Samhain

[Pottersville]

All the depth, beauty, and darkness of All Hallows Eve. Truly, the scent of autumn itself -- damp woods, fir needle and black patchouli with the gentlest touches of warm pumpkin, clove, nutmeg, allspice, sweet red apple and mullein.

I had to go back and reread the Lab's description on this one! Once again (TP'd Trees, I'm looking at you!) I was expecting a woodiness that the oil did not deliver. In fact, I didn't even get the patchouli! My Samhain is the candy corn and orange wax harmonicas that we dumped out of our trick or treat bags to get to the good stuff ... chocolate! There's the tiniest hint of spice and waaaaay in the background some autumn leaves, both of which ensure that the candy smell doesn't get too noxious. I like it ... but it's so not what I was expecting!

[hkhm]

bottle: the fir is strongest on first sniff. but it's a very complex scent, it doesn't smell precisely like anything but it seems very familiar at the same time.

 

wet: oh... oh my... fir... and patchouli... and... something sweet and spicy and creamy and... yummy.

 

dry: oh well. the patchouli and fir went away. but the remaining scent is a stronger sweet, creamy spice. very pleasing.

[KaliVerra]

2006 VERSION

 

Once again... te amo las botellas brujas, meija!

 

Apple cider sugary yumminess... patchouli (don't worry, non-patch fiends... it's not stank... I've confirmed it with a patch-hater), leaves... those good, crunch under your stompy boots colorful Autumn leaves!

 

Puts me in mind of ye ol' D.R. days (when I was a wee implet in Los Angeles)... going to punk/DR shows, then staying out all night in the cemetery looking for celebrity graves w/friends, chain-smoking cloves, jumping fences... too much makeup, and my larger-than-life mohawk that landed me on a "Welcome to Los Angeles" postcard...

 

This one is pure nostalgia in a bottle!! I love it so!

 

5/5 all the way around.

[Lunaratu]

2007 Version:

 

This is a foody but perfumey scent. I pick up waxy but fragile blooms with some kind of spice and food underneath. The floral mixes with some kind of hot apple cider. Upon complete drydown this becomes almost solely apple cider on my skin. A jug of apple cider. It’s nice but almost a little puzzling—it makes me want to look around for the stuff ‘cause I’m suddenly expecting to drink it.

Rating: 3.5/5

[angelfish323]

2007 version

 

I've been anxiously awaiting my imp of this. I love my 2006 bottle, so was waiting to see if I could get it a younger sibling.

 

I opened it and put it on and was so shocked - It tingled! All I was getting off my skin was clove, cinnamon, cassia, nutmeg. It was like a mellow version of Saw-Scaled Viper. (Which is not a positive association for me.)

 

So I avoided panic by trying a few others.

 

Ever so slowly, the woods emerged along with the slightest hint of pumpkin. Whew.

 

The OH-MY-GOD cassia component mellowed out. A lot. So I was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

 

5 or so minutes after application it became the warm, woodsy, slightly spicey, and very slightly sweet, lovely Autumn blend that I remember. The notes blend so well together that I'm not really able to select individual ones out. On a cold, dreary, fall Seattle day this is a favorite of mine to reach for.

 

I do believe my solo bottle of Samhain will have a younger sibling on its way soon.

[Honeygirl]

Bottle: Apple Cider and pumpkin

 

Wet: Pure fall. There's apple, there's pumpkin. It's autumn in a bottle.

 

Drydown: The pumpkin mutes on me, which is disappointing, but it's still a very nice blend.

4.0 outta 5.0

[purplemoonshoes]

Spicy and strong, but muted nicely by the fruits and woods. The fir rounds things out nicely. Also enjoy the strong throw and the long wear. Not my traditional style, but good for fall.

[sheridankm]

Well hello, honey single note.

 

...And that's all there is. For the next two hours, before it fades completely away, Samhain 2007 is straight up honey on my skin. There's not even any honey listed in the blend! Luckily, this isn't as bright or sweet of a honey as there is in Queen of Sheba, but it's still definitely honey... it would probably be delicious layered with apple and spice, but I was hoping to get that in the same bottle.

[romaprincess]

I got my bottle yesterday, and I am wearing it today... At first it is all really spicy apple cider, and then it dries down and I can smell the patchouli. I'm getting whiffs of apple cider every now and then. I feel like I'm surrounded by fall. Love this!

[ceiswyn]

In the imp: Something dark, something smoky, something spicy-sweet. Sniffing it again, it starts a little over-sweet, like a slightly sour dessert wine, like the perfume Athens. But that quickly resolves itself into a trace of apple, quickly overwhelmed by the afterscent of wood and greenery and pine.

 

On the wrist: For a moment everything is Athens-like, then the sweetness and the sharpness fades away. What is on my wrists is damp evergreen, spiced with clove and nutmeg, lightened by the barest hint of apple.

 

One hour later: Where did my damp woods go? Samhain is now a world of heavily spiced apple, which is all very well but not quite what I was hoping for...

[grashopper8]

Samhain '06

 

I got a decant of this from the forum, and decided to try it today. (I have a bottle of '07 on its way right now, and I'm just giddy! Wheee!)

