The Shattered Pumpkin

[edenssixthday]

The next morning the old horse was found without his saddle, and with the bridle under his feet, soberly cropping the grass at his master's gate. Ichabod did not make his appearance at breakfast-dinner-hour came, but no Ichabod. The boys assembled at the schoolhouse, and strolled idly about the banks of the brook; but no school-master. Hans Van Ripper now began to feel some uneasiness about the fate of poor Ichabod, and his saddle. An inquiry was set on foot, and after diligent investigation they came upon his traces. In one part of the road leading to the church was found the saddle trampled in the dirt; the tracks of horses' hoofs deeply dented in the road, and evidently at furious speed, were traced to the bridge, beyond which, on the bank of a broad part of the brook, where the water ran deep and black, was found the hat of the unfortunate Ichabod, and close beside it a shattered pumpkin.

Soil-covered crushed pumpkin, water-weeds, saddle-leather, and pine pitch.

The Shattered Pumpkin - I don't like dirt scents at all, and pumpkin is an iffy scent on me, so I had the lowest of low expectations for this scent. I'm kind of surprised I went ahead and tested it, but I'm glad I did. It's truly amazing what Beth has done with this blend! The dirt and pumpkin notes are the dominant scents when sniffing in the bottle and when I apply it to my skin. They are in perfect balance and I can't get over how the pumpkin picks up the sweetness of the earth scent but the part of the earth scent that I don't like is pushed into the background. The longer it's on my skin, it takes on an almost effervescent sweetness, and then it starts to smell like cinnamon red hots. I double-check the scent description and am surprised that there's no cinnamon in it. After it's been on my skin for an hour, the dirt scent is completely gone, the pumpkin is present, and there's also a hint of leather and the faintest hint of green plants. This is a spectacular fragrance and I can't believe that I like it and I'm so glad I decided not to skip over this one!

Edited to insert the Halloweenie subtitle

[iiinterstate]

Wet: WHEW! INCOMING PUMPKIN! with the merest smidgin of dirt. I am definitely reminded of why I felt okay skipping over the pumpkin patch.

 

After a few minutes: Now I get quite a bit of leather. In fact, leather is what I smell right now as I type this more than any of the other notes. Usually that would be a good thing, but in this blend it seems like too much.

 

Later: Ack, I'm trying to give this a chance. The water-weeds have made an appearance, and the leather has mellowed, but this is still too much for me.

 

 

eta: In the words of my fiance, "You smell like a leather jacket."

Edited September 13, 2008 by iiinterstate

[sookster]

straight sniff from imp is an overload of leather and spice...

 

once applied heavy, damp leather with pumpkin and spice...

 

i am detecting a soil note and a touch of pine...

 

the leather unfortunately overwhelms...this is strong....

 

not for the faint of heart

[hlrigaud]

I don't usually post reviews, but this scent was so exceptional I really needed to.

 

You know how Beth sometimes does these blends that just evoke a scene in your mind? Midway is a good example. This is one of them for me.

 

Let me start by starting the most important thing, which is this is not Beth's usual pumpkin scent- the one that's very buttery. This is a raw pumpkin scent that's pleasantly different, especially if you have trouble with the buttered pumpkin.

 

On to the scene: It's a pumpkin patch. You're out with a loved one. Its a cool fall day, but the sun is bright and warming everything- the grass, the dirt, the pumpkins. You're there with a loved one- a child, a lover, a friend, a parent; someone special to you. Around you there are a few smashed pumpkins, but not too many. The ground is damp, muddy in the haywagon tire-tracks, but it's a good, fertile ground, that's been growing food all season and is ready for it's winter rest. The pumpkins are big and bright orange. Most are fine, but every now and then you pick up on that has a soft spot. You find the perfect one, and take it home. As the scent fades, the dirt goes away and you're left with a light pumpkin smell that reminds you of the day at the pumpkin patch.

 

That's Shattered pumpkin on me. Think I might need a bottle.

