Samhain

[FallDaze]

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 the imp all I get is dark damp leaves and patchouli. No warm pumpkin, no fir, no apple, no nothing!

Wet the fir is coming out and it now smells like wet wood shavings. Fun!

As the day goes on, I get a very nice whiff of a scent I can only describe as fall, and underneath that more wet wood shavings. Without the shavings, this would be a perfect scent for me.

[EmpressPixie]

Samhain 2009:

In the bottle: Initial impression was pumpkin pie, apple cider, and something a bit booze-y. Second impression is all apples and molasses. It's all a bit jumbled in the bottle to me, but I had no doubt it would clear up a bit on my skin.

 

On me: Doesn't really agree with me. Perhaps perfume oils get travel shock and it will settle down a bit? On me it has one strong overall scent of cinnamon and something strong and unpleasant. Maybe cat pee? I'm hoping to come back to it in a few days or weeks and have a happier reaction.

[librophilia]

This is my first review ever, and of course I HAD to start with Samhain 2009.

 

In the bottle: Damp earth, like a forest after a midnight storm. Spiciness, also -- I think it's the clove I'm smelling. I can't wait to try this on.

 

Just on: Sweeter than in the bottle, but still dark and slightly damp-smelling. Makes me want to bundle up in a comfy sweater even though it's 88°F here.

 

As it dries: Cinnamon and apple and pumpkin are all equally floating up to the surface. It's starting to smell like a certain candle that I love but have never figured out what exactly the scent is. They sell it around October, though. It always reminds me of Autumn and Hallowe'en-time. Oh, wow, even as I type this, the apples pushed through really strongly. Not in a cloying, sweet way, though, or even in a fresh-fruity way at all; it's definitely hot apple cider! And that amazing forest-y, earthy smell is still there in the background.

Completely dry: It's apple cider and pumpkin pie baking in the other room, while the open window lets in a bit of the cold night air. It's a cottage on the edge of a forest where a kind-but-powerful old lady mixes spices in her kitchen. It's All Hallow's Eve, candles burning and magick in the air. In short, it really is "truly the scent of autumn itself."

 

I love this scent. I am going to have to force myself not to wear it every day, because I know next summer I'm going to want it to remind myself that fall still exists! I want to buy more bottles of it and stock up, but I am sadly too poor at the moment. But seriously, this is probably the most amazing oil I've gotten from BPAL thus far -- and that's definitely saying something.

 

[Schmoozy]

I thought I would honestly love this scent - the spices, pumpkin, fir, woods...and I was hoping that the black patchouli was an afterthought. Something that would give Samhain a little more darkness and earthiness to balance the spice and pumpkin. Unfortunately Samhain and I do not agree.

 

The older it is the more bearable it becomes. It's just too dark and earthy and *shudders*. I can't believe I tried to fool myself that black patchouli in a blend would work for me.

 

My decant from '05 is the only one I like to open and sniff come this time of year. I do it to remind me that Samhain and I will never, never be friends.

The funny thing is that in 2006 I was gifted a bottle from someone who sent out her end very late.

In 2007, I bottle I won off Ebay came with a bottle of 2007 Samhain.

 

I was gifted a decant of Samhain in 2008, and for shits and giggles, because obviously the BPAL world is trying to tell me something, I purchased another decant of Samhain for 2009. So fellow BPAL'ers I will be back in a week to add my .02 cents of 2009 Samhain. Something tells me nothing will have changed.

[Balame]

In the Imp: Sharp patchouli and fir, woodsiness all the way for the moment.

 

Wet: Very much like being outside on a wet autumn day. The crisp smell of trees, heavy spices from the rich foods lying on a nearby picnic table... this is extremely strong though, and even though I know there are a bunch of different notes in there but I'm mainly getting the nutmeg/fir.

 

Dry: Hmm. Instead of toning down and becoming more complex I still only get the same combo from before. While it's not entirely unpleasant I do consider it rather harsh and I would've liked being able to smell more "layers" in a scent with so many different things going for it.

 

Verdict: Wish I had more to say, but this ended up being such a simple scent for me, and fairly astringent at that. I know other people are getting a wider variety of notes so I'm just blaming my skin chemistry and hoping that eventually I can send it off to someone who will be able to appreciate it more.

 

Rating: 2/5

[totheo]

Hm... 2009 seems different to the one other Samhain I've tried (not sure, maybe '07?) It is ALL about the woods, fir and black patchouli. I don't get any of the nommy stuff. Doesn't mean this isn't an interesting scent. But it reminds me of Samhainophobia a lot, which seems strange! I get a strangely chloriney note in the middle of all this.

 

Makes me think of a proper deep, dark forest on Halloween night. Your settlement is close, with shining lights in the windows of the log cabins and the big wooden houses, but you're in the woods and it's dark and there are unspeakable, unknowable things around, maybe just behind you. So close to safety... but close doesn't count when there's a ghouly or a ghosty within whispering distance.

