Scented Musings

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

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

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

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

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


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

Preliminary notes: This sounds delightfully creamy and autumnal.

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

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

Verdict: 5 creamy holiday drinks out of 5.


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 5 candlelit chunks of myrrh out of 5.


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 4 grandfatherly hugs out of 5.


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 4 boozy caramels out of 5.


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 5 thick hazes of incense out of 5.


Electric Fur (Aroused skin and soft musky fur)

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 5 very smoky woodstoves out of 5.


Tabac Single Note (Tobacco single note)

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

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

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

Verdict: 5 chewy tobacco leaves out of 5.


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 5 mossy gravestones out of 5.


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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 4.5 elegant desserts out of 5.

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

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

In bottle: Very fresh hay and something herbal.

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

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


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 4 autumn afternoons out of 5.


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 4.25 Toblerones in the forest out of 5.


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 5 caramel-scented bonfires out of 5.


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 4.5 golden October afternoons out of 5.


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

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

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

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

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

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.

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!

Carnival of Illustrious Hearts (ultime) (French sugarcreams, candied orange blossom, raspberry cotton candy, rosewater torte filling, bourbon vanilla amber)

Preliminary notes: DH picked this out from a deathmatch list of potential wedding scents and said it sounded lovely. I've had my eye on it since it was first released, because it sounds like a cousin of County Fair, minus the fried food and apple notes.

In bottle: Rosy cotton candy with a bit of a citrus bite. This reminds me of something else, but I can't pin what it is. It's one of Alkemia's more mainstream-adjacent scents. It doesn't smell overly gourmand in the bottle.

On skin: This basically smells like All the Sins with the addition of citrus and jammy rose. That's pretty much it. Pink, very candy-like, and sweet.

Verdict: 3.75 candy overloads out of 5. I already have All the Sins (and County Fair, which it's also sort of similar to), so I don't know if I'm going to keep this. It's VERY girly as well, which isn't really my thing.

Auguries of Innocence (ultime) (White ambergris, fresh peaches, sweet clematis accord, orange jessamine, Mexican orange blossom, night-flowering jasmine, pale cashmere)

Preliminary notes: I've heard this described as "elegant peach ring candies," which I'm not super into, but I'm hoping the florals and other notes temper it enough that it's not just straight up candy.

In bottle: Spiced peaches! I don't know where the spice is coming from, but it's there. There are a lot of orange florals in there as well, but I can't pick any of them out specifically. This has an almost jammy quality to it.

On skin: Hm.. the spice is gone on the skin and replaced by soapiness. It's turned into peach-scented floral soap, which I'm not terribly fond of. The peach is also very artificial-smelling on the skin and smells kind of juvenile, like a peach-scented toy you'd give to a young child. Not really into this.

Verdict: 2 peach-shaped soaps out of 5. I had high hopes for this one, but I should know better than to go after fruity florals. They rarely work for me. Off to the destash box it goes.

Femme Sauvage (ultime) (Wild blackberries, voluptuous musk, randy dark patchouli, the warmth of come-hither ambers)

Preliminary notes: This was an upsize from a free sample from ages ago. I already know I love it. The extrait version lasted ages on my skin, so I can only imagine that the ultime is going to last well into a second day.

In bottle: The patchouli is very strong in the ultime version, at least in the bottle. This scent smells similar to several BPALs I've tried before, but I prefer Alkemia's fruit notes.

On skin: Very berry forward but also woodier than the extrait, in my experience. Still very sexy and witchy. I don't actually get any of the patchouli on the skin.

Verdict: 5 witches eating blackberries out of 5.

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

Preliminary notes: It's been a while since I've bought a rum scent! Mixing rum with caramel and honey just sounds so decadent and delicious.

In bottle: It's surprising to me that there isn't a patchouli note listed, because I swear it's there waaay in the background. Largely though, it's all about the honey musk and caramel. Maybe a tiny bit of rum.

On skin: Still shocked about there not being a patchouli note. I get something kind of bright on the skin, which I'm assuming is a combination of the honey and rum. It reminds me a bit of Caveau des Innocents mixed with Sweet Sorcery. Amber Witch is primarily slightly spiced caramel and a bit of a boozy edge (and hidden patchouli). It's very dry and a bit sweet. There's something a bit fennel-y peeking out from behind everything else as well.

As it dries, it smells remarkably like Caveau but a bit sweeter.

Verdict: 4.25 witches eating spiced caramels spiked with rum out of 5.

