Katharina

[renaissancerouge]

A strong, willful blend with a soft, utterly lovely soul: white musk with a trickle of bright, sharp apricot and orange blossom.

Ok, here's what I told my sister about Katharina: It's like a buxom freckled, amber-haired wench from the Veneto who has stuck apricots and orange blossoms under her arms on a hot day. I kinda like female body odor, which is to say, I think most American women wash too much of their natural scent away, and Katharina's musk kind of captures that with a hint of sunny fruit and flowers.

Unfortunately this didn't last long on me but I wouldn't mind reapplying this wench.

[Ina Garten Davita]

I got Katharina as a gift from the lovely hypothermya

 

First Impression: Juicy, ripe apricots dribbled with thick fresh cream.

 

Second Impression: It's a rare fruit blend that smells good on me and I'm pleased that this is one of them. The apricots are strong and ripe but blended with something so creamy, it almost reminds me of coconut. On the long drydown the orange blossom and musk make their presence known, but the creaminess lasts.

 

Final Analysis: Katharina has good throw and nice staying power. I'll enjoy the imp and may even consider a larger purchase of this in the future.

[jessamynit]

I also feel undecided about katharina... some momentsI really like the sweet and fruitiness with a bit of seriousness to it.. sometimes I feel like it's a bit too peaches n creamy.. and yet other times I find myself thinking "this smells fantastic, but not for me".

I think overall it's a very unique and lovely scent, just not sure if I want to "rock" it quite yet

[briteyes]

This was the first BPAL imp I ever opened, and I remember being so disappointed, because all I could smell was mold. 'Kate the Cursed' indeed! Nothing but mold and mildew, like opening a loaf of bread that's well past its peak. Once on my skin, while there is a definite fruit note, it retains that "I'm a grade A science experiment!" edge until dried.

 

...but once it dries, the apricot really warms up, and it is delicious. There's still a musk presence, but it's balanced out by the fruit-and-floral bouquet and no longer smells like a damp house. This scent is feminine, yet sassy--the apricot never gets too sweet or sugary on me.

 

I'm tempted to get a 5ml of this, but those initial 15 minutes of mold are a bit scary.

[sniff]

Right out of the bottle, this smells like summer, fresh apricots and syrup. Someone mentioned Schnapps and I got that impression right away too. At first I was apprehensive but after a few minutes on my wrist, the scent is so amazing. It dries to a sweet, and slightly musky scent - very sexy! It does have a very slight floral undertone on me but its good - normally florals are pretty appalling to me.

 

This seems to be fantastic for summer/spring but I know I'll be wearing Katharina throughout this winter.

[tempete]

Initially, the white musk note in Katharina is strongest on me. It gives way to a sour scent - I think that this might be from the fruity notes emerging and mixing with the white musk. Katharina eventually dries down to an almost purely fruity scent dominated by the apricots (I don't ever really smell the orange blossom). While the drydown is nice, I'm not sure that I want to endure smelling sour in the initial phase.

 

Edited to add that I've since discovered that orange blossom turns sour on me, and is probably why I can't wear Katharina.

Edited January 12, 2005 by tempete

[Ishtar]

Katharina is very, verrrrry fruity in the vial. I thought this would be yet another imp in my collection of terribly fruity scents that I adore but cannot wear because they are a bit overpowering.

I was completely wrong, of course. Katharina is everything I love about bold fruity scents -the ripe fruit, the energy about them, only much lighter and 100% wearable. Yay!

 

Reading the Lab description again, I can now see why it worked so well for me: white musk + fruit is a surefire combination on my skin.

Edited November 8, 2004 by Ishtar

[Northernminx]

Well hello there pretty lady...

Ripe gorgeous apricots (I love apricots), fruity, fresh and true at first. The musk comes in as this blend dries down, making this far more mature and a bit fruity, and utterly adult. Pretty, strong, lots of backbone, but not mean. Tart as a shrew and perfect that way. A definite keeper

[zapevaj]

Whoo, Katharina is a blast of bright, uplifting apricot and orange blossom. I don't so much smell the musk at all. It's vivid, invigorating and confident. Though it is also very very fruity- I had a hard time deciding to swap this, but wow, way too fruity for me. I never thought apricot could smell so nice, though.

 

-Rae

 

(edited for spelling)

Edited December 6, 2004 by zapevaj

[autumnviolet]

My grandma's name was Katrzyna (Polish) so I had to see what this was.

In Bottle: carbonated lemonade! With vanilla!

Wet On skin-really fruity sweet lemon. And musk?

dry down-I normally hate fruit scents but this one is different.

Now it's sweet musk, with vanilla and patchouli.

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

Shakespeare's Kate always reminds me of my grandmother, Katherine--very strong-willed and a total sweetheart, but she did indeed have a "shrew" reputation when she was a glamorous businesswoman in the 1940s, b/c she had balls and was ahead of her time. Katharina is strong and bright and straightforward--she wears her orange-blossom and apricot heart on her sleeve, nothing secretive or subtle happening. I mean that in a *good* way--Katharina is bold and forward; she will tell it like it is, but always with the kindest intentions. Because of the apricot, this seems like a less dirty version of Depraved, if anyone found that too dirty (I like it, myself). I would like to give this to my Grandma Kay, but she has been an Avon loyalist for lo, these 60 years. And you just can't sway a strong-willed Kate/Katherine/Katharina, now can you?

[FireInCairo]

Katharina is a very soft-fruity fragrance. It isn't the sort of fruity fragrance that is grossy pungent. It's soft..gentle. It's very playful as well. It's definately a day time fragrance.

