Dia de los Muertos

[astridclaire]

... 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.

The description of this sounded so lovely, but all I get from this blend is evil florals from DOOM!!! I'm guessing there is jasmine in this blend, because every BPAL blend with jasmine in it goes completely headache-floral ape shit on my skin.

Oh well, off to swaps.

[nancybridget]

Beautiful incense and floral blend. I don't get much of the sweets, but I can tell that there's a dusting of them in the fragrance.

 

It's haunting and playful at the same time. I love incense!!!

 

Definately pleased with myself for picking this one up!

[theling]

Rating: 6/10

 

In the bottle:

Kindy of a creamy scent can distinguish many of the notes...

 

Initial Scent (on skin):

I had high hopes fo rthis one because of both the leaves,tobacco, and chocolate notes... but once it is on my skin it turns to a creamy moldy floral yet foody scent (i guess funeral bouqets and cookies dont mix well on me).

 

Staying Power:

Has pretty good staying power... which is too bad because i wanted it OFF ME!

[maijasu]

I'm wondering if I even have the same scent as some of the other reviewers... I smell fruit and powder and not much else. My skin eats it up, so that all the scent is gone within 15 minutes. I had high hopes for this one, but alas, it's a no-go for me.

[sookster]

this is DDLM 2006 version:

 

staight sniff from imp this is a fruit and flower combo...

 

once applied a kind of foody note comes through...i cannot identify

it with being cocoa or candies but it is foody, nonetheless...hmmm

 

this scent disappears quickly so i had to reapply a few more dabs...

 

this is better than the dreaded 2005 jasmine version but still not what

i was looking for...it seems too watery or aquatic and fades far too

fast and furiously for my tastes...i was really hoping for lots of chocolate

and tobacco in this which i get none of....oh well...i tried

[euterpe414]

(2006 version)

 

In the bottle, the smell is a faint flower and light incense/smoke smell. very faint, and not at all what I was expecting to smell form this!

 

On my skin at first, I swear I smelled jasmine- oh no! Thankfully the "jasmine" smell fades really quickly and a sweet foody floral comes to the surface. This is really well blended on me so it is hard for me to distinguish specific notes. Definitely a floral blend predominantly on my skin, though. I don't smell any "chocolate" or "smoke", just some sweet smokiness in the background fo the flowers. I don't smell any tobacco, which is OK with me as it is not a favorite note of mine. This does not have a lot of throw, and has a moderate wear length. I wish it would stick around a bit longer, but I do not mind reapplying.

 

This is very pretty blend. It seems joyful in mood, yet is not very loud or dominating at all. Sort of a joyful, personal reflection on life and death, I would say. Definitely not a loud celebration like I expected . I am glad I bought a bottle of this, and it will definitely stay in my collection.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

hunh. not at all what i was expecting.

 

this is the '06 version here:

 

on skin i get dusty, powdery, jasmine-y florals and the tobacco note from Herr Drosselmeyer ('05)

 

the end result reminds me of some commercial perfume from a long time ago, but i can't place it.

 

i almost like this. it smells dusty-purple. but there's this "Jasmine's a-comin'!" feeling to it that makes me anxious.

but it is a lot prettier than i had expected!

[urraca]

I just tried my bottle of 2006 and I have to say I can't tell any difference from it and 2004. Very different from 2005. I loved 2004, so I am a happy person now.

[Gale]

I really liked DDLM 05, never tried 04, but always wanted to.

 

In the bottle: The florals are the main note, and it reminds me very much of DDLM 05.

 

On wet: Still floral, still reminds me of 05.

 

Dry: No longer reminds me of 05! Now the cocoa and tobacco have come out, and the florals, though still present, no longer dominate. It remains that way for hours, and is absolutely delightful!!

[minnalavender]

Ooooooooooooooooh. Another magnificent scent!

