Scented Musings

I had an issue with the first shipment of some of these getting sent back before they went through customs, which wasn't BPAL's fault, and then Canada Post went on strike in November, so these took longer to get here than I had anticipated. Then, I ended up moving a few days after the parcel finally showed up, so this post is very late. My apologies!

A little Halloween in early winter action never hurt anyone, so let's Nightmare Before Christmas this place up!

(Some of these aren't technically Weenies, but they either came out around the same time or otherwise fit the theme of Halloween/fall)

🍬 Sweet Tooth (Scorched candy corn and melted toffees)

Preliminary notes: Honestly, if it wasn't for this scent, I probably would have bypassed the Weenies this year. I can't resist candy corn or toffee notes on their own, and I've never seen them together. The scorched aspect of this really interests me as well, so I'm curious as to whether this will just be a goopy sugarbomb, or if there'll be a bit of a smoky edge to it.

In bottle: Oh my goddd, this is SO toffee-heavy, which is exactly what I wanted from it. The candy corn melds into it as well, so it's very sweet and sugary. I get a tiiiny, tiny hint of smoke beneath that.

On skin: Be still my heart! This has the same toffee note as Drink Me, which is one of my very favorite BPAL scents. There's also something in here that reminds me of plastic witch noses from the 90s, and by that, I don't mean this smells like plastic (because it doesn't at all). The specific noses I'm thinking of had a sweet, almost fruity, almost melted candle wax smell, and I loved it.

This definitely has the same melted wax quality to it, and I love it. Sweet, melted wax and toffee with maybe a teeny tiny hint of a wispy smoke note, but it's barely there. I don't get anything scorched, but melty is definitely a good descriptor for this one. Delicious, melty, caramel-y goodness.

Verdict: 5 melty chunks of toffee out of 5.


🍂 The Autumn Folk (Hay-dusted oak, honey mead, pumpkin rind, vetiver root, corn husk, maple leaves)

Preliminary notes: Corn husks always remind me of our local pumpkin patch, and the rest of the note lineup here kind of fits that theme as well. It sounds like a delightful, dry autumnal atmospheric.

In bottle: Oh, wow. Warm and cozy right off the bat, which I wasn't expecting for some reason. The mead, corn husk (such a beautiful note), and oak are the strongest notes. I smell something a bit buttery as well, which is probably the pumpkin. The vetiver isn't acrid at all.

On skin: This is quite pretty! The mead is reading as almost citrusy to me, and everything else melds with it so well. There's a butteriness from the pumpkin, an earthiness from the oak, vetiver, and corn husk, and a bit of sweetness from the maple leaves and mead. It's delightfully autumnal, and a sunnier scent than the description would have one believe. To me, this is an early autumn scent, and it encapsulates the imagery of sunlight peeking through branches in an orange and gold copse of trees. Love it.

Verdict: 5 golden autumn days out of 5.


🎃 Vintage Pumpkin Blow Mold (White musk, sweet orange, crystalline amber, pumpkin rind)

Preliminary notes: I bought Vintage Ghost Blow Mold last year and LOVED it, so this was kind of a no-brainer. I'm also a fan of sweet orange notes.

In bottle: Oh, this is pretty. Weirdly enough, it kind of reminds me of eggnog (or maybe white chocolate), but if it was flavored with orange (which sounds kind of gross, but I promise, it smells better than it would taste). I'm curious to see if the eggnog vibe translates onto the skin.

On skin: First off, I love the orange note in this and might have to keep an eye out for it in the future. The eggnog vibe that was in the bottle is completely gone on the skin. It's all about the orange and white musk, which go together beautifully. Something about this smells sparkling and upscale, like an elegant person in white furs standing underneath a crystal chandelier. It's gorgeous and refined. Despite the (spiced) pumpkin and orange, I wouldn't categorize this as a gourmand at all. Vintage Ghost Blow Mold is absolutely a milky gourmand, but Vintage Pumpkin Blow Mold is just a really pretty, citrusy mood scent.

Verdict: 4.75 glittering pumpkins out of 5.


🎃 Jolly (Pumpkin cream, caramel-coated marshmallow, crushed candy corn, lemon peel, belladonna honey)

Preliminary notes: Pumpkin, caramel, AND candy corn? Yes, please.

In bottle: Surprisingly biting/herbal in the bottle! Once again, there's something in here that reminds me of holiday foods, and I'm not sure what it is. I don't get the pumpkin outright, but I do get a very thick, caramelized cream note. This has a sinister edge to it as well, like being presented a picturesque dessert that's been poisoned.

