Midwinter's Eve

[Penance]

A melancholy, deep scent, poignant and brimming with nostalgia. The perfume of sugared plums over a breeze of winter flowers.

First sniff:

I couldn't figure out what this reminded me of apart from saying it was sweet and fruity and almost cloying, so I asked my fiance and he said, "Smells like fruit punch." Well, to quote Mugatu in Zoolander, "He's absolutely right, you know!"

Who would have seen that one coming? I was expecting something more plummy with a sugary sweetness overlying it, but it's pure fruit punch to my nose...very odd.

Wet on skin:

Very sweet and almost artificial smelling in a way that reminds me of Hawaiian Punch...I can't escape the fruit punch vibe in this, no matter how hard I try. This is a very lighthearted smell to me and quite innocent smelling, but it's really not me by any stretch of the imagination. I'm glad I got a chance to try this, but I don't see it turning into anything that's going to be up my alley.

Dry down:

It smells almost like sweet jelly now...but with that fruit punch undertone that's been there since the beginning. This is definitely sweet...sugar plums aren't quite what come to mind when I smell it, though. I don't particularly care for super sweet scents, so maybe that's why this one isn't speaking to me.

The bottom line:

This just isn't working for me. I don't care for sweet, fruity scents and this has too much of a fruit punch vibe for me to be able to wear it. I'm going to be swapping this one.

[Northernminx]

Bright red berries in the bottle, this managed to go to a little more plum on me. Juicy, ripe, gorgeous plums. There's a sweetness to this with the sugar, keeping this from being too tart. This is similar to Jester on me for a while but the floral and cool sweetness really come through as this dries down. Gorgeous, totally gorgeous.

[fallow deer]

From last year's reviews, this was the Yule LE I was looking forward to the most. When I opened the bottle for the first time, I was slightly surprised and disappointed since Midwinter's Eve reminded me somewhat of the sharpish berries of Jester, which I find too artificial.

 

Wearing, there is quite a sharp berry scent at first, which is more like a blackcurrant chewy sweet than anything else. It gradually sweetens and starts to smell very bright, but with an almost-sour, almost-alcoholic undertone that gives depth and interest.

 

It lasted all day on me, and became very sugary, almost crystalline but still very juicy.

 

I'm glad the very sharp note wore off, and I'm overall very pleased with this blend.

[Ishtar]

It took me a while to figure out what Midwinter's Eve reminded me of, but it just came back to me: it smells exactly like that factory in the French Alps that makes candied fruits. Every summer we would visit it with my parents and buy candied chestnuts, candied mimosa flowers and rose petal jam. A very festive olfactive memory, of course, so no wonder Midwinter's Eve makes me feel all happy and fluffy

 

I seem to smell orange and blackberry in addition to the plum mentioned in the description, but that could be my imagination.

On me Midwinter's Eve is rather strong without being overpowering. It is a little like the quintessential fruity BPAL oil to me, as it reminds me of several other blends in the catalogue.

It is lovely, bright and joyful. It may not be my absolute favourite Yule limited edition but I will enjoy wearing it and being taken back to my childhood memories

[TheDarkMother]

In the Bottle: Sweet sugary plums and some sort of floral in the background, perhaps a light rose or carnation.

 

On Me: Very much the same as in the bottle, though the plums have a sort of rottening sweetness at first before drying down to a perfect plum scent. I could bathe in this one. Its just gorgeous. This really is "visions of sugarplums" dancing in my head.

[harlequin]

In the bottle this one is wonderful juicy delisciousness that is just swoonerific..

 

I'm not really sure I can say much more than that, though. I put this one on just before I left my parents house on christmas day.. by the time i got to my boyfriend's aunt's house (15-20 minute drive) and hung out for a couple minutes, I couldn't smell it at all. *sniffles*

 

I will definitely be giving this one a few more goes, because I absolutely LOVE the scent of it.. hopefully it'll last longer in future trials. perhaps if i don't go mucking about in the cold a few minutes after putting it on....

[shelldoo]

in the bottle: wow ve4ry sweet and fruity i am not too into the fruity scents but the plum is a beautiful smell

 

wet: wow i really smell the plum and is it maybe rose? a floral faintly sitting in the background.

 

dry this becomes very beautiful, it is very well balanced between the plum and floral and a wee bit of something is it a wine? i as i said am not usually into the fruity stuff i i could wear this one....def will try again and if not it will be a gorgeous room scent

[shriekingviolet]

Initial Impression:

Plums, ripe and rosy!

 

After Wearing It:

Mmmm this is such a gorgeous plum scent. Wet and during the first hour, Midwinter's Eve smells wet and juicy, just bursting with the sweet juiciness of the best plums. I love plums because their scent manages to be bright yet dark at once, and ME really captures that. It's sweet without being too candyish.

