Samhain

[this machine]

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.

I'm with the folks who don't really get woods out of this. It dries down to, as someone said, dirty honey, which to me is not a good smell. But i'm giving it another chance next time i get around to it in my "imps to try again" list. I don't hold out a lot of hope though, because i think i'm learning via luperci that anything honey-ish comes popping right out and taking over on me. Edited November 22, 2007 by Shollin

[cal_steph]

Got this from ketalady in a swap.

 

And..yay! This is one of the few scents I've tried that both smells delicious in the imp and on my skin.

 

In the imp, it's mostly fir trees. I can smell apple cider and clove lingering in the background, but it's hidden behind the trees.

 

On my skin, it becomes all clove and apple cider and a little hint of dead leaves. It really is the perfect fall scent. I might become a bit obsessed with this one, if I ever figure out the situation in which I'd want to smell like autumn. Maybe in the winter.

[poisonapple]

I am on a review roll tonight...So I think I will review this one too. I got it in a swap and I am so lucky I did.

 

This is mulled spice heaven. I don't really get any woods out of this one either. I get such a heavenly smell out of this.

 

I know it is called Samhain it just screams Fall and October. I can't tell you all the notes to to me it smells like a wonderful Fall party with all the wonderful goodies you get.

 

The neat thing is that is smells exactly like it does in the bottle, on me. There is almost no change in the spicey scent.

 

I even put a dropper full in my oil burner and wow!!! I am so hoarding this until tihs fall not only will I smell yummy...but my house will too.

[Celestyna]

At first it was perfumie on me. Then it settled, and all I can smell is mothballs!

I've tried this a few different times now, as I got a 5ml, and just can't make it work.

I still haven't figured out how on some people it cansmell floral and fruity, but on me, like a medicine cabinet. *g*

[LittleGreyKitten]

Samhain disappoints me. I really, really wanted it for (yes, I'm a huge dork) the label. I have the two antique repro postcards that were used on the label for this one and Trick or Treat. They're so cute! I was sooo hoping that I would at least like Samhain. No such luck.

 

It just smells kind of smoky and spicy on me. It's a decent autumny blend, but I don't love it in any way, or even really like it. I am not sure why exactly. (Not very useful of me!) It might be the smoke, or the fruitiness I get under it. OK, it's probably the fruit.

 

Anyway, saaddddnesss. I can't justify keeping the bottle for the label alone if I actually dislike the perfume within. Woe.

 

For me, 2 out of 5.

[pennydreadful]

In the bottle: Apples, mulling spices, and a hint of smoke.

 

Wet: A bit of a pine forest smell joins the spicy smoky apples, adding a nice balance to the scent.

 

Drydown: The scent becomes more mellow, and the patchouli makes an appearance. The pine does not go to powder on me, which is very rare indeed. The apple spice remains the primary note.

 

Verdict: I read about the fragrance on LJ, and I bought a bottle of it without ever having tried any BPAL before. It was an excellent first purchase and intro to BPAL, and I have been hooked ever since. This truly is the essence of fall, as noted in the official description, and one of my top 3 BPAL oils.

[random]

My wife, who I adore to the point of uxoriousness, says that people here are always interested in what guys (I mean "guys" in the gender-specific sense, with a Y chromosome and all that stuff) have to say about BPALs, so here goes.

 

Meta-note: this is the first time I've posted a review, and I haven't read very many of them. So if this is not the kind of thing that you're interested in seeing in a review, please PM me to let me know. Or, I guess, if this is exactly what you're interested in seeing, it would be nice to know that too.

 

Right now at this moment I have Samhain 2004 on my right wrist, and Samhain 2005 on my left wrist. They did not smell very much alike at all at first: the 2005 variety is spicy in kind of a cider-y way, and the 2004 kind has none of that at all. Now that I've had them on for a while, the difference is not so pronounced. I have no idea whether that's because they smell more alike than they did before, or because I've been smelling them both for a while, or both.

 

When I don't have my wrists right up next to my schnozz -- as for example, right now while I'm typing -- what I smell is a kind of cherry tobacco smell. I like that a lot; probably because I associate that scent with my dad and his pipe from the days of my youth (so long ago...). The unfortunate thing is, I can't tell which wrist that scent is coming from. I kind of think it's both of them, but I can't be sure.

 

When I'm sniffing these guys up close and personal, I get none of the pumpkin or autumn leaves that other people here talk about. It does put me in mind of relaxing by the fireplace, maybe because of the cider smell, or maybe something more subtle that I just can't put my finger on. It's comforting, whatever it is.

 

My better half says that the 2004 one smells "powdery." I have no idea what that means, but I expect some of you folks will.

 

These guys are vaguely reminiscent of: Miskatonic University, Herr Drosselmeyer, and maybe some other ones I'm not thinking of right now.

