Cathode

[alianthe]

A negatively charged scent. Ambergris, Spanish Moss, oakmoss and three electric mints.

 

Bottle: Bright, light, an electric cologne. Very high hopes for this one!

 

Wet: Warmer, more yellow, softer. So lovely. Later, engines and flowers. o.O Luckily, the flowers disappear again.

 

Dry: Warm, golden, soft. Gentle. Neither sexy nor invigorating. Then, it seems to disappear.

 

Conclusions: Definitely a keeper.

[quickdrawkiddo]

I bought this imp off a lovely forumite so I have no idea of its age. This is QUITE the morpher! It goes on very green and minty and softens into ambergris and moss within an hour, probably less. Three hours later it's mostly ambergris, but very light and less powdery than ambergris sometimes goes on me. Alianthe hit the nail on the head -- it's a very gentle scent. Good for summertime or right before bed. I can see why it's not more popular -- the moss note is pencil-shavings-adjacent, to my nose, but that's my jam so I'm OK with it I don't have many "green" scents that aren't piney or leafy, so this fills a hole in my collection. I'm always in the market for what I call non-perfumes for hot weather or days when I play sports, so this one's definitely a keeper.

[Soupy Twist]

This was a frimp — I definitely don't care for oakmoss, and this just underscored that opinion.

 

Smells fresh in the bottle. The description is "a negatively-charged scent," and somehow it's exactly that.

 

There's a weird mint and moss note, which changes to something sort of like ozone. I get a hint of something almost antiseptic which puts me in mind of a dentist's office, in a bad way, and then there's oakmoss. Scrubber.

[Veronica]

Sharp and clean and mint, slightly aquatic. Very bright and pretty. A greener, earthier version of Riding in the Palanquin.

[Allumina]

This is weird and delightful, and has a lot of throw. At first I get the mints and something citrussy, but then the ambergris and moss come out, and come out big. (I probably didn't need to put on as much as I did) The mints fade away within the hour, and the ambergris goes a bit powdery, but in a nice, herbal way. The moss-ambergris blast phase lasted a good 12 hours before I showered it off. I'll put on less next time, but this is a keeper.

[Myrrha]

This was a frimp from the lab. When I first tried it I had to laugh because it is dead-on for how televisions used to smell when they were huge boxy things and if you put your face right up against it you could see the little dots of light that made up the picture.

 

Now that it has aged a bit I can smell something aquatic (must be the ambergris), plus mint.

There is a wonderful Spanish moss note that makes me feel wistfulness in my heart. Spanish Moss did the same thing to me in Silenti. It is more gentle here though.

 

Once it is dry the mint is gone and it is really just the soft Spanish moss with something very slightly lemony. Is there some elemi in this? It is lovely and soft.

 

I really like this. It doesn't smell like men's cologne to me at all in this stage. It is pretty and haunting while not at all "perfume" smelling. Maybe this could replace Ether although it doesn't have the bite that Ether did. I am so glad to have tried this!

 

edited because I used the word "soft" four times.

Edited July 30, 2015 by Myrrha

[roseus]

In the imp: Both dark and bright at the same time. A very zingy mint. I would swear I'm getting a touch of lime here.

 

Wet: Spanish moss and mint

 

Dry: A cologne-y base of moss and ambergris with the mint adding a freshness. A nice clean scent. Might keep it to slather on my man.

[LizziesLuck]

Wet: Mostly moss on me. Very masculine. As it dries is just smells like non-descript cologne.

 

 

Dry: Cologne. Nice cologne, mostly moss. I don't get any of the ambergris, which makes me sad, as I love it so. This is really nice, but not for me. Would love it on a guy!

Edited June 22, 2016 by LizziesLuck

[Lunasariel]

In the imp: WYSIWYG - herbal, mossy mint rounded out by the soft, mellow salty-sweetness of ambergris. A brisk, zingy, energetic scent, but not as sharp or astringent as mint would be on its own. I'm really loving how each note is distinct here, each one building off of the best aspects of the others and reining in the bad aspects.

 

Wet: This scent is green, green, green! Not, like, punch-you-in-the-face-with-a-fistful-of-grass-clippings green. It's just...pure green. But that's not to say it's simple: I'm getting zingy, herbal, and cooling aspects of "green-ness" all at once, and I love it! The throw is fairly low, but I can definitely get whiffs of it when I turn my head. I can still distinctly smell all of the listed notes, but they're melding into something wonderful. Moss has a tendency to go dry and/or rotten on my skin, and mint often smells synthetic and too sweet, but they're all definitely putting their best feet forward here.