Dia de los Muertos (Spiced white cacao, vanilla orchids, confectionary sugar skulls, vetiver root, chrysanthemum, mandarin peel, ziricote wood)

Preliminary notes: Yesss. I have been waiting for Alkemia to either re-release or release a new Dia de los Muertos scent for years, and they finally did it. I'm very, very excited about this one.

In bottle: Another one that reminds me of something else that I can't pinpoint. Wait, no. It reminds me of Deep Midnight's Sweet Calavera, which I guess makes sense. This smells very fresh and airy in the bottle. I get the spiced white cacao, the vetiver, presumably the chrysanthemum, and something green. I quite like this.

On skin: I get the white cacao, some sort of floral note (at this point, I can't tell if it's the orchids, the chrysanthemums, or both since it's very well blended), and something cool and green. I do get sweetness as well, which I'm assuming is the sugar skull note. I don't get any of the mandarin peel, vetiver, or wood. The mandarin peel comes out a tiiiny bit a few hours in, but it's very faint. It still reminds me of Deep Midnight's Sweet Calavera, but this is drier and not quite as sweet.

Verdict: 4.5 skulls wearing flower crowns out of 5.

Kitten and the Falling Leaves (Soft, sleek fur romping through dried oak, beech, and maple leaves on a crisp autumn day)

Preliminary notes: So this scent has two descriptions: the original one above, and a more vague description that just mentions warm fur and leaves. I opted for the more descriptive one, because I'd like to actually know which kind of leaves are in there (not that I know what beech leaves smell like anyway, but still).

In bottle: Definitely woodland-y, and also slightly aquatic? I have no idea where that's coming from. I don't get fur or anything animalic from this at all. Instead, it smells like a culmination of forest tree leaves and maybe a bit of water. This, yet again, reminds me of something.

On skin: I think the aquatic aspect is coming from white amber, which might be part of the fur accord. It's got some sweetness to it. The leaves become ever so slightly camphorous upon close sniff, but mostly, it's just a really nice, slightly sweet autumnal leaf scent. It's elegant and refined, and brings to mind images of an elven queen wearing a white gown/robe, wandering through woodlands dotted with trees that have turned orange and yellow and are just about to shed their leaves. Not the kind of mental imagery I was expecting, but definitely not one that I'd complain about, either.

Verdict: 4.25 autumnal elf queens out of 5.

Cidre d'Automne (Freshly pressed varietal fall apples delicately blended with subtle autumnal spices)

Preliminary notes: Ah, yes. I've been wanting an apple cider scent for years and haven't found one that suits the mood yet.

In bottle: Yup, that's apple cider alright. The apple is nice and fresh and not overly artificial.

On skin: Largely the same, though there's a very slight waxy quality to it on the skin. I don't think this is my perfect apple cider scent (nothing has beaten SS's Riverside Hayride yet), but it is quite nice and spicy. "Subtle spices" is kind of inaccurate, at least on my skin. The spices are quite present.

Verdict: 2.75 spicy, slightly plasticky hot apple ciders out of 5. That weird waxy note stays throughout and kind of ruins this for me, unfortunately. I received a sample of Pi in the Sky in one of my orders this month (review coming soon), and I much prefer that for a spicy apple scent that doesn't go waxy/plasticky.

Dusk in Autumn (Amberwood, Lapsang Souchong tea, salted cream caramel, spiced teacakes)

Preliminary notes: This one has been on my radar since it came out, much like others in this review. I love tea notes, I love caramel notes, and I love bakery notes. This should be a hit.

In bottle: This is fairly faint in the bottle. I get something that smells a bit like apple spice and maybe a bit of cake.

On skin: This one is bizarre. I don't know what was going on, but I was borderline anosmic to it as soon as it hit the skin. Once it sat for a while, I could actually smell it. I get smoky, spicy caramel and maybe a tiny bit of tea as it melds with my skin. I will say, this probably has the most true-to-life caramel note out of all the Alkemia scents I've tried with caramel notes in them. It's delicious. It smells like eating soft, gently spiced cakes topped with a heavy caramel drizzle with small cups of tea on the side. The tea comes out more as the oil wears, so it becomes almost like a cup of tea with a spoonful of caramel in it.

Verdict: 4.75 autumnal tea parties out of 5. I'm hoping that weird pseudo-anosmia thing goes away once it ages a bit. Other than that, I adore this. It's a lovely, caramel-heavy autumnal gourmand.

