Dia de los Muertos

[wickedgoddess]

... This is a Mexican paean to La Huesuda: dry, crackling leaves, the incense smoke of altars honoring Death and the Dead, funeral bouquets, the candies, chocolates, foods and tobacco of the ofrenda, amaranth, sweet cactus blossom and desert cereus.

Origins - I love everythingDia De Los Muertos, and I had high expectations for this scent.

Wet - Nothing in particular stands out, maybe a slight liquor smell, but that's about it.

Dry - Candy corn! The predominent note besides the candy is rather cactusy, probably the cactus blossom. I don't any chocolate or tobacco, which makes me sad.

I like this because it's sweet and festive and really does remind me of Dia De Los Muertos. It's an atmosphere in a bottle. I am rather neutrul on the scent itself; I neither like nor dislike it. I don't really see myself wearing this very often, but it is fun.

On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 3.

[Glitzie]

In the bottle- Soft sensual floral

 

Wet- Floral, with a spicy undertone, yet sweet and smoky at the same time.

 

Dry- I get a slight citrus kick (Heaven only knows why!) the floral is now heady but still soft at the same time. I love heady florals so this could be a winner. I can detect smoke, but not a cloying smoke like some of the other blends. More like someone down the street had a fire an hour ago. Yes I am liking this a lot.

 

Perfection

[Essay 28]

In the bottle: sweet florals with a strong hint of cocoa.

 

On skin initially: Overpowering florals, sweet, but too floral for my liking.

 

After an hour: Still too floral for my taste, but a hint of cocoa returned somewhat, as well as a drift of a smoky scent that I had really hoped would be more dominant than floral. Regretfully, not a keeper scent.

[Shollin]

Thanks to Eoywin for the decant!

 

First sniff: I. Love. This. Scent. And I could not begin to tell you what it smells like beyond cocoa splashed with rum. There’s so much going on here.

 

Wearing: Deep cocoa with a hint of spice and a drizzle of alcohol – rum or red wine. It’s ever so slightly smoky, deep and complex, and I really, really like it.

[Em-]

From the moment I read the decsription of this scent, I knew I had to try it and I knew that one way or another, it would break my heart.

 

When I got hold of an imp, thanks to an accident of good timing, I was estatic. And my first whif from the imp was everything I hoped it would be...so sweet and rich and full of goodness...it reminded me of exactly what it must smell like in a Mexican bakery on del Dia...and I just knew right then and there that somehow I was going to have to find a bottle of this amazing elixor...

 

I thought that was going to be the heartbreak...then I tried it on...in some horrible alchemical joke, the moment this blend hits my skin, the wonderful sweet food evaporates and all that is left are the funeral flowers. And that, ladies, is how this oil broke my heart, but saved my wallet.

 

Luckily, the flowers do still smell lovely, and there is a hint of sugar left in them, and, thankfully, they do not trigger a migraine as so many florals do for me, but I was hoping that they would stay in the background...

 

Ah well...it is still amazingly lovely to sniff...

 

I have to update this to say that on subsequent wearings, I am coming to absolutely adore the richness of this oil...once I got over my initial "ew, it the flowers" (I swear, I love flowers in person, just not so much in bottles!) I really started to appreciate the complexity of the layering here - over the course of the day the florals come and go, as different scents come forward - the bakery, the procession through the village...this scent reminds me very much of Ray Bradbury's story about Del Dia, which is just lovely. I can imagine slathering myself in it for a visit to one of the tombs he described.

 

This may well start to become one of my favorite scents, which will lead us back to the *original* anticipated heartbreak...

Edited June 8, 2005 by emzebel

[misfitroxy]

I’ve had my bottle of DdlM for months now, but haven’t gotten around to giving it a proper review. I figure now’s as good a time as any to remedy that.

 

Once removing the cap from the bottle, I detect a strong, almost alcoholic caramel/sugar smell. It’s very foody, but not in a warm way. More in an herb cabinet sort of way, if that makes sense.

