Scented Musings

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

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

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

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

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

Verdict: 5 giant vats of tea out of 5.


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

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

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

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

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

Verdict: 5 autumn evenings out of 5.


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 4 tables overflowing with sweets out of 5.


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 5 elegant white florals out of 5.


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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 4.5 pink bags of candy out of 5.


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 5 autumnal glades out of 5.


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 5 rituals in the forest out of 5.


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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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.

I hadn't originally planned on picking anything up from the April Fools' release, but I am hopeless when it comes to resisting gourmands. Most of these have been on my wishlist for a couple of years. I was shocked; Malarkey was on its own, but the others were in an order together and shipped within 20 minutes of the order being placed. Nui Cobalt's TAT is phenomenal and wrought with sorcery. Speaking of sorcery, let's see what kind of delicious witchery Forest has concocted with these.

As a quick preamble as well, I love the concept behind Nui Cobalt's April Fools' collection in terms of, "April Fools' is a garbage holiday, and I don't like gourmands, so I'm gonna combine the two and make some really awesome perfumes." I think it's a great way to channel something you don't like into something productive, and given my previous experiences with NCD's gourmands, I'm very excited for these. Forest may not like gourmands, but she's very skilled at making them.


🍞Malarkey: Bread and Butter Pudding (Twice-baked slices of soft white bread, salted butter, rich vanilla custard, nutmeg, cinnamon)

Preliminary notes: I'm super excited to try this, finally. It's been the GBBO scent I've eyed the most. I've gotten really into gourmands over the last year and a bit, especially those involving custard.

In bottle: Oh, fuck yeah. Toasty, buttered bread and very rich custard. I love this already and want to eat it. The butter note is very melty and realistic (probably too realistic for some).

On skin: Largely the same as in the bottle. The custard and butter are at the forefront, followed by delicious bread and spices. I think this is one of my favorite GBBO scents.

Verdict: 5 creamy, bready custards out of 5. This is excellent.

🍌Bluffing: Bananas Foster (Perfectly ripe bananas sautéed in molten brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and Caribbean rum, served over vanilla ice cream)

Preliminary notes: Bananaaa. I love a good banana note, and going off of Ochosi and Bollocks, I know NCD has a great one. I've never had Bananas Foster IRL, but I have sautéed bananas in sugar before, and that shit is delicious.

In bottle: That sautéed banana note is amazing. Much like most (if not all) of the GBBO scents, its incredibly realistic. I don't get any of the rum or ice cream in the bottle, just gooey, fried banana goodness.

On skin: You know what, I thought it was the berry notes in Preposterous! and Horsefeathers that went plasticky, but I think it's the ice cream/whipped cream, because it's happening here too. I get caramelized bananas and rum immediately followed by a ton of plastic. God damnit, skin chemistry.

Verdict: 2.5 Disappointments Foster out of 5. I hate that my skin chemistry ruined this, I really do.

🥥Fibbing: Coconut Cream Pie (Tender coconut baked in rich vanilla custard with a toasted almond crust)

Preliminary notes: I have a kind of complicated relationship with coconut. Sometimes I love it, and sometimes I hate it. I do usually like coconut cream pie though, despite the on-and-off disdain for coconut things.

In bottle: Well, that's surprising. I get zero coconut from this, and not really any custard either. It's all toasted almond crust. Hm.

On skin: Still not getting any coconut from this whatsoever, but the custard comes out a lot more on skin. This ends up smelling like vanilla cream pie instead of coconut cream pie, which I'm not mad about. There's maybe a veeery tiny bit of something similar to coconut husk if I try really hard to sniff it out, but again, it's barely there.

Verdict: 3 pies with a single shred of coconut on top out of 5. This isn't a bad scent, but there is zero coconut present, which is really disappointing.

🍵Hoodwink: Thai Iced Tea (A tall glass of Thai iced tea sweetened with Tupelo honey and swirled with vanilla rice milk)

Preliminary notes: I know what you're thinking. "ANOTHER tea scent, Femmenstein?" Yes. I am very predictable and do not have the willpower to turn down a tea scent. Plus look! There's honey and rice milk! Yum.

