Hexennacht (2005, 2016)

[darkophelia]

... This perfume is the scent of the witches’ revel: German fir and forest herbs, incense and bonfire smoke, and the wet, glimmering scent of skin warmed by dance.

Oh, god.

This is more than I could have hoped for, it really is. I managed to acquire 3/4 of a 5ml bottle of this, and when I first opened it for a sniff, it did nothing for me, nothing at all. I immediately thought it would be a swapper, for sure.

Then I dabbed a bit of it on, and the magic that is BPAL happened. It had hardly warmed up on my skin when I realized it had that undefined pagan bookshop smell. You know the one I mean---it smells of herbs and incense and things you can't identify. You always ask the shopkeeper "What is that?", and they tell you, and you buy it, but you can never get that same scent at home---that wonderful mingling of many delicate scents.

And it also reminded me of a long ago weekend spent in the woods with friends one Halloween, sipping home made honey mead, dancing shirtless around a bonfire while the men were gone, using sticks of incense to draw pictures in the air in the middle of a clearing surrounded by evergreens.

Later, I will edit to and try to better identify the notes and stages, but right now all I get are pictures. I'm so glad I didn't just pass this on after only smelling it---I would have missed out on a great scent.

[luckybuzz]

I had some seriously high hopes for this scent--and while it worried me for a minute, it's not disappointing (to say the least)!

 

Out of the bottle, it's a little more incensy than I'd like....but with a deep undercurrent of smoke. Oh, yeah, that's a bonfire all right....mmmm, like pine boughs thrown on a revel fire in the fall.

 

After a few minutes the incense smell got a little headachy on me--this is where the worry set in. I gave it a little time, though, and it mellowed out into a gorgeous, smoky, woodsy smell with...what is that sweet smell underneath?

 

Yep. Witches' Night. If you've seen the witches' sabbat scene in the film Haxan--this is what that scene smelled like.

[Browneyes]

Thanks to a really lovely forumite (moonarcana ) I have the opportunity to try and review this scent, the fabled Holy Grail of BPAL forest blends. I actually received this imp in the mail on April 30, which was so incredible! However, contrary to my usual "OMG-must-try-immediately-upon-arrival-tearing-imps-out-of-padded-envelope-in-a-frenzy" - which is how I usually try scents, 10 at a time - I approached this with due reverence. I needed to be ready. I sniffed the imp but waited 3 whole days before trying it on.

 

The review:

 

Imp: Woodsmoke, that lovely gritty "damp autumn leaves" note, and something sweet, almost fruit-like.

Wet: At this stage I can definately understand the comparisons that have been made to Black Forest and Samhain. I haven't done side-by-side comparisons, but this seems similar to Black Forest without the black musk/ambergris notes, and it is also similar to Samhain without all that apple. But it has something more to it. The magickal incense note, and a warm skin smell, is what gives this such a special touch I think. It's also very warm and natural smelling to me.

Dry: On me the skin scent, incense and woodsmoke mingle for hours. There is also less fir in this than I thought, it's less green and more dark. I think it's because on me this is more about the bonfire smoke and the women dancing in a clearing in the woods, the forest being a backdrop to the events. There is wafting, but it is subtle. Wearlength is several hours.

 

Overall: This is such a beautiful blend. The imagery which this scent conjures is very impressive and a spot-on appropriate interpretation by our Mme Moriarty. This makes me imagine a gathering of beautiful, powerful women in tune with themselves and with nature. They gather in a moonlit clearing in a dark, quiet forest. They build a large bonfire and dance ritual dances under the starry sky for hours until they collapse. Warm, supple skin. Incense and smoke on a dark spring breeze.

 

I am so happy to have this little gem and I will treasure it

If I ever find more I will be happy-happy. If there ever is a petition for it to be re-released, sign me up!!

