Samhainophobia

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

The fear of Halloween. Menacing Haitian vetiver, patchouli, and clove with a shock of bourbon geranium, grim oakmoss, and dread-inspiring balsams pierce the innocuous scent of autumn leaves.

impsniff: reminds me of last year's Samhain

skinsniff, wet: oh, ugh, the yum of Samhain is gone, this is rot, rotting leaves, oakmoss, smoke and vetiver

skinsniff, dry: all the same from the wet, but with the added BO smell that was in last year's Herr Drosselmeyer.

[nineveh]

I tried Samhain last year, but it ended up being too sweet and fruity for me. Samhainophobia is what I wanted Samhain to be.

 

They're definitely similar blends, but Samhainophobia is less sweet, darker, and smokier. It really does smell like nighttime with dried leaves and damp earth. At the same time, it's soft and kind of fuzzy-smelling, which is probably the oakmoss.

 

Although it does smell dark, I certainly wouldn't call it heavy. I find it rather subtle and mysterious.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: lots of vetiver.

on: warmer than at first sniff. i think that there's a bit pf clove and patchouli, but i still mostly get vetiver.

half an hour later: more patchouli now, but still with a bite of vetiver. the balsam is coming out more now.

1.5 hours later: earthy and sweet, but still with a bit of sharpness. the vetiver has definitely calmed down. woo hoo!

4.5 hours later: warm, earthy, and vaguely sweet. i can't believe how well the vetiver is behaving on me.

5.5 hours later: very, very dark and still earthy and sweet.

overall: this is lovely. i didn't think i'd like it, but the vetiver retreated pretty early on. it's definitely not something i'd wear often, but i'm glad i got to try it.

[supremegoddessofall]

This reminds me of the ritual incense used in Hindu ceremonies. Delicate, beautiful, and causes you to feel innately spiritual, regardless of religion. It is spicy, herbal, and floral all at once. New love.

[Emma2403]

In the bottle: oh god, patchouli AND vetiver, my worst nightmare coming true.

 

On my skin: "real men"-aftershave (that's the vetiver for you).

 

After a couple of hours: "even more real men"-aftershave. It evokes images of 50-something guys wearing suits and ties, tired after hours of office work, and... okay, not my thing

 

Verdict: if you have a "real man" sowhere near you, please try it on on him. But not for me.

[xoe]

I traded for a half bottle of samhainophobia and am glad i did.

 

It is beautiful. So warm and dark. At first it is quite vetiverful and manly. but it calms down and down and down. It is like a deeper version of Samhain. The darker side of Samhain if you will.

 

I've had it on for about 8 hours now, and it is just the balsam/leaf notes. Really close and autumnal.

 

Lovely.

Unique.

[sterlingspider]

in bottle: nummy vetiver and patchouli warmed by clove and something almost caramelish

 

wet: mainly vetiver but still with something really warm and round behind it. This is sharp and sinus grabbing without being harsh though it is a bit soapy

 

drying: a very sweet dry floral coming to the fore, definitely spicy but with a bit of a dusty undertone, reminds me of very fragrant flowers dried in old books, like how rifling the pages of a book FILLED with dried flowers would smell, but still kinda soapy, unfortunately I'm not getting any of the vetiver or patchouli

 

later: very sugery spiced floral but luckily not cloying

 

still later: Newp, soaped out completely. *sighs* Another one off to the trade pile

[PilotKitten]

Vetiver and patchouli! Lol... my skin has amped that up beyond belief. I'm still managing to get a mossy green background to this though. Not bad for a "woodsy" patchouli scent. Not a bottle buy for me... but still, not bad at all.

[eviltemptressdq]

yikes. I knew going into this testing that I don't "do" vetiver, but I always give the scents a fair trial

anyway, right? This one is PURE vetiver... sour and spicy on me... and the scent STAYS. Forever. hehe. I wish some of the scents

I LOVE had this sort of staying power! Ah well, this one is just not for me...

[yeahbutnobut]

Samhainophobia

 

In the imp: vetiver! there’s moss here and autumn leaves, but mainly Teh Vet.

Wet on skin: mossy vetiver with damp soil, a hint of geranium and patchouli.

