Fearful Pleasure

[Molls]

Dried orange peels floating in simmering cider, roasted apples, smoldering firewood, chimney smoke, sassafras beer, warm hawthorn wood, and oakmoss.

Fearful Pleasure was the bottle I wanted to buy last year, but never got around to. I finally got my hands on one, and since today was a suitably windy, grey, rainy, autumn-like day, I decided to try it. At first it was very... odd. Almost like a candle from the Hallmark store. Almost fake-smelling. But it dried down into a really nice apple cider smell, with yummy spices and smoke in the background. And it's lasting a long time too, I applied it at 6 am, and it's now 12:30.
I had been harboring doubts about keeping it, from just smelling it in the bottle, but no longer... It won't nudge out Samhain as my fave Fall scent, but it will be a nice addition to my Fall line-up

[ShadowsDance]

In the bottle it's delicious spiced apple cider. That's the only note I really get when wearing, it either. Apple cider and baked spiced apples. There is occasionally something a little smoky in the background, but it doesn't come out often. The apples are delicious, smells like real apple cider. A wonderful fall scent, although I wore it through winter and spring as well. This is one of my top scents.

[sprocket21]

In the vial, it's very crisp apple - fresh-picked from the orchard crisp without any sign of roasting or being made into cider. On me, it's still almost exclusively bright red fresh apple, though after a bit I think I can pick up some woods in the background. The woods make the scent feel a bit more autumn-like, as if I am walking through an orchard on a chilly autumn day and stumble upon a freshly fallen apple.

 

It's a beautiful apple scent, but I didn't get any hint of orange or cider. I think I'll stick to my beloved Punkie Night for my cider apple needs.

[PurringPulsar]

Fearful Pleasure

 

In the imp: autumnal cider and fizzy apples.

Wet on skin: the apple note goes a little sharp on me, but there’s a nice spicy sweetness underneath.

Dry on skin: mmm, this is quite nice! It’s cider, very very apple-y. My skin tends to dislike apple notes so this may not be so good but I like it for now. The apple note is a bit crisp, not the baked apple scent I prefer, but there’s a wonderful mulled smell to it all, spicy warm cider with hints of orange and a lovely sweet woodsy scent underneath. I also smell a hint of beer, but it’s really pleasant, it adds character. I don’t smell much smoke, for now this is all about the cider and spices. This has a lovely ‘cosy autumnal’ feel.

After a while: this gets even lovelier as it dries down! The sharpness fades away and is replaced by a gorgeous sweetness. It’s almost like vanilla, actually. I still smell very little of the smoke, but I don’t mind because the cider note is, for once, doing wonderful things on me. It smells like sweet spicy baked apples now, warm and inviting. The wood notes ground the apple very nicely. This may be the apple scent I’ve been hoping for…one that works on me and smells deliciously autumnal and spicy.

Verdict: this scent is cider perfection! This is the kind of apple scent I’ve been longing for. Up to now, many apple scents didn’t work on me and I thought this would go the same way. But this is wonderful. It starts off as sharp spicy cider and is borderline sour at times, but then after a few minutes it mellows into something stunning. Sweet warm baked apples topped with spice, mulled cider, warm autumnal smoke and sexy sweetness and a strong woodsy base. No apples gone bad, no plastic apple or over-sharp apple notes here, just perfect spiced apple. It’s a lot nicer than Autunno was on me. Even the boozes in here, the beer and sassafras (which usually turns medicinal on me) are pleasant. I think this is one of the nicest autumn apple spice scents out there.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? definitely.

If you like this, try: Apple of Sodom, L’Autunno, Harvest Moon 05 and 06, Samhain, Hesperides, Verdandi

[redderz]

Fearful Pleasure arrived to me as a frimp this morning in the post, and I'm so very grateful!

 

In the imp, I can smell strong, sharp cider with a hint of spice. Once applied, there's a hit of orange peel right there, but that soon fades into wonderful, delicious crisp apple peel. Upon drying, there's just a wonderful warm, mulled apple scent, with a hint of cinnamon lingering in the background.

 

I think this may become one of my favourites!

[Monster]

Fearful Pleasure is spiced apple cider with just a touch of smoke. This reminds me a lot of L'Autunno (but without fresh leafy notes).

The more it dries into my skin, the spicier (and better!) it gets. Fearful Pleasure would probably make a better room scent than a perfume, but I'm not going to have any problem dabbing some of this into my Monas locket this fall.

 

I can see this as becoming one of those Holy Grail scents if it doesn't make a second visit this autumn (which I really hope it does).

BPTP should also make a room spray out of this! It's just so delicious and conforting..I want everything I own to smell like Fearful Pleasure.

