Haloes

[Victory]

Oak, tonka, vanilla, white sandalwood, lily of the valley, white ginger, amber, and apricot.

The first time I tried The Antikythera Mechanism at a meet and sniff, I was floored- it was gorgeous thick vanilla spread over dark wood. Then I got a bottle of my own and it's really sweet and it's been a bit disappointing. Haloes, on me, is that first Antikythera Mechanism. I don't get any of the other notes beyond the wood and vanilla, and I LOVE IT. The wood is a gorgeous, polished deep wood, and the vanilla is edible, yes, but I wouldn't say it's foody. It's just so gorgeous. I just- this blend is so gorgeous. I can't even say.

Edited for the scent description. Edited March 19, 2009 by Victory

[rayvn1]

Sweet desert vanilla ice-cream with a slight fruitiness to it. Reminds me a LOT of Love's Philosophy. Not quite what I was hoping for with those nice oak notes and such, but you can't win 'em all and it is a nice scent, just not one I'll probably hold onto.

[sithwitch13]

On me, it smelled straight-up warm vanilla and sandalwood right after I applied it. I had no problem with this, since I love that combination. Within a few minutes, the lily started amping up and I was in heaven. Lily is one of the few floral scents that I absolutely love, and the one that I was the most afraid of in Haloes since I don't think I've ever bought an oil that used it before now. It's staying strong on me so far (about four hours after application at this point) so every now and then I catch a whiff and it makes me smile.

 

When I actually sniff and get a good impression other than the overall "Mmm, yay!" reaction, I can catch hints of the amber and oak in the background, kind of being the solid base under it all. And I can get hints of what I'm pretty sure are the ginger and apricot adding some great sweetness to it, but I really have to concentrate to smell it. All in all, what I most get is a fuzzy, gentle, creamy sort of smell. More fresh than warm, I think, perfect for spring and autumn.

[stellans]

oh, I don't understand this! When this was tried in a decant, it was pure sandalwood love on me, but now...now, it's <gasp> aftershave! I blame the amber... or maybe the oakmoss... or even the ginger. I just don't know. But I do know I'm putting this bottle away to try again another day.

 

ETA 8/09: nope, still can't wear it. It's outta here!

Edited June 13, 2011 by stellans

[fairnymph]

Sniffed: Light yellow oil. A stronger, more floral and 'bright' version of Antique Lace. Same vanilla note exactly, same linen note. This has many a hint of soap from the LotV and ginger, and I do get a tiny bit of dry sandalwood.

 

Wet: This sandalwood note is the same one in Jingo-Kogo, and combined with the creamy vanilla and slight fruitiness, I'm strongly reminded of that scent. I get a bit of butteriness from the tonka, but bearably - same with powder from the amber. I find this pretty 'perfumey' in a traditional way, though the LotV continues to behave.

 

Dry: Very slow to dry (slow as in never). Oak coming out more and more and sandalwood amping, while vanilla continues to dominate. Still very faint apricot and ginger, alas. This definitely feels dryer and more woody, but in a pleasant way.

 

Summary: The oak is amping and in combo with the tonka and vanilla, this sadly reminds me a bit of The Antikythera Mechanism, not a scent I enjoy. I almost get a teak feel. This feels just overwhelmingly rich and cloying. I had to wash it off.

 

 

 

[satinworship]

Overall this smells quite "perfumy" on me. I really get the sharpness of the white ginger, mixed with apricot. Vanilla tends to go buttery on me, but this one doesn't stray too far, and the amber and vanilla blend really well. The oak and lily of the valley don't really make much of an appearance here, that I can tell. And I have no idea what tonka smells like, but it's listen in several of the scents I like, so I guess whatever it is agrees with me.

This scent blends really well on my skin, so after an hour or so, I don't get so much notes, as just an overall good smelling perfume. I really like wearing this, especially when I want something that smells grown-up and womanly, without wanting to wear something floral. It smells glowy amber yellow, delicate and developed.

[Gin]

Haloes must have appered while I was away on my BPAL break. Or maybe I didn't pay attention because it was retail-only. In any case, I got a decant from someone, maybe as a frimp? a while ago and I put it in the to-try box. Now I realize I'm an idiot and need to stop doing that. Haloes is sugary-vanilla goodness (think Dorian's sugary-vanilla) with a touch of musk. The oak and the tonka may be there, too, but I get no apricot or Lily of the Valley, which is just as well 'cause I like it the way it is. I agree with the others who compared this to Underpants--it's closer to Underpants, IMO, than Antique Lace. Haloes is lovely and may be bottle-worthy.

[gingiemay]

This is a gorgeous light, musky sandalwood scent with a tinge of floral. It smells like a more traditional perfume, but is lovely and ethereal. I'm definitely going back to get a bottle!