 

Dry: Unsurprisingly, the mint burns off after a few hours. I'm left with mostly a "your skin but better" ambergris, with an herbal edge from the moss. Throw is even lower now (after ~6 hours), basically skin-level only.

 

I was expecting something more ozonic/sharp/mad science-y, but what I ended up with, I LOVED! This one is definitely going to be in heavy rotation this summer...and probably the rest of the year, tbh.

[Casablanca]

Sweet mints. On the second sniff, it smells like cold, hard mint candies hovering above a bed of slightly nutty (which is how the lab's ambergris smells to me) moss. The moss and ambergris blend together, but the mints stand out entirely, not blending at all -- this is this, and that is that.

In drydown the notes start to settle and blend. Later, Cathode turns to a flat toothpaste.

Meh.

[TheresaRedSkull]

Am I the only person who feels that this perfume smells exactly like Oxy pads? I'm not even saying there's anything wrong with that--they smell pleasant and clean to me. But I can practically feel the slightly rough texture of the round pad on my face. It's odd.

[lizabelle]

I'm smelling a ton of lime right after applying, which is weird because there's no lime in here. If I get really close I do smell mint over moss and something heavy...is that ambergris? It's shockingly acrid. Over time the ambergris calms down and is recognizable as the same one in Lyonesse--thank goodness. However, the overall effect still reminds me of the standard "fresh" lime/herbs/musk cologne that seems to form the base of every mainstream men's scent. I hate that base with a passion, so this is a pass for me.

[renfair]

I got this as a tester as a bonus goodie with an order I placed with another member. It was almost empty, but there was enough in there for me to do a skin test since the description had me intrigued.

First Sniff Impression: Sweet mint.

Wet in Vial: Definitely a sweet mint, cool.

Drying Down on Skin: Understanding the "negatively charged" part now, which I didn't get in the vial. Sweet mint is there but being grounded by the more earthy mosses. Though I feel like this is quickly getting soapy on me. It's almost like an Irish Spring type smell or something. Like a clean, men's soap. Also getting a little medicinal on me too.

Dry on Skin: Yeah, something about this is turning me right off, though I don't know if it's being influenced by the potential age of the imp. It's making me think of something medicinal like Alkalol, maybe?

Conclusion: This one was not for me. Too medicinal and cold smelling. It also didn't last very long, which I was totally fine with. However, if I ever end up with another, fuller frimp of it I'd like to try it out again and see if it's any better.

[whisperstilled]

Sharp oakmoss and mint, initially. Sweetens as it dries into something reminding me a little of mint green tea. The amber is there, but primarily adds a powdery sharpness. Much more pleasant on the drydown than it is initially. Definitely toward the cologne end of the spectrum. It reminds me strongly of Dr. Henry Jekyll, and is almost fougere-like. A little too powdery for my tastes, but very nice and fresh.

[Nikki Scarlet]

This was a frimp from the lab, and I didn't even really know it existed until I found it among my other samples, but it sounds pretty interesting! I'd been interested in possibly trying a minty scent and this may fit the bill.

In the imp and on me, wet:
I really don't know how to describe this. I'm definitely getting the mint but it's not really a cool mint or a spearmint. It's kind of a fruity mint, if that makes sense. It's a teensy bit aquatic, too, but the combination is just . . . something I'm not sure I can properly describe. I think I like it, but it's definitely very different from what I was expecting.

On me, dry:
I still don't know how to describe this, but I think I like it. The scent really hasn't changed much from when it was wet, other than maybe getting a little bit warmer. There's something vaguely citrusy about this, as well, even though there's no citrus in the ingredients. I feel really conflicted about it. I don't think it actually suits me. It does blend nicely with my skin, but it's just . . . this really unexpected smell that seems to clash with the rest of my personal aesthetic, if that makes sense. When I deliberately smell my wrist I come away not sure I'm all that fond of it, but I keep having little moments where I'll catch an accidental whiff of it and go, "Ooh, nice! :D"

Verdict:
This is really weird, but not in a bad way? I do like it, but I don't think it's a "me" scent. By which I mean, I don't think I'd wear it out of the house, but if I ever just wanted to have a relaxing day curled up at home, I think I might dab a little of this on my wrists just to quietly enjoy as kind of an aromatherapy thing.