Autumnalis (Sunlight-warmed autumn leaves, maple wood, wild morel fungi, silver birch tar, slightly soapy wood musk, crushed hayscent ferns, autumn crocus saffron, dry golden amber, dried oakmosses, a touch of vetiver root)

Preliminary notes: My first review of Autumnalis was in 2018, and all I remember about it was that it was pretty soapy. I remember liking it a lot, though. I needed something to fill out the 3 for $45 extrait deal, and I figured I'd try this again and see how it fits my tastes now.

In bottle: Not nearly as soapy as I remember! It really is an olfactive picture of an autumn day in a forest clearing.

On skin: So while this is soapy, it's not the kind of soapy that I usually hate. It really does smell like sunbeams pouring through the trees in a forest during autumn. I don't get the fungi note, but I get just about everything else. It's lovely and comforting. If you like Feuillemort, you might like this if you can handle the soapy quality.

Verdict: 5 autumnal forests dappled with sunlight (and a few soap bubbles) out of 5. I loved this years ago, and I love it now. Sometimes smelling like soap isn't such a bad thing.

Smoke & Mirrors (Burning wood, Madagascar vanilla, tonka)

Preliminary notes: I already know I love this. This was just a repurchase of a very old bottle that's now past its prime, but I realized I'd never properly reviewed it before.

In bottle: I mean, what you see is what you get with this one. It's burning wood, smoke, and vanilla/tonka. It's fairly simple, but very effective and evocative of real bonfires.

On skin: Smoky, vanillic goodness. The last bottle of this that I had was more smoke-heavy, but it had also aged a few years, so I'm hoping the same happens with this. This new bottle is more woody, but the smokiness is still there.

Verdict: 5 vanilla-scented bonfires out of 5.

Calaveras de Azucar (Hauntingly sweet sugar skulls nestled against a backdrop of sugared white ambers)

Preliminary notes: This was a no-brainer. I love things centering around Dia de los Muertos, I love sweet scents, and I love Alkemia's white amber note.

In bottle: White amber, white amber, and more white amber. There's a dry sweetness underneath it, and maybe a tiiiiny bit of a smoky tinge.

On skin: The same white amber from Ghost Fire and The Magpie's Rhyme but with added sweetness and something that's a tiny bit sharp. The sharpness smells almost green, despite there not being any green notes listed. There's a very faint, almost spicy note in there as well.

Verdict: 4 sugar skulls out of 5. I'm curious to see how this one ages in regard to the surprise spice/green notes in there.

Trick or Treat (Black licorice, mandarin orange peel, caramelized brown sugar, bourbon vanilla, candied ginger, tonka bean, blonde patchouli, cedar tips, oakmoss, sandalwood)

Preliminary notes: So this was part of Alkemia's Halloween gift bag, and in looking at past notes, I apparently disliked it. I have no recollection of smelling it, so we'll see how my tastes have changed.

In bottle: Well, I can say right away that I don't understand why I didn't like this years ago (though I received my initial sample in a swap, and it was very obviously old, so it may have gone bad by that point). I get the patchouli and mandarin peel right off the bat, and maybe a touch of oakmoss. No licorice or anything sweet.

On skin: Okay, so. I either had a bad sample years ago, or my tastes have changed astronomically, because this is lovely. It's still mostly mandarin and patchouli, but I get some of the licorice and caramelized brown sugar as well. Something about it smells relatively mainstream, which isn't surprising for an Alkemia scent (which isn't a bad thing). The orange gives it a bit of a Christmas feel as well, which is something that DH had mentioned when he smelled it too. I'm not super into wearing citrus scents, but the mandarin peel note blends so well into the patchouli that it's actually kind of magical. Before I'm finished with the orange, it morphs into patchouli, which then morphs into something else. This is a very well-blended scent. It's a delightful, earthy, unisex fall-into-winter scent. I may have to get the ultime version in the future.

Verdict: 4.75 trick or treating excursions out of 5.

All Hallow's Eve Alchemy (Freshly toasted vanilla marshmallows, black licorice, candied fennel seeds, smoky caramel amber, brown sugar pralines, tonka, benzoin resin, copper distilled patchouli)

Preliminary notes: I have two of the previous All Hallow's Eve scents (2020 and 2021. I had 2019 at one point as well), and I'm curious to how this compares.

In bottle: This smells.. boozy? I don't get any sweet or smoky notes from this at all in the bottle, and I have no idea what smells like booze in here. I get a bit of the licorice/fennel if I try really hard, but mostly booze.

