Scented Musings

Nibble Nibble Gnaw (Candied apple, pancakes, sugared nuts, crushed candies, hot gusts of chocolate, cakes, pastries, sweet breads, sugar)

Preliminary notes: These next few aren't actually Weenies, but I didn't want to make a whole separate post for them. I've wanted to try this since I first discovered BPAL, but it was out of stock for a very long time until recently.

In bottle: Okay, so this has a lot of layers. I definitely get chocolate, pancakes, nuts, and a lot of baked good/pastry notes. If I try really hard, I can just make out the candied apple as well.

On skin: On skin, this is very different. The (green) apple comes out, but it smells baked instead of candied, almost smelling like a baked pear, which I think might be the chocolate mixing with the apple. I get a powdered sugar kind of note, and the baked goods and pastry notes are looming beneath that. The chocolate fades into a cocoa powder-esque note as well. The nuts smell roasted and almost caramelized. This is such a complex, multifaceted gourmand.

After a few minutes, a creamy vanilla permeates the scent (could be part of the cake/pastry notes). This is definitely a morpher, and I think that fits the theme of the scent really well. It's sweet and inviting but also a bit mysterious. I don't think I've ever worn a scent that morphs as much as this one does. Every time I sniff my wrist, I get something different.

Verdict: 4 ever-morphing, swirling clouds of candy and baked goods out of 5.


Halfling (Porridge, kukui nuts, pastry crumbs)

Preliminary notes: Another one that I wanted to try for years but was out of stock until recently. I love a good porridge scent.

In bottle: Delicious porridge with cream, honey, maybe a tiny bit of citrus, and a cream-stuffed pastry on the side. Decidedly hobbit-y and absolutely scrumptious. This makes me want to try other BPAL oat/porridge offerings.

On skin: A combination of B&BW's Warm Vanilla Sugar (my favorite B&BW scent) and Danish butter cookies, with a bit of almond. I don't get porridge outright, but it's very warm and dessert-y. This is probably one of the coziest BPAL scents I've smelled, and I love it. I'm not usually a fan of almond notes either, but it works really well here.

Verdict: 5 cozy almonds out of 5.


Bengal (Skin musk, honey, peppers, clove, cinnamon bark, ginger)

Preliminary notes: I received a free sample of this in one of my orders last year and loved it. It's about time I finally upsized it.

In bottle: Honeyed, woody cinnamon, skin musk, and a bit of heat from the peppers. Delicious.

On skin: The cinnamon bark note in this is absolutely beautiful. It's very dry and woody (shocking, I know). The honey, peppers, and skin musk are also all present and at the forefront, and the whole thing is very warm and spicy overall. If you're after something a bit risque and sexy in your cinnamon perfumes, this is your gal. Love this.

Verdict: 5 pieces of cinnamon bark dripping in honey out of 5.


Alisz (Spun sugar, frankincense, white rose, mallow root, red currant, vanilla mint)

Preliminary notes: After trying Psionicist, I've been kind of wanting something with a vanilla-y mint note, and this seemed like it would fit the bill. It was a close call between this and Lady Amalthea, but the latter sounded a bit too floral for what I'm looking for.

In bottle: The vanilla mint is at the forefront, followed by the spun sugar and maybe a bit of the mallow root. I don't get any of the other notes in the bottle, which I'm okay with.

On skin: The vanilla mint in this is beautiful. It's creamy and minty without smelling like toothpaste. The frankincense and currant come out a bit and give it a tiny bit of an earthy kick, but it's mostly about the vanilla mint. I don't smell the rose at all on the skin either, which is fine. This is a really pretty, sparkling wintry scent. It reminds me of fresh snowfall.

Verdict: 4.5 sparkling snowfalls out of 5.


Cats and Sparrows (Vanilla cream, tonka absolute, caramelized cedarwood, sepia-washed amber resinoid)

Preliminary notes: I somehow haven't tried any of the Felis Silvestris Catus scents as of writing this, but this sounds absolutely delightful.

In bottle: This smells golden-brown in the best way, and it's very cozy. I can't pick out any of the notes specifically, and there's a tiny bit of an almost fruity tinge in there.

On skin: The cedar takes center stage on the skin, mixed with the amber resinoid. The combination of the two very heavily reminds me of Alkemia's Ambre Extrait, which is one of my favorite woody scents. The vanilla is very subtle and reads to me as vanilla orchid as opposed to a gourmand vanilla, with the tonka being slightly stronger. I expected this to be all about the vanilla cream and amber, but having it be about the cedar and amber is definitely welcome. This is a dreamy, cozy, glowing woody scent with a tiny touch of sweetness.

Verdict: 4.75 glowing pieces of cedarwood out of 5.


Woman Putting On Her Stocking (Skin musk, silk, tonka, coffee bean, russet amber)

Preliminary notes: At the time of drafting this review (late October), I'd been craving a lot of cozy, my-skin-but-better kind of scents, and this sounded really nice.

In bottle: It's allll about the coffee bean and musk, which is a fantastic combination. It's sultry and beckoning.

On skin: Glorious warm, deep coffee bean, soft musk, and tonka. The coffee bean note in here is beautiful and doesn't give me the stewed tomatoes experience like a lot of coffee scents from BPAL have in the past. This is very sultry and cozy. There's something a tiny bit rubbery about this, but it's not offputting at all. If this was a color, it would be a rich, dark brown.

Verdict: 4 giant coffee beans out of 5.


Every Sweet Thing (Honey-dripping plakous, rose petals, caramelized hazelnut, goat's milk)

Preliminary notes: Ah, this scent. It had been on my wishlist for a long time, and I finally did something about it. The caramelized hazelnut is the biggest draw for me, but I like all of the other notes as well (aside from plakous, since that's not a note I've ever seen in other BPAL scents).

In bottle: An explosion of rose petals, followed by a bit of raw hazelnut.

On skin: What I'm assuming is the plakous comes out a lot more on the skin, and the rose takes a backseat. The hazelnut and goat's milk are more pronounced as well, with the latter reading more as heavy cream than a true goat's milk note. This scent overall is very rich and feels celebratory and antique. It's a beautiful warm, rosy flormand.

Verdict: 4.5 rosy desserts out of 5.


b>The Large Cat (Myrrh, sweet almond, spiced rum, brown sugar, honeyed dates, golden amber, scorched marshmallow, toasted vanilla musk)

Preliminary notes: This came up in the search results when I looked for "toasted" on BPAL's website, and it sounds really interesting. I love dates but haven't tried many scents with date notes.

In bottle: As someone who usually doesn't like almond notes, I'm surprised I went for this, and I'm even more surprised that I like it. The almond, rum, and dates are the strongest notes in the bottle.

On skin: Spicy, dry almonds and dates! It certainly does have a toasted quality to it, and it kind of reminds me of a bulk food store (in a good way). Something about it reminds me of Aladdin as well, weirdly enough.

Verdict: 4.5 spicy almond cats out of 5.


Cat Churning Butter (Butter, cream, a thump of frankincense)

Preliminary notes: I asked for this to be added to the order in lieu of a store credit for shipping overages.

In bottle: Shockingly, it smells like butter, cream, and frankincense. The cream has an almost toasted quality to it.

