Witch in the Woods

[zankoku_zen]

A tangle of blackthorn, mandrake root, and myrrh scratching through cypress boughs, blackberry resin, and incense smoke.

[forspecial_plate]

Well, this is beautiful.  I'm getting a soft cypress, blackberry and myrrh scent.  The cypress note is stronger out of the gate and it's a little pine-like, but that quickly takes a back seat to the blackberry and myrrh.  It's mostly a blackberry and myrrh combination that is soft, pretty and quiet.  The woodsy/rooty elements must be very subtle.  It goes on that way for a long time, and I love it!  Could be kind of a softer cousin of Blackberry Moon.  I might have to get more of this. 

[elissamay]

A curl of smoke at the end of a path lined with cypress. As you approach, you see the smoke is creeping out from cauldron bubbling with resin, smoldering on embers of tangled, thorny roots. Inhale, a deep breath of blackberries and sweet myrrh. The forest closes around you, a cackle off in the distance.

[HerbGirl]

Woohoo! My decants finally arrived yesterday.

This is gorgeous- starts off with the cypress and blackberry and the mandrake and incense even it out within minutes. After about 20 minutes, there's a chemical smell up close that must be the myrrh and the blackberry disappears. Love it.

[aphrodite]

truth be told, I got a decant of this because of the name/inspiration and because it didn't sound totally off-base for me, but I didn't expect much. berries, roots, and branches are all things that i really want to smell like in theory but never quite translate in perfume form on my skin.

 

meanwhile, my big fall-winter Lab-direct bottle order arrived just yesterday, but I'm strongly contemplating ordering a bottle of this. it is so juicy and realistic - nothing remotely cloying or chemical about this blackberry. the other notes create just sort of a sultry, intoxicating backdrop. I smeared quite a lot of the decant on tonight because I liked my first test-run a few days ago, and even in this strong dose, it's gorgeous.

[tinyvulture]

Witch in the Woods - This is like a deep blackberry herbal tea, medicinal and strong. So gorgeous. If I walked into a crystal shop that smelled like this I would be under their spell and buy everything lol.  The blackthorn, mandrake, cypress – even though I’m not familiar enough with these notes to pick them out individually, they create a lovely dark green mysterious vibe. And there’s  just the right mix of juicy dark berry and aged resins. Big bottle please!

[AbbyNormal]

In the decant this was a delicious blackberry herbal tea, but when I applied it I got plastic and fruit. I knew the smell but couldn’t place it at first and then it hit me. A Strawberry Shortcake doll!!! I even had my partner confirm that I wasn’t losing it and he very enthusiastically agreed. This is the smell of my childhood! It’s kind of unnerving how spot on it is, if I closed my eyes I’d swear it was a doll. 

[Llanval]

Blackberry attack! Lovely if you love the blackberry note, but I was hoping for the cypress, mandrake and black thorn to win out over the blackberry resin.  I keep trying berry scents and never enjoy them as much as I hope.  If you love blackberries, this is a really lovely example.  Not too fake, not too sweet, but richly purple and juicy.

[patina]

In the bottle this is quite a lot of blackberry, but I also smell brown roots, bitter and poisonous. That's got to be the cypress and mandrake. For a moment on my skin, I smell dusty roots, like a storeroom. Then blackberry takes over on my skin, initially a subdued and watered down version of Blackberry Moon (of course it would be without the musk). Blackberry can turn sharp, but I think the myrrh may be keeping it sweet. This is good and bad because it both isn't turning sour and is a little artificial (is that vanilla in there? Are these blackberries cooked?). I guess it depends on your point of view. There's almost some depth but those blackberries are just so strong now.

 

I don't mind smelling like a pie so I may be keeping this.

[Poenari]

This is a surprise win for me! I wasn't sure what to expect so I only got a decant. I love this. I agree with others that it's very like a sweet blackberry herbal tea. I typically don't do well with mandrake root or cypress but they are very tempered here by the blackberry. It wears nicely on my skin, medium throw. Stays true to the initial blackberry from beginning through drydown.