October

[harmonyfb]

Ay, thou art welcome, heaven's delicious breath!
When woods begin to wear the crimson leaf,
And suns grow meek, and the meek suns grow brief
And the year smiles as it draws near its death.
Wind of the sunny south! oh, still delay
In the gay woods and in the golden air,
Like to a good old age released from care,
Journeying, in long serenity, away.
In such a bright, late quiet, would that I
Might wear out life like thee, 'mid bowers and brooks
And dearer yet, the sunshine of kind looks,
And music of kind voices ever nigh;
And when my last sand twinkled in the glass,
Pass silently from men, as thou dost pass.

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

This is the scent I've looked forward to - some of my favorite autumn smells, all rolled into a single perfume.

In the bottle, this was sharp and masculine. Ooo, very sharp.

Wet, it transformed immediately to the scent of mouldering leaves, with an overtone of men's cologne.

Dry, the throw is all wet, decaying leaves (which I find quite pleasant), but unfortunately, when I bring my wrist to my nose, all I smell is cheap men's cologne and a whiff of musk.

On the whole, I think my skin chemistry has played me false once more.

[Bard]

There's a song by Jeff Wayne from his musical version of The War of the Worlds entitled "Forever Autumn." Out of respect for copyright, I'm not going to share the lyrics here, but I encourage you to look them up and to listen to the song. If one could encapsulate the fragrance and mood of October in a song, that would be it.

 

Fresh out of the bottle, October is a chilly autumn afternoon in the woods, the earth carpeted in gold and crimson and brown. The faintest of drizzles plays on our faces and shoulders. The nearly naked branches of elms and maples glisten in the damp. Ahead of us, nestled amid the trees sits the groundskeeper's tiny cottage, woodsmoke from its chimney hanging in the air.

 

If you can identify with the scene I laid before you, if you can see the sullen gray of the cloudy sky in your mind's eye, hear the colorful leaves crunching underfoot, feel the prickle of raindrops like kisses on too-warm skin, you know what this scent smells like. October is memory in a bottle, a perfect moment suspended in oil.

 

One word of caution, however. This blend his delicate, oh so delicate. In the heat of an early September day it feels stolen, out of place. It is in want of cool weather to work its deepest magic. Even body heat can upset the balance. In order to achieve its full potential, some of the gentle souls here may find a scent locket most efficacious.

 

 

October Haiku,

When bright leaves did fall

In scarlet hue, then so too

Did my heart for you.

[copyshopclerk]

In the bottle: Very wet, very green. Masculine, and a bit soapy.

 

On: I was thinking "This isn't good with my skin chemistry at all!" - nothing like what I expected, it was similar to how it was in the bottle - wet, green men's soap, or maybe aftershave. I was hoping for that cold dry wind and red leaves, and this seemed about as far as I could get from there.

 

Dry: I had almost entirely given up hope on this one when something clicked - I don't know what changed exactly, as it'd been dry for a while (I applied only a tiny bit from the cap), but I got the promised dry leaves and hint of woodsmoke. The green, soapy quality is gone. This is like being outside on an autumn night, with the scent of a bonfire in the distance carried to you by a chilly breeze. Much better!

 

I'm glad I stuck it out instead of washing it off - I didn't care for it for a while there but it does deliver on the cool air, leaves, and smoke. I'm curious to see how it develops as it ages.

[Athenae]

I'd have to second or third the masculine characterization. It's very "smells like the boyfriend's sweater you borrow," but I like that kind of scent. Part of my frustration with perfume before BPAL lay in not being able to find women's scents that were as complex, as deep, as spicy and wonderful as most men's colognes were.

 

October needs to be worn on a colder day, with my red velvet jacket and my long scarf and my boots, crunching through the leaves on my way to work. I get a cool, almost salty scent from this, overlaying musk and woods. It's just what I'd like to smell like on the first really honestly chilly day of autumn.

 

Winner in my book.

 

A.