 

In the bottle and wet on my skin: all light florals, but not the migrainey kind. Oh no! These are like wildflowers in the spring here in NorCal! During the drydown I get a faint candy note, but it's still mostly faint, wild florals - no chocolate at all. After a while I smell a faint tobacco fragrance, but I get more pipe tobacco from Sugar Skull and it's not even a listed note.

 

In fact, if I had to choose names for these scents, I would have switched SS and DdlM. I get far more of a dark, peek-through-the-veil vibe from SS! DdlM is as sweet and light as the sugar skulls on the ofrenda.

 

Sweet, light, close to the skin and fresh as rain. Goddess, I love it. I can wear this all year 'round! A huge round of applause and thanks to Beth et al for creating such incredibly evocative, mood lifting, wonderful scents for the rest of us to enjoy.

[edenssixthday]

Dia De Los Muertos 2006 - This year's formula is very similar to the 2004 formula, but not exactly the same. In the 2006 version, the strongest notes at the beginning are the smell of grains and honey. Since there's no honey listed in the ingredients, I can only imagine that it must be the "candies" or "foods" that I'm smelling. Still, the grain scent is the strongest. However, after about 60 minutes on my skin, I notice that the strongest scent now is cactus flower. I really don't smell leaves, incense, tobacco or chocolate in this blend at all. It's a nice blend, but not one I'll wear much. I'll probably save it and just wear it on November 1 in future years.

[cuervosueno]

Damn, this is my third DDLM review, since I've tried all three blends!

 

And the first is still best.

 

I almost gave this version (06) a miss since 05 was such a grave disappointment, but some reviews comparing it to 04 convinced me to try it.

 

In the bottle it is an incense-floral that almost makes me sneeze. I do get a hint of something I remember from 04, but it is missing the heavy burnt sugar note I love about 04.

 

On me, it is a perfumy floral. Its not bad, but not what I longed for. I do like it more than 05, but I'm really wishing for the grains or chocolate and tobacco and I'm not getting them.

 

I put on 04 nearby for comparison. O4 has a very faint hint of the florals in 06, but is mostly heavy dark sugar one me. 06 is missing this.

 

Originally in 04, I'd wondered if I'd gotten sugar skull in a mislabled bottle, because mine smelled so heavily of sugar. I even emailed the lab about it which I blush to admit now since I was such a newbie I probably just didn't know the notes.

 

But now I have to wonder again. Has my search for the perfect DDLM been really a search for Sugar Skull? I never tried Sugar Skull 04, though I tried 05 and it wasn't the same as my beloved DDLM 04.

 

Well, who knows. but as for 06, this is nice, but not quite what I was longing for.

 

eta: now that some of the lovely burnt sugar of 04 has faded, I see that the scent beneath that--the floral part--is VERY similiar to the overall scent of 06. I see why some people said they are close now. But the part that is different is that very strong sugar in 04 which is my favorite part....sigh.

 

Guess I better try some sugar skull and see if I can layer up something similiar to 04...

Edited November 13, 2006 by cuervosueno

[PurringPulsar]

Dia De Los Muertos 06

 

In the imp: sweet, chocolatey, sugary gardenia like florals.

Wet on skin: a sharp, dry tobacco note comes out, along with dry autumn leaves.

Dry: mmm, not bad. This seems to have a gardenia like note to it, I get the same sharpness that I get from some ‘evil G’ scents but this is mellowed out and camouflaged somewhat by the tobacco and autumn leaves. I get lots of sugar, syrupy and sweet, I don’t get as much chocolate but I do smell sugary bread like scents, like lightly spiced, sugar coated bread rolls. And I smell the flowers and smoke as well, and something almost alcoholic like rum. So far, this is more autumnal than last year’s

After a while: the sharpness fades away and now I get a pretty, soft, floral scent wrapped in the smoke from tobacco and burning leaves. It actually reminds me of another autumnal floral, but I can’t remember which one. This certainly doesn’t have the heady floral punch from last year. In fact I find it a little faint…

After about 2-3 hours…what the? Where’s it gone? The scent has faded away pretty much, leaving only a trace of smoke lingering where it once was.