[papermaker]

When I first apply this it is the perfect apple cider scent. As it dries it takes on more of a smoky cedar scent with apple cider mingling through it. A deep close huff gets apple and cinnamon, and farther apples with cinnamon, orange and beer mingled with smoke. I think I am sad I only have an imp.

[phantomphoenix3]

This is the most perfect autumn scent imaginable to me. It is the scent of sweet yet tangy cider, apples and oranges, with just a bit of firewood and chimney smoke in the background. It reminds me of family gatherings as a kid where we always drank hot cider and it made the whole house smell good. I can't stop sniffing my wrist. Backup bottles needed!

[BuxomM]

It smells like wood, smoke, sassafras, and apple cider in that order and strength. It smells masculine, not sweet.

Edited March 16, 2010 by BuxomM

[milo]

This is very nice fall blend. It starts out very "pot-pourri", like an cinnamon apple room scent with a touch of wood. After 20 minutes or so, the apple fades somewhat, and the smoky wood is more prominent. Very glad to have tried this, but I don't think I need anymore spicy fall blends.

[splendidissima]

Apple cider! With spices! Very similar to Punkie Night on me, actually, but with an added smoky-woodsy quality that makes me think of Halloween and fall nights. I don't really get the orange peel note from this (too bad; I like orange notes), but this is a great cider scent regardless. Throw is very strong, too; it overwhelmed the other scents I had been testing. Very nice!

[kerikeri]

In the imp: A pleasant, smoky apple.

 

Wet: Warm spiced cider and crisp apples, with a little smoke and wood in the background.

 

Dry: The apple note fades to the background, leaving a subtle spicy-smoky-woody scent with just a hint of fruity sweetness.

 

This is quite nice! The wood notes are luckily the type my skin can handle rather than the ones I amp, and the whole thing is very evocative of telling scary stories around the fire on a cool October night. It may be a little too potpourri/candle/generic-autumn-spice-scent to become an all-time favorite for me, but it's definitely the sort of thing I've been wanting to wear as the weather cools off.

[msbcozad]

Fearful Pleasure started out smelling like an apple-scented Glade air freshener and eventually calmed down and warmed up into a mulled cider. Unfortunately, apple doesn't work on my skin.

[Invidiana]

Wow. This is so much more than *just* a cider scent. Yes, there is plenty of cider, sweet spiced ciderwith a hint of orange peel (and I absolutely love orange and spice), but it's the smoky notes in this that realy encapsulate the "fearful pleasure" Washington Irving was talking about. The chimney smoke and slowly burning firewood are very prominent, suppored by the more muted woody notes of the beer, hawthorn and oakmoss. This smoldering combination gives this scent, with all its foody qualities, a real unsettling, spooky quality--and that's even more delicious

[jtb2008]

This is one of my favorite oils EVER. Definatly the jewel of the 08 Halloween scents. The first bottle I ever completely finished was Fearful Pleasure... Good times.

 

In the bottle, I get apples and spice. I can't really identify the spice. Cinnamon?

On the skin, its still apples and spice. The spice becomes a little stronger. It doesn't last too long, but thats fine. I loves it so much, it can do no wrong.

 

Winner winner, chicken dinner.

[SugarCookie]

Beautiful apple cider scent. One of my favorite BPALs. I guess this counts as foodie. Crisp warm fall apples, with just the right touch of spices adding a touch of fall to this vivid apple scent.

[starfish327]

Fearful pleasure definitely reminds me of autumn, but more for the way that halloween decorations smell: a good, spicy, almost dusty smell in the imp. I have to echo what another reviewer said: it reminds me of candles. But I like candle scents, so I'm happy with that.

 

Wet, it reminds me of cinnamon dough and slightly like an apple scented candle more than apples themselves. it's not an entirely unpleasant smell but i was hoping to get more apple cidery notes out of it.

 

Dried down, it goes very faint on me. There's an apple note there definitely, but it's really light on me. It reminds me of halloween parties that I used to go when I was a kid: it reminds me of the smell of handmade autumn decorations and apple cider mills more than actual cider.

 

It's a nice blend, but it fades out REALLY fast on me- I have to actually hunt for where I applied it on my arm for testing. I would keep it for layering with something like Chimera to lighten/sweeten the scent, but I'm not sure that I would actively seek this one out.

[yamiko]

In the bottle: Spiced cider, yum!

 

Wet on Skin: Very spicy. I can smell the apple and the orange peel.

 

Drydown (3 minutes): The smoke is coming out more, and I think I smell the sassafras beer, too.

 

Drydown (5 minutes): This is spicy and smokey now, with not so much of the fruit.

