Scented Musings

Pumpkins Crave Wraiths (Ghostly white vanilla, Black Mission figs, gossamer wraith musk, gingerbread, sheer coconut milk, pumpkin)

Preliminary notes: My bottle is just over a year old.

In bottle: Spiced pumpkin and something fruity (the fig note). Fairly straightforward.

On skin: The way the fig interacts with the gingerbread and the other notes in here is really interesting. It's very obviously fruity, but it smells.. spooky, for lack of a better word. It smells almost tea-like. I don't get the coconut milk at all, but I do get some vanilla underneath the scrumptious fig/gingerbread/pumpkin combo. This is kind of an odd scent, but in the best way possible.

Verdict: 4.75 spooky fruits out of 5.

Vanilla Craves 90s Malls (Bright fluorescent lights, glossy watermelon-flavored lip gloss, a ziplock baggie of fresh, green bud, sticky vanilla-laced marshmallow treats)

Preliminary notes: My bottle is just over a year old.

In bottle: Hoooo boy, that is W A T E R M E L O N. I can smell a very teeny bit of the weed behind it, but it's mostly old school, 90s watermelon cosmetic flavoring. I cannot tell you how many watermelon-flavored lip balms I went through in the 90s/early 2000s, and this smells exactly like them, minus the waxiness.

On skin: So it's still mostly watermelon, but the weed note definitely comes out more on the skin, so it kind of smells like a combination of watermelon bubblegum and cannabis, which is really nostalgic and summery.

Verdict: 5 watermelon-flavored bubblegum bubbles in a room hazy with weed smoke out of 5. Love this, love this, love this.

Honey Craves Coffee Shops (Roasting coffee beans, honey-drizzled cake, freshly baked vanilla cookies, soft, overstuffed chairs, a hint of steamed milk)

Preliminary notes: As previously stated in several reviews, I am a coffee scent fiend despite not being able to drink coffee IRL. This kind of sounds like Marshmallows Bite! + coffee almost, so if that's the case, I'm not gonna be mad at it.

In bottle: In the bottle, this smells almost identical to Marshmallows Bite! I don't get any coffee whatsoever, which is a bummer.

On skin: Theeere's the coffee. It's still fairly subdued, but it's at least noticeable now. The baked goods are a bit more golden than they are in Marshmallows Bite!, but the scent overall is still very similar to it. The honey note in this is very pronounced and realistic, and "honey-drizzled cake" is very apt.

Verdict: 4 bakeries that also double as coffee shops out of 5. I like this but am a bit disappointed by how subtle the coffee note is and how similar it is to Marshmallows Bite! Oh well.

Pumpkins Crave Pointe Shoes (Creamy pumpkin and Korintje cinnamon with Arcana Wildcraft's Two Finger Ballet (French vanilla créme, white amber, sugared vanilla beans, caramel, and the smallest dab of opium))

Preliminary notes: I haven't tried OG Two Finger Ballet, but I do have Strawberries Crave Indulgence, which I love. A pumpkin version of that sounds delicious.

In bottle: Oh, that is lovely. It's very creamy, spicy, and dark with a bit of an edge.

On skin: This is sublime. Pumpkin and caramel on a spicy, slightly resinous backdrop. The cinnamon is pretty dry and doesn't veer into Red Hots territory. As an added bonus, I accidentally touched my wrist to my mouth while reviewing this, and I can confirm that it does not taste nearly as nice as it smells. Do not ingest oils, kids.

Verdict: 5 caramel-y pumpkin desserts out of 5. I adore this.

Pumpkins Crave Quietude (Soft vanilla, white amber, white musk, Mysore sandalwood, sweet pumpkin, a tiny pinch of white pepper)

Preliminary notes: From what I understand, this is basically Haint + pumpkin, which sounds lovely. I haven't tried OG Haint, so I won't be able to compare to that.

In bottle: Much like my experience with Peaches Crave Haint, this smells cool-toned. The white pepper is more pronounced here, and the pumpkin smells like a pumpkin pie as opposed to fresh pumpkin puree or something.

On skin: Peppery, spicy pumpkin. I'm actually shocked there isn't cinnamon in this, because it definitely smells like it. It almost smells like unlit pumpkin incense as well.

Verdict: 4.75 sticks of spiced pumpkin incense out of 5.

Vanilla Craves Enchanted Cottages (Banana flambé, vanilla créme anglaise, a rose garden sanctuary covered in morning dew, rose geranium, ylang-ylang, bananas dipped in brown sugar, sweet cacao, sheer almond, gnarled pine branches from the deep woods)

Preliminary notes: Whether or not this actually belongs in the autumnal review post is debatable, but I figured enchanted cottages and witchy things were close enough. At any rate, I love banana notes, and this sounds amazing.

