Haloes

[alicia_stardust]

Oak, tonka, vanilla, white sandalwood, lily of the valley, white ginger, amber, and apricot.

Haloes is a gorgeous vanilla and tonka fragrance. In this blend the vanilla is highly comforting and the tonka adds more depth and richness. It's like wrapping myself in my favorite blanket.

The sandalwood is the next thing I notice. Beyond that and the vanilla-tonka, I get a sweet and spicy kick that is more of a general accent than any one note. I expected the apricot to really amp on my skin, but it remained a subtle background note.

Overall this is a white and golden glowing scent that is immensely comforting.

[Northernskygal]

In the imp... Yikes! It smells like.. a tree based.. soap.. I am not going to lie.. I thought this would smell wonderful right off the bat, based on other reviews ... I know I sometimes have a hard time with wood notes, but it didn't seem like the oak was super powerful on anyone else. It smells.. weird. A couple of minutes later though it starts to chill out and some of the other notes can be detected. I get primarily sandalwood, lily and ginger (I think the white variations of both the sandalwood and the ginger makes this a really.. unexpected scent.) The tonka and vanilla try to make their presence known, though sadly neither of them truly come through. This does smell white.. though it almost reminds me of a clinical sterile white.. not a warm glow white. I blame the oak and the sandalwood, as I do crazy things with woody notes..

[Bagfish]

The vanilla and tonka turn Haloes into an almost caramel-toffee scent on me, so much so, that unfortunately it turns to plastic which is very sad. I do smell the oak behind the caramel, but not the rest of the notes. So sadly, Haloes is not for me.

[astarinel]

Oh, I was so hopeful about this given the other reviews! I am one of those people who love love loves vanilla -- Dorian and Antique Lace are near the top of my GC Top Ten. I'm not saying Haloes went bad on me, because it didn't... it just didn't go particularly good.

 

In the imp I can get a little of the vanilla, but on the whole it just smells slightly sweet and well-blended. I don't really get any specific notes.

 

On, it starts off very gentle and light, with continued smoothness. I want it to smell like... more, I guess. It's somewhat of a golden scent, which is usually right up my alley, and it's a bit sweet. On the downside, I think I'm getting a touch of soapiness from the lily which is one of my personal chemistry woes.

 

Unfortunately, I can't see myself even keeping the imp of this one.

[zankoku_zen]

Very excited about the descriptions of the scent and the reviews.

 

And yes, at the beginning it was this light golden slightly sweet scent of vanilla and woods.

 

And then the amber turned to powder.

 

I smell like vanilla dusting powder. Which is pretty, but none of the glorious light of a scent that had started on my skin.

 

*sigh*

[SarahScent44]

In imp, Haloes is a very rich, warm scent - it's very sophisticated . I can't pick up any individual notes.

 

On my skin, I get a hint of apricot over woodsy vanilla - it's really nice.

 

When it dries, what could be a really traditionally resiny-woodsy-vanilla "Oriental" scent is really brought to another level by the hint of apricot and ginger. It's a very grown-up scent, worn by a sophisticated woman who has nothing to prove.

[djnevermore]

I'm not quite sure why I went for this one. I guess I was hoping the vanilla would be the main note and the apricot would be true and yummy.

 

Neither is the case and I'm having a heck of a time smelling anything but old scented bar soap.

 

In fact, a few minutes later, I'm having a heck of a time smelling anything at all, which has actually been the case for me with all the other retail-only salons I've tried.

Edited December 24, 2007 by djnevermore

[filigree_shadow]

This scent is straight tonka and vanilla on me. And probably a little bit of sandalwood and amber because it's "perfumey" underneath. I don't smell any apricot. No ginger, either.

 

Happily, vanilla and sandalwood combinations are some of my very favorite scents, and this one is lovely. Very, very pretty. It seems there's a bit too much vanilla in it at the very beginning, but after it warms up that's not a problem. It smells innocent and happy and feminine.

 

Onto the bottle wishlist for sure.

[blu°]

I'm reviewing this thanks to the wonderful Inanna9 who gifted me with an almost empty bottle that had just enough left to test wear it twice or probably three times. Big love!!!

