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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!

šŸµ 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.


šŸ‚ 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.


šŸ° 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.


šŸ”® 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.


šŸ­ 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.


šŸ 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.


šŸ•Æļø 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.


🄄 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.
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Magnolia Au Vert (Fresh white magnolia blossoms, bright spring grass, lily of the valley, green mandarin, musky vanilla)

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

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

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

Verdict: 1 faux magnolia out of 5. This completely misses the mark for me, and is all about lily of the valley, powdery vanilla, and screechy citrus notes. It ends up smelling like powdery baby wipes. Pass.
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Slowly approaching the end of these Alkemia reviews! As usual, favorites are denoted with an asterisk, and Alkemia's storefront can be found here.

Blue Ridge Skyline*** (The irrepressible gladness of flowers blooming along the roadsides of the American South. Green tea infused with springtime: paperwhite narcissus, purple hyacinth, bluebells, spring daffodils, tulips, delicate tea roses, lemon blossom, sweet pepperbush, fresh greens, hay, earth, and white patchouli.)

In the bottle: This is a very ethereal white and purply-blue floral. I don’t get the green tea at all.

On skin: The green tea is very light and well-hidden by the abundance of fresh florals. This is very green, lightly sweet, vaguely herbal, and a mite bit powdery, although it’s the kind of powdery quality that flowers naturally have, as opposed to something like baby powder. I wasn’t totally sure I’d like this, but it’s really lovely. Upon seeing the notes, my partner said it should be called ā€œSpring AF,ā€ which is definitely apt. There’s something relatively cool or fresh air-like about it as well. Different facets of the florals come out as this wears. One minute, the lemon blossom is super obvious, and other times, the bluebells and tulips are prevalent. I love this so much, and it’s exactly what I was hoping for. Spring in a bottle for sure.

Longevity: Settled down a lot after the first 2 hours and became a little bit more herbal/grassy. Lasted between 3 and 4 hours and faded to a soapy floral.

Peaches in the Summer Wind*** (Lusciously ripe peaches, peach leaves, freshly mowed hay, and ash-splint wood orchard baskets.)

In the bottle: The peach leaf, hay, and wood are strong here. The actual peach is more in the background than it is upfront. There’s also a minty quality to it, which I’m assuming is from the hay, given that A Roll in the Hay has it as well.

On skin: Oh, this is unusual. The hay and wood have kind of a musty quality to them, though that isn’t a bad thing. It reads as damp wood as opposed to dry wood. The minty quality is still there, and the peach leaf is definitely stronger than the actual peach, so it’s sort of a woody, damp, earthy scent as opposed to a candy-sweet fruity scent, which I can definitely appreciate, as fruity scents are absolutely not my thing. The peach definitely reads as an actual fruit instead of something foody. Overall, this is a bit unexpected, and I love it. Perfect for late summer.

Longevity: After the first hour and a bit, the mustiness calmed down and more of the peach came out. Lasted about 4 hours.

Summer Dandelion*** (An exuberant exultation of sun warmed dandelions and meadow grasses lightly dampened by fleeting summer rain showers.)

In the bottle: God, that dandelion note is incredible. This is a sunny meadow or a grassy hill dotted with yellow in early summer. Absolutely perfect.

On skin: You know that sensation you get when you smell or taste something so good that it makes you roll your eyes? That's basically what Summer Dandelion is. The dandelion note is fantastic, bright, and fresh, and the greens are beautiful. It’s pretty much what the description says; dandelions and grasses after a summer rainfall. This is so perfect, like the scent of summer bottled.

Longevity: Faded a little bit after the first hour. Lasted between 3 and 4 hours.

SalomƩ* (An overture of not so innocent magnolia underscored with a sly caress of Queen of the Night, a fulsomeness of nubile black grapes and plums, skin musk bathed in spilled cognac, and ruthless twist of bitter orange, blended with an ancient Arabian love philtre of crushed vanilla and tonka bean, mysore sandalwood, vetiver, cedar, and red oud.)

