Sjöfn

[poofie]

Seventh is Sjofn. She is much concerned to direct people’s minds to love, both women and men. Our song to the Norse Goddess of Love is scented with apples and birch and bound with apple blossoms.

I received my imp last night and put it on this morning before work. In the vial, it's thin and almost colorless. Wet, it's candy sweet on me, with some fruitiness, but mostly it's a sweet floral. I can't pick up any woodiness from the birch at all, which is a shame because I love wood notes and thought the birch sounded really interesting. Faded fairly quickly for me, I swiped the imp wand at the hollow of my throat, dabbed behind each ear, and swiped on one wrist and then rubbed them together It's a little more than an hour later and if I press my nose to my wrist I get a bit of apple-and-something-else (the birch?), but it is very faint. All in all, too sweet for my tastes so the short wear doesn't break my heart. Perhaps I will try another apple blend?

[Frills]

I love most of the lab's apple blends so this one was a must-have. The Hesperides was my favorite apple blend when it was still around, and Sjofn is really similar in the bottle and on the first application. It's much sweeter, though--like candied apples instead of one you pluck off a branch. When it dries the woodiness comes out, but the apples are still very strong. Almost too strong, thanks to how my skin amps apple like crazy.

 

I'm going to let it age, because I think if the woods get bolder as the blend gets older, this will be a beautiful scent.

[doomsday_disco]

In the bottle: It has a candy-like quality to it that might somewhat reminiscent of a note one would expect from apple-flavored hard candy. That said, it is not a candy-like green apple scent like Rapunzel in Ballpoint. It reminds me of Golden Delicious apples! Golden Delicious apples are my favorite, and I am so happy to have a scent with a yellow apple note! It is definitely a wonderful sweet (not tart) apple scent.

 

Wet: When it hits my skin, the candy-like note is there for a few seconds, but then it is becomes the scent of a sweet, juicy yellow apple. I am loving this! It is strong, too!

 

Dry: It seems to be getting somewhat sweeter over time, and I am wondering if this syrupy sweetness can be attributed to the birch. I am not familiar with this note, but I am pretty sure it is not coming from the apple note itself (and I know it isn't the apple blossom).

 

Verdict: I adored the scent of this in the bottle and in the wet phase. Once it is dry for a while, it becomes less like an actual apple and more candy-like. The boy says that it smells like Jolly Ranchers and that he can smell it from across the room. I wouldn't compare it to a Jolly Rancher, but it does remind me of something, although I can't pinpoint what that something is at the moment. I will be keeping my bottle, but I will probably use this in a scent locket to prevent it from going too sweet on me. I'm also curious as to how this will age.

[annemathematics]

strong, girly floral sweet APPPPPPLLLE. big throw. lasts and lasts. a little goes a long way.

first test, I put on just a dab and was left wanting more. not personally drawn to apple notes, I was pleasantly surprised at how delicate and feminine and pretty sjofn was.

 

second test I applied a generous amount and it was too much. still a nice floral sweet apple blend but TIMES A MILLION. too sweet too floral too apple too much TOOO LOUD for me to handle. impervious to soap.

 

layers well with musky, spicy, honey and resiny scents. fyi

[Gwydion]

In bottle: Very apple. The fruit is lightened by its strongly floral partner. It’s quite sweet. The birch is very understated and mostly grounds it. Wet: The flower is gentler on the skin, but the scent still screams “Apple Tree!” The sweet overripe apples and flowers are still strongly dominant, but the birch is a touch more assertive on the skin than in the bottle. This is too sweet and soprano on me, but it would be gorgeous in the right young woman. Dry: Mostly apple blossoms.

[Magycmyste]

In the imp: Fresh, juicy, tart apple!

 

Wet on skin: Same as in the imp.

 

Dried down: Sweetens up just a hint, but really, it's mostly the same. A little more apple candy-ish, like the apple Jolly Rancher. Which is one of my favorite flavors

 

Throw: Fairly faint, but it's there. Same Jolly Rancher scent, same Jolly Rancher flavor.

 

Verdict: **** I do want a bottle of this. I'll have to test between this and Verdandi to decide which apple I like better.

[zankoku_zen]

Super sweet candy apples. On wet, its got both the bright snowy chill green apple you see in SGA, a more baked apple scent to it, and an overlay of watermelon and sugar - both of which give it that candy component.

 

It's personally too sweet for me, but it would be a great blend for a younger girl (pre-teen). More importantly, I support any BPAL blend that brings more apple into the GC.

 

Sweet, apple, innocent.

