Hexennacht (2005, 2016, 2019)

[Lilithlefay]

... This perfume is the scent of the witches’ revel: German fir and forest herbs, incense and bonfire smoke, and the wet, glimmering scent of skin warmed by dance.

I think this scent just skyrocketed to be one of my favorites. It is smokey, woodsy, juicy and is that some musk I smell. REminds me of camping and camp fires, being out in the woods, but there is something very ......yes.....underneath it. I am going to be hoarding this bottle because I am in love with this scent. It smells amazing on me and I want more!!!!!

[maewitch]

Oh. My. Gods.

 

I was a little wary of this one, what with the woodsy and the smoky. I'm more of a vanilla kinda girl (as far as scents go anyway), but...whoa.

 

This is that sweet languid feeling that comes after sex, with that shiver of knowing that this was the last person you should be alone in the dark with.

 

This is lying in the dirt, the sky obscured by the fir branches above you, warmed by a smoky fire.

[BelladonnaBarbie]

When I first put this on it smelled very, very masculine and mostly of heavy pine and soap. It quickly mellowed and if I close my eyes it really does seem like the scent of a bonfire in the middle of some dark forest. I can smell the smoke, spices, skin and the pine, which has faded into the background.

 

One of the things that I really love about this one is how closely it sits to my skin. It's not the type that everyone around will smell, but I can see someone leaning in and then not being about to get the scent out of their mind. It's very lovely in an understated sort of way. If I had a larger bottle I'd love to mix some with body oil, I'm sure it would be great.

[Miss Lynx]

I had high hopes for this one after all the recommendations, and I was not disappointed, at all. It smelled lovely enough in the vial, when I got a quick whiff at the meet'n'sniff, that I knew I had to get some, and when I finally did manage to score an imp, I was very eager to try it out.

 

It didn't come into its full beauty right away -- it was certainly nice on first application, wild and foresty and a little smoky, but at the time I thought it wasn't necessarily any more nice than what are probably its closest scent-relatives, Black Forest and Nocnitsa. But as it's dried down... Mmmmmm! All kinds of richness and complexity have been unfolding. I like those two, but I really do like this more.

 

It's got all kinds of foresty goodness, plus some kind of slight fruity note like wild berries that reminds me of Bewitched, a touch of smoke and/or incense, a whiff of wild flowers, a faint undercurrent of musk... It's like the scent equivalent of an incredibly intricate painting that you notice new details in every time you look at it. And miraculously enough, while most of my favourite BPAL scents seem to fade quickly on me, this one actually has some staying power, and only gets more beautiful as it unfolds.

 

So I think it's official -- while this is not going to replace Bewitched, my favourite up until now, in my affections, I think it's equalled it, and the two are now tied for the honour of Best BPAL Scent Ever, in my view.

 

Grade: A+

[evil_laugher]

This scent is like fruit and actual smoke. I was amazed that the smoke was actually created mimiced by this. I wouldn't wear it a lot, but it is interesting.

[Caltha]

Hexennacht

Got this in a swap with Bain.

 

Hexennacht does a similar thing as some other BPALs on my skin, it turns into a sort of almost marzipan-like murky, musty bitterness. I might detect some coniferous wood as well, but what is worse I also detect the sour smell of a compost pile. As it dries it gets a little sweeter, drier and woodier and over a couple of hours the rotten compost scent morphs into a herbal/chemical bitterness I recognize from Djinn - I guess it's the common "fire" note. Well, what more can I say.... Off to swaps!

[anmorata]

Hexennacht:

Wet: What is that.. sassafrass?

Drydown: .. powder. Meh.

Longterm: Not for me. Pure powder.

[malabar]

I agree with people's assessments of a woodsy top note, but on me it was combined with a rich sweetness as well. It was well-balanced with the woodsy, though, not at all cloying. What really impressed me, though, was the drydown: on me, it smells distinctly chocolatey. A campfire with hot chocolate or possibly s'mores at the end. Yummy!

[twistygirl]

Another one of Beth's magical creations that takes notes I would not normally choose to wear and somehow morphs into something altogether different and wonderful.

 

I only get a mere hint of fir, and that's only when I'm trying to find it... mostly, on me I detect the smokiness and some herbal notes, but not GREEN herbal... more a warm, almost toasty herbal. There is an underlying subtle sweetness that I just adore., but the sweetness is earthy, not cloying.

 

This one definitely changes on me from application to dry-down. On first application, I wasn't knocked out - there was something almost medicinal about it. Kinda cough-syrupy. But about ten minutes after application, it became this warm, sweet-yet-woodsy, fantastically sensual smell.

In fact, if I had to sum this up in one word, that's what I'd choose - sensual. Earthy sensuality.

 

I don't find that it's got a lot of throw - it's definitely a lean-into-me scent. Good staying power. It's very sexy without trying to be. Sexy skin - that's it. It smells like sexy skin.

[sophia_helix]

In the bottle:

 

Woodsy, with a hint of earth, and a strong, sour-sweet tang.