In bottle: Bananaaaas. Lots of bananas. This isn't like candy-banana though. It does smell sweet but it's almost buttery. This is a lot more complex than just banana as well. The rose-banana combo is interesting, because they have very similar scent qualities. I liiike.

On skin: On skin, the banana recedes quite a bit, and the florals bloom pretty intensely. I can't make any of them out in particular, but the whole thing smells slightly spooky. There's something in here I don't care for, and I can't tell if it's one of the florals or the almond.

Verdict: 3 bananas frolicking in a forest out of 5. The florals are pretty overwhelming once it hits skin, and there's a very distinct burnt smell going on as well. There's a little bit too much going on in this one for me.

Honeys Crave Smoldering Cauldrons (Buckwheat honey, dark earth, long tendrils of cauldron smoke reaching up to the sky, damp, decaying leaves, wild chanterelles, blackened lavender stems, dried tea leaves, wildflowers)

Preliminary notes: Lavender isn't my favorite note, but look at that note lineup! How can you resist that if you're darkly-inclined and into witchy things? I've seen a lot of fungi notes, but never chanterelles specifically. This sounds very complex and interesting.

In bottle: Oh! I love this already. I can't make anything out specifically, other than the cool dirt and a bit of tea, but it smells amazing. It has an almost aquatic quality to it. Something about it reminds me of one of the beaches near our place, though it doesn't smell beachy at all (I'm in western Canada, so beaches here are lakes with a lot of trees and grassy patches).

On skin: This is a dead ringer for interior BC lakes/beaches. It's uncanny, which makes no sense since none of the notes are indicative of that. It's incredibly evocative and nostalgic for me, and despite the heavy notes, it's a perfect summer scent.

Verdict: 5 hometown lakes out of 5.

Pumpkins Crave Nog (Pumpkin flesh with rich eggnog, sugar cookies, Tahitian vanilla, cinnamon, and a spike of Arcana Wildcraft's Holy Terror (burning frankincense, sandalwood, deep myrrh, and dusty beeswax candles))

Preliminary notes: This sounds decadent as fuck, like a pumpkin trifle.

In bottle: To be completely honest, I don't know what I'm smelling here. I get a bit of the cinnamon, but there's some sort of savory note in there, and something boozy.

On skin: I don't get any eggnog whatsoever, but it does kind of smell like pumpkin pie ice cream. The cinnamon note is really nice and dry. The mystery savory note disappeared as well, so what's left is a warm, very slightly smoky pumpkin pie scent with a bit of a creamy note with it.

Verdict: 5 bowls of pumpkin pie ice cream out of 5.

Lilac & Gooseberries (Lilac, gooseberries)

Preliminary notes: My bottle is 3 years old, and the only change I can discern from when I bought it brand new to now is that the fruit notes have deepened a bit. In checking Strange Fire & Fumery's website, this appears to not be available anymore.

In bottle: Deep, dark purple fruits and a bit of a sharp floral.

On skin: The lilac note gets a lot less sharp on the skin, and the gooseberries are right there along with it. They both vye for attention but are well-balanced here. The whole thing ends up smelling mysterious yet clean and fresh.

Verdict: 5 lilac bushes doused in gooseberry juice out of 5.

Magnolia Au Vert (Fresh white magnolia blossoms, bright spring grass, lily of the valley, green mandarin, musky vanilla)

Preliminary notes: I adore magnolia, but it's not a note I see much in indie perfumes. This sounds really cheerful and springlike.

In bottle: Definitely white and green, and slightly citric. There's something almost salty in the bottle, which I'm not super keen on. I think it's something in the mandarin note playing off of the musky vanilla.

On skin: So we went from citric and salty to citric and powdery. The lily of the valley becomes very loud and overtakes everything else, with a bit of the grass note peeking through. I'm quite disappointed with this. It's not really about the magnolia at all.

Verdict: 1 faux magnolia out of 5. This completely misses the mark for me, and is all about lily of the valley, powdery vanilla, and screechy citrus notes. It ends up smelling like powdery baby wipes. Pass.

Ahoy! I didn't expect to be doing another review this soon, but my in-laws very kindly gave me some fun money for Christmas, and perfume oils are more or less the only "fun" things I buy these days. Bird's Nest in the Cowl got me hooked on Possets' gingerbread note, so I wanted to try more of their gingerbread scents, which was the main driving factor behind this order. Onward!


Gingerbread Jailhouse (Sweet, silky, and spicy gingerbread amped up with more ginger, smoothed out with a thick coat of light lemony sour cream frosting)

Preliminary notes: This sounds kind of thematically similar to Nui Cobalt's Gingerbread Sanctuary, which also had gingerbread and lemon icing notes (though that one also had a slew of other notes, including lavender, which this doesn't have). Bird's Nest in the Cowl is a fantastic gingerbread scent, but it doesn't have any sort of frosting notes. I'm hoping this leans a bit more gingerbread cookie-like than Bird's Nest, even though I adore that one.

