Xanthe, The Weeping Clown

[zillah37]

From the corner of your eye, you see what seems to be a swirl of pale, translucent spirits. Ghostly in form, their faces are masks of pain and fury. Their insubstantial bodies churn and roil around a hissing, wailing clown. Her greasepaint is smeared with tears, and her fanged crimson mouth is turned down in a vicious scowl while blood drips from her lips. Her costume is torn and threadbare, and a steel-bright glint around her waist draws your eyes to an arsenal of razors, knives, and cleavers hanging from her belt. She swats futilely at the spirits as she shoves and scratches her way through the crowd.

Guava, orange peel, white pepper, spun sugar and apple blossom.

In the bottle: How does Beth do this? Seriously. It's a gorgeously blended scent full of sweetness and fruit and apples. There's just a hint of the white pepper, but it grounds the scent and keeps it from being too sweet. It's so pretty!

On my skin: Guava! And apple blossom. This is a soft, sweet, fruity scent that has a very light throw, but a great bouquet up close. It reminds me quite a bit of The Perfumed Garden, but without the slightly overpowering fruit that one has. It's so pretty!

Final verdict: This is very light and pretty. It's a great summery scent which makes me a little sad we're going into the fall. *laughs* It's very pretty and I really think folks who like fruity scents should definitely try this one.

[SueDonym]

Of the tester scents that I got to try, this was the one that really stuck out as a must have.

 

In the bottle:

Fruity and a little cotton candy sweet

You can really smell the "spun sugar".

Delectible.

 

Wet:

Fruity spicy

Very SWEET

Fresh

Just like in bottle but a bit spicy & warmer and with the candy coming forward.

 

Drying:

As it dries, I get a kind of edgy crispness to the scent. It's all sweetness and light then it goes over suddenly cold and wiry. ...so...juicy sweet with a vaguely metallic ring to it somehow.

 

Or perhaps I'm being influenced by the dagger poor Zanthe is carrying to protect herself from the haunts...unless she killed them of course, then less sorry for her...but still, lovely scent.

 

Continuing:

Losing the scent again. Blah! Or maybe my nose is just buried in it so.

Faintly floral (?!) briefly and now just faint and cold. The metallic has stepped forward to say "HOWDEE!" I wonder if it's planning to stay. It's definitely sneering at me. Still a bit sweet, but the fruit may be turning. OH, I will be *so* unhappy if this doesn't work, but it's pretty unpleasant as a whole right now. The fact that it smells so 'cold' and metallic (and slightly rotten) is interesting...sort of...in a dead body cut with knives cackling clown kind of way...but I want my Zanthe back.

 

Will check again later.

 

Wait. Now it's gone all soft and sweet again.

 

Crazy body chemistry. This is the second time this has happened to me tonight. Maybe I should wait a couple of days/weeks before trying anything. It's all because I decided to review isn't it?

 

Yep. Definitely soft, sweet, fruit and vanilla. Faint, still a little edgy and not a warm scent, but still soft.

 

And now we're spiced cotton candy. Nice.

Edited September 1, 2006 by SueDonym

[blueroses]

In the bottle: very sweet. Remember the impression people at Will-Call had of this, that it smelled like cherry blow-pops? It's not so far off. It smells like a sweet apple lollipop.

 

On: This is perfect! It's a bright, sugary apple blossom scent. After a few minutes, the apple wears off and it smells of pepper and guava. This reminds me (unpleasantly) of Tweedledee, which I really didn't like. After a half-hour or so, the apple came back a little and mixed with the other notes.

 

If I can get past the peppery-guava stage, this is a keeper. The initial stage of apple blossom and sugar is to die for, and when it fades, it's subtle and more complex.

 

I wore this again and didn't get the funky stage - it stayed the same as it faded, and only got softer. All of the notes were there, but none of them dominated. The only downside is that it fades quickly, but it's definitely a keeper.

Edited September 5, 2006 by blueroses

[luxuria]

In the bottle: Mmmm, tropical fruits. I smell cherry even though it isn't a note, too.

 

On my skin: The other notes come out almost immediately so it isn't just fruity. It smells like delicious, juicy candy that isn't too sweet mixed with a little something spicy. I think the guava is the most prominent note. There's something airy about it, too--probably the spun sugar + pepper. This is amazing! A lot of the fruity scents tend to get cloying on me with an overly sweet, almost rotten kind of smell, but this stays fresh.

 

The only downside is how quickly this fades. It's wonderful, though.

