All Saints'

[Caltha]

All Saints

Based on a venerable French pontifical incense blend: monastic frankincense and myrrh, Damascus rose, Russian gardenia, cassia, and lily of the valley wafting on a chill Autumn wind. A celebration of the glory and suffering of the saints and matryrs of the Church.

 

All Saints is not for me, which is no surprise really. I guess I was hoping for the incense, but I get none. All I get are scary florals, a huge, nectar-sweet cloud of lilies which sour on the skin to a more soapy version of themselves. If I appreciated insanely sugared white florals at all I think I might have enjoyed the first stage, before the soap kicks in.

Edited November 18, 2007 by Shollin

[maijasu]

On me, this one is soap, soap, and more soap.

 

If you like florals, it might be lovely, but I honestly smell no incense at all in this.

[euterpe414]

This blend was a complete gamble for me. I read a lot of mixed reviews of the previous years, and decided it was worth a shot, since I know there are some that like this a lot and would give it a home if I didn't. Well, they don't get to have it, 'cause I love it!! On me this is super autumnal incense and leaves with a hint of floral. I am glad it's a hint, since gardenia is not one of my favorite flowers (I do like lily though). I feel a little strange in that I detect a bit of sugar or foody in this, don't know why it is there. No soap, though. yay!

 

So yeah, I love this! It is an autumn evening perfected. Wind blowing, leaves rustling, walking by a church with candles lit in the windows. very evocative and beautiful. Glad I took the chance on this one.

Edited October 28, 2006 by euterpe414

[edenssixthday]

All Saints 2006 - Of all three versions of All Saints, this is the most gorgeous. In the vial, it smells to me like wet wood -- totally unappealing. As soon as I apply it, however, I start to think perhaps I'll like it, and then it just keeps getting better and better and better until it's full-blown gorgeous. I noticed that other reviewers noted the strong floral presence in this blend, but on me, it starts out as a predominantly myrrh blend with a touch of frankincense, but the longer I wear it, the more and more the frankincense amps up and becomes the dominant note. About 40 minutes after first applying the oil, I also note something sweet that initially smells to me like some sort of citrus, but which, as it becomes more noticeable, I realize is actually the scent of rose, and it gives the overall blend such a lovely and well-rounded quality. I don't detect the gardenia, cassia, or lily of valley as distinct notes, but its evident that they work together to temper the resinous myrrh and frankincense and to lend a light sweetness to the scent that it wouldn't have otherwise. If you've tried Faustus, this reminds me a lot of Faustus, only much better. All Saints 2006 is such an incredibly gorgeous scent that I'll be buying a full bottle for myself. I really just can't get enough of it. Amazing!

Edited November 1, 2006 by edenssixthday

[sterlingspider]

I don't know if I'm more in shock or in love.

 

I got All Saints 2006 through a decant circle (oddly enough from the poster directly before me in thiis thread) on a whim. I normally stay FAR away from anything floral and this one had not one but FOUR flowers listed, but it was also listed as an incensey blend so I figured worst comes to worst I can trade it right?

 

Wrong.

 

If this stays smelling half this good I'm ordering a big ole 5ml (or two) of it while I still can.

 

in bottle: nice resiny notes but may be too floral for me when applied (or so I thought)

wet: Sweet sandalwood, a strong spicy foody element, perhaps cinnamon?

drying: still quite spicy and resiny. Something green and yet peppery floral underneath, like fresh carnations. Also tingles very slightly as if there is cinnamon in it.

a bit further in: This could turn soapy still, I'm starting to get what I think is the Lilly of the Valley coming through, but I'm praying the resins keep it grounded. If they can this definately gets a top billing in my book

 

I love this smell on me, but oddly enough I want to put it on my boyfriends hair. This is the kind of smell that makes me I want to bury my face in someone's neck. I keep shoving my nose in my arm (I applied it just below the crook of my elbow), but it does still tingle/sting just a mite so I will be avoiding this on sensitive areas and immediately after showers.

 

This gets a full 5/5 for me (which says a LOT considering P&tP is the only other BPAL scent I've rated that high). This could totally be a cocktail party perfume for me, it's just so sexy yet clean. Of course I'm batting 2 for 2 with falling in love with LE' s

 

Four Hours later: A bit more powdery then I would have liked but still pleasant, almost like a soft oriental spice style perfume, but still still with a solid enough incense base that I'm not turned off by the powdery-ness.

Edited November 2, 2006 by sterlingspider

[ND¢]

Dang it. Rose. Straight-up rose with maybe a hint of something greener underneath (could just be rose stems, a la Rose Red.) It's very pretty, but not for me.

[Nisaba]

2006 - how how I lvoe my 2005, but even when it was new it never smelt like this, or I never would have kept it. Perhaps aging will save All Saints 2006 for me but, right now, after a whiff of light incense, and a touch of lily, all I get now is rose. Rose rose powdery rose. My skin does love rose. I like rose, but my Peacock Queen is enough for me. No 2006 for me.

