Perchta

[hkhm]

Perchta, the Shining One, is the Lady of the Beasts, an incarnation of the goddess Holda. She, too, leads the Wild Hunt, and is the protectress of wild animals, and appears to mortals as either a white-clad, white-skinned, white-haired beauty, or as a brutish, bestial hag. She is called Berhte Mit Dem Fuoze; one of her feet is shaped like a beast's, which gives away her superhuman nature no matter how she is disguised. She is also called Perchta the Belly-Slitter, for, at Yuletide, she castigates the wicked, slovenly, and idle, and rewards those that are generous, good-natured, and kind. The Belly-Slitter enforced community taboos, punishing those that spun during holy days and those who failed to partake in sacred feasts, thus jeopardizing the next year's harvest. Her punishments can be a bit over-the-top, though: they include disemboweling the transgressor and filling the empty cavity with refuse.

Her scent is a blend of wild musk, snow, and alpine flora: Nigritella lithopolitanica, aconite, crocus, touch-me-not, edelweiss, Iris variegate, and violet.

bottle: very light snowy pines. this reminds me of old moon a bit, just less strong.

wet: this reminds me very closely of old moon, but the pine is less strong, it's more a sweet pine and flowers.

dry: i really never got any violet or musk to speak of. this is a light, soft snowy floral.

(edited because somehow i posted this before i was done typing my review.)

[jeanette_culver]

My first review ever, a little late to say the least.

 

Wet: pine, and a slightly sharp woody scent that doesn’t seem to be related to the pine, and a cold/ snow scent.

 

Beginning to dry… A scent vaguely reminiscent of…cocoa powder? There is slightly vanillic sweetness underneath that makes me think hot cocoa powder. It's a little... unexpected. It’s definitely the dominant scent at this stage. After a couple of minutes a more recognizably “floral” scent is becoming apparent, but it’s not any floral I have ever smelled before. It has a woody, or earthy undertone. No violet yet. Snow scent is still around.

 

Dry: the musk has finally made its appearance. For some reason I want to say it smells “gray”, it’s pretty soft. There are sweet, mostly unfamiliar florals in the forefront now, backed by the musk and that piney/earthy scent, and snow. I don’t smell violet, but maybe it’s creating some of that sweetness in there. A subtle violet, thank goodness. I keep thinking I can catch a whiff of iris in there too- sweet, dusky, with a hint of bitterness. It’s definitely in the background for me. It’s one of the only notes in here I can recognize.

 

About an hour later: the earthyness is completely gone and the “almost cocoa” scent is much, much tamer, I smell only soft musk, pines, sweet and mostly unfamiliar flowers. It is a light, soft, woodsy floral.

 

This is very “alpine” indeed! I have no idea what edelweiss smells like, though I chose this blend mainly because it was a listed note. Still don’t really know, to be honest, but this is a very evocative oil that will definitely be enjoyed.

 

 

 

ETA: aha the chocolate/vanilla smell was the Nigritella lithopolitani. I thought my nose was off at first. I looked up the conspicuous notes and found the “Vanilla and chocolate smelling orchid” from Slovenia. Neat!

 

NOV 17 ninja edit: I've been wearing this for a couple weeks off and on and I want to add that my overall impression is that this is a darker, moodier scent, despite the floral sweetness. For me, this is gray winter twilight in an alpine wood, lost in the dead sound of heavy falling snow. It's not sinister or anything, but it is definitely moody. Not particularly feminine on my skin at least, it seems almost unisex, though perhaps closer to feminine than not because of the sweetness of the florals.

Edited November 17, 2008 by Jeanette

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Very animalistic musk with lots of cold green and herbal notes.

 

Immediately on skin: The first thing that strikes me is that this scent is very animalistic and almost savory, then I’m hit with the icy note I find in the L’Inverno atmosphere spray and some pine. As I pull my nose away I get fleeting glimpses of smoke and some sweet, ringing floral notes.

 

After a little while: The savory quality of this fades, and while there’s still a nice hint of musk in the background, the iciness really takes center stage. This is a refreshing, cold blend with bits of pine and really bright white flowers, but with just a touch of floral sweetness.