On skin: This reminds me of something I've smelled before, but I have no idea what it is. Something in here is reading as slightly vegetal, and I'm not sure if it's the pumpkin cream or honey. It has an almost.. dare I say, aquatic or saline quality to it, and I have no idea where that's coming from. I definitely get all of the sweet candy goods, a tiny glimpse of the lemon peel, and the honey note, which is clear and thin. This is still very much an inviting but sinister scent, and I think that's a really fascinating dichotomy to be able to capture in scent format.

Verdict: 4 sinister desserts out of 5.


🎃 Pumpkin Sugar (Crystallized glittering shards of lightly spiced pumpkin sugar)

Preliminary notes: This was kind of a last minute addition to the order. It was a toss up between this and the Candied Apple single note, but I'm very picky about apple notes, so I figured this would be a safer bet.

In bottle: I mean, it's exactly what it says on the tin: pumpkin spices and sugar. There's something a bit dusty and a tiny bit vegetal in there as well, which I would wager is a pumpkin note.

On skin: Delicious, sweet pumpkin spice and sugar. There's a little bit of a buttery pumpkin note in there, but my skin amps cinnamon, so it's mostly cinnamon and sugar on me. Actually, this reminds me of Possets' Sticky Buns a bit, but this is less intense/syrupy. Pumpkin Sugar is linear but really pleasant, and it'd be perfect for layering with other scents that need a bit of a sweet, spicy kick, or with gourmands (layering this with a black tea scent would be delightful, I feel). This is a perfect seasonal transition scent between fall and winter, as the cinnamon gives it a bit of a holiday vibe.

Verdict: 4.5 sugar and spice mixtures out of 5.


🎃 Knave of Pumpkins (Crushed roses, red currant, pumpkin tarts)

Preliminary notes: I had a free sample of Knave of Hearts and really liked it, so a pumpkin variant of that caught my attention immediately. This has red currant, however, and Knave of Hearts has blackcurrant, so it'll be interesting to see how that compares.

In bottle: Knave of Hearts but sweeter, is basically what this is giving me. Once again, I don't get any pumpkin outright, but the tart note in this compared to OG Knave is very custard-y.

On skin: This is similar but also quite different to OG Knave. The use of red currant instead of blackcurrant really stands out, and it meshes with the rose note really well and gives the blend a more candylike, playful vibe. My boyfriend clocked the pumpkin tarts right away, but I couldn't smell them for a while. I smelled the pastry note from the tarts and something creamy/custard-y, but not the pumpkin itself until maybe 10-15 minutes into the drydown. The pumpkin is interwoven with the custard and is very subtle, at least to my nose. Either way, I like OG Knave a lot, but I think I like this even better. My boyfriend loves it too.

Verdict: 5 heart-shaped tarts dripping in red currant juice out of 5.


🎃 Dead Leaves, Burnt Marshmallows, Clove Cream, and Whiskey (Dead leaves, burnt marshmallows, clove cream, whiskey)

Preliminary notes: I've only tried two Dead Leaves blends prior (Dead Leaves on Fire and Dead Leaves, White Sandalwood, and White Moss), but I loved them both. I am a sucker for a good burnt/toasted marshmallow note, but I've never actually encountered a realistic one. I'm hoping it's realistic here. I also love clove and whiskey notes, so this one was a no-brainer.

In bottle: The first sniff of this was.. bizarre. I don't have words to describe it. After that, the Dead Leaves note is the strongest, followed by a gorgeous clove. This smells more "natural" and realistic than Dead Leaves on Fire to me.

On skin: The clove cream definitely packs a punch. You also get the classic, vegetal Dead Leaves note, a bit of the whiskey, and miraculously, the burnt marshmallow note makes an appearance as well (though the marshmallow smells toasted as opposed to truly charred).

The whole thing has a very toasty, almost holiday pudding vibe to it, which I think is great for the transitional period between fall and winter. I wasn't sure about this in the bottle, but on the skin, it's absolutely lovely. Spicy, toasty, and warm. This is very clove-heavy, so if you're not a fan of clove, definitely skip this one.

Verdict: 5 clove-y holiday puddings decorated with fall leaves out of 5.


🎃 Bourbon-Soaked Pumpkin Peanut Butter Fudge (Bourbon, pumpkin, peanut butter fudge)

Preliminary notes: I have a pumpkin and peanut butter candle that I burned off and on during the fall and loved it, so if this is even remotely similar, I'll be over the moon about it.

In bottle: Spiced bourbon and caramel, oddly enough. The peanut butter is very subtle.

On skin: This is quite strong upon initial application. There's a giant, cinnamon-spiced, boooozy bourbon cloud that blooms up from the skin. Underneath that, there's a tiny bit of a vegetal pumpkin, but it's mostly bourbon and spice. I don't get any peanut butter, and the sweetness of the fudge is fairly subtle. This is very rich and spicy, despite not being overly sweet. Huge sillage on this one.

