Scented Musings

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. I offered this to Fox, and it smells much better on him, so take this review with a grain of salt. It just doesn't mesh well with my skin chemistry at all but smells lovely on other people.


🎃 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.

These were all purchased with store credit that was issued for shipping overages.

☀️ Glowing Vulva at Ryogoku Bridge 2024 (Cream accord, amber, teak, lotus blossom)

Preliminary notes: I've seen so many reviews comparing this to The Antikythera Mechanism, which I love. I've also discovered that I like lotus notes.

In bottle: This is remarkably similar to The Antikythera Mechanism. It's basically The Antikythera Mechanism plus creamy bubblegum. What a vibe.

On skin: The cream and lotus (bubblegum) take center stage on the skin, and it takes on a much softer, femme tone. It's such a soft, glittery pale pink scent. The teak note is stunning, and everything blends together so well. This is so elegant, romantic, and sensual, I love it.

Verdict: 5 pieces of soft pink glitter out of 5.


🐇 White Rabbit (Strong black tea, milk, white pepper, ginger, honey, vanilla, clean linen)

Preliminary notes: I had a sample of this and tried it *one* time before upsizing it. Such a great tea scent.

In bottle: The linen and something lemony are heavier in the bottle (which is the 2024 reformulated version) than in the imp I have. Interesting. The white pepper is also virtually missing. I think the imp I have was from a forumite, so it could be that it was aged and might be the pre-reformulation version. I'm not entirely sure.

On skin: It's really unfortunate that the white pepper note is missing here, because that was the standout note for me in the imp. As it is, it's a very nice milky, honeyed tea scent with a slight floral edge, but it definitely lacks the bite that's present in the imp. I'm hoping the white pepper note will come out with a bit of age. I will say that the milk note in this scent is almost photorealistic. Milk notes tend to smell more like marshmallow or sometimes have an almost fruity quality to them, but this one smells like real, fresh milk.

Verdict: 5 spicy teas out of 5 for the imp, 4 milky teas out of 5 for the reformulated bottle.


🧁 Rhubarb Custard Muffins (Tart rhubarb, oven-browned sugar crystals, golden cake, warm custard)

Preliminary notes: I've been wanting to try a rhubarb note so bad for a long time. I love rhubarb in pies and whatnot, so this seemed like a good idea. I love custard and cake notes too.

In bottle: Smelling this made my eyes roll back. It's everything it claims to be and more. The rhubarb note is phenomenal, the cake note is delicious, and the custard is peeking out a tiny bit as well. It smells like a warm dessert.

On skin: Virtually the same as in the bottle, but a bit sweeter and deeper. I've smelled a few of BPAL's cake notes, and the one featured here is by far the best. The rhubarb and custard notes are also exquisite. This layers phenomenally with Pink Moon 2024. That combination smells like the most decadent, golden strawberry rhubarb cake. By far the most realistic gourmand I've tried from BPAL.

Verdict: 5 delicious rhubarb cakes out of 5.


☕ Café Mille et une Nuits (Shisha, thick coffee, cardamom pods, cinnamon, clove, black pepper, nutmeg)

Preliminary notes: I've been wanting to try this one for a while. The notes are very different, but the vibe reminds me of Alkemia's Club des Hashischins, which is an old favorite.

In bottle: Definitely the same kind of vibe as Club des Hashischins, but that's where the similarity stops. This is a spicy, slightly creamy coffee scent and isn't as heavy as I was expecting. It has some similarity to BPAL's The Jeweled Spider as well.

On skin: This is delicious. The coffee is so rich and thick that it almost reads as a deep chocolate, and the spices are exquisite. The shisha is definitely there as well. This scent smells like a place as opposed to a thing, so I think BPAL did well in what they were aiming for here. It smells like a very dimly-lit coffeehouse tucked into a back alley, where the scents of spiced coffee and rich tobacco waft out of the windows. This is going to be absolutely stunning in cooler weather.

Verdict: 5 mysterious coffeehouses out of 5.


🌙 Pink Moon 2024 (Sugar-swirled strawberry milk, frothed marshmallow cream)

Preliminary notes: You know what, sometimes you just have to buy the most whimsical-sounding scent that a company has. This sounds delightful and very girly, which normally isn't my thing, but I'll make an exception for strawberry milk and marshmallow. I've also noticed I've been craving lactonic scents over the last few months, so this fits the bill for that too.

In bottle: Again, eyes rolled back. There's something about the strawberry note that smells a bit like children's multivitamins, but it mostly just smells like a tart strawberry milkshake. As I'm writing this, the Strawberry Moon is tomorrow, so I plan on wearing this for that.

On skin: The strawberry is a little artificial here, but it's a very smooth, creamy strawberry milkshake scent, which is what I was looking for. I can't discern the marshmallow outright, but it definitely adds a silky sweetness to the scent. There's not much to say about this, as it's fairly simple, but I like it a lot. It smells nostalgic.

Verdict: 4 strawberry milkshakes out of 5.


😈 The Demonaic (Black poppy absolute, dried rose petals, opoponax, black labdanum, kyphi smoke, honeyed oud)

Preliminary notes: I've surprisingly not been able to find any reviews of this scent whatsoever, but it sounds right up my alley. I don't actually know that I have a reference for what black poppy smells like.