On skin: Mostly the same as in the bottle, though on my skin, it goes a bit soapy for a short while. After the soapiness goes away, it goes back to smelling toasted and almost resinous (which makes sense, given the frankincense). The soapy vibe comes and goes, and I'm really not a fan of that. Not sure how to feel about this one.

Verdict: 3 confusing cats out of 5.


KPX130 (prototype) (No notes given)

Preliminary notes: This was included as a frottle in my last order.

In bottle: Lemon, lemon, lemon, more lemon, and finally, lemongrass.

On skin: A blast of lemon hard candy, but with something green underneath. I'm not sure if it's grass or maybe green tea, but it's not straight lemon. There may be a tiny bit of a light musk in there as well. Ultimately, this is very refreshing and citrus-heavy, which will be nice during the warmer months. Its resemblance to lemon hard candies is unreal, so if that's your thing, tracking this down in a swap might be worthwhile.

Verdict: 4 giant-sized lemon hard candies out of 5.

🖼️ Dorian (A Victorian fougere with three pale musks and dark, sugared vanilla tea)

Preliminary notes: I requested this as a free sample in my order in lieu of any other samples in my first order, since it's more expensive than other GC samples, and BPAL usually sends several (spoiler: they sent 4 more in addition to Dorian in the order I requested it in). I got the green light from the BPAL customer service team, and I'm very excited to try this! Dorian is one of the most reviewed BPAL scents I've seen.

It's worth noting that I've had Theodosius, the Legerdemain for years and love it, and it's the scent I see Dorian compared to the most. Theodosius is apparently less sweet and more citrus-heavy, so I'll probably add some comparison notes in here.

In vial: This is indeed very similar to Theodosius, but Dorian is definitely sweeter.

On skin: This reminds me of a mainstream perfume I used to have, but I can't remember the name of it*. As it warms on the skin, the similarities to Theodosius kind of melt away. There's a distinct green-ness to this scent, and there's an almost white pepper note in there as well. The bergamot in here is absolutely stellar, and the whole scent overall smells like a cup of Earl Grey tea with a heavy dollop of vanilla and sugar, but there are strange, shadowy tendrils spilling over the top of the cup.

I quite like this, actually, and I may have to upsize it in the future (a fellow BPAL forumite was selling their bottle of this a week after I wrote this review, and I did indeed upsize it. Thanks, carnival!). It's different enough from Theodosius to warrant having both. I can see why this is a fan favorite. Fans of Alkemia's Madam Pearl would probably enjoy this as well.

(*I think the vanilla reminds me a bit of Warm Vanilla Sugar from Bath and Body Works, which is one of my favorite commercial vanilla scents. I'm not at all bothered by that and am glad I was finally able to figure out what this reminded me of. It's not a dead ringer for Warm Vanilla Sugar at all, but the vanilla notes in both are similar to my nose)

Verdict: 5 corrupted Victorian tea parlors out of 5.


🍎 Les Bijoux (Skin musk, honey, blood-red rose, orange blossom, white peach, red apple, frankincense, myrrh)

Preliminary notes: None, other than "This sounds lovely."

In vial: The orange blossom, peach, and apple are the strongest notes. There's a veeery slight medicinal tinge in there.

On skin: This has quite the throw on it, wow. It's very much a honeyed, fruity-floral, which normally isn't my favorite kind of scent, but I do like this. It kind of reminds me of a fresher, lighter version of BPAL's Agrat-Bat-Mahlaht, which I need to get a bottle of at some point. This is a lovely springtime scent. I don't know if I'd upsize it or not, but I'll definitely use my sample when the weather warms up.

Verdict: 4 blooming orchards out of 5.


🕰️ The Antikythera Mechanism (Teakwood, oak, black vanilla, tobacco)

Preliminary notes: I've wanted to try this for yeeears but never have, for some reason.

In vial: Definitely heavy on the tobacco (which is glorious and rich), and the teak.

On skin: Ohhh, god. Bury me now, because I have died. This is a perfect balance of all of the notes, and that tobacco note is exquisite. It smells like an old Victorian cigar shoppe, and it's absolutely incredible. It's so evocative and warm. The oak comes out a bit more as it dries, but it's largely just a warm, woody tobacco scent with a touch of vanilla (akin to vanilla extract, maybe. Not a sweet or gourmand vanilla). I am in love. Upsized.

Verdict: 5 Victorian cigar shoppes out of 5.


🐎 The Black Rider (Black leather, opoponax, tobacco, black amber)

Preliminary notes: None.

In vial: Definitely leather, but there's also a high-pitched, almost citrusy note in there, and I'm not gonna lie, it kind of smells like leathery baby wipes. Huh.

On skin: The weird citrus/baby wipes thing goes away once it hits the skin, fortunately. It's still a bit bitter and slightly powdery, but everything melds warmly together, and it smells cozy yet foreboding and austere. The opoponax in here is fantastic. The leather reminds me of my beloved Rogue as well. The more it wears, the more I like it. It's a bit intoxicating.

Verdict: 4 austere leather jackets out of 5.


🔮 Morgause (A bouquet of five night-blooming flowers deepened by dusky violet, purple fruits, the barest breath of medieval incenses)

Preliminary notes: I've wanted to try this for so long, but it had been out of stock until this year.

In vial: Bouquet indeed. It's all funereal white florals in the vial.

On skin: Definitely violet-heavy, which I somehow missed in the description. I don't get any fruit and very little incense from this. It's a very pretty violet scent, with some spooky and almost misty florals behind it.

Verdict: 4 misty violets out of 5.

These were all purchased with store credit that was issued for shipping overages.

☀️ Glowing Vulva at Ryogoku Bridge 2024 (Cream accord, amber, teak, lotus blossom)

Preliminary notes: I've seen so many reviews comparing this to The Antikythera Mechanism, which I love. I've also discovered that I like lotus notes.

In bottle: This is remarkably similar to The Antikythera Mechanism. It's basically The Antikythera Mechanism plus creamy bubblegum. What a vibe.

On skin: The cream and lotus (bubblegum) take center stage on the skin, and it takes on a much softer, femme tone. It's such a soft, glittery pale pink scent. The teak note is stunning, and everything blends together so well. This is so elegant, romantic, and sensual, I love it.

Verdict: 5 pieces of soft pink glitter out of 5.


🐇 White Rabbit (Strong black tea, milk, white pepper, ginger, honey, vanilla, clean linen)

Preliminary notes: I had a sample of this and tried it *one* time before upsizing it. Such a great tea scent.

In bottle: The linen and something lemony are heavier in the bottle (which is the 2024 reformulated version) than in the imp I have. Interesting. The white pepper is also virtually missing. I think the imp I have was from a forumite, so it could be that it was aged and might be the pre-reformulation version. I'm not entirely sure.

On skin: It's really unfortunate that the white pepper note is missing here, because that was the standout note for me in the imp. As it is, it's a very nice milky, honeyed tea scent with a slight floral edge, but it definitely lacks the bite that's present in the imp. I'm hoping the white pepper note will come out with a bit of age. I will say that the milk note in this scent is almost photorealistic. Milk notes tend to smell more like marshmallow or sometimes have an almost fruity quality to them, but this one smells like real, fresh milk.