 

It turns straight to sweet florals on my skin. Their scent is very light, like a field of wild flowers caught in a breeze, but it’s obvious that they’re dark blooms. If this was stronger, it would be incredibly cloying.

 

I guess I’m catching a bit of the candy smell now, as it’s turning into a fresh baked, sugar-coated bread from what my nose can tell. The incense is staying well away, though, which is strange as I can usually pull out smoke scents first with my chemistry.

 

All I can really say beyond the above is that this is yet another incredibly unique blend. It’s neither feminine nor masculine, bright or dark, loud or soft. Rather, it sits in between – embodying a comforting communal or familial celebration, if you will.

 

I can’t decide if I could personally wear this or not. I’d love to burn it, though. And if I could turn it into a drawer scent (with little skull-shaped sachets, perhaps?), then that would be divine.

[Aredhel]

2004 Version

 

Rating (on skin): 3/5

Summarised in a word or two: Smoky chocolate.

 

In the imp/bottle: Sweet flowers, chocolate, something vaguely foody, and tobacco.

 

On skin, wet: Smoky, flowery chocolate... candy.

 

On skin, dry: Wow, this really doesn't last. In less than thirty minutes, it's reduced to a light, chocolatey tobacco.

 

Conclusion: Too foody, and not strong enough.

Edited June 2, 2008 by Aredhel

[joseybird]

I really procrastinated in reviewing this one I knew it would be difficult, as this is one of the most complex scents I've ever smelled, EVER.

 

The smokiness is immediately discernable, as are the florals (unidentifiable), and boh are backed by a smooth dark chocolate undertone. Soon, I begin smelling a bit of the candy sweetness (just a touch--it blends with the floral notes. I smell a little breadiness here, but it's very light and unobtrusive, so it doesn't feel like you're wearing bread perfume! Oh! a few minutes later, here comes the sweet berry wine! this is the same wine that's in Mabon!

 

Yesterday I went to Lincoln Center in NYC to see New York City Ballet's Double Feature. After the ballet, I went with my mom to explore the fleet of white-hooded craft and food stalls which dotted Lincoln center. Dia de los Muertos smells like that marketplace--the wafting scents of foods mingling with the flowers of the surrounding gardens, and touches of smoke from the cookpots and juice peeps were carrying around to keep cool, all carried by the breeze.

 

Beautiful. Just beautiful

[sh1mm3r]

Thanks to batgirl for bringing this to the Chicago meetup to try!

 

Although this is not as change-o-matic as Black Cat, it is similar in its numerous phases

that seem completely different from each other. First it is sweet, then the florals come out and then I distinctly start catching whiffs of smoke and cactus (a shocker, even though I have been impressed by Beth before, I guess I never expected to smell smoke and cactus so distinctly!!).

 

I don't think it ever got to the point where it was a unified single note, it depended on how far my nose was from my arm, what I was thinking about when I sniffed it, etc.

 

Even if you don't think you would like the notes in this, I would recommend trying it just for the experience.

[telesilla]

Got this one because I was curious about the notes and, of course the name didn't hurt.

 

 

In the bottle and wet on me: As Salieri said in Amadeus: "Too many notes." It's a dark, sweet, strong perfume.

 

Drying down and dry: It's still strong and dark, and almost sickly sweet. I'm getting more of the tobacco -- fresh leaf not smoke -- and a slightly floral note that might be the cereus. I wish I could say more about it but it's just this heavy perfume. It's not morphing at all, just sort of hanging there on my wrist like syrup.

 

The weird thing is that I can't decide if I like it or not; I think it would be too much if I was actually wearing it on my throat, behind my ears, and down my cleavage as well as on my wrists. As the other opinions in the house are mixed -- Nancy doesn't like it much and our cat Joxur liked it so much he licked my wrist -- I think this is going in the swap pile.

