Hearth

[shriekingviolet]

Sweet pipe tobacco, cherry wood, the warm, worn leather of an easy chair and a pleasant, subtle waft of fireplace smoke.

Initial Impression:
Deep red scent: cherries, gleaming wood and sweet smoke

After Wearing It:
Wet, Hearth burned like fire on me everywhere I slathered it which is highly unusual as my skin isn't particularly sensitive to oils, and when it is, I usually only feel it on my neck. But this stung on my neck, my cleavage and wrists. Oddly appropriate I guess, that a scent called hearth should burn. I didn't wash it off though as I'm a trooper when it comes to perfume, and fortunately no welts appeared and the stinging sensation faded in about 5 minutes.

Scentwise, this scent had a very warm glow from start to finish, like a gorgeous red aura that could protect you from the chill in any room. It was very, very cherry too, particularly toward the end. It was only for the first hour and a half that I smelled any smoke, tobacco or wood notes, but even then, they were more supporting notes. Later, this smelled pleasantly of dark, warm, syrupy cherries. Oddly buttery too, and I can totally get where diabolique smelled pancakes. Really, really yummy, but much more foody than I had been expecting from Hearth. Didn't mind a bit though!

Final Thoughts:
I really, really liked Hearth, though I think this might be better suited for a room scent for me. I think it'd lend an irresistibly cozy aura to any environment and I can't wait to try it in my burner.

[voodoobaby]

In the bottle: Cherries! Marachino cherries, to be specific. It's a very unusual smell, sharp and pungent and sweet at the same time. I have to get used to it, but it's not bad after a couple of sniffs.

 

Wearing: Yup, still cherries, but this time with a heaping dose of something alcoholic. It's not quite cough syrup, more like cherries and brandy. It's so odd, when I smell it I can feel the warmth in the back of my throat like I was actually drinking wine or something. After being on my skin for a while, the wood starts just barely coming through, and the cherries settle down a bit, but they're still jumping out at me. The pipe tobacco is in there, which smells oddly fresh amongst the fruit and alcohol backdrop. I also get just a faint bit of woodsmoke, but not nearly as much as I would like. And I get no leather at all, which is odd because my skin usually really likes leather.

 

I really wanted to like this, as the description sounds positively delicious, but unfortunately it just doesn't work for me. I might have to pass it on, as much as I hate to.

[cuervosueno]

Like others, I was expecting it to be a bit like Hellfire....I guess because it shares some of those notes. And as others noted, its not like Hellfire at all...but that's fine with me! I love it anyway!

When I open the bottle this smells of sweet cherries, just a tiny bit like cherry pipe tobacco, more much much more sweet and foody. I don't get wood or smoke at all. What I get is an almond note, and something sugary sweet.

I love it on. At first the cherries and the sweet almond smell dominate, but that fades quickly, and what I am left is a sweet, buttery scent...like caramel....that lasts and lasts. Of course it reminds of Dia de los Muertos, just because it is such sweet, strong, foody note. (and really I had no idea I liked foody scents until Igot these LE's!)

Like Dia and Sugar Skull, its not one I wear out, but I love the comfort of it, and put it on at night. And it lasts all night. Waking up this morning it is still going strong, and I sleep a lot--as in 12 hours!

Love it!

[Nehushtan]

One of my favorite things to do when it's cold and nasty outside is to snuggle up with a blanket and a book--I love fall and winter and anything else that makes me feel like a cozy hamster curled up in its afghan nest. Naturally, when I saw Hearth offered as a limited edition, I had to have it. Tobacco? Fireplace smoke? Leather? I couldn't wait!

 

I should have waited. I hate it.

 

This scent was so pungent in the bottle that I didn't even want to try it. It makes me think of sticky puddles of maple syrup left on week-old plates. I grabbed the bottle today, thinking it was Sudha Segara, and smeared some on my wrists. The effect was immediate--my brother wrinkled his nose and said, "ugh, what is THAT?" which happened to be what I was thinking.

