Baba Yaga

[lady_pandora]

Spell-soaked herbs and flowers, cold iron, broom twigs, bundles of moss and patchouli root, and moth dust.

 

I tried one of the prototypes of Baba Yaga a loooong time ago, and this final version is somewhat different. It's a morpher in the early going, passing through high sharp floral, to cinnamon, to department store perfume with a bit of spice, to a really stunning lush floral (orchid? lily?), and then finally settling on a faint, pretty floral with some oakmoss. It's pretty, but too faint on me and not really blowing me away.

Edited April 26, 2016 by lady_pandora

[roseus]

I get a nice base of patchouli, with a lot of herbs. Pretty sure I am getting a little oakmoss, as there is just teensy bit of an aquatic-y edge. There is a little bit of metal present, as well as a white floral that I think might be lily. It's green and dark but not heavy. A touch too earthy for my tastes though!

[Coldfire]

Imp: happy sweet flowers and herbs
Wet on Me: still happy sweet flowers and herbs
Drying Down: getting the hay/twigs and moss notes now over the herbs and faint flowers.....
Dry: earthy herb-y hay and moss. Interesting and good but not in my scent wheel house. Trade Pile.

[Mermaid-on-Land]

Ermagherd, I tried this months ago and totally forgot to review it! Loved it, it was awesome and I felt like a cool witch crafting spells in a tiny cottage wearing this. The moth dust was a really interesting and predominant note. The scent was herbal with an earthy/woody grounding. The flowers came through with a subtle sweetness, I picture white chilly florals, not warm saturated ones. The cold iron note was noticeable as well. Yeah I wanted to go around singing "I put a spell on you" 😬 This variety of herbal, with a solid base of earth/wood and a hint of sweet floral, works better on me than straight up herbal, which isn't quite my style. This was beautiful and I quite enjoy it! 😝

[Miss Landau]

Patchouli and floral. Pleasant and inoffensive, but also very faint. I can barely smell it in my scent locket three hours later.

[lizabelle]

Something about this really does feel magical! The patch and whatever those herbs are blend into a lovely spicy swirl, like fruity cinnamon(?) and woods. There's also something like prunes or raisins--definitely a dried fruit, because it's not juicy and there's a touch of bitterness to it. Or maybe I'm misreading and it's a resin. There's some kind of flower in here that I'm thinking is night-blooming, too. It's velvety and subtle but very pretty; it feels like the witch version of a scatterbrained professor, starting five spells/potions at once, with all the ingredients mixing together into this scent. I love it!

[whisperstilled]

In the imp this is a sweet floral with something metallic. Very odd. Let's see how it is on the skin. I'm a big nerd for the Baba Yaga, she's one of my favorite characters from folklore.

 

Wet: PATCHOULI. Nooooo. In-your-face patchouli. Scents with odd notes like this one (stone, dust, etc.) sometimes work on me, but all I'm getting so far is faint florals, moss, and PATCHOULITOWN USA.

 

Dry: The drydown doesn't help much. The patchouli cools it a little, but the metallic notes and the 'dusty' herbal quality aren't doing it any favors. Ah well! It does get an appealing spiciness, which is nice, but the patchouli is just too much.

[achildoftime]

It kind of smells like collecting herbs in the early spring. It's a little chilly, and a little earthy, but it's mostly just green. Maybe a little basil and mint, but there are a lot of other green herbs lending their scent. I just get those two for sure. There is an earthy patchouli base to this, but it keeps itself in check. The vegetation is what takes center stage on me. That being said it wouldn't be the first thing I reached for if I wanted a green scent, but it's nice in its own right.

[Cali]

In the imp it smells like honeyed ginger, and other green herbs thrown in there. Bitter too, as if there's vetiver in there.

On my skin it goes to a slightly more woodsy-scent but the sharp scents fade almost instantly. A buttery herby soft scent, walking through ...barren woods in summer, if that makes any sense.
Very very faint on me, such a shame! I have to go really close on it to smell anything. :c

[Spaztic]

I get cinnamon and soapy florals, not bad but not really my thing. Which is too bad because I love the history of this

[doomsday_disco]

In the imp: The herbs and iron notes stand out to me the most, with the metallic twang of the iron being particularly sharp. Behind those notes, I can smell the moss, patchouli, and dust.

 

Wet: The iron and herbs are the strongest notes, but I am getting more moss on my skin than I did from the imp. Then, the scent becomes sweeter. It's this tropical, fruity sweetness I'm getting, mingling with the herbs, one of which has a spicy quality to it, and something effervescent.

 

Dry: Now I'm getting a lot of soft cinnamon backed by a soft floral and the spell-soaked herbs.

 

Verdict: Baba Yaga is a morpher! It was an interesting scent journey, but not something I could see myself reaching for.

[SophieCedar]

I guess I never reviewed this because I didn't think I'd enjoy it, but I actually do!

 

Warm, atmospheric, comforting, dusty but with a sweet floral glow from outdoor greenery and wildflowers.  Feels like standing inside an open doorstep looking out upon wild greenery and surrounds me like a warm hug. The familiar smell of a well-loved home in summertime. It makes me smile and look forward to warmer months.