 

Overall Impressions: This is the scent of a wolf running through a snowy forest in a bottle. Animalistic musk, ice, pine, cold florals… this is so lovely and vibrant in my mind. It reminds me a LOT of the L’Inverno atmosphere spray, except the flowers in this aren’t quite as evident. The musk is just a little bit strong at first, making this a musky icy blend, but the cold snow scent soon takes center stage. I don’t know how much I’d wear this, but it’s definitely unisex and would be wonderful on a hot day.

[PersephonesChild]

Beautiful! What a haunting, cold lady this blend is!

 

The snow and musk notes are present, but they're very subtle-- in general, the feel of the blend is floral, and as a lover of florals, I'm a huge fan already. It's familiar-- I can't quite place what it reminds me of. I think it bears a subtle resemblance to Beltane 2008 and to the Mock Turtle's Lessons, and yet I don't think either of those is what I'm reaching for. I'm stumped, but I think the key note is the iris-- there's some violet, but the iris is stronger, and that's one of the few familiar notes in this exotic blend!

 

I think it's safe to describe the bouquet as "white floral", somewhat dry, not too sweet. I think that, as a collector of florals, I'm glad to have this particular one-- it's definitely distinct enough from my other florals, it's a beautiful blend, and I love the name!

 

ETA: it may be that it reminds me of Villainess Frostbite.

Edited November 20, 2008 by PersephonesChild

[Jasminepearls]

Perchta smells beautiful in the imp, very pine-y. On me it smells of light musk, evergreen and soft white florals, which I love. There was a weird ozone stage in between but it went away luckily, and I am in LOVE with this scent now. It remind me of Hex '05 without the smoke, which is the closest I am going to get to that wonderful wonderful scent, since the '08 version smells very different. I shall call this one Hex Jr.

[kelpsoda]

Wet: a lot of pine and herbs. Reminds me of . . . oh, was it the East? Or Bess? Maybe it's thyme or rosemary. Very green, with musk to back it up.

 

Dry: much of the same, but there's a "snow" note too, something ozone-y. Very fresh, almost minty. A very good representation of snow and alpine flora.

 

 

ETA: the musk comes out really strong after a while. It's definitely wild musk.

Edited November 25, 2008 by kelp

[Mamacat]

I don't know how to describe this scent except to say that it smells like a bit of an orange-ish, ozone cologne.

 

It isn't too bad but I don't think I would reach for it very often.

[Schmoozy]

Oh this is stunning. I knew it was going to be lovely and I am not disappointed. This is beautiful wispy winter florals combined with snow, musk and just a hint of pine. It reminds me of hiking up in Pyramid or Edith Cavell when spring has sprung and there is still still snow in the valley, but tufts of grass and alpine flora are poking their heads out of the snow trying to grab some sun.

Perchta is soft, light and gentle. Not one flower is dominant, except for crocus and violet and little whiff of edelweiss.

Cue Sound of Music soundtrack.

[birdiefu]

I am not really a floral person, but was drawn to try this by the listed notes of musk and snow (without pine!).

 

First on, well there is a bit of pine. But it isn't overwhelmingly piney, just a touch. I also get just a bit of ozone, but I usually hate ozone and this is not bad at all. It does have a light, fresh, cold scent, making me think of the outdoors on a frosty day. Very feminine.

 

As it dries, wow it gets a lot better! I get something sweet that is sorta foody-ish, making me think of a graham cracker crust. I honestly can't pick the florals out that much, but there is a spiciness that makes me think of some other spicy floral blends. The bit of foody/spicy gives this blend a unique kick to it and it is much more gorgeous than I had expected. There still is a bit of the light cold outdoor scent, and reminds me of Jolasviener (forgive me if I spelled that wrong) a little.

 

Far out into drydown, the musk finally appears faintly. Very soft and delicate musk, not wild at all to my nose, and it combines with the remaining foody vibe to give a faint vanilla musk scent to my skin.

