Frau Holle

[TheIceMaiden]

Frau Holle, or Holda, is the personification of the changes wrought when winter seizes the land: she rides the chill winds in her chariot, shaking out her featherbeds in order to precipitate snowfall. The rolling fog is the smoke from her hearth fire, and thunder claps when she reels her flax. Holda is a goddess of matrons, who governs spinning, domestic chores, witchcraft and witches, and the Wild Hunt. She presides over the transition of souls, both to and from this world. Though she is childless, she watches over children, and the spirits of newborns spring forth from her sacred pool. Her festival falls during midwinter, when the dead roam free. She holds court in Hörselberg, from which the Wild Hunt is issued, and all the beasts in the land heed her call.

Snow-covered pines, witches herbs, bestial musk, flax, and ethereal flowers that represent both birth and death.

This is another lovely snowy creation from the Lab. The snow/slush note is there, but its subtle, as is the pine note. They mix with florals and the musk. I'm not sure what kind of musk it is other than its not red or black. As Frau dries, it becomes less floral and more herbal. In the wet stage it reminds me a bit of The Snow Maiden, and in the dry its a little like a snowy Hexennacht.

[GhillieDhu]

This is a scent you could wear anywhere. The pine doesn't jump out too hard, and the snow note is really pleasant. Primarily a cool, unisex, slightly musky herbal/floral. I agree with the previous reviewer - it is a bit like a snowy Hex. Something in here is a little Davidoff Cool Water-ish, which makes me think this would be very good for summer as well. There's one note that's clashing with my skin chemistry in the drydown - not sure whether it's the flax or something in this musk, but it smells faintly rank and rotten. Goes away after about a half hour, though, so it's survivable.

 

Verdict: Glad to have a partial, don't need a full bottle.

 

(Edited 'cos I apparently don't know the difference between pine and fir.)

 

Edited again: Grr. On aging, the musk has decided it doesn't like me. Still a nice, bracing, slushy snowy pine at the beginning, but a few hours into drydown all I'm left with is

the faintly ammoniac odor of old urine

. Unfortunately, this is rather typical of musk on my skin. Most other people will probably be fine, but I think my imp is going to a better home.

Edited November 26, 2008 by GhillieDhu

[hkhm]

bottle: snow and pine. this reminds me of a slightly more tame, more sweet version of the snow storm.

 

wet: kinda like a mix between the snow storm and hexennacht, very snowy, but the pine is sweet, new pine and there are flowers everywhere.

 

dry: like all snow scents, it dries to that lovely snow scent with all the other notes staying in the background. love it.

[rayvn1]

Cool and clean, with a sharp herbal bite. Now that it's been on for a while the sweet sap of the pine is coming out a bit more. This reminded me of Snow Storm too, though less medicinal in its herbiness. I think this one would be fantastic as a room scent. I ran across a few Holda references coincidentally the week before the Yules were announced so I've been really curious to try this one! Keeper

[Lycanthrope]

Reminds me a lot of Talvikuu - this is a much more piney, sappy, boughy aroma. I think there's a slightly different herbal background but my brain keeps thinking 'whee! Talvikuu!' I'm sure there are very subtle differences I'm not quite picking up.

 

All in all, it's a true pine forest scent but not as dark or deep as Hex, it's a quieter winter where the revelry and ritual isn't swathed in darkness, bonfires, and madness.

[Indigo78]

In the imp this is blustering and harsh...not a peaceful snowfall at all. It borders on aquatic, and the "snow" comes out more as lakeside sleet near a craggy wood that is swampy in the warmer months. There's just this persistent dampness about it. On the skin it starts out piney and herbal, but a sweetness is creeping into the middleground and just lingering there. It's like the pine and herbal notes are supposed to introduce something deeper and warmer, but they never do! I definitely get florals...I guess perfumey Aunt Myrtle joined me in the sleet near the craggy forest. I like the idea, and I really love pine, but I think this will be an imp-only scent for me.

