2013 Halloweenies!

[ivyandpeony]

It is that time of year again - possibly my favorite update! I haven't even begun to narrow my huge list down yet. I'm still at the "buy it now, or wait for reviews" stage of evaluating all my wants.

 

I can attest that Sin in the Pumpkin Patch & Snakes in the Pumpkin Patch are on my must list. I tried both of them at DragonCon and was wishing I could take them both home that day. The pumpkin is rich and orange without any kind of vegetable quality and just deepens the spices in each blend. A World Where There Are Octobers was also there but I didn't skin test it. It seemed very woody and I liked it on bottle sniff, but in general woody scents need some sweet component(s) to work on me.

 

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the must-haves and meh's as the Halloween season approaches!

[Zii]

Ordered the following in my Decant Circle:

A WORLD WHERE THERE ARE OCTOBERS

AUTUMN FANCIES

DARK PUMPKIN MEAD

HAUNTED HOUSES*

SAMHAIN 2013

SIN IN THE PUMPKIN PATCH

SAMHAIN IN THE PUMPKIN PATCH

DORIAN IN THE PUMPKIN PATCH

THEME IN YELLOW

ACHLUOPHOBIA*

PLACOPHOBIA*

MICTECACIHUATL 2013

THE HELL-GATE OF IRELAND 2013

 

Gonna buy bottles of the things I starred unless the decants are awful.

[JasminDreams2010]

I seriously want, like, everything. But I settled myself to a first order of Samhain in the pumpkin patch and September Midnight- the pomegranate/amber combo is too hard to resist!

 

I wanted to buy everything except the phobias. I think my next order, should I come by the fortune, is to purchase Theme in Yellow.

Others I want include Hellgate of Ireland, Mictecacihuatl, Samhain, and possibly haunted house. Of course, I totally agree that sin and snakes in the pumpkin patch sound fabulous. Head explodes.

[Numanoid]

Thanks for letting us know your thoughts on the couple bottles you tried!! I blindly ordered Snakes in the PP and OOKY, so glad to know there is no veggy pumpkin scent...LOVE the more pumpkin-y pie-y spicy-y kind!! CAN'T WAIT for my order!!

[patina]

Maybe this will help?

I've tried a few of the Halloweenie scents from other years.

Samhainophobia is a nice dark and brown scent, but it's a bit heavy on the vetiver for me and some people say it smells like burning hair on them.

Day of the Skulls is a bit sweet. The white sandalwood sort of gives it the texture of bones, the beeswax makes it a bit polished and sweet and the roses and tobacco make it more sweet. Some people may have trouble with a slightly bitter undertone from the tobacco and hydrangea, but I was fine with it. In color I get a white-cream with pastel roses.

 

Samhain is nice, but a little warmer and heavier on the foodiness than I'd like from this kind of scent. (If you're a big pumpkin pie and cider fan this might be for you). From reading the reviews it seems to vary a bit from year to year though.

 

Also The Hell-Gate of Ireland was one of my favorites early on. I got a decant that was an absolutely amazing sweet dark clove scent. It's very warm and when I wear it in cold weather, it actually seems to make me feel warmer.

Sadly my bottle of this seemed too heavy on the lab's sulfur note. But I think it has mellowed with age and become more like the decant.

Edited September 13, 2013 by patina

[tinyvulture]

I ordered one bottle -- A World Where There Are Octobers. I can't pass up anything with falling leaves. And maple...perfect. I'm getting several others as decants. The description of Noctiphobia intrigued me the most -- I'm so curious to find out what it smells like! Also getting decants of Dark Pumpkin Mead, Le Revenant (it may be too floral for me but it has good reviews), Autumn Fancies, Day of the Skulls, Haunted Houses, and Theme in Yellow. I already have lots of pumpkin scents, otherwise I would get some of the pumpkin patches too.

