Scented Musings

Alkemia had a 50% off sale on some of their Arcanum Experiments from 2022-2024, and there were a few from 2023 (and one from 2024) that I had my eye on during their initial release but didn't pick up at the time. I also picked up a few other things before starting a no-buy for a while. Onward!


🌼 Arcanum Experiments 2023: 6 (Soft white florals, juicy pears, spring violets, clover honey, white patchouli)

Preliminary notes: I don't usually vibe wtih pear notes, as they have a tendency to smell like hair products to me, but pear + honey + florals is a great combo, so I couldn't resist my curiosity. It also sounds very delicate and fairy-like.

In bottle: I was expecting this to be a punch in the face of violets, since violet tends to be a pretty overpowering note, but it's not at all. Everything is delicately balanced.

On skin: I can't pick out exactly what the white florals are, but the violets are definitely present here. The pear is fairly subtle and doesn't smell like a hair product like pear notes tend to, thankfully. The honey is stunning in this scent. Overally, it does indeed smell delicate and fairy-like, so I'm glad this one worked out. This is a very pretty, feminine springtime scent.

Verdict: 4.5 pots of fairy honey out of 5.


🍨 Arcanum Experiments 2023: 7 (Jasmine-infused white amber, sugarcane, black currant, French vanilla ice cream, fresh pumpkin, lavender pastilles)

Preliminary notes: I'm not gonna lie, I had to look up what pastilles are, because I thought they were a baked good of some sort. I've had mixed luck with Alkemia's sugarcane note, but pumpkin-lavender-vanilla ice cream is a note lineup that I wanted to try.

In bottle: That ice cream note is sublime and makes up most of the scent in the bottle. There's a candied sweetness underneath it, but it's mostly a very creamy, cool vanilla. Probably the most realistic ice cream note I've smelled.

On skin: This is delicious and fairly complex. The ice cream, blackcurrant, pumpkin, and white amber are readily detectable, but everything else blends in with them. There's something almost peppery in there as well, which could either be an aspect of the jasmine or maybe the lavender. It's cozy, tasty, and warm.

Verdict: 5 bowls of ice cream piled high with toppings out of 5.


🍊 Arcanum Experiments 2023: 14 (A burst of sunny citruses, orange blossoms, musk melon, ginger sorbet, clary sage)

Preliminary notes: Ya gorl is still craving citrus scents. I'm hoping the orange blossoms and clary sage don't overwhelm everything else in here.

In bottle: Waxy orange blossoms and a bit of an herbal edge. It's fairly linear in the bottle.

On skin: Largely the same, but there's something a bit sweet and slightly creamy on the skin, which I think is the melon coming through. This is a really pretty, herbal citrus scent that fortunately doesn't go soapy. I could see some spa associations with this, but it's not overwhelmingly clean. It reminds me a little bit of a more herbal Blue Moon Eclipse, actually.

Verdict: 4 citrus slices sprinkled with fresh herbs out of 5.


🌲 Arcanum Experiments 2023: 15 (Balsam pine boughs, wet moss, forest loam, bay rum, orchard fruits, cannabis flower)

Preliminary notes: This one was kind of a last minute addition. I adore Alkemia's pine and moss notes, so it was a no-brainer. I just hope the bay rum isn't too masc-skewing, and I hope the fruit notes aren't super strong.

In bottle: Definitely not too masc-skewing for me. The strongest note is the cannabis, followed by the moss and pine. I get zero fruit from this, which is fine by me.

On skin: Largely the same as in the bottle, though there is some sweetness from the fruit on the skin. Outdoorsy cannabis is the overall vibe this one gives me, which is lovely. It's bit camphorous as well, but not overwhelmingly so.

Verdict: 4 bowls packed in a forest out of 5.


🍃 Arcanum Experiments 2024: 9: Getting Lit (Egyptian santal musk, oakmoss, Siberian pine, Hinoki cypress, dragon's blood, vetiver root, burgundy pitch, dammar, charred oakwood barrel staves, plumwood, Ponderosa pine, nutmeg, myrrh resin, cocobolo accord, copper distilled patchouli, tabac)

Preliminary notes: What a lineup, eh? This sounds delightfully woodsy and a bit dark.

In bottle: This is complex as hell and very hard to pick apart. It's definitely deep, resinous, and woody.

On skin: The musk and various woods in this are so beautiful. It's very resinous and almost sappy, along with being deep and dark. I can't really pick out anything specific, but this is a really lovely scent. Forest goth if there ever was such a thing.

Verdict: 4 slightly smoky forests out of 5.


💧 Ambre Aquae (Rare blue amber infused with flowering lotus, waterlily, heliotrope, cyclamen, awapuhi, aloe, vanilla grass, rain musk, soft heartwoods)

Preliminary notes: I've wanted to try this for ages. I love aquatic scents, and this sounds beautiful. I read a review a while ago that cited this as smelling like light blue water from an anime, and if I hadn't already been interested in this scent, that would have sold me. That's such an evocative statement.

In bottle: This smells a bit ambergris-y, but with a bit of grass. The anime water comparison is definitely accurate.

On skin: The florals and some greenery come out more on the skin. It takes on an almost masculine-leaning tone, but it doesn't smell like cologne per se. "Anime water" is absolutely apt for this, and it's what I refer to this scent as when I wear it. It's going to be stellar during the summertime.

Verdict: 4.5 unbelievably blue lakes in animes out of 5.


🥂 Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure (Cashmere perfumed with rare Japanese boudoir incenses, luxurious caramel pralines, vanilla orchids, bergamot, orris root, candied lemon peel, a splash of champagne)

Preliminary notes: So funny story, I've had this before and disliked it. However, in my defense, it was during my early days as a perfume hobbyist, and my palate has grown quite a bit since then. All of the notes sound like they should work together to create something sultry and lovely, so we'll see how this goes.

In bottle: I don't know what in the hell my nose was smelling years ago with this, but it smells absolutely divine. There's an overarcing Iso E Super thing going on, with a bit of sweetness from the vanilla orchid and pralines. Definitely not acrid like I remember it being.

On skin: Yeah, I sincerely don't know why I hated this when I was younger, because it's absolutely delightful. It's rich, decadent, and gooey. The caramel pralines and orchids really stand out here, backed up by the warm cashmere and citrus. The incense and champagne are farther back, but they're still detectable. I honestly love this, and I'm really glad I tried it again. It seems to be really difficult to find a good caramel perfume, and this one is probably the sultriest caramel scent I've tried.

Verdict: 4.75 pinups covered in caramel out of 5.


🌾 A Roll in the Hay (Dried hay, fresh green grass, early summer wildflower honey, vanilla grass, vanilla leaf, wild poppy)

Preliminary notes: I've had this one before as well and liked it a lot. It's a cottagecore dream, or used to be.

In bottle: Still very much a cottagecore dream, and it's a sunshine-y day in a bottle. The honey note in this scent is phenomenal, and it blends with the grass and hay so well.

On skin: Ah, yes. Minty hay, my beloved. I don't know which note in this pulls almost mentholated, but it adds an interesting coolness to the scent. The honey note used here is exquisite, as always, but it's warmer than other honey notes from Alkemia. This is herbal without being overbearingly so, and it's very fresh. As I said in my prelim and bottle notes, this is cottagecore as fuck.

Verdict: 5 cottagecore dreams out of 5.


💐 Tulips & Chimneys (Rainy aldehydes, wet asphalt, industrial steam engines, farmer's market bouquets of fresh tulips, Toulouse violets, mint pastels, a warm touch of clove viburnum)

Preliminary notes: My first thought when I saw this was Sophie's flower shop from Howl's Moving Castle, and then I promptly remembered that it was a hat shop and not a flower shop at all. The association still remains though, as it's a little shop with bright colors tucked into a bustling city.

In bottle: Something in here reminds me of my beloved Wilde, despite not sharing any notes with it. The tulip note is beautiful, and it really does smell rainy. There's something almost macaron-adjacent underneath the florals and rain for me, and I'm not sure what that is or if it's supposed to smell like macarons. I don't get any of the industrial notes, but that's alright. It does very much smell like a setting out of a Studio Ghibli movie.

On skin: The florals in this are absolutely beautiful, especially the tulip. There's quite a lot of violet as well. The industrial notes and asphalt are definitely present on the skin, which tempers the sweet florals and makes them feel more urban. The macaron-adjacent note is still there, but not as much. This still very much reminds me of Studio Ghibli movies, which is such a treat. It's a perfect springtime floral with a bit of an edge.

Verdict: 4.75 Studio Ghibli scenes out of 5.


📚 Novella (Delicately spiced Lavender de Provence, steaming Earl Grey tea, tattered old paperback books)

Preliminary notes: Y'all know I don't love lavender, but what I do love is Earl Grey tea and book scents, so I'm willing to give this a spin.

*As a sidenote, I wore this during a period of strong nighttime anxiety once before I did a proper wear test of it, and I can say that it serves as a great calm-me-down scent. The spices and tea are a tad bit stimulating, but mostly, it helped me reset my focus and chill out a bit.

In bottle: Spice, spice, spice, and then lavender-scented paper and a cup of tea on the side. I was expecting this to be more lavender-heavy, but I'm kind of glad it's not. It's well balanced.

On skin: As in the bottle, everything is well-balanced and melds together beautifully on the skin. It's warm, cozy, and comforting. I'm so glad the lavender used here isn't overwhelming or super herbal, and it's mostly about the tea and spice. I don't get much of the bookish notes, but that's alright.

Verdict: 5 comforting mugs of spiced tea out of 5. This is a comfort staple for me.


💖 Caliph's Beloved (Carnation, almond blossom, ambergris, skin musk, cardamom, coriander, Madagascar vanilla, botanical pheromones)

Preliminary notes: As some of you may remember, I mentioned a few years ago that I felt like my eventual to-be wedding scent would have a heavy carnation presence. I received a sample of this a year or two ago, but by the time I got around to testing it, the full size was taken down. I asked Alkemia if they had any left, and they offered to put a bottle aside for me in lieu of something else in my next order. I know what this smells like already, and it absolutely is the scent I want to wear when I get married (within the next few years, potentially).

In bottle: Creamy carnation and soft, off-white florals, with vanilla and gentle spice underneath. This smells a bit different than my sample, but I'm still all about it.

On skin: Honestly, this kind of smells like a bar of white, creamy soap, but in a good way. It's soft and romantic without being overbearing. Way cleaner than I'm used to, but there is a decent amount of spice in there to temper it. It has an almost bubblegum-y quality to it as well.

Verdict: 4 bars of bubblegum soap out of 5. I prefer the batch my sample was from, but this is still nice. Probably not a contender for a wedding scent, though.


💖 Candybox Alchemy (Candied quince, lemon drops, pink cotton candy, Duchess pears in sugar syrup, strawberry bonbons, honeysuckle-infused white amber)

Preliminary notes: This was included with my last order. Thanks, Alkemia team!

In bottle: This bears a striking resemblance to Lush's Snow Fairy in the bottle, but amped up to a thousand. This is a very sweet and sugary, fruity scent. The name and picture in the listing are definitely accurate.

On skin: I managed to spill some of this down my arm and on my desk when testing, so that's a good sign.

It still reminds me of Snow Fairy a bit, but a bit more complex and more citrusy. It's very sweet and pink, almost saccharine and veering on cloying. I do like this, but I have to be in the mood for it since it's so incredibly candy-like and sweet (which isn't surprising, given the name and note composition).

Verdict: 3.75 candies swimming in sugary syrup out of 5.

⚙️ Deus Ex Machina (Fire hardened steel, rusted iron, motor oil, wet cement, burnt copper wires, grey amber)

Preliminary notes: So Fox is an electrician by trade, and the first time he came home smelling like copper wires, something twigged in my brain. I apparently find the scent of copper to be comforting as a result. I've tried Industrial Sabotage before, which is remarkably similar to this in composition, but I can't remember what it smelled like at all. This also sounds very steampunk-y or like something out of the Fallout games.

In bottle: This is mostly cement and metal in the bottle, which isn't nearly as intimidating as it sounds. I don't get any copper and very little motor oil.

On skin: On the skin, this is primarily stone and motor oil. It's still not as scary as it sounds and is quite comforting, actually. Strange and conceptual, sure, but it's "wearable" too. I get a little bit of the copper and other metals in there as well, and a bit of powdery amber(gris). It leans ever so slightly masculine, but it doesn't smell like straight up cologne.