In bottle: That classic Possets gingerbread note with lots of icing! It actually does smell like sour cream icing, which is delicious. I don't get any overt lemon, but I'm okay with that.

On skin: So this actually kind of is similar to Gingerbread Sanctuary, sans the lavender. It's sweet but not overly, and the lemon comes out when it's actually on the skin. I like it! It's a nice, bright, festive gourmand.

Verdict: 4.5 lemon-infused gingerbread cookies out of 5.


Gingerbread Whorehouse (European gingerbread, ginger, black pepper, clove, cinnamon, coriander, a kiss of pink pepper)

Preliminary notes: The name alone is hilarious, and I delighted in telling DH what it was called. I love spice notes, so this sounds fab. I'm hoping the clove in particular is relatively strong.

In bottle: This smells very similar to Jailhouse (they very obviously have the same gingerbread base), but it's much spicier and has bite to it. I can't make out any of the spices specifically in the bottle, but it's strong and a bit dark.

On skin: This reminds me of a mainstream perfume I used to have from L'Artisan Parfumeur called Tea for Two, oddly enough. They only really share the spice and gingerbread notes, so I'm not sure how that's possible, but it is! Tea for Two has a tobacco note that leans a bit ashtray-esque, and obviously, Gingerbread Whorehouse doesn't have tobacco in it, so it's a bit smoother and easier to wear. It has a sweet, creamy, frosting-like quality to it as well and is just really sexy. I love this.

Verdict: 5 festive cookie bordellos out of 5.


Pumpkin Pie (Pumpkin pie, spices that complement rather than cover up what it is, special crust made more like cake than an ordinary pie crust)

Preliminary notes: This has been on my wishlist for the last 2 years, and I finally bought it. I couldn't find any reviews of it, which is a bit of a bummer since I amp spice notes and wanted to know how strong they are here. I love Possets' pie scents and have 4 or 5 of them, so I'd imagine even if I end up amping the spices, it'll still be great.

In bottle: Much to my disappointment, this smells like 90% cinnamon in the bottle and a bit of butter/pastry. I get very little pumpkin, which I hope changes once it's on the skin.

On skin: It starts to smell more like pumpkin pie on the skin, but it's still very heavily spiced. The pastry notes do indeed smell more like cake than pie, which is really nice. The effect here ends up being a spice cake rather than a pie. I'm hoping the pumpkin note will come out more with age. DH immediately identified it as pumpkin pie and had no issue smelling the pumpkin note, so that could just be me.

(It's also worth noting that I amp cinnamon, but Pumpkin Pie smelled cinnamon-heavy before I put it on as well)

Verdict: 3 heavily-spiced pies out of 5.


Orion (Oud, rare and unexpected woods, smoked vanilla)

Preliminary notes: This was an upsize from a free sample. I was initially scared to open the sample vial, because oud can either be really good or really bad, but I finally ended up doing it.

In bottle: VERY woody in the best way possible. I can't actually smell the oud at all. Either that, or this particular oud just doesn't smell like other ouds I've smelled. It's a very dry, woody scent.

On skin: I suppose you could call this masculine, but it reads as more unisex to me. The woods are dry and strong, and there's a bit of a sweet, smoky, peppery tinge to them. The vanilla doesn't read as outright vanilla to me and serves as a means to sweeten the blend up a bit so it's not so austere. This is a perfect fall/winter scent, and I adore it. It smells like a haunted forest. It's foreboding and mysterious.

Verdict: 5 fog-laden, haunted forests out of 5.

Lovechild - Lovebaby (Peach shortbread and sweet fruit sauce cascading over the lovely confection)

Preliminary notes: This was an unexpected addition to the package these arrived in. I had ordered Lovebaby in part of my first Yule order, but it arrived with a broken cap (the likes of which I have never seen before in my life. The middle of the cap was somehow completely separated from the band, and it was unfortunately unusable), which I contacted them about immediately, and they refunded the price of the bottle. I saw a note on the invoice saying they'd changed suppliers for their caps and then looked down and saw a mysterious 5th bottle in my package. Lo' and behold, it was a replacement bottle of Lovebaby, which I had no idea about until I opened it.

Possets' customer service is the best I've ever experienced, and I will never stop happy-yelling about it.

In bottle: Veeery fruity. Weirdly enough, my nose isn't registering it as peach. It smells like some sort of sweet berry or maybe another stone fruit.

On skin: Something about this is a tiny bit soapy, which isn't what I was looking for. I don't get any shortbread, either. Just lots of very sweet fruit.

Verdict: 3 cups of fruit sauce out of 5. I'm going to retest this at a later date, but as of right now, it's way too syrupy-smelling. DH said, "You should smell like that all the time. It smells good!"

