October

[Jammies]

Dry, cold autumn wind. A rustle of red leaves, a touch of smoke and sap in the air.

The bitter scent of decaying leaves plus the scent of dead and dried leaves. The bitter part reeeally made me think of romaine lettuce that's gone bad--so weird!

[halation]

Note: I'm pretty sure there's pepper in here! I was huffing a bit too enthusiastically and got a bit on my nose. Stings!

 

In the imp and wet, I get something salty-aquatic and a sharp cologne. The boy, whose favourite month is October and who desperately wants to keep it in a bottle, was disappointed, and said all he got was 'chemicals'.

 

On the skin, it warms up, and the cologne note burns off. The leaves start coming out, but there's still something aquatic here. It's strangely reminiscent of Halloween: San Francisco. Where is the aquatic coming from?

 

As it dries, the smoke starts coming out, along with a warmth that's maybe the pepper. It sweetens and gets warm -- this is the sap note, I think, but it's not a green sap at all -- the sweetness of crystallised tree gum, but not piney. Mercifully the cologne hangs in the background now and gives a cold-and-ozone bite.

 

I like it, and it's a nice autumnal scent, but it doesn't quite smell like October. The cold is a full-on wintry cold, and there's not quite enough crunchy leafiness for my taste.

[Shadowdawn]

Yummy!! I don't think it smells like October much, but i do get a nice pepperynesss on the hubby.

 

In the bottle: kinda astringent pepper, hubby says it smells like dryer sheets, lol 0_o.

 

On him after a while when it settles down and mellows out: Sweet dry leaves! And white pepper. Also brings forth a note of clean gentle manly cologne (dry autumn winds?). Not very rough at all, but sweetly sophisticates. Also not too sweet to be a man's scent.

 

Very nice on him, but unfortunately not enough true wood or log-cabin type smoke/chillyness for fall to be October.

[lilyliza]

2011 version

 

In the imp: Leaves and sap. I really like the sap note. It smells a lot like the real thing- slightly aquatic, a more natural, subdued sweetness, and a tiny bit green.

 

Wet: The smoke comes out pretty quickly, and the effect is dead sexy. It goes slightly men's cologne-ish for just a second, then the leaves and sap round everything out. I would say I smell like a forest, but the forest wishes it smelled this good.

 

Drydown: I think the reason this isn't going men's cologne on me is because there's a fair amount of sap to keep it just sweet enough, but not enough to overpower everything else. Plus, I really love the smoke here. There's just enough in the background to keep it interesting. It is kind of peppery, but it's not blatantly spicy. It becomes smoke-centered for a little while, but this phase is beautiful too. I don't smell like the woods at this point, but it still smells amazing.

 

Dry, a few hours later: Greener now, but a pleasantly warm, slightly sweet and smoky scent. Lovely from start to finish.

 

 

This reminds me so much of the scent from the woods surrounding my house when I walk outside this time of year. This has a bunch of my favorite smells- smoky, spicy, woodsy, sweet- in the perfect proportions for me. Definitely a keeper. I want a bottle so much.

Edited November 10, 2011 by lilyliza

[edenssixthday]

October 2011 - My review of October 2007 is here (I liked it), and my review of October 2010 is here (I liked it a lot). This year's version is exactly the same. It's the smell of freshly fallen leaves, dry autumnal air, the faintest hint of smoke, and the sweet smell of sticky sap. It is so perfect for this time of year, and really does smell like autumn. I don't think I can add anything new this year. It's just a really great, evocative fragrance.

[Viridian]

In the bottle I get leaves and a hint of smoke, and something aquatic that I worry might turn unpleasant on me, because sometimes aquatics don't play nice on my skin.

 

On skin it's leafy for a few seconds and then the aquatic takes over bigtime. It's very cool and fresh, not smoky or woody at all. I'm a little worried during this phase that it's going to go soapy or dryer-sheety, but that calms down quickly. I'm getting a few whiffs of something bitter that I'm not sure I like, but that settles down pretty quickly as well.

 

My overall impression is of cool air with something a little bit green. It's kind of cologne-y at points. Not sure it's for me as a perfume, but it's very pleasant and evocative of cool autumn nights. I wish I got a little more of the smoke, because the smell of wood fires in cool air = autumn to me.

[endlessrains]

I waited a full year to try this scent, so here goes! (2011 Version)

 

In the bottle, October smelled very dry and unforgiving. Like it was criticizing me for buying several bottles of it unsniffed. Quiet, you!

On skin, there's definitely white sandalwood in this. There's also a timid little pink-y musk in the veeery back, and some pale green stuff that comes and goes.

The Little Musk That Could peeks out a bit more after October dries, but it's still mostly sandalwood on me.

Overall, this is very different that I expected! It's nothing like the description on me. The leaves are yellow and brown, papery and fallen, not red at all. There's no smoke or sap, and the chill air winds through a calm morning wood right before the frost, rather than in mercurial October. Still, I like it even if between this and Post-Mortem L. I'll never need another white sandalwood scent again!