Verdict: 4 industrial machines out of 5.


🔮 Haunted & Bewitched (Egyptian white amber, star jasmine, ambrette seed, rosewater Turkish Delight, pink pepper, Madagascar vanilla, bourbon caramels, aged patchouli, botanical pheromones)

Preliminary notes: I've had this before, and I remember the Turkish Delight note very vividly but not the rest. I think I had this at a time where I was rejecting anything pink or girly-smelling, so it got destashed as a result. I don't hold those same restrictions on myself anymore. If I like something now, I like it regardless of what category it falls into.

I'm also not going to lie, I have a permanent association between Turkish Delight and the animated version of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe from 1979. The scene with The White Witch enchanting Edmund with hot cocoa and Turkish Delight was absolutely magical to me as a child, and it was the first time I'd ever heard mention of Turkish Delight. So naturally, every time I hear or see anything to do with the confection, that's where my mind goes.

In bottle: Ah, yes. Pink pepper-infused Turkish Delight and a splash of booze. The Alkemia team also filled this bottle impossibly full (literally right to the top of the brim), so I'll be good on this for many years.

On skin: Virtually the same on the skin, though it warms up a bit. The Turkish Delight is the strongest note, backed by the pink pepper and caramels. There's a dash of patchouli in there as well, and a tiny hint of florals. It's feminine without being too frilly, and it's sweet without being overly saccharine. For me, it absolutely does evoke that scene from The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, which makes me feel like a magical, powerful badass (at least a little bit). This is a gorgeous, gooey flormand, and I'm really stoked to have it again. It brings me a lot of nostalgic joy from my early days getting into this hobby and discovering Alkemia for the first time.

Verdict: 5 spicy Turkish Delights out of 5.


💘 Love Flight of a Candy Heart (Pink cotton candy, candy orange slices, red licorice, bergamot, pineapple, fresh passionfruit, green figs, vanilla musk, pink pepper, oleander, freesia, Panama rose, frangipani, green coconut water, cashmere musk)

Preliminary notes: Honestly, this sounds super fruity and not like my normal fare, but Alkemia's cotton candy scents always sucker me in (I've literally tried all of them at this point). I also haven't seen a pineapple note used in their scents in quite some time.

In bottle: Tropical, citrusy cotton candy. I don't get much else from it, and it's fairly faint. This reminds me of body sprays I used as a teenager, and I mean that in the nicest way possible. It's nostalgic.

On skin: Surprisingly, the pineapple and passionfruit are the strongest notes on the skin. It's delightfully tropical and fruity. The red licorice rears its head with the cotton candy, and the florals start to peek in as well. It's a very juicy, tropical, summery gourmand. Despite the candy notes, it's not overly saccharine, either. I was initially concerned about the passionfruit, since it's not a note I generally care for, but it works well here and isn't overbearing at all.

Verdict: 4.25 tufts of bright yellow tropical cotton candy out of 5.


🌿 Earthlight (Linden blossoms, wild fennel fronds, jasmine tea leaves, melissa, muguet, citrus bergamia, cedar tips, petitgrain, copalchi, guaiacwood, santal, hemlock pine needles, green patchouli leaves)

Preliminary notes: I've always found linden to be a really pretty, quintessential springtime floral despite not being around it IRL ever, so this was very enticing to me. I love a good vernal floral scent to begin with.

In bottle: Beautiful wet, verdant meadow vibes, which is what I was hoping for from this. I don't get any of the florals outright.

On skin: Largely the same, but somehow even more green on the skin. The patchouli and fennel are the strongest, but the fennel isn't overly pungent and licorice-y. It just smells herbal. I get the citrus and jasmine tea leaves if I try really hard, but this is mostly about the greenery. This is a gorgeous, contemplative meadow scent, and I'm really glad I snagged a bottle of this before it disappears again. My only complaint with it is how fast it fades, but that's alright.

Verdict: 4.75 verdant meadows out of 5.


✨ Ecstasies of Light (White amber, pear blossoms, white figs, bergamot, gorse flowers, winter honeysuckle, osmanthus)

Preliminary notes: I'm apparently still on some sort of lactonic and/or white amber kick, and this is no exception. Pear can be hit or miss, but I love it in Carmen 7, so I'm hoping I'll be able to tolerate it here too. This sounds glorious and glowy.

In bottle: This is hard to tease apart, but it absolutely fits right into Alkemia's ethereal-white amber family of Ghost Fire, Luminae, Supernatural, and others. I get a bit of bergamot and osmanthus, but it's mostly creamy white amber.

On skin: Oh, interesting. This becomes almost cologne-y and aquatic on the skin. The pear blossom and osmanthus are beautiful here, and it's very ethereal-smelling, like a glittering veil. There's a bit of sweetness in there, but nothing candy-like or foody. Honestly, this reminds me of ghosts a little bit, like an elegant ghost haunting the halls of a castle or stately Victorian house. Absolutely stunning addition to Alkemia's white ambers. Definitely a fan.

Verdict: 4.25 elegant ghosts out of 5.


👻 Honored Ghosts (Earl Grey tea, black raspberry creams, rosewater-saffron syrup, cinnamon honey, white amber, vanilla incense)

Preliminary notes: I got a friend of mine into Alkemia a few years ago, and this is one of the scents she sampled and upsized. Raspberry is probably one of my least favorite fruits outside of jam, but the rest of this sounds up my alley.

In bottle: Ugh, god. Bury me with this. I don't get any raspberry whatsoever in the bottle, and it's all deliciously honeyed tea and incense. There's some sort of hidden green note in the bottle as well.

On skin: The raspberry peeks out a very tiny bit on the skin, but it's barely there (which is a win for me). The tea and incense notes in this are sublime. It's witchy and sweet without being overly gourmand. This is definitely fall and Halloween appropriate, but it's absolutely versatile enough to be worn any time of the year too. I'm really glad I finally tried this, because I adore it. It brings to mind the image of a young apprentice witch studying tasseomancy in a room hazy with soft incense smoke.

Verdict: 5 witchy teas out of 5.


💖 Come to Me (Candied rose petals, star jasmine, peach blossom, cardamom-infused figs, pink pepper, orris root, Mexican vanilla, tonka bean, cashmeran, white amber, sugar musk, white patchouli, botanical pheromones)

Preliminary notes: Another one I had and destashed because I was afraid of femininity at the time, or something. I remember liking this, with the rose and peach blossom being the strongest notes.

In bottle: I'm not going to lie, this smells a bit like peach-jasmine detergent in the bottle, which is.. interesting and not what I remember.

On skin: This has always had a SweeTarts-adjacent vibe going on, in which it's very sweet and fruity. It doesn't smell like detergent as much on the skin, thankfully. It has some characteristics in common with Haunted and Bewitched, but this is much sweeter. The pink pepper in this is really nice, as is the peach blossom. I'm not entirely sure if I like this or not, to be honest. It's almost saccharine and a bit overwhelming.

Verdict: 3 slightly overwhelming SweeTarts out of 5.


🌊 Ambre Gris (Ambergris, ocean minerals, sea salt)

Preliminary notes: Annnd another one I used to have. I didn't destash this because it was too feminine though. I don't usually wear oils in the summer because of the heat, but I do remember enjoying this during warmer weather.

In bottle: This, on the other hand, is exactly how I remember it. Saline, aquatic, warm, and to be frank, a bit odd in all the right ways.

On skin: God, this is lovely. Warm, a bit salty, aquatic, and a tiny bit green as well. It really does smell like something you'd find in the ocean, and I love it for that. It's atmospheric without smelling like sunscreen or a generic blue candle. This bears some resemblance to Sandscape (which I think might be discontinued), but I like this much better. Sandscape *does* veer into generic blue candle territory and can be a bit overwhelming, but the warmth and saline quality of this one keeps it in check.

Verdict: 4.75 chunks of ambergris out of 5.

Ahoy! These are very belated, as Canada Post went on strike in mid-November, so I asked Alkemia to hold onto this order until the strike was over to make sure it didn't get lost in the mail somewhere. Canada Post didn't start accepting mail from the States again until January 6th, so these were held for almost 2 months. The next 3 review posts I have queued were in the same shipment, so they're all pretty belated. At any rate, onward!

🍪 Angel's Kitchen (Sugar cookies charmingly decorated with intricate frosting, stained glass sugar, fluffy Southern divinity candy)

Preliminary notes: I have wanted to try this for years, but it's discontinued, and I hadn't ever seen it return until Alkemia's customizable holiday gift set was released this year (still 2024 as I'm writing this. I anticipate that the Canada Post strike is going to delay mail until at least January at this rate, so we'll see if that assumption is correct). I've been wanting a good sugar cookie scent for a while, and I love Alkemia's gourmands, so I have high hopes.

In bottle: The softest, warm sugar cookies you ever did smell (and later, eat). This is delicious.

On skin: Absolutely phenomenal frosted sugar cookie scent. It's warm, vanilla-heavy, creamy, and a bit almond-y. This is cozy as hell, and I love it. This is like, the gourmand side of cottagecore, in my opinion. Sweet little heart-shaped cookies baked with care in a cozy kitchen. Exquisite.

Verdict: 5 heart-shaped cookies out of 5.


🏠 Hexenhausen (A gingerbread house redolent of cinnamon, clove, cassia, tart lemon peel, black treacle syrup, balsam pine, cedarwood, juniper, sweet balsam)

Preliminary notes: I feel like I've actually tried a sample of this before, but I can't remember if that's actually true or not. Either way, spicy, pine-y gingerbread sounds lovely.

In bottle: The ginger(bread) in this is fairly light, and I get more of the lemon peel and pine than anything else, which is a great combination.

On skin: Largely the same as in the bottle. The pine note in here marries beautifully with the gingerbread, and the lemon keeps everything fresh and crisp. This reminds me of Nui Cobalt's Gingerbread Sanctuary a bit, minus the lavender. This is definitely less foody and more atmospheric, however. A really lovely, fresh and festive scent.

Verdict: 5 gingerbread houses tucked away into a forest out of 5.


🌹 Rosa Alchemica (Dark red roses, rhubarb, dark plums, Chambord, spicebush, cassis, lemon verbena, dark golden amber, vanilla-infused patchouli, opoponax, labdanum, guaiacwood, botanical pheromones)

Preliminary notes: While browsing through the Last Chance section, I came across this scent, which sounds delightful. I love Rondeaux d'Amour, which is another discontinued rose-plum-amber-patchouli-vanilla scent, so I'm curious as to how similar this is to that. Rosa Alchemica has some very dinstinctly different notes that Rondeaux doesn't have, so I'd wager they're different enough to have both.

In bottle: Ooo, dark and decadent, this one. The rose and plum combination is absolutely gorgeous, and it paints a picture of royal purple-colored velvet.

On skin: Virtually the same as in the bottle. The plum note in here reminds me of the one in Deep Midnight's Nocturnis, which is my all-time favorite plum scent. Overall actually, this scent is very similar to Nocturnis to my nose, but if Nocturnis was a deep, ruby red instead of dark purple. This is almost exclusively about the plum and rose, and everything else blends into the background to deepen it. This is exquisite and a scent fit for vampiric royalty.

Verdict: 5 swaths of deep purple-red velvet out of 5.


🔥 Foxfire (White sugar ambers, swirls of jasmine aldehydes, night-flowering nardo)

Preliminary notes: I have (and love) Ghost Fire, and I'd never actually tried Foxfire until I received a free sample of it in a previous order. Immediately fell in love with it and needed to upsize it. I contemplated getting the Ultime format, but I have pretty good luck in terms of longevity with Alkemia's extraits, so I didn't bother this time. I'm a huge fan of Alkemia's white amber scents and have tried the vast majority of the ones they offer at this point, save for a few newer releases.

In bottle: Strangely, this smells a bit soapy in the bottle, which I didn't get at all from the sample. Odd.

On skin: Not soapy on the skin at all, thanksfully. This is very similar to Ghost Fire, but this is obviously floral, whereas Ghost Fire is not. It's a very sweet, sugary white amber scent, and it kind of reminds me of floral cotton candy. I may still eventually get an ultime of this, but for now, I'm content with the extrait. If you like white amber or Ghost Fire, definitely check this one out.