Verdict: 5 spicy teas out of 5 for the imp, 4 milky teas out of 5 for the reformulated bottle.


🧁 Rhubarb Custard Muffins (Tart rhubarb, oven-browned sugar crystals, golden cake, warm custard)

Preliminary notes: I've been wanting to try a rhubarb note so bad for a long time. I love rhubarb in pies and whatnot, so this seemed like a good idea. I love custard and cake notes too.

In bottle: Smelling this made my eyes roll back. It's everything it claims to be and more. The rhubarb note is phenomenal, the cake note is delicious, and the custard is peeking out a tiny bit as well. It smells like a warm dessert.

On skin: Virtually the same as in the bottle, but a bit sweeter and deeper. I've smelled a few of BPAL's cake notes, and the one featured here is by far the best. The rhubarb and custard notes are also exquisite. This layers phenomenally with Pink Moon 2024. That combination smells like the most decadent, golden strawberry rhubarb cake. By far the most realistic gourmand I've tried from BPAL.

Verdict: 5 delicious rhubarb cakes out of 5.


☕ Café Mille et une Nuits (Shisha, thick coffee, cardamom pods, cinnamon, clove, black pepper, nutmeg)

Preliminary notes: I've been wanting to try this one for a while. The notes are very different, but the vibe reminds me of Alkemia's Club des Hashischins, which is an old favorite.

In bottle: Definitely the same kind of vibe as Club des Hashischins, but that's where the similarity stops. This is a spicy, slightly creamy coffee scent and isn't as heavy as I was expecting. It has some similarity to BPAL's The Jeweled Spider as well.

On skin: This is delicious. The coffee is so rich and thick that it almost reads as a deep chocolate, and the spices are exquisite. The shisha is definitely there as well. This scent smells like a place as opposed to a thing, so I think BPAL did well in what they were aiming for here. It smells like a very dimly-lit coffeehouse tucked into a back alley, where the scents of spiced coffee and rich tobacco waft out of the windows. This is going to be absolutely stunning in cooler weather.

Verdict: 5 mysterious coffeehouses out of 5.


🌙 Pink Moon 2024 (Sugar-swirled strawberry milk, frothed marshmallow cream)

Preliminary notes: You know what, sometimes you just have to buy the most whimsical-sounding scent that a company has. This sounds delightful and very girly, which normally isn't my thing, but I'll make an exception for strawberry milk and marshmallow. I've also noticed I've been craving lactonic scents over the last few months, so this fits the bill for that too.

In bottle: Again, eyes rolled back. There's something about the strawberry note that smells a bit like children's multivitamins, but it mostly just smells like a tart strawberry milkshake. As I'm writing this, the Strawberry Moon is tomorrow, so I plan on wearing this for that.

On skin: The strawberry is a little artificial here, but it's a very smooth, creamy strawberry milkshake scent, which is what I was looking for. I can't discern the marshmallow outright, but it definitely adds a silky sweetness to the scent. There's not much to say about this, as it's fairly simple, but I like it a lot. It smells nostalgic.

Verdict: 4 strawberry milkshakes out of 5.


😈 The Demonaic (Black poppy absolute, dried rose petals, opoponax, black labdanum, kyphi smoke, honeyed oud)

Preliminary notes: I've surprisingly not been able to find any reviews of this scent whatsoever, but it sounds right up my alley. I don't actually know that I have a reference for what black poppy smells like.

In bottle: Oh wow, this is dark. I mean, I was expecting it to be, but it smells like an abyss. It's fairly dry and very resinous, and I cannot pick out a single individual note in there.

On skin: Largely the same as in the bottle. There's something with a bit of a bite in there. I can make out the opoponax, but everything else is seamlessly blended. It smells meditative, like dark temple incense burning in a little metal censer. I was initially apprehensive of the oud, since oud can either be really good or really bad, but I can't detect it at all here. The rose eventually peeks out from underneath the glorious opoponax bomb, but it smells dried as opposed to fresh. I adore this.

Verdict: 5 curls of incense in a dark temple out of 5.


🔮 SDPU2 (prototype) (No notes given)

Preliminary notes: None. I received these last two as frottles in a relatively sizeable combined order a while ago.

In bottle: Something sharp and herbal.

On skin: Definitely lavender, maybe a bit of plum or some other dark fruit. Maybe a touch of lotus as well, but mostly lavender. It borders on powdery, which isn't my thing at all. It reminds me of how baby dolls used to smell in the 90s, so if that's your jam, looking for this in swaps might be worthwhile.

As it dries, it takes on a distinct Fruit Gushers scent, so I think there are more fruit notes at play here than just plum. Maybe a tiny bit of lime. I'm.. not really a fan.

Verdict: 2 Fruit Gushers out of 5.


🍋 PX68 (prototype) (No notes given)

Preliminary notes: None. I received these last two as frottles in a relatively sizeable combined order a while ago.

In bottle: Almost strictly orange peel, but a really nice orange peel.

On skin: I don't know what I'm smelling, but it's citric. A very weak citronella or maybe lemongrass, with a clean laundry backdrop. It takes a bit, but it finally reveals itself as orange, like it smells in the bottle. It reminds me of what I remember Eau/Elixir des Merveilles smelling like a little bit, so I wouldn't be shocked if there was also sandalwood, tonka, or amber in this as well. I quite like it. It's very light but still warm, which will be nice for warmer months.

Verdict: 4 nostalgic elixirs out of 5.

Ahoy! This review involves scents I bought secondhand from a BPAL forumite, which I hadn't ever done before, but it ended up being a fantastic experience each time.

🔮 Charcoal, Champaca Resin, and Tobacco Absolute (Self-explanatory)

Preliminary notes: I saw this in the forumite's listing and had to pick it up. I adore champaca and tobacco notes, and I've never seen a charcoal note included in a scent description before.

In bottle: I could smell the tobacco in this as soon as I opened up the package. Beautiful champaca note, chewy and rich tobacco, and a mineralistic note (charcoal). This is a stunning incense scent.

On skin: This is allll champaca for the first 10-15 minutes, and then the tobacco comes out. The charcoal is barely, barely there but adds a bit of ashy, smoky depth. I adore this stuff. It's an incense lover's dream.

Verdict: 5 giant plumes of incense out of 5.


🥀 Eve (Irish moss, yarrow, hawthorn, omphacium, honey, myrrh, calamus, frankincense, Damask roses, white sandalwood, Moroccan saffron, rosewater, a swirl of incense)

Preliminary notes: I've liked all of the Only Lovers Left Alive scents I've tried so far (Quintessence of Dust, In Templum Dei, Cafe Mille et une Nuits), and this has some of my favorite notes. I love Damask rose, honey, myrrh, frankincense, and incense, so this sounds like my jam. This is the 2024 reformulated version.

In bottle: Oh, wow. LOTS of photorealistic honey at the top. There's a bit of a fruity note in there, along with some florals and greenery. It smells ancient and classic, and like a place more than a person.

On skin: Largely the same as in the bottle. The honey and moss are the main stars of the show here. I do get something more herbal on the skin as well. It still smells very ancient and classic. I've read some reviews saying this smelled soapy to some people, but I don't get that at all. It's a very fresh, honeyed, mossy floral.

