Dead of Winter launched in 2011 and is part of the The Snowman Cometh Winter Collection. It features notes of anise liquor, vanilla, heliotrope, cedar and zombie musk.
SMELL BENT DEAD OF WINTER REVIEWS
Eaumg.net: Dead of Winter opens with spicy anise/licorice with vanilla sugar. If you want to smell like a Good & Plenty, here you go! And sometimes I do want to smell like candied coated licorice or gourmand anise. And it’s pretty literal, wearing like this for about 15 minutes. And then I get this perfectly soft and fluffy and dreamy heliotrope. The heliotrope reminds me of that perfect, fluffy snow…ski resort snow. The licorice becomes more anise. The base is more almond-tonka-heliotrope with a hint of cedar. Thank goodness, I don’t get any of the rotting flesh of “zombie musk”. This will not be a fragrance for everyone for obvious reasons. Licorice/anise is something you love or hate. Heliotrope is a tricky note. It loves me and I love it. I really enjoy this fragrance but I could see it going Play-Dough on some people. Heliotrope-almond-vanilla is the main theme of this fragrance and you better like those two notes if you plan on liking Dead of Winter.
Fragrantica: This starts off with a big whiff of anise. for some reason i thought star anise was more subtle but in this it's definitely not. it smells like good and plenty. after a few minutes i get some hints of vanilla and heliotrope, like a fluffy white cloud, mmm. that cloud grows but the anise is still strong too and while i don't mind anise in small amounts, it's a bit much here. i don't really get much cedar in this. after being on the skin for quite some time the anise calms down and it is more tolerable for me. at this points it smells like marshmallowy-anise, and is soft and comforting like gourmands often are.
Fragrantica: Do you love Pastis? Ouzo? The opening is very much THAT, boozy anise, and it is delightful if that's your thing. The pastis note dies down after a while, and a nice creamy gourmand vanilla takes over; I find the vanilla sweet, but not overly so, and it dries down to be nice and powdery. It lasts for a few hours before becoming a skin scent on me. I can't pick out the heliotrope or cedar, but I'm not bothered by that.
Fragrantica: This has one of the strongest openings on the skin that I have ever encountered. You need a few minutes to allow it to settle before going in for an up-close sniff as any sooner could render you unconscious. Dead of Winter is my favourite from this indie brand. Despite being a wonderful wintry scent, I can't say that this fragrance encapsulates the scent of Winter. Dead of Winter smells strongly of anise, almost reminiscent of a shot of ouzo. Thankfully I enjoy its licoricey aroma and find it more palatable than most. If you enjoy licorice/anise heavy fragrances, like Lolita Lempicka and Diesel's Loverdose, this fragrance is the new and improved alternative. Despite the dense anise opening, Dead of Winter dries down into a smooth and delectable blend of cupcake vanilla, powdery heliotrope and soft white musk.