 

Fake edit: I walked back into the bedroom (where I put October on), and it smells like TREEZ. Wild, unruly, green and yellowish birchy things tromping around and settling in my nostrils. Darned teenaged ents *grumble grumble back onto the lawn*!

I'm really wishing I had this as a room spray. With Earl Grey mixed in. MMMM.

[stardust]

2011 version:

 

Beautiful dead leaves crunching underfoot, with nary a trace of cologne (thank goodness). This smells a lot like my beloved Death of Autumn.

[surf-tormented]

2011 version.

 

I feared trying this all these years because of the sap note being too sweet. My skin amps the leaf and smoke and add a sort of chilly air note to the mix. I like Solstice Scent's Foxcroft a tiny bit more than this one, only because Foxcroft is stronger in the application. Both perfumes have the same feel except October is more aquatic ozone than Foxcroft.

 

October is great though if you love leaf scents. There is nothing sweet on me or candle-like to spoil the autumn blast of it all. Approved by me!

Edited November 20, 2011 by surf-tormented

[stellamaris]

This is fantastic, very evocative of a cool autumn day. I was so scared of the dry dead leaf thing, I don't like that smell IRL, but this is fantastic. One large bottle coming up...

[WidgetAlley]

This is the 2010 version.

 

Bottle: Hunh. This has the same very strong, cut-greenery note that is so present in La Calavera Catrina and Orpheus, but it's backed by... what? Resins? Musk? Smoke? Something, anyway, that provides a lovely backdrop full of the impression of brown-ness, very much like leaves. Smells a lot like the leaf note in November mixed with the previously mentioned two.

 

Wet: An odd, softy bitter green smell very much like salad mix, quickly followed by a sweet cinnamon smoke and a gently fuzzy musk. When I first tried this fresh out of the mailbox it was, bizarrely, crayons on me-- distinctively and definitely Crayola crayons. There's still just a hint of that waxiness, but it's nowhere near as strong or bitter as it used to be. Instead, it's a softy spiced smoke with a throw of musk and cassia.

 

Dry: Sadly, the Crayola smells comes back in force in the throw, even though up close it remains a soft and pretty smoky musk. I think I would really dig this one if it weren't for that odd wax note; I wonder what's doing that? Oh well. This one will go on to someone whose skin chemistry is kinder to it.

Edited November 21, 2011 by WidgetAlley

[Ghost of a Rose]

In the vial: This smells very grassy - green and herbal. It reminds me a lot of The Queen's Croquet Ground room spray from the Trading Post.

 

On me, wet: Same as above.

 

After 10 minutes: It has now developed notes of wood and a peppery spice. And . . . a very realistic dry leaves scent - how do they do that? The grass has taken a back seat to these new notes, but it is still a definite presence.

 

After 20 minutes: Now completely dry, the scent has become much softer, and the wood note has developed a bit of smokiness.

 

After 30 minutes: Smoky wood, dry leaves, and peppery spice. The grassy note is completely gone.

 

After 1 hour: Rather faint, but still there. It's sweet, mostly smoky wood with a little pepper.

 

After 2 hours: Pretty much gone.

 

Verdict: I like this a lot, but it doesn't last very long. Wear it in a scent locket as well as on the skin.

 

My rating: 4 stars

[milo]

It seems funny that I'm just getting to some of last years 'weenies, and they're just about ready to come out again. October 2011 is a smoky, leafy blend with an odd touch of vinegar. I'm not really big on most leaf blends, and the sour edge is really weird. Not for me.

[catalyst]

Wow, crazy. It's exactly like a big New England leaf pile. All different colors, but some are wet and some are dry. There's definite greenness here, with some kind of autumn spice, but just a hint, and maybe a bit of smoke and earth. After about an hour the smoke and earth and a little something else is still there. It seems masculine to me.

 

There's some air freshener or candle or something like it out there, because I've smelled something very close to this before. I have no idea where.

[mymymai]

ITI: Oh, acrid a bitter, like crunchy leaves and squished, smelly ants.

 

Wet: Dry autumn leaves, crisp wind, super pitchy sap, and something just a little perfumey.

 

Dry: Still very sharp with leaves and sap, but a touch of aquatic as well.

[MtMoonKitty]

I am surprized that I haven't reviewed this yet since I have now had it for a year, but I am glad because I think I like it better now.

 

This review is the 2011 edition

 

In the bottle is completely leaves to me. I burn this in my oil diffuser sometimes because I really dig this quality. It reminds me of rolling in a pile of leaves when I was a kid. This stays when it is first applied and then the sap takes over a bit making a sweet leafy combination. I love the sweetness of this stage. As it dries down the leaves come back with a hint of smoke. The leaves are dry... there is no dampness to this on me. The sap is still there and the cool autumn wind too. Really the description fits this one well.

 

This will not be an every day flavor, but I love this one for fall. Fitting: this is October 1st. I came home early from work because I don't feel well and I find this extremely comforting. I will get alot more use out of it this year than last.