Verdict: 5 tufts of floral cotton candy out of 5.


🌲 Viridis Arcanum (Turkish galbanum incense resin, Russian leather, the fresh tips of coniferous Siberian Forest greens)

Preliminary notes: I've had this scent before, and I remember it being kind of odd but very heavy on the evergreens, which is something I'm craving (how strange, craving evergreens a month before Christmas as of writing this prelim. Go figure).

In bottle: Ah, yes. Incredibly deep, dark leather and conifers. A dream combination for a rugged witchy type, or maybe even a werewolf.

On skin: Oh man, the galbanum in this is beautiful, and it takes center stage on the skin. The conifers become almost mentholated, and the leather is nice and deep. This smells like a very classic, old-style perfume to me, and there's something mature about it. I don't normally say things like this, but this scent requires a specific kind of personality to pull off effectively, and a lot of confidence. It's definitely not for the faint of heart. If you like woodsy leather scents though, give this one a whirl.

Verdict: 4 leather jackets in a pine forest out of 5.


🍰 Surcie (Rosewater chiffon, soft jasmine musk, mandarin orange, creamy vanilla, Egyptian amber)

Preliminary notes: You know.. you'd figure I'd stop buying Alkemia's fruity gourmands after realizing that several of them don't work for me, but here we are again. This one is significantly less "busy" than other ones I've tried, such as Carnival of Illustrious Hearts, so I have hope.

In bottle: This smells incredibly faint. I can get a bit of mandarin, vanilla, and amber if I try really hard, but I can barely smell this. This one absolutely needed additional time to rest before I could actually smell it properly, and even then, it's still fairly faint.

*An important note about this one: my bottle needed to rest for a few weeks before the scent truly settled. I don't usually have to rest Alkemia scents, but this one absolutely needed it.

On skin: Still fairly faint, and it's been quite some time since I got this now. I can smell the mandarin, jasmine musk, and vanilla, but not much else. It does smell fairly cake-y as well. I really wanted to love this, but it's so light and barely there that I can't really give it proper judgement, unfortunately.

Verdict: 3 illusory cakes out of 5.


🥧 Slice of Heaven Alchemy (Freshly baked sweet pumpkin and golden pecan pies, vanilla, velvety tonka, glowing spices, frankincense)

Preliminary notes: This was November's GWP scent, and it just sounds fantastic, doesn't it? I don't believe I have anything in my collection with a pecan or pecan pie note, so.

In bottle: Exactly what it sounds like. Delicious, warm pumpkin and pecan pie with vanilla and spices. Scrumptious.

On skin: Again, pretty much exactly what it sounds like. The frankincense and tonka come out more on the skin, but it's largely about the warm pumpkin and pecan pies with some vanilla. This would make a great fall holiday scent. I don't have much to say about it, honestly, beyond it smelling absolutely delicious.

Verdict: 4.75 fall pies out of 5.


🌼 Vanille Layering Note (Tahitian vanilla, Madagascar vanilla)

Preliminary notes: This was another GWP, for going over the order amount threshold for the single notes. I'm not overly interested in most of the single notes, but this is one of the newer additions, and I'd like to have at least one straight up vanilla scent with nothing else to detract from it.

In bottle: Strangely fruity and coconut-y, which I suppose isn't a bad thing but definitely not what I was expecting from a vanilla single note. It smells a bit like sunscreen, actually.

On skin: So very oddly fruity. This reminds me of something from my childhood, but I can't pin exactly what it is. Some kind of candy, i think? Like, some sort of pineapple-coconut hard candy. Actually, yeah, that's exactly what this is to me. Pineapple-coconut candy or a pina colada. I would absolutely never register this as a vanilla scent if it wasn't in the name, because it smells nothing like vanilla at all. I still like it, and it'll be nice to wear in the warmer months, but as a vanilla-heavy scent, this is a bust.

Verdict: 4 for the pineapple-coconut candy/pina colada vibes, 0 for vanilla accuracy. The vanilla does come out after a while, but it's still not a vanilla-forward scent to me.


🎄 Winter Forest Alchemy (Snow-dusted evergreens, fallen oak leaves, blue juniper berries, oakmoss, green patchouli, ruby red cranberry, woodsmoked vanilla, bayberry, fresh baked gingerbread)

Preliminary notes: So I actually asked for Vanille to be swapped out for this after December started, since it sounds absolutely delightful (not that Vanille doesn't, but choices), and Alkemia opted to include both, among some very kind words. Many, many thanks, Alkemia team!

In bottle: The holiday season in a bottle, truly. The evergreens, woodsmoked vanilla, and deeper notes are all at the forefront. There's a very slight herbal quality underneath that.

On skin: Oh man. So the woodsmoked vanilla comes out a LOT more on the skin (mostly the woodsmoke), which is heavenly. The camphorous evergreens are still there, and there's a slight fruitiness as well (my nose is reading it as bayberry as opposed to cranberry). It's a little bit medicinal, but not in an offensive way. I'm a big fan of Alkemia's evergreen and smoke notes, and this is no exception. Lovely.

Verdict: 4.25 holiday forests out of 5.

I had an issue with the first shipment of some of these getting sent back before they went through customs, which wasn't BPAL's fault, and then Canada Post went on strike in November, so these took longer to get here than I had anticipated. Then, I ended up moving a few days after the parcel finally showed up, so this post is very late. My apologies!

A little Halloween in early winter action never hurt anyone, so let's Nightmare Before Christmas this place up!

(Some of these aren't technically Weenies, but they either came out around the same time or otherwise fit the theme of Halloween/fall)

🍬 Sweet Tooth (Scorched candy corn and melted toffees)

Preliminary notes: Honestly, if it wasn't for this scent, I probably would have bypassed the Weenies this year. I can't resist candy corn or toffee notes on their own, and I've never seen them together. The scorched aspect of this really interests me as well, so I'm curious as to whether this will just be a goopy sugarbomb, or if there'll be a bit of a smoky edge to it.

In bottle: Oh my goddd, this is SO toffee-heavy, which is exactly what I wanted from it. The candy corn melds into it as well, so it's very sweet and sugary. I get a tiiiny, tiny hint of smoke beneath that.

On skin: Be still my heart! This has the same toffee note as Drink Me, which is one of my very favorite BPAL scents. There's also something in here that reminds me of plastic witch noses from the 90s, and by that, I don't mean this smells like plastic (because it doesn't at all). The specific noses I'm thinking of had a sweet, almost fruity, almost melted candle wax smell, and I loved it.

This definitely has the same melted wax quality to it, and I love it. Sweet, melted wax and toffee with maybe a teeny tiny hint of a wispy smoke note, but it's barely there. I don't get anything scorched, but melty is definitely a good descriptor for this one. Delicious, melty, caramel-y goodness.

Verdict: 5 melty chunks of toffee out of 5.


🍂 The Autumn Folk (Hay-dusted oak, honey mead, pumpkin rind, vetiver root, corn husk, maple leaves)

Preliminary notes: Corn husks always remind me of our local pumpkin patch, and the rest of the note lineup here kind of fits that theme as well. It sounds like a delightful, dry autumnal atmospheric.

In bottle: Oh, wow. Warm and cozy right off the bat, which I wasn't expecting for some reason. The mead, corn husk (such a beautiful note), and oak are the strongest notes. I smell something a bit buttery as well, which is probably the pumpkin. The vetiver isn't acrid at all.

On skin: This is quite pretty! The mead is reading as almost citrusy to me, and everything else melds with it so well. There's a butteriness from the pumpkin, an earthiness from the oak, vetiver, and corn husk, and a bit of sweetness from the maple leaves and mead. It's delightfully autumnal, and a sunnier scent than the description would have one believe. To me, this is an early autumn scent, and it encapsulates the imagery of sunlight peeking through branches in an orange and gold copse of trees. Love it.

Verdict: 5 golden autumn days out of 5.


🎃 Vintage Pumpkin Blow Mold (White musk, sweet orange, crystalline amber, pumpkin rind)

Preliminary notes: I bought Vintage Ghost Blow Mold last year and LOVED it, so this was kind of a no-brainer. I'm also a fan of sweet orange notes.

In bottle: Oh, this is pretty. Weirdly enough, it kind of reminds me of eggnog (or maybe white chocolate), but if it was flavored with orange (which sounds kind of gross, but I promise, it smells better than it would taste). I'm curious to see if the eggnog vibe translates onto the skin.

On skin: First off, I love the orange note in this and might have to keep an eye out for it in the future. The eggnog vibe that was in the bottle is completely gone on the skin. It's all about the orange and white musk, which go together beautifully. Something about this smells sparkling and upscale, like an elegant person in white furs standing underneath a crystal chandelier. It's gorgeous and refined. Despite the (spiced) pumpkin and orange, I wouldn't categorize this as a gourmand at all. Vintage Ghost Blow Mold is absolutely a milky gourmand, but Vintage Pumpkin Blow Mold is just a really pretty, citrusy mood scent.

Verdict: 4.75 glittering pumpkins out of 5.


🎃 Jolly (Pumpkin cream, caramel-coated marshmallow, crushed candy corn, lemon peel, belladonna honey)

Preliminary notes: Pumpkin, caramel, AND candy corn? Yes, please.

In bottle: Surprisingly biting/herbal in the bottle! Once again, there's something in here that reminds me of holiday foods, and I'm not sure what it is. I don't get the pumpkin outright, but I do get a very thick, caramelized cream note. This has a sinister edge to it as well, like being presented a picturesque dessert that's been poisoned.

On skin: This reminds me of something I've smelled before, but I have no idea what it is. Something in here is reading as slightly vegetal, and I'm not sure if it's the pumpkin cream or honey. It has an almost.. dare I say, aquatic or saline quality to it, and I have no idea where that's coming from. I definitely get all of the sweet candy goods, a tiny glimpse of the lemon peel, and the honey note, which is clear and thin. This is still very much an inviting but sinister scent, and I think that's a really fascinating dichotomy to be able to capture in scent format.

Verdict: 4 sinister desserts out of 5.


🎃 Pumpkin Sugar (Crystallized glittering shards of lightly spiced pumpkin sugar)

Preliminary notes: This was kind of a last minute addition to the order. It was a toss up between this and the Candied Apple single note, but I'm very picky about apple notes, so I figured this would be a safer bet.

In bottle: I mean, it's exactly what it says on the tin: pumpkin spices and sugar. There's something a bit dusty and a tiny bit vegetal in there as well, which I would wager is a pumpkin note.

On skin: Delicious, sweet pumpkin spice and sugar. There's a little bit of a buttery pumpkin note in there, but my skin amps cinnamon, so it's mostly cinnamon and sugar on me. Actually, this reminds me of Possets' Sticky Buns a bit, but this is less intense/syrupy. Pumpkin Sugar is linear but really pleasant, and it'd be perfect for layering with other scents that need a bit of a sweet, spicy kick, or with gourmands (layering this with a black tea scent would be delightful, I feel). This is a perfect seasonal transition scent between fall and winter, as the cinnamon gives it a bit of a holiday vibe.

Verdict: 4.5 sugar and spice mixtures out of 5.


🎃 Knave of Pumpkins (Crushed roses, red currant, pumpkin tarts)

Preliminary notes: I had a free sample of Knave of Hearts and really liked it, so a pumpkin variant of that caught my attention immediately. This has red currant, however, and Knave of Hearts has blackcurrant, so it'll be interesting to see how that compares.

In bottle: Knave of Hearts but sweeter, is basically what this is giving me. Once again, I don't get any pumpkin outright, but the tart note in this compared to OG Knave is very custard-y.

On skin: This is similar but also quite different to OG Knave. The use of red currant instead of blackcurrant really stands out, and it meshes with the rose note really well and gives the blend a more candylike, playful vibe. My boyfriend clocked the pumpkin tarts right away, but I couldn't smell them for a while. I smelled the pastry note from the tarts and something creamy/custard-y, but not the pumpkin itself until maybe 10-15 minutes into the drydown. The pumpkin is interwoven with the custard and is very subtle, at least to my nose. Either way, I like OG Knave a lot, but I think I like this even better. My boyfriend loves it too.

Verdict: 5 heart-shaped tarts dripping in red currant juice out of 5.


