The Chilling Cellar

[taramarie]

Wine just turning to vinegar, crumbling mortar, red clay, and the coppery tang of old blood.

Wet on me, The Chilling Cellar starts off as what I think is wine and clay. Drying, it smells like bubblegum. Dry, I get the vinegary wine. It's nice but it's not for me.

[yeahbutnobut]

The Chilling Cellar

 

In the imp: this certainly doesn’t smell of vinegar, this smells of sweet red wine, berries and pastry?

Wet on skin: sweet wine and berries and a sugary, crumbly, almost floury mix…

Dry: mmm, I like this! I’m surprised as to how gourmand it initially is, it smells almost like a fruit crumble! The wine note in here is gorgeous-rich and red and sweet, with hints of berries. Under the wine I smell powder which certainly leans towards being mineral in scent, like plaster or cement, but it smells sugared too! However, there’s also something about it that reminds me of Crypt Queen. I think it’s the blood note? It doesn’t smell of dragon’s blood, it’s more like a metallic-fruity dark red depth to the scent.

After a while: the mineral and metallic notes do gradually move the scent away from the fruit crumble introduction. It still smells sweet and fruity, but now I smell more of the crumbling stone and clay, and the blood. Now the stone/mortar notes smell very similar to Black Opal-cool, sweet, stony, and powdery. There’s a hint of cement to it which is surprisingly nice-it fits with the theme and adds atmosphere. The blood note is dark and deep and has a definite tang of metal to it-I wonder if there’s also a smidge of the ‘Mme Moriarty’ patchouli, or maybe pomegranate, to it? I’m thinking it’s pomegranate because of it’s redness and juiciness.

Then I smell the powdery orris/violet I’ve seen mentioned, but also more of the blood. And then the sweetness comes back. It’s almost back to the crumble stage again, but the powdery, dusty, metallic notes prevent it from being too much like a warm autumnal dessert. This is really fascinating.

Then I smell a tinge of vetiver at the very base, and the scent over that is a lovely crumbly stone and clay scent with hints of dust and a bright stain of red fruits. There’s definitely a feel of something subterranean to it-that coolness and chilly, slightly decayed stone and mortar of a cellar where sweet red wines and liqueurs are stored and matured. It’s such a strange scent but I really, really like it. I can’t stop sniffing it and trying to make sense of it. It reminds me of a fruity, incense-less Cracked Bell. The note disappears after a few hours, and the scent is that of vetiver with a slight metallic tone under a dusty, slightly sweet and stony scent, with a hint of powdery orris.

Verdict: this is a really unusual scent-smelling like a dusty cold cellar with oddly gourmand fruity tones to it. I’m really surprised at how strong the wine note is here. Thankfully it’s nowhere near vinegar, this is like a really sweet dessert wine. There are berry tones to it, fruity and red and rich. Under that I get crumbly powdery notes, definitely mineral in nature, like the cool stone of Black Opal, with a blood accord reminiscent of Crypt Queen and a metallic bite (a good metallic scent). the most unnerving thing? This smells just like a fruit crumble at times. I wasn’t expecting that…it’s almost like the comforting scent of an autumn fruit crumble made with the sweetest wine wafting from the kitchen down into the cellar. I wasn’t expecting this in this sinister cellar scent but I really like it, as I love fruit crumble. The dessert scent does tone down and the blood-stained cellar scent becomes stronger, and it makes me realise that I really love Beth’s mineral notes, and the blood note is good too, like a fruity red musky scent with a hint of vetiver or patchouli like Mme Moriarty. I do prefer the Foyer to the Cellar when it comes to the more ‘mineral/atmospheric’ HH scents, but I’m getting a bottle of this one.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Yes! this scent is so unlike any other and I need a bottle.

If you like this, try: Crypt Queen, Lady Macbeth, Black Opal, Cracked Bell, Carfax Abbey

[GreenSpine]

Heh. This isn't a cellar from around here, that's for sure. It's too delicious - where is the dank mustiness, the damp and mold? If something's hiding under the stairs in this cellar, I don't blame it.

 

Intense and dusty, dark red in its effect, Cellar has a great throw and very long wear length. The wine (unlike most wine/alcoholic notes on me) sits nicely on the top of the scent and fades gently, but not completely, as time goes on. This is very dusty and earthy and reminds me a very little bit of Dance of Death.

 

My guess as to the notes in this one would be: patchouli, blood musk, black amber, orris, wine, and possibly dark or black musk. (I wish there was some way of knowing how close I am!)

 

This is my surprise favorite of this year's Halloween scents.

[jewelbug]

Imp: Very strong wine, a wee bit citrusy and even a little creamy, more foody than I expected.

 

Wet: Oh, yes, a very fruity sweet wine, no vinegar here. Something vanillic, and also a wee bit chocolate from the wine's overtones. There is a spice to this, as well. So far, its lovely!

 

Dry: This is a surprising warm scent for a chilling cellar. I'm getting a sweet, spiced wine with an earthy dustiness. Its really enjoyable. There is definitely a "tang", though it doesn't smell like blood to me, more like a warm orangey citrus.