 

I've tried/owned several of this year's previous incarnations. Mictecacihuatl is a really nice incense. I love copal. It was very light on me, though. I had to keep re-applying. Dia de los Muertos was similar, light incense and florals, but also very chocolatey. Flor de Muerto was straight up the scent of marigolds. I always keep bottles of Samhain and Samhainophobia on hand. They epitomize fall for me. They're similar, both with the falling leaves note that I love. Samhain is more foody (apples) while Samhainophobia is a little darker and woodsy.

[forspecial_plate]

Great topic!

 

I am insanely curious about Theme In Yellow, first and foremost. I am dying to know, what kind of interpretation is it? Literally jack-o-lantern, or more of a portrait in scent? Either way I think I would like to find out, even more than the GC/pumpkin hybrids.

 

I'm also curious about September Midnight, although I'm wondering if it might be TOO perfumey, if you know what I mean. I like powdery scents to a point. And even though I am not a huge fan of pomegranate, I am still very curious about this one. For the record, the Male Nude, Arms Upstretched oil from a couple years back has a red chypre component, but I mostly smell the musk in that one. I do like it quite a bit.

 

I love Day of Skulls, I am wearing it today to celebrate the new update. Our weather finally cooled off here and it's the perfect day for it. I only have a smaller partial bottle of it, and a backup is not out of the question.

 

I love Samhain, and I have bottles from '04 and '06, as well as a few decants from other years. Every year I consider another bottle, to me it's one of the essential bpal scents, and a full bottle this year is definitely a possibility.

 

I haven't quite gotten around to the Phobos subset, I may be interested in 1 or 2 of those.

 

And finally, I am also curious about A World Where There Are Octobers, and Autumn Fancies. These are lower on the list because they sound a little similar to some other oils I have (October, for example). But still, they both have my attention and I'll be watching reviews.....

[SophieCedar]

I'm curious about Day of Skulls because it sounds perfect and I'm wondering how I slept on that one

 

Theme in Yellow: perfect. Been wanting a fresh pumpkin scent for a long time. The only thing I could ask for now is a roasted pumpkin and brown sugar butter scent.

 

Haunted Houses: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! I'm such a paranormal nerd. Please please work on me.

 

Dark Pumpkin Mead: Need IRL. This was the one I flipped and lost my breath over. I <3 mead. Just hope the spice doesn't amp too much on me!

 

I'm exhibiting amazing self-restraint by not ordering bottles of each pumpkin patch scent immediately. Well maybe that's just because I blew a load of money on the Peach Pit and Haute Macabre. I'm convinced Beth is out to get my wallet...every update has been total scent-kryptonite the past month! I was completely immune last year! :shrug:

Edited September 13, 2013 by SophieCedar

[Foxdreams]

Haha...I'm havin' some issues.

 

My proserpine decants got here today...and so far I love two of them. And I was sort-of hoping to hate them because that's a lotta bottle.

 

Then I just ordered decants of so below and one of the liliths, and now this update! I'm telling myself well wallet, you knew this was coming. Just give up the ghost.

 

I ordered decants of...

 

A WORLD WHERE THERE ARE OCTOBERS

SAMHAIN 2013

ALICE IN THE PUMPKIN PATCH

DORIAN IN THE PUMPKIN PATCH

 

And I'm BACK AND FORTH on SNAKES IN THE PUMPKIN PATCH...just because snake oil is such a back-and-forth-dunno-for me. It's honestly between alice and snakes. I can't decide if alice's carnations will smell horrible with pumpkins or not. :/

 

(Anybody sniff it yet?)

Edited September 13, 2013 by Foxdreams

[SophieCedar]

no I hear you about the snake oil one. I think it'll be bottle-good though. There were 3 pumpkin patch scents from past years which had carnation in them: Pumpkin II '07, Pumpkin V '08, and Pumpkin III '12. the 07 and 08 were great but the 12 wasn't my cup of tea because of the black pepper. It all depends on what else is in the mix. I think the milk note will smooth out the edges on Alice ITPP.

 

Oh and I had a spaz attack over Hope and Fear Set Free.

 

Haha...I'm havin' some issues.

 

My proserpine decants got here today...and so far I love two of them. And I was sort-of hoping to hate them because that's a lotta bottle.

