Dia de los Muertos

[Penance]

Dia De Los Muertos 2005

... 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.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I ended up loving last year's DDLM in spite of my hatred of chocolate and floral notes but never got enough of it, so I was thrilled when it was brought back this year, but (based on reviews) I think this year's may very well be far too floral for my tastes.

 

First sniff:

 

Hmm, at first I want to say I don't like this because there's a strong floral component here which generally is not a good thing (not a floral lover), but then I realize there's tobacco underneath the flowers and I adore the smell of tobacco, so there may be a chance of my liking this yet. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed on this one.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Well, this kind of...different. I'm not sure what this is that I'm smelling...it's kind of waxy, kind of floral and a little sour. I'm sure it must be one or more of the floral notes I'm smelling, but I'm terrible at identifying flowers by smell, so I can't pin this down any more. This is way too floral and perfumey for me. The tobacco's completely disappeared, too, which makes this even worse.

 

Dry down:

 

I'm smelling a bit of chocolate now, but it's mainly those strange florals from the wet stage. This is missing all the things I loved from last year's: the strong tobacco note, the incense, the darkness and smoke. Instead it's light and perfumey and not at all up my alley.

 

The bottom line:

 

I wanted to love this and was prepared to slather myself in it if it was the same as last year's, but it's just not the same. I'll be hoarding my precious '04 bottles even more now.

[Kittyflop]

DDLM 2005

 

I've never tried the '04 version, so cannot compare the two.

 

What I get strongly from this is sweet pipe tobacco and honey, with florals weaving around in the background. It has terrific staying power. I don't get much chocolate; I've read a few comparisons to Kali (which is one of my two all-time favorites) and agree that the chocolate is stronger in her than in this. But I adore it! This will definitely compete as one of my top autumn scents.

Edited October 28, 2005 by Kittyflop

[iriedanym]

Just got an imp of this scent today. Wow. The tobacco smell is the first note I picked up, and it reminded me of this shop in the mall I used to work at that sold tobacco and coffee. Normally I don't care for the scent, but it had such pleasant connotations that I kept sniffing. Ah yes! There's the chocolate and cactus flowers. I had thought this would end up being a more masculine scent, but on my skin, it is a nice musky smell reminscent of sitting around a campfire.

 

Just have to convince myself that I don't need to spend more money this month.

[Loligo]

2005 version: On me this starts out as florals, honey, and incense in that order of strength. It gradually dies down to a slightly chocolatey pipe tobacco scent with sweet bread in the background and some incense still sticking around. I really love this -- very evocative.

Edited October 30, 2005 by Loligo

[Mrs. K]

I still have half a bottle of the 2004 vintage and it is one of my favorite bpal's ever. But I held off on the 2005 version till I could verify it was the same.

 

Much to my dissatisfaction, I got a whiff of the 2005 DDLM and it was all florals. I like florals but the unique beauty of the original is the first aroma of tobacco, then chocolate, then incense and finally rounded out with florals.

 

Now I shall sparingly use my 2004 version and wait if a future version will be similar.

[Xiabelle]

2005 version

 

I was a bit worried when I first smelled this. So many florals! Lovely florals, to be sure, but florals and I don't always get along. I like them, but they don't usually like me.

 

I think I'm catching the cactus florals at first. Not totally positive, as I don't know what they smell like, but it sort of reminds me of that. It's lough and bright and a bit harsh when first on my skin.

 

But it starts settling down, and the florals mute. A couple of hours in, I get some candy and whiffs of chocolate, and it grows very very incensy. Lovely!

 

 

Now, several hours after I've put it on, I still get some incense, but also a bit of sweet, some distant florals, some leaves... Maybe some tobacco? I'm not positive. I really do like this a lot.

 

It's not as me as some other scents, but I'll certainly use it!

[Voleuse]

2005 Version

 

This...is not like last year's formulation. Which is a little disappointing, because I love DDLM 2004. At first sniff, the scent is overwhelmingly honey and florals. There's a hint of something creamy as well, but it's very faint.

 

After a while, it morphs into more of a floral incense, with hints of tobacco, and a mere suggestion of chocolate, but not much else. The scent stayed strong for about four hours, which is really good for me.

 

Overall, it's a nice scent, and I'm glad I'm getting a bottle eventually. I still prefer DDLM 2004 a lot more.

[urraca]

I reviewed Dia 2004 a few weeks ago and I just adored it. Today is the second time I've tried Dia 2005 and while I like it a lot I do agree it is different from 2005. I just don't agree with the reason why. I found Dia 2004 very much a sophisticated floral, "perfumey" in a word, blended with a burnt caramelly scent. I wouldn't describe 2005 as more floral; it is just a bit lighter in every respect. You know how all your different kinds of Halloween candy smell together when they are all in one place? That's how Dia 2005 smells. Lighter and less smoky that 2004 and a little like the sugar hasn't been cooked quite so long. They're both lovely, both have me constantly smelling my wrists, and both will no doubt attract different loyal fans.

[wickedgoddess]

2005 Version

 

I loved last year's Dia more for it's ability to create a scenario than for the scent itself. Still, it's lovely and I was looking forward to picking up another bottle of it.

