Snow-Flakes

[absinthetics]

SNOW-FLAKES

Out of the bosom of the Air,
Out of the cloud-folds of her garments shaken,
Over the woodlands brown and bare,
Over the harvest-fields forsaken,
Silent, and soft, and slow
Descends the snow.

Even as our cloudy fancies take
Suddenly shape in some divine expression,
Even as the troubled heart doth make
In the white countenance confession,
The troubled sky reveals
The grief it feels.

This is the poem of the air,
Slowly in silent syllables recorded;
This is the secret of despair,
Long in its cloudy bosom hoarded,
Now whispered and revealed
To wood and field.

The radiance and desolation of winter.

Crystaline, brital, beautiful, unique.

In the bottle: Delicate, the most ephemeral mint. (But with something fruity sweet just lingering on the outskirts of oral perception.)

Wet: The notes are so very very hard to pick out. Their is something Juicy hiding in there, and something sweet. The mint nearly disappears on the skin. It's a perfect winter scent without the pine and even without the mint. The mint disappears to leave just that subtle chill that makes this a gorgeous winter scent. I have to admit it reminds the nose of Snow White. That juicyness is still in there... whatever it is.

Drydown: There is a mysterious sharp note that blooms later, it takes this to neither floral, nor fruity... It is not accosting either. It's just... pretty.

This scent is .. magical. I can barely pick out any note, but the way the smells mix together.... Huzzah. Well done! Trully a piece of art.

[Inanna9]

This is GORGEOUS.

 

Snow-Flakes is what I'd hoped Nuclear Winter would be. It's cold and still and pristine white. This really is such a beautiful, delicate mint; cool, but not sharp, nothing foody about it, and yet it's still somehow a tiny bit sweet. There's a hint of something soft and feminine in here, perhaps an ethereal touch of something floral underneath it all...? I'm also picking up a light fruity note that may be pear.

 

Everything is so well-blended, though, that what I really get is a clear impression of a winter landscape, a soft cloak of snow and minty cold air. It's so pretty. I'm really glad I took a chance on this one.

[sookster]

straight sniff from bottle is sweet and delicate...

an elegant mint, if you will...

 

once applied the mint fades slightly and some bright white florals pop up

here and there....another bold yuletide blend...this is superbly done...

and how utterly perfect for the upcoming winter months...this is sure

to bring a smile on your face...remember when you used to catch snowflakes

on your tongue as a child? this is that memory...beautiful and memorable.

[grifyn_whiffs]

The first sniff from the bottle was a little sharper than I thought it would be very -- very watery. I was sort of disappointed at first. I was expecting a "colder" scent, something frost-like.

 

On my skin, it felt more like what I had in mind -- the way your skin might smell after playing in the snow. But even then, there was a sort of nondescript herbal-ness that I wasn't quite mixing well on my skin. I don't smell any mint, however. I LOVE mint -- it's currently one of my favorite notes.

 

An hour later now, I smell something sweet in there, and for the life of me, I cannot place it! It's very beautiful and I just can't figure out what it might be. It's right on the line between being fruity and being floral. I can now pick up some mint under there as well.

 

I'm not sure how I feel about this one... it's certainly not bad, and the mystery notes are very pale and pretty, very evocative of a white winter night, but it seems softer and less chilly than what I expected.

 

UPDATE: When I applied this later today, I caught a whiff of something that I'm now certain is a floral.. maybe lotus? It's very pretty. It's floral component is almost robust, but this scent is still more subtle and pale than I'd like it to be. No throw on me at all... oh well.

Edited November 4, 2006 by Grifyn

[UltraViolet]

 

In the bottle

Like sweet fresh snow or cold air.

 

On

It's so feminine and light. What bpal can I compare this to? It's not easy...okay, kind of like if Snow White and Anthelion mated an had offspring.

 

30 minutes

Still the same

 

Throw:

No

 

Scent category:

 

SummaryIt's like Sniw White but more powdery. It's got a bit of almond I can smell. It's not quite as foody as Snow White though. Snow Flakes is like a breath of fresh winter air, with a tad of sweetness (not foodiness).

 

Purchase again?

Yes!