[Molls]

I am in love with this scent... this is everything I wanted the other scents to be. This will be my go-to scent. It's similar to Glowing Vulva on me, and while many compare this to Antique Lace, AL was not wearable to me, it turned to plasticky vanilla. This... this is amazing. A lovely soft, woody vanilla - not much floral for me, or fruit from the apricot. Just the oak, vanilla and sandalwood. Maybe a little tonka.

Pure

[Wwindy]

I'm another one who finds this similar to Glowing Vulva. On my skin, it's almost entirely oak and vanilla -- a very rich, deep, saturated blend, not particularly sweet. I must really be amping this unevenly -- I don't get any fruit or ginger or even sandalwood at all. I like it, but the strong oak/non-sweet vanilla combination does come off as almost a little butch on me.

[Amoraexcena]

Bottle: It's like sitting in a grand, echoing church with newly polished oak pews, getting a whiff of cloying vanilla, golden amber and powdered white ginger that floats like tendrils of incense smoke that slightly burns the back of my nose.

 

Wet: Musky vanilla, and complex ginger- maybe a touch of another spice, clove or... nutmeg? Quite sharp. The floral doesn't seem fresh, rather like dryflowers for incense. Blends very well with the amber...

 

Dry: the sweetness of the tonka and warmth of the vanilla come out- to me it definitely evokes an image of a white ginger/vanilla-scented candle, its flame gently warming your hands. Above Average throw, any movement sends another feather of scent into your senses (I'm wearing it on the crook of my arm). The longer it stays on, the more the dried apricot comes out, along with the vanilla/tonka. Definitely grounded by sandalwood/oak, its scent seems more GRAND than a straight-up foodie perfume.

 

Definitely an ethereal golden scent grounded in rich, dark brown wood and framed with columns of white marble, dreaming about an afterlife...

 

[edit]: Only for special, intimate occasions!

Edited November 17, 2009 by Amoraexcena

[papermaker]

Vanilla, amber, and oak. On deep sniff light ginger and even lighter fruits. This scent is like a warm hug.

[Violaine]

Haloes is fuzzy. Warm, glowing, and golden. Exactly what I wanted it to be. I adore it.

 

It's soft vanilla (almost candle-y, but never quite) and oak, and something almost dry and fizzy. Is that the sandalwood? No, maybe the ginger. But truly, all of the above notes are blended together so well... I really feel like this scent shows Beth's mastery off SO WELL. A glorious skin scent, something that will melt perfectly into the right person's skin. Gorgeous. Absolutely beautiful, and something very special, this one.

[Geminirubyshoes]

I actually tried really hard to not like this purely because everyone around me has it and wears it constantly but I eventually caved and got my own bottle because its just that damn good.

I get TONS of compliments when I wear this and often put it in my scent locket, that way the ginger and the apricot have a chance to make their presence known. When its on my skin its all tonka creaminess. Its an all around warm, rich and inviting scent. There is nothing sinister about this at all.

[Lorelai1945]

Hmm- this is interesting. Antikythera and Sachs had a baby..and this is it. I get a lot of the wood- it's sharp at first, but something creamy is grounding it and keeping it from becoming too much. The more it dries, the more I like it- it becomes a lot more rounded and smooth. Not bad- I'll have to try it again.

[HappyLoveJoy]

Count me as another who thinks this is very much like Glowing Vulva. For me, Haloes is the male counterpart to GV because I get something like sweet cologne mixed in. Probably the ginger/apricot are working together to create that vibe on my skin. I don't smell lily or anything floral at all. Resinous oak soaking up rich, sweet, syrupy amber blended with a creamy vanilla. This is an androgynous blend. Different enough from Glowing V that when I want to wear GV, Haloes just won't do. The mood to wear Haloes doesn't strike me often but it's smells damned good when I do!

[metaldog32]

Haloes....

 

I received this decant as a “freebie” from a generous forumite as part of my purchase of some Lupers so I’m sending some “love” ..thank you for being so wonderful.

I had the opportunity to buy some retail exclusive oils when they first came out; I went to Shelldoo’s nail shop and walked away with a bottle of To Autumn actually but I don’t really recall if I liked or disliked Haloes. Guess I’m going to find that out now.

 

For the record I tend to do well with blends that contain amber and ginger; apricot/tonka/vanilla are all notes I like but I’m hoping that this doesn’t translate as “foody” on me.

 

Intial sniff from decant-I smell mostly golden sweetness..could be the vanilla or tonka..not getting much of the apricot or oak or ginger or florals.

 

Applied wet on skin:-Hmmm..this is interesting..really soft on me even applied wet;kind of just getting some vanilla sweetness..again no fruit or florals or ginger to speak of…

 

Couple of minutes on skin:My skin is basically eating this up I’m afraid..if I shove my nose right up to my wrist I get some sweetness..but nothing jumps out at me..this sucks.

 

30 min later-More of the same..just basically invisible throw and very faint snuggly sweetness.

