Halloween: San Francisco

[Seismogenic]

HALLOWEEN: SAN FRANCISCO
I spent two Halloweens in San Francisco. It was a sad, strange time in my life, as I was still grieving over the death of my father, and the scent of those nights evokes a sense of melancholy for me still. Rain battering leaves that are already soaked by rain, and the salty mist coming from the Pacific.

Salt air wafting in from the bay. Rain falling on rain-soaked leaves.

The mere fact that this scent exists makes me ridiculously happy. Maybe I should feel a little bad, since the Halloweens that inspired this scent were not Beth's happiest, but that doesn't change the fact that San Francisco is my very favorite of cities. I am madly in love with the place - it's somewhere completely comfortable to me, and I sincerely hope I end up here permanently. I know I'd posted on the forum in the past that I hoped there'd be a San Francisco scent some day, so my squee was over the top when this was released. Honestly, this could have smelled like all of my death notes plus cat litterbox and I still would've ordered it, because it's San Francisco, but even aside from the inspiration, the notes in this sound beautiful. I do well with rain notes and leaf notes, and the description of this is very evocative, even without a mention of the specific cityscape. I admit I haven't been in San Francisco actually on Halloween, but I've been here in all four seasons at some point, and I'm excited to see how this matches up.

In the bottle: Absolutely and completely dead on for a pile of wet leaves. Not leaves that are wet and still on trees, but leaves that have fallen and soaked in the rain. Not getting anything but the subtlest hint of the salt air, though.

Wet on skin: Wet leaves still, but also rain. It's definitely raining fresh new water on those leaves now. It's a clean and soft rain. The salt air is still very very very subtle, perhaps even more so now that there's the freshwater note.

Drydown: Freshly dry, the salt air is a little more obvious. It's still not as strong as the rain or the leaves, but it's back there - and this makes sense, since it's harder to smell the ocean if it's pouring freshwater from the sky. I think the rain note is more prominent than the leaves right now, if anything, but this balance still works beautifully. At one hour in, all three main components are playing well together: rain and wet leaves are pretty evenly balanced, and salt air is subtler over them, but is still present. It's a soft scent, pretty close to the skin, but not actually anywhere near disappearing.

Five hours later: Largely the same balance as at one hour. If anything, the saltwater is more prominent now, and the leaves are less prominent, but everything is still there. It's softer than before, but I don't have to sniff hard to tell it's still there.

End of the day: Salty air, mostly, with maybe a little rain behind it. No more leaves. Very very soft now. I'm only picking up these notes at this point because I'm shoving my nose on my wrist.

Overall: This is a soft, somewhat melancholy, gorgeously evocative scent. It's a blend with distinct components, but in the case of any cityscape - visual or olfactory - it's specific elements rather than a homogeneous whole that really represents the place. I am still so so thrilled with how exactly the opening stages of this smell like piles of wet leaves - I'd say the leaf note is comparable to October or to what I remember of Falling Leaf Moon (though less spicy than the latter), and the rain note is the same one from Visiting the Temple of Auspicious Fortune Alone on the Winter Solstice. At first, to be honest, before the saltwater showed up, that combination didn't so much remind me of San Francisco as of the piles of damp wet leaves I helped rake as a kid in northern Virginia. Once the salt air did come out though - and it's the same salty note as in Phantom Cow of Yerba Buena Island, which totally makes sense, since these scents represent the same Bay - that shifted this to definitely representing a rainy day late in the year in the City by the Bay. My only "complaint," if you could even call it that, is that I wish this had a bit more throw, but I might not be giving that aspect the most fair assessment, since I did wear this through a very busy day (that included walking on the Golden Gate Bridge, riding a cable car, eating chowder in a bread bowl by the wharf, milkshakes in Ghirardelli Square, and general wandering around the Mission District, among other things - really!). But the reason I'd like more throw is because I want to smell this more, and that's because it's gorgeous. San Francisco or no San Francisco, this smells really beautiful. The fact that it represents this City just ices the cake. Thank you so much for this one, Beth!

[tdiym]

I don't get autumn dry leaves, but green leaves, and a slightly grassy smell in there, too. This was the first one I put on from my shipment, and it's green and fresh. It's fairly light on me and faded more quickly than I'd have wished because I like this very much. I have always loved the smell of leaves, so this one is a winner for me.

[Gwydion]

In bottle: Wet leaves and green wood, a gentle salty misty impression. Autumn in a bottle, bright sharp, sad. Seriously. Autumn distilled. Wet: wetter and salteier on the skin. The individual types of leaves stand out against the misty canvass clear and bright. It’s definitely an ocean aquatic. Those are definitely trees and crushed leaves. It’s a love song to Fall near the ocean, a beautiful realization of it’s guiding concept. Dry: Damn. Ocean scent with a touch of green twigs. I thought I’d found the perfect fall scent, but this is not it. It’s nice enough, but it’s nothing like the brilliance of its first application.

[cyberpuff]

In the bottle: Green, leaves and grass.

 

Drydown: This stage I'm reminded of Pa-Pow. Something about the green is similar to my nose/skin. Also the salt is coming forward now.