[miss apple]

October needs a cool crisp day to accompany it. This lingering hot weather makes it difficult to really get the feel for it and makes me long for warm sweaters and woolly socks. At first there is almost an astringent quality that makes my nose wrinkle and a bit of a cologne that makes me think this would smell really nice on a man. Once on, the scent of the leaves comes out and it reminds me of a leaf pile that is dry and crackly, and crumbly on the top but becomes musty and damp towards the bottom. All these are good things. I was worried about the smoke but it's very subtle and fills in the background rather than taking over. Very nice.

[forspecial_plate]

First impressions, straight out of the mailbox:

 

This goes back and forth from realistic damp leaves to more traditional, but light, cologne or perfume. I agree that you could call it masculine. There is a hint of peppery bite at the top, from the leaves I think. Underneath the leaves, this scent has a 'golden light' mood or tone that reminds me of Minotaur and even Pumpkin King, a little (yeah, I said it!). I think there is some kind of soft, subtle resin at work here, like copaiba balsam or something....that must be the 'sap in the air'. The hint of smoke has echoes of Djinn. But mostly this is golden autumn light dancing on falling leaves. In fact, if there was ever going to be a Falling Leaf Moon like someone speculated, I think it would smell like this. Much later, as October dries, that peppery bite seems to gain intensity until I'm getting almost a cedar vibe from the scent. Woodsy now and spicy.

 

October is light, and I don't think it has a whole lot of throw. Still, I am drawn back to my wrist over and over to sniff. I could wear this year round but I'm weird like that. In other words, I love it. I'm already resisting the urge to hoard another bottle (and I've never even finished an entire imp or decant of anything).

 

[edited to remove clunkiness]

Edited September 11, 2007 by Forspecial Plate

[porcelina]

at first it smells like damp leaves. it does smell autumnal, but it is not at all what i had expected. as it dries it becomes very "men's cologne" although it's one that i like a lot. i won't wear this. it's definitely not the dream scent i had been hoping for, but good in its own right.

[Archaic Smile]

This scent makes me think of the Tim Burton film, Sleepy Hollow. More specifically the burial tree of the Headless Horseman. It's very much like how I would imagine the smell of a foreboding ancient oak forest covered with sweet, damp, loamy earth, ghostly mists, and decaying leaves - something straight out of a fireside tale. I also get the slight impression of cologne, but to me it seems pretty gender neutral. Then again I don't really mind wearing BPAL scents that are somewhat masculine. I just apply less or layer them with something a little lighter in tone. Oh! This might go really well with one of the Pumkin scents!

 

I'm totally in the mood for wool sweaters, scarves, hot soup, and cozy blankets now.

[djuna]

Yep, this one nails it right on the head--dry leaves, damp leaves, cold air and a tiny bit of smoke. I can see how this would strike some as masculine, but I love masculine scents so that works for me. I'm getting the tiniest hint of cologne, and an even tinier hint of sweetness, which would be the sap, I guess. Wonderfully evocative, and will be reserved for perfect, cool, dry fall days.

Sniffing it makes the tip of my nose cold

[labeth]

Oh, October. I wish I could have loved you.

 

One of my favorite things in the world is the smell of fall, and this does have some of that going for it, and is pretty nice when it does, but most of the time it strikes me as astringent and manly, and then, after about an hour, it completely vanishes altogether. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to pass on this one, but maybe I can trade it for something else from this update when I get the decants I signed up for, so perhaps it's all for the best.

[wren08]

Oh my dear lord! Beth, you are a genius! I want to bathe in this, wash my sheets in this and spritz the ferret with this!

 

This smells WONDERFUL!!! It's spicy and a little pine-y with just a touch of sweet. It's a walk on a perfect late October evening and being chilled thoroughly and then warming in front of the fire.

 

This is the one I will be hoarding from this update, I am certain. I don't need more Death of Autumn or Bonfire Night now... I doubt I would wear them when I could be wearing October instead. This is what I always wanted Samhain to be... the very scent of fall.

 

(Oh wow oh wow oh wow oh wow oh wow oh wow... excuse me now while I inhale my wrist...)