[tinyvulture]

At first this is Jolly Rancher apple flavor, but then the birch appears and somehow causes the sweetness of the apples to quickly fade. In the long run, this is birchwood and very tart apples. Some have drawn comparisons with Hesperides, but on me, birch and oak are very different. Oak's comforting while this birch has something cold and stern about it. This blend makes me think of an imposing warrior queen more than a goddess of love, but to each their own of course.

Edited April 5, 2014 by tinyvulture

[Monster]

Really sweet and fruity apple blossom. As it settles into my skin, the sugary sweetness from the apple is tempered by a woody birch note. The dry down is a simple apple/birch combo and is absolutely gorgeous. The throw and longevity of this is pretty significant, a small drop lasted for hours and I was able to smell my hand as I wafted it a few feet from my face. I can definitely see the comparison to The Hesperides, which I loved and sadly, never bought a full bottle. I'll be sure not to make the same mistake with Sjöfn.

 

Lovers of apple, this one is for you!

[astarinel]

I agree with this being sort of a yellow apple scent. It's not quite the tart green apple of SGA, or the soft red apple of Poisoned Apple. I think it reminds me a little of apple note the Golden Apple of the Sun.

 

Apple blossom is one of my favorite florals, and it's behind the apple here. I generally perceive it as a light, airy apple, so this smells like soft yellow apple flesh + airy apple blossoms + a touch of wood.

 

It absolutely reminds me of The Hesperides, but with a different apple note. It's definitely fairly sweet, but I love sweet scents, so it works for me. I'm not sure I'll upgrade to a bottle, but I'll see if I get through this imp.

[lohengrin]

In the imp: Sweet apple and something a little wonky, I can't quite put my finger on it.

 

On skin, wet: On my skin it goes almost all sweet floral/apple blossom, with just a hint of apple.

 

On skin, dry: Same as wet, but now it's going a bit soapy, which is not surprising with the apple blossom taking over. Sigh.

 

After an hour: Slightly soapy apple blossom with a background of apples. Nothing at all like The Hesperides on me, alas. But I learned that in the hierarchy of Notes I Amp Like Crazy, apple blossom is higher than apple.

[OneEyeAskew]

This is very much softer than the apple note in Verdandi. When wet, I am able to pick out a Jolly Rancher brightness to it, as others have mentioned, but that impression is transitory and on me not prominent. Overwhelmingly, from start to finish, this is a floral apple. It's an early spring apple surrounded by soft white petals. I don't like things that are foodie and I don't like things that are very floral -- but this has a wonderfully balanced softness that I find really pleasant. I will be keeping this and I will be wearing it. Looking forward to seeing how it ages.

Edited April 19, 2014 by OneEyeAskew

[milo]

This is golden apple candy, the kind that you find in old fashioned candy stores in rebuilt ghost towns. I'm not a big apple fan, as it reminds me of shampoo, but this one isn't too bad.

[Eemia]

I love apple scents and this has a really gentle vibe that appeals to me. The apples are mild and almost watery. There's no bite in here whatsoever. And luckily it doesn't turn syrupy or overly juicy. There's an earthy, floral undercurrent that feels very natural. Overall this is really subtle and sits closely to my skin. I get a touch here and there of a clean, whispy pinkness but like the rest of this blend, it's understated.

 

The apple isn't prominent once it dries down and I'm left with a pretty, sheer floral. I've worn this several times over the summer so far and I really like it.

[alyelle]

In the imp: Freshly treated wood and apple blossom

 

Wet: Apple, pure and simple. Crisp, red apples, and sweet pink blossoms.

 

Dry: A softer apple than the wet stage, with an undercurrent of astringency that warms up to a polished wood note over time.

 

The throw for this is pretty light on me, but it's fairly long-lived, upwards of 8 hrs. (I should probably mention that for this, and every other review I post, "upwards of" generally means "was still on when I had a shower and would have lasted longer but for the soap".) It's not my favourite apple blend, and I prefer Pomona as a replacement for The Hesperides, but it is quite lovely and well worth the test. Especially if you like to have eleventy milllion apple scents at your disposal - which I may or may not do.

 

Stars: ★★★½

Edited August 8, 2014 by alyelle

[radioaction]

Sjöfn doesn't really morph much on me, smelling the same in the imp, wet, and dry. She's all apples all the time - real apples, nothing artificial. Very evocative of peeling apples for pie, of orchard fresh cider, of picking apples in the cool fall air. It's ever so slightly sweet, perhaps that's the birch keeping things from going too tart. It's very light, with a subtle throw. I love it!

[Veronica]

Very pretty, sweet apple blossom and apple. I love apple, but this is just too simple and innocent. Would make a great room scent.