 

UPDATE: my original post was at about 6pm yesterday evening. This morning, at around 11am, I noticed that the cherry tobacco smell was still clearly present on my left wrist (the Samhain 2005 one). The other notes, like the cidery smell, were all gone, but I noticed the cherry tobacco smell while I was typing, in other words, with the actual scent a couple of feet from my schnozz. This is unprecedented staying power for a BPAL scent, on me anyway. Isn't that interesting?

 

OK! Peace out.

 

rnd

Edited April 20, 2006 by random

[Eunice]

Yum! Sweet pumpkin pie! And apple! I'm not really into the foody scents but Samhain (and Gingerbread Poppet) really make me crave wearing them. This isn't even a heavy scent even though it reminds me of pumpkin pie. The apple lightens this up so I'm not reminded of trying to cram in just one piece of pie after a Thanksgiving meal. The longer I wear this the more I am reminded of hot mulled cider with the creaminess of pumpkin. This is a lovely, well-rounded scent. My fingers are crossed that another rendition of Samhain comes out this fall!

[Jettcat]

Samhain 05

Ya know, I really shouldn't be trying out discontinued LE as I always fall in love and want mass amounts.

*sigh*

 

In the bottle: I'm getting fruity spicy that romps thru my nasal passages joyfully...oh damn, I always love the foodie scents.

 

Wet: Tart apple and clove, damn now I'm hungry too......MUST.NOT.THINK.OF.PIE!

 

Dry: The clove backs down and I'm getting a peppery note....I still want PIE!

 

1 hour later: Been forced to make a drink as I don't have the ingredients for apple pie.

Hopefully Beth will again bring this back this year as well, even if it's only available once a year, I'd still buy a bottle. Maybe I will inspire her with my recipe for a Hot Apple Pie cocktail.

 

Hot Apple Pie

1 packet of hot apple cider mix in a coffee glass

add 1 shot of Tuaca liquer and mix with hot water

stir thoroughly until well mixed, top with whipped cream

 

I swear this tastes exactly like a hot alcoholic apple pie!

[HennaFairy]

bottle:

fall spicy/incensey, smells like night. No strong food scents.

 

wet:

omgoddess.. Woodsy spicy goodness!!! I think I'm in love…

 

dry:

same! It's a little like kathmandu in the dry stage… I can't stop sniffing myself! Eventually some hints of fruit come out.

 

overall:

I like, although it's definitely more of an autumn scent!

 

rating: 9/10

Edited May 8, 2006 by HennaFairy

[rhubarbbear]

i finally tried samhain

 

in the imp it is gorgeous- all autumn and apples and light spice!

 

on me it goes rather candle-ish. i seem to have very picky skin still, this one has THROW...which is quite unusual for me! i don't have to hold my arm up to my nose to smell it! now if only i could get this with a blend i *really really* liked...

[moon_lemming]

2006 version

Yes, very autumnal. I have a feeling I'd love this one if my skin didn't turn pumpkin into sour grossness. As Samhain dries, I get a sweet mulled cider smell underneath the pumpkin that is absolutely lovely, but woe! The pumpkin!

 

Oh well. Can't win them all.

 

2010 version

Nope, still don't like it. I don't like it for completely different reasons this year, though. Either it's a different formulation or my skin reacts differently now, because I get ZERO pumpkin, just a masculine spicy darkness. I love patch, but I guess there is something about "black patchouli" that just doesn't agree with me, because it just smells all wrong on me.

Edited September 24, 2010 by karen

[juniperus]

Bottle: oooh, spicy! the mulling spices are yummy, and I normally don't like food-y stuff!

Wet: the spiced with an undercurrent of the patchouli, and a hint of the apple on top.

Dry: the woods are coming up behind and the depth to this, now, is really wonderful. I'm not getting much of the apple or pumpkin (which is ok by me) and the top notes are the spices. Fall is my favorite season, complete with apple-picking, mulling and baking spices, and the scent of damp wood and pine - this is spot-on, tremendously emotion and memory invoking for me.

Later: favorite season, favorite holiday, emotionally stirring, and so very lovely besides. not many blends are so image and time-and-place invoking for me...

[mirutai]

Smoked, spiced apples. No, I have no idea what a smoked apple would taste like either (would probably be _vile_), but this is definately the scent of apples and smoke. The spices are quite strong as well - cinnamon and clove, to my nose. I'm not actually getting "pie" out of this, though - there's none of the sweet, cloying pastry note that sometimes appears in foody blends (Jack, I'm lookin' at _you_).

 

Over time it gets a little woodier, a little smokier. Strangely, the scent seems wet rather than dry to me - I get the impression of damp leaves. It is very evocative of autumn.

 

After four hours or so, the scent has dried down to a thick honey-ish note. Throw, which was previously quite good, is mostly gone (have to sniff my wrists directly to detect it). Not so keen on htis phase.

 

I'm not normally a fan of smoky or foody scents, but even I can tell that this is a good one. Not sure if it's really "me", but I can appreciate the artistry of the blend!