In bottle: Oh wow, this is dark. I mean, I was expecting it to be, but it smells like an abyss. It's fairly dry and very resinous, and I cannot pick out a single individual note in there.

On skin: Largely the same as in the bottle. There's something with a bit of a bite in there. I can make out the opoponax, but everything else is seamlessly blended. It smells meditative, like dark temple incense burning in a little metal censer. I was initially apprehensive of the oud, since oud can either be really good or really bad, but I can't detect it at all here. The rose eventually peeks out from underneath the glorious opoponax bomb, but it smells dried as opposed to fresh. I adore this.

Verdict: 5 curls of incense in a dark temple out of 5.


🔮 SDPU2 (prototype) (No notes given)

Preliminary notes: None. I received these last two as frottles in a relatively sizeable combined order a while ago.

In bottle: Something sharp and herbal.

On skin: Definitely lavender, maybe a bit of plum or some other dark fruit. Maybe a touch of lotus as well, but mostly lavender. It borders on powdery, which isn't my thing at all. It reminds me of how baby dolls used to smell in the 90s, so if that's your jam, looking for this in swaps might be worthwhile.

As it dries, it takes on a distinct Fruit Gushers scent, so I think there are more fruit notes at play here than just plum. Maybe a tiny bit of lime. I'm.. not really a fan.

Verdict: 2 Fruit Gushers out of 5.


🍋 PX68 (prototype) (No notes given)

Preliminary notes: None. I received these last two as frottles in a relatively sizeable combined order a while ago.

In bottle: Almost strictly orange peel, but a really nice orange peel.

On skin: I don't know what I'm smelling, but it's citric. A very weak citronella or maybe lemongrass, with a clean laundry backdrop. It takes a bit, but it finally reveals itself as orange, like it smells in the bottle. It reminds me of what I remember Eau/Elixir des Merveilles smelling like a little bit, so I wouldn't be shocked if there was also sandalwood, tonka, or amber in this as well. I quite like it. It's very light but still warm, which will be nice for warmer months.

Verdict: 4 nostalgic elixirs out of 5.

Hullo! Long time, no review, and all that. Life has been extremely busy this year, and I'm finally now getting a chance to relax and slow down.
Josh from Nui Cobalt Designs reached out to me in October and asked if I'd like to review 10-12 of their scents, so welcome to my first PR review! I'm very excited and grateful for the opportunity, and it's such a big deal to me that my reviews are appreciated by brands enough for them to be like, "Hey, we like your style, kid. We're gonna send you some stuff." I'm eternally grateful and appreciative. Thank you again, Josh and Forest!


☕ Awaken the Witch (Leather bound grimoires on mahogany shelves. A cup of hot tea, subtly sweetened with vanilla bean and honey. Sandalwood incense mingling with black patchouli, cardamom, and coriander)

Preliminary notes: This has been on my wishlist since it came out. I'm not sure why I never actually ordered it.

In vial: This is a really complex and very warm scent. It's very deep and rich, but also sweet and cozy.

On skin: This is a very contemplative scent. It absolutely smells bookish and studious, but there's something sinister looming in the background. All of the notes mingle with each other harmoniously, and while I wouldn't call this a tea scent, it's definitely atmospheric and dark. I may upsize this in the future.

Verdict: 4 sinister libraries out of 5.

🌧️ Gargoyle (Rain-drenched lavender, cathedral incense, beeswax candles, and ancient stone)

Preliminary notes: I'm not huge on lavender as a general rule, but this sounds lovely and contemplative.

In vial: In the vial, this is a dead ringer for a mossy stone. I don't get any lavender, beeswax, or incense in there. I'm actually shocked (in a good way) by how photorealistic that stone note is.

On skin: Still 99% wet, mossy stone. There's a tiiiny bit of sweetness in there, which could be either the beeswax or the incense. I expected this to be heavy on the lavender, but I can't smell it at all. It's a very lovely stone scent.

Verdict: 4 mossy stones out of 5.

🌽 Cornucopia (Hand-woven baskets of golden straw brimming with blackcurrant, Bartlett pear, pistachio, toasted corn, and spiced sweet potato)

Preliminary notes: I am a sucker for corn notes (as in like, corn husk or raw corn, not corn chips), so I always want to try scents when I see they have a corn note.

In vial: This is a really lovely, light autumnal scent. It smells like the imagery of sunbeams shining gently upon a little glen of wild fruit bushes and trees with orange and yellow leaves. There's something a bit medicinal and cooling in there, which could maybe be the straw or blackcurrant. Not sure. Despite the fruit notes, it doesn't read as a fruity scent overall. I wouldn't call it a gourmand, either. It's atmospheric for sure.

On skin: I can't actually make out most of the notes individually, but this scent is very warm and cozy. It reminds me of our local pumpkin patch, despite not having pumpkin in it. It would make a great Thanksgiving or mid-late fall scent.

Verdict: 3.75 cozy pumpkin patches out of 5.

🍁 Long Shadows (Crunchy leaves, rich maple wood, crabapples, clove, dry basil, ecru cashmere, and warm rain)

Preliminary notes: This sounds delightfully autumnal and moody.

In vial: This is a veeery, very warm and deep scent with a tiny touch of apple in the background. It's very woody, which isn't a complaint at all.