 

1-5 rating (5 being best)

5

[sixthsentinel]

Like Absinthetics, I am strongly reminded of Snow White. Upon application there is mint too, but it is quickly subdued by the Snow White scent. It's got that same note that smells like celery to me--crisp, cool, airy. Except there's something pulling this scent down, muting it's vibrancy...a perfumey-type scent. It gives it a dark edge that SW doesn't have. Kind of odd, but if Snow White is the crisp, fresh air after a night's snow, Snow-Flakes is the landscape of The Shining or Misery; breathtakingly beautiful, but with a sense of impending something, something sinister. Hmmm, I dunno; this is the imagery I got from SF. I like it, but I think one bottle will probably do me. Now if only I could get the image of Jack Nicholson's frozen face outta my head

[Little Bird]

Snow-Flakes is a very faint scent on my skin. It starts off smelling like a really watery mint… lightly sweet but nothing wonderful. Then it dries down to a light, soapy something. I wonder if this has some white flowers in it that are going soapy.

 

All that I can really pick out on my skin is that Snow-Flakes smells of watery mint and cheap soap that goes somewhat powdery after a half hour or so. Cold and bland. I wish that this were comparable to Snow White for me, but I can’t see a similarity between the two Actually, I wish that this smelled like Stephen King’s The Shining or Misery to me (I so love sixthsentinel’s review of Snow-Flakes).

 

Snow-Flakes definitely doesn’t work well on me, but at least its light enough to not really become bothersome. It melts away and disappears entirely after about an hour.

[themerrybaker]

I couldn't wait to sniff the Radiance and Desolation of Winter. RADOW smells a lot like violet pastilles, and a little like: vetiver conjuring up a wet wool coat, a stalk of celery, and a tube of lipstick.

 

It brings to mind jingling the contents of one's coat pocket before going out into a cold but beautiful day.

 

And almost exactly six hours later finding part of a forgotten decant of Snow White nestled among the pocket lint. (Maybe this is the Flake part?)

 

(It took a very long time - and maybe some self-hypnosis- before the similarity developed - I think it's best to just appreciate Snow-Flake on her own merits).

Edited November 7, 2006 by themerrybaker

[HennaFairy]

i love this!!

 

to me, this is snow white plus mint. not too strong on the mint, but really nice. so so happy! i don't really smell any florals, and hope i don't... (i'm testing 6 at once here and this is a delicate scent, so i must test it alone sometime!)

 

hmm as time goes on it's less and less like snow white, but so far still really nice! but maybe not quite the true love i thought it to be...

Edited November 6, 2006 by HennaFairy

[finecurvedhips]

in the bottle: watery mint. i don't know what i really expected, since the description listed no notes, but...i dunno. watery mint was a surprise.

 

wet: same. still not too excited over this one.

 

dry: mint totally disappears. i don't get any of the fruity/juicy notes others have found. i get a slightly powdery/soapy fragrance that isn't as bad as one might think. it's a very light scent, though, and i could see this one being the first bpal i would have to reapply throughout the day.

 

verdict: undecided. it's pretty...but not too sure if it's me. it definitely smells better on my skin than it did in the bottle, though i mourn the loss of the mint.

[zenvodunista]

Snow Flake and Snow White are definitely in the same family of scents.

 

In the bottle, I can't really disguish them from one another at all. On, Snow Flake's mint bursts forward and actually does a simultaneous cool/warm thing to my skin for a bit. I'm wearing one on each arm right now, and for me, they are so close as to be pretty much interchangeable. Where Snow White gets deeper and more creamy/coconutty, Snow Flake is cooler/minty.

 

I think that difference will register as huge to some folks noses, and less so to others. For me, it's more a "vibe" than a difference.

 

I think if you are a huge lover of this kind of scent, you'll really dig Snow Flake. And if you are new to BPAL and missed out on Snow White, get yourself a bottle of this. I think it makes a most excellent substitute. It's not exact - nor should it be - but it is most definitely very related. Similar to the way that Snake Oil & Snake Charmer are sisters, so these two. In fact, I bet Snow Flake will be great in summer. That sweet mysterious quality of Snow White, paired with cool mint will do wonders in the terrible heat.

...

 

Dries a bit more...

 

Is that cucumber I smell? Yeah, there's some cucumber in there keeping the mint cool.

 

Good work, lab! Just lovely....

