The Fool

[ipb]

As Card 0, the Fool lies at the beginning of the major arcana, but also somewhat apart from the other cards. In medieval courts, the court jester was someone who was not expected to follow the same rules as others. He could observe and then poke fun. This makes the Fool unpredictable and full of surprises. He reminds us of the unlimited potential and spontaneity inherent in every moment. There is a sense with this card that anything goes - nothing is certain or regular. The Fool adds the new and unfamiliar to a situation.

 

The Fool also represents the complete faith that life is good and worthy of trust. Some might call the Fool too innocent, but his innocence sustains him and brings him joy. In readings, the Fool can signal a new beginning or change of direction - one that will guide you onto a path of adventure, wonder and personal growth. He also reminds you to keep your faith and trust your natural responses. If you are facing a decision or moment of doubt, the Fool tells you to believe in yourself and follow your heart no matter how crazy or foolish your impulses may seem. ~source

 

pre-smell reflection: interesting that beth chose this one, because i'm soon going to be trying to decide which grad school to go to OR to say to hell with it all and go get another undergraduate degree.

 

initial impression: i don't know what it is, but i've smelled it before. it's pleasant and reminds me of my siblings when i was in high school and would take them to the park.

[Nadirah]

This is a festive *bubbly* scent. I don't know whats in here but if I where to guess I'd say apple blossom, maybe something a bit fruity, this is nice! I really do like it. I've gotten, mmm you smell good twice now, from 2 different people. Its a happy scent and I think bubbly is the perfect word to describe it!

 

Ok after wearing this a few days I am smelling some mintyness in it. Maybe pennyroyal, its so light I didnt notice it till now!

 

Edited April 17, 2004 by Nadirah

[twistygirl]

I'm just beginning to re-learn the Tarot symbolism, and The Fool (the fragrance) does strike me as very evocative of the Fool (the card). It is youthful, it is optimistic, it is the promise of new beginnings, it is fresh and innocent and very happy. I detect something minty, I detect something clean, there is nothing deep or murky about this fragrance at all. It makes me want to dance, it makes me want to smile. I also received this as an extra chosen by Beth and am also at a major crossroads at my life, she always knows exactly what to send!

[friendthegirl]

This has an underlying mintiness to it, which is all I can detect right now.

[amberbella]

Very changing on me...probably the most change for me from wet to dry.

 

Wet...ZING! Minty, fresh, bright, fun. I love it wet. Joyful and almost silly.

 

Drying....Warmer....the mintiness is turning to vanilla on me (don't know why). It's so pretty now.

 

Dry....Fruity. Don't know where the fruit came from all of a sudden, but the mint and vanilla are all gone and all that's left is a pale fruit.

 

My favorite moments of this scent are while it's drying so I'm hoping it will retain that scent in my scent locket. If it does I'm absolutely going to get a big bottle of this one.

[Ms. MSGirl]

This is pretty, chaotic, and exuberant to me. Quite a bit minty, a little bit bubblegum-sweet, a little bit apple blossom, a little bit herbal. All together that makes it very subtle and agreeable, something I could wear every day only for me and never ever care if anyone complimented me on my perfume or not. It's not there to be noticed, it's there to make me feel happy and sweet-smelling.

 

The mint may be predominant in this -- I even think it feels minty on my skin. But there is a fruity sweetness that is very strong as well, that fluctuates between bubble gum and apple blossom and some other mixed fruits, like the coolness of the fruit aisle of the grocery store. This is a very summery, feel-cooler scent, that makes me think of sipping some brightly colored artificially flavored RED drink, like one of those old-school Slush Puppies, spritzed with a little fizzy soda and some vodka or something, sprawled out on the dirt and grass in the shade of a fragrant tree. It's a barefoot back home in Mississippi scent, with elements I never would have thought of putting all together in a perfume. I would be really happy to wear more and more of this! I can't wait to try lots of other Tarot oils if they're all this subtle and interesting, which they certainly seem to be from the reviews.

[chin]

The Fool is awesome! There's a minty overtone, and a fruity but not toooo fruity midzone. At first I thought the mintiness was spearmint, but maybe it's pennyroyal a la the Mad Hatter? The scent is cool, fresh and lively, and also has some of that mysterious round clearness that I associate with Cheshire Cat (lavender?).

 

I'm really debating on whether I would like a big bottle. This blend makes me feel lightheated and clearheaded.

[malanna]

A bit minty at first, but the berries are still apparent. After drying, the berries come out full force. It's not a tart berry or a sort of wild, untamed berry, but still a happy berry (aren't they all?). Rather makes me think of a scent from The Body Shop. Dewberry, I think. This doesn't have the tartness of Jester, but might have the same tone of Bewitched, if you took away the musk and had red berries instead of black.

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: Bubbly. Mint and somethiing light and fruity.

 

On me: Hello spearmint! Smells a bit like Trident Cool Rush gum. I don't much care to smell of gum or toothpaste so I probably won't wear it much, but in the summer it might make a good room scent.

