Es Lacht der Mai

[zankoku_zen]

The first rays of spring sunlight bursting forth behind snow-capped mountains: a chilly amber perfume.

[zankoku_zen]

Golden warm citrusy sunshine over slushy pine. Imagine the slushy pine note of Skadi covered in orange sunshine instead of berries and winter cold. That's what this smells like. Skadi in the Spring. And she smells P H E N O M E N A L. Good throw and wear length.

[feyofthefellwood]

There's definitely something citrusy in this, blended with the amber and sweet, carrot-seed snow note (for those of you who like/dislike this snow note). It's much sweeter and less cold than I expected. I like it, but wish I smelled the amber more, to ground the scent with something more resinous.

[doomsday_disco]

For those that are curious as to how to pronounce this, I tried to do the best approximation I could via text: Es lahkt dair my.

 

Es Lacht der Mai features the Lab's sugared pine or fir snow note accompanied by some sunshine-y citrus (I am thinking orange or bergamot). It really is evocative of sunbeams gracing the caps of snow-covered mountains. It remains this way for a really long time, but after a few hours, the snow melts, leaving behind a nice, cuddly, golden amber. 

 

This is really lovely. I am not sure I need a bottle, just because I already have a few bottles that feature this snow note, but I do really like the orange and the amber in this one, so I'm going to retest it to decide whether or not I need more. This is definitely one of my favorites from the Die Erste Walpurgisnacht collection, though. 

[starbrow]

What an oddly cute intersection of scents! "Chilly amber perfume" was the most vague of the notes from this collection, and the one I wondered about a whole lot, eager for my decants to reveal its mysteries. I don't think that description really prepared me for what I was in store for.

 

Snow covers this scent, but it's a snow with a very interesting fruit tinging its chilliness. PINEAPPLE. No, I am not crazy! Yes, I smell pineapple up in this piece! The distinctive sweet-acidic brightness is very familiar to me and very unusual in a cold snow. It is like a snowcone effect over the glowing redness of the resinous amber, which is also sweet, and an unlisted but definitely present conifer. I am still learning the difference between that family of trees, but I suspect this one is in the balsam fir or spruce family, because it's not a strong pine but rather something wildly, warmly foresty. For those who might have issues with pine, I think this might suit just fine. 

 

I wasn't sure if I quite liked this at first brush, but the more I wore it, the more I was charmed by its funny, quirky family of notes. Pineapple snow, amber, spruce. This probably sounds weird, and one of those scents you just have to smell and try yourself to know if it's your style. I think I'm going to look for a partial or full bottle of Es Lacht der Mai!

[Casablanca]

This was a very Yule-into-spring scent. 

 

Sweetly minty -- almost sugary -- snow primarily, with gleams of amber and green conifers.

[Dark Alice]

Starts out sweet, minty, pine. Dries to Pine with a hint of caramel. Not a fan.

[RoseThornAndOak]

Ooo this is nice! Fresh from the Lab I get conifers with a candy-like sweet citrus, with amber adding softness (not powdery), bringing to mind pomanders or punch near the Yule tree. Hours later, the amber warms with the pine and citrus softening considerably. I don't get ozone or the snow note in Snow White, but I feel like SW would layer gloriously with this.

 

Highly recommend if you enjoy the Lab's pine snow note or if Elf didn't work on you. I like this better than A Lady Tall and White and Cloister Graveyard in The Snow. Glad I took a chance on this!

Edited December 6, 2020 by RoseThornAndOak

[lakeplacidskater]

I've been going through my collection while I'm moving, and I came across this one. When I first smelled it last year, I didn't think it would suit me.  Then I put some on today, and WOW, it's one of my favorites. BIG balsam energy (is that a valid word choice?) followed by something sweetly citrus. Almost like orange slices that would be in a punch? Is that a thing? I didn't get any amber but I have a feeling it's there somewhere.....anyway, it's such a festive scent.

 

The other day I was hiking in the woods and got a whiff of that lovely balsam.  I just moved to a house on Balsam street (balsam firs are a big deal up here in upstate NY) and when I moved here nearly 20 years ago, the cozy shop we used to visit to buy housewares always smelled like spruce and balsam. So there are good memories associated with the scent. It feels like it would be a scent for someone who wants to smell like a winter forest, but prettier.  I'm gonna be wearing this a lot over the coming months!