🎃 Dead Leaves, Burnt Marshmallows, Clove Cream, and Whiskey (Dead leaves, burnt marshmallows, clove cream, whiskey)

Preliminary notes: I've only tried two Dead Leaves blends prior (Dead Leaves on Fire and Dead Leaves, White Sandalwood, and White Moss), but I loved them both. I am a sucker for a good burnt/toasted marshmallow note, but I've never actually encountered a realistic one. I'm hoping it's realistic here. I also love clove and whiskey notes, so this one was a no-brainer.

In bottle: The first sniff of this was.. bizarre. I don't have words to describe it. After that, the Dead Leaves note is the strongest, followed by a gorgeous clove. This smells more "natural" and realistic than Dead Leaves on Fire to me.

On skin: The clove cream definitely packs a punch. You also get the classic, vegetal Dead Leaves note, a bit of the whiskey, and miraculously, the burnt marshmallow note makes an appearance as well (though the marshmallow smells toasted as opposed to truly charred).

The whole thing has a very toasty, almost holiday pudding vibe to it, which I think is great for the transitional period between fall and winter. I wasn't sure about this in the bottle, but on the skin, it's absolutely lovely. Spicy, toasty, and warm. This is very clove-heavy, so if you're not a fan of clove, definitely skip this one.

Verdict: 5 clove-y holiday puddings decorated with fall leaves out of 5.


🎃 Bourbon-Soaked Pumpkin Peanut Butter Fudge (Bourbon, pumpkin, peanut butter fudge)

Preliminary notes: I have a pumpkin and peanut butter candle that I burned off and on during the fall and loved it, so if this is even remotely similar, I'll be over the moon about it.

In bottle: Spiced bourbon and caramel, oddly enough. The peanut butter is very subtle.

On skin: This is quite strong upon initial application. There's a giant, cinnamon-spiced, boooozy bourbon cloud that blooms up from the skin. Underneath that, there's a tiny bit of a vegetal pumpkin, but it's mostly bourbon and spice. I don't get any peanut butter, and the sweetness of the fudge is fairly subtle. This is very rich and spicy, despite not being overly sweet. Huge sillage on this one.

Verdict: 4.25 spiced bourbons out of 5.


🎃 Pumpkin Bliss (Honey-dusted milk chocolate pumpkin bites)

Preliminary notes: The original Bliss, to me, smells like warm chocolate chips. As if you just took a pan of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies out of the oven, but there's no smell from the cookies themselves, and it's just the scent of baked chocolate. I'm curious as to how a pumpkin note is going to meld with that.

In bottle: This definitely has cinnamon in it, or at least that's how it smells in the bottle. I don't get much of the original Bliss DNA in this.

On skin: Honeyed cinnamon bark with a tiny bit of chocolate underneath. Whyyy, skin chemistry. That's quite disappointing. No baked chocolate, no cookie-like note, just sweet cinnamon. That's 100% a result of my skin amping it and not a fault with the scent itself, as I have this issue fairly often. I didn't expect this to have cinnamon in it at all, so that's a bummer. If I had known that, I would have just gotten a bottle of OG Bliss. Oh well.

Verdict: 2 cinnamon-scented disappointments out of 5. Again, not a fault of the scent itself, but a huge bummer.


🎃 Pumpkin Latte (Espresso, pumpkin syrup, smoky vanilla bean, milk, raw sugar, a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg)

Preliminary notes: As mentioned in other review posts, I can't drink coffee, but I sure do love the smell of it. I've never had a PSL, but this sounds divine.

In bottle: Yup, that smells like a spiced latte. I don't get any pumpkin outright, but the rest of the notes are there. When I first got this, it smelled like stewed tomatoes in the bottle, which is an experience I've had with coffee scents before, for whatever reason.

On skin: Oh look, our friends Stewed Tomatoes are back. I think it's the cinnamon mixing with something else that's causing that, but I'm not sure. I don't get any coffee or pumpkin, just spicy stewed, syrupy tomatoes. Not into it.

Verdict: 0 cans of stewed tomatoes out of 5.


🎃 Apple Cider Donuts (Apple cider, donuts)

Preliminary notes: As soon as I saw this in the Virtualcon announcement email, I knew I had to get it. I haven't had stellar luck with BPAL's pastry/baked good notes in the past (they tend to not be as full-bodied or realistic as I'd like), but this also includes apple cider. Even if the donut note isn't realistic, I'll still like it if the cider note is good.

In bottle: Well, this is slightly disappointing. No baked good notes to speak of at all, but a very nice apple note.

On skin: Ahhh, there it is. Rather than a donut though, I get an almost fritter-y note beneath the apple, and even then, it's still 95% apple. A tiny bit of spice as well, but not to the point where my skin is amping it, thankfully. The apple note in this is very fresh and almost cooling, which is my preferred kind of apple note.

As this wears, the fritter-like note becomes a bit stronger, but the apple is the star of the show. I definitely wouldn't call this a strong gourmand or baked good scent, but I also tend to be slightly disappointed with BPAL's gourmands in general. They aren't quite foody enough for me most of the time. Regardless, I do like this a lot, even though it's nowhere near smelling like a donut.

Verdict: 4.25 fresh apples out of 5.


🎃 Hot Buttered Apple Cider (Hot apple cider, melted buttery swirl)

Preliminary notes: Hot apple cider is one of my favorite things during the fall and winter, so this sounds perfect since we're quickly approaching colder weather as I'm writing this.

In bottle: Rather than apple cider and melted butter, I'd say this smells like apple cider buttercream. There's a very distinct frosting-like quality to this.

On skin: Still very much apple cider buttercream. I almost wonder if there was some sort of labeling issue and this is actually Apple Cider Donuts, but then a strong butter note comes out, and it's very clearly not mislabeled. This is like a hot apple dessert with a fat pat of butter on top and is decidedly more gourmand than Apple Cider Donuts. If you don't like butter, I'd recommend avoiding this, since the butter note is very realistic and rich. I love this.

Verdict: 5 pats of butter on a warm apple dessert out of 5.


🎃 Pumpkin Gingerbread Creme Brulee Pie (Scorched pumpkin creme brulee in a gingerbread crust)

Preliminary notes: This has been on my radar for quite some time now, and I figured I might as well get it with the other pumpkin scents I picked up. Not technically a fall/Halloween scent, but.

In bottle: More or less exactly what it says on the tin. The pumpkin note here is the most realistic one I've come across from BPAL, and it smells like straight up pumpkin puree.

On skin: This is delicious. Slightly overcooked pumpkin puree, spicy gingerbread, and a bit of thick cream. This is probably the most realistic gourmand I've tried from BPAL, and it's one of their best for sure. Absolutely perfect pumpkin dessert scent.

Verdict: 5 gingerbread-y pumpkin pies out of 5.


🎃 Chocolat Viennois (A warm mug of dark chocolate and cream with a dribble of blood)

Preliminary notes: I don't usually vibe with chocolate notes, but after trying the original Bliss, I'm a fan of BPAL's at least. I've also been craving a hot chocolate kind of scent lately.

In bottle: Rich, dark chocolate for sure, with a bit of cream and either cherry or dragon's blood (or both) underneath.

On skin: Virtually the same, but richer and less creamy. The chocolate is very dark, and the cherry-dragon's blood combo is holding strong beneath that. There's something almost floral in there as well, which could just be the dragon's blood being extra punchy. After a while, something a bit vegetal and metallic comes to the surface, which smells almost mushroom-y. I liked this before the metallic/mushroom note popped up, but once that happens, it makes me a bit nauseous.

Verdict: 4 mugs of hot cocoa out of 5 before the metallic note pops up, 2 chocolate-covered mushrooms out of 5 afterward. I don't think I'm going to be able to wear this.


🎃 Snakes in the Berry Sonker (Snake Oil, baked blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, warm pastry crust, vanilla ice cream, molasses)

Preliminary notes: The only Snake Oil variant I've tried is Snakes Basking in the First Sunbeams of Spring, which I didn't like. The orange blossom was way too sharp for me, and it just wasn't my thing. I've sampled regular Snake Oil and like it, but not enough to buy it on its own. Mostly, I was thinking about blueberry scents and this one just happened to get released around the same time, so I was willing to take a gamble on it.

In bottle: Definitely Snake Oil, with a ton of berries dumped on top.

On skin: Snake Oil, but make it baked. The pastry crust and ice cream are the strongest underneath the Snake Oil, though the berry notes are very close behind. There's something salty and almost astringent in here, and that's a problem I had with Snakes Basking as well (which leads me to believe that Snake Oil variants just aren't for me). I don't dislike this, but I'm not over the moon about it either. I think I've finally accepted that I need to stop buying Snake Oil flankers.

Verdict: 3 baked berries out of 5.


🍯 Dead Leaves and Honeycomb (Dead leaves, honeycomb)

Preliminary notes: The honeycomb got me, y'all. I haven't tried many BPAL scents with honeycomb notes (Elf and Strawberries & Honeycomb specifically), but I am familiar with the Dead Leaves note. I'm curious to see how the two interact. I'm hoping for kind of a wild beehive in the middle of a fall forest vibe.

In bottle: Strictly just the Dead Leaves accord. I don't get any honeycomb at all.

On skin: Mostly the Dead Leaves accord (which smells fresher than in other DL variants I've tried), and lovely, warm, golden honeycomb beneath that. There's something almost lemony (or maybe mandarin-y. Definitely a citrus of some sort) in here, which further adds to the golden feel, like an autumn afternoon in a forest, with rays of sun breaking through a copse (I know I said something very similar about The Autumn Folk, but it's true in both cases). The leaves in this one smell like a yellowing green as opposed to truly dead, which I think is really interesting in contrast with the other DL scents I've experienced. This will be a lovely late-summer-into-early-autumn transitional scent, and a lovely autumnal scent in general. The more it wears, the more I like it. This is a beautiful and evocative entry into the Dead Leaves series.

Verdict: 4.75 wisps of yellowing leaves swirling around a beehive in a forest out of 5.


🎃 Moroccan Pumpkin (Pumpkin spices, warm musk, carnation, red sandalwood, cassia)

Preliminary notes: Ah, the last of my chosen Pumpkin Patch scents for this year. I was curious about this one but wasn't overly interested in it until I started seeing reviews of it, most of which cited a hidden buttery pumpkin note. I've been craving a good carnation-y gourmand lately as well, so.

In bottle: Hm.. I don't know about this. There's something in here that's a bit cloying to me, but I don't know what it is. Maybe the sandalwood? It's very warm and spice-heavy, which is nice.

On skin: I think I figured out why this is so offputting for me. Something in it smells vegetal and very similar to celery, which is one of my least favorite scents on the planet. It's like, spicy celery with a touch of cayenne on top, which is.. to be quite honest, it's atrocious. If you like spicy, heavy sandalwood notes, this might be a holy grail for you, but it makes me feel a bit ill.

Verdict: 0 stalks of spicy celery out of 5.


🕯️ Guttering Candle (Beeswax, a blackened wick, a shuddering gust of smoke)

Preliminary notes: Y'all know me and my beeswax/candle scents. As of writing this prelim (in late October), the only review I've seen of this was in a BPAL livestream from a bit ago, which didn't paint as much of a picture of this scent as I'd hoped.

In bottle: Much deeper and darker than The Lights of Men's Lives, which is what I expected this to smell like.

On skin: Oh, man, this is good. The beeswax is definitely the same as in The Lights of Men's Lives, but the smoke in this is exquisite. It really does smell like a still-warm candle that was just blown out, which isn't an easy thing to replicate in scent form. The Lab's description of "rivulets of beeswax" is definitely apt, as this smells thick and melty. There's a very tiny hint of sweetness in here, but it's largely smoke and beeswax. I almost passed this up, because how many smoky candle scents does one really need, but I'm very glad I bought this. This scent has a very odd cozy-but-unsettling vibe to it as well, which I find fascinating.

Verdict: 5 melty, freshly blown out candles out of 5.

The Highwayman (Fine linen, riding leathers, cool night air, forest oakmoss, a pinch of gunpowder)

Preliminary notes: I've wanted to try this since I started purchasing from Alkemia years ago but never have, and somehow never ended up with a sample of it after all this time either. Felt like the right time to finally explore it. This scent has gone through several reformulations, it would seem. Some older versions have campfire smoke and bloodstained lace as notes, but the current version does not, or at least they're no longer listed.