 

(Might be getting a little of the nommy stuff now, maybe some pumpkin, but this weird chlorine smell is really bashing them into submission... they definitely come out after ten or fifteen minutes, but seems the whole package just doesn't work on me this year - boo!)

[tg1123]

:(After reading all the reviews for a couple months....this was the scent I was most anticipating. Upon recieving....opened bottle and it seemed way too strong. I placed the bottle in the dark scent box to rest for a few days. Tried last night for the first time and all i get is very very strong camphor/ vicks vaporub scent! Talk about some throw! I tried so hard to love this scent but it is just not for me.

[Amaranthus]

In the bottle I smell smoky patchouli and fir needles.

 

On my skin the patchouli and the fir are the dominant notes, at first. As the oil warms it smells sweeter and sweeter until it transforms into the scent of apple cider!

 

The scent of clove unfolds, melding with the apples. I love the clove in this blend, it smells the way a clove cigarette tastes on my lips. There is a hint of the patchouli and fir in the background. I can smell a comforting pumpkin note. This is my favorite stage of the perfume.

 

On the dry down the warm pumpkin note comes to the forefront, with a touch of sweet cloves, fir, and the tiniest bit of patchouli in the background.

 

This is a warm, sweet, happy scent. It's sweeter than I expected, but in a warm earthy way. It is not cloying or candy-like.

 

It captures my favorite aspects of the season, so that the first day I wore it I was teary eyed with nostalgia for Octobers past.

 

This perfume has good staying power. It is strong, but not overpowering if sparingly applied.

 

Bonus: I love the way this oil smells on the lining of my leather jacket. So warm and cozy! Maybe they should consider a version of this perfume with an added leather note.

 

[superpopkid]

This is the 2009 Samhain. I'm not sure if this leaked slightly, because the level was high and the label was flawless, but when I opened up my package of decants, I could smell this one through the wrapper. In the imp, it has a very strong mulled-cider smell. Sadly, this is reacting very poorly with my skin. I'm not getting the pumpkin, clove or fir notes, just a cloying and unpleasant cider scented candle smell, like sticking your head into a plastic bag full of them...and I hate to say it, but there's a slightly urine-esque whiff about it.

 

I put this on in the morning before heading to work, and decided to give it time to settle and see if it changed for the better. Should have just washed it off; hours later it's a milder version of the same gross scent. Can't wait for a shower.

[wl552]

Samhain '09

 

In the vial and fresh on skin: OooooooooooooWeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! This badboy is Strong! Dark, bleak smokey wood. Woah. Almost too much, but hey I'm willing to stick this out.

 

Shortly after drying and later: The harshness of the smoke has calmed down and now it has a lovely sweetness, (I think coming from the apple), with the wood smoke behaving within tolerable levels. It's actually quite nice and YAY! not sourish! lol

 

I was hoping for more of the spices, especially the clove since I love that note, but it's pretty much staying true to a sweet smoke. Thankfully, I get no fir or damp woods, either, though. It's appealing to me and though not a definite bottle purchase, it's on the list of scents to consider.

[Jammies]

This utterly defeats my nose as far as identifying specific notes, but it's dusty, leafy, dark and a little perfumey. Pretty, but a decant is fine.

[wildgratitude]

in the bottle: this really does smell like autumn. It smells like being in a pumpkin patch in the woods.

On my skin, however the death note that is patchouli takes over. Patchouli always makes me smell like a head shop.

[theandorran]

I was so excited to try this! I have to say, I'm a little disappointed because it doesn't really smell autumny to me, but I think it's growing on me. (This is the 2009 version.)

 

In the bottle: Whoa, I didn't quite know what to think at first. My very first impression was one of... this is what my local hippie shop smells like. Lots and lots of patchouli. I almost wanted to shut it and cry in disappointment that my first bottle smelled like a dirty hippie using patchouli instead of deodorant. Then I gave it a second sniff and other notes started coming out -- spiciness (though not as much spice as I'm fond of) and lots of apple.

 

Wet: I'm glad I'm not the only one who got a medicinal note in this, because I put it on and something in the blend together with the apple smelled like cough syrup to me. Cough syrup, cough syrup, cough syrup. However, my experience with my first order taught me to let it dry and see how it is then (I didn't realize how much I loved my two favorite scents until they were completely dry on me), so I didn't go wash it off immediately like I wanted to.

 

Dry: Here we go! Now I'm getting the fir and the woody scent and much, much less patchouli. Thank goodness. There's also a sweetness to it -- the apple, I'm guessing. I didn't really get the pumpkin anywhere in it. I will have to stop myself from buying any of the Pumpkin Patches to get my pumpkin fix.

 

Overall impression: It took such a long time to get to being nice that I'm still not sure about it. I really want to love it, so I think that it will grow on me. But it isn't the quintessential autumn scent for me.

[sirensea]

On me, this smells like firewood, fir, a hint of apple and spices. Black patchouli is a big No-No scent on me, so I think without that note, it'd be delicious.