 

I can't tell exactly what Hearth smells like because its impression is so much bigger than its actual scent. I wore it for a few hours, hating it the entire time, and it never changed from its initial overwhelming almond-maple-syrup smell. Finally, with much joy, I scrubbed most of it off!

 

Disclaimer: I hate nearly anything that smells like almond. It's not the scent, it's just the way it's absolutely revolting on me, so this may not be poor Hearth's fault.

 

I like sweet scents, especially sweet/spicy, but I couldn't take it. This one is definitely going to be put up for sale or swap.

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: Maraschino cherries, straight up.

 

Second Impression: The cherries dry down fast leaving just a faint hint of cherries. I'm not getting any wood or smoke. A super-soft Italian leather couch. Very buttery, well worn leather. But not the leather like in Wanda and Loviatar. A hint of sweet tobacco is in there too. This is much "thinner" of a scent than I was expecting. I'm wondering if aging would help it's depth a bit.

 

Final Analysis: I don't have one, actually. I'm unsure if I like this or not. I'm going to keep this a while and try layering it with Snake Oil, it seems they might suit each other.

 

[sigh]

First impression from the bottle: So not what I was expecting ~ Cherries? Almonds? Buttery soft leather? This smells sort of like dessert. And not in a bad way.

 

Freshly slathered: My first immediate thought went straight back to 8th grade and a farewell hug that I got from a friend. The first time I ever felt truely safe in someone's arms was at that moment, in his arms. It was warm and comforting, but in a way that I'd never felt before (and haven't really felt since to be honest. Gonna have to track him down and see how he is doing these days.) The cherry note immediately mellows out when it hits my skin and turns into a deep, smooth, gorgeously warm cherrytobaccowood combination. None of the notes individually pop out, they all just blend together in this divinely warm, sexy, comforting way.

 

Final thoughts: Love love love it. Especially on me, so I'll be slathering it on while it lasts and trying to beg some more off unsuspecting forumites. It would be incredibly sexy on the right guy, unfortunately my guy can't pull it off.

 

In case there were any doubts, Beth is a genius.

[Diana]

I am another who thought it might smell a bit like Hellfire. Nope! It doesn't.

 

In the bottle, it is really smokey-cherry. Like smoked cherries. Not cherry tobacco. I mean like if you took dried cherries and smoke them like you'd smoke sausages. Weird, I know.

 

Putting it on, the smokey-woody-cherry scent is super strong. And the oil starts to burn my skin. OW OW OW OW OW OW. Seriously, I'm getting red welts on my neck, insides of my elbows & cleavage. Determined, I wait for about 5-10 minutes and the burning & red marks subside. I've never had that happen with any oil before! That HURT.

 

I've been wearing it now for a few hours. I'm somewhere between liking it and not liking it. I do like the smokey-cherry, with the slight leathery background, but at the same time, the cherry scent is a bit too cloying and syrupy. Not fruity fresh sweet, but goooopey, or sort of like overripe fruit when it starts to rot. I have a bit of a headache, but I don't know if it's the scent or being put on mofowing speakerphone twice already this morning.

 

This is one I might try again, but I am not really sold on it, especially considering the painful reaction.

[omly]

I swapped for a bottle of Hearth because I was suffering extreme regret for not ordering a bottle myself. I wanted it to smell like my grandpa's room when I was little: sweet with the smell of pipe tobacco. And OMG does it ever! This is a really comforting scent to me, and for my SO for whom this smells like his father. I can't say that I will wear it, but it makes a wonderful room scent and a little goes a long way. I spilled a tiny drop on my desk when I was decanting and I could smell nothing else for days.

[scourgeotheseas]

Got a decant from omly, and wow!

 

In the bottle/wet: Hard cherry candies! That fades away pretty soon, though, and the pipe tobacco comes through.