After 3-4 hours…all gone. Poof. Disappeared into thin air.

Verdict: this was such a disappointment. I’ve heard loads of wonderful things about 04’s version, and I liked the 05 version despite it’s almost overpowering floral moments. This on the other hand has hardly any staying power on me whatsoever. The scent to start with is an odd one, a sharp, almost acrid gardenia like floral with syrupy breads and tobacco and burning leaves, eventually the gardenia fades to leave a pretty ‘sweet autumn flower’ scent, a pale nectary floral with a waft of smoke over it. and then it disappears completely within about 3 hours. It’s a shame this scent didn’t last, or develop and hang around like last years. It just vanished in a puff of smoke, literally. I’ll probably swap this version.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Not sure, I prefer last year’s…

If you like this, try: Sugar Skull, Devil’s Night, Samhainophobia, Ulalume

[azhure]

In the vial: Foody - the chocolate comes out in particular

 

Wet: All of the foodiness goes very quickly. I'm left with the scent of smoke and tobacco.

 

Drydown: Smoke, smoke and more smoke. Sigh.

[slave1]

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS

 

In Bottle: More sweet yum!

 

On Skin: This scent seems less floral than last years. I get a more sweet foody feel from this scent. Last years was very much floral and decaying leaves. This years seems like candy, smoke, and sweet honeyed florals. I can’t really smell the chocolate… I love the festiveness of it and how colorful it feels. Very fall-like and very Day of the Dead. A gorgeous blend!! Low throw and short to average wearlength.

[jewelbug]

Wet: Super dry floral incense when it goes on, and jasmine-like.

 

Drying: This jasmine-like scent isn't the type of jasmine that is my mortal enemy, but still isn't something I really go for. This smells like dried florals and smoke, not so much on the foody notes. I got rid of my 05 bottle, so I can't directly compare, but it seems pretty much the same as my memories of 05. The later drydown (3 hrs or so in) is a sweet floral and dry woodsy (almost rootbeerish) scent, and smells honeyed with hints of chocolate. This is also like my memory of '05.

 

Overall: It has an end that I find lovely, and a beginning that I could do without, much like last years. Still not for me, but I had to test to find out!

Edited October 1, 2008 by jewelbug

[arabella]

2006 Version

 

First Impression: Incense, Citrus and Flowers.

 

Dries down to: Mellows to a lovely scent but nothing stands out in particular. Then, a while later, the florals start to amp and drown everything else out.

 

Additional Comments: If it stayed at the in-between stage, I'd rate it much higher but once the florals start to amp up, it's over for me.

 

Lasted: A few hours.

 

Rating: 2 out of 5

[silver_dollar]

This is a hard one to pin down. It's sweet, but also there's a lot of incense; yet it's not smoky like Devil's Night. I was expecting more chocolate for some reason, and it's there, but it's not in the front - it's more like... what's the word I'm looking for? - an aftersmell? I hope that makes sense. There's florals, too, but not overpowering, and I'd say the blend's more of an incense blend than anything else, though it's a lot more complicated than that. It's probably one of the most well-blended BPALs I've tried.

 

To me, it's more summery than autumny - I guess that's appropriate for a Day of the Dead scent, though.

 

ETA: This is the '06 version I'm talking about.

Edited December 10, 2006 by silver_dollar

[Miss Lynx]

This is an odd scent... I avoided it last year because I assumed it would be too floral, but Kettu wanted to try it this year, so we ordered a decant and now I'm trying it too.

 

It's actually not all that floral -- the flowers are there, but they don't really dominate the scents, not even on my floral-amping skin. There's some kind of wine or other boozy note in here, and some foody elements that thankfully don't stray into the nasty fake-butter territory that keeps me away from most foody scents, and something kind of herbal or foresty... There's an element to it that's reminding me of Perversion -- maybe the tobacco mixed with the wine? Not that it says there's any wine in it, but it smells like there is. And I think I'm starting to recognize cereus, because there's something in here that's reminiscent of Urd as well.