 

The throw on this is negligible at best but the lasting power was decent; 5+hours although it was very soft.

 

Bottom Line: Haloes seem to hold so much promise but apparently I’m not a lucky recipient of it’s gifts. This basically went MIA on me in a matter of minutes so the decant is enough for me. From what I can gather on my skin it sort of had the same type of feel as in Glowing Vulva At Ryogoku Bridge so maybe I can layer the two.

 

[marared]

Picked this up from the Whole Foods in Chapel Hill. Very white-golden-clear kind of scent. Vanilla, check. Amber, check. Lily, check. Apricot, check. I think it's the apricot plus the sandalwood that gives it that cologney effect, but it's so well blended that nothing in particular really stands out. I'm surprised that I don't smell more of the ginger, as that's usually a pretty distinctive scent, but maybe the white ginger isn't so much.

 

Not a huge amount of throw and it doesn't last very long. And despite the floral, I would qualify this as pretty unisex - I think a guy could get away with wearing this very easily.

[MCS4096]

An extremely kind forumite purchased a bottle of this for me after another very kind forumite frimped me a decant. love all around!

 

I don't get any apricot out of this, in fact I was surprised to see that in the listed notes. To me it's a lovely deep but golden vanilla with spices and sandalwood.. just simple and gorgeous!

[starpixi81]

Ahhh....so gorgeous.

 

Wet: Very strong amber and fuzzy vanilla. Strong and almost overpowering.

 

On: This morphs into something truly divine. First it goes through a strong wood-tinged vanilla period, tripping into a strong amber and almost over-the-top heady blend, and then, then, the magic begins my friends! The vanilla dries into the beautiful vanilla apricot creaminess that is pure bliss(the feeling, not the oil!). I want to live in my wrist forever. What was I thinking swapping away my bottles, I live near a retail outlet, but still...

[Venneh]

Manny cologne in the imp. Bwa? On my skin, I'm getting the vanilla/sandalwood/touch of apricot, but the oak and tonka are pretty heavy over it. We'll see if this can right itself. I get the creamy vanilla awesome towards the tail end of the scent, but I have to sit through several hours of the first stage in order to get it. Not for me.

Edited August 6, 2010 by Venneh

[lahdeedah]

I'm still on the fence with this one, but I'm glad to have an imp at least. I get a weird chemical smell wet--reminds me of the smell of a nail salon. It's really sharp. But the vanilla musk quickly gets going once dry and the throw is really pretty. Close up, still sharp and chemical. Weird. I'll have to give this one some more testing for sure. I want more ambery vanilla musk goodness!

[mxtine]

This is everything I hoped it would be after reading the description. Lush, creamy vanilla, sandalwood and oak...sweet, citrusy apricot (not a foody apricot but more like Burt's Bee's apricot baby oil). It had decent lasting power, too.

 

This scent feels like it casts a hazy golden aura all over me. A truly spectacular experience!

[tajana]

Wet: Oh my. Oak wood! Lots of it. This is a seriously distinctive note, and if you've never tried a BPAL with oak in it, you owe it to yourself to check it out just for the experience. It's accented perfectly by a sigh of muguet and a clean sliver of pale sandalwood. There's a creaminess lying beneath all of it. I can smell the influence of fruity golden apricot, but it's not standing out on its own. This is very clean and light smelling, but very refined, and looking at the painting it was inspired by, it smells like a perfect translation.

 

Dry: If I didn't have the notes listed, I would feel confident that there was teak here! It reminds me of The Antikythera Mechanism, but without the nasty tobacco of death. Haloes dries down to be mostly strong, smooth, very perfumey oak warmed with a creamy, delicate vanilla. While the vanilla's presence is strong, it's held in check, and doesn't smell the least bit foody. I really like ginger, but I never sensed any in here. The white sandalwood gives it a very clean feel, but it doesn't go to soap or aftershave. I usually think of white sandalwood scents as light in general, but Haloes has a whole lot of presence. I just keep sniffing it, not sure what to make of it! It smells expensive, but like something you'd find from a niche perfume boutique, not an average department store. The amber and tonka creep up on me with time, but I'm sorry to report that they don't behave well with my chemistry.

 

Overall: If I was a chemical magician, I would pluck out the tonka and amber notes. Haloes was almost beautiful and grandiose, a golden creamy otherworldly wood scent, but the longer it sits on my skin, the more the discordant powder and butteriness of the amber and tonka bother me. Even if I could ignore that, though, I'm not sure that I would wear this around! Its extremely intense and honestly, a bit weird smelling on me... I'd imagine it would elicit a "love it or hate it" sort of response.

[countessmouse]

Vanilla cotton candy for about the first hour, then the sandalwood and an indistinguishable floral peeked in. I didn't get any of the oak, which is probably good, since wood tones tend to go ashy on me. Very pretty scent with a strong throw -- looks like I'll be using this imp sparingly unless I can locate a bottle.