Verdict: 4.5 patches of moss drizzled with honey out of 5.


📖 Witchecraft: Consulting a Book of Spells, Performing Various Rites (Candlewax, clove leaf, yellowed parchment, a cluster of mosses, incense resin, black pepper, cardamom, black amber, ylang-ylang)

Preliminary notes: Oh look, yet another book scent. Y'all can't stop me. I read a review on the BPAL forum that said this was like a blend of cottagecore and dark academia vibes, and if that's not a selling point, I don't know what is.

In bottle: Cottagecore meets dark academia indeed. This is the greenest book scent I've ever smelled. The moss notes are to die for.

On skin: Definitely herbal and green on the skin, with that clove leaf adding a spicy bite. The candlewax smells creamy, and the ylang-ylang fortunately isn't overbearing and just serves to add a bit of a humid floral note to everything. The parchment is barely there, but overall, this smells like a witch's cottage tucked deep into the woods. There are herbs hung from the ceiling to dry, bushels of herbs on the counters, and candles everywhere. This is a fantastic, witchy atmospheric.

Verdict: 5 witch's cottages out of 5.


🌙 Blackberry Moon (Sweet purple-black pulp, bright green leaves touched with amber and russet musk, a dribble of blackberry wine, green tea, Italian bergamot, patchouli root, wild fig)

Preliminary notes: I love blackberry notes, and this sounds quite complex and refreshing.

In bottle: All blackberry, all the time. Rich, deep, and purple. I can't smell anything else.

On skin: This is veeery blackberry-heavy, and very juicy. The leaves, green tea, and patchouli come out once it's on the skin. It's a purple-hued dream and very autumnal. If you like blackberry, definitely give this a shot, as the blackberry note is the star of the show. It eventually settles into a snuggly, almost woolly blackberry musk later in the drydown. Very nice.

Verdict: 5 incredibly juicy blackberries out of 5.


🐐 Black Goat Enjoying a Pink Flower (Goat's milk, peonies, carnation, honeycomb, vetiver)

Preliminary notes: Nabbed this off of the same person on the forum that I bought my bottle of Dorian from. I wanted to get this when it released a couple of years ago but bypassed it, for some reason.

In bottle: Creamy, slightly sweet, slightly floral vetiver.

On skin: Primarily the same, though I can also smell the carnation now. I don't get any peony, and the goat's milk is just reading as nondescript creaminess in the background. The vetiver has a bit of a bite to it, but it's not super strong. I quite like this!

Verdict: 4 goats eating grass in a field out of 5.

🐺 Gingerbread Wolfman (Gingerbread, honey, molasses, pulverized chestnut, powdered sugar, nutmeg, hazelnut)

Preliminary notes: None. Nabbed this off of the same person on the forum that I bought my bottle of Dorian from.

In bottle: All of the notes are present and accounted for, with the honey and gingerbread being the strongest. It's sweet and slightly spicy, and it smells thick and syrupy.

On skin: The spices in this are heavenly. The powdered sugar also comes out quite a bit on the skin. This smells exactly like the description: sweet, spicy gingerbread with a nutty backdrop. I don't have a lot to say about this, as it's a pretty linear scent, but I really enjoy it. I'm gonna try layering this with Ghost Milk in the future and see how that goes.

Verdict: 5 gingerbread monsters out of 5.


🎃 The Shadowed Veil (Black pumpkin, leather, pomegranate incense, agarwood, bourbon patchouli)

Preliminary notes: None. Nabbed this off of the same person on the forum that I bought my bottle of Dorian from.

In bottle: Reminds me of Dwarven Ale or Hoggle a bit, if Dwarven Ale was sultry and less boozy, and if Hoggle wasn't as dry. It also smells a bit like caramel corn.

On skin: The pumpkin is by far the strongest note. There's also something almost camphorous or mentholated underneath, but it's not mint. Everything blends so well together that it's difficult to pick the notes apart. The patchouli reads more as dirt (not dirty patchouli. Literal dirt), which makes this very autumnal. I don't get the pomegranate specifically, but I do get a lovely, dark incense note. This is so delightfully witchy and dark, and evokes imagery of taking a nighttime walk in autumn where you're generally relaxed but feel slightly uneasy, wondering what else is lurking in the dark with you.

Verdict: 5 foreboding autumnal night walks out of 5.

Pink Moon 2023 (Phlox, pink freesia, stargazer lily, tulip, daffodil, pink columbine, delphinium, pink carnation, peony, muscari, pink sugar, honey, bourbon vanilla, a touch of the first strawberries of the season)

Preliminary notes: Pink Moon had been on my wishlist for a few years, but it didn't come back until last year.

In bottle: Very pink, very floral. The fruity aspect of this almost smells like vitamins, and there's a fine undercurrent of laundry detergent in there.

On skin: The vitamin/laundry detergent vibe goes away completely once it hits the skin. It smells almost bubblegum-y or cotton candy-like. I can't actually make out any of the individual notes. It just smells like a bright pink, sweet, cheery floral. Something about it also reminds me of the 90s.

Verdict: 4.75 exclusively pink gardens out of 5.

These were in Ajevie's NAVA Leftovers listing, and they both sounded like divine spring/early summer scents. I don't have any experience with NAVA's florals.

💐 Iris Toffee Honey Bee (Orange blossom honey, iris flower, caramel custard accord, rum, maple essence, toffee accord, brown sugar, white musk absolute)

Preliminary notes: This just sounds really intriguing to me. Toffee and caramel-y notes with iris?

In bottle: Surprisingly not gourmand at all, despite the foody notes. The iris in this is beautiful and not powdery, and I can only really smell the musk and honey along with it.

On skin: The toffee/caramel-esque notes are very, very quiet. The iris is definitely the star of the show here. It smells very soft and stately.

Verdict: 5 meticulously-kept iris gardens out of 5.


🍑 Apricot Créme Honey Musk Bee (Créme of apricot accord, apricot kernel essence, orange blossom honey accord, créme brulée accord, sugar, vanilla bean créme accord, papaya essence, Bastet's Musk)

Preliminary notes: That surprise papaya note toward the end of the description definitely piqued my interest. I wonder how everything's going to meld together here.

In bottle: Yup, that's apricot. I'm surprised there isn't a citrus note listed, because I'm getting a bit of a citrus fruit zing from something.

On skin: So it's the papaya that smelled like citrus initially, because it morphed from citrus to tropical fruitiness once it hit my skin. I can also smell the creme brulee peeking out behind the fruits and honey. This is delicious. I don't usually go for fruity scents, but this is fantastic.

Verdict: 5 tropical apricot desserts out of 5.


Overall, I'm a big fan of both of these. I'm very interested in trying out more Bees next year. I will note, though, that they both have very low throw.

Greetings! As it says on the tin, most of these were upsized from samples. I had a very.. interesting experience with Au Lait, which you'll see later in the post.

Pi in the Sky (Warm apple pies rising heavenward on effervescent billows of spiced aldehydes)

Preliminary notes: This was an upsize of a previous free sample. I never would have chosen this as a sample for myself, given that I hate aldehydic notes, but once I tried it, I upsized it shortly after.

In bottle: Yup, that's apple pie and spices, alright. I don't get the weird fizzy/soapy thing that aldehydes typically give me, which is good.