On skin: This is relatively heavy on the patchouli and licorice/fennel. I can make out a bit of the amber and maybe a tiny bit of the marshmallows, but this is in no way a marshmallow-forward scent. It's more similar to AHE 2021 than it is to 2020 but they're still very different. This one is smokier and spooky. Weirdly enough, this also kind of reminds me of Caveau des Innocents a little bit.

Verdict: 4 foreboding Halloween nights out of 5.

Comparison to All Hallow's Eve 2020 and 2021: 2020 is heavy on the bonfire and smoke notes for me. There's a bit of sweetness, but it's mostly a bonfire scent. 2021 is more about the sugary notes (specifically marshmallow) but still relatively smoky.

Holly and Ivy (Tonka, cashmere, balsam pine needles, sugarplums, clove-studded citrus pomanders, roasted apples and black figs, winter roses, anisette, burning bayberry candles, gentleman's pipe tobacco, soft suede)

Preliminary notes: I asked for this instead of September's monthly alchemy, since I don't like pear or quince notes.

In bottle: You know what I'm gonna say. This reminds me of something else, again. I think it's Woods on a Snowy Evening this time, which was my first ever Alkemia scent and is still one of my favorites. The pine needles are very aromatic, and I can't smell anything beneath them at all in the bottle, so it's basically Woods on a Snowy Evening Part 2 in there.

On skin: Basically Woods on a Snowy Evening Part 2 still. I get a very small amount of apple or some other fruit on the end of the inhale, but it's very pine-heavy, which I don't have a problem with. As it dries down, the pine backs off a bit, and some of the fruit notes come forward. I don't get any of the heavier notes, but the tobacco comes out a tiny, tiny bit once it's fully dried down. It also goes through a phase where it smells like berry-scented candles (which makes sense, though I don't know what bayberry smells like). This scent is quite a morpher.

Verdict: 4.25 Christmas trees out of 5. This is a really interesting scent, and I'm sure it'll get a lot of use during the holiday season.

First Solstice Scents review, ahoy! Somehow, literally everything I tried in this batch was a massive hit for me, which very seldom happens. Witchcraft!

As usual, favorites are denoted with an asterisk. Solstice Scents’ storefront can be found here. They also stock with Femme Fatale in Australia and Pretty Indulgent in Canada. Both stockists ship internationally, as does Solstice Scents. I've also linked every scent's Indie Scent Library page for the full descriptions.

Smokewood Apiary***(Smoked Honey, Creamed Honey, Beeswax, Amber, Wooden Frames, Ginger & Vanilla.) Full description here.

In the bottle: Lots of honey, beeswax (yay!), and a tiny bit of amber and ginger.

On skin: Dripping honey, chewy beeswax, a little bit of wood, and a little bit of spice. I don’t get much smoke, if any, until an hour or two after application. I wanted to try this in hopes that it’d be super beeswax heavy, and it definitely is! Overall, it’s a pretty soft scent.

Longevity: Still detectable after 6-7 hours.

During the Rain*** (Petrichor, soaked Earth, limestone, loam, clay and wet concrete.) Full description here.

In the bottle: Wet dirt and stone. Reminds me of earthworms, which is really nice.

On skin: Largely the same, but the stone is sweetened a little bit by something else. I don’t know if this reminds me of petrichor and rain as much as it reminds me of cemeteries. Actually, this kind of smells like a cemetery after it’s rained, which is perfect.

Longevity: Lasted for 7-8 hours.

Halloween Night*** (Sweet Candy Corn, Chocolate Candy Wrappers, Melty Gooey Marshmallows, Sticky Caramels & Black Jelly Beans.) Full description here.

In the bottle: Licorice, candy corn, caramel, and chocolate. Definitely evocative of Halloween candy.

On skin: Virtually the same. The licorice candy is definitely the star of the show here. It’s worth noting that I’m not a fan of licorice at all, regarding both the taste and the scent. I’ve had scents featuring licorice that I’ve liked before, however, and Halloween Night definitely falls into that category as well. I’m also heavily biased, because anything that involves Halloween, especially Halloween-related nostalgia, sends my heart aflutter. This kind of reminds me of bulk candy bins more than Halloween, but I really enjoy it regardless.

Longevity: After an hour or so, the licorice mellows out a little bit and it becomes predominantly caramel, marshmallow, chocolate, and candy corn. This part is definitely more evocative of Halloween than the initial scent upon application. In the drydown after the licorice disappears, it reminds me of Alkemia’s Sweet Sorcery a little bit, which is one of my favorite autumnal gourmands. They’re both like bottled childhood Halloween nostalgia. Had about 6 hours of good wear, but was still detectable after 9 hours.