Edited July 10, 2005 by telesilla

[maewitch]

This is a very sexy, earthy, feminine scent on me. It feels brown and muted red.

 

I get the incense right off the bat, though not much smoke. The chocolate lies low, but I get that sweetness that I associate with gourmand fragrances, which is a lovely complement to the incense.

 

As it dries, the florals pick up, though I can't figure out which ones I'm smelling. It's definately something lush but not tropical, drier in feel, settling in very nicely with the sweet incense.

Edited July 25, 2005 by maewitch

[malanna]

I'm not familliar with a lot of notes in Dia de los Muertos, but I'll try my best. After application, this smells like candy corn with flowers. The flowers are rather sweet, in a nice way. If it's cactus flower, then I'm down with that! I can pick up the cocoa--but it's definitely not chocolate, but cocoa powder. After several hours, the candy corn impression fades, and it's just flowers with a sprinkling of cocoa.

[Lilithlefay]

Very sweet and floral. Too much so for me. It is pretty but not something I would wear. I wish I got the incense or musky notes. Nope, very sweet flowers. After about 30 minutes though the smokey scent finally starts coming through(yes!!!) ans the flowers fade and then it is yummy!!!!!! Definately worth the wait. I hope this is rereleased this year so I can grab a bottle.

Edited July 30, 2005 by Lilithlefay

[magdalene]

in the bottle: sweetly floral.

 

wet on skin: This is a very earthy scent, lots of florals, with some sweetness to balance everything out. Unfortunately, it's a little too heady for me and that's quite upsetting, as I so wanted to love this scent.

 

dry: I think it's the cocoa that's turning me off from this one and the candy quality. It's too sticky sweet for my tastes.

[Little Bird]

Reading all of the reviews about tobacco and chocolate and incense had me really excited to try Dia de los Muertos. Unfortunately, I am one of those unlucky people that this went floral on . Jasmine is my most hated floral, it seems to always give me vicious headaches... and that's actually what I'm smelling here. I can't believe that this doesn't have any jasmine in it, I would have betted my life on it... I digress. On me, this is all heady headache-inducing florals.

 

Smoky jasmine and other nameless florals swirling around that I cannot place. Maybe I am smelling some incense smoke here in the drydown. Either way, this is way too strong and overwhelming for me.

[arcticghost]

Deep, dark, incensy leaves with maybe a hint of cocoa. I'm not getting any florals and it's quite a different scent. Very autumny and reminiscent of Hunter Moon to me, but in that darker way.

 

This is from a 2004 decant I purchased recently on Ebay and also my first review, so reader beware, I'm not very good with notes yet. I like it, though I am not sure how often I would wear it. I also have a bottle for 2005 on order, so it'll be interesting to compare the two years.

[korshka]

This is beautiful. It is sweet and yummy, and it's smokey and dark. It's not any particular scent that makes this, but all of them together that makes it so wonderful. It's quite nice. My skin soaks it up a bit, but over all I love it. I might need to reconsider not getting a bottle this year.

[quimerula]

It starts with tobacco and cactus blossom (the one you can smell in Santa Muerte too).

 

As it dries down I can smell soft gourmand notes, with something familiar to my nose that I can't point.

 

Sweet and lovely, I ordered a 2005 bottle without thinking twice!

[zenvodunista]

this perfume makes me want to get a skin transplant.

 

in the bottle: wow. each sniff brings something different. first there is chocolate, and then there are flowers, then smoke, then leaves.... i smell incense. i smell a touch of wax, and then it's back to the flowers, and so on and so forth. absolutely stunning. like nothing i've ever really smelled before. i like to sniff it, breathe in and out, and then sniff it again. each sniff brings a different note to the forefront.

 

on me: within a few minutes all i can smell is the scent of a botanica. now, this is not necessarily a bad thing. a botanica, for those of you who don't know, is a latin "occult" shop. it's where one goes to get incense, candles, oils, and other supplies for various kinds of worship. the shops have beads, dried herbs, and statues of the saints. this smells like that on my skin: old herbs that are slightly musty, like a mish mash of incnese long burnt.

