India Bouquet

[surf-tormented]

Used liberally in love magick to ensure tranquility, calm quarrels, and rekindle faltering flames of attraction, sensuality and romance. Used also to put an end to infidelity, and in this aspect, it can be used not only on your mate, but on your self to keep your own eyes from wandering and hands from straying.

It has that hot weed smell like Has No Hanna. Slight sassafras scent, but it is way underneath. I don't think I like the voodoo oils very much, they all begin to smell the same to me.

Ok, it probably the fennel and cumin in this one. I love them in food, just not on me.

Trying it in a burner mixed with Block Buster.

[Penance]

First sniff:

 

Hmm, that's either anise or fennel, I can't tell right at the moment. I really hate both of those notes, to be honest, but I'm not wearing this for the scent, so I'm going to have to try and deal with it.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Ugh, ugh, ugh...I think that's fennel, not anise, and it reeks. I just have an extreme intolerance to anise and fennel almost the same way I do to almonds except they don't make me sick, I just hate them. I don't know if I can tolerate wearing this blend, unfortunately. I only dabbed a tiny bit on my wrist, but I may as well have been swimming in it.

 

Dry down:

 

This is getting washed off. Immediately. I just can't tolerate the smell, as much as I want to find out if India Bouquet really works.

 

The bottom line:

 

Sadly, I can't say whether India Bouquet works because it's barely dry an I can't tolerate it anymore.

[VelvetSky]

I received this in a swap from fairywingmaker. Bernadette, you're awesome!

 

India Bouquet has the distinction of being my first Voodoo blend to try. Wow. This is an interesting scent. Really really interesting.

 

I usually don't like foody blends, but this is different. Definitely fennel, as everyone has mentioned. But not raw, pungent fennel....more like a soft whiff of it on a warm day. I'm not getting much, if any, of the cumin (good thing).

 

The drydown is wild grasses, herbs and....green onions!? huh?

 

My overall impression is that I really enjoy the way this smells. It's pretty different from anything I've ever had on my body, but it's such a clever, interesting scent, I'm somehow drawn to it. I wish I had snagged some when it was available.

 

Edited to note: Just realized that Queen was my first Voodoo blend....so this is No. 2.

Edited February 5, 2005 by VelvetSky

[joseybird]

*sniffed from imp and from bit of residue*

 

SAGE STUFFING!! 'tis TRUE!

 

It smells...foody...but savory-foody I can definately smell the anise and the fennel and cumin...It smells like a little hut in a very dry Indian summer with smells of spices wafting out the windows.

 

This is an exotic scent, but nothing I'd call sexy. It's an interesting blend...one of those scents whose imp you're really attached to but would never buy a bottle of.

[helarctos]

It smells like a kitchen!

 

I actually only whiffed it, because it was just too strong and spicy to wear.

[stardreamer]

I swapped for an imp of this because reading the Forum reviews had gotten me intrigued. The original description says nothing at all about what's in it, but the reviews all talked about (surprise!) Indian spices, curry, and fennel. And they're right -- this is very strong of the fennel and smells rather like being in an Indian grocery. R.'s reaction was neutral, which is the best I can hope for with him. I like it a lot; unfortunately, it doesn't seem to last very well on me -- I've already reapplied it twice and it's still fading fast. Definitely worth keeping, but I don't know if it's worth the trouble of looking to buy/trade for more unless I could find a mostly-full 5ml.

 

I'm still looking (so far without success) for an Indian saffron/curry scent...

[cormeretrix]

i didn't initially like this one in the imp; too heavy, too floral, too something.

 

but i put it on anyways.

 

and after about 15 minutes, it smelled like floral licorice, and my dog tried to lick it off.

 

after 30 minutes, it was pure and total licorice, and within an hour, it was gone.

[wickedgoddess]

Origins - imp received in a swap.

 

Wet - oh god, anise, curry….this smells incredible!!

