THE BLURB:
A packet of cards is shown - each bears a picture of a
perfume bottle. All of them are different and the backs of
the cards are blank to preclude them being marked. The cards
are mixed and a lady chooses one while the performer’s head
is turned. She rubs the card on her wrist and then Places it
out of sight. The performer turns back towards the lady and
by delicately smelling her wrist identifies the scent she
chose!
The cards may be thoroughly examined and no one will find
(or sniff!) a thing. The effect may be immediately repeated
with a different selection. As well as the beautifully
produced cards, the instant reset and strong emotional hook
makes this effect ideal for the walk-around or restaurant
performer.
MY COMMENTS:
Peter Nardi writes in his instructions that what he added to
this routine was a clever peek and the use of blank-backed
cards. The peek is certainly natural in this routine, but
I'm not sure if I'd call it clever or original. And I'm not
as enthused about the need for blank-backed cards as Peter
is. For me, they get dirty awfully fast and then they're
not really "blank" backed anymore. Solid black instead of
solid white would work better IMHO. Finally, the
principles involved here are not new and should be very
familiar to the experienced mentalist.
Okay, that being said, I truly like this routine and its
unique premise of using odors. This one, by the way, is for
the ladies. It's not that effective on the gentlemen.
However, when you see ladies walking away and sniffing their
wrists (or each other's wrists, if more than one), you know
that an effective and unique impact has been made. It
re-sets instantly and can be done anywhere. I've added this
routine to my everyday wallet. Besides the instructions for
this routine, you're paying for the nicely printed cards
with the black-and-white graphics of perfumes and the price
is indeed a fair one for this recommended effect.
