Serotine Bat

[Dedee]

Bourbon vanilla, Arabian amber, ylang ylang, peach blossom, sweet freesia, and strands of vibrant saffron.

OK, so this bottle I was debating on getting just because normally most florals and my skin seem to have a misunderstanding but...

Out of the bottle: Boozy Vanilla and flowers. I can't differentiate the floral notes too much but I think I can make out the freesia.

Wet: Oh, this is nice! Right away I think my skin amps the peach blossom because all I can smell are overly sweet vanilla peaches, and that is sooooo not a bad thing

Drydown: The peachiness fades into the background a bit and the freesia has come out to play with the amber, and every once in awhile the vanilla peeks through, it has turned into a lightly fruity, soft scent that is perfect for hot Summer days.

Verdict: The throw is not very strong on me, and the scent kind of reminds me of an after shower body mist, very refreshing!! It is so light and lovely!!! Not at all what I would equate with a Nocturnal Flying Rodent

[GypsyRoseRed]

Wet, this was a very understated, low key vanilla with a bit of fruity sweetness to it. After about 10 minutes, it seemed more golden (maybe the amber and saffron coming out) and I could only detect the smallest amount of freesia in the background, which I really liked because it stopped Serotine Bat from being just a simple vanilla. This is so much prettier than I expected, and I really love it. It wears close to the skin, but it hung on and was detectable for 6 hours after application.

[VioletChaos]

In The Bottle: YUM! There's the vanilla and an added sweet-creaminess of saffron. At this stage, I get nothing more. And to tell the truth, I kinda hope it stays this way, because this is heavenly.

 

Wet On Skin: Much the same, with an ever-so-slight note of fruitiness in the mix. It doesn't read as peach, which seems a bit miraculous, as I usually amp peach to the end of the world.

 

Dry Down: I get no amber, ylang ylang or freesia from this. By and large, this is vanilla and saffron with the barest breath of fruit. This is what I so desperately wanted MB: Underpants to be on me and just wasn't. I'm so delighted to have a wish come true!

 

In All: Very low throw. Also, my skin seems to eat this stuff up like candy, because I had to reapply several times just to get enough scent on my skin to test! However, since it's my magical skin that has pulled out all the most delicious notes from this mix, I shall not scold it too badly.

THRILLED to have a bottle- I shall treasure it always!

 

 

[violetblue]

I love this so much. Reminds me a bit of Silver Haired Bat, I don't know why, though, maybe the lightness? Sweet vanilla and there's something sharp that normally would bother me but it doesn't in this. I LOVE IT and want MORE!!!!!!! I could see this being a signature scent for me if I knew I could slather it everyday.

[fetish911]

First and foremost.. i love this blend!! Its a sweet almost candy-like vanilla and some saffron that reminds me of Loves Philosophy. Not the whole blend mind you, but its the same saffron. The sweet part of this maybe from the freesia or ylang ylang? While i dont smell them individually, I do think they are contributing to the sweetness of this scent. After a few mins of dry down, it does get this less sweet, golden feel that just knocks it out of the park for me. It is low throw and a rather quick fader, but its gorgeous! Slather worthy for sure!

[absinthetics]

Utterly amazing and slather/hoard worthy. Amazing. Love's Philosphy and Silver Haired bat meet some saffron and... something else. I thought this would be my second favorite out of this year's bats, but it is easily my most favorite. There's the sweet of Underpants but there is an herbal quality to this that makes this more wearable for the not-so-foody.

 

Incredible!

[Caper]

I passed on this one because the freesia in Miss Jenny was too much and kind of ruined it for me.

 

I can't detect it here at all, which is awesome, except I don't think anyone is going to swap me for Miss Jenny.

 

This is a really nice vanilla (boo-like in the imp) that has a supporting base of amber and peach blossom. The peach isn't a heavy ripe dripping with juice tyoe if fruit, but more of a gentle soft warm peach on the tree in the sun.

 

All in all very nice. I don't know that I'll try to track down a bottle since I know it is popular and I'm starting to get picky with what is added to the collection these days.

 

ETA- that plastic note everyone always talks about with vanilla? I just smelled it for the first time. at least it saves me from overspending to try and grab a bottle.

 

ETA2- plastic doll head is gone! This is fucking amazing! So glad I ended up grabbing a bottle and letting it languish in my sales box for ten months because it is so prefect for spring.

Edited March 5, 2014 by Caper

[Little Bird]

Serotine Bat smells a lot like the Trading Post's Celeste bath salts did to me (the salts had notes of 'vanilla-infused honey and saffron'). It's like a sweet honey flavored dusting powder with a hint of fruity peach blossom. It smells a bit like creamy vanilla cake batter in the bottle, but turns dry/powdery/dusty smelling and honeyed on my skin.