I had actually invited a friend to try out some of the scents in my order with me, and she ended up taking a real shine to this one. In the end, I ended up giving the frimp to her. Not only did she love it more than I did, but it smelled better on her than on me. But this one still left enough of an impression that I might go ahead and order another imp of this for myself later. I don't think I love it enough for a big bottle, but I feel like it's a scent I'd just like to be able to smell every now and then.

[Cali]

My first thought when sniffing the imp was 'Oh no. I like it.'

The notes combined, while I can take them apart, work very well together and form to something very ozone-y. Sweet, fuzzy.

After a little while it goes to full-on green mostly from the moss with a background layer of mint. The ozone note has faded and now it's more of a forest-y earthy type of vibe. Very witchy, and soft.

 

I like it, but I do like the initiative scent a little better!

[doomsday_disco]

In the imp: Mint, ambergris, and moss.

 

Wet: Warm ambergris and a really refreshing mint. After a few minutes, the moss emerges. This reminds me of Vicomte de Valmont, only simpler and less cologne-y. The moss increases in strength as the scent begins to dry, but this aquatic hasn't veered into soap territory yet.

 

Dry: It's a bright ambergris and moss scent with the light mint adding some coolness. The mint has calmed down significantly and isn't nearly as strong as it was when first applied. For some reason, I keep thinking of lime when I smell this, even though that note isn't listed. I wonder if it's an unlisted note, or I'm just getting that impression from the combination of the ambergris with the moss? I swear it has some citrus, though.

 

Verdict: I'm so glad I got to try this one. It's not one that I would have expected to enjoy, even though I am a fan of mint, because I thought the moss would take this into Soapville. Fortunately, that didn't happen at all. I'll be holding onto my imp. I can see this being really refreshing during the summer months, and I'm curious to see how this one is on my boyfriend.

[DryFrogPills]

One of my first imps, and one of the most distinctive still.

 

In the imp: Fresh air and a gentle breeze that carries a touch of freshly crushed mint leaves.

 

Worn: It's still 'sharp' in the nicest way, fresh air and ozone, the mints coming hard into the foreground. At the initial stages, especially when the imp was fresh, it can smell a great deal like peppermint schnapps poured out of a new bottle, with that very distinctive edge. As my imp is several years old now, I tend to find that edginess tempered, and while the overall experience is the same, the initial application has more of the oakmoss and comes across a little softer.

 

Long term: This is definitely a morpher, as many others have said. The mints fade out within an hour or so, other than as a soft memory, while the ambergris and oakmoss linger, grounding it in an earth richness, just a bit of cool air floating over it. My favorite stage is probably between the 30 and 45 minute mark on me, when the mints and woody/earth smells are best balanced, but it's pleasant in every stage.

[VetchVesper]

Mossy Mylanta!  Which sounds like a bad review, but it really isn't.    I'm quite fond of this one and am sad it's in Memoriam.  

 

The mint starts out soft and powdery and mixes with the mosses.  The abergris adds a touch of aquatic incense.  If you took out the vanilla sweetness from Lyonesse, and replaced it with chilly mint, you might get something similar to this.  After it's been on a while, the mint dies down and I get almost a woodiness to the scent.  It always stays soft, cool, and gender neutral, and I find it a very soothing blend.  

 

We've been having tons of fog today where I live, and the weather is juuuuuust starting to turn into early spring warmth.  Cathode feels very appropriate. 

Edited February 23, 2019 by VetchVesper

[Lucchesa]

Cathode starts out minty moss and ends up mossy mint, if that makes any sense.  I'm not sure I got much ambergris; the mint kind of drowned it out.  I don't wear mint in general and only wanted to try this for the sake of comprehensiveness, and sure enough, it doesn't do much for me.  But if you enjoy cool, fresh scents, this might be very nice on you.  

[MolyH]

I was hoping for moss, but aside from a very lovely cool greeness in the first 30 seconds of putting it on, I don't get any at all. At first, the sweetness of the ambergris and the mint combine to smell like an after-dinner mint you get from a restaurant. With a little bit of mustiness, I suppose from the moss. Then, as time goes on, this becomes more and more like toothpaste, until I decided to go and scrub it off.