Mantis

[Ina Garten Davita]

Crushed herbs and sweet amber resin with a streak of patchouli, neroli and golden musk.

First Impression: Light citrus.

Second Impression: This smells like grapefruit with the lightest touch of herbs. I'm not getting much musk or amber.

Final Analysis: This will really appeal to the citrus scent lovers.

[Eris]

I got less citrus in this and more green, herbaly types of impressions. Very grassy. I liked it very much out of the imp and initially on my skin; unfortunately, like so many green blends, my chemistry made it go soapy pretty fast. This would be a lovely summery scent for someone whose skin can hold onto it. If I don't end up swapping it away, I might make a candle or something where soapiness won't take hold.

[jj_j]

My imp of Mantis was also very green initially - that flowing green that's in the Voodoo Blends. I don't have a single note of it left to check, but I think it's spanish moss, or a bit of High John. This isn't a crisp green like bay or basil, but a very liquid, bent stem sort of green.

 

It doesn't take long for the amber to shine, and in Mantis, it really sweetens and warms the scent. The neroli does its part, too, and gives this a bit of citrus floral.

 

When all is said and done, Mantis is a bit soapy, but more in the clean, sweet tone of a Prairieland Herbs luxury bar than a bar of white soap. The end result isn't a green one, but it is one that makes me think of a wonderful flower and herb bed in full bloom.

 

My to-purchase list is entirely too long as it is, and since this is something I'd like to have on hand but wouldn't wear all the time, it will go on my "eventually" list.

[Nepthys]

The described amber and musk made me expect something very different from this, but I like it quite a bit. Right off this smelled familiar to me and it took me a second wearing to come up with it: it smells almost identical to the Irish Spring soap my high school boyfriend used. This has that same clean herbal-lemon smell. It's refreshing without becoming acrid, but this is definitely something I see more as a good pick-me-up on a sluggish summer day, rather than a winter scent.

[Amazon]

In the vial I smell a combination of the amber and a slight scent of citrus.

 

Wet on, the cirtus is coming out more now, smell a bit of the musk and amber.

 

Drydown, the citrus is coming out more and the other scents are retreating into the background.

 

Dry, unfortunately, on me, this turned totally citrus. This would be a nice summer scent as it isn't too strong, but I don't think this is going to work out for me. Sad, because I really thought I would love it.

[ipb]

mmm this is like the apothecary meets haunted only better. i like it alot. lightly citrus, grounded with a light musk and the amber. yum.

 

this just may be a 5ml bottle!

[sarada]

This is a lovely blend for spring/summer and I hope people will give it a try! I was very intrigued by the ingredients and the description made me think of a bright spring green color...sort of the color of a praying mantis, actually!

 

This smells incredibly fresh and clean in the bottle. Like when you've left your laundry hanging in the sun all day, over lush green grass and dandelions, and all of the scents of late spring/early summer are hanging crisply in the air.

 

All of the ingredients come together beautifully -- you have the golden morning sun shining down on a day with no humidity -- that's the amber, and perhaps the neroli. The green grass and herb garden sigh lazily in the sunlight -- a crisp, invigorating bouquet. And the ground below gives it an earthy base to keep it from being too wispy and ethereal -- there's the patchouli and golden musk.

 

Very clean, green and sunny, but that touch of resin, patchouli and musk makes it very appealing to me because it keeps it strong on my skin and keeps it from turning soapy and dissipating. Grab this one for the spring and summer!!

[orangepoppy]

Mantis ~ in the vial first off it smells aquatic namely and also herbal. First on I think I smell lavender and perhaps a teensy bit of spearmint. It's hard to tell it's blended so well. Drydown ~ something is making this oil sweeter and softer. Maybe it's the amber. As other reviewers have said it's a fresh scent grounded by resins. Oh, and there's the neroli! I quite like this and as I've heard patchouli is great for keeping mosquitos at bay, I'm looking forward to wearing it when the weather turns warmer and the litte buggers come out in search of someone to vampirize (which is usually me). It's fading sooner than I hoped, but I'm keeping it in hopes that it will last longer in spring and summer.

 

eta - After a couple of hours, I sniffed my wrists and egads, I smell something ashy, acrid, and "burnt" - what the heck is that? Darn.

Edited January 16, 2005 by orangepoppy

[Theravada]

I was really, really looking forward to this one, but it's not quite what I was expecting. This reminds me of The Apothecary, only sweeter. I think that must be the neroli, because it's much, much sweeter than just amber. And if I remember correctly, neroli is a kind of violet, and violet is notorious for turning too sweet on my skin.

