The Death of Autumn

[LadyCrow]

Dark amber, dead leaves, khus, saffron, bitter clove, chrysanthemum, camellia, galangal, and a drop of oud.

In the decant: Sharp and dirty.

Wet: WHAM, vetiver. The khus in this is definitely smoother than the usual BPAL vetiver, but holy moly, it's strong. In fact, the wet stage makes my eyes tingle -- not quite water, but tingle -- a good six inches away from the oiled patches of skin.

Drydown: I agree with chthonia, who said this is like a story in scent form. It absolutely conjures up the scent picture it was intended to evoke, while at the same time having distinct stages as a perfume. Eventually, as the vetiver mellows a bit, I get a strong, peppery chrysanthemum; while that continues to be aggressive for a good long while, the amber comes out next on me and I start getting hints of the other notes, notably the saffron. It's like a cross between Graveyard Dirt and a Salon blend.

Verdict: I love the forest, and I love strong scents, so this is just win. Edited February 23, 2008 by Shollin

[hkhm]

bottle: amber and vetiver. and since i don't see vetiver listed in the notes i wonder what could be smelling like it...?

 

wet: ooooh! this smells of deep amber and clove on my skin! this is just as dark and dirty as, say, goblin, but without patchouli. lovely!

 

dry: the smells like a slighty sweet vetiver and spice once dry. normally, i don't care for strong vetiver scents like this but i'm really liking this one.

[twilighteyes]

In the bottle:

Oof. Strong! Dark, earthy. Reminiscent of damp leaves. Smoky.

 

Wet on skin:

Musk starting to come through. Ooh! Clove!

 

Dry on skin:

Musk, clove, a little teeny tiny bit of dead leafy floral.

 

Almost didn't try this because I didn't like the scent from the bottle. But now, yum!

[TulaMontage]

Bottle: An array of decomposing plants... not florals. Rotting roots and over ripe vegetables.

 

Wet: Damn you chrysanthemum (my other confirmed nemesis). You floated to the surface, overpowered my senses, caught the back of my throat and made me want to vomit. Thanks a lot.

 

Dry: Smokey stinging florals. I wanted the clove and dead leaves to pop but alas that spice is no where to be found.

 

 

Death of autumn does exactly what it says on the bottle... It smells of decomposing greenery. The last of the summer plants shrivelling and a snap of overpowering late blossoms. I wanted it to be colder and spicy but it was earthy and gloomy. Shove me in a coffin, smother this on me and leave me to rot...

[alsatia]

Expectations: I don't think I'll be able to give an accurate review of this scent, as all I've got is a pipette sniffie. It doesn't sound like something I'll like much, though. Many of the notes are unfamiliar, but amber usually doesn't work well on me, I'm not into leaves, and the last chrysanthemum scent I tried made me sneeze.

 

In pipette: The pipette was stored in a plastic zipper bag, and upon opening the bag it smelled like ass. Well, not literally ass, but really gross. The other pipette sniffie packaged the same way smells the same, and I've tried that scent before, so I'm sure it's the plastic causing that. Okay, taking the pipette out and sniffing it...and the smell got worse.

 

On skin, wet: Even if there was a big enough drop of oil to apply, I would not do it. I'll look up all the unfamiliar notes to see if I can figure out why this smells so bad.

 

On skin, dry: Not applicable.

 

After time: Not applicable.

 

Conclusion: Ok, I think the culprit is oud, also known as agarwood. Everything else I looked up sounds, if not pleasant, then icky in a different way. This is my first experience of gagging upon smelling a BPAL scent, and since it's not even a testable quantity it's going in the trash.

[voodoobaby]

Cannot stop sniffing myself! In the bottle it smells very green, almost bittersweet, and a bit toasty. On my skin, all I really get is vetiver. That's OK, though! My skin does lovely things with it; this smells like burning cedar wood. I do still get the dead leaves smell, which just adds to it. So good! When I sniff, my face even feels warm and I get the illusion of the feeling of woodsmoke in my eyes. To me it smells like October (the scent) on fire. This is incredibly evocative and I love it.