Verdict: 4.25 spiced bourbons out of 5.


🎃 Pumpkin Bliss (Honey-dusted milk chocolate pumpkin bites)

Preliminary notes: The original Bliss, to me, smells like warm chocolate chips. As if you just took a pan of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies out of the oven, but there's no smell from the cookies themselves, and it's just the scent of baked chocolate. I'm curious as to how a pumpkin note is going to meld with that.

In bottle: This definitely has cinnamon in it, or at least that's how it smells in the bottle. I don't get much of the original Bliss DNA in this.

On skin: Honeyed cinnamon bark with a tiny bit of chocolate underneath. Whyyy, skin chemistry. That's quite disappointing. No baked chocolate, no cookie-like note, just sweet cinnamon. That's 100% a result of my skin amping it and not a fault with the scent itself, as I have this issue fairly often. I didn't expect this to have cinnamon in it at all, so that's a bummer. If I had known that, I would have just gotten a bottle of OG Bliss. Oh well.

Verdict: 2 cinnamon-scented disappointments out of 5. Again, not a fault of the scent itself, but a huge bummer.


🎃 Pumpkin Latte (Espresso, pumpkin syrup, smoky vanilla bean, milk, raw sugar, a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg)

Preliminary notes: As mentioned in other review posts, I can't drink coffee, but I sure do love the smell of it. I've never had a PSL, but this sounds divine.

In bottle: Yup, that smells like a spiced latte. I don't get any pumpkin outright, but the rest of the notes are there. When I first got this, it smelled like stewed tomatoes in the bottle, which is an experience I've had with coffee scents before, for whatever reason.

On skin: Oh look, our friends Stewed Tomatoes are back. I think it's the cinnamon mixing with something else that's causing that, but I'm not sure. I don't get any coffee or pumpkin, just spicy stewed, syrupy tomatoes. Not into it.

Verdict: 0 cans of stewed tomatoes out of 5. I offered this to Fox, and it smells much better on him, so take this review with a grain of salt. It just doesn't mesh well with my skin chemistry at all but smells lovely on other people.


🎃 Apple Cider Donuts (Apple cider, donuts)

Preliminary notes: As soon as I saw this in the Virtualcon announcement email, I knew I had to get it. I haven't had stellar luck with BPAL's pastry/baked good notes in the past (they tend to not be as full-bodied or realistic as I'd like), but this also includes apple cider. Even if the donut note isn't realistic, I'll still like it if the cider note is good.

In bottle: Well, this is slightly disappointing. No baked good notes to speak of at all, but a very nice apple note.

On skin: Ahhh, there it is. Rather than a donut though, I get an almost fritter-y note beneath the apple, and even then, it's still 95% apple. A tiny bit of spice as well, but not to the point where my skin is amping it, thankfully. The apple note in this is very fresh and almost cooling, which is my preferred kind of apple note.

As this wears, the fritter-like note becomes a bit stronger, but the apple is the star of the show. I definitely wouldn't call this a strong gourmand or baked good scent, but I also tend to be slightly disappointed with BPAL's gourmands in general. They aren't quite foody enough for me most of the time. Regardless, I do like this a lot, even though it's nowhere near smelling like a donut.

Verdict: 4.25 fresh apples out of 5.


🎃 Hot Buttered Apple Cider (Hot apple cider, melted buttery swirl)

Preliminary notes: Hot apple cider is one of my favorite things during the fall and winter, so this sounds perfect since we're quickly approaching colder weather as I'm writing this.

In bottle: Rather than apple cider and melted butter, I'd say this smells like apple cider buttercream. There's a very distinct frosting-like quality to this.

On skin: Still very much apple cider buttercream. I almost wonder if there was some sort of labeling issue and this is actually Apple Cider Donuts, but then a strong butter note comes out, and it's very clearly not mislabeled. This is like a hot apple dessert with a fat pat of butter on top and is decidedly more gourmand than Apple Cider Donuts. If you don't like butter, I'd recommend avoiding this, since the butter note is very realistic and rich. I love this.

Verdict: 5 pats of butter on a warm apple dessert out of 5.


🎃 Pumpkin Gingerbread Creme Brulee Pie (Scorched pumpkin creme brulee in a gingerbread crust)

Preliminary notes: This has been on my radar for quite some time now, and I figured I might as well get it with the other pumpkin scents I picked up. Not technically a fall/Halloween scent, but.

In bottle: More or less exactly what it says on the tin. The pumpkin note here is the most realistic one I've come across from BPAL, and it smells like straight up pumpkin puree.

