Gelt

[Ranna]

A bounty of chocolate coins! Dry cocoa and golden amber!

 

In the imp and wet on the skin, it's kind of sickly too-sweet milk chocolate.

Once it dries it's Swiss Miss hot chocolate powder. That's not necessarily a bad thing. I'll probably hang onto my decant, but it won't be a bottle purchase.

[zeldaZ4]

2012 Yule Decant from Ralenth!

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a winner! Of all the 2012 Yules I have sampled, I haven't smelled one yet that made me say "Hell yes!!!" Until Gelt. In the Imp, there was milk chocolate, plus a dry dustiness that almost smelled like cocoa with a spinkle of cinnamon. Wet, the cocoa ramps up immediately, joined by the amber. Rich and dark and delicious, but with a hint of the sweet milk chocolate still lingering. It's a perfect balance of scents, which stay in balance as it dries. And - this is the BEST part! - the amber never goes to powder! I NEED A BOTTLE!!! It is dark and dusty and dry and sweet and golden all at the same time. Everything I hoped Velvet would be. I can imagine layering this with things like Snake Oil and O and Bastet... mmmmmmmm

[milo]

This is the 2012 version. I"m getting lots of Belgium chocolate at first, and then a bit of amber and a LOT of myrhh. This dries down to a chocolatey myrhh, not unlike Velvet, but a bit more chocolate here. Previous incarnations seem to be more amber/milk chocolate heavy, not sure where the myrhh is coming from, but it certainly has that Golgothan myrhh feel to it. (Thanks to the SN!) After a bit, the milk chocolate comes out even more. I like this, but do own a bottle of Velvet to fulfill my chocolate/resin needs.

[JazzieCazzie]

Not sure why I never bought this, because I love chocolate and amber. Probably because I have Bliss, Velvet and Tezcapitloca and figured that filled my needs. But I do see it come up periodically on swaps and decided that, in case it was re-released this year, it would make a great Chanukah gift (for myself and others). Acquired an imp in a swap (thanks, FL!)

 

IN THE IMP: Just pure "bliss," BPAL reference intended. Lovely lovely sweet chocolate. NOT getting specific amber in the sniff.

 

Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm.

 

WET: More pure chocolate. I LOVE BPAL chocolate. The second note is still very faint. I wouldn't have ID'd it as amber if I didn't have notes in front of me. This reminds me more of, say, Velvet or Tezcap than Bliss.

 

DRYDOWN: Amber amps. I swoon. I must have more of this. The drydown lasts and is subtle and wonderful. That perfect blend of hot chocolate and resiny goodness.

 

OVERALL: MUST get more. Hoping it will come out again in Yule update though I'm not optimistic, seeing as how it appears it comes out every other year? Will stalk for bottles. Want the name on it. Must send to my now-grownup daughter instead of the tradition of giving her a little net baggie of gold-foil chocolate coins. Or, at least, WITH the coins

 

On a scale of 1-5, yeah, a 5.

[hexnut]

This is the 2012 version. I bought a bottle to go with my Anniversary Phoenix order last year, then shelved it because I had other scents to try first. I finally opened and tested it on the last day of September.

In Vitro Lovely smooth milk chocolate.

Wet Freshly applied this was beautiful chocolate with an additional mellow sweetness. Not quite vanilla, almost floral. After a few minutes it 'sharpened up' a bit a morphed towards spicy chocolate or chocolate-scented spice, and remained reasonably strong. So far, so good...

Drying Uh-oh. Half an hour along and it was vague sweetness with a faint suggestion of plastic. Amber, I thought you were my friend! At the one hour mark I smelled faint plastic up close but there was also a light sillage of chocolate further away. Which is better than the reverse, I suppose. My last note at an hour and a half was faint plastic.

Well, crap. Whatever caused the fail in this wasn't cured by nearly a year of aging. Gelt should have been perfect on me, and now it's another bottle for the "alternate use" group.

[anaengel]

This is a review for the 2008 version. I got this second hand a couple of years ago from the forum, then this has been in occasional rotation every holiday season.

This starts off a truly milk chocolate scent. It's like I'm sticking my nose in melting chocolate over the double boiler. From there, it goes to almost a brownie batter scent. Finally, it fades into a rosin bag powder on me.

This scent lasts about two hours max on me. Happily, the longest are the chocolate phases. I'm so glad I have it, though, since it works wonders as a blending element when I'm wanting some chocolate in a scent.

[maija]

I'm reviewing the 2008 version, it's the only one I have tried and I don't know if it's now different because of aging. I recently bought Gelt second hand from a forumite out of curiosity. I haven't tried Bliss, I have once tested Velvet (but don't really remember what it smelled like) few years ago when my friend got herself a bottle. All of the few BPAL chocolate scents I have tried have been more like bitter cocoa powder than actual chocolate. (which isn't necessarily a bad thing at all. For an example I adore Centzon Totochtin.) So I was expecting slighty bitter cocoa powder, maybe with bit of incense. But that wasn't what I got and I'm still surprised how much I like it and how I reacted to it.