Foxcroft Fairgrounds*** (Cotton Candy, Cream Soda, Vanilla Taffy, Gridling’s Funnel Cakes, Powdered Sugar, Crisp Fall Air, Woodsmoke & a Tendril of Incense.) Full description here.

In the bottle: Something sweet and berry-like, incense, and something a bit dirty.

On skin: Virtually the same, if not a bit dirtier. I’m assuming the berry-like note I’m getting is a combination of the cotton candy, cream soda, and taffy. I don’t get the funnel cakes or powdered sugar at all, so my initial thought that this may be like Alkemia’s County Fair was quickly put to rest. This is sweet, woody, smoky, dirty, a little spooky, and definitely atmospheric, which is exactly what I was hoping for. Love this.

Longevity: Becomes very close to the skin after about an hour, which is also when the funnel cake note comes out. By the 3-hour mark, it’s very faint. I was kind of expecting this one to be longer lived, but it’s possible that it needs more rest. Throughout the whole thing, and especially during the sweet smoke and incense phase of the drydown, I’m still getting some sort of berry note. Lasted about 3-4 hours total, but was still very, very faintly detectable after 9 hours.

Jack & the Devil*** (A blend of sugared golden pumpkin, spices, oakmoss, sweet vanilla, aged patchouli essential oil and dried brown tobacco leaf.) Full description here.

In the bottle: Spiced pumpkin, patchouli, vanilla, and a bit of tobacco. Very warm.

On skin: The spiced pumpkin and vanilla are definitely the strongest on the skin. I get very little patchouli or anything else. It’s kind of like a grown up, creamy, dark pumpkin gourmand, which is what I was hoping for. The pumpkin is nice and spicy, but it’s not a pumpkin spice scent, if that makes any sense. This will be perfect for autumn, though I tend to wear autumnal scents year round regardless. This scent is really well-blended.

Longevity: This was probably most potent during the first 6 hours, but I can still smell it pretty strongly after 9 hours. It’s mellowed, of course, but it’s still there. I could also smell it after 10 hours, a hand wash, and through unscented moisturizer.

Inquisitor*** (A Dark Resinous Blend of Leather, Labdanum, Beeswax, Frankincense, Benzoin, Palo Santo, Vetiver & Fire.) Full description here.

In the bottle: Resinous, a bit sharp, and very foreboding. Reminds me of churches a bit.

On skin: The leather, resins, and something slightly sweet are very strong upon initial application. I wasn’t expecting this to be quite as spooky and intimidating as it is, and I love it. I had read various reviews about getting a root beer note in there, but I don’t get that at all. It’s mostly just leather and burning resins/wood. It’s very commanding and smoky. It reminds me of something, but I can’t put my finger on what it is.

Longevity: After about half an hour, the leather calms down a bit, and there’s a very faint impression of beeswax. It’s still got that burning feel from the resins and wood. After about two hours, the beeswax and amber come out a bit more and soften everything. The blend takes on a more “perfume-y” tone at this point. After about 5-6 hours, Inquisitor becomes a little dusty and sweeter. Lasted for 8-9 hours.

Winslow’s*** (Rows of Christmas Trees, Clove Studded Oranges, Bayberry Tapers, Handcrafted Wreaths & Mistletoe.) Full description here.

In the bottle: Looots of pine, clove, a bit of orange, and holiday greenery. I love this.

On skin: Largely the same, though the clove and orange are a bit stronger than the pine upon application. This is like the Christmas season in a bottle. As usual, this scent is very well-blended.

Longevity: Becomes pretty subtle after about 2 hours, unfortunately. Still detectable after 8 hours, but very faint. Mostly clove, orange, and a bit of pine at this point.

Foxcroft*** (Decaying Leaves, Rich Black Soil, Dry Leaves, Fall Air, Woods, Chimney Smoke.) Full description here.

In the bottle: Just what it says on the tin. It’s really remarkable that SS managed to somehow capture the essence of autumn and bottle it. All of the notes are detectable in the bottle.

On skin: Primarily leaves and dirt, and something that resembles fungi a little bit. There’s also something sweet and fresh in there. Very reminiscent of an autumn forest. This actually smells a lot like our local pumpkin patch does in October.

Longevity: As time wears on, the sweetness that was there on initial application tends to get amplified a little bit, but not in a gourmand way or anything. Still very much autumn personified. It gets a little bit soapy after 5-6 hours, and then changes to a tree and dirt scent after 7 hours. I don’t think I’ve ever had a fragrance that morphs this much, especially in the later phases. It’s fascinating. Lasted for over 9 hours.

