Haltija

I got my package last night but I have let these bottles sit for a while before I thought to wear test any. 

This is absolutely beautiful on me. 😍

I immediately pulled something very herbal and I have the rosehip tea and angelica notes to thank for that. This is by no means a bad thing at all, but it smells slightly medicinal on my skin and that alone is actually what I keep going back for- I cannot stop sniffing it. When it began to dry the gorgeous peony came to the surface to temper out the herbal facet- anyone who knows me knows peony is a floral note I cannot get enough of, the constant sniffing only grew stronger. I only smelled lychee at the very final drydown- not a bit of ylang ylang to be had and that's quite alright. 

I love this so much and I am tempted to get a backup because it's going to be a easy one to wear in the Summer. 

This dapper gentleman is everything I knew I would love. 

Immediately it's chewy, vaguely sweet tobacco with a soft curl of smoke. I don't get any of the maple leaves until it's fully dry and so therefore blended with that tobacco and smokes makes it so gorgeous and atmospheric, exactly what I wanted to mimic a crisp Autumn night. The rum hardly comes out to play, but that's okay. 

My brain feels like it's similar to my baby French Tobacco with just the addition of leaves and smoke, which I love so very much. 

I didn't want to get backup bottles this year, but I might have to break that ban with this. 

I completely am with @Bassmastadroog in the fact that this smells oddly clean and ozonic.

There is something in here that reminds me of this almond and shea soap I used to use years ago. My Mother even smelled it and agreed with me. 

It's lovely, but definitely not what I was expecting. I could easily wear this all year round, it's inoffensive and actually a little comforting. 

I let this one rest for a few hours before I even opened it much less put it on. 

I am so pleased to report that this is everything I wanted out of this cute little fella. The peppery leaves is definitely the first thing that jumps out on the skin, but the orange is peeking through ever so slightly to give that little juicy edge. As it wears the orange candy note overtakes the blood orange and I don't mind it at all, because blended with the earthiness of the leaves it makes it smell very cheerful and atmospheric in it's own playful way. It lasted a good four hours on my skin, give or take. 

Upon the opening stage of this, it honestly made my eyes go weird. It had this really dominant funk to it that just about made me recoil-- which isn't normal because every single solitary note in this is a total win on my skin, even together.

I was about to give up until it started to dry and it dries down to a sibling of Streets of Detroit, at least on me. I even pulled out my bottle and did a side by side and they could be related. The one thing that shows up quite strong on me is actually the black musk and champaca--- not a single trace of coconut to be spotted. It's dark, heavy, musky and not for the faint at heart.

Stunning sweet earthiness with the barest hint of fresh crisp woods. On me it almost is mimicking the way fallen tree branches smell right after it's rained during a full sunny day.

Yep.

Definitely a sweet amaretto, coconut beauty on my skin. It's quite pretty in it's subtlety and therefore it's one that you may need to slather every now and then. I like it. But I think a decant is enough.

Can't say anything else other than it really is Antique Lace and Dorian. It's perfect, I immediately put it on the second I got the bottle and I kept re applying throughout the day.

There is not a single thing about this scent that isn't amazing. If you love either scent, get this, please, you will regret it if you don't.

This is my beloved French Tobacco with a gorgeous dollop of smoky amber. The amber makes it smell thicker, warmer and a little powdery.

Of course I am in love and am glad to have a bottle.

I keep on trying the Dead Leaves and there hasn't really been a strong winner for me, until now.

This is sooo good. I definitely get a more buttery smell with it. It tends to smell a little like butterscotch after a while, so fun! At times it's so sugary but not in the traditional sense.... Almost spicy sweet. The waxy smell is there but it's hardly noticeable on me.

Very nice for this time of the year and it will get a lot of use.

I ADORE THIS!

Oh, how I am the biggest sucker for a stunning violet scent and this certainly delivers. On me, it's a touch similar to Fleurette's Purple Snails and that's one of my HG violet scents next to beautiful Faith. This is just so subtle in it's beauty that I swoon each time my nose hits my wrist.

I have to agree with Lycanthrope. It flirts, and it flirts in the softest manner. One moment I smell violet only and then the next minute I get a delicate waft of the orris and lavender mixing in with it. The iris really never makes a strong presence on me, totally fine. I have tested this twice now to see if it's worth a bottle and I think it is..... It fits me for when I want to smell pretty but not let the scent enter the room before I do.

If you love violet, don't let this pass you by because you might regret it.

Definitely agree with VioletChaos.

It's got low throw, but I don't mind because I would slather this all day.

It's definitely a softer pancake smell and honestly when it's first on it smells like pumpkin syrup. But once it dries the actual pancake note comes out and the berries to me smell like blueberries, just how my skin interprets it. Sometimes I forget this is supposed to be a pumpkin pancake smell because when I close my eyes I immediately go "This is a blueberry crepe drizzled in pumpkin syrup"

It's just delicious. Period.

