Quick Grope Under the Mistletoe

[heathercaley]

No scent description available.

First of all, thank you lab for your generosity! This was an amazing gift for us all.

In the bottle: Light and fruity, almost like plum

Once applied: amazing. I can smell spices, red juicy fruits, and underneath those notes lies something just a little earthy. I can't pinpoint the earthy note. It's beautiful though. Could be frankincense or maybe (as somebody else has noted) patchouli, or even just a musk. It's not too apparent though. It's just enough to add an element of warmth and depth.

On drydown: I can smell a bit of fir trees popping through now! As it dries down, the resiny note pops out more along with the fir trees. Oh man guys, this is totally sexy...

Overall, this is freaking amazing!!! Thank you again Lab!! You guys rock!

[bheansidhe]

A big warm cup of spiced wassail, a smoky hearth, a roaring fire, and a tiny sprig of bitter white mistletoe.

 

At first this blend is mostly "upper" notes dominated by apple or some other fruit juice, with hints of cinnamon, smoke, burning wood, and a slightly bitter earth note waaaay at the back. (I wouldn't classify this blend as alcoholic or foody, though.)

 

As it dries, I still have wassail, but I get more evergreen, snow, and smoke with the wassail...and maaaaaybe a plate of dark chocolate Christmas fudge lingering at the finish.

 

Subtle and delicious. REALLY great. No. REALLY.

Edited December 7, 2009 by bheansidhe

[vampirate]

This is a great winter scent! It's like having a mug of cider while being in a cozy room next to a real Christmas tree.

[greenranger]

It's just so strange how one scent, presented with no scent notes, can come across so differently to different people.

 

I too love the Quick Grope. However, I didn't get wassail or apples, at least until I read other people's reviews. Now, with that in mind, I can almost smell something like apple, maybe....perhaps.

 

What I smelled was some sort of spicy Christmas greenery that wasn't pine or fir tree, and I figured that was most likely mistletoe, or an impression of it(possibly an impression of it. I know I loved Beth's impression of tumbleweeds in Velvet Bandito). Then I thought I smelled some sort of musk, possibly skin musk.

 

Once the scent settles into greenery and musk on me it stays stable for hours and hours and hours. It was still recognizable as itself the next morning. To me, it smells like spicy sweet greenery, and something slightly musky, in a very vverry good way.

 

Now, as to whether there is really musk in this? I suspect we need a report from someone who can't usually do musk on their skin to be certain.

 

If there's smoke, it is faint on me. I don't smell it.

 

My husband said "strong, sweet and ...flowery?" However, his nose is not to be trusted at all.

 

 

[Dark Alice]

This is a fresh Christmas fir mixed with the wafting scent of warming apple cider with the hint of smoke from a blazing fire.

 

At least that is what I think this is supposed to be. It's either really high end potpourri or a very realistic Fir scent. Apples, and smoke, and more fir are definitely in this. This is too realistic for my nose and is actually giving me a headache. But I am glad I got to try it!

[amyw]

There may be a tiny bit of an earthy fur/pine note in the background, but otherwise this is a dead ringer for Lambs-Wool on me. Mostly apple/apple cider, and quite nice!

[Gwydion]

In bottle: Apple and candied fruits mostly. I’m betting there are some mulling spices as well. It’s reminding me of Wassail. Wet: Slightly sweeter on the skin. It’s definitely reminding me of wassail. A tart apple base with a blend of spices, maybe nutmeg and cinnamon. It may have some berry, though I’m not sure. Dry: fades rather fast. There’s a hint of wood to it along with the apple and hint of spices.

[sunshinedaisybliss]

OK.. so it's official, my skin is weeeeird

 

On me, this is very much like Fearful Pleasure, but not quite as cidery or wood-y as FP. When it was wet on my skin, I could smell fir and pine, but that was very fleeting and it dried down to... apples. Lovely mulled apples, slightly smoky, but 99.9% apples. After about a half hour on, I think mayyyyyyybe there's a teensy bit of plum, and it's taken on a more fruity and golden tone - now it's reminding me of Hellion but with apples.

 

 

[fairnymph]

Deep golden oil. Apples cider, spice, and slightly mentholic evergreen woods (pine? or maybe that's meant to be the mistletoe - it does remind me a bit of Holly Berry & Mistletoe). Definitely some clove. Something smoky and earthy, maybe vetiver or patchouli.

 

The apples are crisper and brighter, less baked and muted. Spices are stronger - definitely clove foremost but also some cinnamon. Along with the piney mistletoe this unfortunately reminds me of Christmas spice candles/potpourri - generic. Although, that dark earthy-smoky note does make this a little more interesting. It's a little rooty, and not cologney, so I'm leaning towards patchouli. And WOW that clove is strong!