On skin: This is a cinnamon BOMB. I do get some apples here and there, which are a bit syrupy, but it's primarily cinnamon. DH referred to it as an apple pie with a ton of cinnamon hearts or Red Hots in the filling, which I can agree with. It reads as Christmas-y to DH and I, which is comforting and nostalgic. I don't get the aldehydes at all really (which I'm not complaining about).

Verdict: 5 cinnamon heart apple pies out of 5. Even though this is borderline a cinnamon single note in various phases of wear, I love it. It's festive and warm, and something about it is cozy. Kudos to Alkemia for including this in a previous order, because as I had previously stated, I never would have tried this (and upsized it) otherwise.

Les Mysteres (Aged frankincense, black figs, labdanum, dark amber, Russian tea)

Preliminary notes: This was an upsize of a previous free sample. I had requested this as a free sample in a previous order along with Aelfscyne (which I probably won't review on its own, but it's a sweet, white-green floral with a bit of a weird undertone). I've been buying from Alkemia for 4 years and had somehow skimmed over this one numerous times. I love Alkemia's frankincense and tea notes, so I couldn't tell you why. Either way, had the sample and loved it.

In bottle: Alkemia's frankincense note is immediately at the forefront, but there's also something mellow and almost herbal.

On skin: I adooore this. The frankincense isn't super loud on the skin, and the tea and figs come out and dance together beautifully. DH thought he could smell basil in it, but I think it's the tea note, which does smell very fresh and.. well, leafy. This is very witchy and would make a great fall-to-winter transition scent.

Verdict: 5 transitions from autumn to winter out of 5.

Veneficium (Wild ginger, purple hyacinths, datura accord, green ivy, nightshade leaf, wet oakmoss, tonka, freshly turned earth, dark galbanum)

Preliminary notes: This was an upsize of a previous free sample. The funny thing about this scent is that I had requested a sample of it earlier in the year, didn't like it, and then ended up with a random free sample of it later in the year and loved it. It's literally the exact same scent, but apparently there was something weird going on with my nose the first time.

In bottle: Very green and purple, and a bit tart.

On skin: This reminds me of an old Sixteen92 oil that I used to love called Aconitum. It's not a dead ringer for it, but it's a purple-green scent with an odd floral edge. I can't tease apart a lot of the notes since it's so well blended, but I can make out the ivy, nightshade leaf (which reads as tomato leaf), some of the oakmoss, purple florals, and the freshly turned earth. It smells like a witch's herb and flower garden after a light rain.

Verdict: 5 witchy gardens out of 5.

Au Lait (Rich, creamy milk, tonka, wild honey, caramelized brown sugar)

Preliminary notes: Ah, this scent. It seems to be very polarizing. People either love it or hate it. I've had good experiences with Comptoir Sud Pacifique's Matin Calin and Chabaud's Lait Concentré, which both have similar reputations for either smelling great or smelling like baby vomit/curdled milk, so I have hope. Lactonic notes don't usually go bad on me. I'm still very anxious to open the bottle though.

In bottle: I'm so scared to open this. Okay, I did it. It largely smells like very buttery sweetened condensed milk. It's a bit tart, but not sour. Very curious and worried to see what this does on the skin.

On skin: Unfortunately, this went straight to cheddar cheese the second it hit my skin. God damnit. No sweetness, no caramelized goodness, just cheese.

Verdict: 0 blocks of cheddar cheese in milk carton costumes out of 5.

Hygge Alchemy (Applewood, green pumpkin, fallen oak leaves, candied ginger, autumn spicecakes, golden amber, dark patchouli, vetiver root, tobacco leaf)

Preliminary notes: I placed this order in October and asked them not to send the monthly alchemy for that month, since I already had it, and they included this instead!

In bottle: I get the applewood, ginger, and maybe a bit of patchouli but not much else that's discernible. It does smell fairly cozy and autumnal.

On skin: I mean this in the best way possible: this smells like autumn potpourri. It's very perfumey but smells elegant and upscale at the same time. The ginger is STRONG in this one, which I'm not a huge fan of, but the other notes ground it enough that it's not overwhelming. It's a nice autumn-to-winter transition scent.

Verdict: 4 ginger-scented autumn seasons out of 5.

Long time, no post! These reviews are from some time ago, but better late than never, I suppose.

Love (Vanilla accord, fresh cream, sugarcane, soft musk, a pinch of tea leaves)

Preliminary notes: I'm really glad this came back this year. I've been wanting to try it for a long while. Cream and tea is one of my favorite note combinations.

In bottle: This reminds me of Possets' tea and cream blends, which I love. This is much fresher, a bit sweeter, and more vanillic though. This is cottagecore as fuck.

On skin: Still very reminiscent of Possets' cream-tea blends, still cottagecore as fuck. The tea and cream notes are beautiful. The vanilla and a bit of sweetness come out after about 5 minutes, which takes this into having more of its own character. I really like this.

Verdict: 5 silky, creamy teas out of 5. This was a no-brainer and was unsurprisingly a big hit. Love that cream note.

Scáiltín (Fresh milk and silky cream are heated and gently whipped with confectionary sugar, warmly spiced honey, Réunion Island vanilla beans, sweet tonka, Irish whiskey, grated nutmeg, a bit of butter)

Preliminary notes: Another one I've wanted to try for a while. This sounds delectable.

In bottle: Oh, this is lovely. My nose recognized Arcana's honey note immediately, which was quickly followed by lots of booze and some milk.

On skin: This reminds me of Marshmallows Bite! a little bit, but this is creamier and brighter. The milk and cream are very strong here, followed by the honey and whiskey. This is delicious.

Verdict: 5 creamy, boozy beverages out of 5. I'm not shocked that I like this, and I'm glad I picked it up before the Winter stuff went down.

Philtre: Embrace (Three ambers, French vanilla, Bourbon custard, golden musk, sweet coconut milk, a soft whiff of skin musk)

Preliminary notes: The custard and coconut milk were the biggest draws for me on this one. Yes, please.

In bottle: Despite the semi-gourmand dairy notes, this is all about the musks and ambers in the bottle. It's a bit slinky and sexy.

On skin: Upon applying this, DH said "Mmm.. that smells scrumptious. I don't know if it's something I'm supposed to eat, but I'll give it a shot." (He didn't actually ingest it). It's still very much about the musks and ambers, but the custard and a tiny bit of the coconut milk peek through as well. This is seduction in a bottle.

Verdict: 5 sexy custards out of 5. This smells like the most decadent, opulent dessert served in a solid gold dish. If you ever wanna feel like a million bucks, wear this (or just sniff it).

Rose Petal Blunt (Dewy red rose petals, fresh green stems, soft tuberose, Silver Haze accord)

Preliminary notes: The only sample I've ever ordered from Arcana. I love cannabis scents, and this one sounds very pretty and feminine.

In bottle: Exactly what it sounds like. Weed and rose. I regret not just getting a full bottle of this, but I'll most likely upsize it in the future if it behaves well on my skin.

On skin: Deeefinitely full-sizing this in the future. The weed note is green, crisp, and very slightly smoky. The rose is realistic and not overbearing, so what you're left with is the smell of a vase of fresh roses in a slightly hazy room where weed was being smoked. Lovely.

