Beltane 2005-06

[DEMONDAHLIA]

... It doesn’t matter where your faith lies, Beltane is sacred to us simply because we’re human. It is a celebration of new growth, rebirth, of the fertility of our land, our spirits and our bodies, and is a reminder of the joy in simply being alive. Celebrate life! Wind some flowers into your hair, dab a little oil behind each ear, toss the first petals of springtime onto your yard, and bless your garden the old fashioned way!

Spring blooms, green aqnd dewy .. im getting tulips .. its a very clean scent .. a funny observation ... Beltane 06' and Dragon Moon smell exactly the same on me .. from the bottle all the way through dry down ..

[edenssixthday]

Beltane 2006 - What a lovely scent! It’s very soft and subtle, so much so that I rarely choose to wear it since I prefer stronger scents. However, it’s still pretty. It’s very clean and fresh, like a meadow after a rainstorm. I distinctly smell wet, green grass, but it’s not overwhelming and it doesn’t smell like freshly-mown lawn, but rather the scent of a field full of damp wild grasses and maybe a few delicate flowers. It really is pretty, but it’s just so subtle and it doesn’t last very long on my skin, so I never find myself selecting it above any of the other scents I prefer to wear. I will see if perhaps I start to wear it more, otherwise, I’ll probably just keep an imp and pass along the rest of the bottle.

 

 

Beltane 2005 - I liked Beltane '06, but it wasn't really anything to write home about. I figured it would be about the same for the '05 version. In fact, the day I first tried Beltane '05, I had planned to try several BPALs and go on a testing frenzy. However, Beltane '05 was the first one I applied, and I loved it so much that I decided to forget about testing the others and just enjoy the Beltane '05 all day long. It's a bright, happy, springtime scent full of fresh, sweet grass and dandelions. It's captures the feel laying on your back on a green grassy knoll under the blue skies, and making shapes out of the white puffy clouds. You can almost hear happy worm-eating red-breasted robins twittering in this scent, that's just how damn springtimey it is. It's gorgeous and I just traded for a full bottle and I can't wait to get it!

[Voleuse]

2005 Version

On first application, this is a greenish floral, but after a second, I get a strong jasminey floral note. It's pretty and sweet and fresh. It's a little sneeze-inducing, but that just adds to the spring feel of the blend. Everything is blooming and alive, sunshine raining down. I feel happier wearing it.

 

2006 Version

Oh, pretty! But in an entirely different manner than the previous incarnation of Beltane. On first application, I get fruit instead of floral notes, sweet and round. As it dries, I get a bit of pollen-floral at the edges, but the fruit stays predominant on me. I also get a milky note in the background, which is surprising, but works very well. To my nose, this is still spring, but spring in twilight. The clouds are larger, the sun is dimming, but it's still balmy and warm. I like 2006 better than 2005, though both are lovely.

[dierne]

In the bottle - Warm and mossy with narcissi poking up their heads.

 

Wet on skin - Dry floral floral with something grassy that dives up my nose and really gets my attention.

 

Dry on skin - The attention seeker seems to have gotten tired but it's still there along with a wonderful warm mossy floral. Hope this odesn't do anything bad. I really like it so far.

 

Later - The floral is still there lending it's support but the moss has turned to wood. Maybe it grew up? I like this one. It's definitely a keeeper.

[juniperus]

Bottle: fresh spring florals, a jumble of floral and green

Wet: I can't quite pick out the notes, but the florals are heady and lanquid.

Dry: it's hitting a rather frenetic sweet note. but the green is gaining its footing, too. we'll see.

Later: it fades rather quickly to a very sort sweet meadow sort of affect, very subtle, and pretty, and spring.

[strangemusic]

... the smell of new spring life, indeed! Here's what I smell in this bottle, in no particular order: herbs, mints, and growing grasses; fresh, budding florals; wind wafting through trees, bringing the odor of leaf and twig alike; sun-caressed fields of grain; ripe and ripening fruits. My skin brings out the fruits-- berries, pears, plums, peach, apricots all juicy with each other-- the green herbs, and finishes with the grains, a sort of warm, wheat smell. Truly a pick-me-up for blah days.

 

C&P from me LJ, dated 4 July 2006

[sofiaviolet]

A wet floral. It seems chock full of spring flowers and dew. It's almost tropical, but there's a nip to it that lets you know that this morning is just a wee bit chilly.