Wet - a sweet white floral and something a bit dusty. It almost makes me sneeze. This doesn't smell a thing like last year's Dia.

 

Dry - This smells like a richer ylang ylang; the cactus blossom I presume. After a bit the honey comes out, and this is a lovely honeyed floral. It still doesn't smell a thing like last year's Dia though. I even tried them on side-by-side, and they are completely different. I will definitely hoard my bottle of Dia 2004, but this one, I don't know, I really don't see myself keeping it. It's pleasant enough, but it's not what I love about Dia, and it makes my nose itch.

 

On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 2.

[Diana]

2005 version.

 

DDLM '04 is one of my favorites. It's sweet, it's smokey, it's just delicious.

 

'05? Not so much. Putting it on, it's sweet, but not in the same way. Where as the older is sweet, like sugar, this is almost pure ylang-ylang, with perhaps a touch of jasmine. I mean STRONG overwhelmingly cloying and suffocatingly floral. And I'm a slatherer. So yeah, I'm not loving life with this all over me.

 

After about 20 minutes, some of the familiar incensey/vague smokiness appears, but it's totally light and underdeveloped. The florals are still kicking in high gear.

 

After a few hours... still super flower power. There is a small reminiscence to the older version. For some reason, there's a slight play-doh note in the background, kind of similar to the note that made me HATE Sugar Cookie & Egg Nog. It's not as strong, so I'm not scrubbing it off (yet). I just hope over the rest of the day it'll mellow & sweeten & smokeify and be a bit lot less floral.

 

I'm a pretty disappointed, but I'm going to place this on the back of my shelf with my other Samhain '05 oils and leaving them there for a few months. With any luck, this will somehow change into something closer to the 04 formulation that I love.

[erikasilverstein]

2004 VERSION (purchased from a forumite about a month ago).

 

Reminds me of Elegba. Similar in it carmelized, smokey richness.

 

But there is also something sweet and doughy (brings to mind Midway), and then something floral...

 

But not a floral I have smelled before -- sort of fruity -- I assume it's the cactus blooms?

 

Gets spicy in the drydown.

 

No chocolate. At least, not a recognizable chocolate. But that's okay, because none of the cocoa scents have worked on me.

[tinyvulture]

a variety of flowers, with tobacco and powdery cocoa. wish I could smell the leaves and incense, but it’s still pretty. doesn’t really strike me as an autumn scent, though, since it’s so light and floral.

[TroubleDoll]

This is more floral than I expected. Rather than chocolate, I get a faintly sour floral. It is warm, but more sharp and fruity than creamy.

[mobilejessie]

I'm not a fan of florals, so I immediately re-sold my bottle of the '04 Dia. I'm not sure why, but I absolutely love this version!

 

It's very floral, and almost has a jasmine-y top note like Follow Me Boy. It's slightly more sugary, though, with the barest hint of something woodsy (the dried leaves?). If Follow Me Boy is a light, spring/summer scent, then this is its darker, fall/winter sister. I prefer to wear foody scents, but every now and then I like something different. This will be perfect for the days when I don't feel like smelling like a bakery.

 

I can't pin down what's doing this, but I smell like I've been living in a Lush store for a few years. I have that light, sweet scent that's a combination of all the bath bombs and the soaps and the face masks. My favorite part of going into the Lush store is the smell that hits me when I first open the door. Now I can get hints of this huge collection of scents whenever I want.

[SeaMonkey]

I haven't been able to smell the 2004 Dia, but I was able to get an imp of it from Livejournal

 

It starts out being an overly strong floral that borders on giving me a headache.

 

Soon, it softens to a lovely cactus flower with tobacco floating over it. The chocolate comes in and sweetens it a little. Its a beautiful scent on dry down. I wish the tobacco was a little stronger. I don't get much of a candy note, but that is ok, as I don't really care for food scents.

[tart]

DDLM 2005...is much different from DDLM 2004. I'm tempted to believe that perhaps my bottle is mislabeled. Maybe they're just that different.

 

At first, this smelled floral/rosey with a bit of smoke. Now it smells kind of like ylang ylang with some of the sweetness from Chaste Moon. It gets smokier after a while, like the smoke in Samhain.

 

To compare 2005 to 2004 -- last year's felt vibrant and wildly colored. This year's is muted. It's pretty, but not what I was hoping for...

[PurringPulsar]

Dia De Los Muertos 05

 

In the imp: yup, this is floral! It’s almost like jasmine. But with something sweet and smoky too.

Wet on skin: I like this a lot! It’s sweet, sugary flowers with a hint of smoke.

Dry: whoa, it’s really quite a strong, heady and complex smell now-packs a real flowery punch, I think I can get tobacco here too! I get the crackly autumn leaves too, the smoke from tobacco and incense, maybe just a slight bit of chocolate.