 

An hour later: Very salty/wet/aquatic over green. I'm not getting anything of dry leaves from this at all, in case anyone was wondering, these are all green and fresh. Which works well for a San Francisco scent- the leaves don't really get a chance to dry before the wind yanks them off the trees.

 

Couple of hours later: This has faded a bit but it's definitely still there. The green and wet and salt are all in an equal balance right now. Very clean. The salt is definitely reminding me of tears, more so than Pool of Tears. It's like you've cried your eyes out all day and have forced yourself to leave your house- you're glad you did but the tears still overshadow even though you're not crying anymore.

 

Verdict: It's lovely. It's a quite a classic type scent, easily unisex, and clean. I'm glad I took the risk of an unsniffed bottle purchase, and may consider a backup before it comes down.

[talula_fairie]

I normally can't stand aquatics, but I took a risk with this one because I am so in love with BPAL's leaves note.

 

This smells exactly as I hoped it would, like a wetter, greener, leafier version of The Death of Autumn. Definite love. I agree with the above review that it would smell fantastic on a man or woman.

 

I've spent Halloween in San Francisco before, and this scent is perfect.

Edited August 31, 2010 by talula_fairie

[AliBabble]

whoa, this one is intense from the bottle - wet leaves for sure, it's almost jungle-y - it does have that ozone quality - clean, bracing, invigorating - sort of wakes you up. it's a little cleaner and "sportier" than what i usually wear...could be fantastic on a rainy day, or by the beach, etc. it's not one i would put on to feel sexy or feminine, or mysterious....but it's a very well-done scent. for those more out-doorsy sporty days, i guess....

[Tracelina]

When I first applied this, it was stunning and evocative--the dry leaves note I love in Chant D'Automne, and the green grass note from A Blade of Grass. As soon as it starts to dry, though, I get a powerful cologney aquatic note. That fortunately goes away quickly, but what I'm left with is a salty, vaguely sweet turquoise aquatic. It's a soft, melancholy, clean scent, and I wish I had a smelly-amenable guy around so I could test it on him (methinks my roommate's cat would protest if I tried it on him! ).

 

I think this deserves a more full-on test, since I love the meaning behind it and the city itself...will update if anything changes drastically.

[jett perilous]

In the bottle it smells like fresh cut grass, and that doesn't change that much when wet on the skin. A few minutes later though, the scent evokes those rain-soaked leaves as salt wafts in.

 

For awhile after dry-down I get a sort of masculine aquatic cologne, but about an hour in I get the same kind of notes that I smell in F5. I love F5!

 

I can't wait to wear this when the weather gets cooler and it starts feeling like fall.

[Dark Alice]

Fresh sea water and grass. Not for me.

[dawndie]

In bottle: fresh greenery, like A Blade of Grass

 

On skin: watery, clean and green

 

Half-hour later: more dust and a bit of sea air from June Gloom '09

 

In conclusion: no men's cologne here, just a combination of a couple of "fresh" elements I like. I've been landlocked for years and really miss salty sea air. This one is beautiful, refreshing and simple.

[strahlend]

In the imp I love it. It reminds me of during the fall when it rains and the smell of damp pavement and wood blends with the smell of the leaves. It's beautiful. I can even smell that on my skin for a few minutes but as it dries down a strong soapy aquatic comes to the front and won't budge. I'm reminded of soapy, clean, typically masculine types of colognes. I can still smell the initial impression of the scent that I liked way in the background but the soap overwhelms it. I'm kind of sad about this because in the imp this is so wonderful. @!# my chemistry.

[fairestrocza]

In the Bottle: Green, aquatic. The scent of leaves, fresh-plucked from a tree.

 

Wet on Skin: Fresh-plucked leaf.

 

While Drying: Fresh and delicate.

 

After a Little While: Leaf note is gone. The remaining scent reminds me of Lightning, but more delicate and less bitter.

 

Later: Low throw, quick fade.

 

Final Thoughts: I am glad I had a chance to try this one. It isn't really my style, but I enjoyed the leafy note up front (wish it stuck around longer) and the citrusy dry-down was better than most such scents are on my skin. A fun novelty scent for me, but nothing that I need to own.

Halloween: San Francisco earns a 3/5 on my skin.

[Antoinette]

I was born and raised in the SF Bay Area and lived in the city proper for a few years before moving out to the midwest. I was so excited for this scent because SF is my most favorite city that I've ever experienced. It will always be like home to me and I've missed it madly over the years.

 

Beth did something really extraordinary here. In the imp I get an aquatic and if I inhale deeply enough I can smell the salt water of the Bay. I don't get too much in the way of leaves with this, which is fine with me. What I do get is the sea air, the SF Bay air that I miss and relish in this scent. On my skin I can close my eyes and inhale and imagine stepping out from the underground BART stations and into the SF air. It's like standing next to the Bay with the glorious fog rolling in and the ocean breeze wafting the sea air over me. I adore this.

 

Thanks to Beth! You made me tear up emotionally with this one.

