Huesos De Santo

[Tramp]

On All Saints Day, Spanish families visit their loved ones in the cemeteries, keeping vigil throughout the evening, saying prayers for the dead. Family burial plots are cleaned and tended, and graves are adorned with gladiolas, chrysanthemums, and roses. Bone-shaped pastries called Saint's Bones, or the Bones of the Holy, are baked and shared in honor of the souls in Purgatory, and to remind us of those who no longer share our repast, but with whom we one day hope to be reunited with again.

Orange-glazed cake, dotted with anise seed, and filled with custard, set beside a bouquet of celebratory funeral flowers.

Hello deliciousness! This smells just like orange poppyseed cake with a thick layer of custard cream in the middle. (it also kind reminded me of the dry smell of orange fruit loops)

This is the first bpal that has any kind of "cake" scent that works for me. All the others made me sneeze. But this is just wonderful without being cloyingly sweet. Nom

[TooMuchTemptation]

When the Halloweenies came out, I ordered the things that were just calling my name, and Huesos de Santos was one of them.

 

I open the bottle for the first sniff, and my brain goes CAAAAAAAKE! It's buttery, vanillary custard-cake! It's rather reminscent of the cake note in Eat Me without the fruity berries. I don't really smell anything else, but that's okay, it's delicious. Now I'm craving cake and frosting.

 

When I dab it on my skin it's still cake, but now I smell the orange as well. It's like someone took a wonderful moist cake, filled it with custard, and drizzled it with orange syrup, it's sweet, but not sickeningly so. Now I smell the anise, and I think it's one of the things that keeps the cake from becoming too cloying. It adds a sweet slightly medicinal edge. Many scents with anise also have mint, which makes it smell like toothpaste to me. This is cake, custard, orange and anise.

 

As it dries the initial burst of foodyness starts to die off. The vanilla cake goodness is still there, but the anise gets a bit stronger and now I can smell the florals. I can't tell what they are, because the cake is still first in line, but there are flowers there that keep this scent from being too simple, and pull it in a slightly different direction. There's the yummy creaminess, the anise to ground things a bit, and then the florals, floating quite lightly and delicately along underneath it all. It reminds me of a wedding cake with fresh flower decorations on it.

 

Later, this has gotten more complex as it dries, sweet, creamy and floral. I think I'll be reaching for it when I get my sweet tooth.

[Wench457]

Oh. My. Gawd.

 

Excuse my while I nom my arm off...

 

 

On first applying, this is utter foody perfection on me. Everything yummy about cake, without turning to butter or sour milk, just sweet, moist and delicious, with the orange lending just the right bit of tartness. Like grand marnier drizzled over sponge cake. Yum!

 

Once it dries a bit, the anise does come out to play more strongly, which just sends me into another frenzy of wrist-sniffing. It's very well-behaved anise though, and never takes the scent over into licorice-land. The cake and orange are still there - it's just as though that chef thought they'd add a drop or two of ouzo to the grand marnier drizzled cake.

 

After a few more minutes, the florals make themselves known. I do think there might be a hint of a very light rose - it smells just a bit like the Sterling Silver rosebush I have in the garden for just a minute, before becoming a mixed floral again. There is never any hint of the soapiness I always get from rose though, so I could be mistaken. The foodiness has faded quite a bit now, and I mostly get a truly lovely light floral with hints of orange, cake and anise.

 

Yeah. Need to stock up on this one.

[Leopard403]

Wet and in the bottle: ORANGE!!!!!1!

 

As it dries, orange and anise, with a hint of cream and some underlying muskiness.

 

And I adore the label.

[Dark Alice]

Wet in the imp:

 

Orange cakey goodness

 

Wet on skin: Orange cake with custard

 

Now the anise comes out at first its a bit strong, but then it settles down.

 

Final Drydown: Orange cake with anise on top.

 

I don't think I need a bottle, due to the anise. My fear is that it would age and take over the rest of the gorgeous notes!!!

 

ADDED Sept. 25:

 

I wanted to love this.The star anise hates me....I smell like a freshly opened bag of black licorice. I hate Huesos. It hates me. In the bottle, orange cakey creamy custardy love. Dry down on the skin.....Fresh bag of black licorice. I hate licorice. I just can't win with cakey scents!!!!!

[hkhm]

bottle: sweet, citrus cake. this really smells like a bakery quality holiday cake.

 

wet: sweet, iced orange cake. i would swear that there is a cake just sitting on my counter waiting to be devoured.

 

dry: i swore off buying backup bottles... but this... this sweet, cakey goodness is sorely tempting that rule... absolutely gorgeous!

[cam]

In the bottle, this smells like spicy creamsicles. On wet, I still get the creamsicle scent, but the spices and a hint of smoke are more apparent. As it dries, the anise seed begins to come out, and I get a very subtle scent like slightly burned popcorn (but not in a bad way). This is nice. I like it.