 

Wet:

 

Almost all sour-sweet tang. Which means....

 

Drydown:

 

Sigh. Like ozone, lemon, and orris, I've found another note that blasts like a megaphone on me: skin musk.

 

This did have a very long, morphy drydown. The sour-sweet musk was the heavy top note for a long time, with only the tiniest whiff of pine if I got down close. A few hours later I started to get apple, which brought the scent to an even less woodsy place -- and, ironically, made this a sweeter version of Samhain on me, instead of the other way 'round like everyone else!

 

Later the sweetness backed off a bit, and I got something piney and smoky, but sweet, in a way that was definitely reminiscent of camping. In fact, given the overall sweetness this was pretty much exactly like roasting marshmallows.

 

So, definitely not what I was hoping for in this scent. Maybe I'll see if I can get the murky, woody smoke from Devil's Night instead, and stick with Dublin in the meantime for my pine fix.

[herongale]

preconceived notion: bonfires and witchy cavorting suggests to me something rather wanton. My impulse is to love this muchly, scent unsmelled.

 

in the bottle: dark maple syrupy colour. What I get out of this is a fairly deep evergreen scent which has a delightful touch of foreignness to it. I could easily imagine this scent fitting the Scwartzwald (Black Forest) region of Germany. There is also an undeniable smokey fragrance, however it is more akin to what a cigar puts out than what you get from a wood fire. This is for a still, starry night in early fall when the trees are still green (like right now) and when the outdoors sounds have been muted... the loud crickets and frogs of summer are replaced with something more lulling, but they are still there.

 

wet: This is the first "gender neutral" scent I've tried that did not scream "boy" at me, and for this I'm grateful. The green scent here is so different from that of Val Sans Retour... that smells like fresh growing pine, whereas this smells warmer, richer...it almost has a honey note to it. Treesap. Also, the spice of incense comes out, but this is a smokey, adulterated incense that is both complex and more beautiful than what I would expect.

 

drydown: God, this is gorgeous. In fact, it almost perfectly reminds me of Halloween trick-or-treat nights. It also reminds me of when I used to live in Detroit, and had my apartment in the sky, and would watch the fires of Devil's Night from my God's Eye view 19 floors up, distant enough to find them beautiful instead of frightening.

 

Verdict: I WANT MORE. DAMMIT.

 

post-conceived notion: spring and fall are my favourite seasons, and this scent kind of mixes up the best of both of them in one sexy, impressive night. Amazing. This scent is pure Herongale love.

[Eros]

I went back and forth on this one...do I try to snag an imp...pass...no wait, maybe....The mentions of patchouli(icky on me) made me apprehensive, while at the same time, the beautiful description(Beth, stop it already!), and so many of the reviews, tempted me sorely.

 

I gave in...OMG, this is beautiful!!! Smoky, spicy woods and incense. Dark & lush, dry but somehow juicy, if that makes any sense. There's a touch of sweetness, like burning mesquite almost. Definitely lives up to it's description in every way & does so most beautifully.

[puck_nc]

This was an impulse purchase, after hearing from a couple of people that it was a great autumn room scent.

 

Origin: Bought a 5ml off LJ

 

In the Bottle: Very woodsy and smoky with incense. Deep green and mysterious.

 

Wet: Very green and evergreen. I get some herbs coming to the surface and whiffs of incense. Amazingly, the incense isn't taking over.

 

Drydown: Hmm...the fir is gone, leaving smoky herbs in its wake.

 

Verdict: I'm torn a bit. It's not quite evergreen enough for me as a room scent and it definitely doesn't thrill me on my skin. Maybe I'll decant it out and keep one imp.

[Little Bird]

Sometimes I try things on with the expectation that they're not going to work on me at all. Sometimes I am pleasantly surprised because of that. I like all of the notes listed in the description, but generally anything that mentions something like 'bonfire smoke' smells disgusting on me.

 

First on, woods and something oddly sweet and almost fruity. Then the fir and herbs start to come out and I am in love. It smells like a glorious blend of pine saps and resins on me. There is a slight smokiness to it, but it's not ashen or woodsmoke like I expected. It is more like incense smoke.

 

This reminds me of a pine forest on a balmy summer night after a good rain. Laying on the forest floor and gazing up at the stars. Hexennacht is hauntingly romantic to me. I'm definitely going to be keeping my decant of this one and trying to pick up some more when I run out.

[Loligo]

Huh -- I could have sworn I reviewed this back when I got it early this summer.... oh well, I came back to change my review, anyway! I was underwhelmed the first time I tried this; it was a mild smoky/woodsy/sweetish blend. But either it has aged extremely well, or my nose was off that day. This is the first time I've worn it since then, and HELLO, it is wonderful! I feel about this the way that everybody does about Samhain (which I haven't had the chance to try yet): it is the essence of midnight woodland revelry, primal and sexy. (Though I will say, the smoky note is much less prominent now.) Must have more!

[SeaMonkey]

This went on smelling like Dr. pepper lip gloss.......

 

 

and then it went away 5 minutes later.

