Scented Musings

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

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

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

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

Verdict: 5 silent film vampires out of 5.


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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 4 spice tents out of 5.


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 5 baskets of tropical fruit out of 5.


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 4 clouds of cotton candy out of 5.


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 3.75 soapy musks out of 5.

Barmbrack (Sweetened bread, dried fruit, fresh butter)

Preliminary notes: Yet again (there seems to be a theme here with these Vault scents), my bottle is 3 years old and hasn't really changed since I bought it.

In bottle: Warm, toasty, fresh white bread. This is the most photorealistic bread scent I've tried.

On skin: That bread note is just.. pure bliss. The butter is definitely there as well, and the dried fruits are baaarely, barely in the background. It's 95% fresh buttered bread with a tiny bit of fruit behind it for depth. I know Fyrinnae has released several other bread scents since I picked this one up, and I'm going to have to try those eventually.

Verdict: 5 freshly baked loaves of the most delicious bread you've ever had out of 5.

Hello! Long time, no review, as it were. Bit of a preamble incoming.

I'd seen Possets mentioned around IMAM numerous times over the years but had never tried their stuff before. I placed two orders in early February and two additional ones in mid-February (reviews for the latter two coming soonish), and they all shipped within a week or so of the orders being placed. Being in Canada, I was worried about having to pay duty fees, since the first shipment was a fairly large one, but no duty was owed (woo!).

The oils were all wrapped well in little chiffon bags, and there was a small satchel of lavender in there as well. Some of the labels were a bit scuffed, but I make my own top labels and have all of my oils kind of cramped together without the side labels visible anyway, so that doesn't bother me personally.

I've included my fiancé's thoughts (who I'll refer to as DH in this post) as well as my own, since he's become increasingly more interested in The Hobby™ throughout our relationship. As a bit of a background, he tends to think most things either smell like baked goods (which he likes) or cleaning products and doesn't like anything overly cologne-y/perfume-y. Without further ado, reviews!



☕JFK and Jackie (The finest leather, oakmoss, tabac blonde essence, a whiff of tea, silk)

Preliminary notes: Several reviews I've come across cite this one as smelling classy and expensive. I'm a leather, tea, and tobacco fiend, and throwing "classy" in the mix is definitely my vibe.

DH's preliminary notes: Maybe it smells like a biker who went through the forest while drinking tea? An elderly biker with tea in a Thermos?

In bottle: So this is a great deal subtler than I was expecting. The tea (which smells like Earl Grey) and tobacco are definitely there, along with a touch of the oakmoss. Veeery little leather. This reminds me of L'Artisan Parfumeur's Tea for Two but softer.

DH's thoughts: It's very sweet. Perhaps kind of floral? The immediate thing that comes to mind for me is girly. It's very girly. A red Jolly Rancher? *reads him the notes* Oh, I smell the tea now! Damnit.

On skin: Ah! There's the leather. It's a very soft, worn type of leather as opposed to the interior of a new car. The leather note mellows quite a bit after about half an hour, and the tea becomes the focus again. This is absolutely classy, refined, and elegant. It smells expensive. Leans slightly masculine but not enough to bother me, and it goes a little soapy in the drydown, but again, not enough to bother me. DH wore Adamus and I wore this one day, and they go very well together as companion scents. I love the tea note in this so much.

Verdict: 5 classy politicians out of 5. I adore this.



⛪Midnight Mass at Old St. Mary's (Resinous incense, polished wood pews, beeswax candles, offertory fruits)

Preliminary notes: I have a soft spot for churchy incense blends despite not ever being a church-goer (minus like, one summer at bible school that my neighbor dragged me to when I was a kid), and I'd wager this is going to be similar to a lot of church-inspired scents I've tried before. However, there are never too many!

DH's preliminary notes: Someone doing cabinetry beside a bee's nest (followed by both of us cry-laughing).

In bottle: The incense is the first detectable note, followed by some nondescript fruits or wine and a bit of dusty wood. The beeswax is waaay in the background, but I like it thus far. Something about it smells old world-y, and it's indeed very churchy. Like a very old wooden pseudo-cathedral with artful religious depictions on its stained glass windows, lit solely by candlelight which catches on various brass fittings inside the church.

DH's thoughts: There's something almost minty in there. Maybe mint and leather?

On skin: This smells virtually identical on skin as it does in the bottle, but the resins are very slightly amped and go a bit spicy.

Verdict: 4 slightly dilapidated churches out of 5. Was hoping for a bit more beeswax, but this is still very nice and will get much use.



