Devil's Night

[emshort]

... This is the scent of autumn night, fires in the distance, with a touch of boozy swoon, playful sugar and thuggish musk.

(2005 version.)

From the bottle, this wafts up as pure, unalleviated sweetness, liquid candy. Wet on the skin, it's sweet and rummy, one of those highly sugared cocktails you know you'll regret horribly in the morning. I was worried about it at this point.

Fortunately, it doesn't stay at this cloying phase for long. Very soon after application, the smokiness begins to emerge, and it begins to suggest the bonfires and long red cloaks, the distant voices talking after nightfall, promised by the bottle and description.

I like it, but it's probably not one that I'll wear very frequently.

[kakiphony]

2006 version

 

This was gift to me ages ago in a SW round, and until today I had only sniffed it and loved it. But I accidentally slipped it into my pocket rather than the imp of Samhainophobia which I meant to grab. (I usually don't apply bpal until mid-morning when my allergy meds have kicked in. First thing in the morning it results in a sneeze-attack.) I decided to try it on my skin rather than go scentless. Here's the results.

 

In the imp: Oddly floral and sweet. It is makes my nose crinkle a bit, which is why I hadn't yet tried it.

 

Wet on skin: Well now, that's better. The floral is gone and I get sweet, sweet, sweet smoke. Rather like caramel when it's really dark, just before it burns. I like this, yes I do.

 

Early dry down (10 minutes): Smoky and sweet on my left wrist (application point), but musky on the right.

 

Late dry down (60 minutes +): True to its usual behavior, the musk amps on me. I smell something like an old man wearing Aqua-Velva, standing in front of a fire chewing caramels. It's not a bad smell, just a bit masculine and...feral...for me.

[scarletgenesis]

I believe this is for Devil's Night 05.

 

 

In the bottle: All gingerbread.

 

Wet on skin, and drydown: this is still a bit sweet, but way smoky now. It's wonderful smoke, like tendrils curling away from all the crackling leaves in a fall bonfire. Oh yes, I'm getting a picture now.

 

I get the sugary, boozy notes as well. Glad the gingerbread isn't there much anymore. And the musk is underneath it all. I think the musk is actually going a bit powdery on me, but everything else is so nice that I can hopefully ignore it.

 

Glad I swapped for this!

Edited February 14, 2008 by scarletgenesis

[Surreal]

(2005 version)

 

In bottle: Mmmm, it's lighter-smelling than I thought it would be but I can definitely smell the sugar with a little liquor behind it.

 

On skin: It's a smoky-sugar now with (I think) musk beneath it. It's creamy, too, with a touch of ginger maybe? I love it, love it, love it. Mmmm, I want more of it....

[alsatia]

Review for the 2005 version:

 

Expectations: I really have no idea. It doesn't sound terribly appealing, but I've been surprised by so many scents in the last 24 hours.

 

In vial: Gingerbread? And a bit of alcohol? I understand the latter, but the former is in the wrong holiday!

 

On skin, wet: Still gingerbread, with some extra sugar, and a bit of leaves.

 

On skin, dry: Mmm, nice. Same as wet, except it's blending together more.

 

After time: After 15 minutes, the smoke started peeking out, but it's very subtle, like the rest of the scent is a candle and it's just been extinguished. After 30 minutes, it's the slightest bit powdery when I sniff hard, but blends fine otherwise.

 

Conclusion: I really like this, but I can imagine it being better. Also, I'm trying to be very picky about what I would actually wear, and this isn't "me". It would be fabulous for use as a room scent in the Halloween through Christmas season though.

[VioletChaos]

(this decant was not marked with a year)

 

in the imp: sweet, boozy musk. normally i like all these things, but this, i'm not so sure about...

 

wet on skin: the booze is amping- it's very cloying, reminds me of cough syrup. uh oh

 

dry down: ok. the cloying bit has faded. *whew*! now the booze and musk seem to be fighting it out.