 

From the bottle and freshly applied I can certainly detect the Lily of the Valley which is one of my notes of doom. It usually makes anything smell like a hotel's guest soap on me.

 

In here, though, it quickly recedes into the background making place for a wonderful velvety soft and warm vanilla-tonka-oak-amber that feels indeed like others already mentioned glowing and a bit golden.

 

The brighter notes of the lily of the valley, apricot and ginger (apricot and ginger never really showed up on me at all) seem to mingle and wave faintly in and out only to leave a sparkly dusting (This has also already been described by somebody much more fluent in the English language than me. ).

 

So, nevermind my lack of words, this is a fantastic blend. It does bear some similarity with Black Lace's vanilla spun cotton note, but is much brighter, and a tad more classically feminine.

 

A snuggly scent, perfect for lazing around at home, cuddling on the couch, or just wrapping yourself in an additional warm blanket when going out on a cold winterday.

 

[wolfwynd]

I don't normally like sweet or vanilla based scents but this one is quite tolerable. It's sweet without it being overly sweet but I'm not sure I would wear it every single day. It's almost peaceful.

 

But the vanilla amps up after a while leaving it a little too sickly for me. Swap pile I think.

[slave1]

HALOES

 

In Bottle: Vanilla and woods

 

On Skin: This is so light and pretty! Like a very faint and innocent Monster Bait Underpants or a close cousin to Antique Lace. Very white in feel and so clean and soft. The sandalwood is right out of Underpants and the vanilla is the same as Antique Lace… creamy melted ice cream. The ginger offers just the slightest spice to keep this scent from being plain, and the amber gives it a nice powdery feel. The apricot is very, very subtle, just a sweet golden background and not really fruity and the lily offers a very faint floral that makes the scent a tad more on the feminine side. I really like this scent but am sad it is so light, it starts to fade super quick on me. The scent fits it’s title well, a golden glowing innocence. I would love to have a bottle of this for sure. If you are a fan of Underpants or Antique Lace, put this on your must have list. Light throw and short wearlength.

Edited January 10, 2008 by slave1

[Salsa Shark]

This is mostly a soft, creamy fruity vanilla, and on my skin smells much like The Perilous Parlour, just with a softer, cleaner edge from the lily of the valley (which usual amps up to cheap sopa on my skin, but here is wonderfully behaved) and a bit of bite from the ginger. The woods never really make an appearence on me though.

[Mamacat]

Haloes is fantastic on my body chemistry. I smell a similarity to Antique Lace, as well but Haloes is creamier on me. I get mostly a sweet vanilla and a hint of sandalwood. I imagine the fruits and tonka are adding dimension to the vanilla. I love it!

 

I'm glad I took a chance and just got a whole bottle.

[gwynethr]

I wish so much I had smelled the vanilla and tonka so many others had. Instead, the lily of the valley and amber kicked it into old lady drugstore perfume for me. I was so disappointed. I'm having a lot of trouble with the other notes in vanilla scents, I realize now. They are almost always overtaken by other notes on me, and the vanilla is what I want to smell most.

[ravenfeathers]

in the bottle sort of a sharp, dry sandalwood

wet on skin this is initially kind of icky on me. the amber, lily of the valley, and sandalwood are duking it out like there's only room in this town for one of them. as it dries, sandalwood wins, but the lily sticks around to sulk and, occasionally shout. normally, lily of the valley is a note i like a lot, but it really continues to clash with some of the other notes for me.

dry on skin the lily of the valley mostly slinks away, leaving a warm, golden, sweet, fluid and very, very dry scent of sandalwood, vanilla, and ginger (in that order) that has a light, airy quality, rather than a spicy incensey smell. the apricot, i think, a high, golden note, is keeping it floating. this is essential, because it's tending toward slightly too sour and a bit too dry and stark otherwise. it has a very definite woody smell, like a varnished chest full of old resins and dried fruit with some dusty flower petals.