 

In the bottle and when first applied on skin it's all delicious and realistic milk chocolate with a hint of something almost vanillic. After drydown I can also smell a really nice amber along with the milk chocolate. I think the amber note actually smells a lot like of Maroma amber incense sticks and smelling that in Gelt brings back some happy memories from many years ago. These scent memories togethter with the chocolate make a great mood booster for me, like bottled happiness.

 

This scent has ok throw and it lasts for hours, staying pretty much the same all the time, smooth milk chocolate in the front and hints of amber in the background. It's sweet, realistic but still wearable chocolate scent. And to me it was completely unexpected new favourite.

[TallGrrl78]

2014 version - In the bottle it smells like pure melty milk chocolate heaven. On the skin I get that same milk chocolate note along with the amber that just gives it some depth and longevity. It pretty much stays heavy on the chocolate with a touch of the amber for hours. When I first put this on it stays close to the skin, but as I wear it I believe the scent becomes a little stronger. This is very much in line with my 2010 decant, and I was happy to add a full sized bottle to my collection this year. Glad it stays true to my original experience with the scent

[dangerbunnygirl]

2014 decant

 

In the imp: CHOCOLATE!

Wet: still chocolatey but with a sharp, almost pine note.

As it dries down it still is very chocolatey but it is a dry kind of chocolate, makes me think of cocoa rather then chocolate, still a sharp middle note and finishing with a warm amber.

The amber smells sharper on me, different from the amber in The Lion.

Dry: still a cocoa scent with a strong amber note, very unique.

[Aviatrix]

The amber is definitely there, but it is mainly a milk chocolate note. It's a little too much for me, though; like the chocolate is too dry or something. Not sure what it is, but it's not really for me

[dementia_divine]

2014 version.

 

In the decant: Exactly what it says on the tin: cocoa powder and golden amber. The cocoa note is more prominent, and the amber makes the scent even dustier smelling.

Wet: I am getting both notes, but the amber is a lot stronger on my skin than it was in the imp. The dry cocoa note starts taking on a creamier chocolate scent after sitting on my skin for a while.

Dry: Dry, golden amber and creamy cocoa.

Verdict: I like this. However, I have other chocolate scents (and other scents with amber) that I enjoy more. I will keep my decant, but I don't need a bottle of this one.

[Atrous]

2011 Version:

 

Wet - smells identical to Bliss

Dry - Old, dust covered chocolate. No thanks.

[agirlnamedfury]

I've only tried the 2014 version.

 

This totally smells like cheap milk chocolate. Very sweet and sticky.

 

I've tried a lot of BPAL (and other) chocolate scents, and while I like this one (there's no such thing as bad chocolate, amirite?), it's not one of my ultimate favorites.

[lucycat]

In the imp: Rich, sweet chocolate. I haven’t compared this to Bliss side-by-side, but even without doing so, I can tell there’s more than one note here, without actually being able to pick out the amber at this point.

 

Wet: Almost as soon as this touches my skin, I can distinguish the amber.

 

As Gelt dries, the combination of chocolate and amber somehow reads as beeswax to my nose. I don’t mind that at all, since I like beeswax and The Lights of Men’s Lives is one of my favorite BPAL blends. Funnily enough, I couldn’t pick out the beeswax in Chanukkiyah, where it actually is present.

 

Gelt settles down to a soft skin scent. It feels very similar to Velvet, with amber in place of sandalwood.

[milo]

I love Gelt. It's the richest, most expensive cocoa along with warm, inviting amber. That being said, it is too foody for me to wear, but I like smelling and trying out the sniffies once a year. I wish I didn't give up my bottle way back in the day. It may layer well with Snake Oil, a more Belgium chocolate version of Boomslang.

[vox pop]

2014 version:

How can one ever have enough chocolate? For me this is how I like it, milky with a little bit of soda water ( a la egg creme ) Gelt is very yummy, my mouth waters every time I open the bottle and it instantly satisfies my chocolate cravings so it's a multi-dimensional oil for me. The amber makes it sparkle. Love this!

[unxolve]

Milky, delicious chocolate! Cocoa powder. Something in this is making it a bit...musky, naughty, and dirty? But it compliments the chocolate well. This smell makes me blush. I'm not much of a chocolate scent person, but I like the additional darkness.

Edited April 24, 2015 by unxolve

[squidhearts]

I can't believe I've been using this stuff for a year and never posted about it. Gelt was my sleeper hit of all the LEs I bought last year. I stopped wearing the weenies I bought within the week, but I keep coming back to Gelt. It layers BEAUTIFULLY.

 

2014 Gelt

 

Bottle: Ominously plastic-ish chocolate.

 

Wet: REAL CHOCOLATE OH MY GOD. milk, not dark, but still.

