Scented Musings

Welcome to my second ever PR review, and my first Alkemia PR review! I am very, very grateful to Alkemia for allowing me the opportunity to do this, and it warms my heart to know that one of my favorite companies likes my reviews enough to grant me this privilege. These samples were provided to me by Alkemia for review.

Cosmic Lotus (A trinity of sacred incense, Egyptian musk, blooming pink lotus flowers)

In vial: The lotus note in here is similar to the one used in Blue Lotus. This is creamy and a bit sweet, but also a bit citrusy (which leads me to believe that one of the incenses might be frankincense). I usually don't care for Egyptian musk, but the one used here is not the sickeningly clean variety that I've smelled before.

On skin: This smells like a contemplative, floral incense for the most part. The Egyptian musk behaves and doesn't make anything smell like soap, which I'm thankful for. Fans of Blue Lotus will like this, I think. It smells decidedly fancy and also nostalgic, like expensive lotus incense from the 90s.

Verdict: 4 sticks of floral incense out of 5.


Crown of Violets (Royal violets, Mauve Queen iris, French lavender, bergamot, vetiver, rosemary, Dittany of Crete, oakmoss, tonka bean, Atlas cedar, white ambergris, sandalwood)

In vial: Regal indeed. This is very purple-smelling, and it has a bit of a peppery edge as well. It's not overwhelmingly floral and smells very cool toned.

On skin: This is exquisite. Very regal and stately. The notes blend so seamlessly together that I can't tease most of them apart, but I definitely get the violet, iris, and rosemary. I'd imagine this is what a queen of a fae realm would smell like. It's powerful but ethereal at the same time. It's sweet without being cloying, herbal without being medicinal, and floral without smelling soapy. It's absolutely beautiful.

Verdict: 4.5 faerie queens out of 5.


Feu Follet (Swamp Fairy) (Artemisia, caraway, bergamot, Swamp azalea, Tamarack, Blackgum, bog rosemary, vetiver, leatherleaf, black patchouli, oakmoss, tobacco leaves, leather, wet mud)

In vial: Very herbal and almost camphorous. There's a deceptive sweet note beneath the herbs and other dark notes, which makes the whole thing feel a bit sinister.

On skin: This reminds me very much of an oil I had years ago, but I can't figure out what it was or which house it was from. It's very herbal but also aquatic and slightly sweet. The camphorous vibe is still there a little bit. The whole mood overall is about what it sounds like: a mischievous fairy in a swamp. Something in here is reading a teeny bit metallic to my nose as well.

Verdict: 3.5 mischievous swamp fairies out of 5.


Legal Tender (Fresh currency, printer ink, pressed cotton, linen, aliphatic aldehydes, vegan tallow, imprints from a hot steel press, elegant leather, Iso E, Adenium, rare orchids, resilient Hoya)

In vial: I do love Alkemia's conceptual/abstract scents, and this one is very interesting. The ink note is strong here, and it's a bit shrieky initially. There are some green notes in here that remind me of my beloved and long-discontinued Wilde, which is interesting as well.

On skin: This settles down quite a bit once it's on the skin. The ink is still the strongest note, but the aldehydes and leather also makes themselves known. I get a very distinct metallic note as well. It's quite a nice scent, for being so conceptual and abstract, and while I wouldn't upsize it, it's definitely pleasant. If you want to smell like a bank in the 1920s/1930s or a pile of cash, this is for you!

Verdict: 3.75 bank vaults out of 5.


Nocturnes of the Honeysuckle (Honeysuckle, sweet gallium, sweet fern, soft mosses, delicate vanilla, fresh tea leaves)

In vial: This is a very damp and (yet again) purple floral with a bit of sweetness. Nothing in here is actually purple, so why my nose is reading it that way is beyond me. It's lovely either way.

On skin: Largely the same as in the vial. A very damp, sweet, fresh floral with a purple edge. This is the epitome of what spring smells like, at least out west. The tea is baaarely, barely there, but everything else is readily detectable. I adore this.

Verdict: 4.75 springtimes in the west out of 5.