 

this bottle was a gamble for me, as i'm not a huge fan of most of the notes. i had to try to figure out in my head whether the apricot, lily of the valley, and vanilla would make up for the amber and oak. i actually found the drydown quite appealing, though well out of my normal scent comfort range. i need to test this one more and maybe let it settle and age for a bit before i decide how i feel about it.

 

eta

well, i've tested haloes a few more times and here are my thoughts:

• my mother says it smells like a bakery on me, but in a good way
  
• my kids always ask if i'm wearing midway when i wear this, i guess because of the bakery phenomenon
  
• i tend to sweeten everything put on my skin, which isn't necessarily a good thing with haloes; i sort of crave the oak
  
• it's incredibly soft, sweet, and girly; i actually think it's beautiful, but i always feel like it's just not me when i'm wearing it. i am a scent imposter!
  

Edited February 5, 2008 by ravenfeathers

[gwynhwyfar]

I'm developing a ritual ... go to Shell's shop, test a couple retail-Salons, decide that I need one immediately, come home with it. Mad Kate was the first and this is the second.

 

Initially, I was put off by the oak ... woody scents are hit-or-miss on my skin. But the lure of testing it got to me and so I put it on my skin and then sat on the carpet to play with a cat and let it sit for awhile. Periodically, I stuck my note on my arm and found myself in bliss as the amber, vanilla, and ginger warmed up. This scent gets richer and sweeter the longer it's on my skin. Although I'm heartbroken by the fact that the lily doesn't stick around, I can live with it because what does hang out with me is so gorgeous.

 

This is a perfect scent for a cold winter day ... sweet and comfortable and comforting and warm. Deliciousness.

[eoifemacbeth]

This is like...

 

...this is like if Underpants went on vacation in Hawaii.

 

It's got all that gorgeous smooth sandalwood vanilla (without the odd saffron note, which I always thought was a little funky anyway) but with a pinch of apricot, a dash of lily and a smattering of ginger.

 

It's really just incredible. An instant BPAL classic---you have to smell it to believe it.

[Nadirah]

This is a very soft blend. There is Vanilla and Woods Immediately on my skin and this is a very lovely stage. The staying power is good. It reminds me a bit of Antique Lace, or an older womans scent. At least very sophisticated. There is that little bit of fruit in there but not so much that this becomes foody or fruity, I think the base note of Vanilla stays pretty strong the whole way through with the sandalwood giving it a smoky quality.

[heartlilly]

Beautiful.

 

This is creamy, sweet and almost musky. It is very rich and just incredible. A gorgeous woodsy vanilla. It vaguely reminds me of Vanilla musk, which I love and wore for many years before discovering bpal, but much better. This is the scent that I have been searching for since finding bpal last year.

[edenssixthday]

Haloes - This is all vanilla, tonka, and amber on me. I don't detect the florals, fruits, spices, or woods. It's very similar to Perilous Parlor and those who loved that blend will probably find this one a great substitute. It's uber-sweet on me and I wish the oak was showing up stronger in order to temper the sweetness of this blend, which is quite overwhelming for me. Even the amber in this for once isn't going to save it for me - the vanilla and tonka (and whoa, what's that? Sweet apricot jam!?!?) is just too cloying on me. I think those who love vanilla and non-bakery foody blends should definitely check this one out. Overwhelmingly strong throw and staying power.

[maribouquet]

Oh noooo, it's just as I feared! The lily kills this for me.

Edited February 19, 2008 by maribouquet

[mhickle]

When I smelled this last night at ECWC, I had no idea what notes I was dealing with, only that I thought it was yummmmmy. I tried it, nodded, and bought a bottle. Wearing it today, I'm able to give more of a review. Last night, had someone asked what I thought, I would have just made grabby hands at the bottle.

 

This morning, in a more thoughtful state, I sniffed before putting it on. Very sweet, a little bit of fruit, definitely vanilla. Wet, it stays sweet for a while, but then gets woody and soft as it dries. The vanilla is still there, and so is a bit of the fruit, but it all comes together in this warm, comforting blend with just a touch of spice. Love love love.

[Lyrical]

In vial: light, sweet, woody vanilla floral.