[prrrplegrrrl]

This name is dead on (no pun intended). At first, both in the bottle and on me, it is VERY pungent. Scarily so. Not a nice scent, actually a lot closer to what I thought Bonfire Night would be, but that's a different story. Luckily, I gave it a chance. This one's a grower, not a shower, and it turns very dark and smoky, but a bit flowery, too. Perfect for late November!

[brsis]

Initial Thoughts: Just the name was enough to sell me on this one - I wouldn't care if it smelt of old gym socks and the chicken's nesting box. Well, maybe I would, but still.

 

There's flowers in there, but I don't think I noticed when I bought it. I was more concerned about the 'dead leaves' - which if it works, I will LOVE.

 

In the imp: Splintery woodiness, a hint of clove, and then Bam! - leafmould. Genuine, honest to God leafmould. Woah <i>momma</i>.

 

On the wrist, wet: Hmm. It's hard to say what I'm getting here - I can ID the clove and what I'm guessing is probably the khus and the oud (I hope I'm not mistaken in thinking they're fragrant woods). The clove's actually a bit overpowering for the moment, but the whole thing's dark and bitter and very, very evocative.

 

Some time later (I lost track): Eh. On my skin, this isn't really as rich and lovely as I hoped it would be. In fact, it's clove. Strait up clove, all the way through. Now, I like clove, but not THIS much.

 

Verdict: Will use the imp, but doubt I'll get a bottle.

 

Tl;Dr: Rich, intricate leafmould in the imp, clove, clove, and clove, with a dash of clove, on the skin.

[mspixieears]

Been a very long time since I tried a fragrance with amber in it and it’s been a welcome change. I can smell the amber along with the chrysanthemum and oud (I think that’s what it is) and a little later the camellia which is just gorgeous – this is what made the fragrance bottle-worthy to me. I don’t smell the dead leaves so much but I don’t mind that at all.

[BrightRedScream]

I purchased this in hopes of finding another signature scent that I'd love as much as I do Devil's Night....Since it seems that the BPal team has stopped producing my beloved with their Halloween series

I will admit that I was hesitant to try this because of a few of the notes....BUT I figured what the heck and gave it a go.

 

In the bottle: Dark, heavy with a little bit of spice..for some reason I'm reminded of patchouli or a dark sandalwood? If you smell this long enough it actually will remind you of plants...earth..garden..I can't put my finger on it.

 

Wet on the skin: Wow! Intense! Not sure if I like this..it's VERY heavy and heady, and it almost feels like it's smothering me...I'm hoping for something to happen on dry down that will make me like this more!

 

Dry down: Wow..this is dark and enticing. It's got a very spooky and seductive aura, and I think that it's BEAUTIFUL now....Intoxicating and mysterious almost. It smells woody, with a bit of spice lurking. I'm actually finding that on dry down it has similarities to Devil's Night - but not many...

I am enjoying this scent a lot, although I'm finding that it doesn't have a ton of throw, or staying power on me

 

Pretty, not sure if I'd buy another bottle of it though!

[juniperus]

bottle: dark and sharp. and dark. and sharp. whoah.

wet: smoky. and dark and sharp.

dry: damp leaves, check. bitter clove, check. khus is wild vetiver, so I fear - vetiver hates me. it's still just 'dark', none of the florals apparent to lift it at all.

later: ok , I get the crysanthemum, now, and so far the vetiver hasn't turned to damp, stinky charcoal on me (as it usually does. no, I'm not even joking a little). it's really quite nice, now, with the lift of the mum and a hint of warmth from the amber.

[tinyvulture]

the strong vetiver scent of the khus is the first thing i smell. my, how vetiver has grown on me. i love it’s sweet earthiness. it’s like an olfactory symbol of autumn. the combination of vetiver and dried leaves makes this scent somewhat similar to Samhainophobia, but it’s more grassy and herbaceous. the oud and galangal contribute herbal qualities. it’s a masculine scent, but not such a strong “men’s cologne” as October. of the GC scents, i’d say this is most similar to Scarecrow -– the sun beating down on dried, scorched grass -- but with the addition of lots of vetiver.