Chocolate Incense (free sample) (Sandalwood, amber, frankincense, chocolate)

Preliminary notes: I typically stay away from chocolate notes, so I wouldn't have chosen this myself.

In vial: I mean, it smells like what it says it'll smell like. Resinous chocolate. I don't hate it.

On skin: Something about this smells a little bit salty and odd. The chocolate note veers into Sharpie territory on me, which is definitely not my thing.

Verdict: 1 chocolate-scented Sharpie out of 5. Not for me at all.

Thank you for reading! I do have another Possets review in the works, but I very inconveniently got sick the day after the package showed up, so I need to recover from that first. Stay tuned!

Ammil (Wet snow, melting ice, velvety skin warmth)

Preliminary notes: I've wanted to get my hands on this one since it was released. It sounds like it'd have a similar vibe to Woods on a Snowy Evening, which is one of my favorite Alkemia offerings.

In bottle: Slightly boozy and minty, almost eggnog-y? Definitely not what I expected, but I like it.

On skin: Definitely minty/camphorous, but not overwhelmingly so. The eggnog and booze vibe goes away as soon as it hits the skin. This is kind of like a sister or cousin scent to Woods on a Snowy Evening, but it's also very different and lacks forest notes. There's a phase of this that almost smells like Sharpies from a distance, which is kind of jarring. Aside from that, Alkemia's ice/snow notes are very distinctive, and I can smell them here. They do smell wet, and very slightly lemony. It definitely needs to rest for a while.

Verdict: 3.75 puddles of melted snow out of 5. I like this, but I think it has some maturing to do before it reaches its full potential. It does morph around quite a bit throughout its wear. It goes through the Sharpie phase, a lemony phase, an herbal phase, and a soft snow phase to name a few. A very interesting scent. I can't wait to see how this does with a few months' rest.


For Love of Winter (Luminous white amber, cool snow musk, candy canes, white chocolate pearls)

Preliminary notes: I love everything in this. Alkemia's white amber is sublime, I love their snow notes, and I love candy canes and white chocolate.

In bottle: Ugh, yesss. Smooth, sweet candy canes without being a mint explosion. This is lovely.

On skin: This is sublime. By far the best candy cane note I've come across. It's distinguishable as candy canes and not just peppermint, and it's not in your face. It smells like elegant candy cane bark, and I'm totally here for it.

Verdict: 5 massive slabs of candy cane bark out of 5. I knew I'd love this, and I do. I wouldn't change a thing about it.

To be completely honest, NAVA's been a brand I've largely avoided for the most part. For one, they don't ship to Canada anymore (these were ordered through Ajevie) so I have to go through decanters, and the idea of having an "absolute" of an accord doesn't make any sense to me. Having to go digging to find out what's actually in said accords is also a bit of a pain.

That being said, I've always wanted to try their stuff since I've heard such rave reviews. When Ajevie put up the Halloween leftovers on their site, I figured it was time.

Bonfire (Cardamom essence, Bastet's Ice Cream absolute, burning embers accord, toasted vanilla marshmallows, Studio Limited Crystalline Vanilla absolute, Bastet's Musk)

Preliminary notes: I am a huge sucker for a well done toasted marshmallow note, and I love smoky scents, so I'm hoping this is the best of both worlds.

In bottle: This smells very similar to Alkemia's Smoke & Mirrors, but a bit less smoky. I'm a fan so far!

On skin: Still very similar to Smoke & Mirrors (which is fine by me, since it's one of my favorite bonfire scents). The cardamom is present, and the blend overall is sweeter than Smoke & Mirrors. The marshmallow note is barely there but does smell toasted. I love this.

Verdict: 5 vanillic bonfires out of 5.

Vintage Dracula (Caramel accord, warm caramel sugar glazed candy, sea salted caramel accord, cinnamon, chocolate candy, sweetened condensed coconut milk)

Preliminary notes: It's no secret that I love caramel. I love foods that contain it, I love the way it looks, and I especially love the smell. For whatever reason (me being super picky, probably), I haven't come across too many realistic caramel notes in indie scents. Alkemia's Dusk in Autumn has a brilliant one, but I haven't come across too many others. This sounds amazing, and the label is fantastic as well.

In bottle: Very caramel-heavy, unshockingly enough. There's a very light citrus tinge to it, as well as a tiny bit of chocolate. It does smell pretty Halloween-esque.

On skin: Shockingly, it still smells like caramel. It actually reminds me of Solstice Scents' Halloween Night a little bit, despite not having a licorice note listed. It's very Halloween-appropriate.

Verdict: 4.5 Halloweens out of 5.