 

Drydown: To me, the pipe tobacco is really the dominant scent. I never smell leather, and the cherry fades pretty quickly. It sticks around long enough to identify the pipe tobacco as a fruity blend, but that's it. It smells exactly like my dad's pipe tobacco, which is the scent I totally identify with him (well, that and motor oil).

 

It seems to be pretty long lasting. It smells really good on me, but I'm not sure I really want to actually smell of pipe tobacco. It might be great as a room scent, cuz it's such a gorgeous blend. I'm glad I got to try an imp, and I'm sure I'll find a good use for it.

[Tulea]

Just tried this one today and I've been wearing it for about 5 hours now and its still going strong but has toned down.

 

In the bottle: WOW! Loads of cherries. I am hit in the head with the scent of cherries but I could smell something else, so I applied it to my wrists and behind one ear.

 

Wet: Okay, still a ton of cherries but it is starting to tone down. I can smell the tobacco and it reminds me of when I was younger. There is still a very strong cherry smell, but not as sharp. I was afriad that other people would be able to smell me coming from a mile away. I also smell a hint of chocolate, it made my stomach grumble on the way to class.

 

Dry: Its definately toned down. I can still smell it on me, which is a good thing because it has staying power and scents usualy fade on me rather quickly. The cherry has softened significantly and the tobacco scent comes out more. No more faint chocolate scent, but a soft buttery scent instead. Once it has toned down a bit, this scent is really nice.

 

It isn't the scent I thought it would be. I didn't really read over the description of the scent before buying, but I assumed that hearth would be woodsy, pine, fresh, and snow. That's just what I think of when I think of the hearth. However, this is still a very good scent that I will probably wear again but apply early so I don't overpower everyone else.

[AnaisSatin]

I don't smell the leather either. From the bottle, I smell black cherry candies. It reminded me of a LUSH soap, although this particular LUSH soap was labeled as having "vanilla absolute". At drydown, the tobacco became more apparent and the sweetness of the cherry was less pronounced.

 

Hearth layers really well with Samhain, and that's how I've been wearing it... one of my FAVORITE combinations.

 

THANKS LAB! ::smooch:: Hug::

 

Anais

[tsarina]

I was prepared to love Hearth. The description is a fantasy for me, of a comfortable life.

 

Alas, Hearth did not agree with me quite as much. It was much sweeter initially than I imagined it would be, smelling over much of cherries. On my skin, that faded down and became much more subtle. Unfortunately the wood note diasgreed with me, and in combination with something else it became a frustration. I had a similar problem with The Red Queen, and I think those ard wood notes don't agree with my skin.

[LiberAmoris]

Hearth was much sweeter than I expected from the description: more cherries for me than wood or tobacco. But I enjoy having it around for times like last night, when I craved something sweet but mellow on my skin to lull me into sleep. It’s sort of the fragrance equivalent of a comfort food dessert, like cherry cobbler. I did not find it as dimensional on my skin as the other Yule LEs, but it has a foody charm to it that I enjoy.

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: Cherries? So confused...oh wait, I remember now. There's cherry wood in this blend. The cherry is quite overpowering. There's some sort of sugary, maplesque note wafting up. Not even a ghostly trace of smoke.

 

On me: Wow, these cherries are strong. After the initial blast of cherries fades away, it becomes quite unusual, but pretty. I think I like it. I'll have to try it a few more times to come to a final decision.

[saoirse]

My first review so ... um ... bare with me?

 

In the bottle: WOW - that's cherry. No "cherry wood" - the first thing that springs to mind is the image of some sort of cherry kool-aid, overshadowed with a subtle smokiness. It was so overpowering when I first opened the bottle that I almost gagged and thought twice about giving it a try on my wrist!

 

Wet: Yum - now its a very creamy cherry. Almost like cherry vanilla ice cream, but still with that hint of darkness that keeps it from being too syrupy. I think the darkness comes from the tobacco but its not heavy enough for me to place a finger on.