[supremegoddessofall]

2005 version:

 

Okay, pretty description, but no notes listed, so I'm on my own. *sniff* Mmm! Reminds me a *lot* of my non-BPAL signature scent - an essential oil called Moon Goddess. I have no idea what's in this, but god it smells good! Lightly floral, and it oozes sensuality. I predict I will obtain many bottles of this.

[savage_rose]

In the bottle: Floral, with an herbal undertone.

 

Wet: My grandma's bathroom when I was little. Comet and floral...I'm really amping florals today for some reason. Ewww!

 

Dry: Much better. The florals have calmed way, way down. It smells dewy and springlike, and ever so slightly woodsy. A beautiful, sweet scent.

[steffanina]

Beltane-

 

In Bottle: Very sweet and "Herbal essences"-fruit-like.

 

Wet: A stronger herbal bloom. Grassy.

 

Dry: Fruity again! Yummy! Yes, when I need to smell pleasantly fruity like Herbal Essences but don't necessarily want to wash my hair with it, I will turn to this.

 

Overall: Pleasant!

[Melantha]

I wanted to love this, as Beltane is my favorite sabbat.

 

However, florals and I do NOT get along.... case in point.

[Tess]

('06 version) Originally, I was going to be my normal thorough self when it came to reviewing this scent, but I've come to the conclusion that I CAN'T. When I first sniffed it in the bottle I found it to be a lovely, golden floral with a hint of creamy citrus to it. I was excited to try it out. But when I put it on, it when floral. All floral, no hint of anything else. There wasn't even a floral that I could recognize, no note I could pick out. It was just a floral bouquet with the only distinguishing thing about being the strength. It is STRONG on me.

 

And now I'm sad. Too sad to try and write a review in my normal style. Too sad to try the scent out again. I wanted this to work for me, I really did. But I'm left wanting something different, something that I can relate to my impressions of the holiday.

[hackess]

Hmm. It's sweetly floral, definitely jasmine in this. It's a bright, fresh scent and reminiscent of sunny spring days.

 

It also fades very quickly and disappears from my skin after 10 minutes, so it goes to my sell pile.

[GoldenRubee]

Beltane 2006

 

This is a beautiful scent that is mainly floral with a hint of honey and maybe vanilla. It was strong at first but dried down into a warm, light spicy floral. It is a happy and sunny scent that reminds me of a meadow in the Spring time with butterflies and lots of flowers blooming.

[ariansdreams]

This is probably one of the more "wearable" Sabbat oils that I've tried. Yule and Samhain definitely smell more ceremonial to me.

 

But oh my--Beltane is LOVELY. It is perfectly evocative of everything that is good about late spring: Flowers, food, love, berries, etc.

 

This is an absolutely beautiful mixed floral/fruity scent. Perfect.

 

As an addendum, this is the first scent that I put in my BPTP scent locket...it really is that good on me!

[funkmoppet]

Beltane 06.

 

Wet, this is sweet fruit. Sweet fruit with their sweet-floral friends.

 

It's too sweet. I'm picky when it comes to fruit in blends, and this one really is over into the syrupy area for me.

 

Drying down, that recedes and it almost seems to drift into a warmer sweet-grass blend with a bit of honey and musk underneath - but then this note just invades. I bugs me, and I finally realise it's bubble gum. If there's not lotus in here, there's something that turns awfully lotus-like on me. And lotus is on my hit-list.

 

This lingers around, unfortunately. No herbs. Herbs would have rescued this on me, but the sweet-thing is just too dominant.

 

I wanted to like this. I want to like all the Celtic calendar blends. But Beltane is a disappointment for me.

 

[alicia_stardust]

Beltane is such an amazing floral. I have tried both version of Beltane and both of them seem to have such a smooth, sweet mix of florals that I do not pick out any single flower scent. Instead it is a general mood of springtime, sensuality, frivolity, and joy.

 

I truly love both versions of Beltane. It took me a very long time to decide which one I liked best. In the end I chose the second version because it is slightly less sweet and a bit more dry.

