Hellcat

[TygherRayn]

A soft, sensual, luxuriant blend with a wicked bite: hazelnut, buttercream, honey mead, rum and sweet almond.

Wow. Sweet! Sweet and warm, in fact. I was surprised by the smell of this, but then, I'm learning not to expect anything from these scents and just let them surprise me.

In the bottle: VERY sweet. I can almost taste the Anisette in this, because the almondy smell is that strong. I can almost get the buttercream-y smell too, once I get past the almond. It's very sweet .. very foody, and nice, though not what I expected.

Wet: This goes on very strong for me .. -very- strong, and I was afraid I'd have to wash it off. But it mellows quickly to something kind of cherry-honey sweet.

Wearing: Curious. I think I smell the meade-rum now, over the nuttiness. It's fading quite a bit though, and honestly, I don't think this one's going to stay very long on me. While it's nice, it's also a bit too sugar-sweet for me.

ADDED July 1:

In the bottle: Sweet, like spiced cream and soemthing I can't detect. Might be the hazelnut, as this is definitely a nutty, foody scent.

Wet: This smells like a rich, milky alcoholic concoction I might like. But it'd definitely be a sipping drink.

Wearing: Too much for me. The boozy smell just isn't appealing to me, and that's a disappointment truly. I wanted to like the Hellcat, but it's just not in me.

[isyche]

I wanted to like this, but it just smells like maraschino cherries on me at first (and I'm not really a fan of them), then it fades to the musty-old-potpourri sort of smell that some other people got. Darn. Guess I'm not a Hellcat girl.

[Ishtar]

This one is a very changeable scent on me.

In the vial, all I can smell is almond liqueur - Yummy!

On my wrists, it immediately turned into a dry and very woody scent. I had to re-read the description to se if there was sandalwood in it or not. Right now I can tell that it is starting to morph into something else. I don't know what yet. Fun! This scent is a riot

On my elbow crease and my cleavage, I get a very sweet mead note. Delicious

When I catch a whiff of the scent surrounding me (and it is quite powerful!), I can smell the hot buttered rum that one would expect from the description. The buttercream is the prominent note here, which is interesting because on my skin there is no butteriness at all. Heady and intoxicating.

 

Hellcat is definitely not for the faint of heart or people who prefer their scents well-behaved. It's a little mad, unpredictable and so much fun! It is not often that I feel completely decadent and over-the-top, but next time the mood strikes, I'll know exactly what to wear

[nevermore]

For me, there are good days and bad days to wear Hellcat. On good days, Hellcat is a lovely, creamy, slightly rumm-y vanilla. On bad days, Hellcat is honey mead and rum that is strong enough that it would probably make people think I’ve been drinking. The day I got this in the mail in a swap, I tried it on, and all I could smell was the honey mead/rum – and enough to make me slightly ill. I put it in the swap box, intending to trade it the first chance I got. A few days later, I decided that I should try it again, as the notes were just too nice to pass up. It was nice that day – almond, cream, and a smidge of rum, which is what I wanted it to smell like. So, in short, I like Hellcat, but only some of the time (ie. when the honey mead and rum notes behave themselves).

[Lexy]

This goes on as a vanilla-caramel scent, and quickly turns into honey and not much else. I love it and have been wearing it to bed, but I don't know that I would want to wear it out.

 

My sister and my son are obsessed with it however, and I'll be buying them both larger bottles as gifts.

[ViolentKitten]

Wet, this has got the peanut butter in it from Velvet - I think that would be the hazelnut. But that’s where the comparison ends. This is a spicy sweet one, but not at all in a syrupy way, with the sweet almond making a strong appearance along with the honey mead and rum, giving it that spicy kick. It takes an hour or two for the buttercream to soften that bite which keeps spiking my nose. I want to say it’s sharp, but it’s not quite. Eventually, it becomes smoother, like hot buttered rum (though I wouldn’t object to a bit more buttercream ). It doesn't seem overly boozy, but I’m sitting here starting to feel a wee bit intoxicated…I might need a fried egg butty for my hangover... Hmmm, it’s also reminding me of a soap…a bit like Honey I Washed the Kids, but not as soft and without the slightly floral aspect I get in HIWTK. This one lasts quite a while too, especially at its last stage of dry spiced sugar with honey and rum. It feels very adult due to all the booze - lock this one up in the liquor cabinet! - and would also go great on a man I think…very warming. Hellcat’s not a fave of mine, but it is lovely and it’s definitely a by-the-open-fire-in-a-loungeroom-decked-out-in-ye-olde-mahogany-furniture-with-a-mug-of-hot-buttered-rum-in-your-hands scent!

[Donnababe]

First Sniff

 

Urggh, almond/marzipan/clove like fury. I do not like this at all. I wanted booze ooze! I will try it regardless...

 

After Application

 

No change or improvement...

 

Drydown

 

As above

 

After a While

 

Despite only applying a teeny bit it's still there almost seven hours later in a slightly more muted form. Only now do I detect a hint of burnt sugar. It's too shy to come out to the full, the monsterous almond is scaring it away.