 

Then I just ordered decants of so below and one of the liliths, and now this update! I'm telling myself well wallet, you knew this was coming. Just give up the ghost.

 

I ordered decants of...

 

A WORLD WHERE THERE ARE OCTOBERS

SAMHAIN 2013

ALICE IN THE PUMPKIN PATCH

DORIAN IN THE PUMPKIN PATCH

 

And I'm BACK AND FORTH on SNAKES IN THE PUMPKIN PATCH...just because snake oil is such a back-and-forth-dunno-for me. It's honestly between alice and snakes. I can't decide if alice's carnations will smell horrible with pumpkins or not. :/

 

(Anybody sniff it yet?)

[Zii]

I tried Jack today and I'm praying a Theme in Yellow is nothing like it. Jack was all fake buttered popcorn (like popcorn jelly beans) and Citronella...

[ivyandpeony]

Jack was one of the first imps I ordered yon many years ago. . . and wow, I hated it! The buttery note kills it for me (and has killed every scent since, where it's been included). But I've found many pumpkin scents I do love along the way. Pumpkin Queen, Pumpkin Latte, Pumpkin Cheesecake, quite a few of the pumpkin patch scents from its many iterations too. So I don't think the butteriness accompanies the pumpkin in many BPAL perfumes.

 

I think Theme in Yellow sounds incredible - it's on my list!

[Invidiana]

I just placed a massive order this morning, I mean really worthy of this ---> even though my wallet was ready. But what I can say about past Weenies that I either own or have tried:

 

All Souls (own): foody and incensey; the incense puts a unique (and I find, highly addictive) spin on the cake and currant notes; if you like Feeding the Dead you will like this one too.

Day of the Skulls (tried): alas a little too much rose for me though I do tend to amp it; it is a sweeter rose scent, so for those of you who like your rose on the sweet side but not necessarily foody this is one to try.

Dia de los Muertos (own): another one in the vein of All Souls though a completely different scent; it has that foody-incensey thing going on along with an extra bit of smokiness and a touch of that dry leaves note I can never get enough of.

Flor de Muerto (tried): pleasant, though not the type of floral that hits the "must have zomgritenao" trigger for me (I'm into the headier and/or darker florals mostly), but it is a light and sunny scent like marigolds and mums on a sunny fall day and very much captures that yellow and orange feeling in the description.

Ghosts in Love (tried): if you are a rose lover then you'll be head over heels for this; plenty of true-to-life rose with the carnation not far behind; too rosy for me personally but I can see how rose aficionados would love it.

The Hell-Gate of Ireland (own): clove doesn't always love me, but I like this one because it's a smoky, smoldering clove that doesn't come out like a spice rack on my skin; it's a no-brainer if you're a huge clove fan, but if you're wary of clove but love the smoky stuff at least give this one a try.

John Barleycorn (own): an unusual but really cool scent, and I promise you won't smell like a sweaty crowded bar; the blood note must have dragonsblood resin in there somewhere because it balances out the wheaty and malty beer note and the toasty barley quite nicely with just a hint of sweetness.

Le Revenant (own): haunting, ethereal white florals (I should mention I'm a gardenia fan); besides heady and dark floral notes I have a thing for the ghostly ones too, and this is true to its theme, a pale white shroud; wagering Phasmophobia is going to be a cousin.

Mictecacihuatl (tried): in a similar vein with Day of the Skulls, except this one is more smoky and resinous; still too much rose for me personally

Samhain: (own multiple years) HOARD THIS SHIZNIT no seriously Samhain is wonderful, you've got the sweet pumpkin and apple swirled with the smoky wood and dry leaves into autumn perfection, and the more it ages, the better it gets; if you're a lover of quintessentially autumn scents like I am get thee at least a bottle!

Samhainophobia: (tried) I think it was the geranium that ended up being the dealbreaker here, I amp the stuff and it made the scent on a whole a little too bitter, but the other notes are wonderfully dark and smoky and I would love to see it as an atmo--hoping Achluophobia will behave as I hoped this would on my skin

 

Also, I haven't tried Ooky yet (though I did jump for a bottle) but what I can say is that if it's anything like that honey-almond pumpkin, I think it was Pumpkin I, from 09 then serious win.