 

ETA: The longer this is on... the more it smells like Blue Moon @.@

 

That's not a bad thing, and in some ways makes sense.

 

I mean, it's Sleeping Snow White and the Light of the Blue Moon kissing her.

 

I'm getting more blown away by the minute here. Really complex. I think this one will morph a LOT with skin chemistry, and I want to read all about it. So y'all go out and get yer bottles and report back here to me

 

Just wonderfully complex. A real BPAL experience. Too chilly for me to wear in winter (I get cold so easily that cool scents make me feel cold) but a keeper nonetheless.

 

n.

Edited November 7, 2006 by zenvodunista

[indicolite]

Am I insane or is this citrus?

 

The mint is cooming out now, lovely and cool, but I still get a hint of citrus that I smelled on opening the bottle - or is my memory playing tricks with associations with the clementine oranges of Christmas past? It also has a hint of something like spice in it.

 

I think I need enough of it to last until the heat of summer, when it will be perfect. I have not tried Snow White, so I do not know how it compares, but Snow Flakes is very lovely indeed.

[Heavenlyrabbit]

This is beautiful to start with.

 

Ineffible, well blended cold, delicate mint. And it's difficult for me to pick anything else out.

 

Then the blend seems to seperate out. I personally do not catch the florals (and my chemistry loves florals in the best way) and something almost citric and then perhaps somsthing astrigent comes along. Perhaps the last note is Zenvodunista's suggestion of Cucumber?

 

Sadly this ends up with a less than stellar dry down on me.

Edited November 8, 2006 by Heavenlyrabbit

[euterpe414]

Wow, I did not know what to expect with this, but it is truly gorgeous. A very pastel, minty fragrance, with a touch of sweetness. it is strange how the sweetness isn't really foody as others have mentioned. Usually snow scents go soapy on me, but this one manages to stay put in the nice phase and leave the soap behind. I also think there is cucumber in this as well, and it really comes out to my nose once it has been dry for over a half hour or so.

 

This scent is not me, per say, since I prefer heavy and musky, etc. buuut I will still order a bottle because it is gorgeous and I definitely would crave something like this every once in a while. And yes, this is perfect for summer, oddly enough!

[cuervosueno]

this is interesting, and I'll have to try it a few more times before I decide what I think of it.

 

It does remind me of Nuclear Winter a bit, though I may favor the stronger mint of the earlier blend.

 

In the bottle, this is a cool blue aquatic (not literally blue, but a soft pastel blue scent). there's also something slightly green in it.

 

On, I get that a bit fainter, along with a nice, soft mint. Very soft, like just a hint of a one of those pastel butter mint candies that has been left in a pocket or something, and you get a hint of the scent. It is cool, and pretty and soft, and I could see it as a summer scent.

 

I don't get any of the usual BPAL slushy notes, though.

 

 

I suspect won't keep this, but I'll wear it a couple more times to see. I've been craving a nice vanilla mint (a la Snowblind) and this isn't it....But it may grow on me. We'll see.

 

 

Final verdict: Nuclear Winter Lite. Off it goes.

Edited November 16, 2006 by cuervosueno

[Monster]

First whiff out of the bottle this smells exactly like Snow White. I smell soft, sweet winter flowers and a breath of something powdery.

 

When I put this on my skin this completely changes and doesn't remind me of Snow White anymore. It's powdery and fresh with an aquatic mint note.

As it dries the delicate powdery smell comes out even more. I would categorize this as floral/aquatic...and yet it smells really lovely on me.

 

On the final dry down it does something mysterious, it morphs back to Snow White!

 

A really unusual and pretty blend. Definitely a keeper

[shelldoo]

in the bottle this is definitely a relative of snowwhite

 

wet: there is something snow whiteish and yet minty goodness gives snow white a kick in the pants...

 

this one stays pretty true to the in the bottle/wet scent. it is snow white and lick it combined. lovely, and innocent, sweet, fresh....love it

[forspecial_plate]

Snow-Flakes starts off as a soft, 'white', pretty floral, reminding me of violets, but not powdery like violets usually are on me. As time goes by the scent changes...it still smells floral, but it starts reminding me of Dirty. So maybe the two scents share a common floral note, or maybe not. But I did keep thinking of Dirty when I smelled it. Snow-Flakes, for such a soft and pretty scent, has strong throw and lasts a long time. I can't remember if I smelled mint, but the overall impression is clean, soft, and cold, like softly falling heavy snow. It's pretty, but sadly just not something that agrees with me. I will most likely give it to my sister or swap it.

