Samhain

[sarahj]

Samhain

Truly the scent of autumn itself -- damp woods, fir needle, and black patchouli with the gentlest touches of warm pumpkin, clove, nutmeg, allspice, sweet red apple and mullein.

 

in bottle: apples, smoky woods, and a sharp wine smell

 

wet: the sharp wine note becomes stronger...I also smell patchouli and something sweet, like honey

 

dry: as it dries it becomes less sharp and morphs into a lovely blend of dry leaves, faint smokiness, patchouli, apple, spices, and honey

 

verdict: once it dries and the sharpness fades away, I am in love. Five hours after applying it seems to be going strong, although by this time I am mostly just smelling apples and honey. I am so glad I bought this!

[friendthegirl]

I've only tried this once and when I try it again, I will have more to add.

 

Samhain seems to be very well blended because I really couldn't pick out any individual notes, besides apple. It mostly smelled of apple to me, plus I think I get a hint of leaves and autumn, but mostly apple.

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

Ah, the long-awaited Samhain...this one is so legendary in the Forum that I'm almost nervous about trying it. Adorable bottle with the little pumpkin image, btw.

 

In the bottle: I smell apples and earthy richness. Like really good hot apple cider with cinnamon sticks in.

 

On me: OMG, I can see why everyone was begging for this to come back. It DOES smell like autumn! Warm, complex, gorgeous. All the notes at once--buttery cooking smells and rich wood smells. Sophisticated and magickal. This scent embodies the Lab to me (although I haven't reviewed Black Phoenix itself yet). I am in love. And I will horde some for next Samhain as well. This will be a divine room scent, but I love it on me as well.

[summer]

Soooo autumnal.

 

I don't know how, but Beth really has captured going for a long walk in the crisp autumn air after a rich Thanksgiving feast, smelling the woodsmoke rising from the houses along the road and crunching leaves underfoot.

 

It smells like cool air, tinged by the fragrances of fire, leaves, apple pie, and a warm kitchen filled with feast smells. I just can't think of any better way to describe it.

 

As a perfume, I don't like it as much as Harvest Moon, becuase it doesn't have that sweet buttery feel to it. It's crisper. But really, really lovely all the same. I'm wearing it today -- a gray autumn day, with the orange and red leaves just starting to fall off the branches. It goes brilliantly with my cozy brown sweater and with the air outside.

 

Very glad to have a large bottle fo this.

 

Edited to add: This goes a little bitter on me after a while. I wish it retained some of the apple-foodiness! It seems to get smokier and smokier with wear. Just like the evening after the feast I suppose . . .

Edited November 20, 2004 by summer

[orangepoppy]

Samhain is really beautiful! It's sweeter than Harvest Moon (which I adore), but has a kinship with it in that there are those lovely buttery, woodsy smokey notes. I can see why so many people begged for its return. I was practically jumping for joy during the initial stages. Unfortunately, on me, once Samhain completely dries down, I'm left with one dimensional apples. Apple scents seem to go a bit sour candy on me. (Well, except for Eve, but that's mostly roses.) A truly artistic blend - I'm envious of all those whose chemistry keeps the complexity through to the end.

 

(It's okay though, I was able to use it for bait to snare a bottle of the discontinued Virgo my preciousssssss)

[Astarte]

How grateful was I to hear this classic was brought back for Halloween *praises the lab goddess and her crew*, I finally got my bottle and even though my ears still havnt popped from the plane, and my sense of smell feels a little off, I adore this with all my heart.

 

Samhain 2004 still is my joint favourite out of all the BPAL along with Midwinters Eve, it smells like spiced apple cider, with the woodsmoke background etching into my skin. I cant pinpoint the patchouli (for which I am infinitely grateful for), but everything else seems spot on. Absolutely delicious!

 

[rollergirl]

Mulled apple cider, pumpkin, spices. A hint of apple tobacco, while standing by a pile of burning leaves and a touch of merlot.

 

The only difference to me that no one else appeared to experience was that all of these smells seemed to eminate from a leather jacket worn during these proceedings. Like someone came in out of the cold, took off their leather jacket...I bury my face in it and smell the spices!!!

 

Lovely...

[sagitare]

I am Samhain's bitch.

