Samhain

[mochi227]

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.

My first LE.

Samhain seem to be one of the more talked about scents, and the notes sounded really good, so I went for a bottle unsniffed. Today's my first day wearing it and I can tell this is going to be a "get to know you" relationship rather than immediate love or hate.

In the bottle: Smells like fir needles and tar. I grew up in New England, so it's familiar.

Wet: Ugh. Ummmm, errr! Methol! Pine! Cool! Strange...no warm stuff, just cool like a wet forest in autumn.

Drying: As it dries, the apple comes out a bit, and so do the spices. I get cider more than apple.

Dry: I occasionally get the Band-Aid scent others talk about. Sometimes I get potpourri. The spices come out more, very little pumpkin or woods. Patchouli? Hmmmm ok, mayyyybe. Still rather mentholy. Mentholy, cidery dampness with spikes of spice and patchouli.

Verdict: Definitely unusual. Like I said, it's going to take a little time. 3 out of 5, for now.

EDIT (after aging and one year later)

Samhain '08

Aged for about a year, I broke out Samhain 08 on this fall-ish October morning. Upon application, it did burn a bit on my neck, but once it settled in, I felt surrounded by an aura of tar. For what it's worth, I love the smell of tar, especially on a cool morning. Sweet tar, smoke, and something round -- I guess that's the red apple -- with a hint of spice. It's well blended and feels dark yet comforting, damp and definitely autumnal. I wouldn't wear this except at this time of year. I am pleased with how it's aged and love the way this scent is a feeling portrait: walking in a damp pine forest at either dawn or dusk, a mysterious sense of anticipation hangs over me. Edited October 5, 2009 by RanaSavia

[Wwindy]

(Samhain '08, in decant form)

 

On initial application, the evergreen notes here hover perilously close to the dreaded Irish Spring Effect (and, weirdly, that soapy-clean pine note endures where my shirt's picked up a little oil!) -- but happily, after a little wear time, the greenery disappears almost entirely from my skin. What remains is a nice honeyed apple with overtones of patchouli and smoke. I think the only trace I'm getting of the pumpkin is the sweetness; the spices aren't coming through at all, at least not that I can consciously detect. The effect is definitely autumnal, without being overtly foody or too intensely smoky.

 

If I could convince my clothes not to cling to that iffy evergreen, that would be lovely! As it is, I like this blend quite a bit but will probably be wearing L'Autunno more often. I am curious to try Samhain releases from other years, to see if the fir and woods are less prominent in any of those.

 

ETA:

(Samhain '07, also in decant form)

 

Wow, '07 comes up different on my skin than '08! '07 seems to have a lot more patchouli -- that honey sweetness is stronger, too. I could pick out the pumpkin note at first (not as buttery as the lab's pumpkin generally is on me), but it faded pretty quickly; the apple isn't anywhere near as strong in '07 as in '08. Mostly this rendition is a sweet, rich, nuanced patchouli on me.

 

Could be the vagaries of decanting, could be aging, could be skin chemistry -- but there's definitely a big difference here! I'm going to have to try a side-by-side comparison...

Edited October 31, 2008 by Wwindy

[arithmetock]

This definitely made me nervous when I smelled it in the bottle. I got a strong whiff of that band-aid smell I keep hearing about. Thankfully, once it starts drying on my skin, it goes away and is replaced by a nice spicy, smoky aroma. I don't get any apples or pumpkin, sadly. But overall, I enjoy it.

 

EDIT (10-20-08): Well I've had more time to get to know this fragrance, and I no longer simply "enjoy" it...I loooooove it! That band-aid smell, for me, was probably just a mental thing. Once I was able to more accurately pick out the notes, I no longer smell band-aids at all, not even when it's wet. I definitely smell the apples now, too. I love it so much, whenever I wear it I can't stop inhaling my wrist.

 

EDIT #2 (11-23-08): One more interesting (though unsurprising) thing to add: I've been wearing Samhain all day and after my evening shower, it all washed off except for the patchouli! So if you don't like patchouli as a single note, be careful with this one.

Edited November 24, 2008 by arithmetock

[kerickson]

In the vial: Sharp, spicy, a bit different from what I expected... but still very pleasant.

 

On me (dry): Applied to wrists, hair, and neck. Better on my wrist than it is in the bottle. Deep, warm, smokey, seductive. I can smell apple cider, cinnamon, pumpkin pie, nutmeg, and clove buds. It's very sweet... again, initially taking me back to thoughts of apple cider.