 

It's definitely a complex scent, and less sweet than I'd imagined it to be, though certainly not without sweetness. And it's actually fairy subtle, not overpowering at all. At first the various notes don't really seem to mesh together, but as it settles in, they blend a bit more, into something that's really quite unique. I don't know that I need a whole bottle, but I'll definitely enjoy the imp, whether or not Kettu ends up liking it.

 

Grade: B/B+

[myoubi]

This is the 05 version.

 

Dammit, I was hoping for incense. I get sweet greenery, with a hint of something soft or musty underneath, and if I seriously huff my wrist I maybe get a hint of spicy incense. Mostly I get cactus, and while it's certainly not unpleasant, there are things I'd rather smell like. Surprisingly, I got almost none of the foodiness, and Dia didn't turn omgCOCOA on me like a lot of blends do; however, it doesn't morph much either, and so Ihave this light desert-y sweet cactus smell and I keep looking longingly at La Fee Verte.

 

Eventually I got bored, washed Dia off and put on something I like better. Someone will love this; just not me.

[theseagrows]

06 version:

 

this smells very similar to the 05 version to me, but perhaps less chocolatey and floral. it just seems more subtle in general, and doesn't have as much throw on my skin as 05 did. i like both of them, and i guess i'd wear this as more of a day scent and the other more for going out.

[marietta]

'Twas a bit wonky when I first got my bottle . . . but once it settled, Dia de los Muertos '06 revealed itself as the best. honey. ever.

 

I do get florals and some of the other listed notes when I first put it on . . . but once it's dry, it's honey, grains and maybe a bit of the chocolate. I think the Lily may be hanging around and sweetening this up a bit, too! Really nice, and really me.

 

[alliekat13]

2005 Version: Sweet! In the bottle a strong, sweet floral. I also sense something that seems medicinal or herbal (but not in an unpleasant way) lurking underneath. That must be the cactus blossom or the desert cereus or something. On the skin it is sweet, gooey chocolates, caramel, dulce de leche, pan de muertos, sugar skulls, honey...I even get a shot of tequila in there. It smells delish. After about an hour or so the floral comes out, there are chrysanthemums, roses, magnolias, nicotania...it's hard to discern. Then, after about another hour, the tobacco, smoke from leaves, and incense come out. It's more like pipe tobacco smell than cigarette smoke, and I can tell the incense is copal. Everything blends together so nicely and beautifully, and it completely works for me as a fragrance. GREAT throw, and very long wearlength: lasts all day.

 

2006 Version: Waiting for it to age, ITB it smells like a more floral version of last years, I don't get as much sweets. On skin: less sweets more florals, not as much smoke and incense. Well, I shall put this one to age and mature, and hopefully it will become more like last years.

[grifyn_whiffs]

This is for the '06 version.

 

In the imp: Smoky sweet. There's something very weird about this one: the minute I first sniffed it in the imp, I WANTED A BOTTLE. NOW. A compulsive sort of "let's go and look on eBay THIS MINUTE." So maybe it's liquid mind control, I don't know. I decided to wait it out.

 

Wet: This is still very sweet. The smoky impression I'm getting has been very promising in other blends (they tend to morph deeply).

 

Dry: It's nice, but I'm glad I decided to wait for this one. It goes through a period where it almost too sweet. I like sweet, but not with the spicy/smoky notes that come along with this one.

 

After about half an hour, sadly, I'm left with something that smells VERY perfume-y, and the smoke turns to a sort of powdery/dusty smell on my skin.

 

Ah, well. Not for me!

[vylit]

This is one of my favorites!

 

Wet: I smell the cocoa and smoke.

 

Dry: Oh god. It's incense and flowers with the slightest smell of something like sweet Mexican custard. It's gorgeous.

 

(Dia de los Muertos '06)