[dawna]

In the bottle: Guava fruit with a heaping of spun sugar on the top. Its really pretty and not what I had expected.

 

Wet on the skin: Ahhh the orange peel, spicy orange peel.. The sweet fruityness blends with this very nicely. I can smell a faint hint of the pepper now, pepper tends to amp out on my skin, which is a good thing in most cases. This one is no exception.

 

On drydown: This is truly a morphing scent. It smells almost nothing like it does in the bottle. Its very spicy now. The pepper has come to the fore-front and has infused itself directly into the Guava fruit. I can smell a hint of floral which I am assuming is the apple blossom. After about 30 minutes the floral aspect starts getting stronger and its becoming a problem for me. Its a very pretty scent but I', not sure this is me.

[Nachtwulf]

In the bottle: Fruity. I can't identify it...it's pretty much 'fruit salad', but it's not cherry or anything else overtly identifiable. It shies away (barely) from boozy, but there's something lurking there under the fruity fruit fruitness that keeps this from being like something like Midwinter's Eve... it's darker and more mellow.

 

On: It's still 'fruit salad'. Or rather, an admixture of fruitiness that lacks any identifiable notes. I can pick up the pepperiness of it now, though, plus it's got some sort of strange 'adult' depth to it that keeps it from being a bubbly-perky sort of scent. As it dries, it gains a sort of boozy quality. Not wine-boozy or bourbon-boozy, but thick and rich, the pepper drying back to just a faint whisper in the background.

 

I really like this... it's fruity without making me feel like a picnic side dish. I think I'd like to try layering it with Candy Butcher. Mmmm...

[thecaitycat]

In the bottle: Fruity, but not sweet. I think I'm smelling guava and apple and something else. It's sort of a "sophisticated" fruity.

 

Wet on skin: Cherry blow pops!!! I swear I can detect bubble gum here, almost reminiscent of Jailbait but without so much of the sweetness. I can also smell more of the white pepper. I wasn't sure how well it would blend in, but WOW it works so well!

 

Dry on skin: This is fainter when dry. It still sweet, a little bit like candy, more like fruit, with something non-sweet and non-fruity mixed in to give it some bite.

 

Verdict: This scent warrants hording multiple bottles, just like my beloved Wanda and Jailbait. Sooooo lovely.

[pekeana]

Xanthe, Xanthe, ye poor, poor clown...

 

I'm scared to bits of clowns. Always have been. Kicked one in the nuts at the circus when I was about 8 or 9 because he scared the bejeezus out of me. That was the last time we went to the circus... I wonder why? So I'm not sure why I ordered Xanthe, what with the whole kabuki clown thing going on. But I did.

 

In the bottle of clown-like doom, this scent is very astringent. I mainly smell guava rind (not to be confused with guava juice -- this is bitter and not at all sweet or fruity) and sugar dancing across the top. Nothing else is identifiable to my nose, just kind of a mismash of fruity-floral eh playing around.

 

On my skin, it's bitter rind and sugar. As it rests and interacts with my chemistry a bit, I can pull up apple blossom and the barest touch of what might be orange peel in with the guava rind, but I don't get any pepper. It's a little frustrating that something that could have been overwhelmingly lovely has been thwarted by my skin going "bitch, you WILL smell like bitter peels!!"

[Scylla]

In the bottle: "fruit salad"

 

Wet, on my skin: Holy bubblegum, Batman! This totally reminds me of a fruity version of Jailbait.

 

On drydown: Thankfully, the bubblegum scent fades, but the fruityness remains and an intense sweetness (presumably the spun sugar) comes out. The throw is average, but the scent fades pretty quickly. I couldn't detect it at all 3 hours after applying.

 

It's very, very sweet and fruity. Too sweet and fruity for me, unfortunately. It reminds of a little bit of Pink Phoenix, although Xanthe is fruitier.

[Diana]

In the bottle: pink candy

 

Wet: sweet, sugary candy; reminds me a tiny bit of a cross between "pink sugar" and Jailbait. I'm guessing most of the OOMPH from the sweet-candy notes is related to the guava & spun sugar ingredients.

 

Drydown: it smells a bit less intently like CANDY, and starts to smell like perfumed sugar, maybe from the apple blossom notes coming through now. This reminds me greatly of Pink Moon: A sugary-candy-apple-floral concoction, but a little less floral than PM was.

 

It's very cute. =D

Edited September 3, 2006 by Diana

[shelldoo]

in the bottle:guava, fruity, almost bubblegumish.

