Haloes

[jewelbug]

 

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

 

Wow, my first "first review"--I'll try not to choke under the pressure. I loved this scent so much that it was part of my meager 2 bottle purchase at the ecwc. The bottle art is lovely and serene, and it smells fantastic.

 

Bottle: I get a smooth vanilla sandalwood with a hint of something fruity, which I suppose is either the apricot, or the family of fruitier ginger (like HGM?).

 

Wet: The top-note is a very light floral, presumably the lily, but the majority of what I smell is a light and very pure vanilla sandalwood. The whole scent is a bit sparkly, for lack of a better word. As it dries it remains the sweet/smooth vanilla and sandalwood, but I do get hints of those fruitier notes--an almost citrusy ginger with apricot. I have to say that this is very sweet on me--almost a sugared blend. I happen to love that, though!

 

Dry: Interestingly, this smells different on me based on where I apply. On my elbow crook, I get significantly more lily/floral than my wrists, which carry on smelling like a sugared vanilla wood with hints of a clean floral. The fruitiness is much weaker later in the drydown.

 

Overall: On me, this is a pure sweet scent that easily covers all of the bases--sweet and vanillic but not foody, floral but not overwhelming, woodsy without being pencil shavings. Its got the perfect balance, and its just beautiful. With the variation between different spots just on one person, I imagine there will be many different results based on skin chemistry. I happen to prefer what it does on my wrists, but its pretty everywhere. Great throw, and lasts 7+ hrs.

 

I'm thrilled to have a bottle of this!

Edited November 18, 2007 by clover

[GypsyRoseRed]

This is a tough one to describe. Haloes is light sugared vanilla with sandalwood, ginger and hints of fruitiness without being particularly sweet - by that I mean that it's not foody. Overall, it's very smooth and warm and may make my top five of vanilla based scents!

[tartchef]

Oh golly, this is beautiful. In the bottle & wet, I get a lovely apricot & tonka, smooth & juicy & in no way cloying. There's a hint of ginger - I agree that it's a fruity ginger, not the dry ginger of Shub. Thankfully, the lily of the valley is completely absent, as I tend to amp florals like nobody's business.

 

Once Haloes wears for a bit, the throw is amazing - it's not strong, but pervasive. There's this incredible blown-out-candle scent, like someone just snuffed a really expensive apricot candle... it's smooth & waxy & warm, with just a hint of smoke - this must be the sandalwood & oak coming out. Up close, it's now a roasted apricot, with slightly caramelised edges & a vanilla bean floating around in the juices.

 

I don't like fruity scents, or florals, or heavy vanillas... Haloes is none of these, proving that the whole is so much more than the sum of its parts... Bravo, Beth - this is stunning.

[The_Merf]

When I first put this on my skin, I get vanilla and apricot (but, as tartchef said, these are not overly sweet and sugary). Very quickly I can also pick up on the lily of the valley (but I should note that lilies go crazy on my skin, so this might not happen for most people). That is also momentary, however--this moves to a vanilla/tonka/sandalwood. BUT, the floral comes back again (or at least I'm assuming it's a bit of the floral), because the scent then moves to this very creamy vanilla/tonka, with just the slightest hint of woodiness--and then there's a hint of the apricot as well. Obviously, this scent does a lot of changing around, and it's one of those scents where I tend to get a different result each time I sniff my testing spot (obviously). It's kind of cool that this scent doesn't necessarily have the a-->b--c progression that you get from a lot of other blends. It's very interesting and I'm glad I got the chance to try it. It's a very golden scent (matching its coloring in the decant). I think that if you forced me to describe this in a few words I'd go with "golden vanilla apricot", which is really quite close to jewelbug's final summary as well.

[ND¢]

Stunning! Wet, I think 'TKO! TKO!' (??) which quickly moves in the drying to the rich scent that is not foody, but *is* warm with vanilla... is not fruity but *is* light and sweet with apricot, well articulated with ginger and sandalwood without even a hint of sharpness. Amber and tonka are the serene 'roundness'? Whatever it is, it's one of my favorites.