 

In the imp, it smells like apple cider, and not much else. Once I put it on, I got whiff of the gentlest patchouli-vanilla in there too (very discreet, and not really easy to pick out - this is not a strong or forceful patchouli at all). Then, I started getting the same sweet note that surprised me in Singing Moon...an almost peach, kind of sweetgrass note. It was dead-on the same essence....

 

After an hour or so, I sniffed again, and it was just warm, happy apple cider with some kind of tasty sweentess, not quite vanilla but maybe....

 

And now, it's dried down to luscious dripping honey. (This is about 5 hours into the whole experience.) It's just delicious!

 

Every stage of this fragrance is yummy, and it never smells like an autumn Yankee Candle like I worried it would!

 

SOO glad that I have a 5mL of '07 on the way, I hope it compares! Very happy that I tried this, I can see why people go nucking futs over it : -) Hey watch your mouth!

Edited October 11, 2007 by AEris

[LyndaM]

This years' Samhain is wonderful! It started out woodsy/foresty, quickly developed an apple note, then morphed to a highly spiced apple cider with just a touch of pumpkin on drydown. I can just barely detect the patchouli grounding it, so this Samhain is not a patchouli heavy scent.

 

I'm ordering another bottle. I'll be going through this one in the next couple of months.

[kenjari]

2007 version

 

I got an imp of Samhain in a decant circle even though I was very unsure of it, because it has two notes that are usually not good on me: pumpkin and patchouli. I went for it because of its popularity: either I'd join its horde of adoring fans, or I'd be able to easily swap it for something I liked better.

Well, add my name to the legions of adoring fans! Samhain really is the smell of everything I love about autumn combined into one magical package. Samhain started out very, very spicy - nothing but cassia and clove. It even felt tingly on my arm. But once it dried, it became the most wonderful dark, woodsy spiced apple cider scent. Over the course of a whole day, it got warmer, smoother, and lovelier, with the pumpkin peeking out just a bit. Wow.

I've now got a bottle on the way, and I hope it returns every year.

[theal8r]

Overall, this is nice, although it doesn't have the staying power on me that other scents have. This starts out too perfumey, but ends woodsy with just a hint of sweet and dark. Sadly, by the end of the work day, it is gone, daddy, gone.

 

This is a favorites list, but not a holy grail for me.

[ariosa]

2007 version

 

When I first tried this blend, I didn't like it at all -- I don't fare well with pine, and this was all candied pine on me, which was YUCK. Thankfully, it didn't last long on me. However, after reading some of the reviews, I decided to try it again, and I like it better this time. More of the apple and spices came out and the pine didn't amp to the nth degree -- but it still doesn't last very long on me, which is disappointing. I'll use up my imp for sure, though!

[Trish]

2007 edition.

 

In the imp: The fir needles are the first thing that hit my nose, and that's unfortunate as it immediately turns me off. However lurking underneath is something sweeter and smoother.

 

Wet: Pretty much the same, fir needles and menthol with just a hint of something sweet and rounded underneath.

 

Drydown: It hasn't changed at all. I want the spices!

 

Dry: After a good 45 minutes or so the fir eventually dies down enough to reveal a soft spiced vaguely pumpkin scent. It's nice enough but like the other blends containing pumpkin I've tried it seems to fall a bit "flat" on my skin. Besides, I don't think I could put up with the fir very often as it irritates my eyes.

[Honor]

2007:

This is a very peculiar blend, smelling nothing like I thought it would, and no traces of the notes listed... but still appropriate for the season.

 

In Bottle: Spicy sweetness. There are no individual components coming out (although perhaps I should try again on a day when I don't have a massive sinus headache?) and something in burning my nose

 

On Skin Wet: Sugar Skull. Seriously, all I can smell is sugared fruits and carmalized sugar that is indicative of sugar skull (which I love, so it wasn't bad, but not what expected)

 

On Skin Dry: The sugar tamps down, and there's the spice again...still nothing I can identify, it mellows out to spicy sweetness like in the bottle, but w/ less kick. There's also a weird menthol note coming through that doesn't blend well w/ the others. Thankfully, it's fainty.

 

Overall: Spicy Sugar Skull. There's no other way to put it. It's nice, but def. not what I expected and I'm glad I only got a decant to be honest. Although it IS evocative of fall, it's not the precise image I imagined. Where's the pumpkin, the apple, the patchouli?? I get none of these here.

Ah well.

[CrazyPretzel]

Wet on my skin, there is a slight bitterness to this which is nevertheless very dark and sexy. Dry, Samhain is a deep dark woodsy apple scent with a ghost of pumpkin drifting in and out. I sure hope this returns every year.

 

ETA: My strongest first impression was of apple, but after a few hours the patchouli became the real star of this blend. It's rich and luscious, almost cocoa-y. And I could still smell it distinctly on my wrists the next morning!

Edited October 13, 2007 by Baitu

[Nimthiriel]

Initial impression:

It's soft and sweet and a tiny bit foody – it's pleasant and comforting.