🌼Virginia Oldoini, Countess of Castiglione (Blue lilac accord, white hawthorn, three white musks)

Preliminary notes: The house next to ours when I was a child had huge, beautiful lilac bushes that were always in full bloom during the spring/summer, and the street leading up the hill was lined with them on one side as well. The scent of lilacs has always been intensely nostalgic to me, and I crave it during the warmer months of the year. I moved from a small farming town to a concrete jungle of a city last year, so getting to smell lilacs again would be a nice little slice of home amongst the sirens and cramped alleys here.

DH's preliminary notes: Walking through a garden in the southern United States.

In bottle: Virtually a lilac soliflore (which I love), with a little bit of depth. Exactly what I was hoping for. My heart is happy.

DH's thoughts: Definitely a floral note. It's almost like some sort of garden flower.. huh. I swear I've smelled that before.

On skin: This explodes on the skin in a cloud of purple and green hues as soon as it leaves the bottle and goes a little aquatic. Still largely a lilac soliflore, and I still adore the hell out of it. If I get really close to it, I can kind of make out the musk, which smells almost like sugar cookies (?) and warms the lilac note up a bit.

Verdict: 5 majestic lilac bushes out of 5. A winner from start to finish, and intensely nostalgic.



🌹The Velvet Riding Habit (The most beautiful of rose and the sexiest of leather)

Preliminary notes: If memory serves, Hexennacht's 50 Shades was the first scent I encountered that was just a rose/leather combo, and I fell in love with it. More or less hoping this has the same kind of feeling to it while still being its own thing.

DH's preliminary notes: A pervert's Valentine's Day.

In bottle: This one's interesting. The leather and rose blend together so well that I'm having trouble distinguishing them from each other. The rose is very fresh and lifelike, and almost fruity.

DH's thoughts: Is there honey in that? I feel like I've smelled that before. Why do I keep thinking about a beach somewhere? It slightly reminds me of certain types of suntan lotion, I think that's why.

On skin: About the same as in the bottle. Jammy rose and leather.

Verdict: 3.75 pervy roses out of 5. Something about this goes slightly musty on my skin, which I'm not into. I'll see if aging it changes that. It's definitely not a bad smell overall, and it deserves another chance in the future. DH really likes this one.

Edit: Tried layering this with BPAL's Iago to bring out the leather more, and it just ended up smelling bubblegummy. For whatever reason, the leather in this just.. doesn't really exist. To the aging box it goes. Maybe a few months' rest will bring out the leather a bit more. It is a really nice rose, and I'm too stubborn to just give up on it outright.



🍮Nell Gwyn (Pink cedar, cream, Thanksgiving pudding)

Preliminary notes: I'm Canadian and grew up in an Italian household, so I have no idea what Thanksgiving pudding is. Is it cakey like sticky toffee pudding, or is it a custard pudding? I guess we'll find out. Either way, this sounded delicious, and I read a review on the forum that cited it as layering well with Hungarian Rhapsody.

DH's preliminary notes: A preppy Thanksgiving party.

In bottle: I still can't tell if it's a cakey pudding or a custard one (I think it's both), but this is very creamy and spicy with a bit of a bready and nutty background. It does smell very festive and delicious. I would eat this if it were a food.

DH's thoughts: Caramel. Some sort of nut? If not caramel, then toffee? Something that belongs in some sort of baked good. It smells like it tastes good.

On skin: That bit of nuttiness comes to the forefront, along with various baking spices and a bit of the woodiness from the cedar. It smells similar to sticky toffee pudding without the toffee, if that makes sense. Still delicious and festive, still want to eat it. I'm very excited to layer this with Hungarian Rhapsody at some point.

DH's thoughts: If you weren't a snack before, you're definitely food now. (Needless to say, we both love this)

Verdict: 5 delectable festive desserts out of 5. This is a stellar gourmand and probably my favorite scent of the bunch.

Edit: I did the thing. I layered this with Hungarian Rhapsody, and it is amazing. The spice in Nell Gwyn brings out the woody characteristics of the tobacco in Hungarian Rhapsody, and that same woodiness plays off of the cedar in Nell Gwyn. It's a delicious combo, and I highly recommend trying it.



🚬Hungarian Rhapsody (Tobacco, pipe smoke, a burning cozy fire)

Preliminary notes: So again, tobacco fiend here. I've tried countless tobacco blends from various houses over the years, but nothing's really stuck out to me in the way I've wanted. A true cigar scent is what I've been after, which seem to be few and far between.

DH's preliminary notes: Grandpa's story time (with more cry-laughing on my part).