[Emma2403]

This is a review for the 06 version.

 

In the bottle: rose mostly and something like wet wood.

 

On my skin: smokey rose. I can distinctively smell lily of the valley as well, and something like freshly ironed laundry.

 

After a couple of hours: almost faded entirely away after an hour.

 

Verdict: probably very pretty for rose lovers but not what I am looking for at the moment.

[xoe]

my experience is akin to Sterling Spider's review above. It starts out quite floral with a resiny background, but the florals quickly fade into the background. The resins are so rich and delicious. I want to smell like this on fancy nights, a dinner party or a romantic evening. FANTASTIC.

[PurringPulsar]

All Saints 06

 

In the imp: rose! lots of rose…like dried rose petals. This doesn't have the resinous background of 05, yet. The rose here reminds me of London.

Wet on skin: now the frankincense comes out and mixed with the rose.

Dry on skin: crisp, tart, blood red rose petals with a hint of resin. This is much, much heavier on the rose than last year's, which had definite frankincense and myrrh tones to it. The frank 'n myrrh are here too but not as obvious. This actually reminds me of Hymn, as I get a little hint of lily of the valley too. But the rose is actually like London's rose, or the rose in Pride or the Peacock Queen, a dry, traditional rose scent, but there's a hint of cool freshness-the chill autumn wind, maybe?

After a while: rose is still predominant, and I get a hint of something almost moss like, as well as smoke. But there's an undertone to this which I'm not keen, it's almost like (don't take my word on this!) civet, but of course that might be my skin screwing with this scent. it's a cold, almost muddy scent, with a hint of rose and moss. It reminds me of a lighter Zombi, in fact.

After this brief 'weird' phase, I start to smell more of the resins under the scent of dry rose petals. It smells a little like Rose Cross or Thanatos now. The scent moves between pure dried rose to rosy resins to earthy mossy rose all the time…can't make up it's mind what it wants to be right now.

Verdict: this is the scent of the roses that bloom in the autumn…they didn't manage to bloom in the height of summer so they bloom at a cooler time of year and the cold gets them and they soon die. A scent of roses covered in hints of cold rain, dried rose petals mingled with autumn leaves and wet, mossy soil. This is a darker, less resinous, more earthy version of All Saints, much more rose-dominated and even a little decayed on me. Unfortunately it lacks the really resinous-incense scent I got in 05, which was a well balanced mix of rose and resins on me, this one has a stage to it which smells really weird on me. It also reminds me of other rose scent which I prefer. I might keep the decant but I don't think I need a bottle.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Maybe, but I have many other similar rose scents.

If you like this, try: Rose Cross, London, Lucy's Kiss, Thanatos, Zombi, Hymn

[juniperus]

Bottle: incense and flowers

Wet: the myrrh is prominent, the incense taking center stage, here

Dry: incense and really faded floals, much nicer than last year's version was on me (that went all amped lily)

Later: faded, but still lovely - subtle, incensey but slightly sweet. very nice on me.

[The_Merf]

This is a test of a decant of All Saints' 2005

 

In the decant: This is a very white blend, and it does strike me as more floral than resiny. However, I'm still dreadful with telling white florals apart, so I can't go into specifics about which ones I smell.

 

Wet: This has the sharp smell of light roses at first, but that does go away quickly (thank God). There is the barest hint of incense here.

 

Drydown and wear: This remains as a white floral (the rose never goes away 100%) and incense blend. It's a little sharp for me, so I'll pass the decant on to the next person.

[Em-]

This is based on 2004 and 2005. I've not tried the 2006 version.

 

Very floral incense. I like incense blends, but this has too much of a heavy floral note to make it friendly to my chemistry - I prefer a spicy or foody hint, which I can get with Midnight Mass and All Souls respectively.

[slave1]

ALL SAINTS 06

 

In Bottle: Smoky rose

 

On Skin: This seems quite similar to the last version of this scent as well. It is heavily rose with a nice incense that floats throughout the blend. The rose is actually quite sharp and begins to turn on me after about 10 minutes. It’s a sour rose I can’t stand sadly. The frankincense and myrrh offer soft resinous notes but they don’t sweeten up the rose enough for me. The other florals also seem to be drowned out by my rose nemesis. I liked this at first but the rose just kills it for me… It has a strong throw and long wearlength.

[arabella]

2006 Version

 

First Impression: Soapy rose.

 

Dries down to: Gets soapier and no other notes are ever discernible.

 

Additional Comments: Unfortunately, the rose really amps on me in this blend and all the other notes get drowned.

 

Lasted: A few hours.

 

Rating: 1.5 out of 5

[LadyMedb]

This goes insanely soapy on me for nearly the first hour, but then afterwards (miracle!) dries down to a beautiful and mysterious floral incense - a little dry, a little powdery, slightly potpourri like, very sweet and compelling. I think my skin reacts to the lily of the valley, but then my natural chemistry with rose and frankincense takes over, and the whole thing becomes balanced and sensuous. It smells like one's hair smells after one has been in a room with rose incense. It's very beautiful, and I'll be wearing it, but I do need time to let it dry down before I go out.