[sarada]

Every time I get a nice minty scent I love it, swear I'll wear it and then decide within a month that it smells like toothpaste, and swap it. I can't help it, I dribble toothpaste on myself all the time anyway so I try to avoid smelling like it.

 

Okay, well Snow-Flakes definitely smells minty, but oooh there's that crisp Snow White frost beneath it. Snow White, to me, is a sweet, crisp, slightly green lily musk. This is that, plus a tiny bit of a chilled vanilla sweetness and a very bright green mint.

 

I swapped Tulzscha, Nuclear Winter and probably something else, all because the mint smelled too much like toothpaste on me. I'd really like to keep one! The smooth crisp lily-white sweetness might be enough to convince me.

[LittleGreyKitten]

Wow. I love this scent. I am a huge fan of Beth's snowy blends, and was thrilled to see so many this year, and so many without pine! I was head over heels with Snow-Flakes because it has no pine (which I was pretty sure it would have) and MINT!! Sparkling, gorgeous, soft minty loveliness. This is so very much like a wee bottle of winter. I liked Nuclear Winter, but this blows it out of the water. It also has an edge of Snow White. Miss White turned to play-do on my skin, so I am thrilled to have a bit of her loveliness that I can actually wear. This is just purely perfect. I will definitely be hoarding. It's delicate and requires slathering (like Snow White did) and has not much throw. I don't care, it's worth reapplying.

 

5 out of 5, the perfect BPAL winter blend.

[Pachelbel]

I couldn't resist a scent named 'Snow Flakes'.

 

In the bottle, it smells...just like Snow White o_o Exactly like it, to me. I liked Snow White but not enough for a bottle so that was sort of surprising.

 

Wet...still Snow White. People are saying mint but I'm not--OH. Oh, THERE'S the mint. It's not like the sort of mint you expect when you smell toothpaste or gum, though--it's subtle enough that it lends a sort of chill to the Snow White floral-apple scent, and it takes a moment for you to realize it's not just cold air, it's mint!

 

And then there's something sweeter, very pretty and delicate, that I just get wafts of from the throw. Ok, yes. I'm very, very glad I bought this. I hope it lasts as long as Snow White did, because I'm wearing it to work.

[Alchemy21599]

In the vial: delicate floral with a wisp of sweet mint and a slight aquatic tang.

 

Wet: this scent is reminding me more and more of Snow White.

 

Dry: I am one of the people who cannot wear Snow White because I get the plastic scent, as I do with this. Off to swaps.

[jesvet]

In the vial, it was definitely reminiscent of Snow White. Snow White plus mint.

 

Wet, the mint evaporated pretty quickly and the coconutty-smell of Snow White emerged, but softer and less LOUDCOCONUT. Maybe a touch of vanilla under it? Hard to tell.

 

The drydown has a surprising amount of throw and staying power for such a soft scent. Like others have said, it's cool yet comforting at the same time.

[Merlu]

In the bottle: Snow White, but a little softer.

 

Wet, on skin: Within seconds of trying on Snow White, it became so strong it was unbearable, and something turned to plastic on my skin. No plastic in sight with Snow-Flakes, and it is definitely softer, more tame. It has a cold minty note that's not in Snow White. And it doesn't make my eyes water. Perfect! I just hope it stays that way.

 

Dry: Oh, it's a very pretty blend! (insert a delighted purr here) Snow White without everything that made me dislike it! And better. The mint has disappeared, which is a good thing, but the cold bite is still there. It's cold, yet sweet and comforting. Like being outside in the winter, with a warm coat, mittens and a soft scarf, with the wind tickling your cheeks and big, fluffy snowflakes swirling lazily around you. You know, one of those days when you're just happy for no reason (or maybe it's just me!)

 

It's the first "cold, snowy winter" blend that works on me, it's a total surprise. I really love this.

[laochodia]

On me, this is the same pure snow note from Snow White and the crystalline mint from Nuclear Winter, with a bit of vanilla and a hint of citrus thrown in. Delicious and soft and long lasting and amazing.