In the bottle: Oh, this is beautiful. I get the magnolia, oud, dark fruits, and something green, which I’m assuming is the Queen of the Night. I heard various things about this being super fruity or soapy, and I don’t get either of those things, thankfully.

On skin: Generally the same as in the bottle. The magnolia and oud are the strongest, followed by a bit of something boozy and fruity (plums especially). This is very red/purple, and a bit dry. The blending is really well done, and it’s a bit difficult to pick out specific notes once it’s on the skin. I’d read previous reviews that cite this as smelling soapy, but I don’t get that at all. It’s a very dry, warm, woody fruity-floral on me.

Longevity: Between 3 and 4 hours.

Persian Tea Room** (Strong black tea, dry desert sand, and Silk Road spices, against a background of erotically enticing musk and the slight, lingering kiss of soft leather.)

In the bottle: The tea is definitely strong here, which is what I was hoping for. Very spicy and warm.

On skin: Spice, spice, and more spice. Primarily cinnamon or clove, with tea and leather underneath. This is really warm and dreamy.

Longevity: About 4 hours.

Sandscape* (Sun warmed beach sand, Atlantic ocean breezes, the saline-aquatic scent of drying sea water on skin, and the faintest hints of tanning oil and seaweed.)

In the bottle: This smells very generically beachy, but it’s really nice. The scent itself reminds me of beach towels damp with lake water, which is what the beach experience is where I live.

On skin: The same as in the bottle for the most part. There’s something cotton-esque in there, which lends to the beach towel scent I got right out of the bottle. It’s still a rather generic beachy scent, but I like it. After about an hour, it calms down significantly and becomes more of an herbal saltwater scent. Overall, it’s a fresh, slightly herbal aquatic with soft, sweet nuances. Leans a bit masculine.

Longevity: About 3 or 4 hours.

Forest Patchouli (An untamed wildness of Siberian pine, balsam fir, mistletoe blended with the rustic earthiness of iron distilled patchouli and fire cured spices.)

In the bottle: This is really pretty. Lots of wild pine, patchouli, and a bit of other greenery. This actually reminds me of a little town tucked into pine-laden mountains that I used to travel through to see a close friend of mine. The scent of pine always permeated the bus, and it was beautiful. Forest Patchouli is definitely more of a forest pine scent rather than a traditional Christmas-y pine scent. Gorgeous.

On skin: Lovely pine, patchouli, spices, and greenery. There’s also some sort of jammy fruit underneath all of that. Maybe orange? Whatever it is ends up overshadowing everything else, which is disappointing. It definitely goes more Christmas-y on the skin than in the bottle, which isn’t a bad thing. Overall, I find it to be kind of mediocre. I love pine, but this is not my favorite.

Longevity: About 2.5 hours.

BohƩme* (An unorthodox union of earthy patchouli and dark, blood-red roses.)

In the bottle: This is pretty straightforward. The rose is a bit jammy to me, which is lovely. I detect something a bit clove-like underneath that as well. Really lovely patchouli rose blend.

On skin: What it says on the tin. The rose and patchouli aren’t competing for the spotlight, and they blend into each other really well. I still detect something else in there. This scent makes me nostalgic for the days of my childhood when I would research witchy things with my older sister.

Longevity: About 4-5 hours.

Pumpkin Strumpet (A decadent blend of rich pumpkin, caramelized sugar, Madagascar vanilla, precisely balanced with a swirl of cinnamon, ginger, & clove and a tiny drop of amber musk.)

In the bottle: Cinnamon sugar with a little bit of a baked pumpkin note. Not particularly anything super interesting, but it’s nice.

On skin: Cinnamon explosion, holy shit. The vanilla and sugar are definitely in there as well, and the pumpkin reads kind of vegetal as opposed to foody. There’s something about this that I really don’t like though, and I don’t think it’s staying with me.