On skin: I love this. Everything comes together and melds into a very warm, deep autumnal scent with a bit of a nutty edge.

Verdict: 4.5 embodiments of autumn out of 5.

✨ Victorian Burlesque (Indigo musk, sparkling plum wine, night blooming jasmine, blackcurrant jam, green cardamom and cinnamon crème brûlée)

Preliminary notes: I love the note lineup here. It sounds so mysterious and seductive. I just now noticed there's cinnamon in it, so I'm hoping my skin doesn't amp that like it usually does.

In vial: This is a very classic-smelling scent. I get the jasmine, musk, and wine, but can't make out the rest of it. It smells almost fizzy, which is fascinating to me.

On skin: More or less the same as in the vial, but there's a distinct ginger ale thing going on when it hits my skin. I don't get any of the creme brulee, which is a bit disappointing. This is a very clean scent and not really my thing.

Verdict: 3 flute glasses full of fancy ginger ale out of 5.

🚂 Ghost Train (Stark white copal, cedarwood, coal dust, grey cashmere, cardamom, toasted marshmallow, and shining steel)

Preliminary notes: This is another one that's been on my radar since it came out. One of my favorite shows growing up was Creepy Canada, and the story of the ghost of the Silver Run tunnel is one of my favorites. I had to try this.

In vial: I expected this to be somewhat austere and biting, but it's actually light and relatively sweet! I don't get any of the coal or steel in the vial, so my opinion may change once I wear it.

On skin: This reminds me of something else I've tried from Nui Cobalt before, but I cannot figure out what it is. I think the copal might be the same one from Fairy Lights, perhaps. This does get more of a bite to it on the skin, but it still remains fairly bright and sweet. As it wears, it starts to veer almost masculine but stays pretty unisex throughout. I really love the toasted marshmallow in this and hope to see it in other NCD scents in the future.

Verdict: 4 ghost trains fading into tunnels out of 5.

🥂 Disco (Champagne, juicy purple plum, black styrax, creamy non-indolic jasmine, ylang ylang, and a twist of mandarin)

Preliminary notes: Plum is another one of those notes that I always have to try when I see it. It's lovely.

In vial: Another classic (and classy) scent. The plum and jasmine are at the forefront, with a bit of ylang-ylang and mandarin in the background.

On skin: I really like this. The plum and champagne notes are divine, and the mandarin is there but not overbearing. It smells like an elegant, mysterious woman at a formal dinner. I very well might upsize this next year.

Verdict: 4 mysteriously formal ladies out of 5.

📚 Forbidden Library (The vanillic scent of aging paper infused with ceremonial incense, venerable bookshelves of black oak and sweet himalayan cedarwood, a hint of mossy stone, and an undercurrent of faded suede)

Preliminary notes: A spooky library scent. I don't think I even need to explain why I chose this.

In vial: I can definitely see the spooky library vibe in this. There's something a bit fruity/sour in there as well, which is a little bit confusing. Maybe it's part of the incense?

On skin: This is really, really nice. It's very bookish and witchy, which is appropriate. The strange sweetness is still in there, but in reading the note description, it specifically says "sweet Himalayan cedarwood," so that'd probably be why.

Verdict: 4.5 witchy libraries out of 5.

🌰 Bountiful Harvest (Precious saffron strands, green cardamom, and clove are sweetened by maple sugar, dry chestnuts, and wood smoke)

Preliminary notes: This sounds so cozy and warm, and perfect for the cold weather we're experiencing right now.

In vial: This smells like the most delicious array of maple-sugared nuts and treats. If this is half as good on the skin as it is in the vial, I'm going to need to upsize it next year.

On skin: The clove appears! The clove and other spices provide a lot of depth, but the initial maple sweetness is still there as well. The longer this wears, the more the woodsmoke note comes out. Definitely have to upsize this at some point. It'd be perfect for winter as well.

Verdict: 5 maple-sugared nuts out of 5.

🐈 Ghost Cat (Cashmere, white amber, and ethereal ivory musk with blushing peony and pink peppercorn toe beans)

Preliminary notes: Are y'all getting tired of me saying these have been on my radar for a while? This is another one. I've learned that I really love white amber, and I love NCD's peony notes, so I have high hopes for this one.

In vial: This smells almost shampoo-esque, but like.. classy shampoo. It's a little bit soapy and veeery floral.

On skin: The soapy shampoo vibe completely goes away on the skin. It reminds me a bit of Silver Fox, which is one of my favorite NCD scents. The white amber, peppercorn, and peony are the strongest notes, and it's very cozy.

Verdict: 3.75 cozy ghost kitties out of 5.

☠️ The Poisoner's Garden (Benign accords of datura, wormwood, deadly nightshade, and autumn crocus infused with green peppercorn and dark, loamy musk)

Preliminary notes: This just sounds like a big ol' witchy mood in scent format.

In vial: This is, indeed, a big ol' witchy mood in scent format. I can smell the wormwood, the nightshade (I'm assuming a tomato leaf note), the peppercorn, and the loamy musk. It smells like a deep, dark forest where mysterious figures go to to their bidding late into the night.

On skin: More or less the same as in the vial. I love tomato leaf notes, and this one is perfect. Most likely upsizing this in the future.

Verdict: 4.5 witchy gardens out of 5.