In bottle: That tobacco note reminds me of a BPAL scent I had at one point (and may still have), but I have no idea what it is. It smells like freshly dried tobacco, as opposed to stale cigarettes or an ashtray, and I'm kind of in love. It's very warm and almost honeyed. Nowhere near as smoky as I was expecting, but that's okay.

DH's thoughts: I know you're gonna hate hearing this, but soap. Not just any kind of soap, but decorative soap. Like Lush. *jaw drops when I tell him what the notes are* No fucking way.

On skin: Ahhh, this is so cozy on. Delicious, chewy, honeyed tobacco and a tiny bit of smoke. Not acrid at all. Still reminds me of something I had at one point but I can't pin it.

Verdict: 5 storytimes with Grandpa out of 5. This is probably the coziest tobacco scent I've ever smelled, and it's very comforting. I expected this to be a smoke bomb (which would have been fine, as I'm a smoke fiend), but it was pleasantly toasty and almost cuddly instead.



🍯The Girls Love Vanilla! (Vanilla, honey)

Preliminary notes: Honey is one of my favorite notes (and one of my fiancé's least favorite, it seems), and every house's honey notes are different. The unlisted tobacco note cited on the Possets forum by numerous people was what ultimately sold me on this, plus if I'm being completely honest, I love the art in the listing. I adore honeybees.

DH's preliminary notes: Soccer mom who secretly smokes (??).

In bottle: Whoa. Fruit punch or fruit-flavored gum? Not sure where the honey, vanilla, or surprise tobacco notes are, because this is all sharp, sugared fruits, specifically berries and pear. This is really cloying, and I am confused. If I try really hard, I can find a toffee/taffy note similar to Lush's Honey I Washed the Kids, but it's buried underneath all of that saccharine fruit. This one needs to age for a bit, I think.

DH's thoughts: How unusual. This one kind of excites me a little bit. Like, I'm having sexual thoughts. The first thought that came to my mind was red lipstick.

On skin: Still cloying, still fruity, still confusing. This scent is so frustrating, because it feels like it's on the precipice of being something great but it's not quite there. I think this is one for the destash box. That weird fruity edge ruined this for me, unfortunately, and it makes me nauseous.

DH's thoughts: It seems like it's very close to the same, but it brings out the honey a bit more. It doesn't seem so balanced. I don't like it as much on your skin as I do in the bottle. (He later decided that he didn't know if he actually liked it in general)

Verdict: I don't want to give this a flat zero, so I'll give it 1 sad beehives out of 5. This has no redeeming qualities for me, and I can't stand it.



🌿Adamus (New mown hay, tobacco flower, sweet green moss)

Preliminary notes: This was a gift for DH that he chose for himself (kind of). He initially chose it for me, but it sounded like it would lean too masculine, so I decided to pick up a bottle for him instead. He likes more natural scents and is also a tobacco lover, so this sounds right up his alley.

DH's preliminary notes: Just sounds like a tobacco plantation.

In bottle: Like JFK and Jackie, this also reminds me a bit of L'Artisan Parfumeur's Tea for Two a bit, but less astringent and ashtray-like and grassier. It's very fresh and a bit peppery.

DH's thoughts: I can smell the grass. It actually smells like a freshly-cut lawn but with something else added to it, which is obviously the smoke you're having after you've cut the lawn.

On skin: More or less the same as in the bottle. DH's skin amps the pepperiness a bit.

DH's thoughts: I like it. Spice me up! (He later said that he really likes this and wore it the day after we did the initial review, so it's a hit for both of us!)

Verdict: 5 sexy lawn mowings out of 5. I adore this, DH adores this, and I adore it on him.



🌸Alabama (Pink fizzy mimosa, white magnolia, Canebrake jasmine, Mexican tuberose, Martinique gardenia, frankincense)

Preliminary notes: I love white florals, magnolia in particular, which is why this one caught my eye. Despite never having been to the South, I love Southern-inspired scents.

DH's preliminary notes: Vacation in Cancun.

In bottle: Ahhh, yes. Dreamy, fresh white florals that punch you in the face a little bit, with a creamy and sultry backdrop. Love this. Despite the florals being white, it smells purple (tuberose always does this to me, so I'm blaming that), which is my jam.

DH's thoughts: Weird question. Is there ivory in this? I hate going back to this, but is there a floral note in here? There's a little bit of something.. not spicy on top of it, but something that can kind of compensate near the end. Like a lemon? (Props to DH for picking out the lemony nuance in frankincense, because I can't smell it at all in here)

On skin: Virtually the same as in the bottle, but the frankincense is slightly detectable now. The florals are very fresh and lifelike. I'm in love.