Longevity: The cinnamon in this really clings to the skin. All of the other notes were gone after about 4 hours, but the cinnamon stuck around for 5 or 6 hours.
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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 SorciƩre (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 SorciĆ©re Rouge, but a bit deeper and smokier.

On skin: Still smells like a combination of Magus and SorciĆ©re 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.
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More reviews ahoy! This is the last batch until the next shipment shows up. As usual, favorites are denoted with an asterisk. You can find Alkemia’s shop page here.

Dustsceawung* (The scent of forbidden explorations and an olfactory meditation on dust… attic air, the inside of old trunks, abandoned haylofts, library stacks, and abandoned buildings.)

In the bottle: Dusty, but light and fresh. A little sweet.

On skin: Takes on a more musty tone, but is still light in nature. There are some nice soft woods at play here, and this is kind of dreamy. To me, this smells more like old books than Book of Shadows.

Longevity: Became close to skin after 2 hours, and faded into something soapy and reminiscent of seawater after about 5 hours. It stuck around for a few hours after that.

Miel de Sauvage et Tabac*** (Sweet, spicy pipe tobacco flecked with wild honey, freshly crushed honeycomb, the pollen of forest blossoms, and smoked black amber.)

In the bottle: Mostly warm honey and a little bit of tobacco.

On skin: The tobacco blooms, but the honey keeps it in check. There’s something minty underneath all of that, which adds a really interesting edge. There’s something in here that reminds me of Lush (in the best way), and I think it might be the waxy honeycomb. This is lovely and comforting, and not overwhelming or smothering. It reads primarily as waxy honey on me, and I adore it.

Longevity: Still strong after 6 hours. Lasted well over 12. I could still smell it faintly under other oils after 15-16 hours.

Memoriam** (An olfactory ode to love and loss. Heirloom roses, memories wrapped in woodsmoke, a scattering of ashes.)

In the bottle: Burning roses, without a doubt.

On skin: The woodsmoke calms down a little bit, so now we’ve got smoldering roses with some spiciness underneath. I was a little scared of how smoky it was in the bottle, but it’s sublime on the skin. Definitely something that would suit darker aesthetics and tendencies such as my own. If Black No. 1 or Love You to Death had a scent, this would be it.

Longevity: Faded around the 5-hour mark, dropped a lot of the smokiness, and morphed into a spicy rose, which is gorgeous. Lasted about 6 or 7 hours total.

Book of Shadows** (A biblichor of eldritch books – heavy parchment paper, ancient iron oak gall ink, crumbling leather bindings, and wafts of rare incenses.)

In the bottle: Warm leather, incense, and spices.

On skin: This is beautiful. There’s a citrus twang (frankincense, maybe) among the parchment and incenses, and the leather is nice and soft, not overbearing. This reads as old library more than old books for me, but it’s still very interesting.

Longevity: Started fading after about 5 hours but stuck around for over 7 hours.

Vert Sur Le Vert*** (Green, green, green, and more freshly smooshed sweet greens – new grasses, new leaves, welcome new spring!ā€ Listing also includes tomato leaf.)

In the bottle: Looots of greenery and grasses, and a little sweetness.

On skin: Virtually the same as in the bottle, with a little bit of the tomato leaf that I was hoping for poking through. It’s a refreshing blend of new growth greens as opposed to full grown greens, if that makes sense. Something about this is magical. I love me some green scents, so this is excellent. Definitely something that’ll be nice to wear when welcoming spring after a long winter.

Longevity: Still strong after 4 hours. Lasted a good 5 or 6 before fading.

Pear Alchemy 2018 (Spiced Bartlett pears, white amber, green cardamon, and more.)

In the bottle: I didn’t think I’d ever regard pears as a sexy fruit, but they definitely are in this concoction! Pears, something caramelized, a bit of spice, and a touch of magic.

On skin: This lightens up on the skin a little bit and has a bit of a mentholated feel in the background initially. I’m not sure what it is. It’s really lovely and light though, and it makes me nostalgic. It takes on a kind of cosmetic-scented tone as it dries down, which I’m not particularly fond of.