 

As it dries: Oh my goddess, is that LOVELY! A distinct smokiness comes out, followed by a hint of spice. Not a spicy spice; a hint of mulled spice (like when I boil water with cinnamon sticks and cloves in it during the winter to make the kitchen smell yummy). The tobacco is there if I sniff real hard but it combines so well with the other notes that nothing really sticks out now. I don't smell any "leather armchair" in here but I can see fireplace images in my mind. This scent (for some reason) makes me think of my winter-time LARPing days - it calls to mind the feeling of crisp cold air numbing my nose and whispering against flushed cheeks; sitting on a log in front of a nice, warm crackling bonfire with a cup of orange-n-clove spiked black tea in my hands. Ahhhh ... Its still a bit sticky-sweet if I give in to the urge to sniff my wrist close up but its wafting off me in a lovely winter-time comfort smell.

 

Completely dry (1/2 hour later): Close up its now very smoky instead of cherry-sweet and a little bitter. But the scent around me is fantastic and I'm enjoying it very much.

 

I took a chance when I saw this up for grabs, thinking it would be a nice scent to burn in an oil burner - I really didn't expect to like it when I put it on my skin. But - wow! I DO like it and I think I'll be wearing this on cold snowy days, as it is a very nice cozy winter scent.

[Witch's Dagger]

Hearth

 

Preconceived notions (when ordering): I think I’ll like all the notes, and I really like the idea of a hearth scent. I think I thought it would smell like crackling flames, though...

 

in the vial: Oh my goodness, it smells like the Scotch my dad drinks at Christmas. Plus, it’s got the boozy-sweet-cigarette smoke thing I don’t like in Hellcat or Samhain. I’m not sure I can even test it.

 

taking the plunge: at first, ugh, it’s even worse - Scotch with extra smoky caramel. I can’t breath, I need to wash it off... Sorry, Hearth, I just can’t do it.

 

Final conclusions: I need to avoid sweet boozy scents. Wine is okay, and I think non-sweet booze would be okay, but this thick, cloying stuff undoes me, especially when paired with tobacco.

[nevermore]

I was hoping for something akin to Hellfire, but with some wood. Hearth had other ideas - wet, it smells mostly like marashino cherries in syrup, and dries down to something like maple syrup and leather and occasionally a tiny bit of tobacco. Not at all what I was expecting, but still yummy. My mom actually asked me if I had brought home dessert when she smelled me one afternoon while wearing this.

[Cats]

Like Dia de los Muertos, I was nervous about the smoke in Hearth.

 

But, oh, I adore this!

 

In the bottle it was bright, biting cherry.

 

Wet on me: cherry, but not the fruit. More like Kool-aid cherry or Jello cherry. Not that it smells artificial at all, but it's much stronger than fresh or dried fruit.

 

Dry: Wow. Now I can smell the tobacco, but it's not burning tobacco. It's something from the upscale tobacco shop -- rich and dark.

 

I'm not sure I'll wear this often, but I think it will be a great room scent. Very comforting and warm.

[TheDarkMother]

After trying Hellfire yesterday, I think the only natural progression is Hearth! I got a decanted imp...purr!

 

In the Bottle: The thick smell of cherry tobacco.

 

On Me: Very, very, very cherry, and I'm talking marachino cherries! The kind that I can put in my mouth and tie multiple knots into the stem with my tongue....ehem. Sorry.

 

To tell you the truth, there is really only the barest hint of tabacco, and the leather is almost imperceptible. On me it is very cherry, which is a smell that I adore no matter what silly jokes my friends make of it. There is a slight smokiness that is coming into the fray now, and now I wish that I had gotten a 5mL of this when I had the chance! I will have to be very, very stingy with this imp, as I am really falling in love with this one!

 

Maybe I should start putting monwy aside now for the next batch of LEs. To get all of them at once was a hefty sum, but I just can't bear not having them!