 

Poo. I was hoping it would last longer

[cantabile]

Gift imp~

 

In bottle: McDonald's barbecue sauce. I kid you not. My nose must be really messed up.

 

Just applied: OOH. I smell like a lush, green forest, with a hint of fruit.

 

Drying down: This is really yummy, and a little smoky now. It smells like a weird cross between spring and fall, if that makes any sense.

 

Dry: I think I smell the "skin" note listed. This scent is gorgeously evocative, and kind of makes me want to go running around naked in the woods under a starlit sky. It has incredible throw and staying power on me, too.

 

Verdict: Now here's where I'm torn. On the one hand, this is an amazing scent that works really well on my skin. On the other, I'm just not sure when I would wear it; I don't know that it's really my "type" for perfume, though that seems like a strange justification. I'm keeping the imp, though, because I can't bear to part with it. I think I'll end up giving in and wearing it, if only at night to sleep, but if nothing else, I'll figure out ways to use it to scent my room.

Edited November 16, 2005 by cantabile

[Thursdae]

At first, Hexennacht smelled like a dream. A dream of walking in the forest at dusk, as dampness rises from the pine duff, and somewhere far away a fire crackles and beckons you to come closer and stay warm. Less powerful in the evergreen-needles component than Black Forest, with a sweet core of feminine perfume.

 

But within five minutes, the perfumy smell overwhelmed the intriguing, natural smells, and I realized that I had put far too much on. "Too much perfume" is a state that alarms me. My head can't take it and threatens to explode unless I wash it off.

 

I'll try Hexennacht again sometime, with care. No more than half a drop. Actually, I think I'll do a wrist-by-wrist comparison with Black Forest, which I immediately loved. I probably don't need both.

[malanna]

This starts out all pine and fir and smoke. After an hour, it really smells like Samhain. After several hours, it still smells like Samhain with all the woodsmoke, but with a bit of a green and herbal sort of scent. I'm not so big on the green and herbal scent and since I already have Samhain, if I'm in the mood for smoke and wet leaves, I'll just stick with Samhain.

 

ADDED Feb. 6:

 

Hexennacht smells like Samhain without the foody components, except with a hint of Skadi (i.e. the fir). Hexennacht starts out with the fir and sweet smokiness. It's the smokiness of Samhain, which is a sweet sort of smoky, smoke with patchouli and clove. It gets a bit muskier later, and there's something there that makes it sweet beyond the smoke--something like tangy berries. I actually sort of like the fir, but overall, it's just not my sort of scent.

[AngellicMystique]

This is the scent description exactly, a bonfire in the woods at night. I can smell the skin warmed by fire and dance in the deepest forest.

[harmonyfb]

In the bottle: an almost medicinal smell, a little off-putting.

 

Wet: Nothing. It's like my skin drank it up and didn't even belch afterward.

 

Drydown: Ok, I smell...flowers. The hell? There are no flowers in this!

 

Dry: Now, I smell like pipe tobacco and flowers. No pine, no bonfire smoke, just flowery pipe tobacco. ::looks at oil:: Maybe the person I swapped with accidentally mislabeled a Dia de los Muertos decant?

 

I smell like a tobacconist's shop. Bleah. Might smell good on a man, but definitely not for me.

 

ETA: I notice that some of the reviews mention how strong this scent is - not on me. I can barely smell it when my nose is right up next to my wrist.

 

ETA, Again: An hour later, I can smell the bonfire scent I was desperately craving, but it's completely overwhelmed by flowers. And I wanted so much to like this one.

Edited December 30, 2005 by harmonyfb

[tinyvulture]

woodsy and sweet. there is bonfire smoke, juicy berries and some kind of herbs. the fir was hard to detect at first; i had to slather it on to really notice it. i’m glad i was able to try an imp of it but i’m not sure i would want a whole bottle because it’s a little too fruity for my taste. when i'm looking for a smoky blend, i prefer devil’s night.

[Fefferbella]

This starts off juicy and woodsy... slightly musky. Overall very sexy.

 

However as it fades, something in it turns powdery and sickly sweet... Thankfully it fades quickly.

[LittleGreyKitten]

There is something in Hexennacht that smells rather revolting to me. I'm sorry to say it since I do try to give a fair shake to the less-standard smelling scents (Nuclear Winter, for example, is one of my very favorites) but this one just isn't doing it for me.

 

It smelled the same wet as dry and was quite strong. I did get smokiness in there and something that smelled like sweat sock, very unfortunately. I'm glad to hear this isn't the way it's supposed to smell, but rather something my chemistry did to it. Anyhoo, glad I imped it but it's not for me.

 

There's not even a hint of sweeness in this scent on my skin. I'm not sure I would like it better if there was, though.

 

I'd give it a 2 out of 5, since I can't wear it, unfortunately.

[Sheila]

Musk, musk, and musk--with a side of herbs and forest notes.

 

The musk is strong and sweet, and overwhelms the forest notes on me. (My skin amps musk, though.)

 

I like it, but I wish there was more wind and forest and less musk.