Longevity: Still strong after 4 hours.

Additional notes: This was a gift with purchase and is not available on its own.

Yule Alchemy 2018*** (Yule Alchemy’s elements include boozy fruitcake, crushed pine needles, biscotti, and spiced amber.)

In the bottle: Baked goods, and a little bit of pine. A classic Christmas scent.

On skin: God, this is amazing. Everything mentioned is readily detectable, and the pine is actually there! Bit spicy, bit gourmand, and all fantastic. Love this. I ended up wearing this for Christmas this year, and it was perfect.

Longevity: Still strong after 4 hours. It became more pine-centric as time went on, which I love.

Additional notes: This was a gift with purchase and is not available on its own.
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[personal profile] femmenstein
First proper post, ahoy! I placed (many) blind, full bottle orders with Alkemia over the last few weeks, and so far, one shipment has arrived. Their customer service is stellar, and their blends are exquisite. I could not be happier with my experience. There’s not much else to say about that, so onward to the reviews! Favorites are denoted with an asterisk, and I’ll be posting more reviews as more shipments show up.

As is the case with fragrance of any kind, your mileage may vary. You may hate something I love, or something that doesn’t work on my skin might be amazing on yours. Don’t be afraid to try things out!

Woods on a Snowy Evening*** (The chilly beauty of New England in the winter – freshly fallen powder snow, juniper berries, hemlock pine, white needle balsam pine, flat cedar, camphorous evergreens, and icy aquatic elements.)

In the bottle: Fresh, icy evergreens. Light and ethereal.

On skin: Be still my heart. I have a strong soft spot for pine scents, and this is a beautiful one. Lots of fresh evergreens under a blanket of snow. I also detect some blue spruce, though it’s not listed. There’s something slightly sweet in there, but not in a cloying way at all. It makes me nostalgic for something, but I’m not sure what. This is a masterpiece, and I’m so glad that I have a bottle. Completely in love. I’ve been on the hunt for my perfect pine scent for years, and I think this is it.

Longevity: Faded significantly after about 3 hours and started to warm up a bit. It stuck around for a very long time as a skin scent, but had about 4 hours of good wear.

Additional notes: Limited edition and seasonal. Currently sold out.

Gothique* (The scent of midnight mass in a medieval cathedral. A Byzantine monastic incense recipe of Somalian frankincense, styrax benzoin, Arabian myrrh, cassia, spikenard, canella, Liquidambar orientalis, labdanum, Atlas cedar, and vetiver.)

In the bottle: Bright, resinous incense. Reminds me of CdG’s Avignon.

On skin: Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. The frankincense is nice and lemony, and the blend is overall a lot more cheerful than I had expected. Still reminds me of Avignon, but is much less overbearing. I think I actually prefer this to Avignon, which has been my baby since I discovered it, so that’s really saying something. Definitely fits the medieval cathedral vibe.

Longevity: Started fading a bit after about 4 hours, and was significantly faded after 7 hours.

Update (01/01/2019): For some reason, a little over a week later, this just reads as overwhelming lemony candy with incense undertones on my skin now. Very bizarre.

SorciĆØre Rouge* (An olfactory veil of mystery and enchantment. Bakhoor incense from a 13th century recipe, Tibetan agar-wood, and Dragon’s Blood infused with Rock Rose and dark amber.)

In the bottle: Virtually the same as on the skin, but a little more floral. Not quite as spicy, maybe.

On skin: Oh, this is lovely. Nice, spicy dragon’s blood at the forefront, with a little bit of floral sweetness to temper. Definitely a ā€œredā€ scent. I adore this.

Longevity: Became very close to the skin and faint after about 4 hours.

Season of the Witch** (An otherworldly mystery of black pine pitch, dark myrrh, aged black amber, and ritual Samhain incense blended with Black Cavendish and Perique tobaccos, protective tsuga, divinatory bay leaves, and intuition enhancing black cardamon.)