[thekittenkat]

In the imp: Lots of wood and patchouli.

 

Wet: Just the slightest hint of a fresh-water note, for the dampness on the leaves. And the spices are wafting off my arm now.

 

The Dry-down: The longer this is on, the better it gets. The pumpkin and the apple have risen to the top and blended so lovely together. The way that this year's Samhain morphs on me is just crazy wonderful. All my favorite scents of autumn in a bottle.

[Dominique]

In the bottle and on my skin for the first few hours, Samhain is a little bit like a carpentry shop gone bad. I can't pick out any of the notes but cedar, but good lord, are they strong. It's . . . the olfactory version of being whapped with a 2x4. If I put it on when I go to bed, it'll have faded down to some truly wicked-lovely musks, but I seldom wear it, just because the ZOMGwood top note is so powerful and so long lasting. Until hour four or five, I don't get any of the other listed notes, though layering Samhain with Lambs-Wool, Fearful Pleasure or Pumpkin V '09 makes it more wearable.

[biocarolyn]

I thought this would never work for me, so much so that I didn't even bother ordering it. Then I got my bottle of Knock-A-Dolly, and liked it but thought it was too sweet. Lambs-Wool was the one I ordered first, and I tried to convince myself that I like it a lot but it was too sweet and smelled like a Yankee Candle to me. I thought about it, and finally gave in and ordered Samhain.

 

I haven't smelled any of the previous versions of Samhain, but this is really nice. I think it has a lot in common with Falling Leaf moon, but it fits in the spectrum between Falling Leaf Moon & Lambs-Wool.

 

This is actually my favorite autumn blend so far, and I was despairing of finding one before the season was over.... I'm happy. Really nice.

[mochi227]

All the depth, beauty, and darkness of All Hallows Eve. 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.

sorry mods, I had already reviewed this scent and edited my post for update here Edited October 5, 2009 by RanaSavia

[darab]

Samhain 09

I have a cold, so this should be interesting:

In the vial = definitely not what I was expecting, way different than anyone else’s interpretation of a Samhain product. Smells resinous and heady, like incense burning – totally get the head shop comparison that others have mentioned. Wondering what black patchouli smells like in comparison to plain ‘ole patchouli??? Need to research...

Wet: Patchouli and kind of floral, not really liking it so far, this reminds me of the perfume Poison, for some reason!!?!! The throw smells like sandalwood mixed with jasmine or gardenia maybe. I am also getting a hint of something burning, mixed with a tinge of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Dry down = this is finally becoming sweet! I can smell some pumpkin, apples, tradtional fall spices, and something else, maybe the fir?

The life cycle of this one is pretty amazing.

I need to let this one rest and retry after I am better.

[aquazoo]

2009

A smoky, spicy night. A bit of spiced cider warming on the fire, a walk in the woods that feels warm and powerful even in the chilled air.

[topaz]

Samhain 2009 just arrived in the mail today with perfect timing. It has been gloomy and rainy for several days (making me wish I'd cleaned the fireplace this summer) and the trees are in full Fall glory. I've wanted to try this scent since- well since I first started reading the reviews on this forum. I think I'm already addicted to it. The first swipe was a huge cloud of medicinal herbs but that faded in a matter of seconds. Then it becomes spicy fir needles with just a hint of apple in the background (that faint hint of cider you get when you pick apples and accidentally step on one that has been on the ground).

 

I was really into the Clan of the Cave Bear series and this is pretty much what my mind conjured up when I'd read about fir needle tea.

 

I'm really reaching a point where I'd give a kidney to study under Beth and work at the lab...

[Invidiana]

This is the dark, murky side of Halloween that kids love to scare themselves stupid about but at the same time are glad to be sitting in their houses nibbling warm slices of pumpkin pie. It's that house in the depths of the woods whose flickering jack-o-lanterns you can just barely see through the tangles of brambles and naked trees, the one whose owner is rumored to be an ancient witch ready to cast her spell on you. A beautifully bewitching blend!

[indybear]

In the imp: Patchouli and spices, not much fir or woods.

 

Wet: Very spicy. The apple starts coming through and there's just a hint of fir.

 

Dry-down: This gets more complex and lovely the longer it's on my skin. The patchouli is very soft, there's just a hint of apple but the spices are all blending together in a beautiful combination.

 

This could be a bottle purchase for me. My only misgiving is that it doesn't seem to have a long life on my skin.

[Cloud]

I received my Samhain 09 last week and have already ordered two more bottles I love it so much! I was nervous because I generally loathe strong patchouli but in this blend it is not a dominant note. This seems so well blended I can't distinguish any single notes. A coworker said this scent reminded her of the incense in her old ashram in India. To me it is a spicy autumn incense fragrance that is hugely long-wearing, unlike most of my other BPALs. Definitely a winner for me!

[meatcake]

I really wanted to like this but Samhain 2009 smells like bug spray to me. I'm going to let it age a few weeks and then I'll give it another try. So disappointing!