Prairie Witch

[Seajewel]

For those who move among the dead-hearted creating, caring and inventing.

Pumpkin rind and wild grasses, bourbon-soaked apples, tonka bean, smoked vetiver, and a mulled brew of star anise, clove, and black peppercorn.

[Diesis]

I put this first impression post on a different thread before the review post was up, so I'll move them here & edit if I need to.
 

     On first few sniffs within hours of receipt:

     Prairie Witch: this reminds me so much of Shadowed Veil but with no leather or blackened notes. I have a bottle of that somewhere, so I’ll have to compare them in a few days. It’s very foodie to me, atm, but the pumpkin, apples, & clove are most noticeable. In the bottle it was like a spiced apple scent. 
     Edit: I compared this with Shadowed Veil & they do share notes, but Veil becomes more leather on me, this slowly morphed in to a sweet spice scent over the fainter scent of a field of tall grasses (vetiver & wild grasses really blend together for a feeling of a field in the fall). The anise, the clove, & the tonka are the sweet note that sort of billows through the grasses & it’s really nice. Could easily be a Weenie. The apples & pumpkins sort of burn off after awhile. The apple longer longest, like harvest ghosts.

     One Week Later: This is still about the same as the second review. But the apple is more fruitful in the beginning & it's a spicy sort of mulled brew of apple wine. It's very cozy, but as the dry down continues, it still does that really beautiful morph to a dry field with tall grasses swaying like a sea & slowly becoming drier as winter approaches. The spices stay from the mulled apple scent to float through the soft, dry grass notes. I am really liking this as a strange sort of Winter is done, but we are still in the dry, dead part of the transition to Spring scent. 

Well done on the this blend.

[LavenderCoffee]

I was hesitant to try this since my skin tends to turn apple and spice notes into craft store/candle nonsense, but I wanted to try it anyway because of pumpkin, bourbon, anise, and smoked vetiver - turns out I may get a full size!

 

On the wand I get bourbon apples, soft smoke, and clove. Freshly applied, this smells like a packet of mulling spice, but thankfully not like candle nonsense. There is a gently smoky grass component, and pumpkin rind is soaking up some of the bourbon and overlapping with the apple. There is definitely fruit at the center of this scent, but it's not "fruity." Clove becomes the most prominent spice for a moment, but then surprisingly allows the anise and peppercorn to peek through. The peppercorn is tickling my nose, but not my skin.

 

Prairie Witch absolutely smells like it could live in the Halloween collection, somewhere between Winds of Autumn and Every Day is Halloween. On my skin it has a moderate throw and weartime, and the last note standing is pumpkin. 

[VetchVesper]

Prairie Witch is a bright spiced apple at first, with a bit of pulpy orange pumpkin in the background. I can't really get past the association of autumn craft store, but that said, this is a complex, upscale version of that time honored, nostalgic scent - nice and homey. There's a freshness to the apple and pumpkin that make me think early fall vs. late fall.  These apples and pumpkins still have the warm glow of setting summer upon them.  The spices strengthen in the dry down but remain well balanced.  I see cinnamon isn't listed, which is a plus for my cinnamon amping chemistry.  So, for those looking for a spicy apple without the cinnamon, look no further. It didn't last very long on me, but aging might help with that.

[starbrow]

I had to pull out my Bourbon-Soaked Apples HG to compare - this is that EXACT note, plus other stuff! If you missed out on that hair gloss, or just want the perfect scent to go along with it, here you go! It's a bit like boozy apple butter to me, with some nice oakyness to give a woody quality to the bourbon apple core of the scent.

 

Prairie Witch is unabashedly apple, more so than Samhain or most of the other Weenies with apple notes, and just a bit of realistic pumpkin, a warm earthy-sweet gourd mashed up and seasoned with spices. I like that these spices don't just smell like pumpkin spice; they really do have the kind of biting darkness you would expect from a combo like anise/clove/black pepper. It makes this a different kind of autumnal blend and rather unique amidst the many options.