 

The apples/apple cider (it's gone a bit more baked apple) is fading as apple nearly always does on me, and that clove is completely amping and dominating. The mistletoe is actually really well behaved here, not strongly Pinesol at all. And the patchouli, while definitely dark and pretty masculine, is not 'dirty' - earthy, yes, but not dirty. I think maybe the cinnamon is not cinnamon but cassia.

 

CLOVE CLOVE CLOVE and black patchouli have beaten anything that hasn't faded away into submission. And since I can't handle strong clove, off to the sink. This amps up to have insane throw and how much do you want to bet it won't wash off?

 

[Invidiana]

I seriously think this is the sexiest, smuttiest Christmas scent I've ever smelled. I definitely get the red musk (which is one of my favorite notes) giving it a hot-sex-when-the-relatives-aren't-watching feel, along with a whirlwind of other favorite notes: red berries (definitely some hollyberry in there) warm spices (must be cinnamon, cardamom, clove), sugar cookies baking in the background, a faint whiff of evergreen from the Christmas tree in the distance. It really does encapsulate being naughty at Christmastime. Thank you to a very lovely forumite for this--you know who you are!

[zankoku_zen]

Spiced apple, pine, clove and allspice. This sort of smells like a Christmas candle.

 

Tasty, but then again, I like this kind of clove.

[edenssixthday]

Quick Grope Under The Mistletoe - Basically, this is the Yule version of Samhain. Upon initial application, I smell lots of sweet apple and some deep, bitter evergreen notes blended with patchouli and spices like clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon. I also feel like there's a little bit of musk in this, as it reminds me just a tough of the delicious musk in Faunalia. As it warms up on my skin, the clove does what clove always does, and that is to push everything else behind it and take centerstage. Clove is such an attention whore, and for a while, this is all about clove clove clove, as if nothing else in the world matters except for clove! The longer this is on my skin, the clove backs off a touch and while it still remains strong, I'm able to smell the evergreen, patchouli, musk, and other spices, too. The apple is there, but barely. Again, the closest I can come to describing it is to say Quick Grope Under The Mistletoe is to Yule what Samhain is to Halloween. It's a winner and next holiday season, I'm going to use a little of this in my oil burner so my whole house smells delicious like this fragrance (and I hope the apple note stays strong when using it as a room fragrance!)

[Venneh]

Thanks so much for the BPAL Easter Egg, Usagi! In the decant, this smells like pine and spices, for sure. On my skin, I get apples and pine and mulling spices? Sadly, it fades quickly, so, not quite for me. Glad I got to try it, though.

Edited February 26, 2010 by Venneh

[reena1]

I had the opportunity to try this thanks to the lovely bheansidhe!

 

In bottle: light and fruity...not sure what kind of fruits but fruity none the less.

 

wet on skin: wow its like a cinnamon apple.

 

dry: the spices really come out to party. this is SUCH a trigger scent. It reminds me of going to this annual christmas eve party that my parents friend threw. Ive been doing that ever since i was around 5 and this perfume smells like the candles they burned. It reminds me of running around with the other kids dragged there by their parents. Sneaking christmas cookies drinking cider, and trying to impress the boy you have a crush on while your mom is keeping a keen eye on you.

 

not really loving it as a perfume but will keep it for the awesome memory...PS it has LOTS of throw

[myth]

Cider apples, pine trees, smoke, and spice. Delicious. Similar to Ho Ho Ho but cidery instead of winey and with the pine. Lurve.

 

Thank you so much to the Lab for the gift and to XOMom for the will call that offered the chance to obtain it. This is awesome on me, and my bottle will be cherished.

[grrrlennyl]

Quick Grope Under the Mistletoe

 

On: Fruity, spicy wine. And I mean SPICY. Lots of cinnamon and clove, I think.

1.5 hours in: Mostly warm spices with a hint of fruit.

3 hours in: Warm spices and a tiny bit of red fruit.

4 hours in: Just warm spices.

Overall: I'm not really warm spices sort of gal, unless there's something else that goes along with it.

[Penance]

Origin:

 

Frimp in a LJ purchase.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I've been wanting to try this one after reading the reviews. I'm expecting spicy fruit (apple or pear, maybe apple cider), fir/pine/evergreen and maybe some smoke. It sounds like the perfect Christmas scent.

 

First sniff:

 

Yay, Christmas in a bottle! As much as I love the smell of things like Mistletoe (which is a fantastic almost-pine scent), when I think Christmas scents, I think of blends that have everything all rolled into one. The smell of the Christmas tree, some hot spiced apple cider, a roaring fireplace, baking spices, the whole shebang. And that's what Quick Grope Under the Mistletoe smells like in the imp.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Spiced apple cider with just a touch of smoke. It reminds me quite a bit of Fearful Pleasure, but somehow more wintery and less autumnal. I don't know if it's just the name that's causing my brain to associate this with winter instead of fall, but they definitely "feel" different to me and conjure up different mental images.