 

Dry - anise, fennel, coriander, perhaps a bit of saffron; India Bouquet is the perfect name for this. Foody and exotic. I love Indian food, and I really like this one. Fades too quickly though; within an hour it is gone. I layered one wrist with Snake Oil because I thought they would go nicely together, and it's an incredible combination.

 

On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 4.

[OriginalWacky]

Bottle (Imp): Ooh, fresh scent. I can't identify what, just that it's fresh.

 

Just On: Wood. I smell wood shavings. Lots and lots of wood. I don't know if I like it or not, but I keep smelling it, so it's not bad.

It reminds me of the days when I didn't know that wood chips were bad for rodents, and used to use aspen shavings to keep the small furries in.

 

An hour or two later: There's still wood there, but some flowers or something are coming out to play. And some seasonings, as if I were cooking something spicy. I like that.

 

Around 6 hours: This has become a skin scent, which doesn't happen with every scent. It's also very faded, so will probably have to be reapplied often. Just a little bit left, smells spicy woodsy.

 

12 hours: Nothing is left, and I kinda wish it was.

 

Overall: I think this is a keeper. It just feels pretty good to wear, and I rather like wood scents when they aren't evergreen woods. Wasn't too sure about it, but it's working for me, so I'm not complaining. The spices were nice, and I enjoyed it fairly well.

 

After reading other reviews: I certainly didn't get the anise the way everyone else did. I can understand the curry, and such, because that was probably the spices I was smelling. I can't vouch for the use of it other than to smell nice, but I like the smell, so I"m willing to test it out for that too.

[aidenraine]

Oooooh well, this smells just like I am sitting in an Indian restaurant with a plate full of fresh nan in front of me. However, hm, the nan seems to be sprikled with the little pastel anise pieces from the jar by the door. It is curry, vanilla, anise, coriander all at once.

 

Oddly, the more it fades the more it also smells like a strong cinnamon- like cinnamon toast sans the sugar.

 

It's strong enough that I keep catching wiffs of it on my wrist.

 

You know, I'm not sure I want to smell like this, but I think it's a keeper for a home scent. I wouldn't mind my apartment smelling this exotic. Off of my body I find the aroma calming and centering.

[Muppetk]

Wet: light florals and light curry spices. Beatifully blended. I had trouble imagining curry that wasn't overwhelming.

 

Drying: oh man. Anise. Strong anise. Dammit, I hate anise. It's completely overtaken the other notes.

 

Dry: Lightly spiced anise. The pinch of spices in the background is not enough to bring back how wonderful this was while wet.

[orangepaas]

So it is curry- and anise-licious, but if you layer it with O...it's a dead ringer for Lush's B Never shower gel!

[minouska]

In the bottle, this smells strongly of fennel and anise. On my skin, at first it was all anise, but after a while it faded down to a milder scent. Definitely foody/piquant, not sweet at all. I don't smell any florals at all. At the end, it smelled a bit like the color you get left in pan after making curry, that dark yellowish color. It's nice, but not really perfume-y, if that makes sense? It doesn't smell (to me) like something you'd wear out, unless you wanted to smell it for yourself; it's definitely one of those scents I'd use as a voodoo scent or a home scent.

[allidavie]

This was terrible on me - smelled like an indian restaurant. Exactly like one. A smell I love becase it means yummy food is coming, but NOT something I personally want to smell like.

[blood*rose*flowers]

In the bottle: Corriander, Fennel and possibly sage

 

Wet: Oh man delicious!!!! This smells excactly like the sugar covered anise you get at the end of an indian meal. I adore these and I love the smell.

 

Drydown: The cruelness of this scent it softened down to next to nothing just a tiny bit of anise and possibly something else but it is so incredibly light you can barely sniff anything.

 

Overall: A bit has come back up I hope it will continue I love this scent it is clean and herby and the scent of the anise could not make me happier!!!!

[UltraViolet]

In the bottle

Yum. It's like anise and honey

 

On

Licorice and Frankinscense maybe. It's really good and it does remind of of the black twizzlers as someone said.