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: Very sharp. Vetiver? Odd, it's not a listed ingredient. That sharpness must be the apricots, then. Past the initial sharpness it sweetens and mingles with the orange blossom.

 

On me: Th scent is much gentler on me than in the bottle. The bitter sharpness of the orange is gradually reduced so that only sweet orange and apricot remain. What a delicious fruit fragrance!

[sheelanagig]

Heeeeellllooo Apricot! I loved the apricot in March Hare so much, but the clove made it unbearable for me to wear. Katharina is the answer to my apricot prayers.

It IS young and girly... not something I can wear everyday, but perfect for bright, sunny, happy days and running around outside.

[Splendid Molerat]

The initial moments of Katharina are slap-in-the-face, stinging tart. You're left standing there slack-jawed in surprise, wondering if you liked it.

 

The sweet notes come out, and you realize you've been slapped by a 98-pound, snack-sized vixen with apricot freckles and strawberry ringlets.

 

I liked it, but the lazy, wasted quality of Depraved appeals to me more.

[Shollin]

I really need to give Katharina another try, because I put her on as I was dashing off to work, after washing with a scented bodywash AND putting a scented lotion on my legs – so she had a lot of competition today.

 

First sniff: Juicy sticky fruit is definitely the forefront, but the orange blossom is a sharpness just behind.

 

Wearing: I really, really liked this scent in its wet incarnation – bright orange fruit (though not oranges) with enough sharpness to be interesting. It went a bit weird as it dried, but I suspect that’s more a factor of clashing with all the other stuff I had on.

[Lina]

In the imp: Full body with sweet and musk.

 

After dry down: I find the musk is most prodominant and really can't smell the apricot but I do smell something sweet and sharp.

 

3.5 hours: After sniffing my wrist a zillion times- I smell the apricot but it is faint and in the background. This is still a full scent after several hours and the musk and sharpness has not faded.

 

Overall this is really pretty but not my favorite.

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: Candy sweet apricots! That's all I smell in the vial.

Wearing: This is mostly sparkling fruit, but there is a slight floral undertone as this dries. I can't smell the musk at all, and it all fades within a couple of hours.

Final Impressions: This is young, fun, and sparkley. I like it, but not enough to keep it. This is the first blend with white musk that works on me, so it is nice to know that white musk is not always the devil!

[inkstone]

In the imp: Tangy apricots.

 

Wet: White musk and the fruity blast of apricots.

 

Drydown: Mostly apricots in this stage, but there's that vague bitterness that I associate with orange blossoms.

 

Finals thoughts: I like this and I'll be keeping the imp, but in terms of peachy/apricot scents, I think Tamora is the big winner for me.

[anomilygrace]

I put Katharina on this morning after receiving my first shipment of BPAL. And she has continued my faith in ANY Illyria scent. I've loved all the ones I've tried.

 

The fruity, round, juicy scent is the perfect thing for me to put on at 5am when I'm heading out to work. It woke me up a bit and didn't clash with my coffee (something I'm worried about as I need it to function...)

 

I'm loving the apricot/musk combination - though I'm not too sure about this being a characterization of Katherine persay. It's not really sharp enough, not outspoken or witty enough. I'd almost prefer this to be Twelfth Night's Viola or Bianca. (but this is a minor quibble).

 

I'll be wearing this both to work and out in the evening. It's a flirty, happy scent. I'm so glad I took a chance and bought a 5mL!

[shelldoo]

holy apricots batman!

 

the apricots and musk blend so gorgeously i want to lick my own arm this one is having a very strong affect on me, it is simply gorgeous! beautiful, lovely *faints in pleasure*

[Sara]

holy apricots batman!

 

Indeed!

 

I really enjoy apricots and the initial sniff of this imp gave hope that maybe, just maybe, I'd found a lovely fruit scent for spring. But there was this "sharp wood stink" (as I've come to term it..sure wish I knew what that note really is) kind of stomping on my hopes. Fortunately it dulled over time and faded to something that rounded the apricot out instead of fighting with it.

 

However, this one is all "old lady stink" drydown hours later....is it a carrier oil or a particular note that does this to me?! Nearly every scent I fall in love with initially is ruined by a craptacular drydown.

[blaqpearl]

I am loving this scent. It is like a lighter version of Depraved for me because of the apricot. I would have never thought that I would love apricot so much. There is something lingering underneath it and I assume it is the musk. I wished I slathered this on this morning. I find myself constantly with my nose to my wrist.

 

Okay so now I want more apricot. Beth? are you listening?

[cupide430]

Starts off very sweet and a little bit fruity, with a slight bitter orange edge. Smooths out into a sweet apricot scent. Its a gentle scent and its making me think of Apricot tea (mainly because this is the only way I consume anything apricot). There's another layer to this, it might be the white musk... This is a nice scent, especially if people are into fruity scents. Very innocent and apricot-y. Hmm. I'm not a fruity scent kind of gal but I might actually wear this one again. Who would've thought. I just keep sniffing this over and over again. Mmm. Its making me thirsty for Apricot tea, but I really like it. Soft, gentle, and sweet.

[darkling]

Katharina was nothing but light musk when she first touched my skin. I am not a fan of musk but her musk was almost pleasant.

 

It is the apricot and orange that make this scent. There is not a hint of artificiality with these fruits and they blend together exquisitely. The light musk remained present underneath but served to temper her more than command the scent.

 

I didn't expect to like Katherina but I couldn't stop sniffing my wrists.