🎃 Pumpkinocalypse (Perfectly baked pumpkin pie, still warm from the oven and garnished with nasturtium flowers)

Preliminary notes: I had to put at least one pumpkin scent in here, and pairing pumpkins with a floral (okay, nasturtiums smell peppery more than they smell floral, but still) is really interesting.

In vial: Strangely enough, I get no pumpkin from this. I get pie crust and a slightly peppery floral note, but not much else.

On skin: The pumpkin comes out a bit on the skin, but it's mostly still pie crust and the peppery tinge of the nasturtiums. It's a nice, fairly light gourmand.

Verdict: 3.75 pumpkin pies out of 5.

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!

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.

Hullo! Back at ya with some more Possets reviews, and much like the title implies, they're largely tea and gourmand scents. You can find my first set of Possets reviews here, which will also give you a bit of a background into how this is laid out, who DH is, what TAT was like, etc. I will note that the TAT was a bit slower for this batch, since some of these were ordered during or directly after the Valentine's Day and 2-22-22 sales, plus I had one of the orders held for a while per my request. At any rate, onward!



🥂Madame X (Skin musk, wax, cream, lemon zest, champagne, a kiss of bitter vanilla) (Permanent)

Preliminary notes: Madame X has pretty mixed reviews across the net, ranging from shower-fresh and soapy to seductive and elegant, but it also seems to be a Possets classic. I have a history of not liking champagne notes and tend to avoid citrus notes other than bergamot (though if the lemon in this is anything like the lemon in High Tea, it'll be fine), and I also tend to prefer heavier scents to subtle skin scents, so I could be shooting myself in the foot here. I have a feeling, just going off of the notes, that DH isn't going to like this one very much and that it'll need some aging before I'm super into it as well.

DH's preliminary notes: Toasting to a full-body wax.

In bottle: Very subtle fruitiness with a background of creamy vanilla. A little bit soapy. I can tell just from the bottle that this is, indeed, going to be a skin scent. It's pretty faint.

DH's thoughts: There's a musk in there, isn't there? White musk? Skin musk.. I just don't really recognize what the other things are in there. I like it, but what is this?

On skin: Largely the same. It kind of billows out like a cloud upon initial skin application and then recedes back in on itself. The wax (which is like a true candlewax here as opposed to beeswax) and cream are the strongest notes for me, followed closely by the lemon (which is very mild and not at all astringent or biting). It reminds me of something but I can't pin exactly what it is. It's a nice, creamy, slightly citric skin scent, and the more it wears, the cozier it gets. I do have a small part of my collection dedicated to more "work/meeting safe" scents (i.e. nothing that's super strong or overly offensive), and I think this fits in there quite nicely.

DH's thoughts: Huh.. yeah, that is potent. There sure are a lot of lighter things in there. Skin musk..

Verdict: 5 fancy candlelit baths out of 5. I was initially going to dock a partial point for the soapiness, but I cannot stop smelling myself. The soapy phase doesn't last long anyway, so it's not worth docking a point over. My preliminary thoughts about not being into this one until it's aged were definitely not accurate. Overall, I like this a lot. It's dreamy and soft, and it would probably make a great bedtime scent for some people.



🍪Pavane (Cardamom, silver accord, artemisia, coumarin) (Permanent)

Preliminary notes: Ah, the infamous Pavane. I've read many a review that cite this one as smelling like snickerdoodles (DH and I have never had them but know what they are), melted ice cream, or some other manner of sweet baked good. I don't really have any proper prelim thoughts on this one beyond "it sounded good" and was kind of an impulse pickup.

DH's preliminary notes: Eating rice beside a fancy garden.

In bottle: Dry spiciness with a bit of sweetness. Does not smell anything like cookies to me, but I'm not particularly complaining. There's a bit of greenness in the background as well.

DH's thoughts: Something kind of woody about this. It actually almost reminds me of a sunflower seed. There's also something kind of sweet about it too. Maybe syrupy?

On skin: The green aspects of this take a bit of a backseat on the skin, and it does kind of resemble cookies, or like, cinnamon sugar-topped vanilla bean ice cream. The Silver base gives it a bit of an elegant edge.

DH's thoughts: Is there sandalwood in this? It has like a deep woody smell, like a polished wood, but paired with some sort of cherry smell.

Verdict: 3.5 cinnamon sugar-dusted cookies in a silver bowl out of 5. I'm not sure how I feel about this one, but it's not bad or unpleasant at all. I stopped being able to smell it for the most part a few minutes after applying. It's.. fine. I can't say I'm overly impressed by it.



👑Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (Mysore sandalwood, suede, frankincense, patchouli, four vanillas) (Permanent)

Preliminary notes: While suede isn't an outright leather note, I do really love leather, and combining it with four vanillas sounds delicious. After my experience with The Girls Love Vanilla, I'm a biiit leery of Possets' vanilla notes (though I'm pretty sure it was the honey that went weird in that one).

DH's preliminary notes: A beach in Florida. (??)

In bottle: Vanillic leather with a bit of fruitiness (which means the weirdness in The Girls Love Vanilla was probably the vanilla, unfortunately). Not nearly as dark as I was expecting.

DH's thoughts: That's much lighter. Maybe something almost fruity about it but also kind of floral. Something that almost reminds me of some kind of bread. Like a sweet bread.

