Dead Leaves and Lavender Buds

[izile]

[No additional description given.]

 

Tested at NYCC:

In the bottle: Sharp! The lavender buds here are very astringent and assertive. I don't even get the dead leaves off the top.

Wet: Still very sharp and astringent, the lavender is strong, but the dead leaves are starting to make a showing

Dry down: The dead leaves are helping balance, but this is a much stronger and sharper lavender than I tend to favor. It has a chilly side to it, which seems fitting, but not quite my style.

[PrinceofcatS]

Is the dead leaves note supposed to be like a big burst of old-fashioned dude cologne? I have almost never had to wash something off me in my life, and no perfume has ever made me as miserable as this one did. I think maybe there was lavender in this, but mostly that guy cologne scent. I feel like if you haven't tried a dead leaves scent before try a decant first and do not do what I did! This doesn't smell like real dead leaves or nature or whatever at all. I have so much regret.

 

edit 10/25: I realize i should clarify that this doesn't smell *masculine* so much as it smells exactly like a very old-fashioned cologne to me (and reminded me strongly of one a middle-aged college professor used to wear which was absolutely unbearable). I would agree that it's unisex. I actually like some masculine-leaning things (though I don't tend to keep them; I'll enjoy them but then pass them on to someone who will appreciate them in their collection). This, however, was really unpleasant on me, in part because it's also got ENORMOUS throw. I didn't get any nature notes like moss or dirt (or leaf...) out of this.

 

I also should make it clear that I did wash it off before even the hour mark was past. I had put it on before heading to work and shortly after I arrived I was so deeply unhappy standing in my own scent cloud that I washed it off with water, soap, and hand sanitizer. So this might actually chill out after a few hours (and other notes might come out, like the lavender I got absolutely none of), but for me, it's not worth every suffering the beginning of it ever again. I sent it to a friend literally that week.

 

My hyperbolic review still stands though: if you haven't tried the dead leaves note please don't buy a full bottle, please get a decant. I love nature smells and this was one of the first things I knew i had to blind buy. I was so wrong!

Edited October 26, 2016 by PrinceofcatS

[Akurarei]

Dead Leaves and Lavender Buds is somehow a bit musky, but you can easily detect the dead leaves note, and the lavender is soft & sweet.

I get equal whiffs of the dead leaves and the lavender buds - I do like the musk quality of this one, even though that doesn't seem to be a component.

It's a romantic fall scent - and quite feminine.

[bheansidhe]

Is it masculine? Is it feminine? Time for..... *drumroll* tiebreaker review!

 

However you interpret the "dead leaves" note, this blend is dominated by a sharp, chilly, medicinal lavender when wet. I can see where the previous reviewer got a cologne-y vibe from the mossy, musky base under the lavender. To me it's unisex, but there's nothing soft or feminine about it at this stage. I'd actually peg this as a lavender and oakmoss blend if I were sniffing blind.

 

It becomes softer and more soporific as it dries. Long-wearing, too: I put some on before bed to test its sleepability, and I woke up with my arm smelling fantastic for the rest of the day. I liked it better after 12 hours of wear, honestly... and NOW it's soft and more feminine-leaning.

 

Like many of the dead leaves-and blends, I get "expensive Anthropologie fall candle" instead of "perfume." I actually like this on my skin, but to me it begs to be poured into an oil warmer to scent my room. I also think it would be a great fall sleeping blend (if your bed partner approved).

 

Conclusion: may not be your cup of tea for perfume, but I may buy a bottle for scenting a sleep pillow or warming in a burner. And if this ever gets released as a Post candle, I'm scraping together the coin to buy one.

Edited October 25, 2016 by bheansidhe

[Little Bird]

I wound up selling all of my Dead Leaves blends from last year, because they were just too green and had that watery/aquatic cologne vibe that others have mentioned (which got overwhelming after a couple months of aging). I wish that they had the spicy, dead leaf smell of Falling Leaf Moon rather than this green, wet leaf scent. It's very sharp and sour on my skin, and the lavender is a medicinal, herbal variety.

[poofie]

I blind ordered this, along with two other dead leaves blends, before I remembered that I have NEVER had success with dead leaves.

 

In the bottle, this scared me. Really sharp and aggressively leafy. I finally worked up the courage to try it on after a nice bath and a glass of wine... and it's pretty gentle? I get a powdery, fresh kind of scent from this, with gentle lavender and crisp leaves. It's pretty unisex, I'd say, which I tend to enjoy. I'd say don't let other reviews scare you off if you're thinking about dead leaves and lavender buds; I think it's nice and fresh and kind of soothing, despite how shouty it is in the bottle.

Edited October 28, 2016 by poofie

[seida]

I love this. The lavender is prominent, but the dead leaves add a pleasant spice. It makes me think, "garden in rainy autumn".

 

It starts out more unisex, but it softens and becomes more "feminine" later, I think.

 

I love lavender and this is a really nice one!