 

Edit:Great news! The not-the-boyfriend likes it too! The first bpal he has actually sniffed and said "What are you wearing? You smell good!"

Edited September 20, 2007 by Wren08

[lapetiteflower]

what an oddball this one is...i do get the leaves and the cold wind, and when i stepped outside on the balcony into the cooling night air that cold autumn scent is amped. the smokiness is very subtle in this one...i wish there was more smoke...there is a man-fume -ishness to this too...like wearing your boyfriend's sweater on a cold october night (from what i can remember of getting to wear boyfriend-sweaters *snort*)

[slittlecrowrussell]

At first this scent was so sharp and almost bitter (like petitgrain mixed with green herby things). It really smelled horrible on me for about 15 minutes. I was almost ready to wash it off and put it up for swap when it suddenly (and I do mean suddenly - like in about 45 seconds) it morphed and suddenly the room was filled with the incredible smell of sun-warmed, fresh-fallen maple leaves. I live in New England, so it's a smell that I know really well and this is pretty darn close to a dead ringer. The throw is excellent and perfectly balanced - it doesn't punch you in the nose but it definitely lingers - and doesn't morph again. I like that it's subtle, but still has a commanding presence. I don't really detect the smoke, but I don't really mind. The leaf-smell is utterly perfect in and of itself. It's very unisex - definitely one that I'll be putting on the BF. Did I mention that it lasts...and lasts...and lasts... my skin tends to drink fragrance, but I can still smell this clearly at the end of the day.

Edited September 21, 2007 by 13magpies

[Meshuganah]

This scent amazed me from the get-go. In the bottle it was reminiscent of a cold autumn day, the scent of dead fallen leaves and freshly cut grass. on my skin it was even better, it warmed up a little but still gave that cool outdoorsy smell like I'd been camping. Unfortunalty by buddy who bought it, accidently spilled the precious on my floor and now half her bottle is stained on my carpet, BUT my apt smells great!!

[ACVail24]

October 2007

 

In the Bottle:

Its smells like a dark version of Ulalume to me.

 

On my Skin, Wet:

yep- Ulalume with smoke instead of lilies.

 

On my Skin, Dry:

Red leaves, smoke and a slight touch of sap.

I do not notice a "cold" feel to it, more just "masculine"

 

Verdict:

This oil is not really my taste - but I do like it for some reason.

If it ages well it could become really, really nice or just awful.

I do want to wait and see though.

[aine]

There are a number of scents in the BPAL catalogue described in terms of night - night air, night blooming flowers, gardens at night, creatures of the night, even a goddess of night.

 

October smells like afternoon. One in particular - the late afternoon when the approaching evening brings with it a small bite in the breeze, and you wish for the first time for a jacket or plan to bring out a blanket for your bed. That afternoon marks the changing of the seasons, and October captures that sense of true autumn perfectly.

 

It is air so clear it really does carry the scent of leaves to you. 'Clear' really is the word that keeps coming to mind, and I can see why some people might think it is a little masculine. October is lighter and airier than I expected, but it is so evocative and I adore it.

[hipslike___cinderella]

I'm not sure yet, but October could be my favorite from my Halloween order, as I like it a little more and little more each time I test it.

 

To compare, whereas I feel Death of Autumn is fall in a sort of moist, temperature-neutral setting, October strikes me as cool and rather dry. October is like a chilly camp site with thin gray branches scattered about. It truly smells of dried leaves. This is already promising in the bottle, and then surefire on my skin.

I smell woodsy mystique, akin to... well, I'm very bad at naming varieties of trees. This is hard to explain, but I actually get a "lake-y" quality from this; NOT that it's aquatic at all, but that "cold autumn air", I swear, seems to be rolling from a clear, still lake by the woods. As far as ingredient notes? Oh, it's hard. The first time I wore it, although it seemed to change considerably the second time, I got this memory flashe of Luperci '06, with a bit of patchouli, plants, and balsam, plus the "sap" note was a little similar to the beeswax in Luperci.