 

Final Verdict

 

I am very very sad. I so wanted to adore this. I do not like almond smells as a rule but I was confident to get my thrills off the rummy, foody delights that other reviewers have been lucky to find. All I managed was marzipan with something similar to Jack along the way. (And guess what, I don't like Jack either.)

 

I had visions of being a tipsy pirate timed barmaid slopping the buttery booze from the tankards onto her ample bosom, darn it!! Sob.

[Lorencita]

Well, out of the 7 scents I have on, this one is the only one I just dont like. It smells too much like liqour, I dont like the booziness of it. I smell no almonds (which I adore) I just smell spiced rum! So sad, but I cant be too sad... cause I have 6 others on that are truly amazing! Thats really great cause Im quite picky with scents! I worship Beth and pals!

[Northernminx]

In the bottle: Distinctly boozey with a strong whiff of rum and spice.

 

On the skin: In the first ten seconds it pummeled my nose - maybe that was the hellcat gnawing on me - but it settled into a nice gentle purr after that. It's mellowed into a gorgeous rum-filled, spiced scent. Spice rum, mead underneath, and I get a hint of mellow nuttiness.

 

This, wierdly, reminds me of Christmas - that smell in the house when the cider is mulling and I'm baking and my family is around the table. It's a rich, intoxicating, warm and rich smell.

 

I'm still not certain if this one is getting bought or just using up the imp, as I love it but I'm not sure I love -wearing- it. It would be a wonderful room scent or candle scent.

[Eris]

Out of the bottle and immediately applied, this has a lovely, rich buttery smell. The hazelnut and butter cream are very strong, and like Old Port-au-Prince, it seems so yummy I want to eat it right up!! I could even smell a faint note of sweet almond which I love. Once it dries, the creaminess and sweetness fade, and it becomes more of a cinnamony smell. I think someone likened it to Red Hots, which I can definitely see. The cinnamon is backed by something a little richer though, which I think is the nutty (not sweet) aspect of the almond and the hazelnut. A very interesting scent, but not one I'll probably be wearing regularly.

[asa805]

I got this as a swap from Andrabell. From first sniff to drydown i get delicious hot mulled cider. Spicy, cinnamony and delicious. This is gorgeous and a perfect fall winter scent. Ill definatley be keeping this and possibly purchasing a 5ml. Yummmmm

 

EDIT: I still really adore this scent. Im not getting such a boozy scent like others are getting. I still get the mulled cider smell. Which i loveeee. This is more of a relaxing scent for me. I wear this mostly when i am home and by myself. Its a little too strong to wear to work, though thte drydown is gorgeous, its still in its beginning stage on teh bus and im not sure teh people on the bus loved it as much as i did. Still a fave though, and although i wont be buying a big bottle right now, i do have another imp on the way.

Edited August 19, 2004 by asa805

[omly]

I love almond and halzelnut. I really thought that I would like this. When I first opened the imp I never even got near my nose before I was trying to get away from it, promptly decided it needed immidiate swapping. A few days later I suffered from imp regret and decided to give it another chance. Got my nose a little closer but the buttercream and rum are so strong as to turn my stomach a little. This is a strong scent as my roommate would say. My mother and sister had the same reaction, but my sister's boyfriend was intrigued. This morning I felt I hadn't been fair not to try this one on before trading it away so I wore some (the tiniest little drop I could manage). After about an hour the buttercream went rancid. I seriously considered scrubbing it off at this point, but didn't have anywhere that I could. By the time I got to school (about 2.5 hours later) it had settled into a nuttiness but with a strong rum undercurrent still and slowly fadedover the course of the next 9 hours or so. I never did find any almond once it was on me, although I kept looking for it. This one has lasting power on me. It is unfortunate that I don't like it more.

[malanna]

I love foody lotion scents, so I thought I'd love this, too. Alas, that is not the case. It's definitely buttery, but with a sharp note (I guess the alcoholic smell everyone gets). I think this would be butter cookies if you dumped a bottle of alcohol into the batter. If not for that mead, I think I would have loved it. The mead also offers contrast to the butter and makes the scent too sweet.

[metterklume]

(my first review)

 

in the vial: sweet, honey, a tiny bit of real maple (although that may be the butter making me think syrup!)

 

wet: I can definitely smell the rum, and while I'm sad to say I've never had mead, this makes me think I should.

 

it dries almost immediately into a honeyed loveliness that stays on me for hours, especially in my hair. the butter is just mellow and creamy and the alcohol scent drops down into a very minor note, along with the nuts - they never really get strong (though that may just be my skin - I don't get 'almond!' from Queen of Sheba or Eclipse either.)

 

I've just ordered this as my first 5ml; it's what I put on when I get home from work most days, and makes me feel comforted and relaxed. even though the rum isn't prominent, I don't think I will wear it to work (unless I change jobs!) although I might have worn this back when I served afternoon tea. my cat loves this and licks it off my wrists, the little lush.