[jizatt]

My husband's response:

 

"What the F*** was that one?"

[isisonearth]

Bottle: Ginger, pine and the earthy smell of decaying leaves.

 

Wet: The khus and galangal are sharp and in your face. There is a bit of a background of golden saffron and dry leaves.

 

Dry: The sharpness goes away and what is left is an earth scent of glorious decay. Dead leaves, the woody smell of fallen trees, a whisper of pines among the woods and damp earth. After a long time I can begin to smell a touch of the last blooming flowers of autumn.This is more of the scent of a particular place and time than one that displays its notes separately.

[angelicruin]

In the bottle, smoky and bitter.

 

Wet on skin, more of a woodsy scent, smoky floral, and I smell the cloves again.

 

As it dries on skin, even more smoky. Just a little of this oil goes a long way.

 

ETA: Within an hour, this scent amped into something beautiful. The bitter smokiness is now gone and is replaced with a divine spicy amber and clove scent. I went from disliking to really enjoying it. Might be a keeper as an imp.

Edited September 19, 2008 by angelicruin

[PlasticBlue]

In the bottle: Whoa. Sharp stabby bitter needles in my nose. Not very promising.

 

Freshly applied: Phew, that's better. It still smells very strong, but now I'm getting a dry wood and smoke vibe to it, and it's actually rather pleasant.

 

Dry: Oh, wow. For something that scared me straight out of the bottle, this has morphed beautifully. I'm getting a warm, incense smell mixed in with the wood now. I'm really enjoying this.

 

After an hour: Still lovely, and now the florals are coming out to play. This really does have an autumn vibe to it, not so much the outdoor type, but more like coming indoors after raking the leaves one last time and relaxing on the sofa, with a vase of seasonal flowers and woodsy potpourri on the nearby coffee table.

 

Several hours later: Here comes the baby powder. I don't dislike it, but so many BPAL scents seem to finish as baby powder on me, and this is no exception.

 

Verdict: Despite the powdery finish, this is a warm, beautiful scent, and oddly calming. I'm very glad I got a bottle.

 

Edited to add: I'm wondering if my nose is broken, because both my mom and my SIL gave this a thumbs down, citing the baby powder smell. I'll let the bottle age some and see if anything changes.

Edited October 26, 2008 by PlasticBlue

[rayvn1]

This smells just like fresh cut ivy in the bottle. Sharp and a little acrid, but pretty green. Once on the skin I gegt strong bursts of smoke - maybe some vetiver? Dark, slightly gritty smell and the ivy scent has disappeared. Very appropriate to its name. I like smoky blends, and though I can't see myself reaching for this often, it's one of those great BPAL scent pictures.

[crebbsgirl]

WHoo! This is charred and smoky and VERY earthy while wet, but as it dries the most wonderful scent just blossoms on my skin. This is a warm and deep blend, but on my the spice isn't heavy, with a smoke overtone. It's earthy but not overpoweringly DIRT. I really, really like this. Very evocative of those cool, crisp autumn days.

[brownbear]

 

Dead leaves and the dirty ground

when I know you're not around.

Shiny tops and soda pops

when I hear lips make a sound,

when I hear lips make a sound,

 

Can't help thinking of this song for this scent. To me it is dead leaves, dirt, and old wood. It warms up later. Not sure I'd get much wear out of it.

[Monster]

I'm just going through one of my BPAL boxes and realizing there are quite a few scents I haven't reviewed. Just catching up for future reference and all that.

 

This is a scent I showed to a male friend of mine who has a lot of anger and stress issues. After brief talk about it (since I have a lot of anger and stress issues myself) I decided to let him sit and sniff my BPAL oils since it's one of the ONLY things that sends me to an immediate "happy place". This scent, The Death of Autumn was his immediate favorite. He couldn't stop sniffing his hand and naming all of the things it reminded him of. He said smelling The Death of Autumn calmed and soothed him like nothing else.

 

Anyway, here is my review!