 

If it hadn't been for the neroli, this would have been wonderful. It's the deeper, more well-rounded version of The Apothecary that I was looking for. If you can handle neroli/violet you should really try this one.

[xoe]

WOW. I can't believe I haven't reviewed this yet.

 

For me, Mantis is light and airy and .. it's really delicate. Which makes sense. Those Mantisses are pretty delicate looking creatures. I really love it. I turned my little imp into a linen spray and spray and now my linens smell light and lovely.

[Shollin]

First sniff: A high, cool golden scent wrapped in slightly bitter citrus. Mantis has a bit of a mountain-air cleanness to it.

 

Wearing: I wasn’t expecting Mantis to be this fresh, based on the description, but it’s really lovely. The golden note is bittersweet and very intriguing. It’s really growing on me – I can’t stop sniffing myself. By the end of the night it worked itself quite firmly onto my favourites list!

[JazzieCazzie]

MANTIS (herbs, amber, patchouli, neroli, musk) ... ordered as an imp by the notes.

BOTTLE: Sharp, green and grassy.

WET: Still very grassy but also fruity, maybe the neroli? It seems to be morphing unpleasantly from the minute I apply it but I have to run out to get to work and I don't have time to wash it off.

DRYDOWN: Ick. Just ... ick. Kind of a combo of guy's cologne and old lady perfume.

[shelldoo]

in the vial very herbal and citrussy

 

wet wow citrus

 

dry it is beginning to become more complex, the citrus dies down, the amber comes out a bit more then it went soapy it ois a very clean, fresh light scent

[tempete]

Mantis starts off very green and herbally. As it dries down, the herbs give way to a light golden patchouli/amber/musk blend, which is pretty but not outstanding on me as it seems to lack depth. This scent is also very light, because it fades away to nothingness within an hour.

 

[For light amber scents, I prefer Tenochtitlan and for green/herbal scents, my choice would have to be The Apocathery.]

[Ajila]

This disappeared almost immediately on me, before if did there was a slight gingery tint to it, if it had stuck around it might have been quite nice *shrug*.

Edited April 7, 2005 by Ajila

[grrrlennyl]

at first: the lab included this as an extra and i wouldn't have picked it for myself. i love the patchouli and neroli together. wonderful.

on: soapy with a hint of something almost minty.

half an hour later: i think i'm getting something citrussy and sweet, possibly the neroli and amber.

1 hour later: still a sweet citrus scent.

1.5 hours later: more herby. i'm getting the patchouli now, too.

2.5 hours later: very soft. te patchouli and herbs are most prominent, with a hint of musk. lovely.

overall: i'm not sure about this one, but i like how it develops, so i'm going to hold onto it.

[wickedgoddess]

Wet - it smells green. It's something very familiar, but I can't quite place it. Something herbal and I think I smell a tinge of spearmint.

 

Dry-down - here comes the neroli, slipping in sweetly underneath.

 

Dry - sweet, but not in a bad way. Neroli with a touch of amber, almost like O only less creamy. I don't get any patchouli from this at all. A half hour later the scent is nearly gone. Off to slather some more on.

 

In summary, I really like this a lot, and this could almost be the light summery fragrance I am looking for, but it fades much too quickly.

 

On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5 (with 5 being the best) this rates a 3.

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: Very citrussy with an interesting herbal/resin bite.

 

Wearing: True to the bottle at first. After about 30 minutes, I noticed a insect-type smell in my car. Not exactly a bug repellant, not exactly insecticide, but like I would imagine a huge pile of beetles would smell - crawling over each other and crunching under my feet. There is a slightly metallic tang to this. It is the smell of fresh exoskeletons. It fades quickly.

 

Final Impressions: Buggy. Not my bag.

[feline.by.design]

Okay, I'll say it. When I first saw the imp of Mantis in my order, the first thing I thought of was "....like praying mantis?" Has anyone else ever seen that kung fu film where the woman turnes into a praying mantis? No? Uhm... well then.

 

Anyway, I'm glad that Mantis doesn't smell like bug juice. I like amber, I like patchouli, I like citrus scents. On me, when I first applied Mantis it smelled like a wonderful golden floral scent. It was actually pretty strong. In about ten minutes, most of the floral elements disappeared, leaving me with a light amber/patchouli base that actually smells like sandalwood. The neroli is still there, lurking around, lightening the mood, so to speak.

 

I like Mantis, but I feel like I won't be rushing out to buy a bottle anytime soon. I'll have to see how often I seek out my imp of it before I buy a bottle. If I were to pick up a bottle, I'd buy it for my mother, whom I think would like it a lot. It reminds me a bit of her Tresor fragrance she's really fond of. So I think she would like this.

 

-doreen

[Elanya]

Got this in a swap.