In bottle: Oh, this is interesting. It smells somewhere between herbal and woody, almost. I get the honey with that, but not much else.

On skin: Definitely smells like a milky sort of tea with an herbal edge. None of the notes really stick out to me.

Verdict: 3 nondescript drinks out of 5. I go somewhat anosmic to this shortly after I apply it, and to be completely frank, I have more interesting tea scents that I prefer over this.

🍰Preposterous!: Strawberry Shortcake (Sun-ripened strawberries, soft vanilla cake, topped with a scant teaspoon of whipped cream)

Preliminary notes: Okay, this one I remember almost ordering last year. I kind of forgot how much I love strawberry-based cakes until DH and I bought a strawberry cream cake from Walmart a while ago annnd I devoured most of it myself. If Preposterous! smells anything like that, or like the strawberry shortcakes from Safeway (which are amazing for storebought cakes), I'll be happy. (DH said the description sounds exactly like the strawberry cakes we buy, so that was spot on)

In bottle: Yup, that's strawberry shortcake, alright. The strawberries smell more pink than red, if that makes any sense. Slightly syrupy but not artificial (yay). Veeery sugary.

On skin: The strawberry note goes almost citrusy, and the whipped cream goes straight to plastic, so the whole thing ends up smelling like scented dolls from the 80s. Not my thing at all. After about 5-10 minutes, it calms down a bit and the cake note comes out, which is beautiful, but it gets way overshadowed by the plastic and citrus-like berry. It reads as very juvenile to me.

Verdict: 2.5 strawberry cakes out of 5. The cake note itself is one of the best I've smelled, but the plasticky overtone of this is very off-putting. Not for me.

🍍Humbuggery: Pineapple Upside-Down Cake (Caramelized pineapple, coconut cream, toasted hazelnut crust, baked brown sugar)

Preliminary notes: Gimme all the pineapple scents, please. Also, let me just say that I'm so glad this doesn't have a Maraschino cherry note. I kind of hate actual pineapple upside-down cake (canned pineapple is repulsive, and I hate candied cherries), but this.. quite honestly sounds nothing like it. I've never had or seen a pineapple upside-down cake with a crust or involving coconut. I am not complaining though; far from it. Fuck actual pineapple upside-down cakes (I am very passionate about how awful those things are, sorry/not sorry).

In bottle: This wins for one of the most realistic pineapple notes I've come across. It's a bit buried beneath the coconut and hazelnut, but it's there, and it's very juicy. Does not smell anything like actual pineapple upside-down cake, thank god.

On skin: The pineapple disappears, and what's left is a sweet, slightly floral cake. I don't hate it, but I wish the pineapple stayed longer.

Verdict: 3 pineapple-scented cakes out of 5. I was hoping for more pineapple from this, which just didn't happen, unfortunately.

🍮Kazzate: Tiramisu (Golden vanilla ladyfingers infused with espresso and Marsala wine, layered with sweet mascarpone, finished with a fine dusting of cocoa)

Preliminary notes: Ah, yes, cazzate. The Italian word for bullshit and one of the best names for a scent I've come across. "Oh, you smell nice! What is that?" "Bullshit, but make it Italian." My cultural heritage is happy. Tiramisu is DH's favorite dessert, so I had to take this for a spin and see if he likes it. He's a gourmand fiend too.

DH's preliminary notes: I'll say this much about it. This sounds like something my dad would make. Wait a minute. Is this tiramisu? IT IS TIRAMISU. AHHH!

In bottle: Well. I don't know what I was expecting, but this is a very photorealistic tiramisu scent, and it's delicious. All of the notes sing in perfect harmony together, with only the cocoa being slightly more prominent than anything else.

On skin: Much like in the bottle, everything is perfectly balanced and really does smell like tiramisu. I don't hate the cocoa note, which is a damned miracle. I like chocolate IRL but hate chocolate notes in perfumes.

DH's thoughts: Mmm, that's really comforting. Like cozying up around the fire and eating baked goods at Grandma's house.(I suggested that I should slather myself in this before giving him a hug when he has a bad day, and he enthusiastically agreed.)

Verdict: 5 gigantic plates of tiramisu out of 5. DH loves this, I love this, and I'm looking forward to dousing myself in it the next time he has a bad day in attempt to cheer him up.

