's a definite hit of white pepper, it's the first thing I can identify amongst everything ... There's some orange blossom in there too as well as something tart - I'm figuring this for kumquat. Nothing that makes me think white tea yet ...

 

Wet on skin, it's the white pepper and orange blossom duking it out.

 

It's not until it's dried down that they calm down, and I finally get the white tea ... the thing I think is kumquat (not really orange, kind of like an orange lemon. That makes no sense)

 

I'm not fond of the wet stage of this - I think it's the combination of white pepper + the thing that makes me think kumquat that's making me think this.

 

Once the tea comes out it's much better on me. I suspect it's kumquat reacting with orange blossom that I'm not liking in this because usually I'm all over things with white tea or pepper in it.

[little_galaxie]

Oh my God. This literally makes me feel ill. I don't know if it's a bad experience I had before involving one of these smells but I just want this OFF of my skin.

 

I have never had such a bad experience with any of Beth's oils before. I mean, it doesn't smell BAD, it's just too cloying, too peppery, too freakin' much.

 

*Sigh.* None of the MTP scents have been working for me. Time to give up.

[GoldenRubee]

I received this as an imp and was prepared to love it. Unfortunately, it does not love me. In the imp, it smells very fruity-citrusy, but turns immediately bitter on my skin. It does seem to last quite a long time too. Perhaps if you layer this with another sweeter scent, it would work fine.

[n1k1ta]

This is a totally fun perfume! I am not disappointed with this lighthearted, flirty oil. I'm afraid I'm going to fangirl during this review - brace yourselves.

 

For the first two minutes after application, I smelled like fruity bubble gum. I was giggling and generally enjoying this silly scent. This is not for the serious.

 

The kumquat and orange blossom are sweet without being cloying. The white tea is light and grounds Tweedledee. The pepper brings a bright spicy note.

 

I'm so damn happy with Tweedledee! The idea behind it is so simple: ridiculousness! I've felt completely not-serious this whole day and I'm going to credit Tweedledee because of it.