[sunshinedaisybliss]

 

This is the one Bat's Day blend that I thought was doomed to failure for me, because... well... florals just aren't my friend. But I have freesias growing wild through my garden at spring time every year (here's a tip for the young gardeners out there.. plant bulbs!) and they smell amazing. But bourbon vanilla - amber - ylang ylang - saffron - these are all good, very very good, so I figured I'd give it a chance.

 

So - let's see.. Serotine Bat. What's nice about it is that it turns fruity on my skin - not floral at all. But not fruity like FROO-TEE, just a hint of fruitiness. The peach blossom is so light and fluffy that you really have to pay attention to realise it's peach, and the freesia has a beautiful waxy sweetness without being all floralpants about it. The saffron here must be in very small quantity, because it's not something I pick up strongly as an individual note - it's just adding a gentle golden glow to the overall feeling of the fragrance (as others have mentioned.. I recognise the saffron from Love's Philosophy but here it's way less obvious). But the stars of the show are the vanilla, amber and ylang ylang - what a heavenly combination!

 

Last year, the big winner for me was Silver-Haired Bat with its gorgeous shimmery golden ambergris+oudh+amber combination, and strangely enough.. Serotine reminds me very much of SHB - and by "strangely enough" I mean.. aside from amber, they have no common notes - but it's a feel thing, not a smell thing. Where SHB is like being inside a sleeping bag of warm salted caramel, Serotine is like being inside a sleeping bag of warm fruity caramel. Not that nasty brown-sugar type caramel, but the soft light-brown chewy caramel. They are both silky smooth and luxuriantly sensuous... this is the BPAL that Carolyn whatsherface should have had on when she married John Kennedy in that white satin sheath dress. Or Charlize Theron wearing that gold dress in that ridiculous bloody J'Adore commercial for that stinky Dior perfume. Not that I want to marry a Kennedy, or wear a silky gold dress and pout around speaking French - oh no, no I don't - but this is definitely a BPAL worthy of screen goddesses and women-who-marry-Kennedys, should one be inclined to aspire to either of these things.

 

But the best thing of all... where SHB lasts for less than an hour on my skin, Serotine sticks around for two hours before I notice it starting to fade. And it doesn't morph or mess around at all - it stays the same from dab to disappearance.

 

Wait - I know what this is! Serotine Bat is like Silver-Haired Bat meets Monsterbait: Underpants. It's drop-dead gorgeous and I am now going to embark on a mission to find at least one backup bottle. And maybe a Kennedy

 

Edited to add label photo

Edited May 24, 2013 by sunshinedaisybliss

[stellamaris]

Hmm. I don't get a lot from this one. It's kind of a very light vanilla, a bit on the plastic doll head side, but not quite delicious enough. Still working on it...

[milo]

In the bottle, this is very sweet and foody. Very much like Blossoms in Springtime. On the skin, the florals come out, and the PEACHY Peach Peach. Now it's a sweet freesia peach blend, kind of like Tamora with a kick of florals. I can't really do peach, but the Arabian amber, vanilla bourbon, and saffron really called to me. I really don't get any of these. Color me disappointed.

[Lorna Brigid]

I agree with this being like Underpants....it is like Underpants with a sophisticated citrus floral!

Gah, it is sooo good the more I huff.

It's not FOODY, normally I don't like freesia and peach can be iffy, but I took a chance and this is nom nom nom!

It also has a Haloes like quality to it, even though the notes listed aren't the same.

Hope I can find a bottle one day!

[sharkdiver]

This smells like Haloes and Underpants had a baby!

[gwynethr]

This one actually made me cry. All four of the scents that my lovely fairy got for me didn't work, but of all of them, this was the one I wanted most. Every. Single. Note. is something I love, and I thought for sure all of them together would be heaven. It's nice, and I could almost see using it in something that might not touch skin so that my crazy menopausal chemistry wouldn't affect it, but since it's so popular I feel like someone who loves it should be able to enjoy it.

[neuilly]

For me it's definitely heavy on the bourbon vanilla. I'm not great at picking out the notes beyond that. At moments it feels almost burnt (but not in a bad way) and otherwise just very foodie. It's a tad heavier than I expected.

[zankoku_zen]

Bourbon vanilla, peach blossom, and hints of amber. I'm surprised at how much I like this blend. I thought the ylang ylang and freesia would be too much, but I am pleasantly surprised.

 

Foodie, rich, pleasant.

 

ETA: So, yes, this is vanilla/amber + light florals, and oddly enough to me, the vanilla + amber combo is strangely reminiscent to Amaterasu v3. Whereas I have a limited amount of Amaterasu v3, I think I may go on the hunt for more Serotine Bat. Oh yes.

Edited November 15, 2013 by zankoku_zen

[ami226]

Lovely! I get a lot of rich vanilla, peach blossom and a slight melange of other florals. Really, this is a very tasty scent.

 

As time goes on the amber in this scent really blooms. Even better! I definitely smell the resemblance to Haloes, but I think I like that one a bit better. This is a very lovely scent and I like it, but I don't think it is in my top ten.