[ismene]

Hearth begins with the bright red cherry licorice scent that's present in The Red Queen, but after a few minutes it's joined by the tobacco. It's kind of an odd tobacco, very sweet and wet. It's definitely tobacco but it doesn't quite smell like the scents I associate with tobacco. The blend smells very different than I expected, not like cherry pipe tobacco at all.

 

This is a strong and heady scent, not for the shy and retiring. In fact, it's too strong for me - it gave me a headache. It does have a lot of staying power, as the headache-inducing oils invariably do.

[dreamingjune]

I had such high hopes for this one, so I spent a bit (waaaay) too much for it on ebay.

 

When I first sniffed it I was rather fond of it and dabbed a bit on, and kept on liking it that night, though I could tell it wasn't really my kind of scent. I could sense a bit of the smoke scent, but with a rather sweet edge and a fruity cherry note. So, the next morning at work I put it on again. Almost immediately it seemed just kind of off. Next thing my coworker says "what's that smell" with a strange look on her face. Turns out the Hearth had started to smell like burnt maple syrup. I tried desperately to wash the scent off, but it ended up lasting all day, even with Brimstone overtop. Actually, I could still smell the burnt sugary smell even the next day. I must say I have never known a Bpal oil to be so persistant. Definitely not one for me, but I could see it working on someone whose body chemistry doesn't enhance the sweet notes so heavily.

[Jasminepearls]

Hearth was very pungent smelling in the bottle, as soon as I applied it, it turned into this lovely butterscotch pipe tobabbo scent with nutty and veeery rich undertones. I can smell the cherry a bit but I think my skin is sucking it up, which is ok by me!

What a fabulous scent, I am so glad I got to try it! Very cozy and wintery, like drinking a hot buttered rum on a frigid winter's night.

Edited February 7, 2005 by Jasminepearls

[Ishtar]

I must admit that I deliberately passed on Hearth when it was offered because it sounded way too smoky for my taste. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to smell it during a sniffing session with two other forumites and found it to be nothing like what I had imagined it to be.

 

In the bottle, Hearth smelled mostly of cherry and nuts. I wasn't too sure about the nutty notes, they rarely work well on me. Yet after applying, I was relieved to see that as usual, my skin amplified the sweet notes more than anything else. So on me Hearth is a sweet, rich, deep burgundy red blend with a prominent cherry scent, an underlying tobacco note and a hint of bitterness that keeps things really layered and interesting. I know that the description mentions pipe tobacco, but it was so fruity and sweet that it actually reminded me of shisha tobacco, the one used with hookah pipes.

 

Hearth is delicious both as a perfume and as a room scent. In French, we use the same word, "foyer", to say both hearth and home. This is the exact impression I get from Hearth when I put it in my burner: it is so warm, comforting and cozy that it could turn any empty, sterile space into a home. Well-being in a bottle.

Edited February 7, 2005 by Ishtar

[wolfie13]

I got an imp of this in a swap with IvyandPeony (thanks!) and while I am SO glad I got to try it (since I had somehow become obsessed with the idea that maybe this was truly the one LE for me and I had missed out) - it just did not work out.

 

This smelled nearly the same in all phases to me - bottle, wet, drydown - and

yes, okay, i can see cherries as others have mentioned, but wait - overall, it was something familiar, something I couldn't quite place at first ............

 

This smelled exactly like Harvey's Bristol Cream on me.

 

And while I don't mind a nip now and then, I really don't want to smell like sherry.

 

(Maybe more of the leather/smoky aspect will come out more as a room scent? I'll try.)

[laochodia]

Uh.....i dont think this one likes me.

In the bottle: prunes and licorice, my hand to diety. I tried it on anyway.

Wet- Licorice!! I hate licorice!

Dry: woodsmoke, licorice and hot toddys.

 

Final: this is sosososososooooo not for me. It's posted in my swap thingy as of now...hopefully someone else get more joy out of it.

-runs off to scrub wrists clean-