 

After a while: This scent stays strong on me for about 2 hours. After that it begins to fade away, but not all that much. It gets lighter and cozier with time, and remains satisfactory. In the end I am left with a very light sugary scent on my skin, only noticeable by people who get close to me (hugs, etc). Yesterday I applied some mid-day and then at night when I settled down with my husband, he said I smelled nice. His nose was right against my wrist though lol. I feel calm, relaxed, just glowing the scent of halloween. I wish there was a body mist for this, something I might try creating later.

 

Verdict: I love it, 9/10. It'd be a 10/10 if it lasted longer. I am VERY glad I made this my first bottle purchase, especially since not being totally satisfied with the 6 or so imps I've tried so far. This was taking a risk, but I do love autumn smells, and I was definitely rewarded.

Edited October 22, 2008 by Babel

[Ravenclaw79]

This is another one of those scents that I knew I would hate, but everybody loves it so much that I thought I should try it anyway.

 

I was pleasantly surprised.

 

I hate patchoulli. That stuff reeks of dirty hippie, and I can't stand it. Blech.

 

But somehow, that nasty stuff seems to be hiding on me. I can just barely detect it, if I sniff for it, but what I'm mostly getting is smoky apples, almost like Fearful Pleasure but less sweet and more smoky.

 

This could be bad news for my wallet, 'cause if patchoulli does, in fact, mostly hide on me, there's a lot of the catalog I could try -- that's always been my first rule for weeding out scents I should or shouldn't try, "patchoulli = bad."

 

So Samhain isn't so bad. In fact, it's almost good. I can still catch a faint hint of dirty, nasty patchoulli, though, and that's enough to put me off it, especially when there's such a nice autumn-apple alternative out there in Fearful Pleasure.

[Champagne]

Samhain 2008

 

At the start I was overwhelmed by the fir and the pachouli, and felt in the Vicks -Bandaid trap. But I persevered and now I can fully enjoy all the stages of this litle masterpiece From the deep and balsamic start through the pumpkin and the fruity bloom in the drydown. It`s the perfect pick-up scent for rainy days and I hope everyone will give another chance to this crazy multi layered baby.

[angelicruin]

Sadly, the bottle of Samhain '08 I picked up on the forum a few days ago is not going to work for me. I thought with the nutmeg, pumpkin, red apple, allspice, and clove it would be really nice...but on my skin, it smells like someone stamped their cigarette out on my wrist. I even waited hours to see if it would morph into something more hospitable, but alas...

 

I wanted to love this scent, but it was just not meant to be.

[Dianora]

I just got a lovely bottle of aged 06 Samhain today. I was quite excited as I was looking for a nice autumn scent to wear these days.

 

In the bottle, it smells like buttered rum and sweets, though I'm not quite sure where the vaguely alcoholic note came from. Wet on my skin, the sharp pine and heavy forest smells mixed to form something a little bit skunky, but not so bad I felt the need to wash it off. Dry, this smells like dried leaves and dried apples, with a hint of something smokey and autumn behind it. It is much sweeter than I expected. It also seems a lot more faint than many people have said, but I have found that my skin seems to eat scent. I really like it though, it's sweet and spicy at the same time. I can smell the apple, but it isn't at all foody.

 

Note: when I put this on, I admit that I slathered just a bit. I put some on my wrists and a big swipe on either side of my throat. During the dry down period, there was a definite burning sensation on the skin of my throat. I've checked, and there is no broken skin there. It didn't cause any skin irritation, and it may have been caused by the spicer oils getting into the pores after a hot shower. Still, I have fairly sensitive skin so this may be an irritant to those with sensitivities.

 

 

ETA: About 30 minutes after I posted, Samhain changed again on me. Just a bit, but now it's pumpkins and apple and spice. It is sweet and just getting more gorgeous as it develops. I'm thinking this is a real keeper!

 

ETA again: I ended up having to swap this. After wearing this a few times, it started smelling acrid and giving me migraines. I'm not sure what changed about my chemistry or the way it reacted, but sadly we could not stay together.

Edited February 23, 2009 by Dianora

[gwynhwyfar]

Every year, I try this oil and every year, the same thing happens. The fir kills me. Or at least makes me wheeze. This year wasn't as bad as previous years, but I can't get past the fir.

 

Which is a shame, because conceptually, I love the idea.

 

So I guess my constructive information is -- if you're sensitive to fir, this might not be the scent for you.

[heathercaley]

Samhain '08

 

Right when I open this up, I get a lovely whiff of apples and spices... not foody, but sooo nice.

 

I slather a bunch on my arm so I can get a nose full while I review... and oh mommy... this is amazing! Dark and heady apples, spices, and in the background some fir. This smells absolutely divine.