[Niniel0205]

A very interesting scent. Earthiness is sufficient to get my attention. Some interesting sweeter fruitier notes are there too which are surprising. It makes for an interesting combination as it makes me think of magical spell bounding in a little wooden hut in a forest...slightly dry, warm from the sun. 

 

This scent stayed around much longer than I expected. Was able to smell it for a long time on my wrists and kept getting wafts of it in the hours after applying. Very pleasing and an unexpected favorite!

[murqmaid]

this turned out better than i thought, but judging from the description alone i wasn't sure what to expect.

at first it was all flowery, lilac-y, musk going a little aquatic??? on the drydown it's still mostly musk and moss, with a little bit of dusty, faint herbs (is this hay?). i find my impression of how earthy vs. herby vs. musky this is changes each time i test it. sometimes its more green, sometimes its just straight musk with a little bit of spice.

 

doesn't have alot of throw, but lasts on the skin. after a while, i get a strong green note that reminded me of woman at the edge of the woods. 

 

not my favorite, but a nice surprise.

Edited October 23, 2020 by murqmaid

[donnaehm]

In the bottle

Wetness which is initially not encouraging as that tends to go generic white perfume on me.

 

On my skin

There's a burst of brown, like or - sniffing closer to my skin) dust. Then a floral scent comes out strongly.

 

I love the dusty aspect to this. It plays nicely with the floral, toning it down but complimenting its sweetness.

 

Dry down

After about five or ten minutes, the whole scent is definitely fainter with the floral notes staying predominant and now developing a bit of a metallic edge to it. But because it's toned down overall, I don't find the floral overwhelming or unappealing. I just wish the dustiness had stayed longer.

 

Duration

About half a day, I thought, but on the particular day I tried it there was a resurgence of the scent in the late afternoon/early evening. The floral continued to lead the charge.

 

Verdict ➖

I'm neutral on Baba Yaga. The stronger floral edges out the dusty counterpoint, unfortunately. It's still nice (and the mix of all the notes in the bottle is lovely) but that sharp metallic edge the floral develops when it hits my skin is not something I'm crazy about.

 

Edited March 9, 2021 by donnaehm

[LdyKnight]

Ivory soap. Just straight-up pure, clean Ivory soap. I have no idea why or how, but it goes on soap and dries down as milder soap. Not bad. Very clean, but not really something I'm looking for.

[Luna Fatale]

In the imp:  Very floral but there's also a hint of something minty almost menthol-like.

 

On the skin: The same deep floral hits first, but then it sweetens. It's a green, fresh smell. After awhile, oh yes, patchouli! One of my favorite scent notes. After an hour it still smells the same patchouli and floral dominant. ~After awhile, I was impressed with the strength and throw of this lovely scent. I think my skin amps patchouli and that contributed to it lasting longer on me.  I would definitely buy a full bottle of Baba Yaga. 💚

[skyturtles]

Woodsy! The description feels spot on. It's the cabin in the woods where Princess Aurora grew up with the faerie godmothers. It's warm & cozy, but also herby & fresh in that garden work kind of way. As it dries, the patchouli & slight floral notes come through the dust & iron. I didn't think I would like it, especially because of the moss note, but I'm going to hold on to this lab frimp for a nice springtime scent. I'm almost getting vanilla as the dry down continues. Half an hour later, & it's still absolutely lovely, but now in a citrus way?

[alyelle]

2022 lab freebie, which I likely wouldn't have ordered, so thank you lab elves!

 

In the imp: Golden patchouli, orange blossom, marigold and - yes - pineapple. This is the first time I've consciously smelled pineapple in a fragrance. I love it.

 

Wet: Patchouli, iron filings, something resinous and familiar like wintergreen (but not quite wintergreen). Sunshine, dusk, and old dark woods. If I had to sum up this scent in an image, it would be Voleth Meir's hut from The Witcher, which was based on Baba Yaga's hut anyway. 10/10, quality evocation.

 

Dry: Patchouli and dried herbs hanging from the rafters; the forest cottage of my dreams. I want to run away and live in it.

 

Stars: ★★★★½

[BoneBone24]

Wet: Bright, herbal, and sweet, with a bit of a high-pitched ozone note.

 

Drydown: A little earthier on the skin, but still quite sunshiney and bright. There's definitely a woodsy, wildflower aspect and some sort of menthol note, with lots and lots of sunlight turning everything golden. It's nose-tickling.

 

Dry: This is really pretty. It reminds me of a sunlit forest, a wildflower meadow, a magic shop, and a tea shop all rolled into one. So yes, a perfectly idealistic witch's cottage. Positively enchanting!

 

 

8 out of 10 bones

[MolyH]

It's hard to pick out a single note in this for me beyond patchouli, but I can still tell it's a deep, complex scent. Kind of smells like going into a cluttered but clean antique shop on a warm Thursday afternoon. It's not something I'd really buy an entire bottle of to keep on hand, but I enjoy the imps when they show up in my orders.

[Weirdgirlpilled]

this is a very complex blend- that being said i love it!! Definitely echo the “antique store” vibes, its very herbaceous and heavy on the patchouli. Very spice-y but not resinous ? This perfectly captures the folklore

[GalliumSpider]

To me it smells sweet and woody at first, but turns into something I can only call "pleasantly swampy"--like Whippoorwill.  Maybe that's the moss!  I like this a lot.