Sleepy Hollow

Off the cap: Apple brandy Sprayed: It is a bit like taking a walk through my neighborhood on a damp fall night. Wool scarf, thermos full of hot cider spiked with brandy. The overarching impression is of wet fallen leaves. This feels “rainy,” and patchouli-forward for sure, resulting in a bit of a soil impression. Everyone’s yelling Slumberhouse, but this feels like Prin merged with Pineward for me. I’ve smelled 30 or so Pineward scents, and occasionally they’ll take a stab at this sort of inky, damp, dank overgrowth vibe, but I feel Sleepy Hollow sticks the landing better than any of the Pinewards I’ve come across. And there’s a reference in the thread to Prin and Rajesh’s Aranyaka, and I got that too despite the scents not sharing a ton of notes. I think both this scent (and brand) and Slumberhouse are kneecapped by comparisons with one another, so I’d encourage anyone testing to judge Sleepy Hollow on its own terms. If you’re looking for something to fill the void now that Slumberhouse has more or less gone dark, this might disappoint you because it doesn’t dive headlong into Slumberhouse’s old habit of building scents around star frontman ingredients. At the risk of being reductive, for most Slumberhouse scents I’ve smelled, you could name the scent, and then I could give you a one-or-two-word answer for what it smells like: Baque- tobacco, Ore- chocolate, Norne- pine, Jeke- maple, Fjerne- milk & honey, Mond- pumpkin spice. But Sleepy Hollow doesn’t have that same laser focus on one note. It is more ambiguous, more amorphous, and less centered around any one specific thing. And it also lacks the gluttinous, too-much-of-a-good-thing aspect that I associate with most Slumberhouse offerings. But Sleepy Hollow is great on its own terms, though, and if I were Folkwinds, I’d do my best to discourage too many comparisons because I think this deserves a more unclouded sort of attention. I think the name of this scent is perfect because in terms of overall mood, it feels a lot like a spooky autumnal place, and I love that aspect because I tend to be drawn to scents that don’t convey “perfume” so much as “place” or “situation.” I don’t always want to come across as perfumed as much as I want a particular outfit I’m wearing to convey a vibe, and this is definitely a vibe. One thing this scent is not, to me, is comforting. I don’t find it particularly friendly, but instead it feels old, cold, and a bit sinister. To my nose this isn’t about the cozy aspects of fall, but the background sense of melancholy that it brings. I’d say a person wearing this would certainly smell good, but might read as either imposing or aloof, depending on their energy, as opposed to warm or inviting. I definitely get the reference to hay rides, though, as there’s a fluffiness from the oakmoss and hay notes. In the same way a person might listen to a sad song when they’re feeling sad, This will fit into my scent wardrobe for times when I’m feeling wistful or nostalgic. I would not wear this as a pick-me-up, but I think it’s a scent that will work for people who appreciate a full range of emotions and find beauty in leaning into a melancholy mood when one happens to strike. The one thing that is difficult for me to get past is the price. I ordered early and received a black-bronze-capped bottle. Great presentation, but my takeaway as a collector is that I would have been happy with a smaller bottle if it meant I’d be paying less. Since at $400, Sleepy Hollow has been easily the most affordable offering from Folkwinds, blind buying from this brand is a massive leap of faith, and I think fragrances with this type of niche appeal work better when sold at around 30ml so that if a blind buy is necessary, the process doesn’t feel quite as daunting– just my two cents I’m very pleased with this, though, and although I don’t think this is a scent for everyone, I think it’s one that certain people will adore, and that seems to have been the goal in the first place. Great release overall, and I’m glad to say Sleepy Hollow will henceforth feature prominently in my rotation during the autumn months.