In the bottle: Warm. Mostly caramel-y tobacco. Very intriguing.

On skin: What a strange scent (in a good way)! The caramel overtone is still there, but there’s an added spicy tone as well. The incense also comes through with full force, and the name is very apt. Not as pine-y as I was hoping, but I’ll be damned if I don’t adore this regardless. Wow.

Longevity: Still strong after 8 hours.

Magus* (Rare black Ethiopian frankincense and High John the Conqueror root blended with the sensual musk of ambrette seed and the evocative mystery of labdanum and opoponax swirled with a smokey touch of vetivert root, Cambodian oud, and Somalian incense.)

In the bottle: This smells like a witch shop, straight up. Really lovely incense-centric resinous blend. I used to have something similar to this, which I miss dearly, but this is so much better. Spooky, warm, and haunting. Love, love, love.

On skin: Identical to how it smells in the bottle.

Longevity: Faded around the 6-hour mark, but was still detectable after 8+ hours and through unscented moisturizer.

Ɲdalir (A scent as ancient and compelling as Megalithic ancestral memory. 35 million year old fossilized amber resin, oakmoss absolute, Siberian Black Pine, smoked Juniper tar, and balsam pine needles.)

In the bottle: Veeery smoky, dark, and a little.. herbal? I don’t know how to explain it. I was a bit intimidated by this at first, but it’s very intriguing.

On skin: Still very smoky and dark, but calmed down a little. It very much smells like walking through a burnt forest, or sitting around a campfire in a forest of pines. Probably not something I’ll reach for super often, but it is absolutely perfect for winter.

Longevity: Over 8 hours.

Additional notes: Limited edition, 100% natural. Left a brown stain on the skin until it dried.

Darkness Burning (Spiced incense, brown sugar, Bourbon vanilla, benzoin, guaiacwood, cinnamon bark, clove, charred oak, and ginger musk.)

In the bottle: Spicy, a little powdery. This worried me a little, because I really detest powdery notes.

On skin: There’s something in here that doesn’t quite agree with me. It’s reminiscent of powder, which is one of my least favorite notes, unfortunately. This isn’t quite the spice bomb I was hoping for, and is actually pretty subtle on me.

Addendum: As time goes on, the spices start to come out more and more, and as even more time goes on, it takes on a little bit of a dusty tone. I’m still not sure that this is for me, but it’s nice.

Longevity: On me, this started out subtle to begin with. It became even more subtle after about 4 hours. Still detectable after 8 hours.

Additional notes: Limited edition, seasonal.

Update: I have no idea what was going on with my chemistry when I initially tested this, but it’s not powdery at all today, and is much spicier. It’s mostly incense and spices now, and is quite lovely. I still don’t know if it’s my thing, but resting it helped a lot.

Feuillemort** (A meditative rumination of dying leaves, smoked autumnal spices, dried grasses and fungi, Tibetan incense, cedarwood, rum soaked agarwood, and borneol.)

In the bottle: Almost identical to how it smells on the skin, maybe a little fruitier?

On skin: Spicy, slightly boozy, bright autumnal blend. Reminds me of a woodstove burning in late autumn, even though it’s not smoky at all. Sits pretty close to the skin compared to others. This is definitely going to be one of my go-to autumn fragrances (and year-round). It embodies the spirit of the season perfectly.

Longevity: Became very close to the skin after about 2 hours, but was still detectable after 4+ hours.

Autumnalis** (A wandering through woods in early autumn… 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; and a touch of vetiver root.)

In the bottle: Initially requested as a sample. Light, slightly sweet scent evocative of a sunny autumn day walking through a forest or meadow. Smells like autumn in a bottle.

On skin: Autumnal spices, leaves, and a lot of soap. At first I thought it was too soapy for me, but I find it really comforting and calming. My only complaint with it is that it’s quite fleeting. It became very close to the skin after about an hour, but I grew to love it so much during that time. I ended up ordering a full bottle.