On skin: Smells nothing like it did in the bottle (which is fine by me. I don't want any fruity notes unless they're supposed to be there). Dusty leather and a bit of dry vanilla and sandalwood. It darkens up quite a bit on the skin. It kind of smells like an old leather jacket that's been sitting in someone's attic for 30 years. I do get wafts of some really rich vanillas from time to time, but it's mostly the dusty, musty suede.

Update: After about a week or so of resting/aging, the mustiness is completely gone, and now it's suede with a delicious, almost caramelized vanilla backdrop with a touch of smokiness. Yet another lesson in "Please rest/age your Possets before making a final judgement."

DH's thoughts: I know there's food in that. It smells like something sweet. Maybe there's a little bit of vanilla and toffee?

Verdict: 4.5 caramel-covered leather jackets out of 5. I think it needs to age a bit more to get the balance right, but it's sublime as-is.



🍃Danse Chinoise (Pekoe tea, green tea, incense, lime leaf) (Yule retour)

Preliminary notes: This was one of the Yules I was reeeally excited about. I love tea scents, and this one sounds lovely for spring (I'm a bit puzzled as to why it's a Yule, since it sounds pretty fresh and green, but who am I to question someone else's creative process).

DH's preliminary notes: A meditation session outside of a Buddhist temple.

In bottle: Oh, this is heavenly. Dry tea leaves and a touch of incense and lime. It does smell a bit meditative, so DH's prelim notes were pretty accurate. Very excited to skin test this one.

DH's thoughts: It's sweet, like candy. It kind of reminds me of an overly sweetened pink lemonade. Extremely sweet.

On skin: This is such a perfect dry tea scent. The lime leaf adds a gentle citrus lilt to it, and the incense is soft and unburnt, so not smoky at all. There's something veeery slightly camphorous peeking out from the background, but it never goes full-on camphor. I adore this so much.

DH's thoughts: Maybe like, some old sweet wood?

Verdict: 5 loose-leaf teas in opulent tins out of 5. This is a stunner and has earned a place in the league of my favorite tea scents. Possets does tea scents exceptionally well.



🎉Clara's Party (Black musk, Arabian frankincense, three golden ambers, spicy gingerbread, black tea) (Yule retour)

Preliminary notes: Another tea-featuring Yule, which I skimmed over initially. I do not like ginger, at least not in an eating context, so I'm curious to see how this goes. Most of the reviews I read mentioned the tea note being pretty heavy, which is what I'm hoping for.

DH's preliminary notes: It sounds like something out of a fairytale.

In bottle: Oh, wow! This one is pretty sweet, but not in a bad way. Everything is well-balanced, and I can't make out specific notes beyond the tea and a bit of the gingerbread. It's cozy and has a bit of a classy edge to it. I like it a lot.

DH's thoughts: There's something far more natural, almost sweaty, about it. It is a little sweet though. I would almost describe it as a rich scent. I would imagine if whatever this is was in its natural form, it'd be thick like molasses.

On skin: The ginger comes roaring out of there once it hits the skin, along with the tea and resins. I like it! It smells elegant and festive, like an expensive ginger tea in a fancy teacup.

DH's thoughts: It's interesting.. *proceeds to sniff my wrist 5 or 6 times* (He liked it)

Verdict: 5 festive, mirth-filled tea parties out of 5. This is delightful, and that tea note is perfection.



🍋High Tea (Tea, lemon, sugar, milk, the best starched linens) (Permanent)

(I have no idea what happened to the preliminary notes for this one, so ignore that)

In bottle: So funnily enough, I ordered a full size of this during the 2-22-22 sale because I figured I'd like it, but a free sample of it showed up in my first Possets parcel, which arrived shortly after, so I got to try it a bit sooner. This review is from when I tried the sample. It reminds me a lot of Alkemia's Madam Pearl in the vial, which is one of my favorite refined/elegant tea scents. The lemon smells more like bergamot to me here, and it's a pretty light and refreshing scent overall. As so many reviewers before me have said, the tea note is more on the iced side rather than a hot cup of tea. It smells like sitting outside on a patio in a garden during late spring/early summer, sipping iced Earl Grey from a tall, ornate vintage glass (like these) with a thin slice of lemon floating on top. I can see the sunlight reflecting in the divots in the glasses in my mind's eye. I did not expect this one to conjure such vivid mental imagery.

DH's thoughts: Black musk, talcum powder, and a leather coat. (??)

On skin: On skin, the tea note comes out a bit more after the lemon has calmed down, but it's still very much an iced tea scent. It could just be that it's too fresh out of the mail, but this wears extremely close to the skin and is hard to smell sometimes aside from the citrus. I don't get the starched linens at all, which I'm not complaining about. No powder or laundry here. Just resplendent iced tea. 🧡

DH's thoughts: Like pink lemonade and tea. It smells like iced tea, but not like, a normal iced tea. Like a specialty iced tea. A pink iced tea. It makes me thirsty; it makes me want to drink you. Lemme smell your iced tea wrist. ARE YOU ACTUALLY WRIT- God damnit..

Verdict: 4.75 elegant iced teas out of 5. I wish this lasted longer on the skin, but that's my only qualm with it. It'll be a lovely late spring/summer scent.