In bottle: The leather used here is one I recognize from other Alkemia scents, and all of the notes are present and distinguishable from each other as well. I was a bit worried about this one being too masculine, but in the bottle, it's perfectly unisex.

On skin: Largely the same as in the bottle, though there's something that leans almost wormwood-y in the background as well. I really love the dark, mysterious vibe this has. It absolutely evokes imagery of a menacing figure looming in a forest in the dead of night. I also love that this isn't cologne-esque at all, at least not to my nose. It's a fantastic nighttime atmospheric.

Verdict: 5 dark figures in a forest out of 5.


Encircling Flame (Glowing golden milk elixir, vanilla pods, candied ginger, Kanyakumari cloves, brown sugar, santal)

Preliminary notes: This sounds delightfully creamy and autumnal.

In bottle: This smells like a heavily spiced, clean eggnog in the bottle (which I'm totally okay with). It bears some resemblance to Eggnog Noel, but this is heavier and spicier. Very warm as well.

On skin: This kind of reminds me of a clove-heavy version of Eggnog Noel. The cream/milk note is the same in both, and the addition of spices here is so dreamy. This smells like a decadent, creamy, thick holiday drink. Warm and toasty, and absolutely delicious. If you missed out on Eggnog Noel or just want a spicier version of it, this is your chance.

Verdict: 5 creamy holiday drinks out of 5.


Evening Song (Cashmere, warm cardamom, velvety myrrh, Madagascar vanilla bean, orris root, woodsmoke, melted candlewax)

Preliminary notes: Y'all know I'm a sucker for wax notes and woodsmoke, so.

In bottle: The myrrh and woodsmoke are the stars of the show here, and what an exquisite myrrh note this is! I get a bit of the wax as well, but I can't pick out any of the other notes. That myrrh is absolutely spectacular, and probably the best one I've ever smelled.

On skin: The myrrh and candlewax in this are absolutely gorgeous, and are the two things I primarily smell the most. The woodsmoke and vanilla bean are definitely present as well, but it's mostly myrrh and wax. It's very cozy and almost veers into foody territory, but not quite. It smells soft and candlelit.

Verdict: 5 candlelit chunks of myrrh out of 5.


Of Bronze and Blaze (Autumnal bronze amber aged with cognac barrel staves, red oak leaves, Perique pipe tobacco, raw wool, ripe pumpkin, opoponax, soft suede gloves, bourbon vanilla coffee)

Preliminary notes: A pumpkin-coffee-tobacco scent sounds really interesting, and it was impossible to pass this one up.

In bottle: This scent has such an incredibly warm depth to it, and it's very complex. The pipe tobacco is very dry and rich, and I'm getting something that's skewing a bit fruity, which could be the cognac or possibly even the coffee.

On skin: This is really interesting. Immediately after application, it reminds me of a less fruity Club des Hashischins, but very shortly after that, it mellows into a waxy, warm, almost citronella scent. I'm assuming it's the cognac that's lending a tiny bit of a fruity note to this. It's very warm and cozy but also old-fashioned, like a hug from a grandfather. I quite like this!

Verdict: 4 grandfatherly hugs out of 5.


Amber Witch (Aged dark Arabian amber, honey musk, creamy bourbon caramels, spiced rum)

Preliminary notes: I've had (and reviewed) this scent before but don't remember much about it beyond it smelling like a combination of Sweet Sorcery and Caveau des Innocents, and I'm pretty sure I initially destashed it because I still had a bottle of Caveau at the time and thought they were too similar to warrant keeping both.

In bottle: Still smells similar to Caveau to me. I don't have Caveau anymore, so this one's staying in my collection this time.

On skin: I'm surprised there isn't a patchouli note listed, because I definitely get a bit of it. Largely though, it's all about the amber, caramel, and spiced rum. It's very boozy and heady. Perfect for fall and winter.

Verdict: 4 boozy caramels out of 5.


Athame (Melting wax candles, santalum, aloeswood, rare ritual incense woods, copper athame)

Preliminary notes: Wax notes and incense, y'all. Plus metallic notes always pique my interest.

In bottle: There's something almost bitter in here, and I'm not sure what it is. I don't know if it's the copper accord or something else. I absolutely get the oud (aloeswood) and incense, but I'm not sure where the bitterness is coming from.

On skin: So. Much. Incense. And not just incense, but the ash left behind from burning incense as well. This is such an evocative atmospheric. I don't get the bitterness from the bottle at all. It's just smoky, ashy incense and wax on the skin. It smells like a very dimly-lit room with the haze of incense filling the room, with candlelight barely piercing through it. What an excellent scent, truly.

Verdict: 5 thick hazes of incense out of 5.


Electric Fur (Aroused skin and soft musky fur)

Preliminary notes: I had a free sample of this a while ago and liked it enough to upsize it.

In bottle: White amber central, plus a bit of leather.

On skin: Alkemia's white amber note is definitely present in this, and I'm guessing Iso E Super as well. There's a very slight animalic, leathery note beneath all of that, so it does kind of come off smelling like skin and fur in the best way possible. It's very primal but soft at the same time. There's a distinct almost wet stone-like note in here beneath the white amber/Iso E Super combo, and it has slight leathery nuances as well, which lends well to the animalic theme.

Verdict: 4.5 furs draped over bare skin out of 5.


Rondeaux d'Amour (Juicy black plum, spicy saffron, jasmine sambac, orris root, dark red roses, golden amber, vanilla incense, slightly dirty patchouli, botanical pheromones)

Preliminary notes: I don't know how I haven't tried this yet, given that I'm a plum note fiend, but here we are.

In bottle: Primarily a gorgeous plum note, rose, and a bit of patchouli.

On skin: The plum note in this scent is absolutely stunning. It's deep, dark, and juicy. I get the rose, vanilla incense, and patchouli, but everything else is melding into the rest and is hard to pick apart. This reminds me very slightly of Salome, but Salome is quite soapy compared to this. Overall, this smells slinky and sensual, and a bit dangerous.

Verdict: 4.5 plum-scented femme fatales out of 5.


Ydalir (Fossilized amber resin, oakmoss absolute, Siberian black pine, smoked juniper tar, balsam pine needles)

Preliminary notes: Ah, Ydalir, my precious. My first bottle passed its prime years ago and needed to be disposed of, and I've been longing for another one ever since. This is the best smoky forest scent I've ever had the pleasure of smelling, or at least that's how I remember it.

In bottle: Still the best smoky scent I've ever smelled. This is like smelling the smoke of a thousand campfires all at once, or smelling the inside of a woodstove. I adore it so much.

On skin: This smells exactly like the neighborhood I grew up in during fall and winter, when everyone on the street has their woodstoves going. It's sublimely smoky. Very sappy as well. The best realistic woodsmoke/woodstove scent I've come across for sure.

Verdict: 5 very smoky woodstoves out of 5.


Tabac Single Note (Tobacco single note)

Preliminary notes: I recently discovered that Alkemia had released this, and it was a free gift option in this order, so it was a no-brainer.

In bottle: Veeery syrupy, caramel-y tobacco. It bears a very heavy resemblance to Miel de Sauvage et Tabac.

On skin: This has a very thick, syrupy, almost boozy character. It's similar to Miel de Sauvage et Tabac, but this is darker and more full-bodied. There's a bit of dryness that reads as dried tobacco leaves, which makes perfect sense given the official description. It's rich, chewy, and refined. Perfect for colder months as well.

Verdict: 5 chewy tobacco leaves out of 5.


Gaea (Forest loam, new ferns, decaying leaves, maple sap flowing over lichens, mosses and wet stones at the edge of a vernal pool)

Preliminary notes: I asked for a bottle of this instead of Fairy Floss Alchemy, since I already had a bottle. I had this years ago and loved the stone and moss notes in it.

In bottle: The stone note in this is absolutely stunning and photorealistic, and the mosses and ferns are magical.

On skin: "Magical dirt" is a weird way to describe this, but it's very apt. There's definitely a lot of damp earth, moss, and stone in here. In a lot of ways, this reminds me more of cemeteries than St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 and is largely why I wanted to have a bottle of it again (gotta smell the part while visiting cemeteries, after all). It's a beautiful, damp atmospheric and is nuanced enough that it doesn't just smell like a fistful of soil.

Verdict: 5 mossy gravestones out of 5.


In a Northern Wood (Elemi balsam, balsam fir needles, charred cedar heartwood, dark oakmoss, opoponax, aged oudwood, deerstongue fern, woodsmoke, aromatic fungi, patchouli, loam)

Preliminary notes: I think I had a sample of this at one point, but I don't remember anything about it. It sounds delightfully woodsy, and I'm addicted to Alkemia's woodsmoke notes.

In bottle: Looots of greenery and fir. There's something else that smells very familiar in here, but I can't pin what it is.

On skin: This has an almost fennel-y haze to it, and I'm not sure where that's coming from. It's extremely evocative of being deep in a foggy forest dotted with ferns and mushrooms, with a campfire somewhere in the distance. It's fairly masculine, but not so much that it's overwhelming. It smells very natural and green.

Verdict: 4 foggy forests out of 5. That weird fennel-like note goes away after a while, and then a very slight spiciness takes its place. This one's a bit of a morpher and has a lot of depth.


Confectionaire (Angel food cake, French macarons, spun sugar floss, vanilla toffees, bergamot-orange tartlets, cassis liqueur, candied violets, coconut orchid, neroli orange blossom, gardenia, violet leaf, santal musk, caramel amber)

Preliminary notes: I had wanted to try this one for a good long while but never did, for whatever reason, which seems to be a very common theme for me.

In bottle: Very, very buttery. I get the citrus notes, a bit of the coconut orchid, and whole lot of sweetness.

On skin: The citrus notes and something very buttery (most likely the cake) are at the forefront here, along with a slight berry note from the cassis liqueur. I was a bit worried that this was going to be too floral or too fruity, but it's lovely. It smells like an elegant, expensive dessert covered in edible flowers and golden fruit sauce. There's a toasted coconut quality that comes out in the later drydown as well, which gives the whole thing a bit of a cozy vibe. Definitely glad I didn't miss out on this one!

Verdict: 4.5 elegant desserts out of 5.

Bohemiens en Voyage (Freshly cut hay, golden amber, dried tobacco leaf, dried orris root, rockrose, sun-warmed skin, buckskin suede, wild sugarcane)

Preliminary notes: I have wanted to try this for years, but then it was discontinued. I managed to pick up a bottle from the July sale leftovers.

In bottle: Very fresh hay and something herbal.

On skin: Lovely autumn hay. A bit of syrupy tobacco leaf as well. The whole thing has a very golden tone to it. There's something a bit powdery in here, but not so powdery that I find it off-putting. All in all, it's a lovely, warm, sun-kissed autumnal hay scent. The almost-mintiness from A Roll in the Hay is in this as well, and the tobacco leaf goes between syrupy and slightly smoky.

Verdict: 4 sun-kissed hay bales out of 5.


Falling Leaves Alchemy (Sweet maple sap, fallen heirloom orchard apples, warm blonde woods, a whisper of suede, sultry gourmand musks swirling like golden leaves)

Preliminary notes: Autumnal atmospherics, my beloved. I usually stay away from apple notes, but I'm pretty well acquainted with how Alkemia's apple notes behave at this point. I also have zero willpower when it comes to resisting autumnal scents as a general rule, especially if they have sap notes, soooo.

In bottle: A beautiful, crisp apple note beneath a bit of maple and citrusy leaves.

On skin: Largely the same as in the bottle. It's a very perfumey autumnal atmospheric. There's something almost boozy in here as well, which could be the apple mixing with the maple sap, maybe. It almost threatens to go soapy but never quite gets there. It's very pretty and orange-gold.

Verdict: 4 autumn afternoons out of 5.


Wings of Flame (Wild honeycomb, agarwood, golden coffee, birch syrup, deertongue grass, larch needles, berlandiera, cistus, maple, blonde woods)

Preliminary notes: I've heard this likened to drinking a cup of coffee with a Toblerone on the side, which sounds lovely. There's apparently a hidden chocolate note in here somewhere.

In bottle: I can definitely see the Toblerone thing, and the hidden chocolate/cocoa note. Mostly though, it just smells like an autumnal forest.