After a while: wow, I really like this. The florals in here are really rich and full, I’m wondering what sort of flowers-maybe jasmine and gardenia, maybe lily? I think there’s vanilla or something sweet and sugary as well. Maybe it’s the candy and chocolate notes. I also get that gorgeous ‘autumn smoke and leaves’, and incense and tobacco smell in this, it adds a very interesting dimension to what would otherwise be a plain sweet floral scent. It does get more flowery, more heady, and a tad overwhelming after about 2 hours-it’s nice but I’m worried that the floral scent may be a bit much-and I don’t say that about many floral scents.

Verdict: I never got to try last year’s version, but I really love this one. It’s strongly floral, that cannot be denied-but that’s no bad thing, since I love floral scents, even of the heady kind-which this is. But there’s also a bunch of other notes in here that add complexity and interesting twists to the scent-sweet candy notes, possibly chocolate and vanilla and sugar, and smoky notes too, such as incense and tobacco, and the dry and dark scent of autumn leaves. This is an autumnal scent, but with a flowery aspect which makes it different and much more of a feminine scent. A fascinating and unique combination. I’m unsure of whether to get a bottle because the florals do get a bit too heady after a while, but I’m definitely keeping the decant I have.

[AlaskaSnows]

This is for 2005.

 

Wet: Cherry cough drops.

 

Dry: Unspeakably horrible. Synthetic smoke over a cherry or orange cough drop smell, sharp, fakely sweet, but mostly just a very fake smelling smoke. Oh well.

[wingedcorset]

'05

 

This is Tenochtitlan's older, mysterious sister. I'm getting a honey, chocolate, spice, floral thang. Yum. Gotta order a big bottle of this. TODAY!

[malabar]

The 2005 version: The first thing that hit me was roses and an undefined foody smell. On me, I get that sweetness lingering, but with a harsh undernote that may be tobacco or possibly candle smoke, a la Gypsy Queen. Whichever it is, it's transient; and now it's drying down to a somewhat spicy but flowery powder smell. It's a bit overwhelming; may be better dilute.

[Joanofarkansas]

It's funny, but I didn't associate the florals they so many people noticed with fresh flowers, but with those older scented rosaries made of crushed compressed petals.

 

This was my first order with BPAL and I love this scent. The tobacco and chocolate notes are warm and sumptuous. Unfortunately, I work with some delicate/allergic types so I put this on scarves to calm it down a bit.

 

My other favorite use is dabbing it on my little bone Day of the Dead carving as a room scent. (I know, antique dealers would be horrified, but it's mine Mine MINE, so I can do as I wish)

[QueenFae]

This one is a lot less foody than I had imagined it would be. The incense is the first thing I notice, it's sweet yet resin-y and smoky. There is an almost perfumey tone to this one, the foodiness is just a breath of undertone. I can detect a slight cocoa scent mingled with the cactus blossom. This one is really pretty nice, it's womanly and sexy. Conjours images of rituals, candles, and ashes. I would classify it as a resiny floral scent.

[couscous]

Wet: a yellow-white floral blend, along the lines of Eos and Beltane. Luckily, these types of florals- warm and creamy rather than dried, juicy, powdery, or grassy- are among the few I like to wear. So far, I think it's really pretty.

 

On skin: DDLM is getting....a bit heady. I can feel my head getting a bit smaller. Still nothing terribly evocative of offerings. I am keeping this on my skin because I like the flowers, but so far, it's a bit TOO floral for me.

 

Dry: Holy hell, this is amazing. It takes an hour or so for the tobacco to come out, but when it does, you end up smelling like the sweetest, smokiest pipe, with just a bit of warm flowers in the background.

 

Verdict: Dia de los muertos 05 can be a bit much for a few minutes, but this dry down is so worth it. It's like standing in the heat a few feet away from a tobacco shop with an open door, eating a pastry.

 

4 stars, at the very least. This one was my favorite Samhain blend so far.

 

Now I have to see if I can afford another bottle tonight before she goes away...

[Merlu]

The first time I tried it, all I could smell was jasmine. In the bottle, jasmine. Wet on my skin, jasmine. Dry, jasmine.

 

Then, much much later, I could faintly smell something else... but the jasmine was still overpowering.

 

Then, after forgetting it in the sun for a few days ...

It smelled so freaking good!

 

In the bottle and wet on my skin, the jasmine was much more tame, and blended in with gorgeous other florals.

 

Then, on the drydown, I got sweet tobacco, chocolate and candy, and soft flowers on a warm, sunny, beautiful autumn day.

 

Just beautiful.

[Guest ExquisiteSiren]

When I first slather this on my arm, my first reaction is sorrow.

Deep cloying deathly sorrow, that is not really all that comfortable.

 

This intrigues me so I draw closer with my nose...eh...what is that putrid sour smell???

 

Death??? Like corpse?......uh.....I am not sure I am digging this very much.

 

So I pull my nose away and smell the musky tobbaco smoke..musky like a church.

 

I give up for a while....and 5 minutes later I press my nose closer.

 

The sour corpse is gone! Yay!! and a smokey cream danish is in its place!

 

The danish does not really make me hungry...since my appitite is gone after smelling the cloying scent of death...

but none the less when I smell the scent trail it leaves...the tobbaco and the sweet smell sort of mingle into a rather beautiful smell...so its hard for me to want to trade it away.