 

Dry down:

 

This one's a morpher on me. As soon as the oil starts drying, a new scent comes out. Quick Grope has gone from spicy apple cider to spicy Christmas tree and it's beautiful. I also get a touch of smoke here and it reminds me of a Christmas tree, decked out with cinnamon ornaments (the kind I made when I was little from ground cinnamon and, I think, applesauce...it's been a long time, but we've still got one in our box of decorations and it has a strong cinnamon scent to it even now), next to a crackling fireplace.

 

The bottom line:

 

This is an awesome Christmas scent. I'm definitely going to need to get ahold of a bottle of this soon.

[cuervosueno]

I love this! Thanks to a very kind forumite who was willing to do a swap that included this, because I love it!

 

Apples! That's what I get at first--apple cider! It's delightful! And slightly, but not overwhelmingly, spiced, just like, well, hot spiced cider! But there is something else in here too, and after awhile the cider fades some and I get a nice, slightly smoky wood, just like the scent of pine firewood. It's not necessarily a pine tree, and it's not woodsmoke, but more pine firewood. That's the scent, and there is something slightly sweet in here too, and maybe a hint of christmas greenery.

 

I absolutely do not get red musk, which is fine with me, as I don't like it, and amp it like crazy. If there is musk in here, I'm not getting it. There could be a hint of patchouli but maybe not.

 

I did like the comparison to Samhain. It's not that it smells like Samhain so much as the mood of it is similar, if a bit less dark and murky.

 

Very very nice!

 

eta: after awhile it turns into the most lovely wood and winter greenery scent on me--it really does evoke the season. Love it!

Edited March 23, 2011 by cuervosueno

[brilliantcat]

First applied and in the bottle, I definitely get the Lambs-Wool comparisons as there's that spiced cider grabbing my attention. But on, oh when it's on me... there HAS to be patchouli in this and possibly some sort of musk (if it's red it's very very muted because I amp that) because it turns to deliciously earthy pine and mistletoe with a smidge of herbs and the smoke from the hearth wafting over. There's the barest hint of the spiced cider peeking through now and again. It's GORGEOUS. I thought nothing would ever become my signature Christmas scent like my beloved Waltz of the Snowflakes (RIP my decant, I miss you) but this might just do it.

[strahlend]

Starts off reminding me of an almond spice cookie sitting in a pile of dry leaves. Then comes in some fresh evergreen boughs. Then some apples that have been dried in a big oak barrel. Now I'm getting some dried wood and maybe some hint of currant or tart berry. In the drydown it's mostly dry woods and a hint of evergreen. Like being in a forest and the scent of spices waft in the air occasionally.

It's a very lovely winter scent and while I'm happy to have a partial bottle I would love to see this in the Yule rotation.

[puck_nc]

Origin: Decant gifted with a purchase from another BPALer

 

Initial Thoughts: Um, well, mistletoe? But with something sexy/musky going on?

 

In the Vial: Warm, honey-sweet apple with a backdrop of something incense-y.

 

Wet: A cheery burst of apple and fruit with an undertone that still reads incense to my nose.

 

Drydown: Now there's a bit of some evergreen in the mix. It's less of the cup of cider to make an exuberant toast to the holiday and more a cup of cider for sitting in an overstuffed chair and enjoying a cozy fire in a room hung with Christmas greenery.

 

Verdict: A sweet portrait of the Yule season and one I'll enjoy wearing.

[DevilsCandyCane]

Arrived yesterday from the Etsy site! This is definitely up there in the top three most Christmas-tastic BPAL scents I've ever tried, it's just got everything!

 

The main drydown scent on me is all wood-smoke, a hint of pine, and a splash of something warm and spiced, like mulled cider, in the most soft, fuzzy, realistic way - it really smells like a laid back, cuddly Christmas in some movie-set-perfect log cabin out in the snow, it's so gorgeous! Applying more, when it's fresh it's sweeter and juicier, the apple cider hasn't gotten so spiced yet, and there's almost a hint of big fat squidgy cranberries, and also piney Christmas tree, but very soft and true, not remotely eucalyptus-y menthol-pine. Then it dries down, and out comes the lovely woodsmoke, and the spice - the spice is almost like sniffing a year-old pomander, that sort of dusty-soft comforting clove and cinnamon with a hint of orange, which is what I so wanted from this year's Pomander SN but was let down by - this scent has all that and more, and I adore it!

 

Cocoa Pink do a scent called Cozy Cabin in the Woods which is similar to this, in terms of the notes, but I found that one really became plasticky and nauseating after a while, whereas this definitely doesn't - it's much softer and more realistic, and the final drydown of clinging woodsmoke, pomander-spice and a hint of mulled cider never becomes sickly and obnoxious, it just stays comforting and Christmassy and beautiful.

 

Big love!

[givesgoodemail]

Picked this up in an online sale, and I get a lot of different notes: mulled cider, apples, fresh-cut soft evergreen, heavy baking spices, and HOME.

 

That's it! Just HOME.

 

(And it throws strongly on me, and lasts all day.)