The Greening Wood (Frost-nipped greens, clover, Winter King celery, verbena, ionized breezes, snowdrops, Witch Hazel flowers, juniper berries, violet leaf, Florentine iris, galbanum, grey amber, West Indian sandalwood, mineralistic wet river stones)

In vial: My nose wants to read something in here as mint, but it's not mint at all. Maybe it's the frost-nipped greens. I get the mineral notes from the river rocks as well. This is very much a transitional, spring thaw scent.

On skin: They minty vibe is still there. Overall, it still smells like an early spring thaw scent. It's very green and pale white. I can make out the verbena, but the rest of the notes blend together too much to tease apart. It's a very pretty, cool, slightly floral calming scent. Alkemia really has a knack for creating a concept and executing it perfectly, and this is no exception. It smells exactly like you'd expect it to, given the name.

Verdict: 4 forests thawing during early spring out of 5.

Hello, yet again! Previous parts of my Possets reviews can be found here and here, which also explain a bit about how this is laid out, what TAT was like, etc. etc. I initially just went to purchase Well Bred, buuut then I got sucked into the spring retour rabbithole, and.. well, obviously it didn't just end with Well Bred. 😂


🍵Well Bred (Highly refined tea, a green and refreshing heart note) (Valentine's retour)

Preliminary notes: Something about this one grabbed my attention when I first came across the listing and refused to let go. I'm a sucker for tea scents, as noted in my other reviews, but this one seemed extra special for whatever reason. I've been getting into Peaky Blinders lately, and something about the description for this one reminds me of the mood of that show.

DH's preliminary notes: Tea time in a British park? Certainly has nothing to do with the fact that we're watching Peaky Blinders.. (Eyyy, I'm not the only one)

In bottle: Very tea-forward with something that smells almost like coffee or soft leather. Interesting.

DH's thoughts: Whoooa, that's like peppery almost. It's got an interesting musk to it. Is there like, some sort of tree in there?

On skin: That coffee-like nuance is still there, and the tea has taken on a slightly dusty quality, but dusty in the sense of like.. it smells like the bottom of a loose-leaf tea tin when you reach the bottom of it. I still can't figure out what the "green and refreshing heart note" is, but it's not mint. Maybe a bit of lime leaf or labdanum? I do love the tea note in this, which isn't surprising at all, given my previous experience with Possets' tea notes. This is no exception. The coffee-esque tone this has makes it really nice for wearing in the morning.

DH's thoughts: Is there cinnamon in that? Really? It smells like cinnamon apples. Like green cinnamon apples. Is there apple in that? Fuck's sakes..

Verdict: 5 morning coffee/tea spreads out of 5. I do really like this. I've never smelled a scent that has both coffee and tea in it (even if the coffee note is per my own imagination), and it's very interesting. It kind of does fit the Peaky Blinders theme.


🍍Perkin (Pineapple, the smoothest of custards, dripping with cream and vanilla) (Spring retour)

Preliminary notes: I used to hate pineapple. I hated the smell of it, I hated the taste and the texture; it was repulsive to me. I don't know what changed, but a few years ago, I got inspired to try fresh pineapple again, and suddenly, I loved it. DH and I regularly have fresh pineapple chunks and/or pineapple juice in the house now. I don't have many pineapple scents, and this sounded delicious and perfect for summer.

DH's preliminary notes: Sounds like a Hawaiian treat of some kind.. Hawaiian Delight, that's what it's called!

In bottle: Yesss. This reminds me of Alchemic Muse's Pineapple Milk a little bit, but it's so much better. Pineapple and custard are a perfect match for each other. There's something slightly crumbly and softly spiced lurking beneath the pineapple and creaminess, which smells akin to a graham cracker crust.

DH's thoughts: Chocolate. Mint. Mint chocolate.

On skin: So I don't know if pineapple cream pie is a real thing, but if it is, I'd imagine it smells exactly like this. There's a very distinct pie crust-like note in here along with the pineapple and custard. I want to eat this. The pineapple and custard/cream/vanilla are very well-balanced, and it really does smell like a fresh slice of pie. Unexpected but fantastic. The pie crust-like note goes into almost saltine cracker territory sometimes, which I don't overly enjoy, but the rest of the scent is stellar.

DH's thoughts: Whoa, that caught me off guard. That's a real mix of smells. Whatever this is, these are smells I've never seen paired together before. It has a very unique, fascinating smell.

Verdict: 5 potentially fictional pineapple cream pies out of 5. I have nothing else to say about this beyond it's amazing and one of the best gourmands I've smelled.