 

When I received this bottle and took my first whiff, my nose was filled with a gorgeous creamy/buttery scent that made me think of warm rolls fresh from the oven. Another sniff and I got a tantalizing combination of spices and pumpkin and a sort of musky smell - honestly, there was just so many different scents swirling around that I couldn't pick out any one smell for very long. This characterized the scent once it was on, too - I would get the pumpkin, then spices/clove, then some wine, then a hint of apples, it was just breathtaking. It made me so happy to wear because it encapsulated so many good fall emotions and smells.

 

Samhain tends to stay with me all day - it's strange because while I sometimes can't smell it on my skin when I sniff my wrist, I can always smell it around me, if that makes sense. Not in that overpowering 'I've got too much perfume on' but more like it's seeped into my skin and is just a part of me. Brilliant!

 

I've been wearing this every day since I got it about two weeks ago. It's coming with me when I go home for the holidays next month. I can only hope Samhain comes up again next year - I can't imagine a fall without it!

 

[tempete]

I've tried Samhain a few times now, and I can't say that I love it as much as everyone else seems to. The initial scent of spiced apple cider sometimes stays with me through the drydown, and is sometimes replaced by a creamy pumpkin note. I wish that I could detect some of the other notes which would make Samhain less foody-smelling, as I love drinking apple cider (just not smelling like it) and I really dislike pumpkin. I am contemplating selling my bottle to someone who will appreciate it more than me.

[Ishtar]

When I first sniffed the fabled Samhain in the bottle yesterday evening, I could clearly see why it has such a fervent following. Complex, autumnal, lovely. All the notes described in the above reviews were there. Patchouli, check. Pine needles, check. Woodsmoke, check. Apple, check.

 

So, maybe it was my high expectations, but I couldn't help feeling a little underwhelmed this morning when I put it on and all I got was a nice, but rather generic, patchouli scent.

 

Thankfully, it only took 30 mn for my skin to warm up enough to let Samhain express its beauty and complexity. This is incredibly layered and, as everyone said, the very embodiment of autumn. Gorgeous.

 

A few hours ago, my coworker exclaimed: "Mmm, what smells like food? It smells delicious!" We agreed that I smelled like the most delicious apple crumble ever, complete with spices and all

 

I am really grateful that the Lab re-issued Samhain this year and I am happy to be able to enjoy what is, in my opinion, a true classic. Bravo!

[Lexy]

The day Samhain arrived, my ten yards of wood chips were also delivered. I put on Samhain and went out to work in the yard, and do you know, I spent to whole time trying to figure out which smell was the oil and which was the wood chips? The oil has a note that perfectly matches the piney/decaying leaves smell of that batch of wood chips.

 

But besides that note I also get butter and spice (nutmeg? cinnamon?). This is the most beautiful smell in the world. I'm tempted to buy more every time I see it go up for swap, but that would be crazy. I'm just so afraid I will run out.

 

It's also long lasting, which is really a big deal for me. I have applied in the morning and awakened the following morning still smelling of Samhain.

[Finny]

Samhain is Autumn in a bottle to me, I can smell the leaves, the spices, pumpkin, and apple in the vial.

 

Wearing it, I get spice at first, then the patchouli and apple come out to play. The damp leaves, on a raw wet fall afternoon, walking through the apple orchard are what I smell as this dries down. The mix of smells is beautiful and haunting, and exactly what I was hoping for.

[Diana]

In the bottle, it's patchouli-piney-wierd murky smell that I can't really place.

 

Wet, on the skin, the patchuoli takes off running. Good thing I love patchouli notes!

 

After wearing it a while, the patchouli blends with apple & the spices, so it smells like delicious apple cider. That thick, brown, sweet pulpy kind. The pine is still murking about as a really faint base note, and everything just blends together so well. It is truly an autumn harmony. This is really beautiful.

 

I traded away my 2nd bottle for Dia de los Muertos, but now I think I need to get more Samhain! Hah. I'm so fickle.

 

 

ETA: I can still smell this! I put it on around 9am this morning, and now at nearly 1am, I can still get little whiffs of powdery patchouli and just a wee top note of cider. This is so rad!