🍵Linden Blossom Tea (Linden blossom tea, honey) (Permanent)

Preliminary notes: This one's kind of a no-brainer for me. I like springtime-y floral tea scents, and I like linden blossom. This sounds lovely.

DH's preliminary notes: Break time in a tequila factory. (??)

In bottle: Gorgeous linden blossoms, a bit of watery tea, and a really fantastic honey note (one of the most realistic I've come across thus far). Love.

DH's thoughts: It is very floral, and you can definitely smell the tea. Like a little hint of lemon in it too. There was this garden that I had tea at in Alberta, of all places. I don't know why, but I think about that place when I smell this.

On skin: Largely the same, but something warms it up. The honey kind of recedes on the skin, so it just becomes the linden and tea. Bit of a bummer, since the honey note is really nice, but this is still lovely. It threatens to go a bit soapy but never quite gets there. I can see where people would get an air freshener/bathroom soap vibe from, but I adore it nonetheless.

DH's thoughts: It's very floral and very light, with a hint of something stronger. It's like cinnamon but not cinnamon.

Verdict: 4.75 springtime garden tea parties out of 5. I wish the honey stuck around longer, but I still really love this. For such a light scent, it has really good throw and longevity.



🍮BBC - The Big Black Cat (Buttery creme, smooth caramel, bourbon vanilla, gourmet candy corn, burnt sugar, cinnamon, clove, allspice) (Permanent)

Preliminary notes: Is it gonna smell like a fall candle? Let's find out. Much like High Tea, I initially got a free sample of this in my first Possets parcel, so this review was written when I tried the sample.

DH's preliminary notes: Sounds like a movie night at my house when I was a teenager.

In bottle: So. Fucking. Buttery. I love it. The spices are a bit in-your-face, but I can live with that. This smells delicious. It does veer into fall candle territory a bit, but I'm not opposed to that at all. This is one hell of an autumnal gourmand.

DH's thoughts: Certainly is pungent. Makes me think about food again, like some kind of cake. Maybe a pound cake. There's something creamy in there too. And something like, a wood table?

On skin: Much the same, but the spices blend into the caramel and cream enough to calm down a bit. The caramel and cream notes never go plasticky or sour on me, which is fantastic. I immediately full sized this after skin testing. Love, love, love. This may very well be my holy grail caramel scent.

DH's thoughts: Smells completely different on you. That smells like you're eating a cake at your grandma's house *points at sample vial*, and now it smells like bath bombs. It lost its potency. It lost all of its food notes. (This made me sad and I disagree with it, but scent is subjective. I don't regret full sizing it and will wear the hell out of it regardless)

Verdict: 5 luscious Halloween treats out of 5. I absolutely adore this and want to bathe in it. Instant win for me.



🥚Syllabub (Eggs, milk, cream, a light dusting of lemon zest, fluffed together and eaten with a long-handled spoon) (Yule retour)

Preliminary notes: I couldn't find many reviews on this one, but the ones I did find mentioned that this smells a lot like cake batter. That's enough of a reason to try it for me.

DH's preliminary notes: Stealing a piece of lemon meringue pie.

In bottle: Well, it does indeed smell like raw cake batter. The lemon zest is quite pronounced in the bottle, which I'm hoping evens out on the skin. Can definitely tell this one's gonna need a bit of aging.

DH's thoughts: It's like a sweet fruit, like cranberries and toffee. Definitely smells like sweets. I wanna eat it.

On skin: This is so bizarre. It smells like raw cake batter in the bottle, but once it hits skin, it smells like a freshly baked lemon poppyseed cake with like, 2 inches of frosting on it. I've never smelled something that's such a dead ringer for lemon poppyseed cake in my life. Delightful.

DH's thoughts: It smells like a sponge cake with toffee and vanilla, maybe with a spot of tea on the side.

Verdict: 4.75 heavily frosted lemon poppyseed cakes out of 5. This is delicious. It does have a slight dusty quality to it, hence not being a full 5 out of 5, but it's definitely tolerable.



🧁Smellbutrin (Cream, sugar, butter, a pinch of salt, frosting, sprinkles) (Orphans retour, special order)

Preliminary notes: I asked Tom if I could order this and The Grace of the Posset (the latter of which is now available on the site) via PayPal invoice, since they weren't available on the site at the time, and he very kindly obliged. What is there to really say about that note lineup? This sounds scrumptious and uplifting, and quite possibly tooth-achingly sweet. And also pink.

DH's preliminary notes: That just sounds like a cupcake. Literally a cupcake. (He said this without seeing the emoji I assigned to this one, so A+ for that. For whatever reason, even though I used the cupcake emoji, my brain didn't connect the dots on it and it took me almost a week after drafting this review to realize that the description does sound exactly like a cupcake. Brains are weird)

In bottle: Veeery sweet. This has a bit of a fruity edge that I wasn't expecting, and there's something else below the fruitiness that's sharp and a bit dusty-smelling. It smells very slightly boozy as well, in the same way vanilla extract smells boozy.

DH's thoughts: It's kind of balanced, if that makes sense. It's kind of light but kind of dark at the same time. Definitely has a musk in there of some kind, or at least I think it does.