 

First on:

Soft spices, warmth, comfort... it's a lovely scent right now. It's like I can't pick out the notes, but I get feelings from it. Good ones!

 

Dry:

After about 10 mins, it smells like red wine, oddly enough. Red wine and a little bit of foody spices.

 

20-30 mins after application, it's a pleasant and (still) comforting blend of wine and foody spices. I don't seem to be getting any of the notes themselves, just an overall impression of goodness.

 

Finally:

I like it. I was hoping for a bit more of the patchouli, but I'm not complaining – it's a lovely scent. I'll probably hang on to it, although I don't know what to use it for.

[Bangles]

Apples, spices, and... fall! I can't describe it beyond that; this is what fall smells like. I didn't particularly notice any woods or fir - they're in there, but it's so well blended that this doesn't become a woodsy scent. It's really a scent I expect in a candle rather than a perfume, but I like!

Edited October 14, 2007 by Bangles

[Maia]

Samhain 2007 on me is: eating spicy apple-pie outside on a crisp autumn day. It's all apples and spices: foody and slightly sweet, and the apples gives this scent a fresh, crisp quality. After a couple of hours it becomes creamier and sweeter and almost vanilla-y. Good staying power, not too much throw. Very nice.

[n0thing]

07 version

 

This is GORGEOUS! I went slightly nuts for the Halloween update, and i'm loving everything, but this is far and away my favourite.

 

It's a bit like Devil's Night, but not so over the top sweet & foody. It's a bit like last year's Samhainophobia but less mossy and masculine.

 

It starts out like leaves and cold crisp air, and dries down to sweet, spicey, apply, comforting..autumn smell! Hard to pick out individual notes, but it does exactly as it says on the tin - full marks, and it's got good throw too!

[MaidenGenevive]

Samhain 2007

 

I received my bar of Samhain soap right at the beginning of Autumn. Immediately, I was struck by it's beauty. I couldn't bring myself to actually use the soap. I unwrapped it, and contemplated using it, only to re-wrap it. It has sat in my bathroom untouched, the edges of it's wrapper slightly open. There is not a day that goes by that I don't enjoy it. When I'm washing my face, or brushing my teeth, I can smell it. It's become a daily smell for me that embodies both Autumn and home, especially my new apartment where it's spent most of it's time.

 

When I received my bottle (first bottle ever!), I was at a loss as to how to apply it. The first time I tried it, I accidentally overapplied. I don't like to slather, and Samhain isn't the same in overabundance. Today, I clipped the cotton off of a Q-Tip, but most unfortunately, the shaft is hollow and drank up it up - again leaving me slathered. I need to find something I can use to apply lightly, and easily.

 

Regardless, Samhain is one of my favorite blends. It is woods, with it's evergreens and the dead leaves. It is baking spices, that I use with my harvest of apple and cider. It is warm, yet cool at the same time. It really is Autumn, as it embodies what nature is doing, and the feeling we get (or at least, I get) during this time of year.

 

[5 - Love]

[ACVail24]

Samhain 2007

 

I was definitely on the fence about this one - I really, really wanted to try it, but I wanted to read some '07 reviews before taking the plunge.

Well, the reviews were quite helpful in mentioning that there was no patchouli overtones - only a small number even mention it in their reviews at all.

 

Also, the bottle is awesome!

 

In the Bottle:

PINE! it's like a mini forest in there!

I really don't get any other notes from the bottle.

My skin does like the wood notes quite a bit - so I'm not worried.

 

On my Skin, Wet:

A tiny bit of patchouli - it's quite subtle, but I'm not happy about it anyway.

some more pine - or maybe it's the fir....either way it dominates the patchouli - so I will encourage it! WAY TO GO WOOD NOTE!!

 

On my Skin, Dry:

Some spiciness that I can't really identify.

it almost smells like incense, but not really.

the wood note is still there but it's more in the background now -

like a backdrop forest to a Halloween gathering of costumed mortals and genuine beasties

 

3 Hours later:

no patchouli

no wood note

no spiciness

ALL DARK CHOCOLATE

 

I never experienced the spiced apples, so I'm a little sad about that - but frankly, I'm super excited about a chocolate Samhain!!

It's possible that I need another few hours to see if the apples show up - so maybe I could wind up with DARK CHOCOLATE COVERED SPICED APPLES!!!!

 

::SQUEE!!!::

 

Verdict:

I need another bottle!!

10 of 10 rating!!

 

Gorgeous, gorgeous blend Beth!

 

 

ETA: I DID get dark chocolate covered spiced apples after about 7 hours!!!!

Edited October 17, 2007 by Akurarei

[Clavally]

In the bottle: Hamster bedding. Which is strange since there's no cedar in this? Must be the fir.

 

On skin, first impression: Still hamster bedding. This is upsetting.

 

10 minutes later: There's the spices! Cinnamon, clove overlaying the fir. Oh, and now I can smell the pumpkin, too. it's turning slightly creamy.

 

I think I'd prefer this with no fir at all, but I suppose it would smell too much like a candle then. Or maybe there already is something exactly like this except with no fir?