The Witch's Garden

[angelicruin]

Morning glory vines twisting around a patch of rampion, carrot, and parsley, with monkshood, hemlock, elfwort, sage, wormwood, and mandrake.

Inside the imp, this is sharp, green & earthy.

Upon initial application, sage and mandrake are the strongest notes on my skin.

Dries down to heavy earth and roots. Not really my thing...

[merinette]

It's definitely unusual. In the imp, it smells--don't laugh--like vegan sushi(I think it's the carrot-and-rampion combo). While it's wet, it has all the complex smells of a garden: earthy salad greens and various herbs, distant fragrant flowers. That's the good part about this oil, I think--it does indeed smell like a vegetable, herb and flower garden. It's quite quirky and fun to sniff.

 

However, when it dries, the only thing that remains is a forgettable & generic floral scent of the type I categorize with jasmine and ylang-ylang(I think it may *be* jasmine). Since I am not a fan of super-florals, this probably isn't something I'm going to buy a larger bottle of. For one thing, it's not very wearable--it's the sort of thing you keep around to sniff occasionally, because it does smell amusing. But it goes from too quirky to too boring in 20 minutes flat. I guess if you like florals, you might feel differently, though.

 

[moon_lemming]

My computer is being slow so I don't know the notes yet, but what was a pleasant enough green-tinged not-quite-floral in the imp is turning into white flower hell on my wrist. Gardenia? It's not jasmine, but the sharpness reminds me of that horrible note.

 

Yay, notes! Okay, it must be the morning glory. I love morning glories visually, but I guess they (and The Witch's Garden) are joining my AVOID AVOID AVOID list when it comes to smelliness. Either that or there is Seekrit Gardenia in the blend, because I swear that is exactly what this floral note smells like. I really can't find anything else, it's squashing all the other notes, which is sad because the greenness in the imp was interesting and I liked it. Can't win them all.

[yewberry]

Interesting, sharp apiaceae up front, wilting into a floral similar to Ichabod Crane without the warming, anchoring beeswax. Very nice, but too floral for me.

Edited August 12, 2009 by yewberry

[femmefatale]

At first this is very green and herbal. Nice.

As it dries a sweet floral comes out. Not jasmine (I am jasmine and it gives me a headache), but something more like honeysuckle, maybe plumeria like another poster mentioned. Very lush, not to sweet or cloying. The greenery and herbs are still there, which creates a nice balance.

 

I like this a lot more than I expected. It reminds me of walking in town next to the small gardens where they grown all the herbs and flowers. Lots of mingling scents and rich greenery. Lovely.

 

 

[Wwindy]

If I hadn't come here and seen other reviews mentioning florals, I would've thought I had the wrong oil in this imp! I get virtually no greenery at all. The overwhelming impression here is strong white florals -- I'm guessing gardenia and something else I can't quite pinpoint. This is much too flowery for me. Very disappointing, as I was really hoping for the green and herbal aspects.

[hkhm]

imp: the sage just jumps out at me! there is sweet vegetable leafiness and blooms but the sage is amazing. just like fresh sage when you bruise the leaves.

 

wet: sage over overgrown vegetable greenery and antique blooms. this scent is just on the edge of being too floral for me, it's the sage that keeps it in check.

 

dry: this dries more floral that i was expecting, it must be the morning glory. my beloved sage has vanished. still, this is a nice scent.

[Epiphany]

This does the weirdest thing...

 

In the imp I get a lot of sage and other greenery--maybe a bit of floral. Lovely.

 

Wet, this sweet floral suddenly blooms up, vying with the general greenery--I no longer smell sage specifically.

 

Then as it dries, I smell carrots. I know carrots are in the notes, but I wasn't exactly expecting to smell them. Kinda how I wasn't expecting termites to taste like carrots.

 

Anyway.

 

THEN the carrots go away and I smell flowers and greenery and manure.

 

Not like overwhelming bad manure...just a light scent of good-for-the-garden cow poo. It's actually kinda fascinating, though not something I'm TRYING to smell like.

 

Finally it settles into a very pretty white floral/herbal soap. WHY do greens and florals hate me so much?!? I WANT TO LOVE YOU!

[Lit Chick]

Wwo, I have a very different experience. Based on the listed notes, I would never have tried this. But it was a freebie in my last order, and I'm glad! It is a glorously sweet and bright floral on me. I guess that's due to all the greens, because straight floras usually turn soapy.

 

It's a very simple, very innocent perfume. I smell like a little girl, but in a very good way. I smell clean and fresh and like a summer morning. It's exactly the sort of cheerful scent I needed right now, and it's not like anything in my rotation. Comforting and fun!

[boxinghelena]

From the components listed, this is one scent I would usually skip over. I'm glad I gave it a try. I'm not quite sure what I'm smelling exactly but it's a pretty floral scent on me. I think it may be the sage. I really like this one.

[fairestrocza]

In the Imp: Smells like sushi (The Boy and my friend with the super nose both insist that this is not true, but every time I put this on, I get that distinct sushi impression)

 

Wet on Skin: Sushi, watery light floral; The Boy says "Iowa pond marsh"

 

While Drying: slightly perfumey - a familiar scent that I can't quite place - must be the morning glory. (A few reviews mentioned Jasmine, but that usually goes horribly wrong on my skin); somewhat heady, but still feels delicate even though the throw is fairly strong

 

After a Little While: more of the complexity is starting to surface - becoming less floral and more herbal; throw decreases a bit; still something that feels watery; The Boy says woodsy, and he also gets the can't-quite-place-it note

 

Later: I like the morphing - earlier stages aren't bad, but would get annoying after a while; that floral/perfumey quality comes back occasionally - not my favorite part of this blend

 

Final Thoughts: This has some interesting aspects to it, but is probably not something I will wear on a regular basis.