On skin: The honeycomb note in this is gorgeous. I don't get any of the coffee specifically, but I do get something that's giving the scent a very golden, sunlit tone. As opposed to drinking a cup of coffee with a Toblerone on the side, I'd say eating a Toblerone while on a hike in the middle of October. I quite like this! It reminds me a bit of Bohemiens en Voyage, but it's not nearly as powdery or heavy.

Verdict: 4.25 Toblerones in the forest out of 5.


Bonfire Toffees (Creamy caramel, buttery toffee, warm Madagascar vanilla, glowing benzoin incense, wisps of bonfire woodsmoke)

Preliminary notes: Make no mistake, this isn't a re-release of Alkemia's Bonfire Toffees & Woodsmoked Oud from years ago. This sounds absolutely delightful, and I have high hopes for it. The caramel note in Dusk in Autumn is one of my favorites, so I'm hoping this has a similar vibe that way.

In bottle: In the bottle, this basically smells like a caramel version of Smoke & Mirrors, which is to say that the woodsmoke note is the same. Love it already.

On skin: In pitting them against each other, the woodsmoke note is most definitely the same. Bonfire Toffees reminds me of previous years of All Hallow's Eve, especially 2021. The resemblance there is very striking, actually. This doesn't have the licorice/anise note, but it's incredibly similar otherwise (which is great for those who either love All Hallow's Eve 2021 or missed out on it). There is a tad bit more depth and darkness to this one versus AHE 2021, and the toffee note is unique to this as well. It doesn't have the caramel note from Dusk in Autumn that I was hoping for, but it's still a lovely, cozy, sweet scent.

Verdict: 5 caramel-scented bonfires out of 5.


Amber Alchemy (Golden amber resin, rockrose, coriander, vetiver, sandalwood, ceremonial incense woods)

Preliminary notes: These last two were surprise additions to my order that I wasn't expecting. Many thanks, Alkemia team!

In bottle: This is interesting. There's a contrast between smelling warm and smelling cool, but not in a minty way. It's definitely resinous and woody.

On skin: This bears a bit of a resemblance to Ambre Extrait, which is an old Alkemia favorite of mine. It's a very dry, resinous wood scent, and it smells sunlit somehow. It's like a bottled golden afternoon in mid-October. Lovely. I'm surprised there's no Iso-E Super listed, because I definitely get a small hit of that in here, which adds a very tiny aquatic edge to everything. Ultimately, I prefer Ambre Extrait for my amber fix, so I gave this to my boyfriend, who loves it. It smells absolutely divine on him compared to me, too.

Verdict: 4.5 golden October afternoons out of 5.


Hex (Frangipani, night-blooming Moroccan flowers, allspice, black tea, Madagascar vanilla, tonka, sweet benzoin resin, black amber, frankincense, vetiver, a caress of patchouli)

Preliminary notes: Hex is a scent that I should have tried years ago but never got around to. It sounds right up my alley. Witchy florals? Yes, please.

In bottle: Veeery floral, with an underpinning of spice and resins.

On skin: Oh, man.. floral soap. So much soap. I'm not sure if it's the florals themselves or the combination of everything that's contributing to it, but it's overwhelmingly soapy.

Verdict: 0 floral soaps out of 5. Not for me.

Madam X (Bergamot, mandarin, dark violet, Italian iris, black orchid, Japanese incense, orris root, sueded musk, white sandalwood, Tahitian vanilla, pale patchouli)

Preliminary notes: I've sampled this so many times and had a bottle of it at one point, but it was a bit too mature for me at the time. The last time I received a sample of it, I fell in love with it all over again but still didn't repurchase it. After the July sale, I finally remembered it existed and got one. It has such a beautiful, classic silent film vamp vibe to it (moreso than Alkemia's Vamp, ironically enough), and being in my 30s now, it doesn't come off as too mature or too classic for me, though I can see how it still would for some. This review is for the ultime format.

In bottle: Super dark florals (violet and orchid especially), and sensual musk. Just as it used to be.

On skin: The florals are a bit stronger here than they are in the extrait version, but not by much. The citrus notes also seem to be a bit stronger, the mandarin especially. It still smells like a silent film vamp, and is absolutely exquisite. I can see how this would be too much for some people, but I think it's very decadently gothic and sultry. The ultime version, because of the amped citrus, is a bit brighter and not as heavy.

Verdict: 5 silent film vampires out of 5.


Une Nuit de Cleopatre (Egyptian kyphi incense, amber, warm caramel, tonka bean, vegan civet musk, spiced Sahlab tea, Satyrion orchid root, white honey, narcissus, jasmine, ylang ylang, honeysuckle)

Preliminary notes: This has been on my to-try list since its release. It sounds delightful. I'm not sure how the civet is going to behave, but other than that, it sounds right up my alley.

In bottle: Slightly biting florals, caramel, and tea primarily. very perfumey.

On skin: This is probably one of the warmest scents I've ever smelled. The honey, incense, caramel, and tea are still the strongest players, but the florals underneath those are gorgeous. It does conjure to mind the imagery of a dry desert landscape. It's very sensual and commanding, and I'm glad I finally tried it. Love this.

Verdict: 5 cups of tea swirled with caramel in a desert out of 5.


Drakon (Dragon's blood incense, coriander, vetiver root, ambergris, green cardamom, bergamot leaves, Talamanca del Caribe peppercorns, spice viburnum, freshly steeped Darjeeling tea)

Preliminary notes: Another one that's been on my list since it was released. Alkemia's Darjeeling note is fantastic, and there's nothing in here that gives me pause.

In bottle: So funnily enough, the peppercorn note is the strongest in the bottle, followed by the dragon's blood. I can smell the cardamom as well but not much else.

On skin: The various spice notes are definitely the strongest part of this. There is a bit of tea underneath that, but it's primarily peppercorns, coriander, and cardamom on my skin. The dragon's blood incense is very gauzy and light, and the whole thing brings to mind a scene of a spice tent with smoke swirling around it. It's a very exotic scent. The coriander can be a bit overbearing sometimes, but overall, I quite enjoy this.

Verdict: 4 spice tents out of 5.


This Summer Night (Tropical fruits, plumeria, pua kenikeni, cherimoya, coconut water, lychee blossoms, rhubarb, tonka, sweet alyssum, mock orangeflower, night-blooming jasmine, white florals, warm summer musk)

Preliminary notes: I never would have chosen this for myself, as I avoid fruit scents (especially tropical fruit scents) like the plague. They come off as either cloying or juvenile to me most of the time. I received this as a free sample in one of my July orders and fell in love with it.

In bottle: A tropical fruit explosion backed by a warm, gourmand-y vanilla.

On skin: Largely the same as in the bottle. Lots of luscious tropical fruits, a tiny bit of a humid floral vibe, and creamy vanilla. I don't usually go for tropical scents at all, fruity or not, so the fact that I like this is quite shocking to me. It's a perfect sweet (but not cloying) summer fruit fragrance.

Verdict: 5 baskets of tropical fruit out of 5.


Fairy Floss Alchemy (Cotton candy, white heliotrope, night-blooming jasmine, mandarin orange, vanilla orchid, ethereal musks)

Preliminary notes: This was August's free alchemy scent.

In bottle: Cotton candy on a backdrop of very clean florals and a bit of a tartness from the mandarin.

On skin: The vanilla orchid is definitely obvious on the skin, as are the cotton candy and mandarin. It's creamy and sweet but not juvenile. Actually, it kind of reminds me of All the Sins, but not as intense. This is kind of what I wanted Calliope smell like. It's a beautiful pink-white scent.

Verdict: 4 clouds of cotton candy out of 5.


Afterglow (Golden musk, Madagascar vanilla beans, woodsmoked black amber, chai tea, spiced rum, incense woods)

Preliminary notes: I have wanted to try this since it was first released, but never have for whatever reason. All of the notes sound lovely.

In bottle: I get the musk, rum, and woods but not much else. No tea or vanilla in the bottle.

On skin: The musk and amber combo in this scent reminds me of something else from Alkemia, but I can't pin what it is (La Flamme, maybe). The tea finally comes out on the skin, and the whole thing does have a very golden feel to it. It's very clean, which I wasn't really expecting, given the rum and woodsmoke notes. The vanilla veeery slightly teeters on the edge of being gourmand but never fully goes there. This reminds me a bit of Breath and Shadow from the 2024 fall release, but this isn't as heavy on the smoke note. It's a bit soapy, and I think pairing this with something lactonic (The Magpie's Rhyme maybe, or one of the Monster Milk scents from BPAL) might be worth trying.

Verdict: 3.75 soapy musks out of 5.

These were all purchased during the first day of Alkemia's annual July sale. I'm very grateful that I was able to get everything I had planned on!

🍵 Arcanum Experiments 2024: 8: We Spilled the Teas (Green tea, mint tea, vanilla-infused white tea leaves, twig tea, ginger tea, Christmas tea)

Preliminary notes: I mean, it's tea. It's ALL tea. This is a no-brainer.

In bottle: I get the green and white teas and a bit of subtle spice right off the bat. Already a big fan.

On skin: This is so beautiful. So many different levels and varieties of tea, all very fresh and delicious. It smells somewhat festive as well. There's not much to say about this one, as it's very self-explanatory, but I adore it.

Verdict: 5 giant vats of tea out of 5.


🍂 Arcanum Experiments 2024: 7: Sweater Weather (Spiced apple cider, late season blackberries, cherrywood, warm pumpkin pie, woodsmoked vanilla beans, sandalwood, autumn leaves, clover hay, cashmere wool, anise, benzoin, golden amber, caramel coffee, toasted coconut, blue juniper, moss, bitter orange)

Preliminary notes: This sounds ambitious as hell, and I can kind of understand why it ended up as an Arcanum Experiment. Those are a LOT of notes to fit into one scent. It sounds like an autumnal, atmospheric dream nonetheless.

In bottle: Largely the cider, blackberry, and deep, dark fruit notes.

On skin: The autumn leaf note in this really comes alive on the skin, and I'm pretty sure it's the same one from Autumnalis and Feuillemort. It's very difficult to discern the notes apart from each other beyond the leaves and cider, but this is a dusky autumn evening in a bottle. It's atmospheric in all the right ways while also being grounded. I adore this, and I'm so glad I managed to get a bottle.

This is a morpher, too. It's initially very heavy on the leaves and cider, then it goes through a toasted coconut and coffee phase with some fruit notes in the background, and then it gets a bit smoky later in the drydown.

Verdict: 5 autumn evenings out of 5.


🍰 Arcanum Experiments 2024: 10: Mallow Drama (Pink frosted birthday cake, marshmallow ambrosia, strawberry rhubarb pie, blue cotton candy, kettle corn, almond macarons, chocolate fig squares, dulce le leche, fondant, gingersnaps, whipped cream)

Preliminary notes: This sounds like a very complex, gourmand dream. The strawberry rhubarb pie and kettle corn notes sold me.

In bottle: If candy corn was pink, this is what it would smell like. Very vanillic and sweet.

On skin: To be honest, this is such a complex scent that it's hard to make anything out individually. It's primarily a vanillic, sugary sweet marshmallow scent with a tiny dash of fruity sweetness. Very pink, very saccharine but in a good way. It feels like a younger sister to All the Sins. As it dries, the chocolate note comes out a bit, as do the other baked goods.

Verdict: 4 tables overflowing with sweets out of 5.


🌻 Jonquil Alchemy (Creamy white jonquils, grandiflora narcissi, Poet's daffodil, snowdrops, green daffodil stems, new grasses, late witch hazel blooms, a whisper of vanilla musk)

Preliminary notes: One of my favorite Alkemia scents that I no longer have is Musc de Jonquille, and this is the closest thing I've seen to it. The world needs more daffodil scents.

In bottle: Beautiful springtime white florals. From what I remember of it, I'd say this is Musc de Jonquille-adjacent, so I'm happy. Very green as well.

On skin: This initially reminds me of something I've smelled from BPAL before (Jasmine Cottage or The Queen of May, maybe). After a couple of minutes, it becomes a unique, stunning white floral with a snap of green stems, and a tiny bit of vanilla to temper it. This is such a pretty, elegant scent. Perfect for spring, but cool enough for summer or early fall as well. Something about it smells a bit funerary to me (which is a huge compliment).

Verdict: 5 elegant white florals out of 5.