 

in all: the musky/boozy thing made me think it might turn out to be something similar to Smut, but even though the listed notes are similar, they smell entirely different from each other. Devil's Night is raw, hard edged: like a night playing chicken on your motorcycle, drunk on cheap malt liquor. Smut, on the other hand, is all about being sexy, sultry and full of lust. i guess i'm old fashioned, because i'll take lust over daring any day of the year!

[Luxari]

In the bottle:

 

Sweet, boozy and dark! I can smell the mischief!

 

On my skin:

 

Oh it's sugary and sweet with a naughty edge...I like it, but if it's like most sweet scents, this will go sour. =(

 

 

Dried and cooldown:

 

Oh!! it's sweet, and i can smell that "autumn night" scent- the mild breeze, dry grass and turning leaves. i smell the booze, the musk and fire- this is HEAVENLY!!! I am so glad I got a hold of this one!!

[iiinterstate]

oh GOD this is good!

 

I tossed this in on an order as an afterthought and I am GLAD. When I first applied Devil's Night it smelled almost foody and I got a little worried it would be too sugary for me, but it has stayed on the musky side of things.

 

Definitely an autumn scent, although I know I'll wear it sooner. Sugary spicy musk with a touch of booze (but not too much) and I swear I can smell burning leaves (just a little). Lovely!

[tartchef]

What?! How have I never reviewed this?!

 

I've tried both years, and 2006 is fantastic - cinnamon bark, dry & woody, and an amazing sugared boozey musk The musk is the real star, a high cool musk with just a trace of heat in the very back, like spiced white rum over ice. As it dries down, the musk warms up a bit, and there's just a trace of smoke in with the spices. A fun, rowdy scent, but all in good fun I get more compliments on Devil's Night than just about anything else in my collection - from men, especially. The word "edible" gets used a lot

 

(For the sake of contrast, 2005 is, to my nose, a pale imitation - no booze or smoke, just mild-mannered sugar & a touch of warm, non-descript musk. Very... nice. Not what I want, at all )

[nightbiscuit]

2005 version:

Sugar, ginger and wisps of smokiness grounded by skin musk. It's strange that the description does not mention any spices, because there is almost definitely some ginger or cinnamon in here, and it only gets stronger on me as it dries. Whoo! The smoke and spice are very prominent in the drydown.

[crebbsgirl]

This is wonderful! It's a sugary, boozy, smokey blend. Whatever musk there is in here is absolutely gorgeous. I agree with a previous reviewer that the smoke note doesn't seem to belong to a particular wood. The overall effect is hazy and languorous. I really really like this one.

 

ETA: 9/28/09 The above review was for the 05 version. There seemed to be more sugar in that one than in the 09 version. I have tried the 09 version and this one was MUCH heavier on the smoke notes. The smoke is tempered by the musk and booze later in the drydown, but the sugar doesn't come out nearly as prominently as it did in the 05 version. In fact, I can barely detect any sugar in the 09 version. Very cool autumn evening indeed here.

Edited September 28, 2009 by crebbsgirl

[MisterShrapnel]

Testing the 2006 version.

I think I'm in L OVE. This has to be my favorite autumnal blend so far, it's everything I was looking for. Boozy and very sweet, warmed by a fantastic combination of musk, ginger, spices, and wood smoke. This feels dark and mischievous (or maybe "roguish" is the better word) and even "fiery." This one burns and smokes, bringing to mind crackling dry leaves and the orange glow of a distant bonfire.

I think I may have to wear this, um, everywhere. I hope Beth chooses to bring this one back on a future Halloween update, because I'm going to want lots more when I use this up.

[rayvn1]

This is Devil's Night '05 and as described above,the little devils are very nice ones Sweet, musky, with a bit of autumn leaves and smoke. Good stuff! I'll have to try the '06 version and compare.