[angelicruin]

Very green and aquatic on my skin. I've only visited SF a couple times and not very recently, but it definitely invokes a sense of being near the ocean with cool breezes.

[MCS4096]

Initially on skin this is JUST as described. It's up there with October and Leaf Strewn Couch-- mildewy bittersweet leaves, and I love it! I cant get enough of scents like this. What sets this one a bit above the others listed, for me anyway, is that eventually.. deep in the dry down.. this becomes totally different. It becomes super femme, soft, powdery, semi floral. Weird. And this could bother some people, but since I like both stages I'm cool with this since some of the Lab's other (wonderful) dead leaf blends eventually fade into nondescript bitterness. So YAY

 

Edited for spelling

Edited September 21, 2010 by MCS4096

[moosue]

I got this for the "salty sea air" quality. In my experience, that usually equals ozone, which goes terrible on me and causes raging headaches. I'm glad I gave this one a chance.

 

At first it's mainly wet leaves, fresh wet leaves. It almost turns into ozone headache hell, but avoids doing so.

After an hour or so, the leaves take a back seat to what smells like stepping outside from an oceanfront building on a rainy day and salty, cool fresh air hits you in the face.

The leaves are gone at this point, and what you're left with is cool, salty fresh air. I can't believe Beth managed to capture this so accurately. It's not ozone, it's not "ocean fresh" aquatic, it's salty cool air.

 

Downside: the staying power is almost nil. After the hour of wet leaves, the gorgeous sea air scent is detectable only if you sniff the skin directly. Even so, I may need to purchase a bottle as it's the perfect gloomy rainy day scent.

Edited September 22, 2010 by moosue

[Little Bird]

San Francisco has a green note in the bottle, but that disappears on my skin and I'm left with a nice, cool, aquatic cologne. It smells similar to Sea of Glass, but lighter and simpler somehow. It makes me smell clean, but it doesn't turn outright soapy like most aquatics do on my skin. It's not bad, but I prefer Sea of Glass for a similar scent with better staying power...

[Geminirubyshoes]

This reminds me of A Blade of Grass and October mixed together in the bottle, but after I put it on it's so different! definately cool salty sea air. This is very evocative.

[Venneh]

I should really just stop with the aquatics. Or try to figure out what the exact combination in Egle is that makes it so awesome. Aquatic cologne with greeness. *SIGH*

[zagadka]

I got this as a b-day gift for my dood since we both love San Fran, and he absolutely looooooves it. It really reminds me of the drive to Point Reyes. The lighthouse just MIGHT be the loneliest place on the earth- and this scent is full of longing.

 

In the bottle you can smell everything that is described all at once. You have to be patient and try to find them all individually. At first its the salt and earth, then the aquatic notes, then all of the old leaves and maybe a touch of dirt. Smells like a simpler, more straightforward version of Virgo. Earthy, green, sharp at times with a touch of water. Very grounding.

 

On, it is a tad bit sweeter and less fresh. Almost like very lightly sugared cut grass. Reminds of me how in Farenheight 451 where Bradbury describes the smell of fall leaves like cinnamon. Definitely warmer.

 

Dry down, mostly aquatic notes with some fresh greenery in there, maybe a few white flowers. At least this is what I smell on me, I would suspect it would probably smell less clean and fresh on a man since, well, they generally sweat a lot more...

[Sultaana]

I want the San Francisco everyone else is smelling! Mine is a heavy vinegar smell, a bit spicy, like yellow hot peppers or banana peppers in the jar. I went and sniffed the jar of yellow hots in vinegar and then the imp and yep, it's the same smell. Bizarre.

Edited September 29, 2010 by Sultaana

[Akurarei]

Halloween in San Francisco

 

Salty, rainy & overcast - in a bottle!

this scent encapsulates a rainy, dreary day beautifully!

 

I don't smell any greenery/leaves...just salty rain.

[milo]

This ends up being somewhat sharp, wet greenery on me. It reminds me of Vancouver in winter, when it's raining, which kind of makes sense as San Francisco is further south. A lovely, fresh blend that would be lovely in the spring. This is nice, but a little bit too sharp for me.

[Coldfire]

Decant: seawater but not too salty. the docks at early morning when the fog is still out.

Wet on Me: aquatic...no sea salty notes at all. now, more the docks just as the sun is beginning to rise and not quite burn off the fog

Drying Down: almost slightly floral in the watery notes now. not offensive or heady at all.

Dry: Oh Beth. Thank you for making a scent about my favorite city inthe world.

[edenssixthday]

Halloween: San Francisco - I was really looking forward to trying this as I spent much of my growing-up years in the Bay Area and remember many Halloweens in San Francisco. My scent memory is very different from Beth's, and this scent doesn't whisk me back to my Bay Area childhood at all. However, it's lovely. It's a very clean, salty aquatic scent -- the scent of salty ocean mist wafting through the air as opposed to the murky scent of a heavy ocean aquatic. There's definitely a green leafy aspect to this scent. It's as if someone blended Blade of Grass and Sea of Glass, only lighter and mistier. Very pretty, very clean, fresh, and almost sporty.