 

The throw is very nice, and this was a hit with my 4-year-old (he wanted to wear it too). My hubby also said it smelled "not bad", which from him is a high compliment as he thinks most BPAL smells like a grandmother.

[sookster]

straight sniff from imp is a cold, musky flower topped with freshly fallen snowflakes...

 

once applied the florals amp up and the snowflakes have completely melted into the earth...

 

perfect for someone who would love a unique medley of florals...unfortunately, that just is not me....

[Little Bird]

In the imp and on my skin at first, Perchta is all pine. It's a bit sharp. There's also a sweetness here that reminds me of maple syrup. After a few minutes, the snow note creeps in and covers the pine, sweet and chilly. In the drydown, florals and musk take over, making the blend go soapy and sharply perfumey on my skin.

 

The florals and musk in this are pretty sharp and perfumey, so this blend starts giving me a headache after a while. Soapy florals and musk with a hint of snow. I'm not a fan of this blend.

[GypsyRoseRed]

Chilly white florals. It's interesting, because I was expecting a straight up floral, but there's a definite impression of frost here. Not my bag, but nicely done nonetheless.

[innocent]

Note to Self: Stop trying things that claim to have snow, water, or ozone notes.

 

I like florals, and I like musks. Perchta smells like a musky bar of men's soap. I really need to learn that aquatics amp up on me in the worst possible way.

 

*grumble grumble* wanted to smell like a hag goddess... *grumble*

[Victory]

When Perchta first arrived, I feared it'd have to be swapped because of the the relentless soapiness. Now, I don't normally get soap (only Santa Muerte was soapy on me, of the hundreds of oils that I've tried) so it was heartbreaking. I'd inhale and smell unique florals unique florals unique florals SOAP! It was awful. I put the bottle away for two weeks, and now the soapiness is very much reduced. I'm hoping that some more aging will get rid of it entirely, but at the point it's at now, it's not a deal breaker. Wet, Perchta's all floral. I'm not a floral girl, but I bought a bottle partially because I was so intrigued by the florals. I can't identify a darn one, but they definitely smell alpine and chilly. As the oil dries, the musk (which to me, is animalistic in the sense that I'm reminded of Coyote, rather than animalistic in the sense that it smells like a civet or something) comes out, followed by the snow. In the dry stages, the musk and snow swirl around each other. Although I like the florals, this is my favorite stage. I'm glad I gave Perchta another chance.

[tartchef]

Well. It seems obscure alpine orchid + snow = tartchef = curried celery I got the same turmeric-like reaction with Jolasveinar.

 

Phoo.

[Coldfire]

Imp: Dark, heavy, but with traces of winter in the depths

Wet on Me: I smell the floral but something dark and off. Not wuite right. Almost the dark note of vetiver

Drying Down: The off note is slowly fading. Thought I detected faint ghosts of citrus but I am not sure

Dry: now left with just the wild musk. The florals have faded and so has that off note. Once you get to dry on this it is quite nice.

[mgrazulis]

The florals and pine are lighter than Frau Holle, but the overall impresssion is darker with a layer of furry musk. Still cold and wintry with a sweet violet note and a bit of spiciness. The snow and musk drift around the outer edges of the pine and florals in drydown. A bit more unisex than Frau Holle. Nice complimentary concepts!

 

 

[Clementine]

Perchta smells like a sharp, herbally pine scent on my skin when wet, but when it dries, it is a lovely, subtle creamy-smelling floral.

 

I bought a bottle on a whim, and I don't regret it. However, I can tell this scent isn't for everyone!

[theseagrows]

i get some very herbal florals from this, and at first it is quite sharp- there is an underlying wood scent that i've gotten in other bpals that turns on me. not sure what it is though. the snow is very subtle in this, and the musk doesn't come out till it's been on the skin awhile, and then i like it better. i was hoping for more violet, but don't really get much from this. after about an hour, this is a really nice, pretty winter floral.

Edited December 15, 2008 by theseagrows

[zankoku_zen]

Okay, so for me, I'm always looking for an Ice Queen dupe.