[tartchef]

Akin to a softer Hex 2008, on my skin... and definitely with Beth's lovely slushy snow note. Quiet, gentle pine & bitter green herbs, with a sweet cool dusting of snow. If there's musk in here, it's very pale, not black or red, certainly...

 

Very pretty & sweet, Frau Holle's ulitmately a close, piney sister to the Darkling Thrush, Crow Moon & November - since I own all three, I'll be passing my decant of Frau Holle on to someone else, but I'm glad to have tried it

 

ETA: Know what? I lie. I've been wearing Frau Holle on & off since my first review, and it is now second only to the Darkling Thrush in my favorite slushy winter scents. I've ended up passing along my bottles of November & Hex - the pine in Frau is infinitely more wearable than in Hex, and November is really harsh & sharp in comparison to Frau.

 

I am on the hunt for a bottle of Frau Holle now, and have scented my gloves with it - it took a few weeks, but this is love!

Edited December 8, 2008 by tartchef

[crebbsgirl]

This is truly a stunning blend. It opens with the snowy pine and a bit of a herbaceous tinge. The flowers are very very subtle, not overpowering in the slightest. As it dries, the musk comes out more and adds a depth to the blend. What little floral there was to begin with fades into the background and the pine note blends with the musk to provide a slightly cologne-y feel without being overtly so.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

i had hoped that the "witches herbs" and "ethereal flowers" would be stronger than the "snow covered pines" but i guess i should have known better.

without the pine tree air scent, this would probably be breathtakingly gorgeous. but as it is, on me, i just feel like i smell of a little green tree-shaped car air freshener.

i think i once had a plastic christmas tree with fake plastic snow on some of the branches and it smelled like this. nice for a room scent for xmas, but not for perfume, not for me.

[PersephonesChild]

I got both this and Perchta, so two Holda scents in all.

Of this two, I find this one significantly less "cold". The pine and snow in it are much more subtle. Mostly, I smell a soft musk, which very much reminds me of the smell of fur. I never quite understood how Ivanushka could include "fur" as a note, but maybe it smells like this. The herbs are very light, the florals are barely present, and there's a tiny hint of pine-- like being near a pine tree, but not shoving your face into it.

 

Overall, I think I prefer Perchta-- I think it's because I'm really a floral girl more than I'm into musk. And I worry that this blend may be too much Vic's Vapo-rub without the payoff.

 

Edit: Yeah, definitely too much of the Vapo-rub on the dry-down. It's oddly creamy. Like vaseline. Well, can't win 'em all. At least it's not overtly offensive, or very strong.

Edited November 21, 2008 by PersephonesChild

[samarablackcat]

Oh wow, this has got to be one of my favorite pines. Like taking a walk through the woods,a gentle snow falling, sticking to everything giving it an ethereal feel. In the distance, someone has recently cut a pine tree, and the resinous aroma wafts through the still air. It reminds me of Stopping by a Woods on a Snowy Evening, by Robert Frost (hehe)

 

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sound's the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

 

 

And oh, btw, I think this will pair perfectly with the rerelease of Ice Prince. I am so glad to have tried this, and it is great for me, living in the land of no snow, only having memories of this type of weather,which I sorely miss. Many thanks for awakening my mind of home and the holidays, warm memories of family and love.

[schackjj]

Remember when you were a little kid, and you got to stay overnight at Grandma and Grandpa's house? But sometimes you got a cold. Then Grandma would put that stuff on you. And it smelled just like this

 

With notes like these, I don't know what ever made me think the frau and I could get along. Sometimes my optimism amazes even me.

Edited November 21, 2008 by schackjj

[angelicruin]

I really hadn't planned to try this because the notes frankly scared me, but when the opportunity to buy a lightly tested decant came around, I added it to a purchase of some other lightly tested decants.

 

I'm glad I did.

 

In the imp: sweet pine

 

Wet on the skin: pine tinged with sugar, musk, and herbs. Normally I run the other direction when I see both pine and herbs in a description, but this works for me.

 

Drydown: mostly musk and pine. Very pleasant....not sure if bottle worthy though.