[wikkidraven]

fir and smoke...the smell of fire and trees. interesting, i'm not sure how i feel about this one yet. may try it on the boy

[zankoku_zen]

In the imp: Smoky!

 

On Skin: Sweet plums and smoky autumn air

 

On Drydown: Autumn air, fir and again, the whiff of sweet plums

 

Verdict: This reminds me alot to Samhain 2005 (I've never tried the 2006 version so I can not speak for it), but slightly more fruity. Samhain had more apples, and this one smells like plums. Not my cup of tea because there is something very sweet in this scent that is almost too sweet, and for me, clashes too much with the smoky autumn air.

[oakmoss]

I put a little of this on last night for Lammas Eve, having not worn it in a long time. I had remembered the woodsmoke and the woodsy feeling, but had forgotten the fruity rich goodness that runs underneath it. Now I remember why I bought two bottles. It's coming out of the special occasions box and going into regular usage, for sure!

[alicia_stardust]

Fir, herbs, dry smoke, woods, incense. This is a heady, magical autumn scent that has a dark mood to it. It is the most amazing autumn scent I've ever tested. The notes seem to oscillate between showing themselves one at a time, or else mingling together into a single gestalt. It is truly stunning.

[tartchef]

Dammitdammitdammit. Curse you, vetiver!

 

Hex was so full of promise - apples fermenting in a heap, almost ready for the cider press; soot & smoke from the bonfire (who threw branches from the cherry tree on there?); whispers of dark pine sap & sex...

 

And then vetiver comes sidling in, ruining the party. There's only a trace here, but it's enough that I can taste it in the back of my throat. I'm going to give this a shot in my scent locket & see if keeping it away from my skin is enough to hold Stinky V at bay, as this has the potential to be truly gorgeous...

 

ETA: and now it smells like pee. Oh skin musk, WTF?!

Edited August 17, 2007 by tartchef

[dronzeka]

I was really surprised to find out that Hexennacht is in the spring, because this is SUCH an autumn scent to me.

 

I got an imp that smelled wonderful, so I finagled a bottle from eBay, and was SO excited when it arrived. I opened it up, sniffed deep, and -

 

bacon.

 

WTF?

 

Yes, initially the smokiness of this reads completely as smoked pork product to me. Eeek! (The imp had none of this, by the way.)

 

Anyway, I persevered, and I was rewarded! After a few minutes the bacon faded away (thank god), and it turned into a gorgeous pine, fir, evergreen scent - not a wintry pine loaded with snow, but an autumn pine, surrounded by dying leaves and woodsmoke in the air. It's a warm woodsy pine, and it's GORGEOUS. I'm so very pleased I managed to land a bottle!

[Teggy]

This is a wierd one. In my scent locket, it's very deep and musky. A good feral scent. I can't wear smut, so this might make a good replacement. The skin musk makes it a little iffy, but I can tolerate it in this blend.

 

On my skin, I wasn't so sure because I had the strangest reaction. When I sniffed close to my wrist, I got pencil shavings, but when I just sat around, I kept getting whiffs of something kind of appley. How odd! I'm quite intrigued. Not intruiged enough to pay $100+ on ebay, but enough keep my imp and but a bottle if it's ever re-released.

[willowlux]

Beyond gorgeous scent.

 

Woods, fire, and sweaty skin... The Lab description is dead on with this one. It's sweet, heavy, and earthy.

 

I wore this during a heat wave this summer and it had great staying power considering how much I was sweating. And the scent stayed true on my skin from vial to wear.

 

If I could buy more I would as this is in my top 10 ultimate scents. A true treat for the nose.

[The_Merf]

Just adding my praise--this really is a beautiful and complex scent. It's a bit light on me, which is a shame, but it is a very delicate blend of fir and the sexy skin notes of La Petite Morte. There's incense here as well, though I don't really get smoke from this one--I get sacred resin blurred against skin musks and the slightest touch of wood. It's very much a scent of dark nights in a wild forest. At the very end of the scent's life on my skin, I get a hint of the bonfire smoke coming through, but by then the scent is almost undetectable except up close.