Lily of the Valley is a nemesis on me, thank goodness I get none of it here because otherwise this beautiful scent would be ruined.

I don't know fully how to describe it. But I went over the description of what I think it's like in my head over and over and I feel confident enough to say that on me it really does dry down to smelling like some very Victorian, very beautiful body powder. Like a really subtle vanilla and lilac body powder. It smells like skin, but in the most naturally pretty way possible and now I keep thinking that might be because of the beeswax.

In short. I adore it and I want a bottle.

Yep, floral musk with a heavy powderiness and a smack dab of honey.

This scent is so eerie and unsettling in the cutest of ways to me. It does smell like child-like but in the way that you see a group of nice cheery kids that seem to be all proper and lovely, but you know the minute you let that guard down they are the most terrible and vicious children you could ever imagine. Exactly what The Urchins shows us in their photograph.......... Fake smiles and laughter to hide terror.

Unexpected and I like it.

 

I think I'm ready to play! Hopefully someone has good recs and thank you in advance!

My top 5, really hard to pick just 5. I'll pick the ones I most want similar alternatives to.

1. Bathsheba

2. Gun Moll (sexy date night scent?)

3. Dragon's Hide (maybe a feminine version - the female equivalent to this?)

4. Shoggoth

5. Ogygia

thank you guys!!!

 

Check out Horreur Sympathique since you love Bathsheba

For the more female version of Dragon's Hide, hmmmmm maybe The Black Rider or The White Rider. I love both, personally.

For Ogygia I think you may enjoy Yemaya.

Top Four (I'm so new I don't even have 5!)

1. TKO

2. Antique Lace

3. Samhain

4. Gobo (could do with less cream I love sharp orange)

 

Currently trying to find/waiting for: stekkjarstaur and a moment in time. I adore lavender so much I got into BPAL because bronner's lavender soap never stuck around after a shower.

If you love Samhain, try to take a look at Punkie Night for sure. Since you like Gobo but like sharp orange, maybe take a look at Schrodinger's Cat. It's a plethora of fruity notes but on my skin it can change from either heavy orange or a mix of orange and lemon (but tart juicy lemon)

This is not going to be a super in depth review.

I just got to say that this is one of the main, sometimes only HG I actually use during the Summer months. It's refreshing, uplifting and has a zing to it that I can't really describe. You just have to smell it for yourself. I hardly get any tea. It's all peach and white ginger. When the dreadful day of me running out of this happens, I don't know what I will do.

It's one of the best Summer glosses, period.

Warm and resinous for sure. It's all honey and oudh on me and I agree with a reviewer above saying it smells like Half-Elf, because on full dry down that's the association I get.

I will gladly keep my decant

LILAC LOVERS REJOICE!

It is no secret that my favorite Lilac scent from the Lab is Ashlultum. But, dammit if this isn't giving it a run for it's money. I am such a fan of honeyed or sugared florals and this just hits all of my love radars. It's honeyed lilac with cream and a faint dance of amber. I get no cardamom at all, even during the full dry down and even though I love cardamom and think it would just up the percentage of how stunning this is, I love it the way it is.

It screams Springtime and just being happy, bright eyed and beautiful. I immediately got myself a full bottle and may need another

Pretty!

This smells creamy, sweet and juicy on my skin with a vague hint of almost going tropical and that could be the combo of nectarine and gardenia being the most dominant on me. Gardenia and I have a love hate relationship........ But in this, it's stunning and not too cloying. I like it, but not enough for a bottle.

I had the same result as Lizzie.

Super strong chemical smell on first application. It fades only slightly and I get a touch of sandalwood trying to cover it up. I get no tobacco whatsoever and only very little whiffs of leather. That chemical smell never truly disappears. Not a winner at all.

Well, I am absolutely smitten!

This is my perfect French Tobacco with smooth dark leather and a dash of smoky warm honey. A bottle is definitely required

On me this is "HOLY SHIT the leather from Red Rider" which was unbearably strong on me to the point where it gave me a massive headache. But, this is saved by the stunning black amber and then the almost cola like quality that myrrh can sometimes bring out on me.

It's definitely a strong scent and not for the faint at heart. I will keep my decant for sure

I really wanted to love this.

Pear is a note we don't see a lot of and I was hoping the chocolate wouldn't be too dominant. But it is and I get a vague bit of pear, but the chocolate completely stomps over it. I love my chocolate scents, but I have so many right now. I will keep the decant but I will pass on a bottle.

I immediately got bourbon vanilla and coconut when I first put it on but literally within 20 minutes it was gone. My skin completely drank this up and it's such a shame because in the bottle it was absolutely stunning.

Will try again in the future and see if it lasts longer.