Vintage Werewolf (Candy corn accord, vanilla, wax accord, black patchouli, lycan musk accord, French vanilla, buttered almond, skin musk)

Preliminary notes: More candy corn scents, pleeease. I'd imagine it's going to be a fairly subtle note in there, but still. All the candy corn scents.

In bottle: This is very patchouli-forward, which I wasn't really expecting. It's nice patchouli, and not the headshoppy, dirty kind. I can't smell much beyond the patchouli in the bottle.

On skin: I'm 99% sure the "lycan musk" accord has some sort of evergreen in it, because that's what I'm getting mixed with the patchouli. I get a bit of buttery sweetness on top of that, but no specific notes. Definitely isn't what I was expecting, but it's still a really nice patchouli-forward fall scent.

Verdict: 4 werewolves eating buttery candy in a patchouli forest out of 5. I like this more the longer I wear it. I wish the candy corn was stronger though.

Hello! Moonalisa had been recommended to me over the last few years numerous times, but I never bothered to place an order since I don't like the FOMO aspect that their shop seems to have. I couldn't resist the Halloween offerings this year though, so we'll see how they are! A friend of mine told me that Moona herself used to be a pastry chef, so I'm very eager to try her gourmand creations. I think that's a really interesting background to have when you're making oils that smell like desserts or other food. I'm hoping they're relatively realistic!

The TAT was listed as 3 weeks, but these shipped out about 10 days after ordering and arrived right on Halloween! This package was the best I've ever received in terms of how well and securely it was put together. All of the oils were wrapped in tissue paper, put into little boxes, and then wrapped again, so there was no way they could move around and leak. There was also a glitter spray included as a gift, along with some brand art and Halloween confetti.

Cauldron Cakes (Cauldron cakes oozing with melted butter, cinnamon, maple and vanilla glaze, crushed nut topping, piping hot cappuccino, a tiny touch of witching mischief)

Preliminary notes: If memory serves, cauldron cakes are a Harry Potter thing (I think). I was a big fan of HP as a kid but haven't really been into it since then. Regardless, this sounds delicious.

In bottle: I get the cake and butter notes right off the bat, followed by the nuts and a bit of the coffee. Something smells vaguely plasticky in there, but it could be the nut note (*see below).

On skin: There's something slightly fruity and powdery in there, and I'm not sure where it's coming from. I get a bit of the cappuccino, maple, and butter but not much else for the first while. I can smell the cappuccino more in the scent cloud around me than directly on my wrist, if that makes sense. I can smell the cinnamon, nuts, and more of the cappuccino the longer it wears.

Verdict: 3.75 ghosts of cappuccinos out of 5. This is very faint on me, and the way it works with my skin chemistry is just bizarre. I like what I can smell, but I think this one might need to age a bit.

Broom Brittle (Smoldering woods blended into a toasted coconut and pumpkin pie crumble, magically transformed into a rich buttery toffee brittle)

Preliminary notes: Smoky/woody gourmands are fantastic, and I LOVE toffee notes.

In bottle: I'm getting woods for sure, and some cinnamon and what smells like a tiny bit of citrus. No coconut, pumpkin, or toffee.

On skin: Definitely has cinnamon in it, as I'm amping it to hell and back. It's a dry cinnamon, like a cinnamon stick, and not candy-like at all. I'm also getting something nutty, but it's not the coconut. I don't get any pumpkin pie, toffee, or anything buttery when it's wet. It's just a dry, spicy cinnamon explosion. If I try really hard, I can kind of smell a bit of pumpkin pie and coconut about an hour in, but still no toffee. I don't get any smoldering woods either.

Verdict: 3.75 cinnamon factories out of 5. I like cinnamon, but I was hoping for more than a cinnamon single-note with this. Skin chemistry/scent perception sucks sometimes, and it's not a fault of the actual product.

Caramel Apple (Rich gooey buttery caramel and slightly spiced baked warm apples)

Preliminary notes: I didn't think I wanted to smell like caramel apples until I tried Fyrinnae's Autumn in Avalon, and now that it's discontinued (to my knowledge), I'd like to have a somewhat suitable replacement. I'm not looking for a dupe, but just something in the same vein.

In bottle: What it says on the tin, really. The apple note smells more like a Granny Smith than a red apple, which is gently spiced and baked. The caramel is fairly faint, but it's definitely there.

On skin: This is definitely a baked scent, as opposed to a cooled down caramel apple. The apple is nice and bright, the spices are subtle, and the caramel is very warm. It leans a smidge Christmas-y, but I'm okay with that. It kind of smells like there's some sort of crumble topping on it, which is really interesting.

Verdict: 4.5 apple desserts covered in caramel out of 5.

Pumpkin Batter (Toasty bread, pumpkin puree, warm Autumn spices, vanilla frosting, creamy caramel, juicy raisins)

Preliminary notes: So I realized after the fact, going off of the description, that this is more of a pumpkin bread scent than a pumpkin puree scent, but that's okay.