Edited September 18, 2008 by Helpless Lush

[savage_rose]

This scent is nothing like I expected! First sniff, it smells like rain and pumpkin. On...at first it smells like pumpkin and ripe seafood...UGH! UGH!

 

But the longer it's on the better it smells...now it smells like spiced pumpkin (the pine?), with rain notes drifting in and out. I think I like it, but I'm not sure. I'll give it a go later.

[jewelbug]

This is a morpher. Read on...

 

Bottle: Pumpkin (but not super buttery like some of the other pumpkin blends), with a healthy handful of the fresh earth note that BPAL does so well.

 

Wet:This pumpkin is akin to the pumpkin queen’s pumpkin note on my skin—even with a slight citrus feel to it. Within seconds of hitting my skin, the dirt comes out full force. Lots of wet soil half-burying a sweet, orange, pumpkin. Its SO incredibly evocative of a trip to the local pumpkin patch. *wistful sigh*

 

Drying: I get a lightly spiced feel (pepper? ginger?) from the pumpkin, still a lot of dirt, but the scent is changing....the leather starts to make an appearance, growing stronger.

 

Dry: The leather really takes the forefront after the first 20 min or so. And it has TREMENDOUS throw. It’s a very nice, sweet leather, and I can’t smell the pumpkin/dirt until I get much closer to my wrist. I kinda miss the initial blend where the leather was just a little background support. About 2 hrs in, and for the rest of the time, the leather loses prominence, the dirt is gone, and the pumpkin isn’t really detectable, either. What I end up with is a sweet syrupy myrrh-like scent. Well, that was unexpected! Lasts 6 plus hours.

 

Overall: I have to say, this is a very non-foody pumpkin blend, very unique, and really awesome!

I really, REALLY enjoy the opening phase. The handfuls of wet earth and pumpkins with just a wee bit of spiciness. I also enjoy the leathery phase with just a wee bit of pumpkin/dirt. But I was disappointed when all that loveliness gave way to sweet non-descript myrrh-y-ness (myrrh’s, not even listed, I know!). I want to keep this for the evocativeness of the first few hours, but I don’t think I’ll ever go through the whole bottle. Maybe I can keep a few mLs and decant the rest of the love…

 

DH review: “You smell like a hobo, a good-smelling hobo.”

Office Mate’s review, upon walking into my 8x12 office: “Are you drinking chai?”

Edited October 1, 2008 by jewelbug

[Nadirah]

Oh Man! The Pumpkin! The Leather! I was worried about this blend because of the leather and the pumpkin. Sometimes pumpkin is good and sometimes bad on me (same goes for leather) but 2 out of 2 with this one! At first it is a buttery pumpkin note but not as buttery as Jack. Then the leather saddle comes in with the pumpkin and you can almost smell the reeds, I still don't quite get the pine but I love pine and this is definatly big bottle worthy. This makes me think of Loviatar which has been my favorite leather blend for a while. Shattered pumpkin isnt as heavy on me but it is defintly a strong one!!

I love decant circles but Now I wished I had a Big Giant Bottle of this stuff!

[Little Bird]

The foodie pumpkins wind up being way too sweet for me to handle (and I usually love foodie blends), but I tend to love the herbal, woodsy, earthy pumpkins, so I was super-hopeful for The Shattered Pumpkin. Unfortunately, there's just something 'off' about this blend.

 

In the bottle, this smells like lightly spiced pumpkin rolled in black dirt and dry leaves. It smells pretty wonderful.

 

On my skin, it smells weird. I amp up the spices (my skin always does), but they're actually not that bad. The spice is warm and fall harvest-y, but it never overwhelms or threatens to give me a headache, and I'm very spice-sensitive. The spice is gorgeous, but there's something very funky about this blend. It has an aquatic plants and seafood sort of smell, and something that's a tad lemony. Perhaps the water weeds are to blame. One of the notes in this just goes very weird on me, and it doesn't mesh well with the spice and leather.