[Poenari]

I tried Jack today and I'm praying a Theme in Yellow is nothing like it. Jack was all fake buttered popcorn (like popcorn jelly beans) and Citronella...

 

The first time I tried Jack, all I got was the buttered popcorn smell too. It was so buttery it made me ill. I stuck the imp away and forgot about it so much that I didn't even think to be cautious the first time I ordered Halloween pumpkin scents. I finally remembered to try Jack a couple of years later, and the butter had faded and it had aged into something I could actually wear. But of all the pumpkin scents I've tried since then, and I have many, only one has been a huge disappointment, and that was The Shattered Pumpkin, from tthe Sleepy Hollows in 2008. It was just a watery pumpkin guts scent and I was so glad I only ordered a decant. (Typically I go straight to bottle purchases for my Halloweenies.) That pumpkin note is the only thing that will keep me from eventually ordering Theme in Yellow, if it smells like raw pumpkin guts with a candle burning inside. I just don't care for that smell.

 

The Pumpkin Lattes haven't worked for me, but that was because of the expresso, not the pumpkin.

 

My all-time favorite pumpkin patch is 2009's Pumpkin IV- Pumpkin, black musk, tobacco, myrrh, and clove. That one is just perfect, but I really like every single note that is in it. I really get a lot of compliments when I wear it.

 

This year, I really can't wait to try all of the Pumpkin Patch, except Alice. And I'm really keeping fingers crossed that adding moar pumpkin to Samhain is finally going to turn it into what I have always wished it was. I love it as a room spray but Samhain just turns medicinal on my skin. I really hope adding the pumpkin is going to take this over the top for me.

 

But all of the other pumpkin scents I've tried have been the warm, spicy kind of pumpkin. I can't wait to read reviews of Theme in Yellow and so many others in this update!

[delicatedisaster]

I have Hell-Gate of Ireland 09, and I have to say, it is amazing. I bought mine second-hand so I can't say if it aged to the state it's in or not, but it's a fall scent without being overtly so-probably the clove. I'm not good at picking individual notes, but it's a smokey, spicy kind of smell without being overpowering. I really love it. (I like patchoulis and musks and things like that if it helps.)

[Atrous]

This is the first time I've been around for Weenie update. So many I'm intrigued by so I scaled down my list and placed an order.

I got:

 

Dark Pumpkin Mead - Sounds delicious. all the notes are winners for me.

Hell-gate of Ireland - Couldn't resist all the dark notes.

Samhain - another one where the notes work

September Midnight - my birth month so had to have it. love Chypre!

Snakes in the Pumpkin Patch - Snake oil + pumpkin. Nuff said.

Noctiphobia - No notes! Decided to take the risk.

[ivyandpeony]

I tried Jack today and I'm praying a Theme in Yellow is nothing like it. Jack was all fake buttered popcorn (like popcorn jelly beans) and Citronella...

 

The first time I tried Jack, all I got was the buttered popcorn smell too. It was so buttery it made me ill. I stuck the imp away and forgot about it so much that I didn't even think to be cautious the first time I ordered Halloween pumpkin scents. I finally remembered to try Jack a couple of years later, and the butter had faded and it had aged into something I could actually wear. But of all the pumpkin scents I've tried since then, and I have many, only one has been a huge disappointment, and that was The Shattered Pumpkin, from tthe Sleepy Hollows in 2008. It was just a watery pumpkin guts scent and I was so glad I only ordered a decant. (Typically I go straight to bottle purchases for my Halloweenies.) That pumpkin note is the only thing that will keep me from eventually ordering Theme in Yellow, if it smells like raw pumpkin guts with a candle burning inside. I just don't care for that smell.

 

. . .

 

YES, that is exactly the smell I was thinking of when I was talking about how pumpkin can have a weird vegetable smell! If I want to smell that, I'll just carve a pumpkin. Or open a can. I don't want to wear it.