[Browneyes]

Short review: Sweet spring bouquet

 

In depth: (I'm not sure which version this is)

So pretty. Lots of floral, but not overpowering. Some of the floral notes are fresh smelling while other notes are more heady. I can detect freesia in here I think. Blended together with some wet green notes, as well as something almost spicy-woody - this is pure and happy springtime. And I'm not a huge floral person even, but this is really lovely.

[cranberry]

2005

On the skin, this is a fabulous grassy floral. When it was new, I remember it having a lot of jasmine but it’s mellowed a lot since then. It’s wonderfully fresh and green and oh so pretty.

 

We have a late spring here, so rather than spring, this oil makes me think of a bright summer day where the fields are green and the flowers are out. The skies are clear and brilliant, the sun is shining and mountains are all around.

 

This is a glorious scent and I adore how it’s aged, however I gotta say, this scent really makes me want summer again – and that’s not a good thing with snow and winter not even here yet! Maybe I’ll put this away for a while, at least until mid-winter!

[bryghtrose]

Beltane 2006-- Greeny, herbal, happy.

[donnatron]

I've got Beltane 05. Is there a difference? I don't know.

 

Imp: Sharp herbal mixed with bubblegum. Methinks there be lotus here.

 

Wet: Sweet florals overlayed by... bubblegum.

 

Dry: I think there is a jasmine note in this, because I am pulling up sweet jasmine. Still a soft Bazooka Joe bubblegum note, but it's tolerable and even sort of appealing. I don't think this screams "Beltane" to me, but it is a really beautiful, soft, spring-y sort of scent.

 

Throw: Reasonable.

 

Overall: Very pretty, soft and floral. I can already tell that it's cycle-dependent, and it's so jasmine-heavy that I'm glad I can find GC equivalents. A lovely scent, overall.

[fairnymph]

May 2006 version

 

In the bottle: Sharply fresh and green, with white florals. The green is sort of grassy cucumber.

 

Wet: Sweeter, less green and fresh, more floral. Still white (thought not traditionals like jasmine, gardenia, magnolia - not heady whites) but also some wildflower like floral notes. Tulips and/or daffodils? I feel like the sweetness is from flowers (honeysuckle? phlox?), not honey, fruit, or sugar variants. And the sort of fresh-sharp floral is marigold, I think?

 

Dry: There's a coolness here, like a fresh spring breeze - maybe a light mint, or something in the evergreen family. A citrusy scent is emerging, I'm guessing lemongrass? The citrus note and cool note do give this a breezy-aquatic feel. It's becoming a more balanced scent (as opposed to sweetish floral while wet).

 

Summary: Musky spring flowers, blowing in a cool breeze, woods in the distance. What I imagined Oisin would be like but totally wasn't (on me). It's also the bpal scent that, so far, most closely reminds me of my favourite traditional perfume - Ralph Lauren Romance.

[zankoku_zen]

This is a pretty grassy floral, with bubblegum mixed in. Sometimes I get it, sometimes I don't. It's pretty, fresh and breezy.

 

I just want to find the bubblegum that is ruining my yard and chuck it out though.

[puck_nc]

2005 Version

 

Origin: obtained in a swap

 

Initial Thoughts: I remember mentioning at a BPAL Meet & Sniff several years ago that I love floral scents. Someone immediately pressed this into my hand with the insistence that I try it. And I swapped for that bottle because of the glorious spring floral that resulted.

 

In the Bottle: A warm, slightly grassy floral that has this perfect balance between spring chill and summer heat.

 

Wet: I get a burst of wonderful florals that make me think: jasmine, hyacinth, perhaps carnation. That grassy note underneath keeps it smelling like a flower garden rather than a florist.

 

Drydown: The florals tip slightly toward something spicy-sweet. Perhaps there's more carnation than I thought. Perhaps there's a drop of something that amps on me, like musk or incense.

 

Verdict: A wonderful celebration of spring in a bottle.

Edited August 3, 2011 by puck_nc

[elka_knits]

This turns soapy on me And is very herbalicious. I kept thinking of cutting bouquets to fit into a vase... that sharp green smell. Then soap. Then Herbal Essences {or what I imagine herbal essences to smell like} then sharp green then soap then... It has been over 7 hours and my wrists and inside elbows smell yummy... that creamy skin scent I get from all BPAL I wear but my cleavage is all soapy smelling still. 7 hours is way too long for the soap factor to be in effect. Of to the swap boards it goes