Catherine

[jj_j]

Named for the ambitious, vengeful poisoner Catherine deMedici, who used perfumes to perform her dark deeds. A sinful blend of orange blossom, rosemary and rose... allegedly the exact perfume she utilzed in her work.

The rosemary jumps out first, with the rose close behind; within a couple of minutes they're perfectly balanced on my skin. The orange blossom takes a little longer to appear, and never really separates itself from the other two, as it seems to be the tie that binds and blends in this one.

My very first perfume love was (you're not going to believe this) Estee Lauder's Private Collection. Brash, overbearing, chemical green in a bottle! Catherine is all the things that were good about Private Collection, like the crisp clarity of scent demonstrated in the rosemary component. It's also so much better it's hard to imagine, with the rose and the orange blossom creating a soft, feminine overlay.

Fist of steel in a velvet glove, I believe the saying goes.

[Ura]

Out of bottle, a soft powdery rose. Initially on, sharp green twigs which soon combine with rose. Later smells like familiar incense and I am unable to detect rose or rosemary.

[Reinaluna]

Catherine smells a lot like Seraglio. I like it.

[with coffee spoons]

On me this smells like very expensive, very nice soap--orange blossom has a tendency to smell soapy on me (lush, lovely, but still like soap!), and that mixed with the herbal, very true to life rosemary makes this smell like a refreshing herbal soap, creamy, to be sure, but still soap. The rose didn't come out on me, but my chemistry is tempermental with rose--my skin may have swallowed it because I hadn't gotten enough sleep or was too stressed out. I'll give it another try, but I don't think this is me. If it really were soap, I'd use it in a heartbeat, but as a perfume it just doesn't work for me.

[darkitysnark]

I received this as a freebie in my first order. I am, for better or worse, rose averse, so I was a bit hesitant to try this on at all.

 

But the weather has been dreary and awful and I thought a dab of something completely different would help to distract me from worrying througout the day. so....

 

In the bottle this smells purely of rose to me. Probably because that's what I was looking for.

 

Wet and just on, ROSE! Ack! No!

 

Drydown, still a very rosey smell. I can't pick up any other notes. I'm about to wash this off, I can't take it! But I decide to override my prejudices and wait it out.

 

Later... (about three hours in)

The rose is still there, but it's holding hands with something else, and I kind of like this friend of hers... the orange blossom? I don't detect the rosemary so much, but something is in there toning down the sheer rosiness of before.

 

This is still likely to either become a gift or a swap, but I need to reform my judgement on rose scents. I figure if anyone can reform my flower hatin' ways (does that make me a florist?) it will be the talented folks at BPAL.

Edited September 8, 2004 by darkitysnark

[Astarte]

This is a very strong powdery scent initially which I assume is the orange blossom/rosemary. Then the rose comes through to make a very potent rose scent. it gives the impression of a very sinister rose trying to be innocent.

 

I really like rose scents and this is a surperb addition to my collection. ^^!

[Northernminx]

I have absolutely no idea what happened to this one but it smelled like isoproply rubbing alcohol when i put it on. Atringent, strong, acidic and utterly not rosemary, orange blossom, or rose. Apparantly something in my chemistry reaaallly didn't like something in this blend. Swaps. Definitly, sad as I was curious on this one and really wanted to like it.

[SoapyRN]

This is such a grown up scent. Not too floral, not too herbally, not very citrus, but a very nice blend. Grown up without being old. ? Blended to perfection.

 

I think of this as that one bottle of wine that you KNOW people will like, so you can always bring it to dinner....this is that...only perfume!

 

Your sister, Mom or daughter's teacher would like this one.

 

I do.

 

I had to give it a few months to fully appreciate the perfume. Chypre had knocked my socks off for a bit...but I am now welcoming scents again...as I wait for my two orders!

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: Wow, packs an herbal punch!

 

Second Impression: This is a very unique blend. I would never have though rosemary and roses would smell so pungent together.

 

Final Analysis: Just too green and herbal for my taste.I'm pleased that I got to try it.

[ChupaChup]

I've always been fond of green scents and Catherine smells just divine in the bottle and wet on my skin. The rosemary somehow doesn't smell like rosemary, I guess because of the other components in the blend, it's a much softer green smell to my nose. After a while, the rose and orange blossom become more apparent and this ends up smelling like Seraglio (without the almond) and Jezebel (without the honey). Since those are two of my favorite scents, no wonder I love Catherine, too

[NoirRosaleen]

Eh...on me, Catherine is just another rose blend, with ROSE and a few other flora that are hiding out in the back. Apparently my skin REALLY likes rose. I don*t. I guess this is a swapper...