 

It's not overpowering at all, and has a surprisingly light throw! Up close, when I sniff.. I get much more fir and apples, but if my arm isn't near my face, I get little whiffs of spicy dark apples... this is a huge winner!!! Big bottle purchase worthy completely. Zomg Like NOW!

[gingiemay]

Wet in imp - Patchouli, pumpkin, clove and nutmeg.

 

Wet on skin - Yummmm! Pumpkin, clove, nutmeg, apples and the barest hint of patchouli, but it's very light. My god, this is amazing! I hope the dry down is as good.

 

Dry on skin - A warm pumpkin/spices scent that is darkened a little by the patchouli. The apple doesn't last that long, but what's left is positively delicious. Decent throw, and its strength is pretty good on my wrist 3 hours later. Full bottle for sure!

[Mckerr]

Loved the smell of this in the bottle so I applied it quite liberally. But EEK! The sides of my neck began to burn like crazy, even though I have no specific allergies that I'm aware of. It didn't burn at all on my throat or wrists. Go figure. Fortunately, the burning subsided in about 10 minutes and I was able to relax and enjoy the scent -- a gorgeous spicy, sweet, smoky blend.

 

I don't know what the burn was about.. I haven't had that happen before. I'm going to give it a second try - maybe it was a fluke. But if it keeps up, maybe I'll have to just confine it to the aromatherapy necklace I just bought, or use it as a home fragrance oil.

[akiko]

2008 version

 

In the imp, this smells a lot more pine-y than 2007. After application, it starts out astringent pine with a touch of cider stuff. I don't really like it at that stage. As it dries, it becomes more of the scent I fell in love with in 2007's, but I just don't like it as much.

 

I'd love it as a room scent, though.

[morganlise]

As I've said before, I'm still relatively new to BPAL, but noticed that Samhain seemed to be awfully popular and frequently discussed. I was overjoyed when it was offered again with the Halloweenies this year because I figured, based on the notes, "concept" and reviews, that I'd be a fan. Let me say, this is true love! It perfectly embodies the spirit of this time of year.

 

On me, it's definitely a morpher. In the bottle, it smells simultaneously sweet AND spicy ( ) and rather a lot like mulled wine. Newly wet, it smells the same. I was a little worried about that at first, because while I found it interesting, I wasn't sure at first that I was in LOVE with it. I didn't have to wait long for the love to come, as about 30 mins - 1 hour in, it blossoms into a heady, gorgeous, spicy apple honey smell. And I'm on the floor and sniffing myself and calling all of my friends to tell them I'm marrying a perfume. The honey smell is what lingers the longest for me, and it does have good staying power and throw throughout. ( ~ 4 hours, and my skin tends to eat up perfume lately.)

 

I've ordered a second bottle already, but I'm already wondering if that will be enough to keep me going through the year. And what if it weren't offered next year? Nuts, better get back on the site and pick up a few more...

[Bagfish]

Samhain 2008 is the winner of the three versions of Samhain I have tried. For some reason it is more sweetly spicy apple than dark patchouli fir which 05 and 06 were on me and suits me so much. It also has a fantastic lasting power and amazing throw. My work colleagues were asking what the lovely mulled wine Christmassy scent was, and one of them said please keep wearing it all Winter!

 

I am seriously considering getting bottle despite having previously sold one (of Samhain 2005)

[LaurenO]

Review for the 08 version:

 

There probably isn't much I can say about Samhain that hasn't been said before, but I'll add my two cents. On me, it's very much red apple and pumpkin, and little else. Maybe a little hint of something a bit dirtier or smokier in the background, but nothing prominent. I like it a lot, and I'll work my way through my decant, and maybe pick it up next year if it comes back. I'm interested to see how it will age.

[undream]

wow. i received the '08 edition in a recent swap (thank you, LadyLuckless!!), and this is unlike any bpal scent i have tried before; completely unique and really quite lovely! sniffing it right out of the imp, it really is autumn in a bottle, all chilled air and damp leaves. fantastic.

 

once on, it slooowly warms into a scent i was at first unable to describe no matter how much i thought about it, but then it came to me; warm apple cider! good lord, how does beth do it?

 

all in all, an absolutely gorgeous & unique fall scent. i do not think it is really me and will likely swap it out - i would keep it for the autumnal beginning stages, but foody scents, although beautiful, don't wear very well on me - but i definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys the foodier bpal oils (and of course to anyone who adores the autumn months!). <3!