Longevity: Became very close to the skin after the first hour. Lasted for around 4 hours total.

Wilde*** (A salacious yet aristocratically complex paradox of flowering basil, Irish linen, spilled absinthe, rare high altitude lavender, precious Japanese incense woods, dried lilies, fine cognac, a small provocation of leather, sandalwood, oakmoss, guaiacwood, ambergris, smoked vanilla beans, a risquƩ hint of opium, a whiff of pipe tobacco, patchouli, clove, and musk.)

In the bottle: Initially requested as a sample. In the vial, I didn’t think much of this. It kind of just smelled like an herbal cologne. Nothing special or particularly interesting.

On skin: All of the emotions and nostalgia. This is exactly how my aunt and uncle’s property smelled when I was growing up. It captures the scent of their attached wooden greenhouse, which was often humid and full of herbs and flowers, it captures the scent of various plants growing all over the yard, and it captures the scent of certain rooms in the actual house. I have many fond memories there, and while my aunt and uncle moved out of that house a long time ago, I still remember it vividly. Smelling Wilde on my skin made me tear up a little bit. The whole experience with it was intense and very personal. I messaged Sharra about having a bottle made very soon after testing it. Definitely a very surprising and unforgettable scent experience.

Longevity: Over 8 hours.

Additional notes: Discontinued.

Mist Becoming Rain (Rainwater, mist drenched hazel wood, meadow grasses, sage blooms, orris root, ozone, grey amber. Deep, dark, cool and mysterious.)

In the vial: Requested sample. Wet earth, slightly floral.

On skin: For some reason, this turned into the scent of house paint on my skin, which then later morphed into the scent of dryer sheets or laundry detergent. Definitely not something I’m going to order a full size of, but I wish it had worked better with my chemistry.

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DISCLAIMER

*All products mentioned were purchased by me unless otherwise stated.

*All photos and graphics used are my own unless otherwise stated.

c. Jan 2, 2019.

*Update 06/01/2025:* Given the tumultuous situation between the US and Canada right now including tariffs, reviews after the ones listed below are on hold indefinitely. It doesn't feel safe to purchase oils from the States anymore without the anxiety of potentially getting slammed with extra fees, so I won't be purchasing any for a while. I may explore Canadian companies at some point, but for now, I'm on an indefinite hiatus (minus the reviews below, which are all ready to post. I just have to stop being lazy about it).

UPCOMING REVIEWS

šŸ„€ Alkemia šŸ„€

Angel's Kitchen
Hexenhausen
Rosa Alchemica
Foxfire
Viridis Arcanum
Surcie
Slice of Heaven Alchemy
Vanille Single Note
Winter Forest Alchemy
Taste of Rain
Attar al Oud
Bibliotheca
Baccante
Green Carnation
Sadzi
Moon Lust
Affaire de Coeur
Carmen 7
Silver Sky
Luminae (2025 revisit review)
Rose Rouge Layering Note
Gilded Alchemy
Deus Ex Machina
Haunted & Bewitched
Love Flight of a Candy Heart
Earthlight
Ecstasies of Light
Honored Ghosts
Come to Me
Ambre Gris (2025 revisit review)
Vert sur le Vert (2025 revisit review)
Lilacs Along the Winding Drive (2025 revisit review)
Siren's Spell
The Lady's Yes
The Lover Tells of the Rose (2025 revisit review)
Love Among the Ruins
Rose Musk
Persian Tea Room (2025 revisit review)
Pheromone P28
Arcanum Experiments 2023: 6, 7, 14, and 15
Ambre Aquae
Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure
Arcanum Experiments 2024: 9: Getting Lit
A Roll in the Hay (2025 revisit review)
Tulips & Chimneys
Novella
Caliph's Beloved
Candybox Alchemy


(Also attempting to review everything in my collection that hasn't been reviewed yet, so stay tuned for From the Vault posts)

CREDITS

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