On skin: Has the same dusty undertone as Syllabub (I'm guessing it's something in the cream note, since that's the only note they share), and has a very pronounced strawberry candy-like note to it. There's a tang in there as well, like cream cheese icing. It does indeed smell like cupcakes with a generous swirl of pink icing on top. This has quite a throw on it. I was smoking outside in the wind and could still smell a prominent cloud of Smellbutrin around myself.

DH's thoughts: Smells like toffee with maybe a hint of granola and some honey in it. Very foody. Still smells like a baked good.

Verdict: 4.5 very pink cupcakes out of 5. The dusty note isn't my favorite, but once it wears off, this is delectable. It's also very sweet (shocking), which is something I need to be in the mood for. When I'm in the mood for cavity-inducing sweet scents, this will definitely be one I reach for.



☕The Grace of the Posset (Like the foam on a cappuccino) (Spring retour, special order)

Preliminary notes: So DH has these French vanilla cappuccino Keurig pods, and I remember him saying "I would not complain if you smelled like this" while he was making one a month or so ago. I do love coffee scents as well despite not being a coffee drinker, so this was a shoo-in.

DH's preliminary notes: Breakfast.

In bottle: Almost floral and woody at first, but then the roast of the coffee comes out. Not quite as creamy as I'd expected. It smells like an upscale coffee shop.

DH's thoughts: This kind of smells like pancakes with some kind of fruit on it.

On skin: Virtually the same as in the bottle. The coffee note is pretty weak (in comparison to something like Lurker and Strange's Carpe Noctem), and there's a very perfume-y element to it. Does not, in any way, resemble DH's coffee pods, which is slightly disappointing but ultimately fine. It's its own thing and is still quite nice. Very creamy, cozy, and a bit rich. There's a veeery soft baked good note floating in the background somewhere, but this scent itself isn't foody.

DH's thoughts: Is that one of the ones that has honeysuckle in it? No? I've had many a cappuccino in my lifetime, and that smells nothing like it.

Verdict: 4 expensive coffees out of 5. I'm gonna age this one a bit and see if the coffee note gets any stronger and the perfume-y undertone evens out a bit. It is really nice as-is, however.



🌙Cambienne: Long Winter Night (Clary sage blossom infusion, a subtle hint of melon, a warm tinge of musk, ambergris accord, Haitian vetiver)

Preliminary notes: This one's an unexpected bonus. Tom had asked me if I'd be interested in a sample of this, and he ended up including a full bottle instead! Many thanks, Tom! Your kindness and generosity are unparalleled.

DH's preliminary notes: A humid brunch on a Caribbean island?

In bottle: The vetiver in this is gorgeous. It's almost creamy. I don't get anything else straight out of the bottle except the vetiver, and it's a really beautiful vetiver note at that.

DH's thoughts: OH, that is definitely not food. Really punches the nose, actually. I don't know how I feel about this one. It reminds me of rubbing alcohol. I don't like it.

On skin: Largely the same as in the bottle, though there's more of an herbal and musky edge on the skin. I think I liked this more before the herbal notes came ripping out of there.

DH's thoughts: *grimaces* Like when I wash my bong with isopropyl.

Verdict: 3 witchy herbal concoctions out of 5. DH hates this stuff, and I'm not crazy about it either, but it's not objectively bad. I really did enjoy the vetiver note before it hit my skin.

As usual, favorites are denoted with an asterisk. You can find Alkemia's storefront here.

These took a little longer to get done than expected, but here they are! Reviews should be pretty steady (i.e. once a week or so) for the next while. I currently have 21 other Alkemia reviews in my queue, plus one Solstice Scents review and a few S92 reviews. After that, there's a few Strange South reviews and another Solstice Scents review, so that should keep posts going into April, probably. Anyway, onto the reviews!

Sweet Sorcery** (A sexy enchantment of candy corn, caramel creams, candyfloss, brown sugar toffees, and marshmallow nougat.)

In the bottle: Sugar, sugar, and more sugar. The toffee was the first note I detected, followed by caramel and something a bit citrusy or fruity.

On skin: The candyfloss definitely adds a fruity tone to this, which I wasn’t sure I was totally into at first. The whole blend overall definitely smells like candy, so if that’s something you’re into, you’ll love this. It does remind me of Halloweens from my childhood (like a combination of Halloween candy and those plastic/rubber witch noses from the 90s that kind of smelled like fruity vanilla), which I’m all about, so I’m eager to take this for a spin in October. I definitely didn’t expect this to be as nostalgic as it is.

Longevity: Started calming down a little after about 3 hours, with about 4 hours of solid wear.

Club des Hashischins*** (A dark intoxication of African Bronze Honey, caramelized charred black oud, blackberry pipe tobacco, leathered labdanum blended with hashish coffee and dawamesk from an original 1844 Club des Hashischins recipe that includes orange peel, cinnamon, clove, cardamon, nutmeg, musk, and kola nuts.)

In the bottle: Oh my god, this is exactly what I was hoping this would be. The oud is very prominent, as is the coffee. There’s a bit of fruit in there as well.

On skin: Man alive, this is amazing. Lots of oud, lots of coffee, and lots of dark tobacco. Very dark and heavy, which is my jam. I’m so glad that this remained very close to the scent in the bottle, because I fell in love with it right away. Easily one of my favorite Alkemia fragrances. This has a hell of a throw to it, also.

Longevity: Still very strong after 4 hours, and started settling down a bit after 4.5 hours. Lasted 6+ hours and was still lightly detectable after 18+ hours.