[Mrs. K]

I work with patchouli alot while soapmaking but I *ahem* really do not like it. Though most of my patchouli soaps are super popular, it still reminds me of dirty hippie bo everytime I work with it.

 

But Samhain makes me like patchouli, a little.

 

In the bottle, I smell patchouli & spice.

 

On me wet, I smell pumpkin spice & patchouli.

 

On me dry, I smell apple cider, pumpkin spice, candy corn & a bit of oakmoss-maybe?

 

It does have a warming sensation on the skin due to probably a high spice oil content.

 

Now I cannot keep from sniffing my wrists as I type! YUM!

 

Overall, I am really enjoying almost all of BPAL's autumn scents. I am so in love!

[autumnviolet]

Powerful autumn smell. It you scooped up the fall, the leaves, the air, the crisp, the tinge of sweetness left over from summer, you'd have this.

 

I would only wear this in cool weather. On me, it would be too strong in the spring/summer.

 

In bottle: warm honey, burning leaves, soapy undertone (in a good way)

wet:pow! crisp, like a good man's scent but warm and buttery sweet. Sweet roll?

dry down: mmmm. settles into rich, warm, chrysanthemum/apple/honey/can't place it, maybe citrus soap? A teensy bit bitter, too.

 

Definitely intriguing.

[inkstone]

There's not much that I can add at this point, but here we go anyway.

 

In the vial: Buttery pumpkin and cider.

 

Wet: Woodsy notes and cloves, I think. It's a little smoky, but beneath it I still smell the pumpkin. And the patchouli. Of course.

 

Drydown: Warm, buttery pumpkin and cloves. It fades in and out in my skin.

 

Final thoughts: Wow! What a cozy scent! I'm glad I have an imp for this.

[VelvetSky]

Great Goddess, how I wanted to love and adore Samhain the way I love and adore All Saints.

 

This is a fragrance that I can definitely appreciate and respect for the artistry and skill of the blend. Foody/woody scents are not easy to pull off, and obviously a lot of love and care went into the creation of Samhain.

 

That being said, it does not work on my skin. I think it's either the pumpkin or the wine that turns sour on me. I'm very jealous of anyone who can wear foody scents well.

 

Regardless, I'm going to continue to wear Samhain from time to time, if only to experience the love Beth put into this scent.

[phoefromelsewhere]

Samhain 2004:

 

In the bottle: Warm, spicy. Smells like gathering kindling in the woods and later a nice big bonfire on a cold night.

 

Wet: Very strong spicy woodiness…sandalwood or patchouli maybe? Very woodsy and spicy. Very warm, like hot apple cider by the bonfire on the same cold night. I wish I had had this to wear on Samhain at the Chalice Well! It would be perfect for that setting. Oh well, there’s always next year.

 

Drydown: I’m getting cinnamon, stg spicy that tickles my nose. And there’s a cool almost mintiness behind it, like cold fresh air. This is perfectly evocative of my favorite holiday. I’ll enjoy wearing it year round to put me in mind of autumn and the tingle of magick in the cold air on Samhain night.

 

Later: This brings to mind sitting around a crackling fire, cinnamon stick stirrers in the apple cider, fresh, cool autumn air and the bite of evergreens. Brilliantly done, I love it!

[nenia]

smells so so sweeeeeet. syrupy. unfortunately much to sweet for my nose. i detect bits of pine and pumpkin apples and fall treats. it does have a very autumnal scent to it. i really wish this would work for me with samhain being my fave holiday and all. but alas, it does not.

[shelldoo]

hmmm in bottle patchouli...i was like wow inscence

 

wet def inscence...wasn't sure i liked it considered trading it.

 

then i tried it the second time and omg thank goodness i did it is now my fav scent...i smell it now and am like why did i not smell everything else? there is so much more depth then inscence i smell the apples, the spice, the leaves i shall lovethis smell forever

[malanna]

Just about every review said that Samhain smelled like fall leaves, and I thought, “Okay, I know Beth and crew are amazing, but I really can’t smell in my mind what that’d be like.” I understand it now, though. This isn’t leaves, floating in the wind. This is the middle of a pile of leaves—a bit wet and slightly grimy from the dirt. I get that there’s patchouli here—the dirt part—but it doesn’t make me shriek in pain, which is HUGE. Samhain isn’t quite spicy, but a bit buttery. I’d say there could be pumpkin here, but this doesn’t smell like individual notes to me. It’s just the whole impression of the wet leaves. This isn’t too strong, but I’d apply with a light hand. It’s also a long lasting scent—more than a day for me, even though it fades a bit towards the end (more so than Sugar Skull). I don’t consciously like the scent, but I’m still reluctant to let it go, because I still gravitate towards it from time to time, for a bit of comfort.