🔵Hokum: Blueberry Cobbler (Garden-grown blueberries baked under oatmeal cinnamon streusel)

Preliminary notes: After being sorely disappointed by Grey Cat, I wanted to try something else from NCD with a blueberry note but without the lavender. I only have one other blueberry scent (Arcana's Blueberries Crave Home), and wanted to expand my horizons a bit, even though they're both gourmands.

In bottle: Theeere's that beautiful blueberry note. I also get something distinctly vanillic, which might be part of the oatmeal accord, and of course, cinnamon.

On skin: Oh god, this smells like Ye Olde Village Tavern on me for some reason, and my skin chem hated that scent. Way too much cinnamon, veering on dirty stables. Why.

Verdict: 0 sad skin chemistries out of 5. This was entirely disappointing.

❤️Horsefeathers: Raspberry Arctic Roll (2021) (Vanilla bean ice cream wrapped in a blanket of yellow sponge cake and a layer of vibrant red raspberry jam)

Preliminary notes: I'll start off by saying that raspberry is probably my least favorite berry note and least favorite berry in general, excluding raspberry jam. However, I've been pleasantly surprised by the GBBO scents so far, so I wanted to try this at the very least. I do love good ice cream and cake notes.

In bottle: So funnily enough, the raspberry isn't reading as raspberry at all to me. It's mostly the (very realistic) ice cream and yellow cake with a small bit of berry on the end of the sniff.

On skin: H'oookay, I might have misspoke. The second this hit my skin, a huge cloud of raspberry blossomed off of my arm. It's still primarily ice cream and cake, but the raspberry is definitely more pronounced on the skin. It doesn't smell like jam to me though, maybe closer to liqueur. It's fairly artificial-smelling, which makes me a bit sad. I had the same experience with Preposterous! almost down to a T. NCD's berry notes and I are not friends, apparently.

Verdict: 2.5 bowls of raspberry ripple ice cream out of 5. The cake and ice cream notes are good, but I really do not like the raspberry note in this at all. It's artificial and loud.

🌾Wool Over Your Eyes: Rice Pudding (Fluffy jasmine rice, precious saffron, vanilla-infused sugar, almond milk, nutmeg, cardamom, a scant sprinkle of cinnamon)

Preliminary notes: So I've never actually had rice pudding, but I've had a fair amount of scents that feature it as a note. This sounds delectable. I'm also a sucker for alternative lactonic notes, i.e. coconut milk, almond milk, etc.

In bottle: Oh, god yes. The rice note in this is similar to Silver Fox, which is my favorite cozy NCD scent. It's very creamy and warm.

On skin: This is basically the rice milk portion of Silver Fox turned up to a thousand, and I love it. This is so deliciously creamy, and the spices are perfectly balanced.

Verdict: 5 creamy rice dreams out of 5. I adore this so much.

🍋Sophistry: Sparkling Elderflower Lemonade (Chilled sparkling lemonade infused with elderflower blossoms, thinly sliced cucumber, and a pinch of grated ginger root)

Preliminary notes: I am a huge sucker for a good cucumber note, and cucumber lemon water is my go-to beverage during the summer. This sounds lovely and refreshing. I am curious about how the lemonade note is going to work in this, since the pink lemonade note in Flying South was.. bizarre, to say the least.

In bottle: This is a cucumber and ginger bomb, but not remotely in a bad way. The cucumber note smells like an actual cucumber, green skin and all. I don't get any lemon whatsoever in the bottle, but this is a refreshing herbal scent.

On skin: Still really not getting any lemon from this. It's all cucumber and ginger. Oh, wait. Give it about 5-10 minutes, and the lemonade note peeks its head out a tiny bit. Unfortunately, the whole things ends up smelling pretty soapy. Alas, this is not the lemonade scent for me.

Verdict: 3.5 large cucumber wedges in a small glass of lemonade out of 5. If you like cucumber, you'll probably love this. I was hoping for a 50/50 lemonade to cucumber note split, but instead, it's largely cucumber and ginger. I would have liked this a lot more without the ginger note, I think. I'll try aging it for a few months and see how it is by the time summer starts.