Winter smells and scents, including the perfect winter forest

[alicia_stardust]

Seconding The Snow Storm. It's an amazing unisex pine forest and snow blend. Probably one of my favorites after the unobtainable Skadi.

[venusinfurs]

I'm looking for a cold, icy scent that doesn't have any "pine" or "holiday" notes to it. I got a bunch of the scents named in the Winter recommendations thread on ebay. I liked some of them, but none of them were really what I am looking for. Anything that smells like juniper or pine is way too masculine on me.

 

I guess I want something that smells like something the White Witch (from the Chronicles of Narnia) would wear. Icy, heartless, but not masculine.

 

I guess a floral, earthy, clean, or even somewhat sweet scent could work. Nothing reminiscent of food, christmas, cider, or trees, though, which is what I got from the 12 or so scents I sampled. I keep looking through the reviews but I just can't pinpoint anything, so I thought I'd ask you all

[sqwook]

I'm looking for a cold, icy scent that doesn't have any "pine" or "holiday" notes to it. I got a bunch of the scents named in the Winter recommendations thread on ebay. I liked some of them, but none of them were really what I am looking for. Anything that smells like juniper or pine is way too masculine on me.

 

I guess I want something that smells like something the White Witch (from the Chronicles of Narnia) would wear. Icy, heartless, but not masculine.

 

I guess a floral, earthy, clean, or even somewhat sweet scent could work. Nothing reminiscent of food, christmas, cider, or trees, though, which is what I got from the 12 or so scents I sampled. I keep looking through the reviews but I just can't pinpoint anything, so I thought I'd ask you all

 

Hi! Have you tried any BPAL scents on your search yet, which ones, & what did you think? In particular, did you try BPALs Snow-Flakes and what did you think? It doesn't have pine, juniper, food, cider, or trees. But it does have vanilla I think, which might go foody on you. Other good ideas might be Ultraviolet, Yvaine, Bat-Woman (now discontinued unfortunately but may be possible to still find), Sea of Glass. Good luck!

 

[zankoku_zen]

Have you tried these 'snow' LEs (not this year):

Yuki-Onna

Archarngel Winter

Darkling Thrush

Moon of Terrible

Perchta

 

From the GC catalogue

Night-Gaunt

Macabray (un-impable from the Gaiman collection)

Death of the Gravedigger (Salon)

Cloister Graveyard in the Snow (Salon)

 

Personally, I'd give Yuki-Onna, Night-Gaunt (if you like citrus), the Macabray and Cloister Graveyard in the Snow a whirl.

[venusinfurs]

Thanks...I just kind of needed to be pointed in the right direction. I like spicy scents like Morocco, Snake Oil, and Bastet, but I was just looking for something a bit different than the usual holiday cinnamon/spice scents.

 

I got some Jolasveinar and Snow Storm from ebay, and I had tried an imp of Black Forest, and while they are ok, I would prefer something without that "trees" and "christmas" smell.

 

Snow-Flakes, Archangel Winter, and Macabray sound very promising, and I will read the reviews of the others as well. Thank you so much!

Edited December 29, 2009 by venusinfurs

[tajana]

I second the rec for Ultraviolet, it is extremely cold smelling. Eucalyptus, mint, violets, and neroli. On me, it starts out with a gust of ice queen chilliness, and dries down to frosty sugared violets. It doesn't work with everyone, but I think it's worth a try. It's a very striking scent.

[izile]

When I read your post, my first thought was "The Snow Maiden" but "Pink Snowballs" would also be good if you like rose.

 

I haven't gotten to try it yet, but I bet the Macabray would be lovely.

 

Ultraviolet and Violet Ray (steamworks) might also both fit the same profile.

 

 

[ellebelle]

Evening Cicadas and Red Peppers - there is not a trace of pine in there, at least not to my nose! I am not so big on the pine-y scents, which makes my relationship with the BPAL snow scents difficult. But I love me some Evening Cicadas and Red Peppers.

[enui]

Nuclear Winter? On my skin it is a soft mint that soon morphs into a sweet acquatic.