 

to be fair, my skin is all broken out this week, and i wonder if i am going through a hormonal thing. my dearest wish is that i am, because if i could get what is on the bottle onto my skin, i'd be a very happy woman indeed. i am also going to explore scenting my hair like astrobabe does at the very beginning of this thread.

 

it's a really unique oil. i am glad i hunted down a bottle, and i look forward to the 2005 i ordered. even if i find i can never wear it, i'll just sit and sniff it, it's that good.

 

n.

[DarkMouse]

2004 version

I can't even tell you what I'm smelling straight off.. but I really don't like it. It has too much of a floral top note for me and there is something 'biting' in the background. I do smell something like candy or chocolates in the very back.. but I'm unsure if that's the Velvet I was wearing earlier today. This really gives me a headache.. its going to the swap pile. I'm glad though that I didn't make a mistake when not ordering this years version. Too bad it doesn't like me, because the name is so cool.

(after reading other reviews.. I think the nasty scent I was smelling is jasmine - which hates me and gives me a headache)

[sophia_helix]

I was able to get a half-imp of this so I could test for this year's.

 

In the bottle:

 

I absolutely can't describe what it smelled like in the bottle, because I couldn't place it, other than green, sweet.

 

Wet:

 

On my skin, the unplaceable scent was just stronger.

 

Drydown:

 

I think what I was smelling was the cactus flower, and the candy. I definitely got the idea of something green and night-blooming and juicy.

 

Sadly, that was about all I got from this scent. No flowers, the teensiest hint of woodsmoke in the background, and the whole thing faded before it really got a chance to morph (like, within an hour).

 

Wah! I was really into this. I suppose I should be glad I have fewer must-buy Halloween LEs, but I was looking forward to Dia.

[lookingglass]

(2004)

I got this baby free in a swap! Thank you!

 

Wet, this is a heady green floral and buttery sweetness. As it dries, it throws a clean white floral and chocolate, a little smokey. So evocative of a Catholic alter...It becomes a little fruity for a moment (is that raspberry?mmmm). Dry I notice the tobacco, a bit of the cocoa, and some booze (like in Hellcat), but it is still WAY floral. The flowers are redder now.

 

Wow...this is a very complex and narrative scent. I can't wait to see how it compares to 2005!

 

(2005)

 

Yeah, she is still definitely a floral...close your eyes and there is sweet sugar, a bit of cocoa, a red fruit, and a little smoke underneath. I don't know if it is that this blend is fresh or if it is a difference in the blend itself but this smells brighter.

 

This is one of the more "commercial" smelling BPALS IMO...I think it is the complexity of the floral that is so evocative. This would be a great "breaking into BPAL" blend, for sure.

Edited October 27, 2005 by lookingglass

[urraca]

The lovely and talented zenvodunista gifted me with a sample of this in a swap and I was so excited to try it. I have been fascinated with this feast for several years, and this was the only Halloween scent I ordered from the 2005 edition. I love this and it makes me long for my 2005 bottle. It is better than I could have hoped. On my skin is is a burnt caramel, chocolatey candyish smell but wafting from where I have applied it is a beautiful sophisticated floral. A complex, lovely and subtle blend.

[mandalinn]

In the imp--This one smells almost like an ashtray to me, not at all what I was expecting.

 

Dry down---very floral with a touch of sweetness.

 

Conclusion---very much not my thing. Not "sweet" like I hoped, it was very dry on me and too floral.

[pickman's model]

Good heavens. This blew me away on so many levels.

 

A definite smokiness, foody sweetness, earth and flowers.

 

I'm eight years old, and this makes me think of my grandfather's funeral so vividly. A big Catholic thing in early November. And some thing else too. More joy, but a definite note of the departed.

 

Damn. I had to sit down when I tried this. It's beautiful.