Rain. I have had enough. It has been the rainiest and coldest month on record this April for Western Washington. Ever. And it always rains here, over an average of 66 inches a year. This April statistic is saying something. It says “Please stop. I’m going nuts and I think my scalp is growing moss and I’m moving to San Diego“. (Seriously. Talk me out of moving to California). When I think of the “smell” of rain, I think of moss, mud, or forest scents, you know, evergreens, decaying wood, and fungus. You may find this description “exotic” or something you wish you had in an atomizer. Frankly, I’m sick of it. It’s dreary and gray and is destroying my mental health. But, I have found a rain antidote with, guess what? Rain. Like fire, you fight rain with rain 😉
Many Aftel’s Rain Perfumed Bath Oil doesn’t smell anything like Seattle rain. It isn’t cold or depressing. If Aftelier Rain was a color, it’d be clover green. Aftelier Perfumed Bath Oils are super concentrated and a few drops will leave your bath (and home) very fragrant. Aftelier Rain smells optimistic to me. It smells fresh and innocent with Girl Scout values. I get a tart apple (no DKNY Be Delicious! this is the “real” deal) and this mingles with a hay-like and sweet pastoral chamomile. It’s dry-grassy but still green, reminding me of clover and flower power daisies growing wild on the hillside. Rain is more of a scent after the rain, days after the rain, the ground is only a little wet but all the plants are refreshed and happy. And it’s all so happy that it borders on campy like 1960’s bubblegum pop. And this is why I like it. I also get more sweetness with Rain, but this time it isn’t from honey-like chamomile. It’s from tarragon. It’s green, herbal and sweet like licorice. This makes Rain even more playful.
Rain is a good bath scent because it smells clean and fresh without being soapy. It also has relaxing chamomile but invigorating herbal notes. Who knew Rain could be so uplifting? It’s like the rain here in Seattle is really grungy and Nirvana-ish while the rain in Berkeley is like, I don’t know, The Lovin’ Spoonful. Aftelier Rain reminds me of iconic daisies and barefoot summers. It’s like my fantasy “retro” California scent. 
Like I said, Aftelier natural bath oils are highly concentrated. Don’t put them directly on the skin without a carrier oil. I also like these bath oils because they can be burned in an oil burner to the scent the home.
Notes listed include apple, ravensara, special chamomile from South Africa, and many other essential oils.
An 1/2 oz bottle retails for $45 and is available at Aftelier’s on-line boutique.
Want more Aftelier Perfumed Bath Oil reviews? Here’s one of Illumination.
Oh man, I love your description of this fragrance! I can really imagine what it’s like. The Lovin’ Spoonful, the 1960s, innocent emotions, a postcard perfect vintage image of nature. I’m a shower person, but I would love to get an oil-burner and use it as a home fragrance.
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I wasn’t alive then, but it is how I romanticize California in the 60’s, naive and whimsy and close to nature. It’s so Lovin’ Spoonful 😉 In fact, while writing the review, I bust out the record.
These work so well in an oil burner in an oil carrier. And this little bottle will last forever, longer than naive emotions and fancies.
Well, I wasn’t alive then either, actually, but I feel like I understand the decade in terms of fashion & style (as you obviously do).It wasn’t so long ago that I got a record player, and wish I had that record now to listen to. I need to go LP shopping! I was able to rescue a few of my Mom’s from back in the day. Nothing mind-blowing except for Tom Jones.
Carrie Meredith recently posted..High Illumination- Aura Candles
Oh, I love Tom Jones. And Tony Orlando & Dawn. I wish I had the wardrobe of a 60’s Vegas performer.
Hubs & I both collect records. We have too many and got rid of hundreds. I collect 78s, Victrolas, and radios. I hate being a sentimental person!
Oh, and I knew you weren’t alive then either 🙂
Haha, well, I wasn’t sure how old you thought I was, really. I’m not sensitive about my age at all, I just don’t want people having the wrong idea. 🙂
Do you sell records on Ebay or anything like that? I only have about a dozen total, and I only play two of them. I want to get some more black metal records, old ones if I can find ’em, but a lot of black metal bands still make records too (bless their little black hearts). That reminds me, new Burzum is out!
Carrie Meredith recently posted..High Illumination- Aura Candles
People think I am 10 years older than I am, that’s frustrating.
I don’t sell anymore. I do have a box downstairs I want to rid myself of, no black metal, sorry 🙂
Thank you Victoria for this beautiful review. I made the bath oils for myself because I never take a shower — only a bath and love to (literally) soak in the aroma. The “apple” smell is aroma is from the cape chamomile that comes from South Africa.
I’m a bath person as well and I’ve enjoyed trying your bath oils. Your oils are so luxurious. I love how the oils mix with stem; it’s all very therapeutic. Better than any ‘ole bubble bath 😉
I am in complete agreement, RAIN by Aftelier is exquisite. What really impresses me is the difficulty of constructing such a fragrance naturally… and the risk- in that RAIN is such a popular scent..as a synthetic oil. I was VERY impressed to smell Mandy’s RAIN..it has all of the uplifting charming qualities of the synthetic version … but done naturally! A very happy daisyish scent. The apple note must be key… and the applish chamomile! Really great review, I would have to say “Ditto” 😀
You’ve brought up a really good point. People may already have a certain expectation for Aftelier’s Rain because there are commercial “rain” oils available. Mandy’s goes beyond and above any other “rain” on the market. This one is happy, cheerful, a spring shower versus a thunderstorm.
Thanks for commenting!
I thought about all of what you and Monica brought up when I named it Rain and yet that was what came to be about what I wanted to create with the scent and so I took a chance.
I love the idea of this.