John Ashbery, one of the titans of 20th century poetry, described another poetic titan, Elisabeth Bishop, as “a poet’s poet’s poet”. In some ways, I think that Jono Bornstein, the founder of Folkwinds, fits the decryption of a perfumer’s perfumer’s perfumer. I say this because he has focused his fragrance creations in ways few do: “Our scent-scapes capture the great beauty of North America, using primarily natural, American-sourced materials.” There are not all many perfumers that define their goals in terms of creating fragrances based on geography, but perhaps even more importantly on notes that are natural and American sourced. I would venture to guess that the great majority of those who purchase fragrances tend to have a less specific set of criteria in mind when they evaluate fragrance options. They focus on whether the fragrances smell especially wonderful. But a geography of the imagination (the title of an exceptional book of essays by Guy Davenport) does matter when adding up all the different fragrance houses around the globe. I bring up a global perspective because Folkwinds has another perfumer who helped create it: Rajesh. His creations have, up to this point, included notes that are often quite rare and are more often than not from well outside the US. His knowledge of perfumes and specific notes is astoundingly deep and wide. His collaborations with the likes of Sergei Borthnikoff, Prin Lomros, and Antonio Lasheras demonstrate the high regard in which he is held. I have been lucky enough to have tried all his fragrances and have written reviews of most of them. Many are masterpieces. Sleepy Hollow is my first encounter with Folkwinds fragrances. One sign that this house is well respected in the fragrance community is that virtually all of his scents have sold out within a very short time of being on the market. Had I not been given a heads up on when the fragrance would be on the market, I would not be writing this review. Luckily, I do own a bottle and have been wearing it numerous times over the past two weeks. Much of what I have to say about the fragrance does not differ from what others have already said. I agree this is something that should be worn in the Fall for those who live in the climate where Sleepy Hollow is (yes, it is a real place) exists-Westchester County NY). For those of us who live south of this I think it fits perfectly with the weather we mostly have throughout the winter. Today, for example, there is a cool wind, a slight drizzle, and the air hangs close. This fragrance evokes the leaves, the wind, the loamy earth. But it then blooms in ways that make it if not ghostly then at least evocative of hidden worlds. The apple, brandy beeswax and rose might even be called celebratory. But it is more of a whispered celebration. There are no loud notes, no shouts that this is a haunted beast. The fragrance is far more subtle far more seductive. It is darkly light perhaps. Can a fragrance be both worldly and of the earth while also subtly lifting us above the fallen leaves toward the hidden haunts of softly singing sprites? I have tried to wax poetic because this is a lyric scent. What I mean by this is that like reading Keats’ To Autumn”. The poem is filled with wonderful music and with images, but it also doesn’t have any epic ambitions. Folkwinds makes a wonderful entrance, stays on the ground and in the air for a while, but somewhat quickly leaves, a few trailing notes staying on the skin and in the soul. I wish it would last longer as it is so lovingly concocted, but then maybe the longing for more is part of what the fragrance wants from us. On days I have worn this fragrance I find myself spraying myself in the morning, again, late in the afternoon as darkness settles down at this time of year, and again before sleep. Coleridge had his Xanadu. I have my Sleepy Hollow.

Very evocative, extremely good at painting a picture, and that picture is clearly defined -- autumn in a temperate climate, leaves on the ground, something spooky happening in an old house nearby. The other reviews corroborate this. Many of the reviews mention nostalgia, which I think is an effect of the fragrance having painted such a vivid scene. For me, it's autumn visits to my grandparents' place in Westchester County, NY (near the real Sleepy Hollow!), where we'd smash the apples that would fall off the tree in their backyard with a golf club. The apples would mix with the damp leaves and the cool air. It also reminded me of a store I used to visit in Maine as a kid which had, in addition to all sorts of new-agey stuff like crystals, a perpetual stick of incense burning. Eventually I was prohibited from entering the store because they sold drug paraphernalia, and though I didn't quite understand the prohibition, I just knew there was something mysterious and spooky about the place. There's definitely a witchy element to Sleepy Hollow. There are notes that I don't recognize, like amburana bark and jonquil, but this isn't the sort of fragrance that makes me want to identify individual components, as it is so well integrated, and its individual components work together to paint the cohesive olfactory picture described. As someone else mentioned, the liquid itself is thick, and it's very very dark. From a tactile standpoint this seems to fit the general theme -- something a witch may concoct. You wouldn't want to spray it on white clothing, though. But I don't think this is a fragrance for white clothing anyway...

This fragrance is the first ever folkwinds i have ever tried and im very happy with my sample. I was expecting it to be quite apple forward however on my skin its really not fruity. It very much plays into a thick dense spicy vibe. I think the best observation i can personally make is this fragrance isnt really so much about notes or specific smells its more of a presence. Dark, Rich and beautifully seasoned fragrance that leaves a beautiful impression. Opening is quite pungent as if its searching for the notes in a way. However, in my opinion this fragrance really dries into what it is meant to be and to me i get like a smoked oak smell with almost a charred coconut kind of smell. I know this is incorrect due to the notes however thats just what i get and i personally love it. I have just blind bought a bottle of Jasper No Kodo 2 which is huge for me and if it has the same quality was this fragrance i cannot wait to try and leave a review. awesome

I spent a long lovely day with this Sleepy Hollow. This one is unique. At first glance it’s an all natural superbly done Chypre with obviously great quality ingredients....and it could be just wonderful as that....but then there is something that keeps catching your attention. Instead of a citrus opening like most Chypre, there is an autumnal layer of mulled apple brandy and a beautiful dose of amburana bark. And as you enjoy your spiced apple brandy you reach for your old familial wool blanket. A bit rough for wear and definitely a bit lambish but oh so cozy and warm! You settle in beside a mixed bouquet and a flickering beeswax candle. A bit of rose, the dusty night blooming jasmine, honeyed immortelle and a sprig of fresh fir. The crackling leaves and dried grasses from your afternoon walk still lingering. Honestly, it’s all just Autumn in perfection.