 

30 minutes

It stays exactly the same (yay) but just a bit lighter.

 

Throw:

A bit more than average.

 

Scent category:

Fody/Spicy

 

Summary

Initially the licorice kind of took a back seat but as it dries the anise scent gets a little bit stronger on my skin but it's still so yummy.

 

Purchase again?

Yes! a 5ml

 

1-5 rating (5 being best)

4

[Little Bird]

In the imp this is very spicy and foodie, in an "I am curry" sort of way. I love foodie scents, but I tend to like them to be more on the dessert side of things.

 

First on, curry and honey. Over five minutes on my skin the anise scent comes out more and this blend is starting to make me feel ill. I've become very scent-sensitive over the last few months and this is making me incredibly nauseous.

 

15 minutes later this is like an insanely strong anise drizzled in honey (two things that I'm not fond of). Something of a sweet floral is also starting to peek through, but I can't wear this anymore.

 

I had to scrub my wrists for ten minutes to get this off of me. It is a very strong scent... unfortunately, it just doesn't work on me.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: odd. i get a bit of anise from this, but something oddly salty, too. i'm not sure what to think of it.

on: anise and...something bad. i don't think i'll like this.

1 hour later: much more anise, which is good. the "something bad" from when i first put it on seems to be gone.

2 hours later: vaguely fruity, but not in a nice way. very dark.

overall: i just don't really like how this one smells on me.

[edenssixthday]

India Bouquet - Oh wow, I really like this! I mean, I really like it. When first applied, I smell the “curry” scent that others have mentioned, but it is faint and fades quickly. Ginger and cardamom are also notes that stand out when first applied and it reminds me of Indian black tea that’s brewed with fresh ginger, cardamom, and cream. When it dries, it has a bit of sweet floral scent to it, but mostly, it’s spicy, like the chai I get at my favorite Nepalese restaurant, and there’s an undercurrent of licorice. This scent is spicy and slightly sweet, and very exotic. It’s one of the few Voodoo blends that doesn’t smell like a Voodoo blend (if that makes sense). It’s gorgeous. I don’t really need it for the Voodoo qualities, but I wish I had a ton more to wear as a fragrance.

[supremegoddessofall]

Why did this have to be anise? I was hoping for something floral or powdery. It's not an overwhelming anise, but it's enough to kill the possibility of keeping this one. There's some dust or incense underneath, but anise is the top note.

[wikkidraven]

anise and spices...i usually hate licorice but this isn't too bad once the in your face anise smell dies down a bit.

 

definitely going to give it another go, just to be sure.

[Limelight]

Well, I say it's anise, and I say it's love. Definitely would have stocked up on this had I been here back in the day. Aside from its intended purpose, I find it a delightful, spicy scent with a gentle sweetness that is unobtrusive yet alluring. Like if you had this for lunch you'd keep the paper sack until the next day so's you could stick your head in and inhale. Like that. It's good Bring it back, bring it back! (Just for me?)

[funkmoppet]

Frimp from a Lab auction.

 

Anise and nutmeg? And cardamon? I am standing in an Indian bulk foods store and I am perusing the spice aisle. I used to live near one, and we went there regularly to stock up on cheap legumes and spices and curry pastes.

 

Don't necessarily want to smell like it personally, but this still smells great. And now I'm craving saag paneer and chapatis.

[Gwydion]

In the bottle: fennel and anise on top. I'm liking it. It's spicey, but not conventional. Wet: Similar, yet more herbal, though it's hard to pick out individual notes. It definitely reminds me of licorice fennel seeds, but not in a bad way. Dry: It's a little odd with my natural scent, but I don't mind, since it's a pleasant enough odd. Do not wear this if liquorice isn't your thing though.

[bookandbroom]

On me, this smells precisely like Throat Coat tea - definitely licorice/fennel, and something that makes me think ginger. But mostly Throat Coat. I adore it.