[tajana]

I was excited to try this. It sounded great! Woodsmoke, ginger, autumn "night", a bit of sugar? Sign me up! But on me... a tiny dab turned into... a roaring Halloween night barbecue. Greasy breakfast sausages (well, perhaps not sausages, but something about this smells like food to me, and I mean savory food, not cake/candy), transplanted to an autumnal campground, drizzled with maple syrup and a HEFTY dose of caramelized sugar, roasting over the smoky open flame. The woodsmoke note would be beautiful if it wasn't for the fact that it was melding with that disconcerting food smell. A bit of lovely ginger and spice is detectable inside the swirls of caramelized sugar, giving me the impression of lots of candy, and there are crunchy leaves being stepped on near the fire. There's a splash of cheap booze, which completes the rowdy backyard Halloween party imagery I'm getting in my head but doesn't help this smell any prettier. I guess the "thuggish" musk may be going berserk on me? Who knows! I suspect that if I had tried this in a locket I would be all over Devil's Night, but since my skin is hellbent on ruining it I'm hoping to find it a more appreciative home!

[CreamyJade]

This is for the 2005 version.

 

In the bottle: Gingersnaps, sweetness, light smoky musk.

Wet on skin: RAAWW GINGER! Sweetness, without being a heavy "foody" scent.

Dry on skin: Ginger, smoke, boozy sweetness.

Final thoughts: I really wanted to try this one. I usually don't like foodies (though this one hardly qualifies), but the components seemed so delicious that I thought I couldn't resist. The "gingersnaps" aspect of the blend went away after a while, but I'm not sure I'll be willing to wait for that moment, as so many BPAL blends I enjoy smell great right when I apply them. I got a similar feel with Wezwanie/Hold, though both Wezwanie & Devil's Night would be great for layering.

 

ETA: I was so wrong! Now that I've waited a while, the scent of this blend isn't foody at all, it's sweet smoke and dry ginger! Yay! I'll definately keep my bottle!

Edited April 8, 2009 by CreamyJade

[donnatron]

Bottle: A touch of ginger and booze. Also something sort of... flat. Like flat gingerale.

 

Wet: On thge skin this starts to smell like a pared down Saimhain. A lot of smokiness and a sharp, almost acrid smoke scent tempered by some warm booze and sugar. It's like a warmer, more playful Saimhain. This is from 05 and I have bottles of Saimhain 05 and Hexennacht 05 with very similar overlapping characteristics.

 

Dry: This dries down to a warm, slightly juicy sugar scent tempered by fire and musk. Warm and foody, very appropriate for the colder months and a little smoky and mischevous as well. It's not exactly suited to a treatise on its scent but it's warm, enveloping and I can see wearing this on a cold fall night with a big sweater and a mug of tea.

 

Throw: Good.

 

Overall: I love how witchy this smells and how it so perfectly evokes a fall bonfire. There's a nice hint of whimsy and magic to this blend and I am very glad to have it. May have to cellar it until September, however.

[fairnymph]

2005 Version

 

Sniffed: Rich orangeish golden oil. Sweet, boozy, smoky. I definitely get the bonfire and a cognac-ish booze note, along with maybe some tangy beer, the sugar, and even a bit of musk. It does smell autumnal, and actually quite lovely.

 

Wet: Sweeter, almost a little foody, like spice cake? A definite spice note, sigh. Even more booze notes, and I definitely get some hops, as well as a sweeter liquer. Loads of rich, manly, sexy musk. I still get the 'smoke in the air' note, but it's light - really, just like fall air, not like actual smoke.

 

Dry: Spicier, cinnamon and ginger? They're very well behaved and light, much nicer than usual, but alas, I still don't like 'em. And the musk has really amped - it's very strong. Still the lovely smoky air (a masculine vetiver) and sugary booze notes.

 

Summary: Beer, slightly spicy woodsmoke (the spices fade again), sugary liquer and manly, intense musk (much like Buck Moon) - it really is a little thuggish, and it goes sort of coconut-y on me the way that BM does. Masculine! Good throw & longevity.