Dry: mmm, I quite like this…in fact, this smells like a damp autumn night. The moss note is much more mossy than I expected (more like the Spanish variety than oak moss) but it really evokes wet soil, along with the patch and autumn leaves. The vetiver adds it’s distinctive touch of earth and ash, there’s a hint of fir, and there’s also some sweet clove here too, with the richness of geranium just detectable. But it’s mainly a rainy October scent, wet mushed up leaves trodden into soil with the remains of bonfires. It has that same ‘honeyed cider’ scent as Samhain as well.

After a while: this now smells very similar to Samhain 05, actually, but with mossy vetiver added, and pumpkin taken away! It’s surprisingly sweet and almost sugary now, almost honeyed or like mulled cider, but still with that damp autumnal, smoky background. The moss and vetiver gives a very agitated, fearful feel to the scent, a bit like Black Annis without that scaaaaary civet and anise…

The vetiver gets stronger at the end, surrounded by a sweet, almost sugared apple-like scent and damp leaves and patchouli with a covering of moss. This vetiver is powerful, powerful stuff.

Verdict: this really is the sinister side of Samhain. Think Samhain’s warm sweet patchouli and clove and something like the apple cider note it has, and add vetiver and moss…whilst Samhain 06 is cheerful and light hearted with food and warmth and mischief, this is the dark side. For starters, I’m amazed at how much, initially, it smells like a damp October night. Wet soil and leaves with moss and the gritty ashen scent of vetiver, it’s like a typical rainy autumn evening. Then the sweetness appears, but it’s thickly cloaked with a growing vetiver which is indeed menacing as the description says. Along with the strong moss note, I get a dissonant effect, clashing with the smoothness of the sweet clove-patchouli, it brings to mind my nerves being on edge, being scared of the dark, frightened of what lurks in the shadows. This scent is very aptly named, there’s definitely a feel of ‘phobia’ to it, as well as the direct resemblance to Samhain. I love the spooky atmosphere this scent evokes but it’s not something I’d wear much as perfume, but Beth has captured the fear of Halloween and the smell of autumn perfectly here.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? I’ll keep the imp, it’s so evocative of autumn, but I prefer Samhain as perfume. I have a feeling my mum will love this.

If you like this, try: Samhain, Saturnalia, Hurricane, RM Renfield, Black Annis

[biernaise]

Samhainophobia

 

Wet, I smell vetiver, patchouli and a close skin musk.

 

Drying down I smell a subtle vanilla and then all of a sudden the door opens and this scent blossoms.

Several musks, a resinous earth and a sweet softness emerge. There is so much going on here! An incensy note twists up with a soft herbal here and there.

Constantly evolving.

Seamless!

[cuervosueno]

Huh. Interesting what differences in skin chemistry do.

 

I don't get much vetiver from this--and while I love vetiver at times, sometimes it is too masculine/aftershave-like for me. But I don't get at it all in this.

 

I do get patchouli, but mostly this is like the daytime version of Samhain to me. (When i was thinking of writing this review, I thought someone else had said that, but then I kept reading that it was the darker side of samhain, so perhaps I made that up?)

 

I think this is gorgeous, but on me it is lighter and sweeter than Samhain. I thought of it as Samhain with something...minty? Then I realized that wasn't right. Something like wintergreen? No. When I finally read the description I realized what I was smelling was the balsam.

 

I like it, but don't think I need more than an imp since it is SO similiar to Samhain on me and I have two bottles of that still (04 and 05).

 

But I decided to test it next to Samhain and horror of horrors, I thought something had gone terribly wrong with my Samhain 05. where was the lovely dark patchouli and spice and appley-pumpkiny goodness I remember? This smells like wierd plastic! I rushed to try 04, wondering if somehow 05 just hadn't aged well. No, it smelled exactly the same!

 

Then I realized what the problem is. i'm sick. I have a terrible cold (no stuffed up nose but all the other stuff, including a fever). Um....my sense of smell is probably terribly off, because both my Samhains smelled fine two weeks ago.

 

guess I better give Samhainphobia a try when I recover.

 

eta: a more healthy nose gives this a more expected scent. first, my Samhains are fine--they smell just like they usually do. Second, this IS a darker version of Samhain. Now that I'm not so sick, I can smell the vetiver. It doesn't come out at first, but when it does, it adds the expected dark note of vetiver, which I enjoy.

 

So I like this, but its very close to Samhain---plus vetiver--so I don't suppose I'll get more.