[DiesMali]

In the imp: Sweet, almost shampoo-like fruity floral.

 

Wet on my skin: This is too sweet for me when wet, almost stomach-churningly so. SO much apple blossom, some apple fruit, and no birch at this point.

 

Dry: Thankfully, this becomes much more tolerable as it dries. It's mainly apple blossom on me, and then what I could swear are springtime sap-laden birch leaf buds rather than the wood itself. The fruit itself is always in the background, but it seems to come out just a bit more as this dries and wears longer. It's definitely a sweet yellow and red apple, like Gala or Honeycrisp, and almost has a candied apple feel to it due to the sugary-sweet flowers hanging out everywhere. I think this might work better as a room scent than as a me scent.

 

Edit: Several days later, I decided to try layering this on a whim. I'd been wearing Oberon for a while, and the patchouli and juniper were all that remained of that scent. Upon layering this over it, it became a beautiful and autumnal woodsy-apple scent. So while I won't wear Sjöfn on her own, I may indeed layer her over Oberon once his orchids have died.

Edited April 20, 2015 by DiesMali

[WickedSage]

Very sweet but light scent. Apple comes out first then the apple blossom and birch come out to play. Different apple compared to poisoned apple but still would recomend you try it out if apple scents are your cup of tea.

[LizziesLuck]

Wet: Candy! Holy. Like, some pretty serious, sugar-high inducing candy.

 

Dry: Briefly apple. Unfortunately I didn't get any wood or other notes I could identify as birch. Then it was gone completely. This is the second Bpal apple I've tested, and they've both disappeared in minutes.

[Teamama]

In the imp: apples and green bitterness (the birch?)

 

Wet: Wow, this is FABULOUS! Wet, just-sliced tart apples, with some bitterness like bark, or leaves.

 

Dry: It's close to the skin, not a lot of throw, but still FABULOUS! The apple smells real. Dry, it's more like apple skin than juicy cut apples. The bitterness is in the background. I don't have enough experience with birch to know how true it is, but it does seem like it could be wood or bark. It's subtle, like the bitterness of tea. The apple blossom is also in the background, and hard to find, but it's there.

 

I really like this, and need a bottle.

Edited to add: lasts longer in a scent locket. Super for summer weather.

Edited August 14, 2016 by Teamama

[puck_nc]

Origin: Frimp in an order

 

Initial Thoughts: Had to do a search on the Lab site when the forum's search failed me, but I finally found that it's an apple scent with both fruit and blossom. As a rule I do better with the blossom than the fruit, but I love a number of apple-y scents that the Lab has.

 

In the Vial: APPLE! And yes, very sweet and candy-like. It's also chilly to my nose, but that may be me equating the woodsy notes to winter outdoors.

 

Wet: I think the apple blossom must come first, because it's now more of a sweet floral than sweet candy. But I like it quite a bit.

 

Drydown: The impression of fresh apple emerges and cuts the sweet some, but it's still a very, very sweet scent.

 

Verdict: I think I like it. Might be worth getting a bottle.

[freyasfae]

This is all sweet, sweet apple hard candy on me - I saw hard candy because there is a slight bitter note in there that reminds me of licorice. I don't get any woods notes. It is very strong, lots of throw. I tried this after Verandi which I should not have as Verdandi is sophisticated apple and this is the sort of candied apple I would have worn as a teenager.

[Myrrha]

Frimp from a kind decanter- thanks!

 

So interesting how all these apple scents smell different from one another. This one is a chilly sliced apple that has been in the fridge, not warm and rich like Verdandi.

It is indeed sweet with that watermelon edge of Jolly Rancher candies. The floral notes make it lovely though.

 

After 20 minutes some of the candy sweetness has gone away and it becomes a very nice apples plus flowers scent. I can smell the birch clearly, it isn't the scent of birch wood but the scent of Birch Beer soda. Do they still make Birch Beer? This scent is making me want some and reminding me of childhood trips to Vermont and New Hampshire.

 

After 40 minutes the apple has faded a bit and the apple blossom and Birch Beer become more prominent. It is still sweet but not candy-sweet anymore.

 

As much as I like this I probably wouldn't wear it out and about enough to need a bottle. It is probably better suited to someone too young to remember Birch Beer. I will enjoy the imp though.

[BeyondBad1313]

sweet and apple floral. Beautiful. This blend is light and sweet, subtle but enticing when you are close. I love this blend because it lets me wear an apple scent. Since I amp florals I get the apple blossom, which clings to the apple. It smells like sweet red apples in an orchard. This is on my need to buy a bottle list.