Jack

[paperdoll]

The scent of warm, glowing jack o’lanterns on a warm autumn night: true Halloween pumpkin, spiced with nutmeg, glowing peach and murky clove.

Initial Sniff: Mmmm... hot creamy buttery spices with a hint of peach. Smells like a rich peach cobbler.
Wearing: Oh, there's the pumpkin! This smells like autumn baking, what with the spices, the pumpkin, and the butter. The peach adds an interesting touch as well, and this dries to some sort of non-descript foody spicy sweetness.
Final Impressions: I like it! It is nothing I'll wear often, but I'll keep my imps.

Additional Note: I have one imp that is definitely Jack II, and one imp that was swapped to me as Jack I. There are subtle differences between the imps during the initial wet stage, but once they dry they are indistinguishable. I'm not sure if the Jack I imp is actually Jack II or if they are really that similar! So this review is for Jack II and possibly Jack I as well.

[anmorata]

Jack:

 

OMG. I am in love. Jack turns into a sweet pumpkin chai tea on my skin. I absolutely love it. I'm pretty good with foody smells, and Jack does not disappoint. It doesn't fade, doesn't change, and I keep sniffing my wrists as it just smells Oh. So. Good.

[omly]

In the bottle this was gaggling like buttercream. On it reminded me very much of Hellcat. Was this mislabeled? On it was very buttery with the some slight spices scents, such as nutmeg. I had to wash this off after a few minutes, although i applied very sparingly. It was *strong*.

[Mayfair]

In the vial Jack smelled extremely buttery. It reminded me strongly of Gluttony which did not work on me at all.

 

On my skin however it turns so yummy and fruity with the clove and spices giving the peach a nice depth. I would have expected this to be more spicy actually and I cannot detect any pumpkin at all, but the fruitiness is still warm and foody.

 

I like this scent a lot and I'm thinking it would also be great for warm summer nights. Definitely a 5ml for me!

[Guest ExquisiteSiren]

This was my first Bpal order ever *grins*

 

But when I first smelled it...there was a sweet but deep dark disturbing quality to it. Maybe its the butter rum note...but I swear it reminded me of a

 

Evil Pumpkin

 

It seems so comforting, sweet, deliciously decadent, warm and fall-like......

but there is just something that does not belong.

 

I think it might be the apricot note that makes it smell fleshy? Like rotting....almost.

 

Maybe its in my head? Or I dont like apricots....but.....Its fine with me if this scent is a bit naughty anyway....

 

Smells JUST like pumpkin bread

My love and I have a joke about pumpkin bread that is much to dirty to mention here....*grin* but.....either way. This is yummy beyond words.

[tinyvulture]

at first it's like pumpkin pie with a rich, buttery crust. then it smells more like apples and cinnamon, with a hint of peach. i wish i could bathe in this, it's so good!!!

[Brandy74]

This has got to be my favorite scent. On, it smells of rich pumpkin spice with a hint of fruit - peach probably. I can't stop smelling my wrists. This has such a good smell to it and it lasts a long time so I don't have to reapply. Definitely going to have to get some more of this.

[RainyDayGrey]

This is my first review (first post actually). I was drooling over Jacks description, but decided to wait untill closer to fall before ordering. Then I saw it being sold on LJ so I jumped on it, I'm so glad I did because it's not an autumn scent on me at all.

 

In the bottle: Smells like melted butter and pumkin pie spices, but not a hint of pumkin anywhere.

 

wet: Ok, it smells a bit like pumkin briefly when I first put it on, but still mostly butter and spice, and then the peach comes out, oh boy does the peach come out!

 

dry: It's all peaches and butter and spice, smells exactly like a peach cobbler fresh out of the oven. I love Jack, it's my perfect just want to be comforted scent. Makes me want to put on something comfy and curl up on the coutch with a good book and a cup of tea. While it wasn't the pumkin pie scent I was hoping it was, I will definatly order a 5ml of this.

[inkstone]

Courtesy of the Pumpkin King circular swap!

 

Jack I

 

This is deep, warm baked pumpkin pie. I can definitely pick out cinnamon and nutmeg from the spices, but I suspect there may be more there. It's smoky and foody and utterly delicious. Who knew I'd be such a foody girl? I never thought I'd be before I got into BPAL and now look at where I am! There's a sweetness that I think is peaches or something, but I'm not sure. I really, really like this and am so very glad I got the chance to try it!

[inkstone]

Courtesy of the Pumpkin King circular swap!

 

Jack II

 

I tried this at the same time at Jack I (but on the other arm) so I could really see how similar or different they were. There is definitely a difference. On me at least. I realize skin chemistry plays a big role there.

 

Jack II is lighter and not as deep and smoky as Jack I. The peaches come out more strongly, which makes it softer and lighter than its counterpart. On me, Jack II faded much more quickly than Jack I. It has a similar pumpkin smell in the imp, but on me, they're fairly different.

 

I have to say that I preferred Jack I more.

[thespring]

As I sniff the open vial I feel that I am about to leave this mortal life and in fact I have and am in hell!

I close the vial and gasp for air.

Death by butter.