[HamletsKeeper]

Snow Flakes - the mint burns off in less than 5 mins leaving behind a very crystalline scent that is ice, beautiful ice touched with white florals.

 

You might also want to check out Szepassony, although I think it smells like a CK One clone... But that could just be my skin.

[patina]

The one I've smelled that reminds me of this isn't a fragrance, sadly, it's the Winter Maiden bath oil. Very cold berries, white rose, and wood. It's exactly what I think the White Witch would smell like, though...

[Dormouse]

The First Soft Snow made me think of the White Witch. Really pretty and cold without being fir trees or mint.

 

If you're ok with mint then Nuclear Winter is very pretty, cold white flowers and icy mint.

[venusinfurs]

so many good suggestions. now I want them all!

 

I'm ok with mint, but I don't want to smell like a candy cane. If it's subtle or just adds to the "cool" feeling it should be fine.

[fairnymph]

I have a great deal of trouble with 'snow/ice/winter' scents, and the only really WINTRY one I have found that I can wear is Talvikuu, although though that has trees, it's NOT piney at all - I hate pine. It has a lovely Birch note.

 

Snowballs isn't too piney, either, although it didn't work on my skin - it was too much like Snow White, too much of that almond-coconut creamy note. As noted, Archangel Winter is one to try - although I find it distinctly masculine, it's a very neutral yet very wintry scent, quite cologne-y. I really like it on men but don't wear it myself.

 

Also, I definitely agree re: The Macabray. I forgot about that one - definitely icy without being piney. I get a sort of cucumber-soft floral-ice, unisex-ish.

 

I ADORE Night-Gaunt but I don't find it to be an 'icy' scent at all, personally.

[Katherynne]

I definitely agree with the suggestions of Ultraviolet and Cloister Graveyard in the Snow. Also Pain, which is GC, it's lavender & pennyroyal -- it smells very 'cold' to me, very herbal and cold.

[galahad]

Kumari Kandam is quite icy for me

[GreenSpine]

It's hard to find, but Snow, Glass, Apples is amazing! Moon of the Terrible is very similar on my skin, and might be a bit easier to track down.

[thekittenkat]

Cloister Graveyard in the Snow and Death of a Gravedigger both went very very mint on me. I don't remember which mint, or if I did a review of them, but do please check the review threads.

 

Pink Snowballs or Snow White may indeed be up your alley. Granted, they are both Yule LEs, but I don't think of them as Christmasy or piney in scent at all. Snow White is coconut, some pale florals, and of course the snow. Pink Snowballs is not like Snow White to me at all, although most reviewers seem to think so. (Just another example of how perfume oils can be different on individuals! ) With Pink Snowballs, I get a delicate pink rose, not quite a tea rose, some vanilla, and snow. I would consider both of these to be feminine and icy scents, but not too icy.

 

I second the rec of Snow, Glass, Apples. If you like the idea of frosted apples, SGA is lovely.

[Mousesong]

Just throwing in another vote for SGA if you can track it down. It turned into Jolly Ranchers on me but it started out as (and stayed, on other people) a frigid just-bitten apple for me.

 

Also I appear to be in the minority on this one but Ouija is almost painfully, nose-itchingly cold on me.

Edited January 8, 2010 by Mousesong

[LadyMedb]

The Girl has a bit of that quality, with the (slightly) wintergreeny birch thing and the soft white florals. It's soft, but cold and distant.

[Aevie]

This is going to sound oddly specific, and random. But I frequently get this beautiful image in my head of snow falling at night, with the moon hovering overhead. Still, but mystical somehow.

 

I am trying to find a scent that is reminiscent of that. Something wintery, and cool.

 

Anyone have any ideas come to mind? <3

[Flightless]

The LE Yules are a good place to look if you can get your hands on some. My *favorite* winter scent is a somewhat hard to find blend called Hypothermia (and reminds me of your wintry scene), but luckily it's reminiscent of The Snow Maiden and Snow White, which are a little easier to find... and I *love* them all. When the Lab does snow and cold, they do it well (imho).