 

Overall Impression: This is a perfect autumn scent. Spicy and smokey and fruity and a teeny bit herby, it's pretty much my favorite notes rolled into one scent. Makes me wish it was October and not February!

[RhinestoneHousewife]

5ml Bottle

 

In the bottle: Spicy like a craft store.

 

Wet on skin: Yep, I smell just like Michael's!

 

Dry on skin: The craft store smell has gone away after about 30 minutes and now it's a spicy, slightly floral scent on me. I like it.

[DifferentDances]

Bottle: Almost clove-y, cider with a hint of orange rind.

Wet: Smokiness, with a bit of apples and cider.

Drydown: Smoky clove-y cider.

Dry: Faint apple cider.

 

Need to retest this...

[Lyzz13]

In Bottle: APPLES!!!!! Touch of spice, orange an smoke, but dominated by apples.

 

Wet on skin: cider, orange peel, bit of smoke, it's a comfy scent. Makes me want to hunker down, wrapped in a comforter with a book.

 

Drydown: The warm comfort of cider never gives up. The smokiness never gets overpowering, wood note is there, but subdued.

 

Similar: Punkie Night (tart apple, not cider), Poisoned Apple (Again, more of a fresh apple, but smokiness is there)

 

Final Verdict: One of my favorites. You will need to pry it out of my cold dead hands.

[Penance]

Origin:

 

Tester 5mL from kittenmorag. Thank you again for your generosity!

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I wanted this as much for the bottle (I love the label art on this one and on most of the Sleepy Hollow scents) as for the scent, to be honest. Most of the notes here sound fantastic (I love the smell of burning wood, smoke, wood and oakmoss and I usually like apple cider and apple scents in general). The only thing that has me worried is the sassafras beer, emphasis on the beer. I like sassafras as long as it's not too full-on rootbeer-like. As long as the dreaded beer note (can't stand the smell of beer) stays in the background or, even better, doesn't make an appearance at all, this could be love.

 

First sniff:

 

Mmmm, autumn in a bottle! I smell heavily spiced apple cider, maybe some stewed (or otherwise cooked) apples, a bit of orange (it smells a bit like a pomander to me, in a good way) and a touch of smoke in the bottle. This smells amazing! No hint of beer here and very little wood (burning or otherwise). This reminds me so much of working at the local apple festival every year when I was growing up. My favorite stations were the apple cider press (which was run by an old bike that was rigged to screw the press down when someone sat on it and pedaled, which was usually my job) and the apple butter station. This smells like a combination of the two in the most wonderful way.

 

Wet on skin:

 

No change at all from the bottle. This is all spicy apple cider, warm, cooked apples and just a touch of smoke and wood. This is what I imagined Samhain would smell like before I actually smelled it. This is autumn.

 

Dry down:

 

So good! As this dries, more of the wood and smoke come out, making this even more perfect for me. I still get a strong (and I do mean strong, a little swipe of Fearful Pleasure is plenty) spicy apple cider scent, but it's balanced by smooth, smoky wood and a touch of orange peel. This is everything I've always wanted in an autumn scent. It smells exactly like those October days at the apple festival, which were always, by some miracle, perfect. Nothing could go wrong those days. It was my own little slice of heaven every year, enjoying my favorite season, my favorite month and the sights and smells of autunm.

 

The bottom line:

 

This is nostalgia in a bottle as much as it's autumn in a bottle and I love it. I had to track down a full bottle of Fearful Pleasure after falling hard for my tester.

[LittleMissAspie]

I first got this in 2008 when it came out. It smelt like cinnamon, that's all I could get from it. 100% harsh sharp cinnamon. I put it away.

 

Revisiting it this autumn I discover it's matured into a really nice scent. I still get a lot of cinnamon but it's much more mellow and sweeter. There's a mustiness in the background that might be leather or woods. It's much like the mustiness of the aftertaste of cider* and perry. As I wear it for longer, it turns softer and a little more bakery-like. Yum.

 

*I'm English and I do believe our "cider" is different to Americans. Here it means an alcoholic drink twice as strong as beer, made from apples. It's not spicy and it's best drunk ice cold on a hot summer's day. Cider in America is hot spiced apple juice - cue me being shocked when hearing about American children drinking cider!

[megank4]

this is very nice. Don't know why I didn't get more of it at the time.

Perhaps it has just matured into something nice and mellow.

Don't get any orange peel at all from this. Just a nice apply-wood scent.

[Gin]

Grrr. Fearful Pleasure should be OMGamazeballs, but it's not. Not on me, anyway. I get too much smoke and oakmoss and not-apple. I want apple, but my chemistry prefers to party with oakmoss.