[The_Witching_Hour]

GRR posted a very good review on this and I have to agree with the majority of her impressions!

 

For me, on initial application I sense the same feel as 'the best vanilla' blend to date.

 

To me, this is a more muted vanilla (almost like Door 13) and sandalwood peeking its head to make an appearance.

 

All in all on a drydown period (as this stays true to mid-time of 30 mintes to drydown) if you love Antigue Lace but would like to bypass the sharper portions of the wet stages, this blend is for *you*!!!! After 30 minutes, I feel as if I've applied Antique Lace but with a much smoother hand.

Edited November 9, 2007 by The_Witching_Hour

[Hayet]

This is fantastic! I agree with jewelbug and GRR- they hit it on the head. It's a smooth, light, dancing vanilla-esque scent that is easily my favorite of the new salons. If there's flowers in there I don't really sense them too much- my skin's busy amping the sandalwood and ginger. This is simply a beautiful scent.

[greymatter]

This is 100% in my top 10.

 

Lily - I never knew it was so good on me. It's sweet and fruity without being at all foody or cloying. It's GORGEOUS.

[chrisann]

Thanks to GRR for sharing testable sniffies of the Salon exclusives!!!

 

Haloes is is like surrounding yourself in a cashmere blanket. Very cozy and comforting. A lovely, harmonizing blend of warmth, sweetness, and white flowers. A crowd pleaser for sure and I can see myself wearing this year round!

 

Beautimous!

[sookster]

first sniff from imp this is the same heavenly sandalwood that is in my beloved

underpants....

 

once applied the vanilla and sandalwood are what combine together to create a smooth,

luxurious and swoon-worthy perfume...excellent sillage...another winner with me....

 

a kind of "breathy" or boozey note too...possibly the white ginger and apricot...i

specifically noted with this blend that the ginger and apricot are not "in your face"...

they mingle and whisper softly in the background...

 

amazing

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Warm, sweet vanilla-laced woods with a bit of lilies thrown in for good measure.

 

Immediately on skin: The vanilla and oak are the strongest notes, and they’re blended together very nicely (the tonka is probably in there somewhere as well). The lily of the valley and white ginger are adding a nice perfume-y floral note that is cool and crisp and changes this from just another creamy blend into something more interesting. The amber is lurking, warming up the rest of the notes, and the apricot adds a sweet fruity note. The blend right now is warm, sweet vanilla and oak with a touch of cool florals and light fruitiness.

 

After a few minutes: This scent is absolutely yummy now. It’s not foody, but it has a warm vanilla musk feel over the entire blend. The wood blends in and gives it an earthy feel, and the lily of the valley is still lending that pretty perfume-y note. The vanilla has come out a bit more on the dry-down and is blending nicely with the sandalwood and tonka, and the ginger and apricot have toned down a little.

 

Overall Impressions: This blend is quite unique, complex, and blended wonderfully. It creates something warm, sweet, and earthy with just a little bit of a perfume-like quality to it. It’s not too foody, and it’s just a touch feminine. If you like sweet blends, especially vanilla, try this one. Oh, and it didn’t go plastic-y on me at all like some of the other vanilla blends I’ve tried from the lab.

[abejita]

In the vial, I was a little worried because it seemed bitter and woody. But on my skin it's so warm and rich. I agree with a lot of the other reviewers in that there's food notes to this, but it's not a foody blend at all. I'm surprised that I don't get the apricot, really, since that note usualy amps on me to dizzying heights. It's a golden woody and warm tonka/vanilla scent on me and very evocative of its namesake.

[Alchemy21599]

In the bottle: apricot, slight oakiness and a hint of ginger

 

Wet: ZOMG, the most gorgeous vanilla evah is coming to the foreground. This scent reminds me of Underpants, but, IMHO, it is even better because it is less foody.

 

Dry: The components blend seemlessly to create a really beautiful scent. Although the components are foody, this scent is more of a warm vanilla scent than a gourmand scent. I am thrilled to have a bottle and I certainly be ordering more.