[ankhfangirl72]

Samhain ('07) is one of my favourite bpals ever, I've yet to try this year's version but I'm going to have to order a bottle or two before it goes away again. I find it smells different each time I wear it but it's always fantastic. Today I'm getting a lot of patchouli and the spices from it with the pumpkin and apple in the background. It usually smells much more pumpkin-y on me and sometimes the apple comes out a lot more. It's the only scent I have that smells so vastly different on different days, but that's part of the fun, I never know what's going to amp when I put it on. Anyway, I love it A LOT

[kjirstiben]

Samhain (2008 version) goes on as a sweet red apple scent, with a slight breath of honey. After I put it on (as I was walking in to work), I kept smelling delicious whiffs of apple around me. This is more of an "apple orchard at night with a bonfire nearby" sort of smell than the mulled cider of Fearful Pleasure.

 

Over the next couple hours, Samhain developed a darker, deeper, woodsier note. It was almost too much for me... but lovely, just dark and a little heavy at times. However, by 4-5 hours in, the scent lightened up again, to an appley-spice scent, light and delicious and fruity without being foody.

 

Overall, a perfect scent aptly named.

[caitilarkin]

This is for Samhain 08, which was allowed to sit for about two months after purchase due to a) warm weather and an unfortunate spillage incident which resulted in the loss of more than half of the bottle.

 

In the bottle: Patchouli and fir, very dark, no apples and nothing spicy

 

Wet on skin: The patchouli is warming up, the fir is backing off a bit and the apples have appeared.

 

Drydown: Samhain morphs gloriously...I really got the sense that I was walking at night through a forest of fir trees after a heavy autumn rain, then stopping to roast crisp, red apples over an open fire.

 

I adore this and think I will make a tradition of getting a new bottle every year (but hopefully not baptizing my apartment with it every year as mentioned above).

[Kimbernunk]

I decided I needed a bottle because it seemed wrong not to have one. It is definitely not good for my wallet that BPAL inspires my collector impulses...

 

Anyway, to review. This is the 2008 version.

 

Wet, this was all food on me - lots and lots of roasting apples and pumpkins, warm, sweet, and almost overpowering. My skin likes to sweeten things a bunch, and this is no exception - the apples and pumpkins smell like someone has dumped brown sugar all over them.

 

Dry, I get a little wood and a little spice, but it's stll mostly apple and pumpkin. It's nice, but I was hoping for more wood. I get more wood on occasion when I sniff at my wrist, but then five minutes later it returns to sugary apples again. Fortunately, there isn't any plasticky bandaid smell on me - apples and pumpkins both seem to work on my skin.

 

It isn't my favorite fall scent ever, but it's growing on me. I like it more every time I try it. I'm also hoping that it gets woodsier as it ages. *crosses fingers*

[amyberries]

Well, this is the first bottle I've ever bought - this year, 2008, and it's definitely at least been interesting.

 

In bottle: Oooo. Spicy fresh fruitiness which is very intriguing.

On skin: APPLES. It's just... apple juice, really incredibly so - not fake or sickly at all, just sweet fresh apples.

Drying: The apples just round out more, and a hint of spice comes back. It smells exactly like stewed apples - very pleasant, but very sweet. I'm terribly sad that there's no hint of the woods, or any more spice, since I'm not so much for sweet scents.

Dry: Yes. Ends up a very nice indeterminate scent, but just a little too sweet for me. I'm going to try aging this, I think, see if the sweet apple calms down a bit, because it really is lovely, just very in-your-face.

[stillalive]

baby wipes, a guy's sweaty shirt, damp pine needles, and spices somewhere in the background. I like it, yet... hmmm... very different. It fits Samhain for sure, though I don't know if I like it as a perfume, per se.

[othelloperrello]

At last, I've found you.

This scent is perfect. On me it's the dense pine forest and the smell of all the best spices driving me on to reach home.

Any fruitiness is minimal, but it plays support enough to fill the whole thing out. In fact, there it is, hanging out at the edge of the dense thicket of this oil's cornucopia of smellfullness.

 

It's taken a while to find it, but now it's here to stay!

[Magpie]

(Edited for version) 2008 version

 

In bottle:

Resiny and fruity, rich apples and berries.

 

On: Slightly sharper, almost like the sharpness of pear drops, but still delicious.

Oh dear, as it dries, this has gone to smell like shoe polish on me.

Phew - it has gone back to being resiny and yummy, buy sadly a little subdued. This kind of varies between being a little too resiny - i.e. rather like pear drops or a nicer nail polish remover - and a slightly sharper version of the scent in the bottle, very appley. Like the other Halloweenie scents I've tried, this will bear further testing. I very much hope my skin chemistry is a bit up and down at this point, as it's so close to working right, but like Fearful Pleasure, stops just short.

 

In terms of throw, this seems to have a medium to long throw. I suspect it might also last quite a long time as well. This was always potentially going to be a dodgy one on me, but overall I quite like it. Perhaps it will age well.

Edited December 18, 2008 by Magpie