 

In imp/wet: Shap and tangy citrus, orangey with a bit of sweetmness underneath

 

As it dries, the amber anchors the orange and patchouli, keeping it close to the skin. I can smell the spices too, but they are well blended with the rest of it. It is a nice fresh scent.

 

This is not very strong on me, or maybe I just didn't put much or enough on. I do like the neroli/patchouli/amber combination though. I'll use up the imp, but I don't think I'd order a bottle. I'm not a *huge* fan of really orange-y perfume scents.

[cuervosueno]

I got this in a swap, put it on a couple of days ago and enjoyed its cool greenness, an am trying it again on a very hot day in the NM mts.

Wet/out of vial: very green, cool green. A slight citrusy scent--grapefruity--which of course is not an actual ingredient, but is how it smells.

I like the cool greenness very much, and I do see the resemblence to the Apothocary, but I like this one better.

Of course it morphs, given its other notes, and in a very interesting way. the amber and pachouli come out, making this sweet and warm, and I get the way sweet (but intoxicating) note of neroli. I like the way I can smell all the notes in this.

It is summery, but perhaps summer evening, so you won't mind the warm notes that come up as you wear it?

I like it, but probably not enough to get a bottle, since I seem to have about a million now anyway (or so it feels )

Edited May 20, 2005 by cuervosueno

[northatlantic]

Okay, so you're never supposed to say what you'll never do, right? Because amber? I hate amber. Amber is awful on me, it turns into this thrift-store cleaner smell. So is patchouli, it just smells dirty--and not in a good Mother-Earth way, an unwashed way. If someone had told me I would like a scent with amber AND patchouli, I'd've said they were crazy.

 

And then I got an imp of Mantis from a friend and.

 

Dammit. I should know better.

 

In the bottle: Yep, that's amber. Definitely smell the amber. And something that smells like dandelion milk, that very bitter-green scent. Why in God's name am I about to put this on my skin?

 

Wet: It burns! but only for a second, and even as I'm getting up to go wash it off, there's a burst of tart complex warmth. Oh. Hello neroli. And I agree with the person upthread who said they got mint in the herbs, I do too, but a lovely soft spearmint, not MINT! like the mint in Undertow turned on me. This is just a hint, a cool breeze mingling with the spears of sunlight through the branches of the neroli tree. I can't smell the patchouli at all, just neroli and the cool herbs and for one glorious time, the amber doing what it's supposed to do and glowing golden, sweet and warm.

 

Drydown: The neroli fades first, alas, but the amber is still sweet without the musty quality it usually has, almost vanilla-y, and the mint is still there. I can finally smell patchouli, but it's just a hint of spicy darkness, not acrid the way it usually gets on me. I wonder if this is the same patchouli that's in Depraved? that's another one where the patchouli doesn't hate me, but just provides a little background darkness.

 

Overall: The neroli doesn't last long enough for me, but while the neroli and amber are in balance, it's glorious. I don't know that I would get any more, but I'm glad I had the chance to try it. On someone amber and patchouli are kinder to, I'll bet it's amazing.

[quimerula]

Wet it's a green scent with a touch of citrus and neroli.

Calms down a bit and the neroli comes out cleaner and stronger, with a touch of resins and musk.

A fresh and clean floral-herbal scent, but it doesn't last long on my skin.

[elphaba]

This was a pleasant surprise for a couple of reasons. First, it was an unexpected gift imp from a forumite. Second, it turned out to be way nicer on my skin than I expected it to be.

 

In the bottle, Mantis smelled sharp and unpleasantly flowery. In fact, I only really put it on my skin in the name of science because I thought it would be a quick wash-off.

 

Just on, I got a green, flowery scent. The sharpness from the bottle backed off a little bit, but the floral was still strong.

 

After about five minutes, the flowers backed off and the scent started to warm. It smelled like a flower and herb garden on a hot summer afternoon, when all the stems are bent and drooping from the heat of the day.

 

An hour in, the amber starts to come out more and the whole scent sweetens. It's lovely.

 

After four hours, I get a whiff of chlorine (?!) that comes and goes. I swear I haven't been swimming. I have no idea where this is coming from.

 

Five hours in, it's finally starting to fade. This is a pretty average scent lifetime for me, so I'm not disappointed. Mantis never went soapy and, in all but the very first stage, it was really appealing. I'm glad I got to try this. I probably never would have picked it on my own.

[Janie]

Although this smelled very citrusy in the vial and initially on skin, once it started to dry down it became ... pretty! It is a really pretty creamy floral/green/citrus around the edges scent.

 

I am surprised and charmed by how endearing this scent is. It fades very quickly on me, however.