[lixolux]

i love how warm and boozy it smells out of the vial but on me it immediately morphed into intense hazelnut that was in a battle with rum for my throat and then the drydown became exactly the same smell of the christmas pot pourri they break out every xmas at the union square Macy's where i worked for 2.5 years 10 years ago. instant work hell flash back. i had to scrub it off immediatley. Maybe as a room scent, so long as it doesnt take that avenue again!

[Sara]

Mmmm....

 

And that's all I have to say about that.

 

In the imp: oh gods I love this!! I smell the most yummy sorts of buttercream, "booze", and spices.

 

On me - *le sigh* The buttercream and boozes take an immediate backseat to the spices and eventually dries down to "spicy candle" I still adore it and so does my bf so a big bottle is definitely in my future!!

[Scylla]

In the vial: I can definitely smell the sweetness of honey and rum. And in another way reminds me of Gluttony, but I like Gluttony much better. Maybe it's the buttercream note.

 

The first time I tried this, I HATED it! At the time, I thought it smelled like burnt (phony) maple syrup and spices mixed with rum. Very sweet in a boozy, nausea inducing kinda way. Sorry, Beth!

 

I didn't want to give it a second chance, but I did. And my impression is more favorable this time. Now it smells like the Autumn Harvest Yankee candle. A nice comforting scent, but not for wearing. Good for a room scent.

[Splendid Molerat]

I'll have to agree this may be better used to fragrance a room than a person.

 

After going through the butter-rum-amaretto wave, what comes out on me is the gingerbread house from Hansel and Gretel. There's a wood-fired oven going full blast, heating up the gingerbread walls and just softening the marzipan shingles with the candied orange curls and whipped meringue snow on top.

 

I'm finding the effect claustrophobic -- I guess there's a world of difference between thinking I'd like to be overwhelmed, versus actually being overwhelmed.

[binkyboots]

this had a very odd effect on me, it made me suddenly feel very angry/sad, it threw my mood out for the whole day (I swear, it must have been the oil, I was pretty chirpy...)

 

obviously I didn't like it, at all which really surprised me, it was just too much, too sharp and the terrible emotional feeling it brought up just maybe me run with it to the swap pile....

 

I wonder what it was, I guess something in it is tied to a memory... sorry, ot.

[ChupaChup]

Hellcat was one of the few BPAL oils that was just too much for me. It smells like a combination of Gluttony and Hecate, two oils that I love by themselves. Together, they were just sensory overload, overwhelming. Aptly named oil, though

Edited September 13, 2004 by ChupaChup

[diabolique]

i got this today from the lovely scylla (thank you so much, dear)!

 

it was a lot different than i expected when i took a whiff of it in the vial. it was a bit strong at first, but by the time my nose adjusted to it, i wanted to drink the vial. i put some on my thumb since (i just typed "scents," on accident. i think i'm warped) i'm already wearing an oil, and i WANT TO FREAKIN' BITE IT OFF. MMM. it's so warm. it smells like my thumb has been caramelized. the rum is much more prominent in the bottle than it is on my skin, as the rum seems to disappear in the drydown.

 

now i just can't wait for the gluttony and hunger to get here! by the time i'm finished with all of these foody scents, i will eat myself. mmhm.

[Kimberlyn]

This oil was part of my first order and probably the one I was looking forward to the most.

 

In the vile it smells very sweet, sometimes too sweet.

 

However, with my body chemistry it takes on a life completely on it's own.

 

The rum, honey, etc sent are WONDERFUL. For me it was not overpowering at all. It made me feel more flirtatious, playful, a bunch of good things. Those that were around me when I put it on really enjoyed the smell and said that was is such a keeper and fits my personality.

 

I say to whomever might be considering ordering this to absolutely do so for it is a great scent.

[Larila]

This is very strong when applied, starting off smelling hazelnut,rum, and honey mead. I did not get the buttercream nor the sweet almond.

 

It mellowed to a lightly sweet sexy scent,the hazelnut went in the background. The buttercream came in the front also the honey mead,rum and the sweet almond all intermingle into a lovely scent and the lasting power, outstanding.

[Aponia]

I'm jealous of everyone who got a boozy-rum scent. In the bottle it definately has that smell. On me, it smells like AC Moore. I smell like their potpourri isle, which i think smells lovely.

 

I still haven't decided if I would like to smell like this for long periods or not. I may buy the bottle, maybe not. Overall, it definately does not smell like I thought it would from the description!!!

[amaltheagray]

oh hellcat, how i love thee!

 

i recoiled from the imp in horror when i first sniffed it. it came in my first ever bpal order and i was overwhelmed. i love hellcat because i can almost see the layers. it looks like caramel and chestnuts and nougat and mahogany. it has incredible staying power and transforms from a wet boozey treat to a cloying dusty spicey aftertaste. it's immensely comforting and insanely satisfying.

 

love. lovelovelove.