 

I apply and..... hmmm. It's still buttery but not fatally. Nutmeg, cinnamon, peaches, ginger.

 

Before it dries I worry it'll be too artificial smelling but I needn't, it's divine.

I actually don't get pumpkin, I get the smell of things that remind me of pumpkin. That is in no way a bad thing at all though.

I think it smells more like peach pie.

 

Cozy and comforting, lovely.

[Reinaluna]

Jack; This is another one of those foody blends which I knew it would be. When first applied It is really nice, I can smell the clove, allspice, peach, and pumpkin. Then this mellows down to a soft creamy buttery aroma. No bottle for me need less to say but I will keep the imp.

[joseybird]

Butter and sharp peach What gets me about jack is that the butter is *savory*, not sweet. I can see the peach cobbler analogy, but even though I usually love wearing foody scents, I can't see myself wearing this

 

EDIT: Late drydown is %!$#%*@???!! Amazing!! It looses its butteriness and sharpness and smells like...CANDIED YAMS! OMFG!!

 

Now I'm in a total quandry...I dislike the first half, but I adore the second half! What to do??

Edited April 13, 2005 by joseybird

[cindyrella]

On me, this one’s very quick fading. I put this on a few hours ago, and now it’s almost gone.

At first it smelled like a buttery pumpkin, very foody. I didn’t think I would like this one, because I can’t stand that buttery ‘Gluttony’ smell, but that was gone soon. Then it became more sweet and Samhain-like, but with a hint of peach. I can smell the spicy clove, nutmeg and pumpkin and that’s nice, but I still like Samhain more, so this won’t be a bottle.

[luxuria]

At first: This smells like a baked peach dessert. I smell the crust and the peach and it's quite buttery. No pumpkin, no spices, nothing I wanted out of this scent.

 

Later: Stays the same but the nutmeg and clove peek out. I like it a little more now and it's smelling more autumn-y than dessert-y.

 

After that, it fades into nothingness. Alas, not a bottle and I'm unsure if I even want the imp. what a disappointment stupid peach!

[amberlox]

I can't possibly convey how excited I was about getting this imp because I ADORE pumpkin scents. I could die of pumpkins and be happy. The first thought when my nose got close to it was "Nutmeggy!" and it does seem to have the 'plastic candle' tinge to it other people were describing but the thing is I *like* plastic scented candles (my favorite brand is YANKEE and in fact I worked in a scented candle store for a time)

 

I smell pumpkin! It isn't 'fresh' pumpkin. It is a more synthetic scent. But I like it. I'm on the fence still about getting a 5ml of it though... it isn't quite as compelling as I had hoped it would be. The nutmeg is nice. The pumpkin is quaint but it isn't earth-shatteringly good like some of the smells I've sampled. I wouldn't turn it down as a gift but I don't think I'll be spending me hard-earned cash on this one. Poo.

 

Edit: I meant to mention this impression.... BUTTERY POPCORN. It makes you want to drink it right out of the imp. Wear Jack to a movie and people will start nibbling on you thinking you're a bag of popcorn smothered in buttah...

Edited April 22, 2005 by amberlox

[byrdie]

Note ~ From a swap with cuervosueno. I've been waiting to try this since I first read through the BPAL catalog.

 

Vial ~ Gingerbread and pumpkin cookies.

 

Wet ~ Yick. Something sharp and ... pine? Dunno, but it just muscled the pumpkin and gingerbread out of the way.

 

Drying ~ Eating warm pumpkin pie outdoors during the autumn, and washing it down with even warmer apple cider.

 

Drydown ~ Pumpkin and spice with a musk undertone. Is this what jack-o-lanterns smell like after a few candle lightings? Wait, now I'm getting ... apples. Drinking apple cider between pumpkin pie burps.

 

Dry ~ Post-burp autumn days, with a strong scent of brown, crunchy leaves. They're possibly being burned somewhere nearby, or perhaps that's just chimney smoke. Now there’s some note that's trying to turn this into a wafting perfume. Odd.

 

Fade ~ Continues to be light autumn leaves with a whiff of pumpkin.

 

Final thoughts ~ I love foody scents, and this one will be perfect for my birthday order (October). I don't know why I never got around to ordering it before, but I'm thrilled to have received it in a swap. Wow!

[helarctos]

Jack is an experience!

 

In the vial it smells of salty buttered popcorn, with a sweet whiff that reminds me of Buttered Popcorn flavored Jelly Bellies.

 

Once on, the sweetness deepens, and becomes a note that I can only describe as "perfumey." Beneath this note the candy carnival continues, deepening to something like candy corn.

 

It's the quintessential scent of Halloween!

[Glitzie]

My curiosity was aroused by Jack as I have never smelled a Pumpkin!

 

However I ordered an imp to try and wowser this is scrummy.

 

In the bottle it smells find of foody and spicy.

 

Drying down I can really pick up the peach and clove which I really like.

This is very foody but not in an overpowering way.

 

I just ordered a 5ml

[lavinia_short]

i was certain i was going to hate this, that it would be cloying or too foodie for me, but because everyone raved about it, i decided to try an imp of it.

 

oh.my.god.