🌸Tidal Wave (Cherry blossom, aquatic notes, splintered green woods) (Spring retour)

Preliminary notes: Much like pineapple, I used to think I hated cherry blossom. BPAL's Cherry Blossom Vulva changed that. The description for this one sounds like sitting in a park lined with a grove of cherry trees with a decently-sized pond in the background (or maybe in the middle).

DH's preliminary notes: Sounds like driftwood on a Japanese sea.

In bottle: The mother of all laundry detergent scents. This makes me very sad. I know better than to take Possets scents at face value before aging them though, so we'll see how that goes.

DH's thoughts: It's kind of refreshing, like evergreens and some kind of tea infusion.

On skin: Fuck, this is the spitting image of wet laundry, like when you take laundry out of the washer to transfer to the dryer. Do not want.

DH's thoughts: Fresh linens?

Verdict: 1 pile of wet (but clean) laundry out of 5. I don't like clean scents or laundry-adjacent scents, and this is the queen of both. Great for someone else, but not for me.


💐Primavera (Hyacinth, lily of the valley, a touch of sweetness) (Spring retour)

Preliminary notes: I adore hyacinth, but it's not a note I see often in indies. The "touch of sweetness" is apparently similar to cookies, according to various reviews, so this kind of sounds like a romantic garden party.

DH's preliminary notes: Walter White's backyard before he became Heisenberg.

In bottle: Slightly floral cookies. The florals are nondescript and don't smell like anything in particular.

DH's thoughts: That's odd. There's something almost sweaty about this one, and something floral about it too.

On skin: I am.. not a fan of this. It smells like dusty, stale cookies. I don't get any floral notes whatsoever. Hard pass.

DH's thoughts: None. I scrubbed this off before DH had a chance to smell it and threw Reason on to cover up the remnants of it.

Verdict: 0 old, dust-covered plates of cookies out of 5. I am sorely disappointed by this one. I had high hopes for the hyacinth note, but it's literally nonexistent.


🥧Indy 499 (Fluffy peony, the flakiest and most tender of pie smells) (Spring retour)

Preliminary notes: Peony is another floral note I don't see often. It's been many a year since I've smelled a peony (minus a tree peony I had that smelled like lemon ice cream, before our neighbor accidentally mowed it along with the grass), but I do remember liking the scent quite a bit.

DH's preliminary notes: Eating pie at my grandma's farm. (How friggin' adorable is that?)

In bottle: Pie and peony is such an odd combination, but strangely enough, it works. It smells like a cut peony on top of a piece of apple pie, or maybe apple rhubarb pie. The pie note has a smidge of tartness to it.

DH's thoughts: A light floral scent with maybe a wine infusion of some sort, like maybe an ice wine.

On skin: Peony lovers, eat your hearts out. The peony note is potent, but in a good way. It's the most realistic peony note I've come across. The pie crust recedes a bit, so it ends up primarily smelling like eating apple slices in a garden full of peonies. It's very pretty and fresh.

DH's thoughts: Fresh linens and flowers of some type? Something like that.

Verdict: 5 apple-eating excursions in a peony-laden garden out of 5 (I'd give this a higher score if I hadn't limited myself). I was a bit worried that the apple pie portion of this scent would be overbearing, but it evens out really nicely on the skin and becomes almost a peony single-note, but with a bit of depth from the (presumed) apple. This takes me right back to being a kid and smelling my sister's peonies in the front garden after she moved into my grandfather's house. This will be lovely for warmer weather.


🏘️3336 Reservoir Road N.W. (Cool green tree-lined streets, a whiff of tea being served in some successful man's drawing room, a bit of class-laden perfume worn by the ladies at tea, the far away scent of labdanum) (Spring retour)

Preliminary notes: More tea, more Peaky Blinders mental associations. Neither are shocking at this point. Classy tea scents are a huge weakness of mine, apparently.

DH's preliminary notes: Sounds like somebody having an affair in a Victorian manor.

In bottle: I can't really make out anything beyond a really nice evergreen note and some tea. Quite atmospheric, this one. It doesn't pull too masculine, either. It kind of smells like an outdoorsy cousin of Well Bred.

DH's thoughts: There's something kind of earthy about this. What is it...