[VorpalBunny]

When I first put Catherine on, it smelled like lemon-mint instead of orange-rosemary. No hint of rose. I resisted washing it off and waited. After it dried down a bit, it became less bitter and smelled more orangey and less lemony. Then after a little longer, a very faint hint of rose came out, and I liked the scent a little more. It's still not my kind of scent, but at least it wasn't as harsh as when I first put it on.

[inkstone]

In the vial: Rosemary & orange blossom. Very herbal.

 

Wet: Still herbal, but the rosemary is still very strong. The strongest note on me actually, with the orange blossoms beneath it. Rose tends to be hit or miss on me, so I'm not too surprised I can't smell it.

 

Drydown: Ah, so it's that type of rose note. The rosemary has mellowed out, allowing the roses to come out. It's somewhat powdery as rose notes tend to go on me, but it's mingling with the orange blossoms very nicely.

 

Final thoughts: I agree with the above reviewer who says this is like Jezebel without the honey and on me, without the sandalwood backing. It's more herbal too. I think I like it though. It's very business-like.

[Lit Chick]

Again, I have some really odd body chemistry.

 

This went instantly soapy on me. Not girly soap, either. Dial/Safeguard/ etc. As it dried, there was an undertone of chewed fingernails. (I'm a recovering nail-biter - Ick.)

 

Siiighhhh.

[surf-tormented]

When I first put this on, it was almost medicinal, but it quickly bloomed into a fragrant garden on my wrist. It reminds me of Les Fleurs Du Mal, but more slithery and deep. It's a nice seductive blend. Even more so if it is taken for a historical recipe. The idea of it is very interesting to me. This oil seems to be stronger than average, which is great. No grinding my nose against my flesh to get the full flower of the scent.

 

The orange blossom and rose seem to overpower the rosemary, which was most likely the medicinal smell I got when first applied which faded. I am not huge fan of rose based florals, so I am trading this but keeping LFDM because I like the lilac in it. I wish I could get used to smelling like a girl. Shameful!

 

But then again I am very attracted to Lucy's Kiss, go figure!

[silverangel]

I don't know what's with my skin lately but I just can't take rose scents anymore. Althought I think it's more of the rosemary and rose combination. this goes sour and kind of acrid on me. Pity, I really wanted to love it.

[Sincerity]

My birth name is Catherine, so you know I had to try this one out.

 

At first, I was disappointed - it was very floral, and I prefer darker scents most of the time. However, by the end of the day, it faded to more of a dark floral scent. I could definitely still smell the rose in it, but the orange blossom came out, too, taking away some of the strength of the rose.

[Diana]

I got this as an additional imp with my order, though I had planned on getting this. Sneaky! I was about to package this up with a 5ml I'm trading someone, and noticed that the plastic part of the imp was cracked & leaking. Might as well try it out, no? Who am I to argue with fate?!

 

At first whiff, I'm a little sceptical and kind of intimidated by the smell. Very sharp! Kind of screamingly so.

 

Throwing caution to the wind, I dab it on. The wet application is really strong still, and almost medicinal, probably due to the overwhelming and exceedingly strong combination of orange blossom & rosemary.

 

"EEEE!" I think to myself. Still, I must prevail! MUST NOT WASH OFF.

 

As this dries, the roses become more apparent, and the rosemary & orange blossom soften to an incredible aroma.

 

This is becoming increasingly lovely. This Catherine chick was onto something, methinks.

 

Ok, yes. You are teh win! This is definitely something I can wear on a daily basis! It's unusual and funky and soft and feminine all at the same time. I'll be getting a bottle with my next order.

 

 

edited for spelling.

[Falathwen]

The concept of this blend intrigued me so much that I had to try it…I was curious about a recipe so old and strange. I seem to recall that rose oil and neroli oil were treasured long ago (and now), but I was wondering how and why the rosemary entered her recipe, though I personally love the deep scent of it.

In the bottle, the orange is sweet, but wet on my skin it is initially bitter. The rosemary is quite apparent, which is a good thing, but its greenness seems to argue for a while with the rose making it go rather sour. I was tempted to wash this blend off, but I waited for it to dry down.