[Drae]

Decant of October 2011

 

This smells exactly how I expected it to smell, which I think is a rarity in the land of BPAL. It is that recognizable dry leaves scent that I have found in most fall/leaf scented items (B&BW candles, other perfumes, etc), as well as the sap. A true-to-life, unisex scent, very evocative of a walk through the park amongst fallen leaves

 

October is a very mood-specific scent for me and not an every day wear, and the throw is decent, so while I quite like it I'm not sure I need more than my decant

[MonkeysInk]

I'm just now getting to the 2011 version, nearly two years later. (Was pregnant in 2011 and 2012 and everything I smelled made me queasy, so I just put everything away for a while.)

 

This is lovely and I'm a bit sad it's taken me two years to get to it. In the bottle, I just get leaves and grass, grass and leaves.

 

On the skin, I get the dry, rustling leaves and the incense. Oh, the spicy incense - delicious!

 

As it starts to dry down, I get that hint of cocoa and vanilla, but it's underneath the incense and leaves. This doesn't go super-sweet for me, I don't smell anything chemically or man-made....it's all autumn leaves with incense from the neighbor's house wafting by.

 

Love this, so glad I got a decant.

[Fish That Swims]

2011 Version

 

In the bottle: very sharp, bitter, and green smelling. like wet crushed leaves or green stripped bark. somewhat harsh

 

Wet: chillier, still very sharp, astringent....almost medicinal? Like something a forest witch might use. not unpleasant really, but not gentle enough to be very wearable for me

 

Dry: much much mellower, and ahhh there's the smoke, or maybe... dust? there's something very faintly sweet hovering in the background, could be the sap

 

So I'm not a huge fan of the initial stages, but it's worth it for me to wait til it calms down, and on the whole, very interesting and evocative

[Aviatrix]

This doesn't actually morph a lot on my skin. In the bottle it smells a bit like sweet maple leaves and…autumn atmosphere.

It's much sweeter than I would have guessed from the description. I was a bit afraid of the "smoke" being too vetiver or too earthy, but it's really just a slightly dusty, not very prominent quality to the blend.

Unfortunately it fades fairly quickly on me, so it needs frequent reapplications.

 

I probably won't be hunting down a full bottle, but I'm happy with the partial I have

[lucycat]

In the imp: Autumn leaves and a hint of men’s cologne. The leaf note is the same as in A World Where There Are Octobers, without the maple note.

 

Wet: A strong, clean autumn leaf scent. I’m surprised by how strong this is; I applied lightly. This is like a bolder, less sweet A World Where There Are Octobers at this stage.

 

This dries down to leafy men’s cologne after about an hour: maybe that’s what my skin is doing to the “cold autumn wind” note(s.). I don’t smell the smoke at all.

 

I rarely say this, but October is just too masculine for me. I do want to keep my decant to see how it ages.

[Elvena]

I tried this on my ten year old son as I needed a patch of skin.

 

Here is his take.

 

Out of the bottle it was really green and sharp kind of peppery seasoning.

 

On dry down he got wet yellow waxy autumn leaves. Pumpkin and a hint of lemon.

 

As it wears it's a little sugary.

 

We kind of like it but we don't love it.

 

My take is leaves/herbal with Avon Country Roads men's cologne.

[hammy]

This review is for October 2011:

 

In the bottle - I’m not getting a whole lot out of the bottle. I can tell it’s leafy...

 

Wet - Oh man. Wet and dirty are the two words that pop into mind first. There’s dirt and decay and leaves and more decay, and it’s overwhelming. My eyes are watering. One drop goes a long, long way.

 

Drydown - The intensity of the wet mulch toned down as it dried, thankfully. Still, I have a bit of headache. I’m not sure if it was the wind or the smoke that initially had me so repulsed. Maybe a combo. Now it’s kind of … men’s cologne spilled on a dirty leaf pile, if that makes sense. This is the kind of scent that would be mesmerizing if you caught a whiff of it on someone who walked by, but I just can’t handle having it so close to me. The sillage is immense and unrelenting. Once it dies down (way later), it just smells like I’ve been sitting in a pile of leaves all morning. Or when the wind kicks up leafy bits and blows them at you.

 

Verdict - The secondary leaf scent is right on, but totally not worth the initial phases of smelling like a wet compost bin. Swap.

 

*Edited to specify year of scent.

Edited November 12, 2014 by hammy

[Leopard403]

This is the 2014 version:

 

Strong autumn leaves, and I agree that with the assessment of "peppery" that is mentioned above. Identifiably fall-like, but way too masculine on my skin. It makes me smell like my dad.

[zankoku_zen]

2014 version

 

Super strong leaves and aquatic wind dries down to a green, manly sort of musk with a touch of leaves. Decent throw, but yeah, definitely fairly masculine.

 

I swear this smells like that Jimmy Choo blend with Kit Harrington in the front.

 

So, if you would like to smell like the manly wind that caresses Jon Snow's flowing locks while he's on the Wall, give this puppy a whirl.

 

Green, windy, masculine.