[brilliantcat]

This has a ton of notes I adore. In the vial, it smells like vanilla peach cream. On me, it's the same lovely vanilla-peach-creamy scent with the addition of very light florals. Sadly as time passes, it heads into plastic vanilla and overly floral. Ah man, it could have been so good, though I probably dodged a bullet trying to get a bottle

 

Edit: Upon retesting, I do need a bottle It stays beautifully creamy vanilla-peach with touches of floral. No plastic vanilla here. Damn, now I need to hunt down more!

Edited December 5, 2013 by brilliantcat

[MiasmaResonance]

Wow, this is very unique to me!

 

Very peachy on my skin, and maybe that's freesia in the background? Who knows...

 

But it's sweet and lovely vanilla amber peach, but over time it starts to go kind of wonky on me. I DO like it, but I'm not sure it's for me. I'm definitely glad I got to try it out, though!

[Magycmyste]

In the imp: An almost coconut sugariness

 

Wet on skin: The peach blossom is coming out now, with the amber softening everything else up. This is sweet and delicious-smelling.

 

Dried down: Soft and peachy, but not overwhelmingly so.

 

Throw: Not a whole lot on me, apparently, but I'm good with that. My skin tends to eat up these oils, but I don't really like to be overwhelmed with perfume, anyway.

 

Verdict: ***** Bottle, please? Maybe two? ::Sigh::

Edited March 31, 2014 by Magycmyste

[Eemia]

Easily in my top ten.

 

It's not the overtly sexy, heavy vanilla that I usually go crazy for but... who am I kidding? I can get on board with just about any vanilla. This is lightly floral and fruity and sort of golden. It's like peach liquor vanilla at first, definitely has an expensive alcohol type of feeling. The vanilla doesn't feel sweet on its own. The underlying sweetness seems to be from the peach and the amber, and it's not gourmand at all. It's airy, gentle, and fresh. The florals lift this up a little and filter out the potential heaviness. It makes it smell perfumey in a way too. The first impression I get from this when I put it on is that it's a fancy eau de parfum I spritzed on from an atomizer. It's so well blended and rounded out that it practically could be.

 

And it finishes out as the most amazing, peach-musk-sweet-glowing-skin in the entire world. Mmmmmm. Just so good. It sits closely to my skin during the dry down and the sheerness of the peach continues to be beautiful. This is one of those scents that I fell in love with immediately when I sniffed it in the bottle and it makes me sniff my wrists and arms all day long.

[porcelina]

saffron is hit or miss with me. i want to like it but sometimes it makes various blends smell weird and somehow plasticky? that is not the case here... the saffron/vanilla combo is very nice. the vanilla and amber are so rich, creamy and sweet but not TOO sweet. and the florals are there but not dominating. it's sexy but not overwhelming. this is a really fantastic perfume and to be honest i'm surprised you don't hear more about it.

[LizziesLuck]

I adore saffron, especially with vanilla, so I am so excited to have gotten my hands on this!

 

Wet: The amber is sweet and sensual, the vanilla and saffron, combined with the florals (man I love freesia, why do we see it so seldom?) are lovely. It's very light though, not as strong as I was hoping.

 

 

Dry: It really takes this a while to settle on me (that could just be my skin, today) But once it does, it's beautiful. In my head, this was going to be primarily amber and saffron and vanilla, those are the notes I amp. Instead, it's the most lovely freesia, backed by those other notes. I had forgotten how much I love freesia, and it's not dominant in anything else that I own, so I am really happy with how this turned out.

[Jenjin]

Blind bottle purchase from the forum. I'm thinking about collecting more bats and I usually LOVE vanilla.

IN THE BOTTLE:

Vanilla wine...? I'm also detecting a floral but I can't tell what it is.

WET:

From a distance, peachy bubblegum! Creamy vanilla tones mixed with florals that are a teeny bit plastic. This bat's blowing bubbles!

DRY:

Amber deliciousness blossoming from a warm saffron sweetness. The resin works it's magic and balances out any freesia sharpness. This is soft and velvety peach fur.

NOTES:

Anything with peach is difficult for me and comes off too sweet. I wish it had just a bit more cream. Going to try it again this summer and see if things improve.

Edited July 11, 2016 by Jenjin

[Honey]

This blend of vanilla and saffron remind me of two things: Love’s Philosophy and bubblegum. What I think of as bubblegum must be a very vibrant, sugary and juicy peach though.

The amber behaves well on my skin and blends nicely with the florals. It reminds me a bit of the amber in Hollywood Babylon actually.

 

This is a very creamy and only a tad bit spicy peach blend that gets its complexity from the vanilla-amber backdrop and the additional floral bouquet. If you are a peach lover, definitely give this a try. If you are scared of amber, see if this one works for you. And if you are a vanilla lover that likes it sweet and juicy? Get your hands on it!

Unfortunately, personally, the peach is taking away from my excitement for this blend as it smells too artificial and/or too candy-like on my skin.