Edited November 23, 2006 by cuervosueno

[juniperus]

Bottle: dark, damp, earthy

Wet: same, with pines and moss accenting

Dry: vetiver amping slightly, the patchouli and moss lending to the damp darkness, little of the clove.

Later: well, as I suspected it would, the vetiver is going it's usual thing on me - I'm starting to smell like greasy dirt and death. splendid.

[GypsyRoseRed]

Wow. I'm really surprised by all of the vetivert in the reviews here, because I get absolutely no vetivert from Samhainophobia! Reading the description, I didn't expect to like the blend much, but this is a definite winner on me. It starts out as a generic autumnal scent, but quickly morphs into rich dark earth with a touch of leaves and a creamy spice. It's very comforting and distinctive. This is definitely a blend I'll enjoy wearing after the holidays, on those early-dark evenings.

[Neely]

In the bottle: it smells just like my well aged bottle of Samhain '05, which I absolutely adore. It smells like tobacco, smoke, and and apples. When I opened this I had a nosegasm!

 

Wet: like Samhain '05. Oh yes, this is the stuff!

 

Dry down: like Samhain '05 but it gets darker, grittier, richer. This is so nummy and luscious, not in a foody sort of way, but almost good enough to eat, but don't! BPAL isn't for consumption.

 

30 minutes: dark, gritty, Samhain '05. Like tobacco and apples and cider, that are not just smokey next to the fire, they started to singe a little (vetiver I am guessing is the note for this).

 

Conclusion: while about 5 hours later it turns into a sour smell and all the burnt yummy goodness is gone. I still adore this! Reapplying five hours later, not a problem. I will be getting a second bottle and hordng this, and hoping that Beth brings this back next Hallowe'en. This is even better than aged Samhain on me.

 

Rating 1-5, on my skin, this is a 5.

[azhure]

In the vial: Autumn leaves. It's a warm scent; at this stage I'm unsure about it.

 

Wet: There's a sharpness to this scent - I think it's the vetiver. I'm still unsure.

 

Drydown: This is when this scent becomes something else - the balsalms and geranium combine into something musky and completely gorgeous. It has a lot of staying power as well.

[Miss Lynx]

This scent sounded so good from the description. I have got to learn that the earthy ones don't always work on me nearly as well as I might wish...

 

It smelled kind of heavy and nasty in the imp, but I know how much a scent can change on one's skin, so on it went anyway. And sure enough it did change. It got worse.

 

I swear, this thing is bastard son of Samhain and Malediction. With maybe a bit of Zombi thrown into the mix for extra badness. Anyone who has ever looked at my "Scents I've Tried" list will note that the two of the three of those are in the F ("Get it off me! Get it off me!") category, and I think the other one is D or maybe at best a C.

 

Picture Samhain without the pumpkin or apple cider, over a base of the rotting-compost graveyard dirt note from Zombi and the bitter, evil, toxic-smelling form of vetiver in Malediction.

 

Now picture that after scrubbing my wrist three times with soap, I could still smell the damn scent hours later while doing errands. I was tempted to try Varsol or sandpaper or something, but eventually settled for rubbing my wrist with coconut oil once I got home, scraping that off, then scrubbing it with soap again, and that finally got rid of it. Meanwhile, the the ethereal beauty of All Souls on my other wrist faded within a couple of hours. Why is it never the scents I like that cling to me like napalm?

 

Anyway, to sum up: this is one nasty, unpleasant scent, though I suppose that's fully appropriate for its theme. And harder to get rid of than the villain in a slasher movie. Count me as having a bad case of Samhainophobiaphobia.

 

Grade: F

Edited January 17, 2007 by Miss Lynx

[slave1]

SAMHAINOPHOBIA

 

In Bottle: Smoky darkness

 

On Skin: I am overwhelmed by the scent of smoke and patchouli. The vetiver is super earthy and the clove is slightly metallic but very spicy. Those 3 notes are 3 of my least favorite notes ever, so this scent doesn’t seem to be working for me so far. The balsam is in the background but really makes itself known with a sharp masculine punch. This is a very earthy, dark and feral scent. It isn’t something I’d wear but I’d like to smell it on a man. Moderate throw and short to average wearlength.

[Dark Sparkle]

Love!!!! I am so happy that I bought Samhainophobia out of sheer gut instinct - this simply had to be an instant favourite, and it was.