Verdict: 5 toke sessions in a rose garden out of 5.

The Cunning Folk (The scent of an unread magical grimoire smudged with tobacco, surrounded by offerings of chocolate and golden amber)

Preliminary notes: I could smell cocoa or chocolate as soon as I opened the package these were all in and was initially confused, since none of them contained chocolate notes. Upon unwrapping everything, I saw this mixed in with it, which was incredibly generous of Arcana. Many thanks, if you happen to read this!

In bottle: So despite my aversion to chocolate notes, this is actually really nice. The tobacco is dry, the chocolate smells more like cocoa, and there's something a bit leathery/parchment-y hanging out beneath that as well. This smells very Halloween-esque. (I looked it up afterward, and this is apparently part of the Halloween collection. Go, brain!)

On skin: The tobacco gets a bit smoky (yum), and the chocolate calms down to a light dusting. The bookish notes are still pronounced as well. I'm kind of shocked that patchouli isn't listed as a note, because I swear I can smell a tiny bit of it in there somewhere. This smells like eating chocolate-covered toffee or Halloween candy in an old library or study.

DH thought this smelled like toffee, specifically Toffifee.

Verdict: 5 giant platters of chocolate-covered toffee in an old library, on Halloween, out of 5. This was a surprise hit! I usually stay very far away from chocolate notes, but I love this. The ambers and other notes subdue it enough that it doesn't smell like i just dumped a bunch of cocoa powder on myself or like I sat on a chocolate bar. This is the essence of Halloween and is also a perfect dark academia/gourmand crossover scent.

Hullo! Back at ya with some more Possets reviews, and much like the title implies, they're largely tea and gourmand scents. You can find my first set of Possets reviews here, which will also give you a bit of a background into how this is laid out, who DH is, what TAT was like, etc. I will note that the TAT was a bit slower for this batch, since some of these were ordered during or directly after the Valentine's Day and 2-22-22 sales, plus I had one of the orders held for a while per my request. At any rate, onward!



🥂Madame X (Skin musk, wax, cream, lemon zest, champagne, a kiss of bitter vanilla) (Permanent)

Preliminary notes: Madame X has pretty mixed reviews across the net, ranging from shower-fresh and soapy to seductive and elegant, but it also seems to be a Possets classic. I have a history of not liking champagne notes and tend to avoid citrus notes other than bergamot (though if the lemon in this is anything like the lemon in High Tea, it'll be fine), and I also tend to prefer heavier scents to subtle skin scents, so I could be shooting myself in the foot here. I have a feeling, just going off of the notes, that DH isn't going to like this one very much and that it'll need some aging before I'm super into it as well.

DH's preliminary notes: Toasting to a full-body wax.

In bottle: Very subtle fruitiness with a background of creamy vanilla. A little bit soapy. I can tell just from the bottle that this is, indeed, going to be a skin scent. It's pretty faint.

DH's thoughts: There's a musk in there, isn't there? White musk? Skin musk.. I just don't really recognize what the other things are in there. I like it, but what is this?

On skin: Largely the same. It kind of billows out like a cloud upon initial skin application and then recedes back in on itself. The wax (which is like a true candlewax here as opposed to beeswax) and cream are the strongest notes for me, followed closely by the lemon (which is very mild and not at all astringent or biting). It reminds me of something but I can't pin exactly what it is. It's a nice, creamy, slightly citric skin scent, and the more it wears, the cozier it gets. I do have a small part of my collection dedicated to more "work/meeting safe" scents (i.e. nothing that's super strong or overly offensive), and I think this fits in there quite nicely.

DH's thoughts: Huh.. yeah, that is potent. There sure are a lot of lighter things in there. Skin musk..

Verdict: 5 fancy candlelit baths out of 5. I was initially going to dock a partial point for the soapiness, but I cannot stop smelling myself. The soapy phase doesn't last long anyway, so it's not worth docking a point over. My preliminary thoughts about not being into this one until it's aged were definitely not accurate. Overall, I like this a lot. It's dreamy and soft, and it would probably make a great bedtime scent for some people.



🍪Pavane (Cardamom, silver accord, artemisia, coumarin) (Permanent)

Preliminary notes: Ah, the infamous Pavane. I've read many a review that cite this one as smelling like snickerdoodles (DH and I have never had them but know what they are), melted ice cream, or some other manner of sweet baked good. I don't really have any proper prelim thoughts on this one beyond "it sounded good" and was kind of an impulse pickup.

DH's preliminary notes: Eating rice beside a fancy garden.

In bottle: Dry spiciness with a bit of sweetness. Does not smell anything like cookies to me, but I'm not particularly complaining. There's a bit of greenness in the background as well.

DH's thoughts: Something kind of woody about this. It actually almost reminds me of a sunflower seed. There's also something kind of sweet about it too. Maybe syrupy?

On skin: The green aspects of this take a bit of a backseat on the skin, and it does kind of resemble cookies, or like, cinnamon sugar-topped vanilla bean ice cream. The Silver base gives it a bit of an elegant edge.

DH's thoughts: Is there sandalwood in this? It has like a deep woody smell, like a polished wood, but paired with some sort of cherry smell.

Verdict: 3.5 cinnamon sugar-dusted cookies in a silver bowl out of 5. I'm not sure how I feel about this one, but it's not bad or unpleasant at all. I stopped being able to smell it for the most part a few minutes after applying. It's.. fine. I can't say I'm overly impressed by it.



👑Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (Mysore sandalwood, suede, frankincense, patchouli, four vanillas) (Permanent)

Preliminary notes: While suede isn't an outright leather note, I do really love leather, and combining it with four vanillas sounds delicious. After my experience with The Girls Love Vanilla, I'm a biiit leery of Possets' vanilla notes (though I'm pretty sure it was the honey that went weird in that one).

DH's preliminary notes: A beach in Florida. (??)

In bottle: Vanillic leather with a bit of fruitiness (which means the weirdness in The Girls Love Vanilla was probably the vanilla, unfortunately). Not nearly as dark as I was expecting.

DH's thoughts: That's much lighter. Maybe something almost fruity about it but also kind of floral. Something that almost reminds me of some kind of bread. Like a sweet bread.

On skin: Smells nothing like it did in the bottle (which is fine by me. I don't want any fruity notes unless they're supposed to be there). Dusty leather and a bit of dry vanilla and sandalwood. It darkens up quite a bit on the skin. It kind of smells like an old leather jacket that's been sitting in someone's attic for 30 years. I do get wafts of some really rich vanillas from time to time, but it's mostly the dusty, musty suede.

Update: After about a week or so of resting/aging, the mustiness is completely gone, and now it's suede with a delicious, almost caramelized vanilla backdrop with a touch of smokiness. Yet another lesson in "Please rest/age your Possets before making a final judgement."

DH's thoughts: I know there's food in that. It smells like something sweet. Maybe there's a little bit of vanilla and toffee?

Verdict: 4.5 caramel-covered leather jackets out of 5. I think it needs to age a bit more to get the balance right, but it's sublime as-is.