 

I have tried most of the returning scents and have bottles of the ones that I love - enough bottles that I may not make an effort to hoard more, but I never say never Day of the Skulls and Dia de los Muertos are two of my "older" favorites, and I really loved Ghosts In Love and Le Revenant last year. And I have numerous years' incarnations of Samhain. Odd thing is I very, very rarely wear it. It gets very heavy and masculine as a perfume on me, but I love making room sprays with it or using it in an oil warmer. It really is the ultimate autumn scent.

 

I bought Hell-Gate the first year it appeared - it took me a long time to decide whether I liked it or not. I love the clove, but the other notes end up making it very masculine on me (this is a recurring theme. My chemistry doesn't seem to possess much ability to feminize or sweeten a scent, so if I want those qualities I have to buy them up front!) I am pretty sure it's the black musk that's the ringleader. But it smells incredible on so many people.

 

The really sweet, candy-based scents are often just way too sweet for me (I'm thinking Creepy, Sticky Pillowcase, Suck It, those types of scents). But Ooky is tempting me! It sounds like it might be brightened up with the spices and lemon zest.

[Zii]

I tried Jack today and I'm praying a Theme in Yellow is nothing like it. Jack was all fake buttered popcorn (like popcorn jelly beans) and Citronella...

 

The first time I tried Jack, all I got was the buttered popcorn smell too. It was so buttery it made me ill. I stuck the imp away and forgot about it so much that I didn't even think to be cautious the first time I ordered Halloween pumpkin scents. I finally remembered to try Jack a couple of years later, and the butter had faded and it had aged into something I could actually wear. But of all the pumpkin scents I've tried since then, and I have many, only one has been a huge disappointment, and that was The Shattered Pumpkin, from tthe Sleepy Hollows in 2008. It was just a watery pumpkin guts scent and I was so glad I only ordered a decant. (Typically I go straight to bottle purchases for my Halloweenies.) That pumpkin note is the only thing that will keep me from eventually ordering Theme in Yellow, if it smells like raw pumpkin guts with a candle burning inside. I just don't care for that smell.

 

The Pumpkin Lattes haven't worked for me, but that was because of the expresso, not the pumpkin.

 

My all-time favorite pumpkin patch is 2009's Pumpkin IV- Pumpkin, black musk, tobacco, myrrh, and clove. That one is just perfect, but I really like every single note that is in it. I really get a lot of compliments when I wear it.

 

This year, I really can't wait to try all of the Pumpkin Patch, except Alice. And I'm really keeping fingers crossed that adding moar pumpkin to Samhain is finally going to turn it into what I have always wished it was. I love it as a room spray but Samhain just turns medicinal on my skin. I really hope adding the pumpkin is going to take this over the top for me.

 

But all of the other pumpkin scents I've tried have been the warm, spicy kind of pumpkin. I can't wait to read reviews of Theme in Yellow and so many others in this update!

 

See, I wouldn't mind smelling like a true jack-o-lantern, myself. I was hoping Jack would smell like pumpkin pie, and I started getting some of that during the drydown, but it still wasn't great, and totally not enough to make the horrid first 5-10 minutes worth it.

[forspecial_plate]

I think Day Of Skulls is one of those that varies wildly from person to person. If you read the reviews, some people get strong rose from it, and some don't. The impressions are all over the place (which I think is kind of neat).

 

I personally don't get strong rose from it. If I didn't know I might not even know it had rose. It has a vaguely floral element, but nothing specific that I recognize. I asked a friend for his opinion and he said it smells like Black Love insence. I like smelling like incense so I took it as a compliment. However he specifically said he couldn't smell rose, so I know it's not just my perception (on MY skin, that is). And he works at the Chanel counter, so he does know a little about fragrances.

 

So for anyone who is afraid of the rose, or flowers in general, I would say you probably have to try this one on to really know.