 

Wet on skin: golden, woody vanilla with a hint of spice.

 

Dry on skin: good throw. Sweet, creamy vanilla, grounded by oak. Unfortunately, after a while a somewhat cloying note emerges - perhaps it's the apricot in combination with the woods and lily of the valley? This one left a very itchy patch on my arm - probably from the ginger.

[PurringPulsar]

Haloes

 

In the imp: oh my…this is gorgeous. Sweet creamy glowing vanilla with something else, maybe amber.

Wet on skin: now I can smell hints of lily, tonka, woods and maybe apricot, a little bit of ginger.

Dry: a little greener, a little more floral, but still gorgeous. I smell more of the oak now, as well as the lily (please don’t go soapy on me) but surrounding this green, springy scent is a smooth sweetness that just glows. It’s a wonderful merging of vanilla, amber and tonka with sandalwood which is seamless, nothing stands out, and it’s very sophisticated. The tonka makes this very grown up and classy in scent. There’s something to this which is along similar lines to Fairy Market (but with different notes), this mix of ethereal sweetness with a green touch.

After a while: ok, now I adore, and I mean ADORE the scent that I smell when I smell this from a distance. It’s a halo (naturally) of sweet gorgeousness-a mix of vanilla, amber and tonka so smooth that you can’t tell them apart. However when I smell my wrist, all I get is dry green oak! Hmm, what’s up with that?

However, that oaky stage does die down after about five minutes and now when I smell my wrist I get that magnificent vanilla sweetness there too. Oh yes, this is love! The oak adds a hint of dry greenness but underneath it is that warm, slightly creamy, and rich vanilla-amber-tonka. Something about this now reminds me of Lyonesse, but without the moss and musk. I can’t stop sniffing this!

This gets sweeter, lovelier and more tonka-scented over time. It’s just a divine mix of vanilla and tonka given a golden sheen by the amber and with a dry oak backing and a hint of floral. It smells so well blended. It definitely has a classic perfume feel to it too, and that’s a compliment.

Verdict: this is a new favourite. One of the most beautiful BPAL scents of the vanilla-amber theme. Sweet but not cloying, floral but not soapy, luminous with amber, warm vanilla and deep tonka with woods and flowers and apricot adding more complexity. At first I fear that the oak will ruin this for me but then that note fades a little and then the scent becomes a really seamless blend of the amber, vanilla and tonka. This scent, as the name implies, glows off the skin, and has incredible throw, it’s like I’m radiating a beautiful sweet aura of fragrance when I wear this. This smells almost like something expensive and masterfully crafted that would normally cost the earth, it is so well blended and so well balanced. It feels luxurious. It’s also very different to other BPALs with amber, vanilla and tonka, this is unique. I don’t think a half-decant of this scent will be enough, I need more!

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Yes-I want a bottle of this asap!

If you like this, try: Glowing Vulva, Mouse’s Long Sad Tale, Fairy Market, Tamora, Lyonesse

Edited March 11, 2008 by yeahbutnobut

[Little Bird]

I'm jealous of everyone that this works well on. I was really hopeful that Haloes would be a more complex Tamora-esque fragrance on my skin, but the notes in this go too powdery and plasticy on my skin. I've held on to my decant for a while and keep re-testing it, but it doesn't seem to be aging into anything better (Tamora only smells good on me when I've let it sit for a couple weeks). I love and adore apricot, but I don't really pick out any apricot or fruitiness from this blend. Lily of the valley usually works on me, and I tend to like ginger, tonka, and vanilla...

 

But this goes on as plasticy vanilla (well, my boy says it smells like plastic to him, it just doesn't smell like a great vanilla to my nose), powdery sandalwood, and a dank, rotting leaves sort of smell that I often get from oak notes. In the drydown, the powdery sandalwood and amber make this very dry and unbearably powdery on my skin. It smells like baby powder, a hint of rotting woods, and a hint of not-sweet-enough vanilla.

 

I wish that I would amp up the fruitiness and that this blend were sweeter on my skin it's okay though, because Tamora is still gorgeous and reminiscent of what I had hoped Haloes could be for me.