🍃Danse Chinoise (Pekoe tea, green tea, incense, lime leaf) (Yule retour)

Preliminary notes: This was one of the Yules I was reeeally excited about. I love tea scents, and this one sounds lovely for spring (I'm a bit puzzled as to why it's a Yule, since it sounds pretty fresh and green, but who am I to question someone else's creative process).

DH's preliminary notes: A meditation session outside of a Buddhist temple.

In bottle: Oh, this is heavenly. Dry tea leaves and a touch of incense and lime. It does smell a bit meditative, so DH's prelim notes were pretty accurate. Very excited to skin test this one.

DH's thoughts: It's sweet, like candy. It kind of reminds me of an overly sweetened pink lemonade. Extremely sweet.

On skin: This is such a perfect dry tea scent. The lime leaf adds a gentle citrus lilt to it, and the incense is soft and unburnt, so not smoky at all. There's something veeery slightly camphorous peeking out from the background, but it never goes full-on camphor. I adore this so much.

DH's thoughts: Maybe like, some old sweet wood?

Verdict: 5 loose-leaf teas in opulent tins out of 5. This is a stunner and has earned a place in the league of my favorite tea scents. Possets does tea scents exceptionally well.



🎉Clara's Party (Black musk, Arabian frankincense, three golden ambers, spicy gingerbread, black tea) (Yule retour)

Preliminary notes: Another tea-featuring Yule, which I skimmed over initially. I do not like ginger, at least not in an eating context, so I'm curious to see how this goes. Most of the reviews I read mentioned the tea note being pretty heavy, which is what I'm hoping for.

DH's preliminary notes: It sounds like something out of a fairytale.

In bottle: Oh, wow! This one is pretty sweet, but not in a bad way. Everything is well-balanced, and I can't make out specific notes beyond the tea and a bit of the gingerbread. It's cozy and has a bit of a classy edge to it. I like it a lot.

DH's thoughts: There's something far more natural, almost sweaty, about it. It is a little sweet though. I would almost describe it as a rich scent. I would imagine if whatever this is was in its natural form, it'd be thick like molasses.

On skin: The ginger comes roaring out of there once it hits the skin, along with the tea and resins. I like it! It smells elegant and festive, like an expensive ginger tea in a fancy teacup.

DH's thoughts: It's interesting.. *proceeds to sniff my wrist 5 or 6 times* (He liked it)

Verdict: 5 festive, mirth-filled tea parties out of 5. This is delightful, and that tea note is perfection.



🍋High Tea (Tea, lemon, sugar, milk, the best starched linens) (Permanent)

(I have no idea what happened to the preliminary notes for this one, so ignore that)

In bottle: So funnily enough, I ordered a full size of this during the 2-22-22 sale because I figured I'd like it, but a free sample of it showed up in my first Possets parcel, which arrived shortly after, so I got to try it a bit sooner. This review is from when I tried the sample. It reminds me a lot of Alkemia's Madam Pearl in the vial, which is one of my favorite refined/elegant tea scents. The lemon smells more like bergamot to me here, and it's a pretty light and refreshing scent overall. As so many reviewers before me have said, the tea note is more on the iced side rather than a hot cup of tea. It smells like sitting outside on a patio in a garden during late spring/early summer, sipping iced Earl Grey from a tall, ornate vintage glass (like these) with a thin slice of lemon floating on top. I can see the sunlight reflecting in the divots in the glasses in my mind's eye. I did not expect this one to conjure such vivid mental imagery.

DH's thoughts: Black musk, talcum powder, and a leather coat. (??)

On skin: On skin, the tea note comes out a bit more after the lemon has calmed down, but it's still very much an iced tea scent. It could just be that it's too fresh out of the mail, but this wears extremely close to the skin and is hard to smell sometimes aside from the citrus. I don't get the starched linens at all, which I'm not complaining about. No powder or laundry here. Just resplendent iced tea. 🧡

DH's thoughts: Like pink lemonade and tea. It smells like iced tea, but not like, a normal iced tea. Like a specialty iced tea. A pink iced tea. It makes me thirsty; it makes me want to drink you. Lemme smell your iced tea wrist. ARE YOU ACTUALLY WRIT- God damnit..

Verdict: 4.75 elegant iced teas out of 5. I wish this lasted longer on the skin, but that's my only qualm with it. It'll be a lovely late spring/summer scent.



🍵Linden Blossom Tea (Linden blossom tea, honey) (Permanent)

Preliminary notes: This one's kind of a no-brainer for me. I like springtime-y floral tea scents, and I like linden blossom. This sounds lovely.

DH's preliminary notes: Break time in a tequila factory. (??)

In bottle: Gorgeous linden blossoms, a bit of watery tea, and a really fantastic honey note (one of the most realistic I've come across thus far). Love.

DH's thoughts: It is very floral, and you can definitely smell the tea. Like a little hint of lemon in it too. There was this garden that I had tea at in Alberta, of all places. I don't know why, but I think about that place when I smell this.

On skin: Largely the same, but something warms it up. The honey kind of recedes on the skin, so it just becomes the linden and tea. Bit of a bummer, since the honey note is really nice, but this is still lovely. It threatens to go a bit soapy but never quite gets there. I can see where people would get an air freshener/bathroom soap vibe from, but I adore it nonetheless.

DH's thoughts: It's very floral and very light, with a hint of something stronger. It's like cinnamon but not cinnamon.

Verdict: 4.75 springtime garden tea parties out of 5. I wish the honey stuck around longer, but I still really love this. For such a light scent, it has really good throw and longevity.



🍮BBC - The Big Black Cat (Buttery creme, smooth caramel, bourbon vanilla, gourmet candy corn, burnt sugar, cinnamon, clove, allspice) (Permanent)

Preliminary notes: Is it gonna smell like a fall candle? Let's find out. Much like High Tea, I initially got a free sample of this in my first Possets parcel, so this review was written when I tried the sample.

DH's preliminary notes: Sounds like a movie night at my house when I was a teenager.

In bottle: So. Fucking. Buttery. I love it. The spices are a bit in-your-face, but I can live with that. This smells delicious. It does veer into fall candle territory a bit, but I'm not opposed to that at all. This is one hell of an autumnal gourmand.

DH's thoughts: Certainly is pungent. Makes me think about food again, like some kind of cake. Maybe a pound cake. There's something creamy in there too. And something like, a wood table?

On skin: Much the same, but the spices blend into the caramel and cream enough to calm down a bit. The caramel and cream notes never go plasticky or sour on me, which is fantastic. I immediately full sized this after skin testing. Love, love, love. This may very well be my holy grail caramel scent.

DH's thoughts: Smells completely different on you. That smells like you're eating a cake at your grandma's house *points at sample vial*, and now it smells like bath bombs. It lost its potency. It lost all of its food notes. (This made me sad and I disagree with it, but scent is subjective. I don't regret full sizing it and will wear the hell out of it regardless)

Verdict: 5 luscious Halloween treats out of 5. I absolutely adore this and want to bathe in it. Instant win for me.



🥚Syllabub (Eggs, milk, cream, a light dusting of lemon zest, fluffed together and eaten with a long-handled spoon) (Yule retour)

Preliminary notes: I couldn't find many reviews on this one, but the ones I did find mentioned that this smells a lot like cake batter. That's enough of a reason to try it for me.