 

On my skin, The Shattered Pumpkin dries down to smell just like someone smacked Quincy Morris in the face with some spicy pumpkin pie filling, and maybe a drop of lemon (why? I do not know). That alone might be pretty good, but the weird, aquatic something keeps popping back in and mucking things up. After 3 hours, I do like this blend of soft, foodie, lightly spiced pie filling and soft leather, but it's hard to get through the hours of aquatic weirdness...

 

This probably isn't a blend that I'll wear ever again, but I *love* the label artwork <3 so I'll keep my bottle anyhow, lol.

[Hawke]

Oof. What a scent, in the imp. I really do get the scent of weeds growing at the edge of a slightly nasty pond, along with the pumpkin note hiding within them. Not a real comforting scent. I get the pine pitch too, all cool and sharp.

 

Wet on the skin, woo, that's dirt for sure. It gives me the sense of trying to breathe in dirt and makes me feel like I have grit on the back of my tongue. I'd wash it off if not for the occasional whiff of pumpkin that keeps me intrigued.

 

When it finally dries, the dirt calms down enough that I can breathe without feeling like I might choke. It's still present, though, and I have dirt and pumpkin. As much as I'm surprised by the fact that it's not a terrible smell, I have no desire to smell like dirt.

[fairnymph]

Sniffed at EC Will Call: SOIL and the butter-note that is pumpkin to my nose. I don't really get much of the other notes, but I only sniffed this. Unisex to masculine.

Edited September 21, 2008 by fairnymph

[greenranger]

First whiff is dirt, pumpkin and leather. Ah, there are the waterweeds, and pine pitch.

 

Drying, it blends a bit more into mostly earthy pumpkin with a watery tang. Aquatic pumpkin?

 

Aquatic pumpkin.

[forspecial_plate]

At first, I could smell the nice leather that reminded me of Quincey Morris. Then.....I don't know why, but it kept reminding me of Gunpowder.....carrots and breakfast cereal, kind of nutty.....I blame the pumpkin. Oh, no! This was one of the rare instances where I had to wash off bpal. The rotting dirt note was too much and the whole thing just rubbed me the wrong way, and made me a little sickly. Also I kept picturing the oozing shattered pumpkin on the label. I must say, this is a unique scent, and very much captures the concept, but I just don't think this one is for me!

[dawndie]

Wet: water with a bit of chlorine

 

On skin: watery pumpkin

 

Half-hour later: the soft dusty leather that I love is there, but that and the sweet cakey pumpkin are being smooshed by a giant glob of pine tar

 

In conclusion: while most of the pumpkin blends are too foody for me, this one was an interesting morpher. If it had another element other than the pine pitch, this would be bottle-worthy.

[euterpe414]

This one's definitely a morpher on me. At first, it's a very strong, buttery pumpkin for a good 10 minutes. As it dries, the soil and brown (or at least it feels more brown to me than black) leather a la Quincey Morris come out and make this a gorgeous, earthy pumpkin scent. Like an earlier reviewer said, it is like you are in the patch looking for pumpkins to take home with you- getting your hands dirty and taking in big whiffs of cool autumn soil. Lovely. After around an hour or so I begin to smell the marsh/aquatic bit, but it moves in and out of my radar when I smell my wrist. Finally, when it's been a good long while, it ends up a slightly spicy pumpkin with the barest hint of dirt in the background.

 

I love this one at all of its stages, however I must add a word of caution to not put too much on b/c it is VERY strong. Overall it's a great autumn scent, and one of my favorite pumpkin blends I smelled thus far. Bravo!

[Heavenlyrabbit]

One of the worst BPAL experiences on me ever.

 

I love BPAL's Pumpkin note, it's on of my favorites.

 

Sadly, the dirt, leather and pine all gang up together and make an ungodly funk that had me running to scrub off.

 

Happily, there's lots of other terrific Pumpkin blends to choose from.

 

This blend did evoke the Character but not in an attractive way.