[clover]

This scent is sending me on a trip down memory lane - it's the closest thing to the old single note vanilla bean that I've worn in a long time. I'm not sure which components are doing it, but this scent has the same lush, rich, roundness in it's vanilla that the vanilla bean s.n. had - it's not a feeling I get from vanillas in perfumes very often. This scent is true love - lush, golden vanilla with a tiny bit of drying sandalwood when one inhales very deeply. Really good stuff!

[euterpe414]

The first thought that popped into my head when I tested this was 'pure, simple beauty'. This blend is very very vanilla, sandalwood and lily, with hints of the remaining notes in the background. Although I find the lily to be very prominent in this blend, I would not classify this as a floral perfume. It sort of falls into the class of 'unidentifiably good vanilla blends', like Antique Lace and Black Opal, although smell wise I do not find it to be similar to the other two, its definitely a unique vanilla. It lasts a very long time, and fades away to the sweetest skin scent. I love this one, it's an instant BPAL classic, and I'm glad it is not an LE or super rare... phew!

 

[olympia301]

I am in love. This is one scent I would urge anyone who is interested in BPAL to get and try. Wow. Many thanks to ETDQ for the decant and I will be buying at least one bottle.

 

I think there is a quiet citrus component with this one, and it is done with such deftness that I only get an impression of it. The vanilla is flawless, and there is a clean sort of musky part to it as well. It doesn't scream at you when you put it on, but it seems to become more noticable as time goes on. I keep on thinking "The Mouse's Long and Sad Tale" here but this is really perfect, complex but seemingly simple.

 

If I were to take a trip down memory lane like Clover did, I would have to say that I fell in love with Faberge's Kiku long long long ago (it was the only truly wonderful scent Faberge ever made). Haloes reminds me of Kiku. It isn't the same, but it is somehow similar.

[black_and_bloom]

My budget only allowed for one new Salon bottle, and after three trips to Whole Foods (we love them!) in Roswell for sniff tests, I picked Haloes.

 

I'm not a huge vanilla fan - most of the vanilla blends I've tried were far too sweet for me - but this one is simply gorgeous. It's a creamy golden vanilla that is tempered by the sandalwood, and perfectly accompanied by small hints of fruity apricot and ginger. This scent almost glows, it really does.

 

It stays pretty close to the skin, and the jury is still out on wearlength. I will say that you really cannot go wrong with Haloes - it's darn near perfect. Even the spouse did a "nom nom nom" on my arm, so I think we have a winner!

[fireflower]

In the bottle, this smells kind of funky. I was apprehensive to try it on my skin for fearing it would be a lost cause. But I saw that every note in it is a note I like, looked at all the great reviews, and decided I needed at least one Traveling Exhibition Salon scent, so I gave it a go.

 

On my skin, it's just so... warm and soft. It reminds me of burying my face into my cat's fur. It's hard to explain why.. it just evokes the feeling of something soft and furry. I don't get the note fur, but the feeling of fur. I really can't effectively pull out any notes, except perhaps the vanilla. It's very well-blended and comforting. It was an instant bottle purchase for me.

[blowqueen]

It starts with a bright and floral, must be the ginger and the lilly. Then after a while it dies down and I get this really nice and sugared vanilla. It's really nice.

[maproot]

I heart this,and by the description never would have ordered, but was lucky enough to be sent a decant by a kind forumite:DThank you for enabling!

[lookingglass]

I am sure this is the skin scent that eminated from the girl in the market pitting yellow plums in the book Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, by Suskind:

 

Her sweat smelled as fresh as the sea breeze, the tallow of her hair as sweet as nut oil, her genitals were as fragrant as the bouquet of water lilies, her skin as apricot blossoms...and the harmony of all these components yielded a perfume so rich , so balanced so magical, that every perfume that Grenouille has smelled until now, every edifice of odours that he had so playfully created within himself, seemed at once to be utterly meaningless...it was pure beauty.

(1985, p.43-44)

 

 

 

This IS divine...