🔮 Sorciere Rouge (Bakhoor incense, Tibetan agarwood, dragon's blood, rock rose, dark amber)

Preliminary notes: I had a bottle of this way back in the day and can't remember what it smelled like, other than being heavy on the dragon's blood note.

In bottle: A dragon's blood dream. There's a bit of a dampness to this one as well.

On skin: Damp incense, a bit of smoke, and a ton of dragon's blood. Just as I remember it. This is very witchy and mysterious. I don't have a ton to say about this one since it's pretty linear, but it's lovely.

Verdict: 4 tremendous plumes of dragon's blood-scented incense smoke out of 5.


🍭 All the Sins (Candy floss, candy corn, pink taffy, bullseye caramels, red licorice, benzoin, creamy vanilla musk)

Preliminary notes: Another scent I used to have. I already know what this one smells like. It's a pink gourmand dream.

In bottle: Just as I remember. Very pink, very sugary, very delicious.

On skin: Primarily candy floss, taffy, red licorice, and the vanilla musk. It's extremely sugary, so those who don't like sweet or gourmand scents would do best to avoid this one. I personally love it for its pink, frilly nature, and it reminds me a bit of Halloween candy. Very happy to have this again.

Verdict: 4.5 pink bags of candy out of 5.


🍁 Autumn (Sun-warmed fallen leaves, golden sunlit amber, light wool warmed with skin musk)

Preliminary notes: This is a scent I've wanted to get from Alkemia for yeeears. It seems to come back almost every time the July sale happens, and I finally snagged a bottle this time. I've tried (and loved) Autumnalis and Feuillemort, which sound to be in similar veins.

In bottle: Yeah, this is definitely in a similar vein to Autumnalis and Feuillemort. If Autumnalis was deeper and less soapy, it'd smell very akin to this.

On skin: This is such a dreamy olfactory portrait of a sunlit glade during autumn. The leaves, amber, and skin musk are all stunning, and it's very cheerful and relaxing. A perfect cozy sibling of Autumnalis and Feuillemort. I adore this so much.

Verdict: 5 autumnal glades out of 5.


🕯️ Offering (A forested glade, ritual incenses, offertory fruits, honeycakes, spiced ale, glowing beeswax candles)

Preliminary notes: I didn't get to try Offering when it was originally available many years ago, but I did try Honeycakes for Harvest Moon, which seemed to be its spiritual successor.

In bottle: I recognize the honeycake note, but this is mostly dark fruits and incense in the bottle.

On skin: This. Is. Stunning. The "forested glade" is a beautiful pine/fir note that sits in the background underneath the incense and honeycakes, and the ale comes out a bit as well. This is such a gorgeous celebratory blend, and I can't get enough of it. I would bathe in this if I could. It's a delightfully witchy gourmand with a woody edge.

Verdict: 5 rituals in the forest out of 5.


🌺 La Sirena (Oceanic aquatics, saline seaweeds, garlands of fresh Tiare flowers offered to the sea)

Preliminary notes: I was torn between this and Siren's Spell, but I wanted something with a bit more bite (plus this is discontinued and Siren's Spell isn't yet), and I'm hoping the seaweed notes deliver here.

In bottle: Beautiful aquatic notes, salt and seaweed. Cannot wait to skin test this.

On skin: This very, very strongly reminds me of Comptoir Sud Pacifique's Aqua Motu but floral and heavier on the saline notes. I was a bit worried this was going to be soapy, but it's not. It's a beautiful, picturesque marine scent with a floral overtone.

Verdict: 4.5 garlands of flowers floating on calm ocean waters out of 5.


🥥 Coconut Alchemy (Fresh white coconut, sugarcane, baby bananas, tuberose, ginger flower)

Preliminary notes: This was July's free alchemy scent.

In bottle: This is a classic, beachy, almost sunscreen-like scent.

On skin: The prettiest pina colada that ever did exist. This is a beautiful take on a tropical coconut scent. It smells like the image of a gauzy sundress blowing in the breeze on a white sand beach. I'm typically pretty apathetic toward coconut notes, but I really like this.

Verdict: 4 pina coladas on a beach out of 5.

📖 Dee (Soft English leather, rosewood, tonka, a hint of incense, parchment, soft woods)

Preliminary notes: I've wanted to try this since I first stumbled across BPAL but.. never did, for some reason? I love readerly/writerly scents, as you may know, so this is right up my alley. I love bookish scents that include incense notes as well.

I've also been playing a lot of Baldur's Gate 3 recently, and y'all cannot tell me that this doesn't sound exactly like how Gale would smell.

In bottle: Fairly masculine-leaning in the bottle. It's woody and incense-y, with a bit of an herbal note peeking out. It also smells slightly honeyed.

On skin: The parchment comes out a LOT more on the skin, which I love. I get the leather as well, which is soft and maybe tan or brown. It does smell like an astute, well-read wizard, and I adore it. The parchment note reminds me a little bit of Quintessence of Dust, which is a favorite of mine. This is like Quintessence of Dust's refined, more mysterious cousin who arrives with a procession of ravens. My whole spiel about this smelling like Gale from Baldur's Gate 3 is very accurate, though maybe more the scent of his tower than Gale himself.

Verdict: 5 dark, refined wizards out of 5.


🥀 Cicuta (Dry, dusty rose petals, candle smoke, frankincense, saffron)

Preliminary notes: This has been on my to-try list for as long as I've been purchasing from BPAL, but I just.. never bought it until now, for whatever reason. The posts on the BPAL forum dress Cicuta up with all sorts of gothic-romantic imagery: cobwebs, candelabras, dusty attics, velvet, old castles and catacombs, you name it. I'd wager that given my blog's name, it's fairly obvious that I'm very drawn to that kind of vibe.

In bottle: Exactly what it says on the tin. Dry roses, candles, frankincense, and saffron. It smells very romantic , and there's something very slightly fruity in there.

On skin: Okay, so I completely get where the people on the forum were coming from when they said this has a "forlorn vampire in an old castle" vibe. It smells almost wet as well somehow. The rose, candles (including gauzy, thin smoke), resins, and saffron are all accounted for. This is absolutely gorgeous, and any darkly-inclined people who are fans of rose notes will love this. I adore this so much, and it's easily earned a spot among my favorite BPAL scents. It smells incredibly romantic in an almost tragic way. A+.

Verdict: 5 tragically beautiful vampire romances in castles out of 5.


🕯️ The Lights of Men's Lives (The wax and smoke of millions upon millions of candles illuminating the walls of Death’s shadowy cave: some tall, straight, and strong, blazing with the fire of life, others dim and guttering)

Preliminary notes: I reviewed this just shy of 3 years ago, but my formatting was very different, and I don't think it quite got the write-up it deserved. So, it's time for a revisit review! I previously described this scent as a whole lot of beeswax, a bit powdery, and a gauzy, light smoke note.

In bottle: As I remember. A ton of beeswax and a bit of smoke. This is in a similar vein to Arcana's Snug, which is largely why I repurchased it. I don't have any Arcana oils in my collection anymore and needed to replace Snug.

On skin: This definitely smells a bit different than the bottle I used to have. The candle smoke note is a lot stronger, and the beeswax smells more like regular candle wax. There's something almost floral about it as well, which is odd. The floral note burns off after about 5-10ish minutes, and it becomes smokier. It kind of melds into a vanillic, waxy skin scent. As it dries more, it does start to resemble Snug/the original version I had of this scent. It might just need to age a bit.

Verdict: 3.75 smoky candles out of 5.


🌹 A-Rovin' (Sultry red musk, heady jasmine, tobacco leaf, red sandalwood, hay sugar, golden honey, sweet carnations, warm leather)

Preliminary notes: I've wanted to try this since its release a few years ago. It sounds like a bombshell of a scent, and I love a lot of the notes in it.

In bottle: Definitely get the red musk, tobacco, honey, and something else I can't quite pin. It smells very purple-red.

On skin: This is incredible and indescribably sexy, which makes sense given its inspiration. The red musk, tobacco, honey, and now carnation are at the forefront. I get a bit of the jasmine, which isn't stinky or strong (note: after having it for a couple of months, the jasmine definitely leans into stank territory but never gets super overwhelming). There's something of an almost wine-like quality to this as well. Overall, it paints a picture of a very strong, take-no-shit woman who knows exactly what kind of effect she has on people. It's seductive, it's commanding, it's perfect. I adore this so much.

Verdict: 5 seductive, strong ladies out of 5.


🔮 The Witch Queen (Wild plum, red musk, tuberose, calla lily, heliotrope, pimento, ylang-ylang, beeswax, sinister purple-hued incense smoke)

Preliminary notes: This is another one that I had previously destashed and don't know why, because I was obsessed with this scent. It reminded me heavily of Dior's Poison (which shares the plum, tuberose, incense, heliotrope, and musk notes), but less chemical smelling.

In bottle: This smells more floral than I remember and doesn't bear any similarity to Poison in the bottle. Interesting.

On skin: Ah, yes. There she is. Deep purple, slightly fruity, dark florals. Still bears a striking resemblance to Poison but isn't as heavy. The plum note in this is exquisite, and the whole scent is very mysterious and beautiful. A power scent, to be sure.

Verdict: 5 witch queens surrounded by purple smoke out of 5.


🧁 The Picture of Dorian Sufganiyot (A deep-fried fougere with three pale musks and dark, sugared vanilla tea)

Preliminary notes: I hadn't initially planned on buying any more oils for a while, but after trying 2023's version of Dorian and loving it, I really wanted to grab a bottle of this before it's taken down.

In bottle: Dorian 2023, but with some added bakery cream. A bit lighter as well.

On skin: This smells like a delicious, expensive lemon-tea cream-filled donut. It's unmistakably Dorian, but it's fluffier and less corrupt-smelling than the OG version.

Verdict: 5 corruption-filled donuts out of 5.

Comparison to Dorian (2023): Dorian Suf is a bit heavier on the citrus, while Dorian 2023 is heavier on the tea. There's a very distinct cream note in Dorian Suf that Dorian 2023 lacks. Ultimately, they are remarkably similar, so if you have one, you probably don't need the other unless you're someone who really enjoys Dorian, like myself.


🌷 Portrait of Princess Marthe Bibesco (Toffee-touched vanilla bourbon filigree, antiqued white rose petals, auburn musk, honey dust, white silk)

Preliminary notes: I'm a sucker for toffee and honey notes, and I really wanted to pick this up before it was taken down.

In bottle: Toffeetoffeetoffee, a tiny bit of rose, and a bit of booze. Reminds me a tiny bit of Asses Plus Long, Qu'un Siecle Platonique, but it's not soapy or laundry-like at all.

On skin: On skin, it's a very sweet, toffee-heavy rose scent with a bit of musk and booze. Smelling it from afar, it smells like butterscotch pudding, which is really interesting. It's not completely gourmand but leans heavily in that direction. The rose note is very fresh and realistic, as most of BPAL's rose notes are, in my experience. This is what I wanted Asses Plus Long to be: a toffee-heavy, fresh rose scent.

Verdict: 5 toffee-encased roses out of 5.


🃏 Stańczyk (Scarlet silk, spiced rose petals, well-worn red leather, Oman frankincense, labdanum, dried cherries, blackberry wine)

Preliminary notes: Wasn't initially going to get anything from the April release, but Jan Matejko's Stańczyk is one of my favorite paintings, and the notes are too good to pass up. It sounds like a relative of Nimue, the Blood Queen, which is an old favorite that I regretfully don't have anymore.

In bottle: The dried cherries and blackberry wine are the strongest notes in the bottle. There's a background of something sultry and delicately spiced as well.

On skin: I'm not usually a fruity scent person, but this is exquisite. The leather and rose also come out once it starts drying down a bit. This is a delicious, vampiric dream, and it's absolutely in the same vein as Nimue, except I think I like this even more. There's something very seductive about it as well. I am in love. If I was someone who didn't take literal years to go through one 5ml bottle of perfume, I'd definitely buy a backup bottle of this.

Verdict: 5 seductive vampires out of 5.


🎶 Concert (Black velvet, ancient climbing roses, champaca magnolia, deep, resonant strings of amber)

Preliminary notes: I knew as soon as I saw the release notes for this that I needed to try it. All of the notes in here are favorites of mine, and it sounds delightfully dark and feminine.