 

edit: I can't pick out tobacco or any kind of cocoa eiter

Edited September 14, 2013 by Forspecial Plate

[miamaslegi]

I am absolutely ordering many bottles of Samhain - it's probably my most loved BPAL, period (any year!). I really do want to try Samhainophobia, mainly because I love vetiver. I also want to try Ooky, A World Where There Are Octobers, Hell Gate of Ireland, Dia de los Muertos, and the Dorian, Morocco, and Samhain Pumpkin Patch scents. I'm sure there are some ones I'm missing, but Samhain is a multiple bottle must-buy, and the others are my absolute must-try oils (I'm having a feeling that Samhainophobia, Ooky and the Pumpkin Patch oils are going to warrant back up bottles, too).

[boomtownrat]

The idea of pumpkin Snake Oil has called to me for at least a year and a few months, so Snakes in the Pumpkin Patch was a purchase without hesitation. The same goes for Dark Pumpkin Mead and Theme in Yellow. Most of the pumpkin patches sound like must-haves for me, but I'm not sure about Dorian and I've never tried Alice at all. I don't think I have something that combines pumpkin with honey, one of the notes my skin loves the most, so I couldn't pass up Dark Pumpkin Mead. Theme in Yellow will be my first experience with the candle note, only my second experience with the fresh pumpkin note, and I can't resist "Halloween joy" or that poem.

 

After some consideration over more pumpkin patches, I realized my cart was filled only with pumpkin-based scents, so I ordered All Souls. Ever since I got my bottle of SkekZok (incidentally a must-have for incense lovers, I'd say), I've been on an incense kick. All Souls sounds like it's essential for Eat Me fans.

 

Four bottles in one order doesn't sound like much to some people, I know, but it's my biggest order to date. Unfortunately (or fortunately) I'm far from done with Weenies, so I'll either be saving up some cash for another big-for-me order by November or I'll be splitting it up into two more orders so I don't drain my bank account.

 

Now I'm waiting on reviews for A World Where There Are Octobers, Flor de Muerto, and some others. Moroccan Pumpkin Patch and Sin in the Pumpkin Patch are almost definite purchases.

[Zii]

My fella is buying me a few bottles of things and I am really excited he's as into placophobia as I am!

 

We're also getting Red Rider, because leather.

[Mechanical Death]

So today is one of those 'I don't give a fuck days'.

I just put in a huuuuuuge order of weenies and a few GC bottles I've been wanting to get.

I have enough perfume to last several life times-- probably with that order a lone.

 

I feel no guilt. Nope. None.

I am really excited for my weenies though!

[delicatedisaster]

Okay, so I know I already posted, but this will be my first year ordering weenies live and I'd like an opinion. I'm going to wait for a few reviews to trickle in before I go for it. I've had great luck ordering limiteds in the past, and haven't run across anything that smelled awful, only things that are too weak to smell. (Even Martian Phoenix worked for me) I have a lot of patchoulis an musks (which seems to be lovely for me) but I could do with some florals and foody smells too. I'm considering All Souls or Day of the Dead (those two pitted against each other) and possibly Goblin Market or Placophobia. I'm probably going to go decant-less since while I think it's entirely worth the asking price, I have limited funds to splurge on BPAL.

 

I have bottles of Wilf, Martian Pheonix, Our Lady of Pain, Dorian, Hell-Gate of Ireland, and Butterscotch Balls an Black Beetles, all of which were complete successes. (If that helps, I know that some people with really extensive collection give advice based on notes that work for you.)

 

tl;dr Help a semi-newbie make a good purchase?

[stellamaris]

Oooh delicatedisaster, Butterscotch Balls and Black Beetles is one of my all time favorite BPALs to hoard, and count me in the school of those who have enough perfume to last a life time but strangely are buying more...

Ooky called to me and was my first Weenie this year, because I figured it would be creepy and kooky

I also believe I bought Ghosts in Love because the 2011 version was so awesome, Dia De Los Meurtos, which is a very rich perfumey thing for me, All Souls which I also have from previous years and I love for the cold weather in which the foody scents are very comforting, Day of Skulls for the same reason. I think I will be back for the Samhain and Samhainophobia because there are just some days when those things work.