[diabolique]

like everyone else, all i can detect is mint and something sweet. unfortunately, i'm not down with smelling like mint, so this is off to a new home who will hopefully appreciate the fool.

[cuervosueno]

I love this! I have a number of Tarot oils now, and I use them as Tarot oils, meaning with intent, with a spiritual connotation rather than just as perfume. I'm just so impressed with how they fit the cards!

Just like the Fool in Rider-Waite deck that graces the bottle, this is youthful exuberance, innocence, joy, stepping off into the unknown (and maybe over a cliff!). I wear it when I want the Fool's adventursome qualities in my life...

Notes? Mint for sure, but I'd go with pennyroyal too. Its just not as minty as a spearmint or peppermint would suggest. Or catmint maybe? I love love love that odd fizziness...what does that come from? I can't imagine! there is also the slightly bitter herbal note others mentioned...and a fruit...yes...what is it? Not citrus to my nose. Apple? Its not as rich red as a berry, so maybe its apple....

Oh I really have no idea, but this is a wonderful scent to feel childlike and adventuresome with....to bring the energy of the Fool--that risk-taking wandering innocent--into your life.

 

much later: I crushed some pennyroyal between my fingers at a nursery the other day, and yeah, it smelled just like the top notes in this scent.

Edited May 10, 2005 by cuervosueno

[allamanda]

The Fool

 

When first applied this is bright and sparkling; cherry blossom, I think, and mint. As other reviewers suggested, this is more akin to pennyroyal than spearmint or peppermint. Very nice.

 

Once dry this is still very minty (you couldn't fall asleep!!) but beautifully tempered by the cherry blossom, this is really lovely.

 

Much later...I'm still convinced it's cherry blossom, but now I can detect a crispness like green apples.

 

Another big bottle :sigh:

[scourgeotheseas]

The Fool

 

In the bottle: Mint chocolate chip ice cream.

 

On me/wet: Minty and Juicy Fruit gum! While the huge blast of mint fades a little over time, it never leaves completely. The fruits come to the forefront, though, smelling a lot like fruit punch. Minty Hawaiian Punch.

 

And it only took a couple of minutes to realize the connection between “Punch” and “the Fool” – Beth really is AMAZING! This does capture the essence of a fool in every way.

[brownbat]

Initially. Fruity and bright. Quite a bit like swank. As its settling a little bit of something medicinal comes out. Perhaps anise? Some sort of bitter herb is rounding out the fruit nicely.

[rainbow]

In the bottle and wet on skin- citrussy, with something deeper- spicy and musky- behind it.

 

Wearing- a minty note develops. This is complex, more complex than I expected. It's citrus and mint with something deeper creating a base note. I'm not sure exactly what that base note is- I've been through musk, patchouli, resin, amber, etc. and it just doesn't smell like any of those.

 

Overall, complicated scent, sometimes difficult to figure out.

[Witch's Dagger]

The Fool

 

This was a part of the Tarot swap - since I need to review all of them in a very short time, this will be a brief review.

 

In the vial: I smell mostly mint, but as it’s not just mint, there’s obviously something else here - perhaps white musk? Whatever it is softens it and deepens it a little.

 

On me: Mint, spice, and perhaps some lotus? This reminds me vaguely of the Ace of Cups, so I think there may be some lotus. But the strongest scent is mint - it reminds me of the little mint chewy-things they have at weddings, or peppermint patties.

 

In 15 minutes:

It hasn’t changed much. It’s still a sweet, yet somewhat spicy, mint.

 

Overall:

It’s a nice scent, but not really me. I’m glad I got to try it.

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: Berries and mint.. very interesting!

 

Wearing: This starts off minty, but the mint quickly fades leaving a cherry cola scent behind. It is sweet, bubbly, and faintly fruity. Some herbal smells come out after a while.

 

Final Impressions: This is sipping cherry cola at a summer picnic in the sunshine. Very happy, carefree, and fun! Perfect for summer.

[OriginalWacky]

Bottle (Imp): Wow, minty.

 

Just On: I am getting all minty out of this.

 

An hour or two later: It's fairly faded and minty still.

 

Around 6 hours: Not much left at all, but maybe a hint of mint.

 

12 hours: It is gone now, and I think I liked it.

 

Overall: I didn't really get anything but mint out of it, and I liked it. I'd buy a big bottle of this.

 

After reading other reviews: Pennyroyal must be the minty thing I'm getting. This goes on the list for a purchase at some point. I really didn't get fruit out of it, but that was okay in this case, it was quite nice anyway.

[sarada]

The Fool goes through three distinct stages on me, so distinct that I might as well be wearing three separate perfumes! In the bottle there's definitely that overwhelming mint that most everyone has commented on. That's what I get too -- and I will also go with pennyroyal as a likely suspect since it is a much deeper mint than the garden variety. It's absolutely delightful in the bottle -- it makes me smile. I can't help but smile, it's such a happy, alive scent! The mint quickly fades, as it always does, replaced by a powdery smell that I at first associated with lilac. I was pretty sure it was lilac for awhile but after reading the other reviews I wonder about apple blossom, which is total powder on me, but I usually don't like it. I like this though.....so perhaps lilac is possible. Whatever it is, the mintiness is all gone and it's all powdery for awhile.