DH's preliminary notes: Stealing a piece of lemon meringue pie.

In bottle: Well, it does indeed smell like raw cake batter. The lemon zest is quite pronounced in the bottle, which I'm hoping evens out on the skin. Can definitely tell this one's gonna need a bit of aging.

DH's thoughts: It's like a sweet fruit, like cranberries and toffee. Definitely smells like sweets. I wanna eat it.

On skin: This is so bizarre. It smells like raw cake batter in the bottle, but once it hits skin, it smells like a freshly baked lemon poppyseed cake with like, 2 inches of frosting on it. I've never smelled something that's such a dead ringer for lemon poppyseed cake in my life. Delightful.

DH's thoughts: It smells like a sponge cake with toffee and vanilla, maybe with a spot of tea on the side.

Verdict: 4.75 heavily frosted lemon poppyseed cakes out of 5. This is delicious. It does have a slight dusty quality to it, hence not being a full 5 out of 5, but it's definitely tolerable.



🧁Smellbutrin (Cream, sugar, butter, a pinch of salt, frosting, sprinkles) (Orphans retour, special order)

Preliminary notes: I asked Tom if I could order this and The Grace of the Posset (the latter of which is now available on the site) via PayPal invoice, since they weren't available on the site at the time, and he very kindly obliged. What is there to really say about that note lineup? This sounds scrumptious and uplifting, and quite possibly tooth-achingly sweet. And also pink.

DH's preliminary notes: That just sounds like a cupcake. Literally a cupcake. (He said this without seeing the emoji I assigned to this one, so A+ for that. For whatever reason, even though I used the cupcake emoji, my brain didn't connect the dots on it and it took me almost a week after drafting this review to realize that the description does sound exactly like a cupcake. Brains are weird)

In bottle: Veeery sweet. This has a bit of a fruity edge that I wasn't expecting, and there's something else below the fruitiness that's sharp and a bit dusty-smelling. It smells very slightly boozy as well, in the same way vanilla extract smells boozy.

DH's thoughts: It's kind of balanced, if that makes sense. It's kind of light but kind of dark at the same time. Definitely has a musk in there of some kind, or at least I think it does.

On skin: Has the same dusty undertone as Syllabub (I'm guessing it's something in the cream note, since that's the only note they share), and has a very pronounced strawberry candy-like note to it. There's a tang in there as well, like cream cheese icing. It does indeed smell like cupcakes with a generous swirl of pink icing on top. This has quite a throw on it. I was smoking outside in the wind and could still smell a prominent cloud of Smellbutrin around myself.

DH's thoughts: Smells like toffee with maybe a hint of granola and some honey in it. Very foody. Still smells like a baked good.

Verdict: 4.5 very pink cupcakes out of 5. The dusty note isn't my favorite, but once it wears off, this is delectable. It's also very sweet (shocking), which is something I need to be in the mood for. When I'm in the mood for cavity-inducing sweet scents, this will definitely be one I reach for.



☕The Grace of the Posset (Like the foam on a cappuccino) (Spring retour, special order)

Preliminary notes: So DH has these French vanilla cappuccino Keurig pods, and I remember him saying "I would not complain if you smelled like this" while he was making one a month or so ago. I do love coffee scents as well despite not being a coffee drinker, so this was a shoo-in.

DH's preliminary notes: Breakfast.

In bottle: Almost floral and woody at first, but then the roast of the coffee comes out. Not quite as creamy as I'd expected. It smells like an upscale coffee shop.

DH's thoughts: This kind of smells like pancakes with some kind of fruit on it.

On skin: Virtually the same as in the bottle. The coffee note is pretty weak (in comparison to something like Lurker and Strange's Carpe Noctem), and there's a very perfume-y element to it. Does not, in any way, resemble DH's coffee pods, which is slightly disappointing but ultimately fine. It's its own thing and is still quite nice. Very creamy, cozy, and a bit rich. There's a veeery soft baked good note floating in the background somewhere, but this scent itself isn't foody.

DH's thoughts: Is that one of the ones that has honeysuckle in it? No? I've had many a cappuccino in my lifetime, and that smells nothing like it.

Verdict: 4 expensive coffees out of 5. I'm gonna age this one a bit and see if the coffee note gets any stronger and the perfume-y undertone evens out a bit. It is really nice as-is, however.



🌙Cambienne: Long Winter Night (Clary sage blossom infusion, a subtle hint of melon, a warm tinge of musk, ambergris accord, Haitian vetiver)

Preliminary notes: This one's an unexpected bonus. Tom had asked me if I'd be interested in a sample of this, and he ended up including a full bottle instead! Many thanks, Tom! Your kindness and generosity are unparalleled.

DH's preliminary notes: A humid brunch on a Caribbean island?

In bottle: The vetiver in this is gorgeous. It's almost creamy. I don't get anything else straight out of the bottle except the vetiver, and it's a really beautiful vetiver note at that.

DH's thoughts: OH, that is definitely not food. Really punches the nose, actually. I don't know how I feel about this one. It reminds me of rubbing alcohol. I don't like it.

On skin: Largely the same as in the bottle, though there's more of an herbal and musky edge on the skin. I think I liked this more before the herbal notes came ripping out of there.

DH's thoughts: *grimaces* Like when I wash my bong with isopropyl.

Verdict: 3 witchy herbal concoctions out of 5. DH hates this stuff, and I'm not crazy about it either, but it's not objectively bad. I really did enjoy the vetiver note before it hit my skin.

Fairy Wine (An ethereal vintage, steeped with dandelion, honey, and red currants.)

In bottle: If sparkling ginger wine is a thing, it would smell exactly like this. Ginger isn't in the notes though, so I'm not sure where that's coming from.

On skin: Largely the same as in the bottle. It's effervescent, light, and pleasant. It does feel pretty magical, so the name is apt.

Nosferatu (Desiccated herbs and gritty earth brought to life with a swell of robust and sanguineous red wines.)

In bottle: Suuuper wine-centric. If cinnamon wine is a thing, this is what it'd smell like. Cinnamon wine and dirt. It also kind of smells like dirt-flavored jelly beans?

On skin: Largely the same as in the bottle. Lots of cinnamon and almost greasy-smelling dirt, with very strong wine notes. I usually love wine scents, but this is totally overbearing and off-putting to me.

Scholar's Tower (Gleaming amber spheres, polished cedar and mahogany, sweet parchment, inks of frankincense ash, and soft plumes of incense.)

In bottle: The same peanut buttery note I get from Mouse Circus, with a lot of powder and a touch of resins. I don't do well with powder, so that's dismaying.

On skin: Baby powder. So much baby powder. There's something leathery in there with the parchment, which is great, but the powder overshadows everything. Total pass for me.

The Lights of Men's Lives (The wax and smoke of millions upon millions of candles.)

In bottle: Beeswax! Lots of beeswax. A tiny bit of smoke as well.

On skin: The beeswax is pretty strong, which is exactly what I was hoping for. There's also some sort of general waxy scent in there along with it. The smoke is very light and gauzy, as opposed to something like bonfire smoke. The beeswax takes on a slightly powdery tone as time goes on, but never goes full powder (thank god). An all-around win on the everlasting hunt for beeswax scents.