On skin: Yesss, this is so good. The evergreen note mingles really well with the almost-fruity tea, and the labdanum and nondescript perfume notes provide a solid backdrop for it all. There's a very faint jammy spice note in there, which could be the jamminess of the evergreens mixing with the spiciness of the tea. I adore this. The thing I really love about Possets' tea notes is that they smell somewhere between a hot, steaming cup of tea and a cannister of loose tea leaves, split pretty evenly. It's fascinating and ends up smelling incredibly realistic most of the time.

DH's thoughts: None.

Verdict: 5 high-class tea times in a fancy townhouse out of 5. It's very rare that I don't like a tea scent from Possets, and this is no exception. The balance of the notes is perfect. As with most of Possets' tea scents, this one has its own personality and stands out from the rest of them while also being very obviously related to them. This makes me want to try more of their scents with evergreen notes as well.


🔥The Great Housewife of Babylon (Deep black musks, smoke from incense braziers, thick black tea, a mighty wallop of tobacco resin) (Spring retour)

Preliminary notes: This sounds spooky and commanding, and also kind of like a speakeasy.. or how I'd imagine The Garrison in Peaky Blinders would smell. (Sensing a theme?)

DH's preliminary notes: My version of meditation?

In bottle: Primarily the black musks and tobacco. Still smells like a speakeasy or The Garrison.

DH's thoughts: It's kind of weird; there's something kind of almost peppery and sweet about it. It kind of has the scent of new clothing to it, like a new boot. I actually kind of like this one.

On skin: From a distance immediately after application, this smells powdery and almost sweaty. Up close though, it's almost caramelized-smelling. It is a VERY dark and intimidating scent, which I'm perfectly content with. I could not imagine wearing this in warmer weather, even in spring. It's quite heavy and intense. Still smells like a speakeasy or The Garrison, so I'm happy with that as well. I don't get any specific notes beyond the tobacco resin and resins in general. As this wears a bit, the tea comes out more, and let me tell you. If it hasn't been mentioned 500 times yet already, I love Possets' tea notes so much. They're my favorite tea notes from all of the houses I've tried over the years. The Great Housewife is very resinous, and very foreboding. It smells a bit witchy and would no doubt be a hit around October/Halloween time. There's also something a bit haunted cathedral-esque about it, or like drinking tea in a crypt.

DH's thoughts: None. Destashed.

Verdict: 3 very smoky speakeasies out of 5. There's a very distinct powderiness to this one, which I'm not a fan of at all, which I'm assuming is something in the musks. The tea, smoke/incense, and tobacco notes are nice, but that powderiness kills it for me.


🎃The Great Psychiatrist of Babylon (Bourbon vanilla, incense smoke, auxiliary smoke from punk fire, caramel, incense, a small shot of whiskey) (Orphans retour, special order)

Preliminary notes: This one was one of the first Possets scents I came across on the brand's forum, and it hasn't left my brain since. It also sounds spooky, and delicious.. *resists the urge to make yet another Peaky Blinders association*

DH's preliminary notes: A hippie party on All Hallow's Eve.

In bottle: That damned fruity-leaning Possets vanilla I'm not a fan of, but also whiskey, a bit of incense, and what smells like a soft suede note a la Arrival of the Queen of Sheba. Not nearly as sweet as I was expecting.

DH's thoughts: Smells like a custard, almost. Like a very sweet, almost like a pudding of some kind. *tells him the notes* Fascinating. Well, it comes out smelling pretty great.

On skin: There's some sort of weird sour note when this hits the skin, but it burns off pretty quickly. It smells veeery similar to Arrival of the Queen of Sheba, sans the suede and with an added smoky note. If you like Arrival of the Queen of Sheba, you'll probably like this.

DH's thoughts: Sandalwood, pine musk, and something floral?

Verdict: 3.5 smoky, leather-clad psychiatrists eating caramels out of 5. I do like this quite a bit, but I wish it wasn't so similar to Arrival of the Queen of Sheba. I feel like you could get a very similar scent by layering Arrival of the Queen of Sheba with a tiny bit of Iowa or Reason, which I'll have to try at some point.


🍰Tea with Mr. Rosedale (Jasmine tea, cream, a sandalwood tray) (Valentine's retour)

Preliminary notes: More tea, again. This one has a bit of a reputation for going sour or savory on some people, so hopefully that doesn't happen here. This kind of reminds me of Keeping Up Appearances, to be honest. It sounds like one of Hyacinth's fancy tea/dinner parties.