 

i love it.

 

i hate the smell right out of the bottle, but once it's on and starts to dry down, it's amazing. i don't get a lot of pumpkin out of it though - i get mostly a very crisp peach, almost a peach cobbler smell, with a very little bit of buttery spices - but the overall scent is the most amazing peach i've ever smelled. and i love it.

[Silvertree]

Wet, in bottle: I almost didn't try this, because just opening the imp was enough to get a flood of butter so strong that I almost gagged. It made me feel sick and slightly greasy, and is the first scent to which I've had an overwhelmingly negative reaction.

 

As helarctos said, it immediately brings the buttered popcorn Jelly Belly jellybeans to mind; as I'm not a fan of that particular flavor, I don't think I want to smell of that scent. But I'll try it, just to see what might happen....

 

Wet, on skin: That's a bit better. It's no longer so overwhelmingly buttery (I thought I had stumbled upon the previously-undiscovered Butter Single Note), and some spices are starting to pop up. Still a bit popcorny, so I don't think this is the scent for me. No apples or leaves, and no strong spices, all of which I would love.

 

Dry: Peach! Warm, sun-ripened peaches, perhaps baked into a pie with a little brown sugar and cinnamon. No cloves or apples or pumpkin for me, but the peaches are pleasant and much more welcome than butter. This is more of a summery scent than an autumnal blend; it smells nice, but it wasn't quite what I was hoping for.

 

ETA: I wrote this review quite some time ago, and am just getting around to posting it. I've since swapped away the two imps I had and now I've got Pumpkin King to compare to Jack, and... well, read the review!

Edited May 10, 2005 by Silvertree

[Elanya]

I will warn you all right off by saying that this did not agree with me at all.

 

In the imp (even without actually opening it), it smells, well, I'd thought kind of like caramel popcorn. I'm sure it is just the sugary butteryness. I thjought that it woudl be a good thing.

 

I wasn't feelign especially well yesterday when I tried it, and I though (foolishly) that a comforting food-y scent might make me feel better. I should have known.

 

This is by far the stringest scent I have tried. I put it on, and it was sobuttery sweet that it just turned my already delicate stomach. I tried to wash it off. I got rid of the butter, and was left with a sickeningly sweet fruit and cinnamon smell that was equally stomach churning. I tried to wash it off again, and applied some Port-au-Prince over top, hoping that the buttery spicey rum would be a good cover.

 

No. Jack dominated it from underneath, still a cinnamony sacharine sweetness, like over ripe fruit. It eventually settled down enough to be tolerable. I stuck it out, but I could still smell the peach (bleh) on my wrists when I went to bed last night.

 

*quickly dumps Jack into her swap pile* Go awaaaaaay!

[Imbrium]

In the bottle: Spice, and buttery pumpkin. Yay!

 

On: Wet, this is buttery, pumpkiny and spicy. As it dries, however, the peach comes out more, and while I love peach, I'm not sure how well I enjoy it mixed with pumpkin. Dry, the peach is almost gone, but the pumpkin has also faded a bit.

 

Overall: I do like this. It's not quite what I was hoping it would be, but then, I was spoiled by smelling Pumpkin King before I got to Jack. I've been layering Jack with Three Witches, and it smells lovely.

Edited May 17, 2005 by Imbrium

[olympia301]

Very buttery at first, quickly followed by a heavily vanilla-laced sugar/cinnamon/bread food scent. This is good enough to eat, and I think I smell the "thunky" smell of raw pumpkin in the background.

 

Sometimes, if I sniff hard enough at it when it is wet, I get the impression of mint somewhere which I realize is apple! That could just be a smell hallucination, but it is very subtle and pleasant. Also, I think of the butter-smell like a butterscotch, which makes it even more lovable.

 

This is an outstanding Autumn scent, very Halloween-like in the kids-get-their-Halloween -costumes-ready-for-the-Big-Day way. There isn't any hint of The Dark Side of Halloween here, and I see it as a before Halloween scent which I would be inclined to put away after Oct. 31. Of couse, you could wear it for Thanksgiving and be right with it, but still there is too much excitement and sugary anticipation about this fragrance to be associated with anything solemn.

 

Great scent for All Hallow's Eve preparations, not so good for tax audits. I like it alot and am considering buying 5ml.

 

It lingers for a fairly long time, but it's not a day-long blend so consider a scent locket (if you could find one in the shape of a jack-o-lantern that would be perfect.

Edited August 29, 2005 by olympia301

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 5/5

Summarised in a word or two: Spiced pumpkin.

 

In the imp: Odd. Cold peach and very warm pumpkin. Spicy. Weird.

 

On skin, wet: Spicy! Pumpkin and peach and clove! Very, very nice.

 

On skin, dry: A gorgeous, lightly-spiced pumpkin! Warm and festive, but not something only for autumn.

 

Conclusion: I originally tried this in May of '05. It was rotting peaches. That fall? Same thing. That winter? Still no dice. As of April '06, however, I get the above lovely spiced-pumpkin. What a difference months can make. And note: it's not an ageing issue with the imp, as I tried different imps every time.

Edited April 19, 2006 by Aredhel