Scented Musings

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

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

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

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

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


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

Preliminary notes: This sounds delightfully creamy and autumnal.

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

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

Verdict: 5 creamy holiday drinks out of 5.


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 5 candlelit chunks of myrrh out of 5.


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 4 grandfatherly hugs out of 5.


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 4 boozy caramels out of 5.


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 5 thick hazes of incense out of 5.


Electric Fur (Aroused skin and soft musky fur)

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 5 very smoky woodstoves out of 5.


Tabac Single Note (Tobacco single note)

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

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

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

Verdict: 5 chewy tobacco leaves out of 5.


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 5 mossy gravestones out of 5.


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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 4.5 elegant desserts out of 5.

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

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

In bottle: Very fresh hay and something herbal.

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

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


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 4 autumn afternoons out of 5.


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 4.25 Toblerones in the forest out of 5.


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 5 caramel-scented bonfires out of 5.


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 4.5 golden October afternoons out of 5.


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

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

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

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

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

Madam X (Bergamot, mandarin, dark violet, Italian iris, black orchid, Japanese incense, orris root, sueded musk, white sandalwood, Tahitian vanilla, pale patchouli)

Preliminary notes: I've sampled this so many times and had a bottle of it at one point, but it was a bit too mature for me at the time. The last time I received a sample of it, I fell in love with it all over again but still didn't repurchase it. After the July sale, I finally remembered it existed and got one. It has such a beautiful, classic silent film vamp vibe to it (moreso than Alkemia's Vamp, ironically enough), and being in my 30s now, it doesn't come off as too mature or too classic for me, though I can see how it still would for some. This review is for the ultime format.

In bottle: Super dark florals (violet and orchid especially), and sensual musk. Just as it used to be.

On skin: The florals are a bit stronger here than they are in the extrait version, but not by much. The citrus notes also seem to be a bit stronger, the mandarin especially. It still smells like a silent film vamp, and is absolutely exquisite. I can see how this would be too much for some people, but I think it's very decadently gothic and sultry. The ultime version, because of the amped citrus, is a bit brighter and not as heavy.

Verdict: 5 silent film vampires out of 5.


Une Nuit de Cleopatre (Egyptian kyphi incense, amber, warm caramel, tonka bean, vegan civet musk, spiced Sahlab tea, Satyrion orchid root, white honey, narcissus, jasmine, ylang ylang, honeysuckle)

Preliminary notes: This has been on my to-try list since its release. It sounds delightful. I'm not sure how the civet is going to behave, but other than that, it sounds right up my alley.

In bottle: Slightly biting florals, caramel, and tea primarily. very perfumey.

On skin: This is probably one of the warmest scents I've ever smelled. The honey, incense, caramel, and tea are still the strongest players, but the florals underneath those are gorgeous. It does conjure to mind the imagery of a dry desert landscape. It's very sensual and commanding, and I'm glad I finally tried it. Love this.

Verdict: 5 cups of tea swirled with caramel in a desert out of 5.


Drakon (Dragon's blood incense, coriander, vetiver root, ambergris, green cardamom, bergamot leaves, Talamanca del Caribe peppercorns, spice viburnum, freshly steeped Darjeeling tea)

Preliminary notes: Another one that's been on my list since it was released. Alkemia's Darjeeling note is fantastic, and there's nothing in here that gives me pause.

In bottle: So funnily enough, the peppercorn note is the strongest in the bottle, followed by the dragon's blood. I can smell the cardamom as well but not much else.

On skin: The various spice notes are definitely the strongest part of this. There is a bit of tea underneath that, but it's primarily peppercorns, coriander, and cardamom on my skin. The dragon's blood incense is very gauzy and light, and the whole thing brings to mind a scene of a spice tent with smoke swirling around it. It's a very exotic scent. The coriander can be a bit overbearing sometimes, but overall, I quite enjoy this.

Verdict: 4 spice tents out of 5.