In bottle: Oh, that bread note is amazing. I get the spices and raisins as well, and something slightly plasticky again (*see below). I can smell the frosting as well, which smells photorealistic and delicious.

On skin: I mean, it smells like pumpkin bread with raisins in it. It's pretty straightforward, but it's delicious. The spices don't amp, fortunately. I get a bit of the frosting note, but it's mostly about the pumpkin bread.

Verdict: 5 loaves of pumpkin bread out of 5.

Twisted Carnival #2 (Buttery toffee crusted marshmallows and strawberry jam topped funnel cakes)

Preliminary notes: You know me and my affinity for carnival scents. The jam note gives me a bit of pause, but the rest sounds delightful.

In bottle: This is so well blended that my nose is having a hard time deciphering everything. I can for sure smell the strawberry jam, which does indeed smell like jam and not fresh strawberries (which is fine by me, as I don't really like fruity scents), and I can definitely smell the toffee. The funnel cake note is a bit shy here, but then again, the toffee and jam are STRONG, so I'm not surprised. Something about this kind of smells like apple pie or apple crumble.

On skin: Cinnamon. Nothing but cinnamon, which is 100% my skin chemistry, since I amp it. I get a slight doughy note underneath that, but the toffee, marshmallow, and jam are hidden by a very strong cinnamon sugar note. It does smell relatively carnival-y, like cinnamon sugar mini donuts, so I'm not mad about it. Once it's on the skin for 1-2 hours, the cinnamon backs off a bit, and the toffee finally has a chance to come out. This one goes through several interesting phases.

Verdict: 4 buckets of cinnamon sugar donuts out of 5.

Wicked Apple (Buttery toffee apple crunch with a wicked bend of amber)

Preliminary notes: Shocker, another caramel-adjacent apple scent. I didn't realize that most of these had butter or buttery notes until after I started drafting this review. I might like gourmands just a little bit.

In bottle: That apple note is potent, but it's fantastic. It does indeed smell like toffee apples. Very warm, very gooey.

*I realized while smelling this one that the weird plasticky undertone I was getting from some of these was actually the labels! They smell like plain candle wax, and I guess I was getting cross-scents from that.

On skin: The same apple note from Caramel Apple, but not baked this time. It's like 95% apple with a tiny bit of toffee and amber underneath it initially. It eventually calms down a bit, and more of the supporting notes come out. This is very heavy on the apple itself, which is a very crisp, tart apple note. Not quite a caramel apple scent, but close.

Verdict: 4 baskets full of apples out of 5. I was hoping for more toffee, but it does come out more once it dries down a bit. This will be fantastic during autumn next year.

Sleepy Hallow (Smoldering seasoned oakwood fires, warmed leather, roasted spiced pumpkin flesh, smoldering marshmallows)

Preliminary notes: I'm a huge fan of Deep Midnight's oakwood fire note, and while no two house's notes are the same, it gives me great hope for this one. I'm also a sucker for a good toasted marshmallow note.

In bottle: Oh, god yes. The oakwood fire note is perfection, and all of the other notes marry beautifully with it. The marshmallows actually smell toasted! Toasted marshmallow notes never smell toasted to me, so I'm counting that as a miracle. The leather is fairly soft and doesn't smell like a jacket or the interior of a car.

On skin: Virtually the same as in the bottle, but warmer. It's just skirting the line of being a gourmand but never fully gets there. It's atmospheric for sure, and very appropriate for fall/Halloween. The wood note goes almost oud-y on me, which I'm not a fan of, but the marshmallow and pumpkin notes are fantastic. I also smell a bit of cinnamon in there.

Verdict: 4 fiery jack o'lanterns being thrown down a covered bridge out of 5.

Coconut Pumpkin Latte (Steamy, roasted coffee with creamy coconut milk, topped with sweet whipping cream, sprinkled with a touch of spice)

Preliminary notes: The note lineup kind of reminds me of Balefire Apothecary's Midnight Cackle, but I'm hoping this one is balanced a bit better.

In bottle: Okay, so Moona's coffee note is excellent. I get a bit of the coconut milk, whipped cream, and spices. I don't think there's an actual pumpkin note in this, so I'm assuming the spices are pumpkin pie spices. It's creamy, a bit spicy, and very coffee-heavy. DH is going to love this one.

On skin: A coffee scent that actually smells like coffee! This smells like a cup of dark roast coffee with a touch of coconut milk and some gentle spices. No pumpkin, but then again, pumpkin isn't listed as a note. This is delicious and cozy. Good throw and longevity. DH loves this one.

Verdict: 5 steaming cups of coconut-flavored coffee out of 5.

Where's My Pie (Pie crust, cinnamon, pumpkin, carrot, caramel, clove, nutmeg, pecan)

Preliminary notes: Carrot isn't a note I see a lot, so that's interesting. This kind of sounds like Thanksgiving.