 

Gorgeous, perfect vetiver...dead leaves...and that's about it. I never detect any clove in this scent. To me, this IS the scent of the end of autumn, when all of the leaves have fallen off of the trees, the wind has more of a bite and people all over are burning piles of leaves in their yards. It's dark, smoky, dry and just perfect. I LOVE vetiver scents and this is another wonderful example of one of my most beloved notes.

Edited July 15, 2009 by Monster

[ouch!]

Wet...this smells like a soft vetiver and musk on me. The whole mix of notes though does lead me to believe I'm smelling leaves. It's quite a good illusion!! It smells kind of masculine and interesting.

 

The dry down stage is much nicer, now it smells kind of nutty with a very soft musk and I'm reminded of one of my loves.."Sed Non Satiata" It's that creamy...softness with a brown feel to it. It's much nicer now and is more of a skin, snuggly scent.

 

As it dries further the vetiver is coming back a bit stronger, it's taking away the softness of the perfume. There is still the brown feel/smell to it and the illusion of leaves but it's less sweet now.

 

I don't think I'll be needing a bottle of this but the drydown stage is gorgeous!

[Schmoozy]

 

Smoky dry leaves, a touch of dark amber and dirt. At times it is spicy, but for the most part it's dark and earthy and dry. I loved it when I could detect amber and crysanthemum however they both vanish as soon as the oil dried on my skin.

[Invidiana]

This was one of those blends that just made my jaw drop. I'm an autumn fiend, and this stuff is making me head over heels for the season even more. The dark amber is deep and intoxicating, not dry but more of a viscous sap oozing from nearly bare oaks and maples. It isn't foody like maple syrup, just deep and rich with a slight sweetness. Then the clove only complements that, adding to the darkness and bittersweet complexity. The dead leaves swirled in add smoky undertones, and the galangal and oude shade in browns of tree shadows and the grays of October twilight. I couldn't get any flowers out of this, but I'm sure they just add to the richness and complexity of the scent. One of my absolute favorites

Edited October 20, 2009 by Invidiana

[jamethiel]

In the bottle: Dead leaves and smoke.

Wet: KHUS! Wow, this is gorgeous. Dirty and smokey. Vetiver can be quite metallic on me sometimes, but this is earthy. Reminds me of burning off in the autumn. That's interesting: wikipedia says that khus is produced from the wild-grown form of vetiver and is seldom sold outside of india. I wonder if this oil's from India?

 

After five minutes: WOW. This has got some throw on it! Co-worker commented on it positively when I got in the car. It smells of piles of leaves turning into mulch but not there yet. And black earth.

 

It pretty much continues the same way for half an hour. God, this is gorgeous. I am so glad I got a bottle unsmelled. Thank you very much to kittenmorag on lj for helping me out--I was interstate without my BPAL and she passed along some bottles that didn't work on her.

 

After half an hour: Amber is starting to come out, but not as sweet as amber usually is. It's very sexy: somewhat reminiscent of a curvy woman walking around her garden that's dying for winter. Not a maiden, definitely lush.

 

After an hour: Mmmm. Saffron. It's gone slightly salty. There's a slightly peppery, perfumey scent--maybe the clove and galangal mixing with one of the florals?

 

After an hour and 15: Oh, this is getting more delicately floral now. It's white autumn blooms--this is proabably the camelia and chrysanthemum

 

It does fade after about a couple of hours or so (all that's left behind is a very faint perfume) but for that two hours? GORGEOUS. The other thing is, I can't smell it on my skin any more but I can smell it in the air around me.

 

Edit: I thought it had died, but it resurrected itself. It's now sharp floral, perfumey but not sweet. I can smell the galangal. This scent keeps gettnig better and better.

OH MY GOD this is a keeper. I definitely hope it comes back in future years!

Edited December 11, 2009 by jamethiel

[SophieCedar]

Hmmm... khus is a vetivert that can stand my chemistry, so off the bat.. WHEW.

 

In imp and wet: smoky, sweet, earthy spices, slight cologne essence from the vetivert.

Drydown: spices start to appear more and the vetivert softens. The oud lingers in the back. Creamy spicy earthy sweet and very deep dark. Like!