 

This ends up being what I had hoped for and more- the extra treat is that the fade-out is the best part, the sap sweetening and that primitive patchouli-esque note swirling around. This is authentic-smelling, cool and crisp, down-to-earth and humanistic. I might have to snag another bottle before time's up.

[eleventhousand]

Eeeew. Over-cologne'd man.

 

So, so sad. This sounded like my perfect scent.

[CiCi]

In the bottle, this did not impress me much. I could not really smell all the scents that everyone was talking about. Since everyone was describing this as unisex, I thought I could give it to my husband. Then I put it on. This smells soooo good on me! It is sweet (must be the sap or wine), and I do detect some moss type fragrance coming through. I don't smell any bonfires at all but I could if someone offered me another bottle! It is light and dewy and just makes me feel good. It gets better the longer I wear it. This is my new favorite and I will be looking to pick up more bottles from forumites who don't want theirs. I think my husband would like it too!

[Rhowan]

~*~ OCTOBER ~*~

 

October is my favorite month, fall is my favorite season, Halloween is my favorite holiday! As soon as I saw the scent description on this I knew it would be mine!!

 

In the bottle: WTHec? Salsa? hmmm, sniff, sniff.... yep! Thats definitely salsa with loads of cumin - this is not good.

 

Wet: When this first hit my skin I was over powered by the cumin odor -but after about 15 second, that disappears and I am left with a cool , wet, and woody scent.

 

Complete Dry Down: This is beautiful!! That cumin I smelled? It is now a spicy smoke note! I am linstantly transported to rainy autum days walking in my aunt's apple and cherry orchards with the woodsmoke from applewood or cherrywood drifting from the chimney of her near by home. *sigh* I miss that!

 

Conclusion: This scent reminds me more of late October, early Novermber with it's cold, wet woods and hint of smoke. I am totally in love with this and I am definitley going to have to order more bottles before they go the way of the season. Good throw, long wear. EXCELLENT!

[Megara]

Wow, this is VERY different. It starts of green, and sharp. Kinda grassy almost. It's dried down to a rather masculine scent (bet this would be awesome on a guy), kind of cologne-y, with a hint of a chill and a bit of darkness. Deffinitly some autumn leaves as well. A very unique and complex blend.

[jolarocknrolla]

My husband says this smells like english Leather. I think i'm not going to let him help me with reviews from now on

 

anyway, it's really masculine. I smell pungent ivy - sort of green and slightly spicy the way Demeter "ivy leaves" smell. When it dries down a bit it smells more mellow, but still very masculine cologne-y. Too masculine for me, but nice on a guy.

[taramarie]

On me, October is mostly leaves and cool air, with a hint of smoke. It's neutral bordering on masculine. I like it a lot and I'd recommend it to anyone.

[Heavenlyrabbit]

October evokes Indian Summer to me.

 

This is a warm day that will evenually give way to cooler evening. Maybe even a frost. But for me this isn't cold, at least as I've come to expect cold scents from BPAL's nose.

 

So for me, this is a walk in the forest on a late afternoon in Autumn. Shadows growing long. Leaves turning russets and gold.

 

There also seems to be a stillness. The antithesis of say, Bonfire Night.

 

Someone above used the adjective "Authentic" and that resonates with me.

Edited September 21, 2007 by Heavenlyrabbit

[Magda]

Sharp green leaves, the way they smell when you pull them apart. What? I'm not the only girl who climbed trees and plucked leaves and pulled at their veins, am I? It's wet and sharp and cold. I don't get any smoke or sap upon initial application.

 

About fifteen minutes later and it undergoes a sudden change. It goes from sharp greenery to dry leaves. The leaf note is still the strongest but it's not longer green and wet, it's much warmer and that plus the sap makes me think of scarlet maples in full color. There's just the tiniest hint of smoke in the background, like your neighbors a mile away are burning their leaves.

 

This is one of the most interesting scents I've ever tried--I don't think anything has morphed this quickly and completely on me before. It's nice in both incarnations, but the final dry down--both cold like autumn air and warm like dried, sweet leaves--is absolutely lovely and even better than I anticipated. This may well be my favorite Halloween 2007 scent.