 

ETA: I have to revise and extend my review, as there is a very late stage of this scent that emerges and really is quite beautiful. It's the second coming of the fir note, as it were, and as I sniff my wrist long after testing the perfume, there is nothing left but the very distinct scent of a warm, live fir tree (this is not like the BPAL fir of Black Forest and friends) with just the slightest touch of resin/skin in the background.

Edited November 3, 2007 by The_Merf

[dirtytrip]

Now why can't everything I try smell this good on me? I would have been happy with fir trees, woodsy smoke, even sweat-tinged skin, tho not bacon. Definitely not bacon. But, I'm digressing. Like I said, the first three things would have been fine, and I got some of them in the bottle. On my skin, however, I got the very best as far as I'm concerned, which is skin musk. Yeah boyeee! Maybe with a touch of smoke, the smoke that rises from campfire embers and cloaks the stars from time to time. A delicate, beautiful blend which lasts around 4 hours. I am privileged to own a bottle.

[ifinena]

Let me say first that I tried very hard to get my greedy little paws on a bottle of this and I really really wanted to like it. Why, then, did it have to disappoint me so much?

 

This scent is pure headache for me.

Sniffing the bottle : smokey incense and headache in the making

Trying it on wet: more smokey incense and headache gripping my temples

Drying down (see, I persevered..) : blinding raging headache.

WTH??? I feel as if I am reviewing a totally different scent than everybody else.

Edited January 14, 2008 by ifinena

[suileach]

Guh. This scent actually made my eyes roll back in my head when I sniffed the vial. It is heady, powerful stuff that goes straight to my animal brain.

 

It starts out by smelling like something I can only describe as Ent sex.

 

Then the smoke comes out and it's so realistic I swear I can hear the fire crackling. Boughs burning, sap oozing into the flames, clouds scudding across the moon, and the drums of the hunt in the distance.

 

Hours later, hours after nightfall, the drummers are still keeping vigil, but the sound is just a distant heartbeat in the woods. It's mellow; the night is cool; the sweat and musk has dried to a sweet memory of revelry and heat. This is how it smells after a few hours, all burnt incense, earth and musk.

 

This had been on my wishlist for a while before I managed to find a decant of it, and it more than lived up to my expectations - it is an amazing experience of a scent; triggering memories and waking dreams. It's rare for a scent to make me feel reverent, but Hexennacht has done it.

[elenore]

Okay, so the '08 Hexannacht didn't work on me, so I as lucky enough to snag a sample of this one, 'cause I've heard how it's really different.

 

First on: I smell the incense and a sort of boozy smell reminiscent of wine notes. Perhaps this is the skin?

drydown: hmm. it's getting a little-not floral exactly, but must be the herbs-green, pungent. I think I smell the fir drifting around in there. the incense wafts in and out. I'm holding out for the bonfire smoke...

15 mins: it's getting spicy. and a bit woodsy. mmm. oh no. it's fading away!

it's faded to a light, spicy woodsy scent. I'm going to try it again in the hopes that I can make it last longer by applying more, maybe.

I didn't really get the perfect wood smoke smell though. Am a bit disappointed.

[donnatron]

Bottle: Samhain. It's Samhain (my Samhain is... 05 or 06. It's a colbalt bottle with a witch in red on it) without the pumpkin or the foodiness.

 

Wet: I get some smokiness. And some butteriness. This is seriously an amped down Samhain on my skin. It's a bit warm and woodsy, but the scent it reminds me most of is Samhain.

 

Dry: Samhain through and through. It's dark and smoky and a touch pine/fir-y. It's pretty. I also get that buttery hit of skin musk. It's powerful and commanding and more of a unisex scent than Samhain is.

 

Throw: Lots.