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

A Roll in the Hay (A delightful romp through dried hay, fresh green grass, early summer wildflower honey, vanilla grass, vanilla leaf, and wild poppy.)

In the bottle: Hay, vanilla, greenery, and something very minty.

On skin: Hay, grass, a bit of vanilla, and something slightly herbal. It’s nice and fresh, and will be really nice for summer/early autumn.

Longevity: Became significantly close to the skin after 2 hours, and the herbal undertone took a backseat. More of the vanilla came out, and it got slightly warmer. I'll have to try this with Alkemia's perfume fixative to see how much longer it lasts. Lasted about 2.5 to 3 hours.

Misdeeds After Midnight (A hedonistic adventure of late night coffee liqueur, white rum, and a splash of creme de bergamot; Black Forest raspberries dipped in salted caramel; and Arabian rosewater infused with vetiver root tumbling wantonly together into a seductive bed of vanilla musk and golden amber.)

In the bottle: Strong raspberry, something chocolatey, and a bit of booze. Reminds me of something from my childhood, but I can’t pin what.

On skin: Virtually the same as in the bottle, but there’s something floral and sweet underneath it. I don’t think this one is staying with me, but it’s not bad. I don’t like raspberry in fragrance, so I’m not sure why I opted for this in the first place, but.

Longevity: The raspberry calmed down after a few hours, and the coffee came out more. Lasted about 4 hours.

Gaea** (Forest loam under warm spring sunshine, new ferns poking up through decaying leaves, maple sap flowing over lichens, mosses and wet stones at the edge of a vernal pool.)

In the bottle: Predominantly wet soil and stone, with a bit of wet greenery. This is really calming.

On skin: Virtually the same as in the bottle, but maybe with a bit more moss and wet greens. This is really beautiful and magical.

Longevity: Started fading after about 3 hours, but was still noticeable. When this fades, it fades very abruptly. Once it reaches the end of its lifespan on the skin, it disappears very suddenly.

La Belle Sorciére (A smouldering mystery of bakhoor incense, wild berries, narcotic champa flower, white moss, sweet agarwood, orange blossom honey, spiced wine, oppononax, and Egyptian kyphi.)

In the bottle: I was initially kind of scared by the champa note, since I usually hate nag champa, but this is lovely. It’s like a combination of Magus and Sorciére Rouge, but a bit deeper and smokier.

On skin: Still smells like a combination of Magus and Sorciére Rouge, but it’s more.. feminine, I guess? The champa is definitely there, but it’s not the cheap, choking champa I’m used to. Unfortunately, champa reminds me of babies, and this is no different, but I’m trying to like it. It’s primarily incense and lighter elements, and it reminds me of vintage perfume a little bit.

Longevity: Became more incense-focused after about 3 hours. Lasted about 4 hours.

Additional notes: In the last chance section.

Update (11/01/2019): I've worn this properly a few times since reviewing, and it's quickly become one of my favorite Alkemia offerings. It's the perfect sweet, feminine incense fragrance, and I adore it. It seems to have about double the longevity it had in testing, which is a little confusing, but I'm not complaining!

Honeycakes for Harvest Moon*** (Freshly baked honeycakes, autumn beeswax, gleanings from ripened grainfields, and newly harvested fruits lightly spiced with nutmeg, ginger, and golden cloves.)

In the bottle: Ooo, this is what I wanted from this. Bright fruits tempered with spices and grains, and a little bit of sweetness. I’m hoping the beeswax comes out more on the skin.

On skin: God, this is beautiful. Autumnal spices, grains, and a bit of fruit. It’s primarily spices on me, and it’s incredibly autumnal. Love this.

Longevity: Took on a strange burnt undertone after about 3.5 hours. Lasted about 4 hours.

Additional notes: Seasonal, in the last chance section.

Desiderata (The exquisitely simple beauty of an evening stroll on a warm June evening. Fresh honeysuckle blooming under a rising full moon, ivy vines, dew dampened grass, riverbed clay, old barnwood, and earthy vetivert root.)

In the bottle: Primarily honeysuckle and greenery, with a bit of vetiver. This is really nice.

On skin: Earthy notes and ivy are definitely the stars of this on my skin. I don’t get honeysuckle at all. It’s very, very soapy and screechy-green (which I didn't think was possible, being that I love green notes) on me, to the point of being overwhelming. It’s kind of a bizarre scent, and it’s hard to explain. This was a scrubber for me, which very rarely happens.