The Witch's Garden earns a 3.5/5 on my skin.

[Schmoozy]

 

Earthy, herbal, and slightly sweet. The florals add sweetness, while sage adds a herbal element. It feels medicinal and the carrot and parsley give a certain earthiness, and add to the herbal tone.

 

[Tanya]

I probably wouldn't have taken notice of this, but received an imp with my last purchase.

In the imp: Earthy, like a vegetable garden.

Wet: Like herbal medicine.

Dry: Like sweet carrots and herbal salve.

Not horrible, but sweet in the wrong way.

 

[crebbsgirl]

Yes this is very green on me. And green scents tend to go soapy on my skin. This blend is no exception unfortunately. It goes sweet and soapy within 10 minutes.

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

Hm, I was hoping to get carrots and herbs from this, just b/c that would be so different from any other BPAL I have. However, my skin is amping something floral: it smells like sweet pea, but I guess it must be morning glory. There's something earthy underneath, but overall it reads as green-floral on me. I'll keep the imp b/c Witch's Garden is a kick-ass name, but it's not as weird as I hoped!

[ami226]

A lettucey floral. Strange. A very green scent. Reminds me of a salad with a hint of floral. Not for me at all.

[strahlend]

First sniff - something cool and fresh, like cucumber?

Second sniff – this smells a lot like a pungent green herb and something kind of icky sweet.

Ok, on my skin – It's menthol floral. Best case scenario this ends up somehow seeming kind of like menthol green jasmine. Yes, jasmine. Lots of jasmine. This is nothing like what I hoped it would be like. Which is too bad because I would love some more carrot blends and unusual not soapy fresh scents a la gunpowder. This, however, is none of those things.

 

[ModderRhu]

The Witch's Garden

Rats. I really wanted to like this. All the listed notes sounded so wonderful and interesting. Especially the rampion, carrot, parsley, and sage. Unfortunately, it smells like sushi and white flowers. After it dries, it smells like white flowers times infinity. Ugh. I don't like smelling like a bridal bouquet.
Interestingly, it smells like Guerlain's Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca in the imp. A little menthol-y and very green.
I wish I was able to smell some of the vegetables.
On the plus side (if you like this one), it lasts a very long time.

2 out of 5

[sunlitgarden]

The Witch's Garden

 

This is strongly floral. Smelled like jasmine in the imp, but once I put it on I mainly smell gardenia, and a bit of herbs. There's a bit of a nutty quality as well. As it dries a bit, the parsley is definitely noticeable. The gardenia seems to really be amping on my skin and is really too strong for my taste, and is a strange combination with the herbs. Not for me, I don't think.

[DraloreShimare]

In the vial – Herbal, very dirty. I take this to be the mandrake, or one of the other herbs.

On the skin – Pleasantly light white floral, which I presume to be morning glory? After the initial application, I get only this floral scent.

Dry – This one fades to a pleasantly sweet scent, with a very very slight carrot undertone. Unsurprising, since I pick up on the carrot in Sleipnir as well.

[ShannonElisabethJones]

In the imp: Green, almost foody. Like green veggies.

Wet on skin: Herbal with a little sage-y bite. Carrots!

Dried and settled: Very prettily floral. Smells like late spring when the jasmine around here blooms. Still an herbal undertone.

 

Overall:I think very special and beautiful things are going on in this garden. It does't smell like the garden of a witch that would demand payment of a child for a few veggies. I love this scent!

[Autumnsky]

In the imp: Fascinating herbal/floral with an earthy undertone.

 

Wet: ONION! Unmistakable wet earthy crushed-green-onion and something that reminds me of patchouli.

 

Dry: Soft, earthy, with a shimmer of something delicately floral....like carrot flowers. The onion is still there, but it's more gentle and buried under the herbal notes.

 

Unfortunately, the onion is stuck in my nose, and I get a whiff of that wet "crushed" scent now and then.

 

I'll give this one another imp's worth of effort, but it's not for the short list.

[Incendiare]

The Witch's Garden slaps me in the face upon opening the imp. It's like carrots freshly pulled out of the earth combined with some seriously sharp herbs. That wormwood and hemlock make my nose wrinkle. I'm not putting it on me right now, but when I did before, it smelled not much different. I closed the imp minutes ago and it's still lingering in the air. Sorry, not for me.

[Gwydion]

In bottle: Gnarly dark green roots, vines, and herbs. This perfectly embodies it’s concept. It is very much a late summer working garden, with hints of poison under the carrots. I really like this. Wet: still carrot dominant with the vines second. Despite my bad history with some of the poisons in Rappaccini’s they are well blended here. Dry: Surprisingly floral, but in a good way. All that dark gnarly greenness is transmuted to purple flowers. Not what I’d wanted, but certainly interesting.

[rhubarb3point14]

This scent is very refreshing, but I don't think it's doing the same thing on me as it does on other people.

 

It is green and frosty and wicked, especially at first. I experience it as herbal, not floral at all. But as time goes on, the most noticeable characteristic is a smell of expensive French-milled soap. It is almost identical to the way I experience Pontarlier, but without the rose and lilac.

 

I realized that what this must be (since it is the only thing the two scents seem to share in common) is wormwood. It's a nice, clean, peppery-alkaline smell, but on me, it tends to overwhelm all the other components.

 

I am not sure how I feel about this... or about Pontarlier, to be perfectly honest. Both imps are in the "maybe" pile for now.