 

This one comes pretty close on my skin. At the beginning, this is very aggresively piney, but then on the drydown it calms down and I can smell the snowy flowers. I think IQ must have a berry component, because this is lacking in sweetness. It's also 'muskier' than IQ, with an almost 'peppery/spicy' tone to the musk.

 

This is IQ's wilder cousin - still out trampling in the forests and cavorting with furry animals. It doesn't have the sophisticated feel of IQ, but it's got a more animalistic presence.

 

I think as it ages, the pine won't be as aggressive... but the only thing that gives me pause is whether the musk would become more prominent.

[Eemia]

Cold/wintery snow scents always work on me and they are some of my favorite fragrances. That airy, biting cold note just feels so clean. This wasn't a toss in the air because I knew I would like it. It's beautiful. A cold, stark musk. It has a light greenness from the pine. I used to hate pine so much but it's actually become one of my favorite notes. Weird how that happens. Anyways, the musk never gets overpowering and the floral note isn't cloying or heady, but it is a little powdery and a tiny bit sweet.

 

It dries down into a pretty light musk. All the florals disappear but I can still notice that cold smell. I'll wear this a lot over the next couple cold months.

[Phaedra]

Wet this is musk and that sharp, icy snow note that Beth does so well. When first on this is very floral, sweet and musky with a hint of wood and violet. Within seconds the floral notes calm down a bit and the snowy note starts to develop. After about an hour this becomes a creamy snow and floral blend. It's almost like a cross between Snow Bunny and Snow White. On the dry down this is a lovely creamy musk and floral blend. It's cozy and a bit sexy. Very nice!

[caitilarkin]

In the imp: The piney snow note (as opposed to the clean snow note in Snow White) with musky florals

 

Wet on skin: The snow note warms up and the pine is crisp without being astringent. I can't separate the various floral notes, but these are woodland flowers as opposed to hothouse-grown.

 

Dry on skin: Just lovely...this is the surprise hit of the Yules for me so far. Perchta evokes cross-country skiing through a pine forest on a star-filled December night.

 

How on earth will I be able to talk myself out of getting a bottle? This scent just says Yule to me.

[fairnymph]

In the bottle: Rich orangey-amber colour. Sort of piney, cold snow and a ton of mixed wildflowers, with a hint of sweetness.

 

Wet: Sweeter, warmer, and suddenly rather resiny. Still heavily floral, a bit soapy, as well as a hint of 'traditional floral perfume'. Surprisingly dark in feel. The lovely crocus is overwhelmed by bullying notes.

 

Dry: Very, very slow to dry. Over time, though, it's become much sweeter - vanilla? The florals are sharp and a bit intense, and even a tad soapy. A touch of powder from the violet.

 

Later: Dark resin and incense, whoa...where did you guys come from? Vetiver, is that you? They do add a nice dimension, but still not one that I personally like. Musk now too, but soft.

 

Summary: An intense bouquet of slightly soapy and powdery wildflowers over a vanilla-ish, sweet, dark, somewhat smoky resin, wood, furry musk and vetiver backdrop. Hints of snowy pine. Strong throw and lasting power. Unisex to feminine.

 

Not my thing, alas.

[Saya]

In the imp

Lots of pine combined with something sweet. I'm a bit worried because pine usually doesn't work well with me.

 

On My Skin

I'm not sure what a lot of the notes listed in this blend are but I can pick out pine, a bit of musk and some florals. So far this is pretty cool, but not something I'd wear. It has a distinct astringent smell to it.

 

After a Bit

The astringent scent has died down and this is now primarily must on a background of soft florals. It is very light, there isn't a lot of throw to this blend but when I put my wrist up to my nose I like the smell quite a bit.

 

Rating 1-5 (5 being the best)

Scent - 3.5 Throw - 2 Longevity - 2

Overall (not an average) - 3

 

Final Thoughts

IF this blend was a bit stronger and stuck around for a bit longer then I'd probably end up getting a bottle. I'll retest to see if today was just an off day for me, but as of right now I think I'll keep the imp and pass on getting a bottle.