In bottle: This is very interesting. On first sniff, I get the carrot, caramel, and something that smells like apples. I get a bit of the pecan and pumpkin if I try a bit harder, and something akin to lemon zest peeks out from underneath. I did not expect the carrot and pecan to be the strongest notes in this, but I'm not complaining. It smells delicious.

On skin: I still get that hidden apple note in there. This is delicious. Lots of spice, but also lots of pie fillings of all different varieties, and a bit of a buttery pastry note. It's very warm and cozy. Later in the drydown, this smells uncannily like pumpkin cookies smothered in cream cheese icing.

Verdict: 5 towering piles of pies out of 5.

Swirly Pop (Sweet orange EO, caramel, vanilla, spun sugar)

Preliminary notes: So my partner and I were watching DreamWorks Spooky Stories for the first time in mid-October, and one of the episodes featured a special candy called a Swirly Pop. I messaged Moona about it and asked if that was the inspiration for the scent, thinking it was a shot in the dark, but it turns out that assumption was correct. She had said she created the scent after watching that episode for the first time with her son years ago, which is really sweet. It made me that much more excited to have it arrive in the mail. I had no idea about that association until after I'd already ordered it.

In bottle: Orange candy. A LOT of orange candy, which makes perfect sense given the inspiration for the scent. It smells pretty much exactly how I'd assume a swirly pop from Spooky Stories would smell. I don't usually like fruity scents, but something about this one is very nostalgic. Orange suckers were my favorite kind growing up, and this is a dead ringer for them.

On skin: This was the first one in this batch that I tried on the skin, since they arrived on Halloween and it just seemed appropriate. First off, WOW, these pack a punch. The texture of the oil is very thin, and it absorbed almost instantly instead of taking a few minutes to soak in. When I was moving everything into the bedroom after the initial in-bottle impressions, I could smell this in a cloud around me.

In regard to the scent itself, it's virtually the same as in the bottle but the orange calms down a tiny bit and gives the other notes a chance to play. I can smell the caramel and spun sugar now, and they play off of the sweet orange in a very nostalgic, cheery way. I think I might have to wear this on days where I'm not feeling great mentally, because it instantly made me happy when I smelled it for the first time.

Verdict: 5 bags full of nostalgic orange candy out of 5. For someone who doesn't like fruity scents, I adore this so much. I'm so glad I tried it.

No Witches on a Crackling Fire! (A berry rich type of smoldering wood. A very realistic outdoor camping fire with that kind of sweet wet smolder in the damp morning woods)

Preliminary notes: I'm not super crazy about berry notes (save for blackberry), but smoky outdoorsy scents always get me. I'm hoping the berry note is fairly dark and not a raspberry or strawberry.

In bottle: "Realistic outdoor camping fire" is right. This is one of the most realistic campfire scents I've smelled. I don't get any fruity notes in the bottle. It's all burning wood, smoke, and a bit of damp air.

On skin: This leans a bit into BBQ territory, but I personally like intense smoke notes, so I'm not bothered by it. The berry note comes out a very small amount on the skin, but it's mostly smoke.

Verdict: 4 campfires out of 5.

Maple Kettle Corn (Vermont maple dousing freshly popped corn ending with a sugar crunch finish)

Preliminary notes: I mean.. do I even really need to say anything about this one?

In bottle: Yesss. All of the notes are present in the bottle, and there's a very slight fruitiness in there as well. It could just be part of the sugar crunch accord though, since it doesn't smell like any fruit in particular.

On skin: This is a weird one on my for the first minute or two. It smells almost minty, but the mintiness goes away fairly quickly. The maple is very strong, but I can smell the popcorn behind it, which is warm and heavenly. As it dries down, it smells like hot caramel corn, and the popcorn note strongly reminds me of the one from Alkemia's County Fair, which is one of my favorite carnival gourmands. It has very low throw compared to the other ones I'd skin tested at this point.

Verdict: 4 popcorn balls dripping in maple syrup out of 5.

Ghoul School Cupcakes (Moist caramelized vanilla cake, sweet coffee buttercream frosting, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, a touch of tonka and maple)

Preliminary notes: I have yet to try a vanilla cake note that actually smells like cake, so we'll see how this goes.

In bottle: The coffee buttercream comes off as almost savory upon first sniff, but everything gets sweeter the more I smell it. This is a pretty heavily-spiced cake scent.

On skin: I get the coffee buttercream for sure, and of course because there's cinnamon in this, I'm amping it and everything else disappears. After the cinnamon calms down, I get some of the maple and cake, which does smell relatively realistic. Later on, it's a caramelized cake scent with a tiny bit of maple. This is a very buttery, slightly spicy gourmand.