 

 

Out of the bottle, it reminds me a bit of Black Annis and this is good news to me, believe it or not: A fragrance reminiscent of liqorice and damp woods with patchouli in the background, which Black Annis does not have

 

On skin this starts out rather subdued to my surprise: Menthol and patchouli and vetiver. It sweetens after a couple of minutes. After about half an hour Samhainophobia really takes off, both in strenght and utter gourgous scent heaven. I am now sorrounded by a cloud of cinnamon (?), liqorice and woodsmoke with patchouli. It reminds me of a stronger version of Devil's Night which I also adore.

 

Ten thumps up for Samhainophobia!

 

 

Edited to add that the menthol note I get is probably the balsams and the cinnamon note might be the clove. Not sure though, but it would fit with the description of notes in Samhainophobia.

Edited December 1, 2006 by Dark Sparkle

[jewelbug]

Imp: Deep green (herbal/moss/woods) with the autumn leaf and patchouli blend of samhain 05.

 

Wet: Very deep green and clean. This strikes me as a masculine version of Samhain (probably the balsam). I swathed on Samhain 05, too, and its spicier with fruit and that leafy rootbeer smell I associate with it. Samhainophobia is the leafy rootbeer part of samhain...now with added manliness.

 

Dry: The longer into drydown I get, the more like samhain this gets...gradually losing most of the vetiver/balsam combo that I think is so masculine. Its never lost completely, though, it just mellows and settles in. The very slight difference is that Samhain has some sweeter apple where -phobia has masculine clean dark green notes.

 

Overall: This is a lovely blend, much like samhain but with more...penis? I would get this for my hubby, cuz I think it sexy, but he wasn't so keen on it. This has great staying power--10+hrs?

Edited October 1, 2008 by jewelbug

[medvssa]

I love this stuff!

 

I adore Samhain, but it being sweet in a foody way, I don't reach to it so often. Poor Samhain.

Reading somewhere (probably in this thread) that Samhainophobia was a dark and more woodsy version of this, I had to get a bottle unsniffed, and I am so glad I did!

 

At first it is all powerful dark vetiver; rich, dark, woodsy patchouli; damp moss. Wood and leaves in moist decay, in the depth of the woods, and that is a smell I love! The clove I don't detect, maybe the touch of spice, but I can't identify clove.

 

The dark scents slowly go to the background as it dies down dry down, and there, lightly, I detect the smell of Samhain. It is there, very identifiable, but light and distant, a waft. It is like being out there in the cold woods at night, but nearby there is a house and they have Samhain in the oil burner - yeah I probably should have made that a little more poetic

 

Very, very nice, a much darker version of beloved Samhain!

[arabella]

First Impression: Resin and smoke.

 

Dries down to: A melange of sharp layers of spice and resin.

 

Additional Comments: This is slightly exotic smelling yet very fall-like. It's well-blended so no one note stands out. It just doesn't particularly do anything for me.

 

Lasted: 5-6 hours.

 

Rating: 2 out of 5

[emzebel]

Oh dear lord, this is Samhain 04. Rich, dark, deeply aged, with almost a petrol flame tinge. Sooooooooo happy is this Samhain lover. So very very happy.

[kwelge]

Utter LOVE.

 

I liked Samhain 06, but this... it's the darker, spicier version. No pumpkin, which amps to buttery hell on me. I get leaves + trees (maybe a little evergreen?), and spices (like mulling spices for cider). YUM.

 

Also, for some odd reason, it smells like Christmas to me.

 

Verdict: I may need to hunt down a backup bottle, because I'm going to be using this one a lot in the coming days. I think I finally understand the wails of those who have fallen in love with a limited edition... if this one doesn't come back next year, I'll be heartbroken.

[girl_android]

Oooh... smoke in a bottle is my first impression! There's some musty leaves in there also, like it's rained in the recent past.

 

Wet on skin, it's dark green and foreboding, like dusk after a cold, wet and grey day. There's a hint of spiceyness, and smouldering wet leaves in the distance. It's different to the smoke haze that's been around Melbourne over this summer (from the bushfires) - that always smelled burnt and very dry.

 

Once dry, the spiceyness remains, and the dark green-ness moves into the background. I'm guessing this is what vetiver might do? Nothing that particularly makes me think patchouli although that could be contributing to the spicy smokiness from incensey feel.

 

I like this, but I think it would be to die for on a boy instead of me! Not sure of the odds of DH trying this though ... poor little imp!