 

Upon application the lily and apricot open up like a golden trumpet, dripping with sweetness, and not overly floral; it is almost citrusy, the way they combine. I tend to shy away from scents with dominant top notes, but these are charming, and there is depth to them almost immediately. The drydown is an exquisite skin scent. The woods and tonka are so subtle and in such harmony, they are like a musk. This is the way I love woods...(I usually cannot wear them because they are sharp and "pencil"-y).

 

It does not seem "applied" to my skin. It feels like a glow, like a fresh life, like a soul. It smells... like the top of a clean baby's head...

 

 

I feel like Haloes is the golden sister to Antique Lace (which I see as a dusty light purple scent). They are similar in the way they have an intensity while wet but mellow into a calm creaminess. She's quite Fae-ish in the fleshiness of the scent, but I grew weary of Fae's bright bergamot. She is really what I wanted Tamora to be. There are also many similar characteristics to Lyonesse (but less aquatic/soapy) and Mouse's Long Sad Tale (in it's ambery sweetness and non obtrusive florals); but I love her more...

 

I bought 2 bottles unsniffed (never EVER done that before...thank you, Lisa!) and I am so glad I did.

Edited December 5, 2007 by lookingglass

[Astarte]

A very creamy vanilla, it reminds me most of antique lace (as noted in other reviews), and the drydown feels very clean and peaceful. The sandalwood/vanilla combination is very dreamy, and for some odd reason I'm reminded of Arachne, even though the notes aren't similar at all.

 

Haloes lasts on my skin for a long time, I put it on overnight and I could still smell it in the morning.

[Tulliver]

Oh my, this is wonderful! It morphs VERY little on my skin, staying the same beautiful creamy, warm vanilla it was in the bottle right through to dry down. I can pick up on the ginger, and it makes the vanilla even deeper and more rounded.

 

I don't wear a lot of vanilla blends. Not that I don't like them - I do. But I spent years wearing a lot of vanilla and with BPAL I wanted to try some of the "newer" things that I'd never have considered trying beforehand. I may have to make an exception with this Haloes, though. It's wonderful. It's already top of my BPAL vanilla-based blends, I think, just based on the first try.

 

Edited to add: After 12 hours, this is STILL strong on me. It's not totally surprising since I do amp Vanilla, but it's a spicy vanilla. And it's been on my wrist under a long sleeve and even inside a coat at some stage. This is VERY strong. Although I see that Rhowan didn't have the same experience. Meh.

Edited December 11, 2007 by Tulliver

[Rhowan]

This is a very hard scent to describe for me as I got a totally different reaction than everyone who has written here already.

 

This is how my testing experience happened....

 

First sniff: Oblivion!

Second Sniff: Oblivion and Antique Lace!

Third Sniff: Oblivion, Antique Lace mixed with a slight hint of apricot- OMG!! How beautiful!

Fourth Sniff: POOF!! ALL GONE!! not even a full minute had passed from start to finish! Just skin with a minute trace of apricot - but you really have to get your nose down there and sniff as hard as you can just to get that!

 

I am in love with what Haloes was on the 3rd sniff! Oblivion mixed with Antique Lace with a hint of apricot! It was so lovely! I wonder why it just disappeard like that? It seems like a lot of the newer oils have done that to me in the last few months. It is so weird! I still almost want a bottle of this to see if it would age any stronger... or if my chemistry would once again change.

[agnusdei]

'Haloes' is such a fitting name for this blend, just smelling it feels like I'm inhaling a warm, golden glow. Usually I'm not the best at making associations between scents and imagery or states of mind, but Haloes positively emanates something comforting and ethereal, a kind of heavenly solace. This is a complex scent, one where I'm getting all the notes almost equally after dry-down instead of some of them jumping out more than others. It's sweet but not too sugary, dry and woodsy but still creamy and shimmering with warm floral. I can pick up smooth vanilla and tonka, sweet lily and juicy apricot and everything else. the oak shines especially well in this, it's sharp and earthy without getting that generic 'tree' smell that I tend to interpret as too pine-y. Overall a very unique blend that I don't think I'll be able to get enough of.