 

Dry: Mmm, the drydown is my favorite. The amber plays off the cocoa note and the smell is less in your face chocolate bar and more...sophisticated cocoa dusted something or other. A lot of time amber doesn't work on me, but here it's just soft and gorgeous. The amber keeps the chocolate from getting sickly sweet, and the whole thing stays well balanced and...seriously, sophisticated? Like I knot it smells like chocolate, but this is chocolate that has its life in order and gets its dresses tailored.

 

Gelt is chocolatey without being super food smelling, if that's a valid distinction. Many hours after application it's this faint whiff of mellowed sweetness at my wrist. I think there might be a touch of vanilla, but Gelt is lighter than all the other food type BPAL scents I've tried, and it's never oppressive or headache inducing to me. I like layering it with masculine scents for some reason. Gelt + Loup Garou = Werewolf Valentine. Gelt + German Expressionist Horror = Sinister Chocolate in Spooky Woods. Gelt + Czernobog = Clean but Serious Business Chocolate with Masculine Haircut. etc etc.

[LizziesLuck]

2015

 

I love cocoa so much. Sometimes, when it's a chocolate note rather than cocoa, it goes powdery on me, but I felt sure this one wouldn't, and it didn't!

 

I feel like it instantly became a Christmas classic for me, and I'm wearing it tonight, Christmas Eve.

 

It's not much of a morpher on me - stays the same wet to dry. As described, dry cocoa, lovely soft amber. Altogether perfect. Soft, feminine, beautiful. Gentle and comforting. I love it. I have a ton of cocoa blends, yet this will still have a unique place in my collection.

[astarinel]

2015.

 

Dry cocoa and amber. I normally don't like chocolate scents because they just make me want to eat chocolate, but this is probably the most "wearable" chocolate I've tried. Not overly sweet, and the amber is very round and golden. This is a lovely amber note, and I'm definitely going to keep this decant for the rare occasions when I want to smell like chocolate.

[LiberAmoris]

Gelt 2015:

 

This is the first year I've tried Gelt! I'm not sure why I didn't try it before, but am glad I took the plunge this year. In the bottle, it smells a bit like Nutella: hazelnuts and chocolate. On my skin, it smells like chocolate and amber and something a bit nutty. It's delicious. This is almost like Velvet + Bliss + amber on me, and I love it.

[Hystrixia]

In the Bottle: Gelt (2015) is gold in color and smells like a sweet, sweet chocolate note that is similar to a tootsie roll.

Top Notes: When wet on my wrist, the chocolate note is dominant. It is a milky and sticky-sweet chocolate at this stage, very much like the smell you'd get from opening a half-melted bar of chocolate on a hot day. It can be very cloying but, seeing as I adore chocolate, I'm enjoying it very much.

Middle Notes: An hour later and it dries down to a lovely marriage of smooth, sweet cocoa and rich, warm amber. It's almost spot on in reminding me of the chocolates coins but has a softer, velvety quality thanks in part to the amber. There's also a very, very slight nutty quality much like you find in certain milk chocolate brands.

Base Notes: Over six hours later, it has become a powdery cocoa-laced amber that still remains noticeable. It's very warm, soft, and sweet.

Overall Impression: Holy Childhood, Batman! Gelt is absolutely wonderful, especially since I grew up in a household that celebrated Chanukkah. It really does smell like those delicious little chocolate coins and wearing it makes think back to the days where I'd play dreidel on the living room rug after having a family dinner of brisket and homemade latkes. I can see why this blend is a Yule staple... It's marvelous! Gelt's scent colors are pretty much summed up in notes: a creamy chocolate and a warm gold.

I am highly impressed with the sillage on this one, as well as the longevity. My skin amped both the chocolate and amber notes like crazy, so it was very noticeable even from a distance. The wear time was good too: I had applied it in the late afternoon and could still get hints of it on my skin the next morning.

Final Verdict: Gelt is a winner! I would definitely buy this again and I can hardly wait to see how my bottle ages.

Edited January 4, 2016 by Hystrixia

[radiantfracture]

This review is for I believe the 2008 version in a partial bought on eBay.

 

I love the idea of Gelt (and I love gelt), but whether it's age or chemistry or both, when I put this on it smells like a tablespoonful of cocoa dropped into a jar of baby powder.

 

I love Velvet and other chocolate-based BPALs. I'd be interested to try the more recent version of Gelt and see if it worked better on me.

[Soupy Twist]

2015 decant.

 

Just what it says on the tin. Starts as the nice cocoa from El Dia de los Reyes and segues into a rounded gold amber. Very well executed, but I'm not fond of amber, so I'll pass.

[writergal969]

Well this went poorly.

 

Wet: cocoa puff!

 

Dry: sickly sweet and almost acrid/rotten and not gonna lie, it smelled like my cats rear end...so gross.

 

Even scrubbing could not kill the cat ass smell. *cries*