Fortunately, it gentled as it dried; the three powerful notes blended more and more. It did feel medieval and powerful! It was also moderately lasting. A few hours later it had faded to a powdery note, which seems to be typical of rose blends on my skin.

[summer]

Wow! Catherine is unexpectedly charming and yummy. I reached for it this morning because I felt a little congested and wanted something in the manner of a dry-ish, crisp-ish floral, but nothing fruity. Catherine has fit the bill beautifully. The rosemary was apparent to my nose only right at first -- rosemary and rose, blending to form the dry floral that I was craving. However, with wear, the soft, creamy, slightly sweet orange blossom has come to the fore. I can still smell the rose peeking out softly underneath.

 

This is a really perfect everyday "appropriate for work" scent. It's not overpowering, cloying or childish, but it's not overtly sexual or romantic either. It just smells goooood. Like clean herbs & mild, sweet flowers.

 

And although I know it's named for another Catherine, I can't help but associate it with my friend Catherine, who is a beautiful, complex, hard-but-soft, sensitive, yet utterly wicked woman. This makes me like it even more!

 

[UltraViolet]

This is surprisingly nice. It's more interesting than Silentium say because it's a more complex blend. I was leary because of the rosemary but it blends so perfectly you can't tell where the rose begins and the rosemary starts. But indeed, it works. It's a bit sharp and a bit sour as well as if there were lime in it.

This only adds to the yum factor.

I would purchase more of this.

[magikfanfic]

In the bottle: Rosemary. I'm pretty familiar with rosemary. I like it in food. I'm not sure I want to smell like it. There's also a good amount of orange in there, but the rosamary drowns everything else out.

 

Wet: Rosemary with a touch of orange blossom behind it. Herbs and I do not seem to do terribly well so this blend scares me a little bit.

 

Dry down: Orange blossome has now risen to the top leaving the rosemary as a sour kind of background note. The orange blossom itself is really rather lovely, but the rosemary scent is kinda...icky. It smells a little bit like this awful herb oil my dad's girlfriend was brewing in our kitchen for a while. The throw is just a nice orange blossom, though. Up close the rosemary comes out and makes things not so nice.

 

Dry: Orange blossom throw but up close the rose and rosemary have gone to war creating a scent that is slightly unpleasant on me. I think I should stay away from herb blends as the rosemary note makes me a little ill. Apparently, rose has won. It and the orange blossom combine to create a surprisingly light and bright floral that has a hint of citrus to it. Only...now it reminds me of Dawn dish detergent. So I really cannot win with this one, can I? And, here's the rosemary back from vacation. No, something in this hates my skin. I know it's not the rose. So now I have to figure out whether to avoid orange blossom or rosemary.

[Rheliwen]

Both in the bottle and wet, Catherine smells very herby and medicinal. The rosemary, orange blossom combination is very odd to my nose. As the blend dries, the rose starts to come out and I am left with medicinal powder with a tinge of citrus. I don't much like the whiffs I get, but the smell on my wrist is much more pleasant and girly. The final phase of the drydown turns into a light orange blossom, powdery scent. The don't really smell the rosemary anymore.

 

This blend does seem very vintage to me. It smells like the racks of an upscale vintage store. Catherine is not the type of perfume women wear nowadays, but I can see how this might have been popular in other times. It evokes images of power and confidence. While not my personal favorite, I appreciate Catherine for its uniqueness.

[britgeekgrrl]

This scent has thrown me for a loop. I bought it as I was intrigued by the description and sort-of wondering if it might be something I could wear at Renn-Faire/SCA-type events, given its supposed-historical origins.

 

It's complicated. I'm not used to rosemary in a perfume, but it definitely works.

 

At first, the scent of rosemary was very strong but, as the perfume dried down, the rose manifests and they just about balance each other out.

 

It's herbal, dry, slightly sweet - a very 'mature' scent, it's way, I think and one that could put one in a hell of an ass-kicking mood (I think that's the rosemary, hmm...)

 

I like this scent, and I think it would be a good daytime scent. I'm just not sure if it's a good daytime scent for ME. I'm going to try it again in a day or two when I haven't been testing multiple imps simultaneously - a sure way to confuse the olfactory senses

 

- Johanna

[mmcfa2]

This is the first scent I've had a totally negative reaction to! It smells like a tom cat peed on my rosemary bush!! Ack, off to wash.