On skin: This is delicious. Slightly overcooked pumpkin puree, spicy gingerbread, and a bit of thick cream. This is probably the most realistic gourmand I've tried from BPAL, and it's one of their best for sure. Absolutely perfect pumpkin dessert scent.

Verdict: 5 gingerbread-y pumpkin pies out of 5.


🎃 Chocolat Viennois (A warm mug of dark chocolate and cream with a dribble of blood)

Preliminary notes: I don't usually vibe with chocolate notes, but after trying the original Bliss, I'm a fan of BPAL's at least. I've also been craving a hot chocolate kind of scent lately.

In bottle: Rich, dark chocolate for sure, with a bit of cream and either cherry or dragon's blood (or both) underneath.

On skin: Virtually the same, but richer and less creamy. The chocolate is very dark, and the cherry-dragon's blood combo is holding strong beneath that. There's something almost floral in there as well, which could just be the dragon's blood being extra punchy. After a while, something a bit vegetal and metallic comes to the surface, which smells almost mushroom-y. I liked this before the metallic/mushroom note popped up, but once that happens, it makes me a bit nauseous.

Verdict: 4 mugs of hot cocoa out of 5 before the metallic note pops up, 2 chocolate-covered mushrooms out of 5 afterward. I don't think I'm going to be able to wear this.


🎃 Snakes in the Berry Sonker (Snake Oil, baked blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, warm pastry crust, vanilla ice cream, molasses)

Preliminary notes: The only Snake Oil variant I've tried is Snakes Basking in the First Sunbeams of Spring, which I didn't like. The orange blossom was way too sharp for me, and it just wasn't my thing. I've sampled regular Snake Oil and like it, but not enough to buy it on its own. Mostly, I was thinking about blueberry scents and this one just happened to get released around the same time, so I was willing to take a gamble on it.

In bottle: Definitely Snake Oil, with a ton of berries dumped on top.

On skin: Snake Oil, but make it baked. The pastry crust and ice cream are the strongest underneath the Snake Oil, though the berry notes are very close behind. There's something salty and almost astringent in here, and that's a problem I had with Snakes Basking as well (which leads me to believe that Snake Oil variants just aren't for me). I don't dislike this, but I'm not over the moon about it either. I think I've finally accepted that I need to stop buying Snake Oil flankers.

Verdict: 3 baked berries out of 5.


🍯 Dead Leaves and Honeycomb (Dead leaves, honeycomb)

Preliminary notes: The honeycomb got me, y'all. I haven't tried many BPAL scents with honeycomb notes (Elf and Strawberries & Honeycomb specifically), but I am familiar with the Dead Leaves note. I'm curious to see how the two interact. I'm hoping for kind of a wild beehive in the middle of a fall forest vibe.

In bottle: Strictly just the Dead Leaves accord. I don't get any honeycomb at all.

On skin: Mostly the Dead Leaves accord (which smells fresher than in other DL variants I've tried), and lovely, warm, golden honeycomb beneath that. There's something almost lemony (or maybe mandarin-y. Definitely a citrus of some sort) in here, which further adds to the golden feel, like an autumn afternoon in a forest, with rays of sun breaking through a copse (I know I said something very similar about The Autumn Folk, but it's true in both cases). The leaves in this one smell like a yellowing green as opposed to truly dead, which I think is really interesting in contrast with the other DL scents I've experienced. This will be a lovely late-summer-into-early-autumn transitional scent, and a lovely autumnal scent in general. The more it wears, the more I like it. This is a beautiful and evocative entry into the Dead Leaves series.

Verdict: 4.75 wisps of yellowing leaves swirling around a beehive in a forest out of 5.


🎃 Moroccan Pumpkin (Pumpkin spices, warm musk, carnation, red sandalwood, cassia)

Preliminary notes: Ah, the last of my chosen Pumpkin Patch scents for this year. I was curious about this one but wasn't overly interested in it until I started seeing reviews of it, most of which cited a hidden buttery pumpkin note. I've been craving a good carnation-y gourmand lately as well, so.

In bottle: Hm.. I don't know about this. There's something in here that's a bit cloying to me, but I don't know what it is. Maybe the sandalwood? It's very warm and spice-heavy, which is nice.

On skin: I think I figured out why this is so offputting for me. Something in it smells vegetal and very similar to celery, which is one of my least favorite scents on the planet. It's like, spicy celery with a touch of cayenne on top, which is.. to be quite honest, it's atrocious. If you like spicy, heavy sandalwood notes, this might be a holy grail for you, but it makes me feel a bit ill.

Verdict: 0 stalks of spicy celery out of 5.