 

I get a hint of the resinous not-vanilla of tonka, and more than a hint of the smoked vetiver right out of the gate. It's the same vetiver as Gingerbread Vetiver Black Tea (2021 Yule) but without the strong tannins of the tea to make it go SUPER ashtray. This is mild ashtray, and I think it will age into something even more pleasant. I hope. But just know that there is a hint of ashy grit here, especially early on. I don't get a ton of wild grasses, in case you're worried this will be a green scent, or in case you're hoping for a strong hay/grass element, fresh Prairie Witch ain't it.

 

This is a great Autumn in a Bottle kind of option. If you like bourbon-soaked apples, this is definitely one that you need.

[wolf_truffles]

Mulled spices, crisp apple, buttery pumpkin all swaying in fall grasses. I don't smell a grassy note, but I do get a sort of indescribable "dry" atmosphere from this. Also getting something a little vanilla in the background (bourbon maybe?). Great fall scent! 

[Casablanca]

Ung. This is straight magic.

 

For this girl who prizes The Shadowed Veil as her favorite Weenie and is running low, Prairie Witch is a pot of (autumn) gold. 

 

Potent spices (with star anise and clove in the light), bourbon-stewed apples, and buttery, candle-glowing pumpkins make up the dominant notes for me, but there's a background complexity that includes some dry grasses. I'd swear there was patchouli in this, as in Shadowed Veil, but perhaps it's the smoked vetiver. I do get more of a background woods vibe than just vetiver... the complexity.

 

Lovely and unusually long-lived on my skin. Bottle to happen.

[Lucchesa]

Prairie Witch is a very classic Weenie-type scent, a little heavier on the apple than my usual autumn tastes, but undeniably lovely.  It's got the BPAL buttery pumpkin note with a boozy spiced cider and a little vetiver for that whiff of bonfire.  When I tested it I was seeing out of town relatives who commented on how good I smelled; one even came in for a second hug so he could get another sniff.  So people like it!  and that was a few hours after application.  

[Little Bird]

I've already started to heavily decorate the inside of my house and hoard offerings in the leading up to Samhain and my soul is completely dedicated to autumn in July, so I added Prairie Witch into my latest order and I love her. 

I'm pleasantly surprised by how creamy this scent is and how strong the tonka and non-spiced pumpkin are.  Tonka always smells like a soft vanilla to me with hints of floral and honey, and I'm getting lots of creamy tonka and creamy pumpkin, like it's baked and mashed for pie, but hasn't been spiced or flavored yet.  I expected this to be a pumpkin spice thing, but the spice is subtle and I mostly get the hint of sweet clove and a hint of spiced apple cider underneath all the creaminess and hay.  The wild grass and vetiver smell exactly like wandering through a corn maze filled with hay bales.  

The scent of a soft, vanilla-y perfume on a flowy dress and wandering through hay bales and pumpkins while holding a little cup of hot, mulled apple cider.  So beautiful.

[Llanval]

I think apple notes and I simply do not get along. Prairie Witch opens with aggressive fall spices and apples laid over a rich, lovely bed of vetiver and dried grasses. After an hour, the vetiver and grass lose their brave fight against the apple and mulling spices and the scent wanders straight into candle territory on my skin. But if you love apples and mulling spices and don't dislike vetiver, I really recommend giving this a try. Prairie Witch is a banger autumnal scent that is very long lasting with a big, wild throw. You will absolutely leave a scent trail! If that sounds like your thing, don't pass this up.

[wendyb1063]

This smells just like I imagine a mixture of Jack and Lamb's Wool would smell.  It could be a Weenie, yes, indeed, as others have said.  

 

It does eventually veer into candle territory:  there is an almost waxy scent to it after a while.  Yes, it does have the fall candle vibe, but it is a fun ride, especially when you are looking forward to fall!  

Edited August 19, 2022 by wendyb1063

[zankoku_zen]

Pumpkin cider, almond blossom, and this smells like the fall. Medium throw and wear length.