[Ondine]

Like a couple of other people noted, this smells like Storyville. For me, if I put Devil's Night 2005 on one wrist and Storyville on the other, I don't think I could tell the difference, honestly.

[ravenfeathers]

2006

 

in the bottle boozy sugar and something just a little bit spicy, sort of a gingersnappish breath of spice

wet on skin soooo sweet and lovely! still gingersnappy, which is perplexing me, but dark, devil gingersnappies. also mussssssssk!!

dry on skin oakmoss? okay, we'll go with that. something a little drying and earthy pops up and cuts through the sweetness, giving the musk more room to stretch.

 

i sniffed this at a meet 'n' sniff and discounted it out of hand as "flat cola and musk", but then tossed a bottle in with a recent sale purchase, just for the heck. i'm fairly glad i did, as this is in the same family as many of my most favourite comfort blends, which tend to be dark, a little spicy, a little musky, and very sweet. perfect autumn blend, but i might just break this out at other times, too.

Edited July 6, 2009 by ravenfeathers

[Monster]

2005 Version

 

This is one of my all-time favorite Halloweenie scents. I REALLY hope Beth decides to re-release this in the future.

I also have to say how much I miss the cobalt blue bottles!

 

Devil's Night is the darker, dirtier brother of Samhain. This has more spice, more smoke and doesn't have that honeycomb note I get from Samhain.

It's really hard to pick out individal notes but I know there has to be a lot of mulling spices in this (minus the apple cider). Hmmm smokey gingerbead maybe? This doesn't remind me of Christmas though, it's certainly an autumn scent.

Oh well, I can't really pick out individual notes with this one...I can only compare it to Samhain and profess my undying LOVE for this blend. I love it so so much. I feel like this used to be smokier as well. I'm remembering more smoke but, as it's aged the smoke note has seemed to fade quite a bit.

 

Yadda yadda yadda, I just love this one

 

 

[Dark Alice]

Honestly....this smells like it belongs on a female rapper. When I smell it, I get hints of Chai Tea and something tough. Like MC Lyte from the 80's. I envision myself dressed in leather, with big hoop earrings, tearing it up on the dance floor to a favorite hip/hop tune. I might have to track a bottle of this down.

 

ADDED Sept. 9:

 

This is gorgeous....yet sweet thuggish musk....I am in but its a little too smoky for right now. I am going to age it....as I know it will turn into something glorious after a month or so.

Edited December 1, 2009 by Shollin

[AmandaArcana]

Devil's Night 2009

 

In the bottle:Woha!!!Major stinkage! Not sure what that is but I think it's supposed to be the "boozy swoon". Smells like really cheap beer and feet!

On me: Smells really good! Like burning leavs and autumn spices. I bet this will be awesome on my man! I think this is more a men's fragrance but I still like it. Not much throw on me, got to get right up on my arm to smell it.

 

 

FYI: I left this open to air out a bit and now in the bottle I get more of the sugar and musk. I just got this in the mail so it probably needs to settle a bit.

[pinkstardust420]

Wow. I wanna go to a bonfire after smelling this!

Reminds me a quiet late summer night, with a full moon, chatting with all of my amazing friends, sitting around a bonfire about the good ol' days. Smokey, but slightly sugary after the dry down. Strange, but it works! Great scent, but I dont know if it's one I'd wear regularly!

[greenranger]

2009 version.

 

on me, wet...

 

don'tchangedon'tchangedon'tchangedon'tchange...

 

Ah, well. It was fantastic when it was wet.

 

At first it was a lovely blend of sugar, musk, smoke and booze...drying, the booze drowns the rest.

 

Maybe it will change back? Not likely.

 

Maybe it will change again and the alcohol will step back? Maaaaybe...

 

 

[topazphoenix]

I really hate to say it but the 09 version of Devil's Night spells like a plain white bar of soap with a hint of cinnamon on my skin. sigh.