🕯️ Guttering Candle (Beeswax, a blackened wick, a shuddering gust of smoke)

Preliminary notes: Y'all know me and my beeswax/candle scents. As of writing this prelim (in late October), the only review I've seen of this was in a BPAL livestream from a bit ago, which didn't paint as much of a picture of this scent as I'd hoped.

In bottle: Much deeper and darker than The Lights of Men's Lives, which is what I expected this to smell like.

On skin: Oh, man, this is good. The beeswax is definitely the same as in The Lights of Men's Lives, but the smoke in this is exquisite. It really does smell like a still-warm candle that was just blown out, which isn't an easy thing to replicate in scent form. The Lab's description of "rivulets of beeswax" is definitely apt, as this smells thick and melty. There's a very tiny hint of sweetness in here, but it's largely smoke and beeswax. I almost passed this up, because how many smoky candle scents does one really need, but I'm very glad I bought this. This scent has a very odd cozy-but-unsettling vibe to it as well, which I find fascinating.

Verdict: 5 melty, freshly blown out candles out of 5.

📖 Dee (Soft English leather, rosewood, tonka, a hint of incense, parchment, soft woods)

Preliminary notes: I've wanted to try this since I first stumbled across BPAL but.. never did, for some reason? I love readerly/writerly scents, as you may know, so this is right up my alley. I love bookish scents that include incense notes as well.

I've also been playing a lot of Baldur's Gate 3 recently, and y'all cannot tell me that this doesn't sound exactly like how Gale would smell.

In bottle: Fairly masculine-leaning in the bottle. It's woody and incense-y, with a bit of an herbal note peeking out. It also smells slightly honeyed.

On skin: The parchment comes out a LOT more on the skin, which I love. I get the leather as well, which is soft and maybe tan or brown. It does smell like an astute, well-read wizard, and I adore it. The parchment note reminds me a little bit of Quintessence of Dust, which is a favorite of mine. This is like Quintessence of Dust's refined, more mysterious cousin who arrives with a procession of ravens. My whole spiel about this smelling like Gale from Baldur's Gate 3 is very accurate, though maybe more the scent of his tower than Gale himself.

Verdict: 5 dark, refined wizards out of 5.


🥀 Cicuta (Dry, dusty rose petals, candle smoke, frankincense, saffron)

Preliminary notes: This has been on my to-try list for as long as I've been purchasing from BPAL, but I just.. never bought it until now, for whatever reason. The posts on the BPAL forum dress Cicuta up with all sorts of gothic-romantic imagery: cobwebs, candelabras, dusty attics, velvet, old castles and catacombs, you name it. I'd wager that given my blog's name, it's fairly obvious that I'm very drawn to that kind of vibe.

In bottle: Exactly what it says on the tin. Dry roses, candles, frankincense, and saffron. It smells very romantic , and there's something very slightly fruity in there.

On skin: Okay, so I completely get where the people on the forum were coming from when they said this has a "forlorn vampire in an old castle" vibe. It smells almost wet as well somehow. The rose, candles (including gauzy, thin smoke), resins, and saffron are all accounted for. This is absolutely gorgeous, and any darkly-inclined people who are fans of rose notes will love this. I adore this so much, and it's easily earned a spot among my favorite BPAL scents. It smells incredibly romantic in an almost tragic way. A+.

Verdict: 5 tragically beautiful vampire romances in castles out of 5.


🕯️ The Lights of Men's Lives (The wax and smoke of millions upon millions of candles illuminating the walls of Death’s shadowy cave: some tall, straight, and strong, blazing with the fire of life, others dim and guttering)

Preliminary notes: I reviewed this just shy of 3 years ago, but my formatting was very different, and I don't think it quite got the write-up it deserved. So, it's time for a revisit review! I previously described this scent as a whole lot of beeswax, a bit powdery, and a gauzy, light smoke note.

In bottle: As I remember. A ton of beeswax and a bit of smoke. This is in a similar vein to Arcana's Snug, which is largely why I repurchased it. I don't have any Arcana oils in my collection anymore and needed to replace Snug.

On skin: This definitely smells a bit different than the bottle I used to have. The candle smoke note is a lot stronger, and the beeswax smells more like regular candle wax. There's something almost floral about it as well, which is odd. The floral note burns off after about 5-10ish minutes, and it becomes smokier. It kind of melds into a vanillic, waxy skin scent. As it dries more, it does start to resemble Snug/the original version I had of this scent. It might just need to age a bit.

Verdict: 3.75 smoky candles out of 5.


🌹 A-Rovin' (Sultry red musk, heady jasmine, tobacco leaf, red sandalwood, hay sugar, golden honey, sweet carnations, warm leather)

Preliminary notes: I've wanted to try this since its release a few years ago. It sounds like a bombshell of a scent, and I love a lot of the notes in it.