[vividdreamer]

I received this from an Ebay auction two days ago, and I'm SO glad I managed to get my paws on it! After reading all the reviews and high praises for Samhain, I was sure I'd never be able to get a chance to smell it. Even though I paid over double the Lab's price, it's worth every penny. (Now I'm just trying to restrain myself from bidding on the other 5ml that I see up for auction over there!)

 

In the bottle:

Sweet, spicy, and rich. A hint of butter, but nothing like the other foody scents (Jack, I'm looking at you!) that I so adore.

 

Wet, on skin:

Pine--but not of the Pine-Sol variety--melds with the other scents to create something warm and very, very complex. I'm getting a bit of pumpkin too, but again, it isn't really "foody." It's a raw, cut pumpkin that you've just cut into after taking an early-evening hike through the woods during fall.

 

Dry-down:

The "green" scent takes the forefront, but only for a while. Then the apples, spices and smokiness begin to emerge, ever so slowly, and gradually they're accompanied by sweetness and butter. I smell some sort of alcohol--perhaps it's the mulled wine that others have mentioned?--but it isn't cloying at all. It's gorgeous, in fact, and I'm in complete agreement with those who have described this as fall in a bottle.

 

Final review:

I absolutely love this one. It's calming, cozy, snuggly, warm, and actually brings back fond memories for me, which is something I haven't really experienced from any of the other blends. (That's not to say that I don't adore my other oils--just that they don't really *remind* me of anything in particular.) Samhain is Perfect for the cooler months, but as it's relatively light, I imagine it would be fine for Spring as well. There are so many individual notes in here that it's hard to pick out anything singularly, because every time I sniff myself (which is quite often!), I smell something different. I'll be wearing this for the rest of the winter--can't get enough of it. I haven't found it to be as long lasting as some of you have, but that's likely because I want to be able to smell it ALL the time. This is one that I reapply quite frequently, and my bottle keeps getting emptier by the day. I'm going to have to learn to be more conservative, damn it!

[lucymoonstar]

I think what first jumps out at me on this fragrance wet is the pumpkin and the cinnamon - I can only smell a bit of apple and a sort of green out-doors type smell. I wanted to wear this oil a couple of times before I reviewed it and I'm glad I did. The first time I applied this to my skin I could really smell the pumpkin and cinnamon and what I would describe as maybe the damp woods/green. The next time I wore this what jumped out at me was more of the apple/cinnamon with a bit of pumpkin mixed in......very warm and spicy!! I absolutely love this fragrance!! I got a 5 ml. of this one and I'm glad I did - I love smelling like the fall even in the winter - it's a nice cozy fragrance!

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: This is autumn in a bottle! Spicy apple cider, damp fall leaves, and a cozy fire. A very evocative scent.

Wearing: The spicy apple and patchouli really come out on my skin, and as it dries, a sweetness reminiscent of honey melds them together. Truly beautiful.

Final Impression:

[Jasminepearls]

in the bottle: Samhain is smoky and buttery with a sharp winey tinge.

 

On my skin: Ohh, this is so beautiful. It smells just like fall. I can smell the crunch of leaves and the spiral of sweet smoke intertwining with buttery squashes and pumpkin with wine and apples in the background. I love this!!

 

the smokey and winey nots were what stayed the longest on me with this one, with the apple faintly there, and the barest whiff of buttery notes and the pumpkin. It is evoking images of walking through a forest, crunching leaves and following the smoke tendrils curling up my nose. Also gives me images of a HUGE festifal with a bounty of fruits and wine, dancing, twirling aorund and drumming under a russet colered moon. This is a very reddish orange hue with veins of gold and green.

 

this is my absolute favorite blend so far, I must find more of this!!!