 

Overall: I'm a big fan of Hex 08. I think it's a beautiful, sultry, unique scent and I like that it's a lot brighter than I get from this one. I'll still definitely wear the hell out of Hex 05 and I'm glad to have the bottle but I'm also glad to smell the similarity it has to Samhain. If you like Hex 08 I would suggest some brighter pine scents like Lines Written Among the Euganean Hills or Black Forest. If you're looking for a less foody Samhain and some of this floats your way I highly recommend it.

Edited March 24, 2009 by paperrose

[rayvn1]

Mmm, musk and herbs! Not terribly strong on me, but a wild smell of sensual abbandonment. Awesome and I'm very grateful to have my imp!

[crebbsgirl]

Oh. Good. GODS this is amazing!! Of course I would have to fall in love with this when it's so freaking hard to find. At first application, the wet stages were very smoky. But as the blend dried, a sweet note came out to temper the acridness of the smoke. This is WONDERFUL! Sweet incense, smoke and skin musk. Something is lending a smooth herbal kick here. And now, I'm on the hunt!!

[Tess]

In the bottle - Smoke and wood, wet wood, and sweaty skin. The wood is almost a fruit wood (apple bark?), but not quite. It is very smokey, but sweeter than I expected.

 

Wet - Somehow this got even -more- smokey.

 

Drying - Oh, the smell of the forest is coming out. I can completely see why people said this smells like camping! Living trees and forest and smoke with just a hit of skin to it. This is absolutely lovely, absolutely. It doesn't smell terribly "wild woman" to me, but more "outdoors."

 

Dry (2 hours) - Hrm, the smoke is mostly gone. It's become a nice musk and incense scent. Still quite nice, but not nearly as complex as before. Also it seems even sweeter.

 

Overall - It really is a lovely, lovely scent. I'm actually finding myself enjoying this far more than I thought I would and I might be hardpressed to give it up!

[filigree_shadow]

Hunh. Apparently I never reviewed this perfume. I've had it for ages.

 

Well, it smells dark and smoky on me, and very slightly fruity -- like cherry tobacco smoke or something similar. Fir, and something barely noticeable that reminds me of snow. It starts out very dark and almost resinous, but quickly turns into smoky incense. It seems like a much softer (and more wearable, to me) version of Samhain.

 

It's pretty, but has almost no throw at all on me. I think my skin eats it up.

[mxtine]

This is gorgeous!

 

This is one of those perfumes that I would have dismissed just by looking at the notes. I figured it would smell like a forest, and while I love that smell, I don't want to smell LIKE it. After seeing a 1/2 bottle for cheap, I quickly read the rave reviews and loved the story behind it, so I took a chance.

 

It smells like vetiver in the bottle, kind of like the vetiver I love in aged Blood Kiss. Once it's on my skin, there's no vetiver at all, but for a minute I get a "dirt" smell that quickly disappears. It's blended incredibly well, or maybe it's the fact that it's over 5 years old, so I can't pick out specific notes other than it's incense, deep, dark woods and smooth velvety musk. I suppose there's a bit of fir in here, but time has aged any "piney" scent away. Once it's dry, it's the best damned skin musk I've ever smelled.

 

I definitely need to track down multiples of this one.

Edited May 26, 2011 by mxtine

[Gin]

When Hexennacht was released, I thought it sounded like the spring version of Samhain. And that's pretty much what it smells like. It's foresty and bonfire smoky and a little sweaty. (That last bit might just be because I'm highly susceptible to the power of suggestion.)

[whisperstilled]

I recieved a small decant of the 2005 edition in a recent swap, and it's not what I expected at all. Aging has pretty much removed the forest fir from the equation. Instead, I get a smokey skin musk note with something like red fruit. Very interesting. I think I catch a whiff of the lab's dirt note too. It reminds me, oddly enough, of 'Through the Rabbit Hole.' I think I'll keep this one around for when I want to feel a bit witchy and strange - October will be perfect.