[bibliophile]

I know that I can't wear pine. It never, ever works on my skin. It steamrolls everything else. My skin chemistry + the Illustrated Woman = the Carnaval putting down stakes in a Christmas tree lot. But I am a BPAL masochist, and the other notes sounded lovely. They even smelled nice in the bottle!

Wet on skin: Pine.

Drydown: PINE PINE PINE.

After shower: Dirty musky pine. And a headache. Oh well.

[sookster]

straight sniff from imp reminds me of a subtler hex...

 

once applied...yup...very similar to hex (which i adore) but not nearly enough throw/wearlength...

this would be perfect for anyone wanting a softer/piney scent...

[ElinaMakropulos]

Generally I amp pine like a mofo, and this year's Yules aren't working out so well for me in that regard. BUT, Frau Holle is one exception. There's definitely pine, but it doesn't overpower the musk or sweetness, especially after a few minutes of wear. I don't think I'll buy a bottle due to budget constraints, but it's a lovely scent all the same and I'm glad to have the decant.

[goblinshark]

Christmas in a bottle. I can smell the snow, the trees, a vanilla-ish scent lurking in the background...I did not think I could wear the Lab's pine note but this one may be the stand-out winner of the Yules for me!

[jade_starlight]

This one is pretty much straight pine on me. And as I have others with more complex-smelling pines, I think I'll give this one a pass.

[Methos]

Something in it smells overwhelmingly like Ivory bar soap, especially in the bottle. However, on my skin it changes. There's a breath of snow, pine and something wild and fay, but feminine. It's not going to be an everyday kind of scent, but definately for when I'm in an odd mood. O_^

[Blood onmy hands]

In the decant, Frau Holle smells like pine and soap. Thankfully, the soap disappears once it's on my skin.

 

On my skin at first, I get sharp pine, sweet snow note, and perfumey musk. In the drydown, it takes on some medicinal, herbal tones. All in all, I don't care for it. I usually enjoy pine, but it's sharp and off for me here, and the musk and medicinal notes aren't helping it.

 

Frau Holle isn't going to be a keeper for me.

[GalaxyLei]

Well I certainly expected it to be somewhat like Hexennacht 08...I would agree, but say this is more directly pine-y than that...here, I smell trees, but they are cold, wet trees, which I can only suppose is a result of the snow note, though I haven't really been around snow very much. It's very fresh and green, and definitely Christmassy.

[ami226]

Oh, my! This is bottled Christmas! This scent is exactly how Christmas should smell. Sadly where I live (Southern California) it never smells quite like Christmas. It is definitely the pine scent that adds to the Christmasy smell, but there is some other note that works perfectly to make me think of a cold night near the fire with the Christmas tree just decorated in the window. I think I need more...

[Champagne]

The pine note is very soft and almost vanilly, as others already wrote, given by the delicate flowers, maybe. Where is the bestial musk I don`t know. I find this blend very feminine and girly, to my extreme surprise. It`s definitely nice, but I would have loved some more snow.

[herkissofshame]

Frau Holle is a delicate little fairy of a winter scent. It smells cold, certainly, but it's also welcoming. I feel like I'm being hugged by a friendly goddess when I'm wearing this scent!

 

She starts out very mild and sweet in the bottle. I get the pine, but like others have said, it's very sweet. Almost vanilla-laced. She stays very true to vanilla-laced most of the day, reminding me of a kinder, sweeter Dublin...

 

...and then goes to pure soap. To the scent locket with this one! It's worth it, though, Frau Holle is delicate and gorgeous before she turns soapy.

 

Try this one if you wanted to give Dublin a whirl. They're really quite similar after drydown to my nose.

[mgrazulis]

This opens with a gentle snow falling through pine boughs...the pine sap is fresh and resinous. It's as if someone laid down a blanket of dried herbs and flowers under a pine tree for you to sit on and watch the snow falling. A layer of warm musk breathes through gentling the pine note, the herbs and flowers dusted by the chilled snow. Peaceful and serene...the pine note is sharp at first but by drydown the pine is surprisingly soft. The sweetness of the herbs and flowers blend seamlessly with the warmth of the musk. Very feminine and delicate for a scent with pine!