 

After a while the plum scent mellows a bit and something that smells oddly like gingerale bubbles up in the background, giving the scent an additional cheerful dimension. It's slightly boosy smelling at the point, making me think of plum wine. It's jubilant and beautiful, very festive in deed though I don't feel that this scent is too terribly seasonal. I've never really associated plums with Christmas, so I could just as easily wear this scent in July as I could in December.

 

Final Thoughts:

Very nice, though I usually like my fruity scents to have something extra added to them to make them darker or earthier so I might experiment with layering this with other oils. This would absolutely smell divine as a room scent too. Can't wait to try it in a burner!

[antimony]

I don't usually do fruity scents, but this is so rich. The only word I can use to describe it is "ripe". It's sweet and wet and sexy - It's definately not a teenage fruit scent at all. I think there's a champagne note in it somewhere that gives it that headyness.

 

On my wrists it lasted at least 6 hours.

[summer]

Mmm, lovely! This is a very ripe, sweet, plummy perfume that fits perfectly with the notion of "visions of sugarplums dancing" in one's head. This smells charmingly sweet, like an old-fashioned boiled candy made with real fruit juice. It makes me feel special without making me feel childlike. One of the first truly fruity perfumes that smells wonderful and not overpowering on me.

 

 

[cuervosueno]

I so wanted to love this.

My birthday is Dec. 21, so of course I thought this was the perfect scent for me, and miraculously, my bpal yule order arrived on my birthday on my way to a lovely spa day in santa fe...so I loaded up the package and hit the road.

and it was the perfect day....snowy and lovely.....and I opened up the pack...sniffed....

Sigh.

I knew it wouldn't work. I agree with Penance...for me it smelled like fruit punch even in the bottle. or jolly ranchers...can't remember who noted that, but I agree.

Still, I gamely put it on.

And? It smelled like overly sweet fruit on me. Berries, definitely. But I like some berryish blends....not this one. Just too sweet, too fruity, and faded fast.

But I wasn't too disappointed....I also had Ice Queen which I'd bought on a whim and adore and hearth and cereberus too in 5 mls. and a lovely intoxicating of imp of centozon totochtin....so it was the best birthday I could ask for anyway!

And I've passed the midwinter's eve on to a more appreciative wearer....

[surf-tormented]

Mmm...in the vial it smells like something from my childhood. It's sweet plum, but sharp. The scent of sparkling grape juice? I am not sure but something is giving me a warm glow of memories.

 

On the skin in reminds me of a sugar plum fairy laced winter wonderland. It's that good. Imagine being out in the snow with a cool breeze, but the wind brings a promise of the Christmas Festival down the way, with cider and warmed fruits. The perfume is icy yet full of joy.

 

It also brings the image to mind of fruits frozen with the first frozen nights of autumn into winter. The stillness that grips the night, when people start to go out less because of the chill.

 

All of this in a decanted imp. Wow. I am trading this one, but because I want others to enjoy it, not that I don't like it. I could use this imp up in a single night and may buy a bottle if it is available next year.

Edited January 3, 2005 by Madame Nyx

[darkling]

In the bottle: It smelled like pure sugar with a slight hint of plum in the background.

 

On my wrist: Briefly, a splash of deep plum appeared but was replaced by the sugary sweetness.

 

After a few minutes: The sugar has a bit of a strange artifical edge that reminded me strongly of the scent of Strawberry Shortcake dolls from the 80s. It wasn't unpleasant but it was not at all what I was looking for or expecting.

 

Midwinter's Eve faded within an hour but maintained its artificial sweetness until the end.

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

Ooo, I like how this one tiptoed up on me on silent ballerina toes. At first it was plums and berries, less "silly" than Jester but similar, and berries aren't my thing--I could definitely see the Jolly Ranger comparison. However, as the sugar note crept out it became more subtle and complex. A bright, clear plum dusted with powdered sugar to make it more holiday-appropriate. Now I feel like a Sugar Plum Faery. I am wearing this to dance class today. :twirl:

 

Edited to add: just used this in my oil burner, and found I like it best as a room scent: it really brightens up an icky cold day without being overtly "Christmasy" like other Yule LEs; it's great for that long bleak January stretch when you don't want to be reminded the holidays are over but need some major cheering.

Edited January 24, 2005 by Laurel_the_Woodfairy

[LupaWulf]

Midwinter's Eve makes me think of being a little kid again and drinking SOME sort of juice thing (I think a Kool-Aide flavor). I'm getting ready to run out to the grocery store and purchase EVERY varity of Red Kool-Aide to figure out which one it smells like so I can make a jug of it and drink it.

 

I LOVE the scent. It's sweet, berryish, frutie... light, but not too light. I really want to drink the bottle. At work I licked my wrist, but alas- no flavor.

 

On to more normal review:

The nice sweet fruit smell stays very true on my skin. Even after drydown and 7ish hours it smells allmost liquid to me. One wrist has a touch more of a spice scent (not sure if prior days have stuck to my watch band on that wrist tho). But my unadulterated right wrist only has that wonderfully vibrent RED smell.

 

Under the fruit juice I detect something similar to one of the Yankee Candle scents (again one of the holiday RED ones). Maybe a hollyberry?