In bottle: Definitely get the red musk, tobacco, honey, and something else I can't quite pin. It smells very purple-red.

On skin: This is incredible and indescribably sexy, which makes sense given its inspiration. The red musk, tobacco, honey, and now carnation are at the forefront. I get a bit of the jasmine, which isn't stinky or strong (note: after having it for a couple of months, the jasmine definitely leans into stank territory but never gets super overwhelming). There's something of an almost wine-like quality to this as well. Overall, it paints a picture of a very strong, take-no-shit woman who knows exactly what kind of effect she has on people. It's seductive, it's commanding, it's perfect. I adore this so much.

Verdict: 5 seductive, strong ladies out of 5.


🔮 The Witch Queen (Wild plum, red musk, tuberose, calla lily, heliotrope, pimento, ylang-ylang, beeswax, sinister purple-hued incense smoke)

Preliminary notes: This is another one that I had previously destashed and don't know why, because I was obsessed with this scent. It reminded me heavily of Dior's Poison (which shares the plum, tuberose, incense, heliotrope, and musk notes), but less chemical smelling.

In bottle: This smells more floral than I remember and doesn't bear any similarity to Poison in the bottle. Interesting.

On skin: Ah, yes. There she is. Deep purple, slightly fruity, dark florals. Still bears a striking resemblance to Poison but isn't as heavy. The plum note in this is exquisite, and the whole scent is very mysterious and beautiful. A power scent, to be sure.

Verdict: 5 witch queens surrounded by purple smoke out of 5.


🧁 The Picture of Dorian Sufganiyot (A deep-fried fougere with three pale musks and dark, sugared vanilla tea)

Preliminary notes: I hadn't initially planned on buying any more oils for a while, but after trying 2023's version of Dorian and loving it, I really wanted to grab a bottle of this before it's taken down.

In bottle: Dorian 2023, but with some added bakery cream. A bit lighter as well.

On skin: This smells like a delicious, expensive lemon-tea cream-filled donut. It's unmistakably Dorian, but it's fluffier and less corrupt-smelling than the OG version.

Verdict: 5 corruption-filled donuts out of 5.

Comparison to Dorian (2023): Dorian Suf is a bit heavier on the citrus, while Dorian 2023 is heavier on the tea. There's a very distinct cream note in Dorian Suf that Dorian 2023 lacks. Ultimately, they are remarkably similar, so if you have one, you probably don't need the other unless you're someone who really enjoys Dorian, like myself.


🌷 Portrait of Princess Marthe Bibesco (Toffee-touched vanilla bourbon filigree, antiqued white rose petals, auburn musk, honey dust, white silk)

Preliminary notes: I'm a sucker for toffee and honey notes, and I really wanted to pick this up before it was taken down.

In bottle: Toffeetoffeetoffee, a tiny bit of rose, and a bit of booze. Reminds me a tiny bit of Asses Plus Long, Qu'un Siecle Platonique, but it's not soapy or laundry-like at all.

On skin: On skin, it's a very sweet, toffee-heavy rose scent with a bit of musk and booze. Smelling it from afar, it smells like butterscotch pudding, which is really interesting. It's not completely gourmand but leans heavily in that direction. The rose note is very fresh and realistic, as most of BPAL's rose notes are, in my experience. This is what I wanted Asses Plus Long to be: a toffee-heavy, fresh rose scent.

Verdict: 5 toffee-encased roses out of 5.


🃏 Stańczyk (Scarlet silk, spiced rose petals, well-worn red leather, Oman frankincense, labdanum, dried cherries, blackberry wine)

Preliminary notes: Wasn't initially going to get anything from the April release, but Jan Matejko's Stańczyk is one of my favorite paintings, and the notes are too good to pass up. It sounds like a relative of Nimue, the Blood Queen, which is an old favorite that I regretfully don't have anymore.

In bottle: The dried cherries and blackberry wine are the strongest notes in the bottle. There's a background of something sultry and delicately spiced as well.

On skin: I'm not usually a fruity scent person, but this is exquisite. The leather and rose also come out once it starts drying down a bit. This is a delicious, vampiric dream, and it's absolutely in the same vein as Nimue, except I think I like this even more. There's something very seductive about it as well. I am in love. If I was someone who didn't take literal years to go through one 5ml bottle of perfume, I'd definitely buy a backup bottle of this.

Verdict: 5 seductive vampires out of 5.


🎶 Concert (Black velvet, ancient climbing roses, champaca magnolia, deep, resonant strings of amber)

Preliminary notes: I knew as soon as I saw the release notes for this that I needed to try it. All of the notes in here are favorites of mine, and it sounds delightfully dark and feminine.