Later there is a soft, sweet powdery note to this, almost like an orris? A little creamy, a little fruity, a little sweet, a little powdery, yes, a bit mineral-y. This is really complex, unique and beautiful. I still swear it has a vanillic note to it.

 

Overall: For such a soft, sweet, delicate scent, this has some powerful throw. It lasts for 8-10 hrs, and smells fantastic. This blend was quite a surprise--not at all what I expected There is a bit of wine at the beginning, but this dries into a powdered vanilla sugar, face powder and mineral scent. Its beautiful and unique. I'm very tempted by a bottle, but regardless, I'll be keeping this imp.

Edited October 1, 2008 by jewelbug

[forspecial_plate]

The Chilling Cellar has this odd quality, when I try to sniff it up close, I can't find it. But it does fill the air around me with its presence. It's mostly sweet, slightly fruity, but also tangy and slightly powdery. The powdery note reminds me of something in Black Phoenix.

 

This doesn't smell bad on me. I think it's just a little too sweet, a little powdery, and I don't think I would wear it very often. It would work really well on the right person, though.

[sarada]

This is another one that I tried first at ECWC and was surprised by -- I had expected something a bit more strong and earthy, but it is a pale, crumbling clay tinged with a powdery wine that starts out sour and becomes more sweet.

 

Oddly, this is one blend that increases in strength as I wear it. It takes awhile to form a distinct impression but once it gets its thing grooving it is gorgeous.

 

The mortar scent makes me think of the earthy notes in Penny Dreadful -- a sweet, slightly fruity dust and clay, like a pale purple and red stone powder. The slightly sour wine gradually becomes more sweet as it warms on my skin. I definitely see the comparison to Crypt Queen made above.

 

The description's inclusion of the words "vinegar" and "blood" made me a little wary to order it right off the bat, but really it's just a beautiful berry-grape wine that reveals itself in here, and not a pungent sour one. The clay might have a note of dusty orris in it, I agree, but the scent definitely sweetens on me. One for the dusty earth-lovers. If I had to form an impression of this without any kind of description or notes, I would think about a wine cellar or a graveyard.

[Northernskygal]

This is.. soft and sweet, powdery and incensey, it makes my nose tickle when I sniff it up close This would be a second cousin once removed of my dearly beloved Pink Moon (07.. not 05). It is slightly baby powderish, but it still has enough of the other notes that it is still a lovely, intriguing blend. This is really a wonderful smell... it's comforting and soft, not at all overpowering. I think it would be good to wear out to eat, as the scent of the perfume would not overwhelm the scent of the food. This would also make a nice scent maybe for a younger girl.. just because it is so.. pretty, not sexy just.. feminine and nice.

[Rheliwen]

My lone Halloween purchase that I chose very, very carefully.

 

This really is lovely and totally wearable. It dries down to a really nice spicey concoction. There is no sour vinegar note here at all. I can smell the clay (which is sooooo unexpectedly nice) and just a tiny dollop of dragon's blood.

 

This reminds me of a less aggressive/robust Port Royal with a nice earthy note to ground it.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

sniffed from the bottle: smells like mead! or homebrew wine that's still fermenting.

on skin: no real change... still somewhere between a strong/spiced mead and fermenting wine.

i should also say, i love those two smells, they're very comforting to me.

 

after about an hour an odd powdery note comes out to play, along with something almost like red musk.

[n3m3sis42]

In the bottle:

All I really smell is the wine note... no vinegar so far.

 

Wet:

A sweet, maybe ever-so-slightly rotting fruit/wine note. And something sort of dusty or woody. So far, I like this a lot more than I expected to.

 

Dry:

There is something in this that reminds me of Mme. Moriarty, not sure what. In any case, it's really nice.

 

Edited to add:

When I actually put this on all over and wore it for the whole day, it turned wayyyy too "rotting grapes" on me. I know that's one of the listed notes, it just didn't seem so strong on my wrist. This one is going off to the swaps...

Edited December 22, 2007 by n3m3sis42

[Czarina]

In the imp: sweet wine.

Wet: wine, earth, and cloves.

Drydown: amber, clay and earth, wine, and cloves. I can catch a very faint vinegary note.

 

Excellent throw.

[Ajila]

In the bottle –The wine, a hint of the clay and something sweet, but not sugar sweet, more like some sort of flower

 

Wet on me – Sharp berryish wine, again with that hint of sweetness behind it

 

Dry on me – Dry crumbling woods and that sweetness, in the end I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s violets

 

Overall – Surprisingly on me this is quite a grown up scent and it’s one that I think I will enjoy wearing

[slave1]

THE CHILLING CELLAR

 

In Bottle: Sweet and fruity

 

On Skin: This smells quite good, the description actually scared me. The wine is sweet, not really sour to me... The clay is very dominant, I actually feel like I smell modeling clay, that very memorable scent from childhood. And a dragon’s blood resin, sweet and red in tone. The scent has a dry powdery feel and does remind of cellar, dark and wasting away. This scent is very interesting and also quite light. After a while it does have a bit of a plastic note on me, which sweet scents sometimes morph to. But it’s not bad. I’ll keep my imp but probably don’t need a bottle. Light throw and short to average wearlength.