 

wet:whoo that is some bubblegum scent

 

as it dries, this is still all bubblegum on me, my younger kids actually came in looking for bubblegum, i told them i don't have any, and they insisted i did because they smell me chewing it i had to prove it was xanthe, in late drydown it becomes more citrus fruit and a peppery bite but coated in sweet sticky sugar. i like that alot better.

Edited September 3, 2006 by shelldoo

[LiberAmoris]

Wow, Xanthe really does smell like pink bubblegum! After a few minutes though, it calms down and the apple blossom really comes forward. The guava and orange start to separate a little bit too, so that it's more like fruit candies than bubblegum. It's almost like fruit-flavored cotton candy. I can barely smell the white pepper.

 

People that loved Kunstkammer last year should definitely check Xanthe out. It's another happy, fruity, carefree blend.

[lorajc]

I've only tested this and I can barely smell it. I need to slather myself in this and review it afterwards. I do notice a slightly sharp note in the top note and it is not nearly as sweet as I expected. I will update after my sniffing overload ends and I can properly wear it.

[Melantha]

I thought I wouldn't like this. I mean, the notes sounded okay, but I have to say that the artwork really put me off. I don't have a terribly dark soul, I guess.

 

But what a fabulous scent! The guava is right there on top, and the pepper gives it a little kick. The florals are an undertone, and just the right amount!

 

I might have to order this.... but how can I wear it without looking at the bottle?!?

[HennaFairy]

this was pure bubblegum on me and i hated it!!!

 

dry, it still smelled like bubble gum. granted, i didn't sniff it more than 20 minutes later, because of a slight accident at home (um. i dropped my garbage ALL down my stairs, it smelled horrible and i had to clean it up, then hopped in the shower because i was sweaty and nauseous) but i can tell you this one i won't bother trying to test again. no thank you. buh-bye!

 

i can't stand bubblegum smell. blech.

[PennyPretty]

Disclaimer: I hate clowns, they freak me out. But I ordered Xanthe anyway, although the label gives me the creeps.

 

In the bottle Xanthe is very fruity, I can detect the orange, apple and guava with a hint of the pepper. It smells wonderful like a tropical fruit cocktail. I do get a whiff of the bubblegum flavor too. It is very similar wet, but the pepper is more pronounced. It dries down to a warm fruity scent, I think the spun sugar really starts to come into play on the dry down as does the apple blossom. Xanthe is delicious! But does fade out about half way though the day. A great summer scent or for when you wish it was summer!

[Gale]

As a rule, I don't like clowns--Xanthe is the exception!

 

In the bottle and on wet: Very fruity. Sweet, but the white pepper really gives it a bite--it's almost making me want to sneeze.

 

Dry: The sharpness of the pepper pulls way back, and Xanthe becomes sweet and fruity but still a little spicy. The fruitiness most definitely isn't overwhleming on me. I'm loving this!

 

After 4 hours: It didn't disappear, but since I carry my BPAL of the day around with me, I put a little more on after lunch.

 

I'm so happy I have a bottle. This is just beautiful.

[lysithea]

In the bottle and initially, this is a sweet fruity jumble. Very sweet and pink fruits - pink bubblegum, pink cotton candy, cherry lollipops. Once on, the fruitiness retreats as the sugar is pulled deeper into the skin. I will agree that this scent doesn't warm up much. It retains a razor-sharp metallic coolness to it throughout. The later drydown is a sweetness tempered with a bite of pepper. It's neither too sweet nor too spicy at this point.

Wear length is moderate if you apply a decent amount - throw is moderate. Tiny dabbers may find this scent fleeting, so slather for best results.

 

I think my husband's sniffer is broken because he continued to say that I smelled of "sweet smoke" while I was wearing this. Even after prompting him with "candy, sugar, fruits" he still didn't change his tune. He's not the biggest fan of my addiction so I just don't know with him sometimes. He always comes up with the weirdest things.

[slave1]

In Bottle: Sweet Fruit

 

On Skin: The guava and apple jum out at me right away. And I smell the white pepper too, it’s a light spice but gives that super slight twitch to my nose. This is a gentle and extremely sweet scent, a MUST for fruit lovers. I get a pinky yellow feel from this. This reminds me of a huge jar of candy at the Carnaval, because while it’s fruity, it does have that sweet spun sugar note that screams candy. Another yum scent for me!! I’m getting rock candy, lollipops, snowcones… all the fruity carnival sweets. I get a slight bubble gum feel to it, but nothing like Jailbait or Aunt Carolines Joy Mojo or Siren become on me. This is also a great pick me up scent or for whenever you need a reminder of carefree summer days. This is a very young and girly scent. I could never see a man earing it, that’s for sure. Medium thorw and short to average wearlength.