 

Vega was very kind and pointed me to a few snowy GC scents in this post for when my precious is gone. I haven't had the pleasure of trying any of her recommendations yet, but hopefully that will give you a good place to start... and maybe a few more experienced noses will chime in here too.

 

Good luck!

[naughteblonde]

Normally I try to avoid any scent described as 'cold' as usually that means my skin will turn it to pure pine or lemon cleaning fluid however when Beth does certain wintery cold snowy scents they are absolutely beautiful.

My personal recs would be:

*Winter-Time (Yule '10)

This is a very sweet mint and woods type on my skin. It smells just like a fresh breath of air in a calm snowy forest. Absolutely beautiful.

*Snow White (Yule)

The Snow White change subtley with each years different blends but my personal prefs are SW 07 and 09. Several people however say that she gets better as she ages so if you can get some 04 grab it! SW is the scent embodiment of 'skin as white as snow'. Shes floral with something Ive never been able to distigush that makes her cold. If youve ever imagined scents as a color in your mind, she would be a crisp unsullied white.

*Numb (Forum? LE 05)

Though this was a rather unpopular scent at the time of its release I was one of the few who loved it thus ended up with so much! Its a strong violet with something that almost verges on mint. Its a hit or miss type of scent - you either love it or you cant stand it.

The Girl (Yule 09)

Shes incredibly sought after for a reason! The Girl is a mixture of sharp musks and woods that mix together to create a stunning feminine scent that IMO is perfect for winter. Shes easy to fall in love with but very difficult to find.

 

As I tend towards the mint heavy in winter theres a fair few that come into that category too such as Snowblind, any of the Lick It! family, Spooky and Tokyo Stomp.

[sunshinedaisybliss]

As others have already said, the Yule Limited Edition blends are really the very best when it comes to wintry, cold/snow scents.. which means you might need to go hunting around the For Sale area! But usually they're not too hard to find

 

My suggestion would be The Waltz of the Snowflakes - the description is 'The Snow Queen and Snow King greet Klara and the Nutcracker Prince as they journey through the Enchanted Forest: vanilla-laced snow, graceful and sweet, with fir needle and black pine bark.' and reviews are here. Some people commented on the fir and/or pine notes being a bit strong, but I actually don't like fir/pine smells at all and I loved Waltz.. it wasn't pine-smelly at all on me, just a gorgeous soft and clean misty snow smell, like a cool winter's night in the mountains.

 

Snow White is one of my most favourite BPALs (although I only like the '04 and '05 versions).. but honestly I have never thought of it as a 'winter' scent because it just doesn't smell that way to me. But I'd say it's definitely worth trying if you haven't done so already.. because it's just lovely and maybe for you it would be more winter-like

 

If you feel like going rares-hunting, you could look for Frost Moon '04 (a blend of traditional lunar oils frozen with winter mints, shivering eucalyptus, clear lotus, a gust of wind, and a midnight aquatic note) and if you'd like something with a floral tone, there's Snow Moon '05 (the first flurries of snow touch the land, and the earth itself becomes quiet. A scent of purity and silence, soft with falling snow, as dark as Midwinter: an icy flurry over the winter blooms of narcissus, pansy crocus, dahlia, tulip, chrysanthemum and white rose, with a hint of fir and birch). Oh, and Ice Queen (a majestic blend of precious pale musks, brittle winter blossoms, spruce, and frozen winter fruits) - she's beautifully cold.

 

You might also like to check out the 'Snow Scents' thread here, and the 'Winter Smells and Scents' thread here. Hmm.. maybe also the 'The Smell of Night' thread - maybe you'll find some inspiration there!

 

edited for spelling goof-ups!

.

Edited June 18, 2011 by sunshinedaisybliss

[forspecial_plate]

Cloister Graveyard In The Snow is beautiful: "Three white musks, ozone, frankincense, mint."

 

I like Death Of The Grave-Digger too: "Snow, soil, opoponax and myrrh."