In bottle: This is very similar to In Night When All Colors to Black Are Cast to my nose, minus the plum. There aren't any smoky notes noted in the description, but it has a very resinous, smoky quality to it. Very dark and deep.

On skin: Largely the same as in the bottle, though the champaca leans a bit more floral on the skin. The rose is incredibly dark and melds with everything beautifully. This is witchy as fuck.

Verdict: 5 coils of witchy incense out of 5.


🌙 Fierce Midnights and Famishing Morrows (Black plum, wild lily, tobacco)

Preliminary notes: I don't have any preliminary notes for these next four beyond the fact that thematically, the Our Lady of Pain collection really speaks to me. These were all add-ons to a very large combined order instead of having the shipping overages credited to my account.

In bottle: Delicious, plummy tobacco with a bit of a cool, green backdrop from the lily. This is exquisite.

On skin: On skin, it's very hard to tease the notes apart individually, but they're all there. The lily is green and fresh, the plum is deep, and the tobacco is rich and warm. I really, really love this.

Verdict: 5 debaucherous gardens out of 5.


🕂 The Shrine Where Sin is a Prayer (Deep purple Syrah, calamus, myrrh smoke, hyssop, opoponax, bitter clove, burgundy pitch, opium poppy, violet leaf)

Preliminary notes: None.

In bottle: So. Incredibly. Purple. The only note I can make out completely is the wine, which is delicious. The scent overall smells very commanding, foreboding, and decadent.

On skin: Still very purple. The wine note is decadent and rich, and it's unlike any wine note I've smelled before. I can't make out any of the other notes specifically, but it's still incredibly purple. I love this.

Verdict:5 deeply purple glasses of wine out of 5.


🍯 Hair Loosened and Soiled in Mid Orgies (White honey, warm musk, ambrette seed)

Preliminary notes: None.

In bottle: This smells almost like cinnamon sugar toast in the bottle at times, and other times, it just smells like slightly spiced honey.

On skin: The honey note is sweet but not overly so. This smells very woody to me. It's definitely sensual and warm. It's a pretty linear scent overall. I don't have much to say about it, honestly.

Verdict: 4 woody pots of honey out of 5.


🔥 House of Unquenchable Fire (Glittering amber, frankincense, neroli, vanilla silk, champaca)

Preliminary notes: None.

In bottle: Straight neroli. I can't smell anything else.

On skin: Still mostly neroli, but the vanilla and champaca come through a bit as well. It's very elegant and pretty, and it smells shimmery. It's a bit calming and cheery as well. It's a very lovely soft, golden scent.

Verdict: 4 pools of glittering liquid gold out of 5.

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

Koi No Yokan (An intriguing romance of plum blossoms, lily of the valley, white musk, and water lotus kindled by dry aged Japanese cedar, tempting black currants, and a flirtation of exotic pomelo and tamarind.)

In the bottle: Kind of just smells like a generic floral?

On skin: Still a mainstream-smelling floral (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing), but it’s more complex. The plum blossom is definitely the strongest note (yay!), and the scent overall has a very pretty and romantic feel to it. I think this is one that I’ll have to wear numerous times to get a good opinion of. It reminds me of another scent, but I’m not sure what it is. There’s also something kind of sharp hanging out in the background. The pomelo, maybe?

Longevity: Starts calming down significantly after about 2 hours and started fading after about 3 hours. Lasted about 4 hours.

Seven Watermelon Suns (A slightly surreal blend of ripe red watermelon, English cucumber, white leather, golden fig, white poppy, night flowering datura, and water musk.)

In the bottle: Watermelon, something warm, and something floral.

On skin: This is definitely “surreal,” as is described. The watermelon is nice and fresh, as opposed to candied or super artificial, which is great. The rest of the notes are there a little bit, but are in the background. I can detect the cucumber and leather, but everything else kind of just blends together. This is definitely interesting.

Longevity: A bit of the florals came out after about 1.5 to 2 hours, and it started fading after about 3 hours. Lasted between 3 and 4 hours.

Lost Highways (Roadtrip around the U.S. in a bottle. A botanical peregrination of Saw Palmetto Palm leaves and Southern cypress from the Southeast bayous; New mown hay, Lemon basil, Wild bergamot tea from the Great Plains; Linden blossom and Acadian pine from the Northeast; Night flowering desert flowers from the Southwest; and Spicebush and Incense cedar from the West and Northwest coast.)

In the bottle: Green, woody, and a bit floral.

On skin: All of the above, with a bit of a soapy/detergent edge. Damnit. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but not what I was hoping for at all. I can’t distinguish any of the notes from each other, so it’s pretty much just soap/detergent on a cotton shirt.