Edited September 25, 2008 by Heavenlyrabbit

[Finny]

From the bottle: damp earthy pumpkin

 

On, this is wonderful. Earthy, light spicy pumpkin, a hint of leather, and a damp soil scent. I love it.

[Sushi-n-Sake]

Unfortunately, my experience with The Shattered Pumpkin was like Heavenlyrabbit's.

 

The image that was stuck in my head while wearing this was of those giant maggots that live in rotting trees in South American jungles, and what it might smell like if you squished one of them. Not good at all and it made me really queasy. I didn't wash it off despite my nausea, and after a long time I got soft warm leather mixed with light earthy pumpkin that I was hoping for when I ordered this. But I'm not going to try this on again.

[Iceblink]

I'm not a fan of pumpkin but I wanted to try all the Sleepy Hollows, so...

This begins as wet, fresh pumpkin, rind and all. Not really pleasant to me but that's how I am with pumpkin. As it dries I began to pick up the watery quality and the pine. Weirdly, leather-amping me isn't getting the leather here! This is a strange, strange blend; it certainly paints a portrait in your mind but isn't something I want to smell like.

[Athenae]

This, which was mildly leathery and pumpkin-y in the imp, was absolutely vile on me on a level I haven't experienced since trying Depraved. The leather goes all sour, the dirt smells like days-old garbage, and I get none of my beloved pumpkin note at all. My skin chemistry fails this one hardcore.

 

A.

[hkhm]

bottle: mildy spicy/leathery pumpkin. a hint of dirt in the background.

 

wet: wow. dirt and pumpkin. and they smell gorgeous together!

 

dry: sweet loamy dirt and spicy pumpkin. reminds me a little bit of what penny dreadful might smell like if pumpkin was added to the mix. keeper.

[Lucretia]

I really enjoy this one! The leather note is very clear mingling with the dirt and pumpkin at first. Gradually the settle and it remind me a little bit of a pumpkiny penny dreadful just hkhm noted. However, I get a curious salty sort of smell that I can't put my finger on. It smells sort of like pirates ride at disneyland for some reason! I find this scent quite grounding and very nice for fall.

[gnl]

In the bottle: Ew, I'm not sure what the heck's going on in the bottle, but it's really not pleasant. It's a lot of leather, I know that.

 

Wet: Took me three times to work up the nerve to try it on, but it's so much better. Whew. On, it's black dirt and little bit of pumpkin spice, though not very much considering the name. ...My mother just walked passed and made a face at the smell, so. Somehow I don't think it's gonna be a keeper.

 

Dry: Aaaaand here's the leather and...something scent again. Something kinda salty, maybe the water weeds. Thankfully *not* the ACK NO smell from the bottle though, so that's something. It's making my nose itch.

 

Verdict: Wow this is *so* not what I expected from this scent. Maybe it's just my skin amping the leather... But yeah, no, definitely not going to be wearing this again. I'll guess I'll keep looking for a pumpkin scent for me.

 

1/5

[indybear]

This is one of those scents where I admire the skill that went into making it, but the scent itself does nothing for me. It is very evocative of the story behind it - the shattered pumpkin lying on the river bank. The water weeds are the predominant note to me. When it's been on my skin for a while, some of the pumpkin comes out, but not the buttery pumpkin, the squash. It's very intriguing in an intellectual way, but not for me.

[rayvn1]

Woah! This scent is like thick, black sap covering a pumpkin rolled around in some dirt in the dead of night. So pretty accurate to the story! I don't get as much leather as I would like, but it's one I'll keep for its fun as an interesting scent picture. Not a foody pumpkin at all, by the way!

[zankoku_zen]

Oh god, on wet, immediately this is a bad pumpkin/man cologne/leather scent. As it dries, that goes away and I get water and pumpkins - it is a watery pumpkin, but really its more like water and pumpkin bits. After an hour, it is most definitely leather and pumpkin.

 

Yeah, not for me.