In bottle: This is very similar to In Night When All Colors to Black Are Cast to my nose, minus the plum. There aren't any smoky notes noted in the description, but it has a very resinous, smoky quality to it. Very dark and deep.

On skin: Largely the same as in the bottle, though the champaca leans a bit more floral on the skin. The rose is incredibly dark and melds with everything beautifully. This is witchy as fuck.

Verdict: 5 coils of witchy incense out of 5.


🌙 Fierce Midnights and Famishing Morrows (Black plum, wild lily, tobacco)

Preliminary notes: I don't have any preliminary notes for these next four beyond the fact that thematically, the Our Lady of Pain collection really speaks to me. These were all add-ons to a very large combined order instead of having the shipping overages credited to my account.

In bottle: Delicious, plummy tobacco with a bit of a cool, green backdrop from the lily. This is exquisite.

On skin: On skin, it's very hard to tease the notes apart individually, but they're all there. The lily is green and fresh, the plum is deep, and the tobacco is rich and warm. I really, really love this.

Verdict: 5 debaucherous gardens out of 5.


🕂 The Shrine Where Sin is a Prayer (Deep purple Syrah, calamus, myrrh smoke, hyssop, opoponax, bitter clove, burgundy pitch, opium poppy, violet leaf)

Preliminary notes: None.

In bottle: So. Incredibly. Purple. The only note I can make out completely is the wine, which is delicious. The scent overall smells very commanding, foreboding, and decadent.

On skin: Still very purple. The wine note is decadent and rich, and it's unlike any wine note I've smelled before. I can't make out any of the other notes specifically, but it's still incredibly purple. I love this.

Verdict:5 deeply purple glasses of wine out of 5.


🍯 Hair Loosened and Soiled in Mid Orgies (White honey, warm musk, ambrette seed)

Preliminary notes: None.

In bottle: This smells almost like cinnamon sugar toast in the bottle at times, and other times, it just smells like slightly spiced honey.

On skin: The honey note is sweet but not overly so. This smells very woody to me. It's definitely sensual and warm. It's a pretty linear scent overall. I don't have much to say about it, honestly.

Verdict: 4 woody pots of honey out of 5.


🔥 House of Unquenchable Fire (Glittering amber, frankincense, neroli, vanilla silk, champaca)

Preliminary notes: None.

In bottle: Straight neroli. I can't smell anything else.

On skin: Still mostly neroli, but the vanilla and champaca come through a bit as well. It's very elegant and pretty, and it smells shimmery. It's a bit calming and cheery as well. It's a very lovely soft, golden scent.

Verdict: 4 pools of glittering liquid gold out of 5.

Ahoy! Back with another Alkemia PR review, which was very unexpected. I didn't receive samples for the summer collection after I'd reviewed the spring release, so I assumed it was kind of a one-and-done deal, which I was totally content with. But then these guys showed up in the mail earlier this month, which was a very nice surprise! I've had a hell of a month, as have most people I know, so reviewing these has been a nice break from all of the chaos that this August has been perpetuating. Many thanks to Alkemia for sending these to me at a time when I really needed a pick-me-up.

These samples were provided to me by Alkemia for review.

Book of Night (Artemisia, oakmoss, blue juniper berries, black patchouli, sweet pipe tobacco, clove, ritual incense resins, cashmere blanket, chai tea)

In vial: The artemisia, tobacco, and tea are at the forefront and are absolutely stunning.

On skin: Ugh, that artemisia note is gorgeous. I could bathe in it. The blend overall smells mysterious and a bit studious, like a stately wizard's private library deep within his home. I think this is the first Alkemia scent with clove in it that I can actually smell the clove in as well. It's herbal without being medicinal, and is a little bit broody. Fans of Deep Midnight's Incantation would probably like this, as the artemisia/wormwood note is very, very similar and is strong in both.

Verdict: 5 wizard's libraries out of 5. Upsized.


Breath and Shadow (Twilit chyprean musks and subtle exhalations of woodsmoke)

In vial: Definitely a bit smoky, but also fresh and citric as well.

On skin: This is such a gorgeous transitional cool weather scent. The musk is tempered by what I'm assuming is bergamot (hence chypre). The woodsmoke in this reminds me a lot of Alkemia's Samhain, in which it has an almost nutty quality to it. It's a very gauzy smoke note, as opposed to the bonfire-esque one in Smoke and Mirrors, for instance. I've worn this to bed once or twice, and it makes a delightfully calming sleep scent. It has an almost cool night air quality to it, which is really interesting.

Verdict: 5 cool late autumn nights out of 5. Upsized.


Dark Goddess (Midnight black amber, earthy vetiver root, dark red roses, spicy carnation, black Java vanilla, black locust, oakmoss, black pine resin, civet, myrrh, bay leaf)

In vial: I get the civet, some resins, and a lot of the bay leaf but not much else.

On skin: This goes fairly powdery once it hits my skin, which I'm not a fan of. Floral, herbal powder is not something I want to smell like. The black pine, myrrh, and carnation notes are glorious in this, but unfortunately, they don't temper the powderiness enough for me to be able to tolerate. I love the concept for this one, but it's definitely not for me.

Verdict: 2 powdery goddesses out of 5.


Incense of a New Church (Agarwood, costus, mentholated tobacco, steam-heated radiators, old machinery)

In vial: I absolutely adore the concept of this one. It's very powdery, however, which isn't my thing.

On skin: This has a very distinct metallic/plastic note in it, which makes sense given the note description. The incense in this is absolutely stunning, as is the agarwood. I'm not sure if it's the tobacco or the menthol, but there's something a bit sweet in here as well. I'm very on the fence about whether I like this or not, since it's a very conceptual, odd scent, but it has some beautiful elements in it.

Verdict: 4 steampunk churches out of 5.


Of Vice and Virtue (White crystalline sugar musk, heliotrope, fleshy peaches, piquant damson, spicy dianthus, nyctophilic white florals, sassafras, rosewood, santal, tonka)

In vial: Vanillic sugar and tuberose. I don't get anything else at all (which I'm not complaining about).

On skin: Largely the same. I can get a tiny bit of peach if I try reeeally hard, but the sugar musk and tuberose/white florals are the stars of the show. The first thing I thought when this hit my skin was, "This is such a special scent," but unfortunately, I can't elaborate on that. Some scents are just innately special. The sugar in this kind of reminds me of BPAL's Dorian toward the later drydown. The scents themselves are very different, but that warm vanilla sugar-type note is very similar in both. This scent overall is very soft and intimate, and it wears very close to the skin.

Verdict: 5 tuberoses dipped in sugar out of 5. Upsized.


The Beautiful and the Damned (Honey caramel, dark cacao, French lavender, red currants, Madagascar vanilla, champagne aldehydes, golden amber, cubeba pepper, blonde tobacco, dried rose leaves, opoponax, black copal, guaiacwood, copaiba balsam bathed in an elixir of sexually alluring animalics and pheromones)

In vial: Very herbal, with a bit of a vinegar-like quality to it.

On skin: The vinegar quality is completely gone on the skin, so I'm not sure what that was about. The honey caramel is a standout note for me, and there's something citrusy in here as well. It's a very decadent, seductive scent. If I try relatively hard, I can smell the cubeba pepper, which adds a very unique spicy aspect to this blend. Overall, it's very hard to pick the notes apart. If you like dark, herbal, spicy scents, this will be right up your alley. As it mellows, a really pretty vanilla sneaks its way to the top. I may end up upsizing this as well.

Verdict: 4 herbal caramels out of 5.

🖋️ Writer's Blood (The primal angst of artistic passion - iron-tinged blood, a manuscript soaked in spilled black coffee, and an overturned tin of rolling tobacco), a bit of incense smoke)

Preliminary notes: That description is just.. fantastic. Very evocative. I love bookish scents, odd conceptual scents, and tobacco and coffee notes, so this sounds like a dream (or nightmare, perhaps).

In bottle: Oh, this is dark. The coffee and tobacco are seamlessly blended together, and there's something slightly camphorous in the background. It's very rich and has an almost cola-like tinge to it without actually smelling like cola, if that makes any sense. There's a touch of parchment in there as well. This is better than I was hoping for, so I'm looking forward to how it wears.

On skin: More or less the same as in the bottle. This stuff is potent. I'm starting to think the bit of camphor and cola might be part of the iron/blood accord. The parchment note in this is glorious as well. This is probably the darkest, broodiest book/writerly scent I've ever smelled, and I love it so much. It smells like the depths of unfathomable horror and anguish, and it's the picture of dark academia in scent form (with an eldritch edge).

Writer's Blood smells like exploring the minds of Crowley, Stephen King, H.P. Lovecraft, and Poe simultaneously, and being struck by fear and astonishment at all of the inconceivable terrors within. I. Fucking. Love. This.

Verdict: 5 deep, dark pits of despair out of 5.


💐 Apsara (Dark purple hyacinth flowers and Darjeeling tea)

Preliminary notes: I had Apsara yeeears ago, but my previous bottle's roller was a bit problematic, so she unfortunately got destashed. When I found out that Alkemia re-released this scent last year during their July workshop sale, I was *so* excited but couldn't place an order at the time. I'm so excited to have this again, and to see if it's changed at all from the original version. I can't directly compare them, but I remember the OG scent very well.

In bottle: Just as I remember, though the tea note might be slightly stronger in this version. The bottle I ordered is also incredibly full (almost right up to the rim), so this will last me a very long time.

On skin: The tea is definitely stronger in the re-release version than the OG version, which I'm totally okay with. It's a nice, spicy tea, and it compliments the hyacinth note really well. Love this, just as I loved the older version. This is also VERY potent compared to the OG scent. Way more throw and power.

Verdict: 5 spicy floral teas out of 5.


📚 Book of Shadows (Heavy parchment paper, ancient iron oak gall ink, crumbling leather bindings, wafts of rare incenses)

Preliminary notes: So this scent has a funny and sad story behind it. I had a bottle of this for years, but when I introduced it to DH for the first time, he said it smelled like urinals and burnt wires, so I was like, "Well damn, now I have to destash this," so I did. Instant regret. I kept meaning to repurchase it because I missed it, but I kept forgetting to do so until now. I very highly doubt anything about this scent has changed (my original bottle was from 2018), which is totally fine by me. I remember it being a really beautiful, realistic library scent with a heavy ink note.

In bottle: Ahh, yes. Just as I remember. Sweet incense, ink, a bit of worn leather, and parchment. Nothing's changed.

On skin: I'll start this off by saying that this was the first time I've spilled an oil. I guess I didn't have it close enough to my wrist and ended up spilling some on a blanket, but at least it wasn't much.

It smells warmer and a bit softer than I remember. The ink is almost vegetal, and the leather is worn and smooth. The parchment lingers in the background, with tendrils of incense smoke curling around it. I have always loved this scent, and I always will. It's a perfect old book scent with a bit of an edge.

Verdict: 5 ancient, eldritch tomes out of 5.


🍊 Arcanum Experiments 2023: 8 (Orange dreamsicles, banana taffy, pink lotus, white amber)

Preliminary notes: Alkemia's orange dreamsicle note is.. well, dreamy. I had two previous monthly alchemies that featured it, and as you can probably guess, I destashed them and regretted it later. This sounds a lot more up my alley though, as I also love banana notes.

In bottle: All of the notes are present and accounted for. It's a very pink, girly, summery scent. I really like this.

On skin: That orange dreamsicle note is the same one that's been in the aforementioned alchemies that I destashed, and I'm very glad to have a scent with that note at the forefront again. It's a pretty seamless blend of all of the notes, and it gets a lot creamier once it hits the skin. This is a fun, light summery scent.

Verdict: 5 of the tastiest dreamsicles you've ever had out of 5.


🔥 Arcanum Experiments 2023: 10 (Black musk, opium, galbanum, woodsmoke, vegan civet, black amber)

Preliminary notes: This sounds so delightfully dark that I couldn't resist. I don't know if I like civet notes or not, but everything else is something I know I like.

In bottle: Oh boy.. something fairly stanky with an undercurrent of baby wipes. I'm kind of scared to put this on my skin.

On skin: Lemon house cleaner? What on earth. I don't know about this one. Ultimately, it's too stanky and lemony for my tastes. Not a fan.

Verdict: 1 pool of stank covered up with lemon house cleaner out of 5.