Additional notes: Limited, special reserve.

Exotique*** (Revani cake soaked in pure syrup, black Turkish coffee, hookah tobacco, and aged Somalian frankincense.)

In the bottle: Strong coffee (huzzah!), a bit of tobacco, and a bit of frankincense. Not getting any cake notes at all.

On skin: About the same as in the bottle. I think the cake acts as more of a sweetener than it does as a gourmand note, because this is definitely mostly coffee and tobacco on me, which is exactly what I wanted. Love this.

Longevity: Still strong after 3 hours. The tobacco calmed down after about 4 hours, and it became a softer warm coffee scent. Lasted 6+ hours and was still lightly detectable after 18+ hours.

Additional notes: In the last chance section.

Lilacs Along the Winding Drive*** (An olfactory portrait of a May evening.... lilac bushes heavy and purple with blooms, a gentle breeze after light spring rain, a dusty pebbled driveway, a slightly rusty porch swing, and a small handful of late blooming violets.)

In the bottle: True-to-life lilacs, violets, a bit of dusty earth, and aquatic rain notes. I hope it stays this way on the skin as well, because this is dreamy and perfect.

On skin: The violet dominates the lilac a bit, but the lilac is still there. There’s also a smidge of a dusty quality to it. Dusty, but not powdery. The florals are fresh as opposed to old lady-ish, at least on me. The rain note is also in the background, which lends a garden-after-the-rain quality to this. This is really pretty, and exactly what I’d hoped for. Throughout the whole wear time, I never got any metallic or rusty notes.

Longevity: About 4 hours.

Additional notes: Custom ordered.

Vespertilia (Tart quince, Asian pear, and wild apple infused with black and jasmine teas in an autumnal unfolding of marigolds, Golden Ray lilies, palo santo, oakmoss, bamboo, and golden amberwood.)

In the bottle: Not gonna lie, this smells a little like hair conditioner. The apple and pear are probably the strongest notes, and the rest kind of hangs in the background. This reads more spring/summer than it does autumnal to me. I’m hoping it’s not as soapy on the skin as it is in the bottle.

On skin: Still conditioner-y, but it’s nice. The fruit, lily, and tea are the most prominent to me, and it’s very soft and bright. Not something I usually go for, but it’s pretty. I don’t think it’s staying in my collection, however.

Longevity: I stopped smelling this on my skin for the most part after half an hour, which leads me to believe this one might need a bit more rest than the recommended two days. Became very faint after 3 hours and was mostly a ghost of apple and pear by 4 hours.

Ambre Gris*** (A rare blend of proprietary perfumery ingredients carefully oxidized by sunlight, sand, air, sea salt, water, and ocean minerals. The result is as changeable and morphing as the ocean... earthy, sweet, musky, saline.)

In the bottle: This is a perfect ambergris scent. The description is incredibly apt. It’s very marine, sweet, salty, and musky. It reminds me of Hermes’ Eau des Merveilles a little bit.

On skin: This both warms up and takes on a more aquatic scent once actually on the skin. There’s something vaguely spicy in there as well. Still a perfect ambergris scent.

Longevity: Still fairly detectable after 4-5 hours.

Additional notes: This one requires a bit of a shake, as there's a bit of sediment at the bottom of the bottle.

Bealtaine (Wild quince fruits, wild pears, apple blossoms, heliotrope, hawthorn accord, rowan berries, gorse flowers, vanilla musk, and white amber.)

In the bottle: Lots of fruits, vanilla, and light florals. Beautiful.

On skin: The fruit notes are all fresh and pretty realistic, which is nice. There’s a little bit of a floral undercurrent as well. Apple and pear always tend to read as hair conditioner on me though, so I’m not sure how this is going to go.

Longevity: Lasted about 4 hours.

The Lover Tells of the Rose (Rambling wild roses, a touch of lemon verbena, white pearl tea leaves, delicate white patchouli, and a springtime rebirth of new greens and wet mosses.)

In the bottle: Ugh, god. This is like early spring in a bottle. The rose and greenery are definitely there, as is a bit of patchouli, tea, and verbena. This is another one that reminds me of my aunt and uncle’s house growing up, which makes me incredibly sentimental.

On skin: This greens up a lot more on the skin. The patchouli, tea, and greens/moss take center stage, and the rose is kind of in the background. Unfortunately, it loses its nostalgic and sentimental air completely on the skin, and turns into luxe soap on me.

Longevity: Turned very soapy after about an hour and a half, sadly. Lasted about 4 hours.

Vixen (A captivatingly shapeshifting blend of sexy white amber and luminous late summer night blooming florals awakened by warm caresses of autumnal spice, golden musk, varietal apple peel, sugar pumpkin, jasmine tea, and a whisper of woodland mosses.)

In the bottle: This is a bit lighter than I was expecting. Everything blends together nicely, and the only note I can really distinguish is the pumpkin. A nice, tangy, light floral with a bit of a gourmand edge.

On skin: This is very, very light on my skin. The pumpkin and spices are pretty strong (which is good), and everything else kind of helps keep it in check and steers it away from being straight up pumpkin pie spice. The apple peel is very lightly present in the background.

Longevity: Started fading after about 2 hours. Lasted about 4 hours.