[scarletgenesis]

In the bottle, its all orange dreamsicle. Yum.

 

Once I put it on my skin, the cream thickens to a gorgeous, very slightly spicy vanilla custard. If I sniff really hard, I start to get some tiny bit of anise.

 

Now, the overall scent is gorgeous, buttery cake with orange zest all within it. The custard/licorice above is there but serves to thicken the notes and add a creamier more complex tone to the very playful scent.

 

This is similar to Eat Me, but with orange instead of berry.

 

Gorgeous. I'm hungry now.

[galahad]

In The Bottle

Buttery orange

 

On Application

The zesty orange amps up to cut through the dreaded buttery note.

 

Dry Down

I am soooo glad I got a couple of bottles of this. Becomes cakey pretty soon into the drydown and the orange is more orange peel than the flesh or juice, very zesty and slightly bitter. The anise atrts to emerge a bit later. Surprisingly complex.

 

Rating (0-5)

5

[Brianne]

Smells like buttercream in the vial but immediately turns to anise on my skin. The orange is faint and subdued, but present enough to be noticeable. It has a sort of powdery custard note to it too, it's all really faint on me - this stays close to my skin and has little throw.

 

It smells delectable however, lightly spiced, lightly sweet - it's a really nice mixture of those elements of foody/spiced/fruity - the only downside is how faint the blend is. All the same, I think I'll be needing a bottle!

[phantasmmysteria]

Three words for you:

 

NOM NOM NOM.

 

In the bottle: Rich, fattening, and utterly decadent orange pound cake. I feel it going to my hips just from smelling it.

 

Wet: The butter comes forth when this is first applied, but that note doesn't last long on my skin. Actually, the orange starts coming out more strongly as this dries down (unusual for me as orange notes usually fade quickly). This is definitely the cake note from Eat Me, but it's not as strong as in Eat Me thanks to the orange. The anise starts peeking out just a bit as this begins to dry, but it never takes over. It just sort of blends with the orange and makes the scent a bit more complex.

 

Dry: Ah, I do get a floral component to this! I don't do well with flowers, but now and again I get a whiff of something that might be a spicy floral -- carnation, maybe? -- but whatever it is, it's way in the background Again, the floral element just mixes with the cakes and making this scent multi-dimensional. During late drydown, mostly I just get cake and a hint of anise. This scent is much lighter than I expected (I get about a mile of sillage from Eat Me), and it also fades faster.

 

Verdict: I wish this lasted longer, though it does very well in my scent locket. This is definitely my favorite Halloweenie tested so far! Don't be afraid of the floral or anise components, this is a beautiful and fun scent that makes me want to start my fall baking!

[livingdead71]

This is all orange cakes in the bottle. The anise is present, but subtle. It smells delicious! Wet on the skin, it smells less cakey and more like intensely sweet, creamy orange. It dries down pretty quickly to a faint floral scent. I wish it lasted longer, but definitely worth slathering for that initial yummy orange stage! Also, this one has the cutest label ever!

[edenssixthday]

Huesos de Santo - This is my favorite of all the 'Weenies this year - by a mile. My birthday cake this year was a white cake with one layer of orange cream filling and another layer of custard filling, and it was covered with buttercream frosting. It was an amazing cake. This perfume smells exactly like that birthday cake o' mine tasted! I don't smell the aniseed or the florals in this blend, but when it sits on my skin, it gets an almost marshmallow-like scent to it, too. It's warm and sweet and creamy and fruity and so amazingly delicious. It's one of the rare foody blends that doesn't turn to burnt plastic on me but also smells truly authentic and amazing. I desperately need a second bottle since I think I'll be soaking cotton in this for my scent locket, too. Mmmmm!!!!

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Orange liquorice and cake.

 

Immediately on skin: This smells like a mixture of pastry crust, orange, and licorice/anise. It’s a little creamy, but more crusty.

 

After a little while: The pastry crust has definitely turned into a more soft, cake-like note now; most of the scent is dominated by a soft creamy combo of orange, anise, and custard however. It’s more perfume-y now too, as I clearly get a soft floral overtone to the whole blend. It’s sweet, but not overly so at all. It’s very soft and girly smelling.

 

Overall Impressions: This is a very nicely balanced blend. It starts out rather foody, but settles into something more wearable and perfume-like. The orange/cake/anise combo smells absolutely delicious, though I don’t usually enjoy licorice/anise notes so I’ll have to test this one further to see if I’d wear it enough to warrant purchasing a bottle.

[UploadedLobster]

Starts out with custard cake with candied orange peel. As a scent it's absolutely unctuous, rich with cream and eggs and more cream and some butter and sugar syrup and old-world love, the kind of dessert that shortens your life by a half-dozen years.

 

After a few minutes the thickness of the cake and custard die back a little. They're still there, of course, but they're sitting on a plate next to you instead of being smeared all over your face. The anise comes out right about then. Not very powerfully, but it adds a warm spicy tang to the sugary orange.