Longevity: Lasted between 4 and 5 hours.

Apsara (Dark purple hyacinth flowers and Darjeeling tea dance together in a sensually alluring spring pas de deux.)

In the bottle: About what it says on the tin. Hyacinths and tea. Very spring-y and a bit strange, but in a good way.

On skin: Again, exactly what it says on the tin. It smells more complex than just hyacinth and tea.

Longevity: Started fading after 2.5 hours, and the tea calmed down a bit. Had about 3 hours of good wear.

Falling Stars on Winter Solstice (Aromatic balsam needles, a dab of dark musk, sweet myrrh, incense resins, melted snow, and a touch of cabin woodstove smoke.)

In the bottle: Myrrh and resins, a touch of pine, and a bit of smoke. Reminds me a lot of how Gothique initially smelled, or rather, Gothique reminds me a lot of this.

On skin: This scent is so bizarre. Sometimes it smells exactly like Gothique did before it morphed into lemon candy, meaning I don’t get the pine at all, and sometimes it smells strongly of pine. I still really like it, but I wish it didn’t change so much on me.

Longevity: Started fading after the first hour, and faded significantly after two hours. Barely noticeable after 4 hours.

Musc de Jonquille*** (Bright daffodil musk blooming through a light dusting of spring snow.)

In the bottle: Nice, crisp, green daffodils with a bit of warmth. Lovely.

On skin: Fresh, crisp daffodils and greenery among warm musk. Instant happiness.

Longevity: Faded after 2.5 hours, and had about 4 hours of good wear.

Ambre Extrait*** (Our 100% natural aged amber accord is an exquisitely sultry blend of some of the most precious and spiritually redolent resins in our Alkemia collection including: North African Rock Rose, Cambodian Agarwood, Prussian Amber resin, Madagascar Vanilla, Nepalese Spikenard, Somalian Opopanax, Tunisian Liquidambar, Himalayan Cedar, and Honduran Styrax.

Together these natural unguents and essences swirl into a richly resinous golden single note Amber. In its bouquet, a true amber-lover will be able to detect notes of wild honey, red earth, pale wood, temple incense, smoke, beeswax, sap, bark, saffron, velvet, skin musk, crushed citrus flowers, butter, and suede.)

In the bottle: Dry, old wood. In a good way.

On skin: Dry, antique woods. The scent that very old wooden furniture has, but in the best way. It brings back memories of browsing antique stores, which is something I love. I get a little bit of nuanced butter and smoky beeswax as well, but they’re way in the background.

Longevity: Still fairly detectable after 4 hours.

Midnight Garden*** (A lunar intoxication of night-flowering white flowers – tuberose (flower of dangerous pleasures), lily (flower of majestic beauty), honeysuckle (flower of binding love), gardenia (flower of secret passions) and moonflower (flower that inspires dreams of love.)

In the bottle: Predominantly tuberose, with some lily and sweetness.

On skin: This is super tuberose-y, and I love it. Tuberose is one of my favorite florals, so I had a feeling I’d like this. It’s pretty much just floral notes though, so if that’s something that puts you off, definitely avoid this.

Longevity: Faded significantly after about 3 hours.

As Dark Things Are Meant to Be Loved* (Lapsang souchong tea, aloeswood, smoked black amber, aged dark patchouli, tonka, Amazonian breuzinho, Moroccan bhakoor, labdanum, temple incense, caramelized opium, black coffee, black coconut, soft Russian leather, and tabac leaf.)

In the bottle: Strong coconut, and something dark and powdery.

On skin: Dark, resinous, and sweet. The coconut is very strong initially (much to my dismay), but it settles down after a few minutes. The tea and coffee read the strongest, and more of the resins and incense notes come out after it’s been on the skin for a while. I also get some of the opium, which is dreamy. I almost bypassed this one because of the coconut alone, but it’s really lovely once it has time to dry down a little.

Longevity: About 4 hours.

Blue Moon Eclipse** (An olfactory place of solace - the coolness of ferns and delicate irises beside tumbling woodland streams scattered with mossy rocks, water lilies, flowering rushes, black willow, ginger musk, and a whispering breeze of lemon verbena infused aldehydes gathered into a tarnished antique silver pitcher filled with early autumn chrysanthemums.)

In the bottle: Very bizarre and interesting. Reminiscent of fruity citronella candles.

On skin: Virtually the same, but fruitier. Still very reminiscent of citronella candles, but there’s also a distinct melon-like note, and some soft florals. I actually really disliked this as first, but it’s grown on me.

Longevity: Faded pretty significantly after the first 2.5 hours. Had about 3 hours of good wear.

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.