 

I honestly like this one alot. It's a very vibrent scent that stays lively all day long!

[luxuria]

Well hm, I can't believe I haven't reviewed this yet.

 

In the bottle: Sweet sweet sweet but smooth berries. Smells a lot like Bordello except the plums aren't as sugary and it doesn't smell red or lusty. There's something else lurking below, but I can't tell what it is- however, it makes the "melancholy" part of the description more accurate.

 

As it dries the plum stays but the florals peek out from underneath. They make this smell a bit more grown-up. And I swear that something else is still there..

 

This has no lasting power on me so I couldn't observe for much longer. It disappeared entirely in a couple hours.

 

Overall, this lacks as much depth as Bordello has. It smells rather "blue" to me as well. I like this, but I'm not violently in love with it.

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: Jolly Ranchers on a bed of pine. Very strange.

 

Wearing: Smells like Jolly Ranchers! That's about it - juicy, fruity goodness.

 

Final Impressions: I don't see wearing this very often - I find it a bit distracting. The fiance loves it, though...

[omly]

This was a lot more berry than I thought it would be. The plum gives it this drippingly sweet ripe berry quality, which I like a lot. As it wears it gets even better with a little spice and a little less cloying. After the initial drydown the SO likes it a whole lot too. I was very fortunate to get and imp, but now I may have to scrounge around for more.

[Finny]

In the bottle fruity, tart, and sugary. It smells like brandied fruit.

 

Wearing it, I still get the brandied fruit, but it is light and fresh. The plums are ripe and juicy. It has a wonderful sweet white sugar scent to to it that really softens the fruity smell. There is a fresh floral smell hidden underneath. It peaks out just enough to keep this from smelling like a fruity holiday punch bowl.

 

It makes me want to lick my arm and make all kinds of yummy, fruity things to eat and drink.

 

ETA: This is my husbands new favorite BPAL, for himself. He wears it to work (which he hates) so he can sniff it and cheer himself.

Edited April 5, 2005 by Finny

[oatmealneko]

I received this as a decant from a friend.

 

In the bottle, it smelled like a sweet, tangy fruit candy. I've been wearing it for a half hour now, & I don't see any noticeable change... except for that I actually smell like fruits (fruit scents usually die immediately on my skin). At first, it's like a sweet fruity candy. Now, there's a cinnamon element creeping up in the background. I can smell florals, & maybe a wine/alcohol scent also.

 

I haven't eaten yet, & Midwinter's Eve makes me want to munch on my arm. >_<

[etherealchild]

In The Bottle Grape/plum cough syrup?

 

Wet really cough syruppy. kinda artificial ::coughs::

 

Drydown MUCH BETTER. lol. Yummy sugared plums. I wanna lick my arm. It's a very simple scent on me. Sugared plums, nothing else. Purple yumminess.

 

Two Hours Later Aww...... it got more grapey again. Those grape push lollipops..... I forget what they are called..... I wanna taste this one damnit! lol.

 

Verdict Yummy, but not me. I just don't do food smells, and I don't like fruitiness. Not the "aura" I like to surround myself with. lol. Yummy none the less.

[LiberAmoris]

Visions of sugarplums dancing in my head!

 

Midwinter's Eve is the same juicy berry from Jester and Bordello but with a dusting of holiday spices and the tiniest hint of cinnamon. It started out really bubble-gummy, but as it dried it got darker and more plummy.

 

It did not end up being my favorite of the Yule LEs, but I like it enough to keep the bottle for those days when I feel festive and berrylicious.

[lucymoonstar]

I have worn this a couple of times before I reviewed it just to see if the scent might change a bit. Wet I really get a fragrance of sugarplums - very sweet and yummy. After I have applied this to my skin I can still smell the sweet plums with maybe a touch of sweet orange. The dry down for me was a bit disappointing - for some reason - and I have worn this several times - I end up smelling like a cherry "Charms" lollipop. I like smelling sweet like candy but I was hoping that this would have ended up a little more tart and less sweet smelling.

However, it is an amazing winter scent and wearing it gets me through the winter blues!!

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: Ah, plums. I love plums, you know. It is my single most favorite note! This is such a sweet sugared fruit. It's very berry-like and bright.

 

On me: Hints of grapefruit? It's sugary fruity candy, man.

[Moonpuff]

In the bottle: Cough Syrup. This was my first order of BPAL and I almost put it directly into the swap pile. But then, I decided to give it a try on. Thank goodness. I learned a VERY important lesson.

 

On my skin: After a few minutes the cough syrup goes away and a lovely, nostalgic berry flavor emerges. It is sweet and juicy and wonderful. It reminds me of my tinkerbell kiddy 'make up' I wore when I was little.

 

Unfortunately, this one doesn't seem to last long on me, but it's all good.

 

The decision: I'm so keeping this LE. It isn't my favorite, but it makes me happy.

Edited January 31, 2005 by Moonpuff