 

I was mildly concerned about the flowers, but they don't seem to do much on their own. Insofar as I detect them at all, they're a background note that gives the anise a greener and less foody character than it would otherwise have.

 

...you can pretty much ignore everything I've just said, though. That's just details. The real review is this: HUESOS DE SANTO IS THE MOST DELICIOUS THING IN MY STASH BOX. AND I GOT SOME DELICIOUS @#$%# IN THERE.

 

Lobster Rating

better than: no pants

Edited September 14, 2008 by Uploaded Lobster

[lysithea]

Initial sniff from the bottle is orange cake - real cake, real orange - without any of the fake plasticky kinds.

Wet immediately on skin, it offers me a feeling of deja vu'. Pumpkin Queen (oh, beloved!) without the pumpkin? This is but a fleeting memory as the scent of rich, velvety designer wedding cake with a hint of orange with a cool lift of anise reaches my nose. Still, I find my mouth watering for just a taste of this imaginary cake. Indeed later, the floral blooms find their way to the party, showing up late, but leaving my skin with a quiet whisper of sugar and flowers.

[Czarina]

In the bottle: orange cake with anise.

Wet: buttery orange cake with anise.

Drydown: orange cake with anise. It's like a Cockaigne cream cake soaked with absinthe.

 

Delicious. The anise fades fairly quickly. I never really get the flowers.

[ForeverLastcXs]

This is SO GOOD.

 

When I put this on, the first thing I was reminded of was Zarita, the Doll Girl (another scent I love), except this is like her sweeter, less sociopathic sister, without all of that strong, potent in-your-face sugar. Definitely smells like a freshly-baked, VERY edible white cake with thick, orange, buttercream frosting.

[lostluckkitten]

Very delicious, rich, buttery orange cake. Perfectly browned, and drizzled with orange liquer. I want a bite!

 

This morphs from mouth-watering cake into an orange-y pound cake, and then the anise comes out. I was afraid, because it's gone to rubber on me before, but it is fantastic here. It curbs the sweetness and adds to the blend at the same time. Just fantastic.

 

I didn't get any real floral notes with mine. Just incredible cake. Lovers of Eat Me and other cakey foodies must try this.

[neuilly]

Orange sponge cake!! Yum! A hint of anise in the background but thankfully (for me) not very strong. Definitely my favorite of the 5 Halloweenies I've tried so far.

[inurbanus]

As good as this one sounded in the middle of the night when the update went up, I was skeptical because I usually have a hard time wearing cake scents. Not so with Huesos. Out of the bottle, this is so delicious and yummy -- it's sweet orangey, creamy goodness that's more like a creamsicle than a cake. A few minutes letter, it dries down to something drier and more like a poundcake, and the anise comes into the picture. I love anise, but I really wish that I could freeze this one in its first incarnation, since it is so, so good. Still, anyone who loves cake scents needs to try this.

 

4/5

[Suu4LC]

Oh man, I love bpal cake scents, I was practically drooling just reading the description. Of course, I fell in love with this at first sniff while I was at Will Call.

 

In the bottle, this is yummy orange glazed pound cake. Omnomnomnom!!! It's just as good on the skin-kind of creamsicle-esque, but richer and more cakey. If you are worried about the "celebratory funeral flowers" don't be-not noticeable at all. Just rich, delicious, custardy cake, sweet and tart orangey glaze (I can just picture how it looks and tastes in my head), and just the teensiest bit of the anise.

 

LOVE THIS.

[poisondove]

My wee decant came today and I just couldn't wait to try it.

I had reservations on this one since I loathe aniseed.

 

Upon opening I am overwhelmed by the scent of buttery cake. OMG!

Once on, its cake & so yummy with a splash of orange flickering back and forth.

Orange-y cake, this is delicious. Now I am lamenting only having a decant.

 

After a bit, aniseed rears its head. Oh no! Now its a gentle aniseed (almost forgivable)

and warm buttery cake.

 

Oh dear, this still smells so good! Maybe Beth has turned me into an aniseed person

[foxroses]

NGH..

 

In the bottle its MMM cake, very cakey, like some of the monsterbaits. On skin it immediately turns more orange, very orange-glaze, I can just picture it! Definitely something creamy, I guess the custard. This is delicious! Ooh the anise is coming out to play now, and its wonderful. I was worried about the anise but its just a touch spicy and very delicious. I might need a bottle of this. I'm not really getting any flowers, but then again this isn't as foody of a blend as I think it would be without them.

[kelpsoda]

Mmmm. This makes me want to eat my wrist. Cake, good creamy cake, with orange.

 

dry: orange comes out more, I can see the comparison to an orange creamsicle. Still divine smelling.

 

after 15min - anise. smells just like licorice (or poppyseed?), and the cake has all but disappeared. boo. maybe I should invest in a scent locket? This stuff is worth it.

Edited October 22, 2008 by Shollin