DH's preliminary notes: Old high-class British tea time.

In bottle: I can totally see where the savory aspect comes from for some people. It does smell a bit odd initially, but after the first sniff, it mellows out and smells like floral tea with a creamy/woody background. Something about this in the bottle reminds me of a dentist's office.

DH's thoughts: I smell tea, AND IT COULDN'T BE BECAUSE THERE'S TEA IN THE TITLE. Is there silk in this?

On skin: In the bottle, this has a touch of sourness to it, but it evens out on the skin and no longer smells like a dentist's office. I will admit that I've never had jasmine tea, so I have no idea what the real deal smells like, but this is very pleasant. The cream note is intoxicating. It very much smells like fresh cream, and it's fairly light but comes out more the longer it's worn. The sandalwood and floral tea notes are the strongest though.

DH's thoughts: DH popped into the room a couple hours after I applied and said, "It smells lovely in here, like a field of flowers." (Which is funny, because a major component of this scent is sandalwood, which he claims to hate)

Verdict: 4 lightly floral, fancy teas at dinner parties out of 5. This definitely isn't my favorite Possets tea scent of the ones I've tried, but I do quite like it. The floral tone makes it a bit different from the rest.


🌾Iowa (Crystallized vanilla, turbinado sugar, wheat accord, whiskey) (Permanent)

Preliminary notes: I had requested a sample of this in my second order, and it was on the draft list for wedding scents back before we decided to put our wedding off for the time being (because holy shit, wedding planning is stressful). This review was written when I received the sample.

DH's preliminary notes: It honestly just sounds like something I wouldn't drink. It ruined the whiskey on itself, which is not very good English. Yay, all of that gets posted. For fuck's sakes. ARE YOU ACTUALLY GOING TO DO THAT. God damnit..

In bottle: Very sugary whiskey with a caramel-like note. It smells almost like caramel corn but not quite as popcorn-esque as that. It kind of smells like burnt sugar. I'm sort of in love with it already. I was expecting it to be more wheat-forward, but the wheat might come out more on skin.

DH's thoughts: Ooo, my food senses are tingling. Somebody's baking for me. It's very inviting.

On skin: Still smells like caramel-laden whiskey and burnt sugar, no trace of wheat whatsoever. This is sublime, and I immediately upsized it. It's funny; I have smelled this exact scent outside of our apartment before (there is often a mishmash of foody smells out there during the day).

DH's thoughts: Has vanilla in it? Thought so. Uhhhhh... Is this one of the ones I said smells like baked goods? Yes? Aha!

Verdict: 5 boozy, slightly burnt caramels out of 5. I loved this in the bottle, and I love it on the skin. Caramel isn't even listed as a direct note, but it's one of the best caramel scents I've smelled.


🌷Tulipomania (Reminiscent of a huge field of tulips in Holland) (Spring retour)

Preliminary notes: Much like hyacinth and peony, tulip is another note I don't see much and is probably the most uncommon of the bunch. Tulips smell green and kind of peppery to me, so this should be interesting. For whatever reason, this kind of reminds me of the landscapes in Ghibli movies.

DH's preliminary notes: Sounds like Abbotsford.

In bottle: Doesn't smell at all like tulips to me, but it's a soft, sweet, purple-white floral. I have a feeling this is going to go soapy on the skin, but hopefully it doesn't go as soapy as Tidal Wave did. It's verging on smelling slightly fruity, but it never fully goes there.

DH's thoughts: That's an interesting smell. I actually rather like it, whatever it is. There's definitely something floral about it. I say that all the time.

On skin: Largely the same as in the bottle. Definitely didn't go as soapy as Tidal Wave and still retains its floral character. Still doesn't really smell like tulips to me, but it's a very pretty, happy floral.

DH's thoughts: None.

Verdict: 3.75 fields of tulips out of 5. I do like this, but it's very simplistic and lacks depth. There's a weird dusty undertone as well, which I've experienced with several Possets scents. I'm not the biggest fan, but at least it didn't go soapy.

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 “Spring AF,” 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.

Salomé* (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.

Bohéme* (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.

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!” 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.