[olive]

This stuff truly smells like blood - wet blood. That weird smell when you have a bloody nose is exactly what this smells like, and underneath that slightly tangy blood note is a very faint, powdery note that seems vaguely similar to something in Antique Lace. As other reviewers have pointed out, this is surprisingly wearable.. a nice and well rounded scent.

 

Edit: After about 90 minutes I'm left with a very baby powdery & watered down Antique Lace. Sad, but the first hour was great.

Edited February 16, 2008 by olive

[dreadeddragon]

In the bottle: Dirt with a hint of old wine, definitely cellar like.

 

First on: There's a definite mossy tone to it over he dirt and wine, but other than that, it's the same as in the bottle. A little more earthy than I was hoping for.

 

Drydown: I can tell I'm still wearing something, but I can't really smell anything. I get the blood scent, but it's very faint, and a bit of vinegar.

 

Overall: It's nice, but I still have Blood Moon and the Cracked Bell, which I like better.

[eatingthesea]

i also chose my halloween purchases very carefully, and this was one of two i bought (the other being october). i'm glad i got the chilling cellar, though i should've known it would've been "me" anyway. i lovvve red clay (after being introduced to it by bathed & infused) and was thrilled to see it being utilized in a BPAL blend (please use it again, beth, pretty please?!). the chilling cellar goes powdery on me but it's a very delectable powder, swirled with a fruity red wine, tempered by that earth note that i love so much. it is very much a below-ground sort of scent (but not a "buried" one, like other earth blends). someone noted this is very wearable, and i highly agree. i think it's suitable for everyday wear while still being unique enough to not be basic and predictable. this definitely ranks as one of my all-time favorite wine-based oils.

[goth_huntress]

In the bottle I liked it. But on it was boring, and when it dried it smelled like old lady.

[suki]

in the imp: yep, sweet wine turning to vinegar. it's one of those 'HOW does she do it?!' moments

 

wet on skin: the sweet/vinegar combo stays.

 

dry down: the sweet wins out here, and it has turned from wine to...grape bubblegum?

 

in all: i'm a foodie, so this isn't a total loss on me. others may not like it so much.

[mspixieears]

Ooh, love the wine in this! It’s sweet and syrupy. Definitely very tangy too but not sure if it’s the blood or wine gone sweet. Doesn’t have much throw sadly, which is a shame as it’s a lovely scent. It fades to become quite floral.

[Lamia]

In the bottle, this was a fruity thick sweet scent. On skinn it reminded me of old cinnamon bark, and quick turned into something...minty? No, it's...metallic? AHA - mentholated cinnamon! There's a medicinal chewiness in the background - I want to gnaw the air over my wrist nommm nommm nommmm and there's a hint of leaving the nurse's office.

 

This is an amusing scent, and not a daily wear, but I do like it very much - the Haunted House series is BRILLIANT!

[tinyvulture]

i smell fruity wine combined with clay. the clay note is interesting. it really does smell of clay, freshly dug from the earth, with traces of dirt mixed in. there’s also the blood note, similar to that in my beloved Centzon Totochtin. it’s a difficult note to describe, but it’s resinous and slightly sweet. this is not a bold scent. there’s a dustiness to it, like it’s been aged for years and forgotten about. that seems appropriate, given the name. very pretty in a subdued way.

[whinge]

Bottle: There's something strong, it immediately jumps out, tangy and bittersweet, like turned fruit.

Wet: The tang is more metallic now and the rest of the scent has subdued, strong but slightly muted. I think that's the red clay.

Dry: The same as wet.

 

Overall, I really like this scent. It is dusty but there's a kick just beyond that dust, which brightens it up completely, like light managing to get into an old cellar after years of battle. It smells.. renewed, if that makes sense?

[angelicruin]

So far, my hands-down absolute favorite fragrance EVER. I love this stuff. It amps on my skin and lasts all through the work day.

 

In the bottle, I smell a hint of vinegar and what I would imagine red clay smelling like. Love the blood note!

 

On my skin, it amps to a faintly sweet scent with the vinegar and blood notes mixed together. It's hard to describe this scent other than to say it's absolutely divine on my skin. I can't stop sniffing my wrists.

[zankoku_zen]

This one is so... odd on me. It's this wine and salty blood thing going on. Which I don't know if I like or I'm just a little perturbed about. Probably both. Don't get me wrong, it smells *nice*, it's just I'm not entirely sure what to make of it.

[cuervosueno]

I got an imp of this recently, and had no idea what was in it or why I thought I would like it....put it on, and do like it, but was totally surprised when I read what was in it.

 

On me, this starts out soft, then amps--and it is sweet, powdery, almost like amber. A soft, sweet floral that is like the best kind of dusting powder--not at all what I expected!

 

I was more surprised when I read the notes--I didnt' get that at all! Though in the imp it is slightly winey.

 

Interesting, and quite different than expected. I like it!