[Coldfire]

Decant: sharp rot of leaves. when you kick a pile of leaves and move the wet ones at the bottom of the pile
Wet on Me: okay NOW i get some lavender. Fighting it's way to be noticed from the dead leaves
Drying Down: lavender with that sharpness of the dead damn leaves. Mostly lavender tho.
Dry: the sharpness has morphed from 'rot' to turning the lavender into a colgne with a masculine bent. I was not sure I was going to like this at first but WOW! LOVE!!!

[Casablanca]

Mm, this lavender lady is soft on me, rather than sharp, but herbal and quite present. She is dried and cushy as raked piles on the lawn, relaxed as a drifting leaf.

The leaves note, which is mostly a rustic edge to the lavender at first, rounds out some as this dries, adding an arboreal brown to the light purple scent. Some musk wafts out, but it doesn't smell strange on me.

This could become what bedtime in November smells like.

[HerbGirl]

Prominent leaf note with a soft, fuzzy lavender. Beautiful.

[Carolan Ivey]

Like a number of BPAL scents on me, this starts out like "Oh, jeez, what did I just put on my skin?", which gradually changes to "Ooooh, this is niiiice!"

On my skin, it starts out sharp and pungent, almost peppery. Gradually it softens as it dries, until it truly smells like a pile of dried autumn leaves into which a few sprigs of lavender have been tossed. Just enough to take the dusty edge off the dried leaves. It reminds me of a good, mild pipe tobacco still in the bag.

 

I'd call this a unisex scent. It'll probably morph masculine or feminine depending on who's wearing it.

[LizziesLuck]

Lavender is my fave bedtime smell, and I like the idea of an autumnal bedtime scent!

 

 

Wet: Pretty much as described! Leaves and lavender. The lavender is strong, unsweetened, soporific and medicinal, but in a good way. The leaves are secondary, at this stage.

 

 

Dry: This is lovely. The leaves come out more, and the lavender softens, creating the perfect balance. Just as I suspected, this would make the perfect autumnal bedtime scent for me. I think I'll need to track down at least a partial.

[zankoku_zen]

Lavender and dead leaves. As advertised. Good throw and wear length.

 

This is a soft, comforting, autumnal blend.

[freyasfae]

Is this an assertive lavender?! You bet, and I love her. Technically, the lavender in here is actually of a softer variety because the dead leaves amp the herbaceous qualities of the lavender. I kept finding myself lathering this one all fall and am still debating buying a back-up bottle. If you like herby lavenders, this is a must.

[milo]

I went straight to bottle, as I am a lavender whore:) In the bottle, strong herbal lavender and the lab's dead leaf note. It doesn't really smell cologney to me, as other reviewers have stated. On the skin, it morphs from leaf dominant to lavender dominant. I like this still, but the drydown is the star of the show. I can't really tell if it's leaves or lavender, it's almost like the two have merged and made it's own unique note. It is soft, comforting, almost floral, slightly sweet. It kind of reminds me of the smell of babies, but it doesn't. If I could ever smell an elf baby, this is what she would smell like. Soft, woodsy and sweet with a touch of floral lavender. I absolutely love this, and will probably try to score more. This one is multiple bottle worthy for me, and that hasn't happened in a very long time...Mme and Snake Charmer, I'm looking at you. *Off to swaps pages*

[Bamels]

Just put this on and my OH commented "that smells like glue". He never comments on my perfumes, pffffft! I sort of get what he means though. Pritt Stick. I shall see what it's like when it dries as I had high hopes for this! It's still smelling like glue as it dries, but I can smell the dead leaves coming through now. Argh, OH has ruined it, I want to smell lavender, but all I can smell is pritt stick *sulks*

[achildoftime]

Pretty much what it says on the tin. It's a very snuggly scent for me. I actually really like wearing it to help me sleep. The lavender is very soothing, and not harsh like it sometimes can be. The leaves seem to help with that and give it a nice almost herbal background. I could see myself wearing it on a day where I could use a calming presence, because it really is very soft and soothing to me.

[alyelle]

In the imp: This could honestly be SN Pile of Leaves at first sniff, there's nary a trace of lavender to be had.

 

Wet: On immediate application, the faintest whiff of lavender. I generally amp it, and sure enough, as this starts to dry those grey-green dried leaves emerge, fuzzy and a little astringent, along with the purple haze of flowers. It feels like a sunny winter's day, with a crackle of dead leaves beneath the blooms.

 

Dry: A simply lovely blend of autumn leaves and fresh lavender shoots - a little lighter on the latter. Mild throw, with roughly a 6-8 hour lifespan.

 

Stars: ★★★★½

[LavenderCoffee]

My expectation here was that the lavender would be a sharper herbal variety and I wasn't sure how that would play with Dead Leaves, but I wanted to try it. On my skin the lavender is surprisingly sweet! Certainly not a floofy Lilith lavender, and not piles of sugar or anything, but perhaps the age of the bottle and the contrast with the dead leaves has played up the gentle sweetness of the lavender itself. Or more likely taken the punch out of the straight up herbal scent. Either way this is amazingly lovely and I'm so pleased to have this in my collection now. Lovely Lavender Leaves for Fall.