[TheFairestLady]

Opening the bottle, I was almost knocked over by how strong this one was. It smelled of an overdose of apple pie spice and nutmeg. When it dried, however, there was something special about Samhain. Something that seemed to bring about a memory I still cannot place.

 

There's a definite air of Autumn sunset in this blend. I can only feel the chill of the faint, warm wind on the back of my neck and the crunch of leaves under my feet. If I close my eyes, I can almost see a lit jack-o-latern casting its shadows onto the October night.

 

Strong, but lovely.

[edenssixthday]

Samhain 2005 - This is a truly wretched blend. The patchouli and pumkin combination is sickingly cloying, and the scent in general made my chest tighten up and constricted my airways. I've never had a single BPAL blend give me asthma-like symptoms! Anyway, this was one of those rare blends I had to wash off. I managed to keep it on for about 30 minutes, and I finally gave up, decided I do like breathing more than I like BPAL, and scrubbed it off. I couldn't completely get rid of it, but once I scrubbed my skin, the scent was much more subtle and tolerable; however, due to the physical maladies this caused, I won't be wearing it again.

 

 

Samhain 2004 - 2004 is a bit more palatable than 2005, but it's still not my cup of tea. It's full of dry, autumnal leaves, rancid apple cider and plastic. Lots of plastic. It's cloyingly sweet and while it doesn't make me ill as 2005 did, I don't find the scent pleasurable in the least. It's got some serious throw and staying power. This will be passed on to someone whom I know adores this scent.

 

 

*edited to add Samhain '04 review*

Edited July 22, 2006 by edenssixthday

[beeboppin]

This is another of my niece's blends that she graciously allowed me to sample.

 

I got none of the wonderful autumn forest, apples or pumpkin so many raved about. I got Vicks VapoRub and mothballs, in the bottle and on my skin. After about an hour, I could detect a bit of spice and patchouli, but it was too little, too late. This one just isn't for me.

[Melantha]

What a warm, sweet, autumnal scent! When I first apply it, I can pick out several of the notes: apple, spices, smoke. (The smoke kinda scared me; it normally doesn't work well on me.) Within 10 minutes, though, they've blended together, and the most wonderful alchemy has happened; I feel like I've become Fall! I'll probably wait to wear this until then, but I'll wear it a lot.

[ViciousBleu]

Oh, beautiful!

 

This smells like fall in New England. You can smell the woods with wet, unraked leaves. A faint hint of the hay bails before they get packed away. Apples freshly pressed show up later.

 

I really like this one and may start snatching up and hording away some bottles as I look forward to a re-release!

[clovepod]

This is a review of the '05 version of Samhain.

 

I love fall and Halloween and I went kind of nuts with the fall scents. I never reviewed them, though, so the snap of cool rainy weather that we're having here in NC seems like a good reason to do that now.

 

For me, this is fall in a bottle. It's smoky and spicy and there's a hint of apple cider in the background. Sometimes I just love it, and sometimes it's a little too harsh-- the smoke wins too much.

 

As the drydown proceeds, it becomes softer, and the spice notes come forward as the smoke recedes.

 

----

 

After more thought, i realized that this scent is not what fall actually smells like, but more represents an idealized moment that I always hope to have during fall. It's more a fantasy of fall, not a memory of fall.

[karengypsy]

In the vial: Nutmeg, pumpkin, clove, cinnamon, other spices. Yummy!

 

On me: The spices are all extremely well-blended on my skin. This is a heavenly scent and truly reminds me of the fall season and of Halloween. After it begins to dry, I smell pine needles and patchouli. This scent is beautiful.

 

Verdict: Keeper! I probably will save this for the late summer and early fall season and use my little imp sparingly. If I can find a bottle, it'd be nice to have one.

 

Rating: 5/5

[dierne]

In the imp - I'm getting soft green probably the mullein with a tiny hint of the apple. Not hugely impressive at this point.

 

Wet on skin - Much darker and stronger lots of wood and patchouli. The green keeps pushing through and the apple is defintely there, gentle but determined in the background with just a touch of the spice.

 

Dry on skin - Wonderful warm melange of scent. Sweet and fruity and spicy with a strong bulwark of wood spiked with that fir needle I think.

 

Later - It's getting more woody and Autumnal with underpinnings of rich, warming spiced apple juice. I think I'm in love!

 

[fairy]

(mine is 05)

 

This one made me sad because it came as a gorgeous decorated imp that was pretty by itself. But it smells like cigarettes to me

[cybra111]

Samhain '04

 

In the bottle: warm and alcoholic

 

On me: Totally menthol. I had to wash it off. Darn!

[maijasu]

Beautiful, sweet, spicy, autumnal goodness!

 

I got this decant from a lovely forumite, and I'm not sure which year it's from. It's been sitting around for a while, since I was scared to test it due to the dreaded black patchouli. But it's surprisingly wearable, and it has great throw. I'll definitely snag a bottle if it makes a return!