 

Overall, I think All Saints' is lovely - it reminds me of one of my very favourites, Black Rose. Keeper, for sure.

 

EDIT - smells even better left over on my scarf the next day.

 

EDIT - still frustrated with the long drydown, but it still smells amazing after the drydown. I'm going to experiment with it as a room scent to get some use out of it on those days when I can't afford the wait.

Edited March 3, 2007 by LadyMedb

[Meg]

This is the 2005 version.

 

In the bottle: Rose and myrrh, and something that smells a little bit like grape.

 

Wet: dusty frankincense and rose.

 

Drydown: Incense and florals, a very nice soft rose and probably a bit of lily of the valley and gardenia. It smells rather dusty, possibly in an "autumn leaves" way, but maybe it's just the frankincense/myrrh mix that smells like this.

 

Overall: A very well blended creation, which really does smell like an incense with flowers. It's pretty hard to work out which scent is which, except for the incense which is pretty clear. It smells very elegant and feminine, like an expensive perfume. It's pretty, but nothing I'd wear.

[stellans]

This was a very nice oil to wear Sunday, since it was for me a fairly quiet day of introspection, this was a good oil to have randomly selected for myself.

 

In the imp: Rose, with a deeper tang which I suppose to be the incense.

 

Wet on skin: True to the imp smell: still tangy rose.

 

Dry: Lovely mellowed rose, with a deep underlying base. Is that the frankincense & myrrh? It's very nice. I don't really get an 'autumn leaves' feel at all from this blend.

 

Verdict: This is a nice scent, but the imp I have (not sure which vintage, but I suspect 2006) will be sufficient. I have a number of rose-based blends already, and there's still oodles of BPAL rose stuff yet to try.

edited to add: this scent really, really grew on me to the point that I hunted down a bottle so I could wear it more often. I really like the incense note, which deepens the rose in a way I haven't found anywhere else.

Edited November 1, 2009 by stellans

[filigree_shadow]

This smells like anise-flavored incense on me.

I have no idea why.

 

And after 30 minutes, it's ALL POWDER.

 

I like several of the Lab's incense blends, but... not this one.

 

ETA: Oops, forgot to mention this is the 06 version. I don't have any of the 05 version any more, but I remember it smelling like sweet floral incense.

Edited May 14, 2007 by filigree_shadow

[zankoku_zen]

This is a sniffie for All Saints 2004

 

In the imp: Incensey

 

On Skin: Incensey and a sharp floral

 

On Drydown: Sharp floral with a hint of honey.

 

After an hour: Smells very rosey right now, with a hint of incense.

 

Verdict: I'm glad I got to try this but to love it I'd have to love roses and incense, which I don't. But it's a pretty scent.

[forspecial_plate]

This just about knocked me over with rose and nothing but rose. Tart rose. Extremely strong on my skin with tons of throw. I don't think I smelled any of the other notes. The rose started to turn sour and never did back off, until unfortunately I just had to wash it off. Just not a scent for me!

[LadyCrow]

2005 version

 

In the imp: Ooh, gardenia! Could this work?

 

Wet: Apparently not. It's that same evil rose note from Rose Cross. Yuck, that's sour. And strong! Okay -- at least now I know it's Damascus rose that hates me.

 

Drydown: After several ice ages, I only faintly get any hints of the incense notes, or even the cassia, which normally hogs the limelight on my skin. It's all that strong, sour rose overpowering everything. Someone else whose skin chemistry works with rose might well love this; I think I'll give them the chance.

[alicia_stardust]

I get flowers and incense. Mostly rose to be exact. Roses and resins. That's it. I love this, but I have so many rose and resin scents that I love more (like Parlement of Foules).

 

I will keep a decant but swap away the rest.

[aleciarivas]

Definitely Rose, but until I looked up the notes again I couldn't place the other floral- oh duh lilies!!!! Nice, very comforting, this reminds me of going to mass when I was younger. But a little overwhelming at the same time. Maybe I will keep a decant but I might not keep my bottle.

[jewelbug]

Imp: Powdery floral rose…ever so slightly spicy smelling to my nose.

 

Wet: I smell resins first and foremost—frank and myrrh, but with a strong equal of fairly gentle rose, and a waft of spice. This is a very dry scent.

 

Dry: Rose, Rose, Rose, with a small amt of spice/resin, and strangely enough, I swear I keep getting slight whiffs of citrus—no idea from where! 2 hr later, this settles into a slightly spiced roase with resin undercurrent, more sweet, less dry than before.

 

Overall: Its dry, and as far as rose scents go, its interesting. But my go to spicy gentle rose scent is Winter of Discontent, and I prefer that to this.