Verdict: 5 white floral bouquets to the face out of 5. This is a stunning white floral scent, and I could not be happier with it.



🧈Reason (Rev. 1) (Five vanillas, three toffees, butter, cream)

Preliminary notes: Ah, the main... reason... for making my first Possets order. Toffee and caramel are some of my favorite kinds of candy, and I love the smell of both. I've been on the hunt for a good toffee/caramel scent for a long while.

DH's preliminary notes: Uh, candy store in England.

In bottle: I get that weird fruity note from The Girls Love Vanilla initially, and then the same toffee note from BPAL's Drink Me (which I love). I don't know that this is necessarily my dream toffee/caramel scent, but it's really nice.

DH's thoughts: A muffin. Is there pie in this? I sooo think with my stomach. ARE YOU WRITING THAT DOWN?! I feel like it's some kind of musk in there, one of those colored musks. No? For fuck's sakes.

On skin: Okay, so something definitely changes once it hits my skin. The weird fruity note is completely gone, and I can actually smell the toffee and butter/cream notes. There's a very, very slight tinge of coconut in there. It's tasty but not quite as robust as I was hoping for. It's pretty light.

Verdict: 3.75 candy stores out of 5. I think this one needs to age for a bit before I form a definitive opinion on it. It's too light at this stage to really know. I do really like the toffee and cream when I can smell them though.

Edit: I think I was a bit hasty when skin testing this, because the coconut tinge isn't there anymore, and it is pretty robust. It smells like creamy molten caramel and is almost boozy. I'm gonna bump this up to a 4 out of 5.



💐Silver Carnations (Rev. 1) (Silver accord, carnation)

Preliminary notes: So for context, I haven't tried any of the other Possets Silvers (I have Pavane coming in the mail but haven't smelled it yet), so I'm not familiar with the base at all. However, I decided years ago in my idealistic, sappy daydreams that I wanted carnation to be a main facet of my eventual wedding day scent. Solstice Scents' Lace Draped Spectre was what I had in mind initially, but I gave my bottle away a long time ago. I figured Silver Carnations might be a good alternative, since LDS is almost always out of stock when I go to look for it (or I'm conveniently broke when it's restocked).

DH's preliminary notes: Breakfast in a palace, but a second-tier palace.

In bottle: Oh boy. Very green and spicy carnations, a green note that smells like dandelion sap, and gorgeous vanilla musk hiding beneath it. This is really pungent stuff, which is not what I was expecting. Not a dupe for LDS, since this is much stronger, but it's definitely in the same vein.

DH's thoughts: Whoa, that is different. There's definitely not a food note in there that I can detect. There's something kind of natural about it though. Like a flower growing on the side of a tree, or maybe the tree itself. Pine? Is there tree in there at all? Fuck. Well, I'm gonna quit while I'm ahead then.

On skin: Oh.. okay. The carnation goes a bit musty, which is sad. It's very deep though, and it does smell realistic. I guess I can kind of liken this to carnations in a graveyard, which fits my aesthetic just fine. This one has ridiculous lasting power and was still very strong after washing my arm off.

Verdict: 4 very aggressive carnations out of 5. I do like this, but my fuck, is it ever strong. If aging mellows it out a bit, it'll be a 5 out of 5 for sure.



Free Sample #1: Black Tea (Black tea, incense)

In vial: To be completely honest, I don't know what I'm smelling beyond chewy incense resins. It's really nice, but not in any way what I'd call a tea scent. I'm excited to try this on skin.

DH's thoughts: Mmm, candy. Minty candy?

On skin: If I get really close to it, I can smell dried tea leaves, but again, it's mostly incense resins. There's a bit of a weird salty/powdery note in there as well that gets really strong the longer I wear it. I don't think I'm keeping my sample of this.

Verdict: 2 weirdly salty teas out of 5. If this had stayed the way it was in the vial, I would have loved it. No upsizing here.



Free Sample #2: Asmita (Pink grapefruit, black pepper, sandalwood, patchouli)

In vial: ... chocolate? Something about the grapefruit and pepper mixing together is giving me a cocoa vibe, which I can't say I'm particularly fond of (I reeeally detest chocolate/cocoa in perfumes). I won't be skin testing this.

DH's thoughts: Oh, that DEFINITELY reminds me of something. Like a Maraschino cherry. It smells not real.

Verdict: 3 phantom chocolates out of 5. While it's not for me, it's not an objectively bad scent. Not upsizing this, needless to say.