 

Finally, another scent starts to creep out as the powder fades. I think at first it might be fig, but I can't imagine that mint/pennyroyal or lilac/apple blossom would go together with fig very well. Perhaps currant? It's one of the dark fruits at any rate, and one that I like. It gets increasingly strong for awhile though I'm never entirely sure of what it is...am earthy fruity smell...and fades into something rather indistinct, an almost-succulent floral, maybe Lotus. Each stage did make me smile though. A very playful scent, though I can't imagine that these extremely different scents can co-exist so peacefully and come out the way they do in perfect sequence! Yet somehow, they do!

[Brianne]

In bottle:

Midly fruity in a weird, medicinal kind of way. Not very pleasant

 

On me:

This is not what I expected. I guess because I have never tried pennyroyal before but everyone has described it as "minty" and because I love mint, I thought this would be right up my alley. I don't think this seems minty at all. It's astringent and either it smells a lot like anise or it this also has anise in it. I smell a floral in there too, maybe it's just me but I think I smell lilac. Somewhere at the bottom of this scent there is some kind of weird fruity smell and it doesn't work out well with the anise smell I'm getting.

 

Final note:

This turned out to be really awful on me. I'm not sure if it's just me, or if it's that my nose doesn't particularly care for this combonation of scents. But, I think it smells like a floor cleaner with that strongly astringent smell. I swear there is anise in this, either that or pennyroyal smells just like anise to me.

[PurringPulsar]

The Fool

 

In the imp: mint! I think there are two mints here-spearmint and another greener mint, plus a sweet candy like scent underneath.

Wet on skin: yup, still minty. There's a green aspect to the mint, but also a spearmint note. And like most mint blends, it feels cool on the skin.

Dry on skin: this reminds me a bit of Undertow, it has that sweet mint smell. This also has the green mint (pennyroyal?) smell from the High Priestess. It's a very cooling, fresh scent.

After a while: I'm wondering if there's lotus or vanilla, or something sweet in this, as this has a slight scent that reminds me of candy floss! It's sweet mint with a hint of green. Very nice.

Verdict: this is one of the mintiest BPAL scents ever. It's just pure, full on mint. There are two distinct mints here, sweet, chewing gum-ish spearmint, and a greener, more herbal mint that may be pennyroyal. It's a very fresh, carefree, cooling scent, playful and youthful-quite mischievous! Apparently this card corresponds with Air, and this scent is like a blast of fresh air, bright and breezy. It has a sweet aspect in the background, quite sugary, like candy floss. I'm not sure if I'd get a bottle, but I really like it, it's great for summer because it's so cooling and light.

[Northernminx]

Minty, but more of a pennyroyal mint rather than mint itself. This has that distinct burnt herbal undertone that pennyroyal has a habit of taking on my skin. Thankfully that fades offa bit.

There is a little fruitiness to this as it dries down but I can't say it's really fruity and I get ocasional whiffs of Anise as well. Intriguing, complex, and everchanging I would really love this but the pennyroyal burnt thing is kinda driving me nuts in the first stages. Stupid chemistry

[roesmoker]

In the imp: smells like - mint/fruit - white grapes? Or maybe sparkling apple juice, I definitely see the "bubbly" quality mentioned above. It's weird because I don't really like fruity scents, or mint for that matter, yet these preferences don't really seem to matter when it comes to the Fool.

 

Wearing it: I love this scent - much like Has No Hanna, more for how it makes me feel than how it actually smells. I feel liberated, confident that everything will turn out for the best - I can step into the abyss without fear. This is a great feeling to have in my arsenal, especially for someone like me who is often anxious and worries about the future and the unknown.

 

Big bottle time!

Edited August 2, 2005 by roesmoker

[modesty_blaise]

Yay! I often feel like the fool, so I had to try this!

 

It´s...minty indeed. I love the mint in Spooky, but this is more like Frost Moon. I´m not sure what pennyroyal smells like, but to me this is like spearmint, but with some sort of herbal note as well? I don´t get any fruits at all. When wet, there´s also something underneath that vaguely reminds me of bad breath :icon_eek:, and as much as I wanted this to go away at dry-down, it´s only replaced by the icky smell of soap. My skin ruined this, I´m so sad

[grrrlennyl]

at first: this is a sweet mint that quickly turns more herbal to my nose.

on: so minty and cool. there's definitely something fruity, too. actually, it might be lotus and not a fruit.

1 hour later: sweet and light. i adore this. it's definitely mint and lotus on me. lovely.

2 hours later: not as strong, but still nice and cool.

3.5 hours later: this is hovering much, much closer to my skin now. it's hard to pick out any notes, but it's generally floral and cool.

overall: this is a great, chilly blend. i can definitely see myself wearing this as perfume on hot, sticky days.