El Dia de los Reyes

[Lucchesa]

Hot cocoa with cinnamon, coffee, and brown sugar.

 

2015 version. So, I was frimped a tester of this, and I adored it and sought out a bottle on the forums. And it got lost in the mail. I was sad, but these things happen. I would have ordered a bottle when Yules came out, but there wasn't a 2017 version. Then, a miracle happened: the package reappeared, and it finally arrived today. Oh the rejoicing!

 

After all that anticipation, I opened the bottle and sniffed and was frankly let down. It struck me as a slightly insipid milk chocolate. Then I applied it to the back of my wrist and almost immediately, it transformed into something rich and complex, an adult version of hot chocolate. It isn't ridiculously foodie on me; I get only a whisper of cinnamon, and the coffee is deep and nutty, and I have a well-loved brown leather satchel on the table next to my hot chocolate, and someone is smoking a pipe at the next table.

 

This one is magic on me, and it lasts and lasts -- I can still smell it, many hours later.

Edited December 9, 2017 by Lucchesa

[InThePines]

2015 version, bought from the Lab. I've been really enjoying this lately. Surprisingly it doesn't feel sickeningly sweet or overly foody to me. It smells like caramel-cocoa (and I typically hate caramel in perfume) but it's just so...gah good. I've enjoyed putting this on before bed as it's a nice combo of comforting and sexy.

[Vaporeon]

2007 bottle: Oh man this is so good. It goes on really chocolaty then I smell coffee, then cinnamon sugar. Very realistic smelling and smooth. And as a barista of almost ten years the smell of coffee has the potential to get old FAST to me. This brown sugar note is so soft, never sharp this is the first time I've smelled a blend with sugar and it hasn't detracted from the experience.

[Juliamon]

2007 imp that has seen better days, only enough for one test. Fortunately I think that's all I'll need from it. Hot chocolate up front, and cinnamon, and the molasses from the brown sugar sitting at the bottom of the mug. I don't smell the coffee, but I do smell its bitterness. As it dries down it becomes more of a pure creamy, rich cocoa with just a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. I'm still not getting the coffee. This is a warm mug of comfort in a hole-in-the-wall boutique cafe; unfortunately, such places make me feel very out-of-place. It's nice but it's not me. Glad to have tried it though!

[Aveya]

Source: Decant from a swap, 2013 version

Preconception: I want to love it sooo bad, but chocolates have been flat and chalky on me.

 

Vial: Nesquik powdered mix.

Skin: Oh my goodness. Blooms into exactly-as-described land. Has that slight foody-tint that the BPAL coffee's get on me. Reminds me for a moment of Pumpkin Latte (my go-to coffee blend) but then eases back into spiced chocolate land.

Drydown: I ruined my test a little bit by going out and doing some hard labor garden work and worked up a sweaty mess. BUT - an almost vanilla-sweet bloom overtook and was absolutely beautiful and comforting. Loved it.

 

Verdict; Exactly as advertised. Rich chocolate milk & coffee with all the fixings.

 

I'm not sure if this is one I'll wear or not. I'll fiddle with the imp for a while longer. Maybe pick up an imp from a decant circle in the future releases if they come out.

[donkehpoo]

Wet: Hot chocolate and cinnamon!

 

Dry: Faded hot chocolate and cinnamon! I'm glad the coffee never comes out on me, because it's not a note I'm particularly fond of.

 

Also of note; my skin can be sensitive to cinnamon, and it's never been an issue with this blend.

[torischroeder9]

2009 version

 

In the bottle: A mug of hot cocoa with a hint of cinnamon. 

 

On my skin: 

 

Applied, the cinnamon note amps for a moment, then fades back to a hint. 

 

After a few minutes dry, the cinnamon comes forward a bit more, and the coffee starts to make an appearance. I can't place brown sugar as a stand-alone note, but the overall scent profile is sweet. 

 

This is where it stays on me, a nice, sweet, comforting foody scent. 

 

Sadly, its throw and wear-length are low on me, but that's probably because it's composed of notes that always fit this description for me. 

[fairybites]

This review is for the 2009 version!

 

Now this is what I wanted Bliss to smell like! Creamy sweet hot chocolate, I don't get coffee at all and just a tiny bit of cinnamon. This is a nice chocolate scent; it doesn't smell artificial and it's not too milky or too dark. I was surprised to like this so much, I may get a bottle if I can find it! And for once, it didn't get chalky on me like chocolate notes tend to do. However, there was a faint waxy ness that I've had with some other chocolates.

[wolf_truffles]

Hot cocoa and coffee go well together! Sweet and very rich. Only a little cinnamon and brown sugar. Almost goes plastic on me which never happens to me with gourmands. I'll update later.

[VictorianLass]

It started off with a slight hot cocoa scent, as though you just ripped that packet open!  Amped up to a full on hot cocoa, warm cinnamon and a touch of coffee, as though I am at a cafe and while I have my cocoa, the person behind me is having a cup of java!  The brown sugar sweetens it up just a wee bit, but just enough, not overpowering.  

 

Drying down with less cinnamon and more hot cocoa with a sweetener.  That person behind me is still drinking their coffee....  😄

[vanilla323]

I reviewed this back in 2015 and it was for the 2013 version which was amazing. 
 

I’m back again because I recently got the newest version and it’s incredible! I love this scent so much! The chocolate is decadent and the other notes just meld so well together! It’s a definite fav still. The throw and staying power is amazing too! Bonus!!! My son even said it was his favorite of my Yules!  

[Lunashayde]

In the bottle you can really smell the chocolate, but it’s almost like a dark chocolate, most likely from the coffee. I can’t really catch any of the cinnamon or brown sugar in the bottle. On my skin you get the hot coco, but now it is sweetened up, like someone put some whipped cream on it. You can get hints of the cinnamon and brown sugar, like it’s been dusted on top of it, adding to it. The coffee you wonder, well, it’s still there, but more like your friend is drinking the coffee and you get little whiffs of it in between your sips of coco. This is great for the winter season . 

[Casablanca]

2021 version

 

Milky hot chocolate blackened with coffee, softened with brown sugar.

 

I'm not getting much cinnamon. It's present, but rather less than I'd hoped for. This may be simply because I've been an absolute cinnamon addict this winter, making cinnamon soup and dusting every hot milky drink with it...

 

El Dia is mostly about the milky hot cocoa, with brown sugared coffee and a little cinnamon whiff on the side.

[dancingchair]

2021 version
 

Sweet, powdery hot chocolate cut with a shot of bitter coffee, finished with a big dollop of whipped cream on top dusted with cinnamon. This is so rich and delicious-smelling, but I think it's the most wearable hot chocolate perfume I've tried. Other hot chocolate perfumes have been sickeningly sweet and rich but this doesn't go that far to me. Very yummy!

[Claire-of-the-Valley]

This is for the 2021 edition:

 

I was hoping this would smell a lot more like coffee than it does. In the bottle, the chocolate is the strongest scent and it's a rich, dark chocolate. Very strong. When I put it on I mostly get cinnamon and a backdrop of rich chocolate. To me it smells pretty similar to Mouse's Long Sad Pumpkin, though not as pastry-like. It absolutely has cafe vibes, but not really coffee vibes, in my opinion.