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

*eyes the decant set* Ok, time to try "the freaky clown scent"! Not overly confident about the notes, but trying all the CD scents is so much fun! On me, Xanthe smells like a cocktail in an "edgy" bar, a tropical twist on an appletini with a garnish of citrus peel and a shake of pepper (I'm surprised how distinct the pepper note is). I could almost mistake the fruit for pomegranate--maybe because Xanthe reminds me of Swank; sparkling and fruity. I like this a lot better than I expected, but it's probably not one I would wear much. I'll debate whether to keep it or not.

[darkling]

In the bottle: Sugared tropical fruit. Sweet.

 

On my skin: Pure bubblegum.

 

Drydown: The bubblegum scent fades leaving a warm, muted guava. It is slightly oppressive in a tropical heat sort of fashion but the least oppressive of any of the tropical blends that I have worn. Very lovely.

[PurringPulsar]

Xanthe, the Weeping Clown

 

In the imp: sweet, sugared guava. Gorgeously fruity.

Wet on skin: now a little hint of orange and warm pepper start to come through the sugary guava.

Dry on skin: this is delicious! Fruity and sugary but with a hint of spicy pepper. The apple blossom goes nicely with it all, adding it's lightly floral yet slightly dry and in here, almost 'tea like' feel. The orange is faint but I can just make out it's tang, but the dominant notes are the sugar and the guava, making for a juicy, sweet fragrance.

After a while: eventually the fruit notes become less sweet, and add a tart edge to the scent, balancing out the sugar…probably an effect of both sugar and guava. Whilst very sweet, the tangy scent this has makes sure the sugar doesn't make my teeth ache. It's a refreshing sweetness, and a lot gentler. This is delightful…it's like boiled fruity sweets or lollipops, and candy floss. It reminds me of the sugar note in Midnight on the Midway.

The scent doesn't seem to last long, it does fade after a few hours but the scent that does remain is the most delightful spun sugar. It's definitely a pink sugar scent (but doesn't smell like the actual Pink Sugar fragrance).

Verdict: thank goodness I'm not scared of clowns, because this is yet another CD fragrance I love. A gorgeous sugary fruit scent with just the right amount of fruity sharpness to stop it becoming too saccharine. This smells like I've gently dusted my wrist with powdered candy floss sugar, and also smells like fruity lollipops. A very fun and light hearted scent in all, but the pepper adds a nice warmth, adds an interesting twist to a scent that would otherwise be pure candy. It doesn't overwhelm either, and has a nice fresh feel to it that makes this an ideal blend for summer. Another one to get a bottle of!

Emoticon rating:

If you like this, try: Fruit Moon, Midway

Edited September 28, 2006 by yeahbutnobut

[zenvodunista]

This one is so sweet it makes my teeth ache. I tried it on and could barely stand sniffing myself, as it's sweet to begin with and then I amp sugar on top of that.

 

There's a lot of fruit in here and if your skin sucks sugar, you might be able to smell it. On me? This is was just pure candy.

 

I remember some folk comparing it to Kunstakammer and I can see why. But Kunstakammer had that underlying frankinsensce that gave it a deep richeness - at least to my nose - that pullled the candy back and made it into something else.

 

I know there are candy lovers here in our fandom - and Xanthe is perfect for them. As for me, I have to go brush my teeth!

 

n.

[Em-]

In the bottle, Xanthe smells like candy banana to me - which realistically probably just means sweet candy tropical.

 

On my skin, however, she transforms, like the spirits she is associated with, into something rich and almost sophistocated - not candy-like at all, per se. She is sweet and fruity, don't get me wrong, but the pepper adds a sharpness that keeps this from being...jolly.

 

I would venture to guess that the listed notes are incomplete, to be honest, and that there is something else savory and grounding in here...or else, this is just the type of blend that is made for my chemistry...because I am not a member of the lollipop guild, and I adore this scent.

[Lorencita]

WOW.... I thought I would enjoy this, but holy freakin shifukin-a!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is THE juiciest scent I have ever had the pleasure to sniff/wear! The pepper keeps it from being kid-esque. On my skin, the guava is most prominent, there is a bit of banana there (i hate bananas) I might just start eating them, cause this scent is so rich & delish. I wanna get another bottle, just to make a lotion... this would be dangerous in lotion form. Wow... thats it, Im off to slather some more on!

Edited September 14, 2006 by Lorencita