Verdict: 4.25 Halloween cakes smothered in coffee buttercream frosting out of 5.

Crone's Cottage (Smoking embers, delicious cakes and breads baking, hanging bushels of botanicals and herbs)

Preliminary notes: I've tried a few "witch's cottage" type scents over the years, but they've all been either too herbal or not foody enough for me. There's a very fine line between too much and too little for this concept, but I'm still tryin'.

In bottle: Ooo, okay. Right off the bat, this is already my favorite "witch's cottage" type of scent. Similarly-themed scents from other houses that I've tried have missed the mark for me, but this nails it on the head. The smoking embers smell like oakwood, and there's some savory baked goods dusted with soft herbs.

On skin: Pumpkin! Lots and lots of pumpkin puree. I smell something that almost smells like frankincense beneath that, which I'm assuming is some kind of lemony herb since there aren't any resins listed. I smell some cinnamon trying to eclipse everything, which it soon does for a brief moment. More of the herbs come out after a few minutes, and that lovely pumpkin puree note comes back. I don't get any bread or cake notes, but I am in love with that pumpkin note, so I'm not even mad at it. For me, this smells like lightly spiced pumpkin puree (aside from the cinnamon amping, which is just my skin), frankincense, and gentle herbs. I don't get any smoke or burning wood either.

Verdict: 4.5 jumbo cans of pumpkin puree out of 5. I could do without the cinnamon bonanza, but such is my general experience with it. After that calms down, this is lovely and delectable.

Haunted Home (Woods, herbs, resins, a touch of spice)

Preliminary notes: A scent that's inspired by the Haunted Mansion ride? Yes, please. I've never been to a Disney park, but I've always been fascinated by the Haunted Mansion.

In bottle: This is interesting. I get something lemony, which I'd wager is probably frankincense, given the description, followed by what smells like old wood (in a good way), and a bit of non-offensive lavender. It smells cold, and appropriately enough, haunting.

On skin: There is definitely, definitely lavender in this. It's not astringent or soapy though, so it's not bad. There's something that smells like pine needles or menthol (something camphorous) as well. It smells like a forest after a good snowfall shortly after application, which is not at all what I was expecting. There's something very slightly sweet underneath that, but I have no idea what it is, as the camphorous quality of whatever notes are in here overshadows it. I get something that smells similar to gingerbread briefly, and then more of the non-camphorous woods come out. I get a little bit of the resins after that stage, and then it just kind of disappears altogether.

Verdict: 3.75 wintry woodlands out of 5. I like this scent, but the longevity leaves a lot to be desired, which could just be my skin. Take that with a grain of salt.

Release the Bats! (Pumpkin pie, warm apple butter, flaky pastry, caramel drizzle, topped with candy corn sprinkles)

Preliminary notes: I don't even need to say that this sounds amazing, because look at those notes. It sounds like a Halloween dessert explosion.

In bottle: Ohhh, yeah. That's a bunch of food, alright. I get the apple butter and caramel right off the bat (pun partially intended), and a bit of the pumpkin pie and pastry. It's largely apple, spice, and caramel though.

On skin: The one thing I'll always complain about when it comes to Sugar and Spite is how much I need to slather the oils on to actually be able to smell them. They have very little throw, unfortunately. At any rate, the pumpkin pie spices come roaring out of there once the scent hits the skin, followed closely by the apple butter and something sweet (which isn't discernible as either candy corn or caramel at this point). I get a note that almost reminds me of the honey in What's Inside a Girl, which is probably just a conglomeration of everything mixing together. This leans a bit fall candle-y, but I don't mind.

Verdict: 3 Halloween candles out of 5. I don't dislike this at all, but it's a bit generic as far as I'm concerned. The spices are also way stronger than anything else, so instead of being a giant pool of sweetness, it's mostly spice with a bit of sweetness behind it.

Hellsville (Campfire embers, clove leaf, bourbon vanilla, butter cookies, marshmallow fluff, roasted pecans, tonka bean, cedar)

Preliminary notes: I'm very curious about this one. It sounds very earthy, and I'm hoping the campfire note is relatively strong.

In bottle: So funnily enough, I get everything except the campfire. I can smell the butter cookies (which smell similar to the ones in The Chilly Biscuit), the pecan, clove, vanilla, marshmallows, and tonka. I don't get any wood or smoke whatsoever.

On skin: There's kind of an odd lemony thing going on here, which I don't really understand. I suppose it could be part of the butter cookie note. I don't get any campfire bits, or any of the heavier notes. It's just butter cookies, lemon for some reason, marshmallow, and maybe a bit of clove. It smells kind of soapy as well.

Verdict: 3 butter cookie-scented soaps out of 5. This isn't a bad scent, but it's definitely not for me. Womp womp.

These were both flops, unfortunately, but such is life.