This Summer Night (Tropical fruits, plumeria, pua kenikeni, cherimoya, coconut water, lychee blossoms, rhubarb, tonka, sweet alyssum, mock orangeflower, night-blooming jasmine, white florals, warm summer musk)

Preliminary notes: I never would have chosen this for myself, as I avoid fruit scents (especially tropical fruit scents) like the plague. They come off as either cloying or juvenile to me most of the time. I received this as a free sample in one of my July orders and fell in love with it.

In bottle: A tropical fruit explosion backed by a warm, gourmand-y vanilla.

On skin: Largely the same as in the bottle. Lots of luscious tropical fruits, a tiny bit of a humid floral vibe, and creamy vanilla. I don't usually go for tropical scents at all, fruity or not, so the fact that I like this is quite shocking to me. It's a perfect sweet (but not cloying) summer fruit fragrance.

Verdict: 5 baskets of tropical fruit out of 5.


Fairy Floss Alchemy (Cotton candy, white heliotrope, night-blooming jasmine, mandarin orange, vanilla orchid, ethereal musks)

Preliminary notes: This was August's free alchemy scent.

In bottle: Cotton candy on a backdrop of very clean florals and a bit of a tartness from the mandarin.

On skin: The vanilla orchid is definitely obvious on the skin, as are the cotton candy and mandarin. It's creamy and sweet but not juvenile. Actually, it kind of reminds me of All the Sins, but not as intense. This is kind of what I wanted Calliope smell like. It's a beautiful pink-white scent.

Verdict: 4 clouds of cotton candy out of 5.


Afterglow (Golden musk, Madagascar vanilla beans, woodsmoked black amber, chai tea, spiced rum, incense woods)

Preliminary notes: I have wanted to try this since it was first released, but never have for whatever reason. All of the notes sound lovely.

In bottle: I get the musk, rum, and woods but not much else. No tea or vanilla in the bottle.

On skin: The musk and amber combo in this scent reminds me of something else from Alkemia, but I can't pin what it is (La Flamme, maybe). The tea finally comes out on the skin, and the whole thing does have a very golden feel to it. It's very clean, which I wasn't really expecting, given the rum and woodsmoke notes. The vanilla veeery slightly teeters on the edge of being gourmand but never fully goes there. This reminds me a bit of Breath and Shadow from the 2024 fall release, but this isn't as heavy on the smoke note. It's a bit soapy, and I think pairing this with something lactonic (The Magpie's Rhyme maybe, or one of the Monster Milk scents from BPAL) might be worth trying.

Verdict: 3.75 soapy musks out of 5.

🌼 Kashish (White gardenias, tuberose, night-blooming jasmine, vanilla orchid)

Preliminary notes: This has been on my list for a while, since it sounds very similar to one of my old Alkemia favorites, Midnight Garden (Tuberose, lily, honeysuckle, gardenia, and moonflower). Kashish sounds creamier and slinkier, like Midnight Garden's slightly risque (but still elegant) cousin.

*This review is for the ultime version

In bottle: Wow, that is quite fruity and heavily honeyed. Not at all what I was expecting. It almost smells like fruit punch.

On skin: The fruit punch aspect goes away fully once it's on the skin. This is a very sultry, velvety, narcotic white floral scent. It's a powerhouse. All of the florals are present and accounted for, and are represented beautifully. There's a very, very slight peppery tinge in there as well. I love this and can't stop huffing my wrist.

Verdict: 5 heady, narcotic white floral bouquets out of 5.


💘 Cupid's Arrow (Sugar cubes effervescing in sparkling champagne, pink orchids, white tuberoses, vanilla toffees, Buddha's Hand citrus)

Preliminary notes: For a long time, I blamed my dislike for Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure on the champagne note, but having now had champagne for the first time IRL*, it definitely wasn't that (I'm now convinced it's cashmere that I'm not a fan of). This sounds delicious, romantic, and fun, so we'll see if it's the champagne note that goes funny.

*Apparently what I had was actually a sparkling wine that happens to be in the champagne section. 😂 If champagne tastes anything like that, though, I don't think champagne notes are my issue.

In bottle: Quite earthy, which I wasn't expecting. The champagne isn't burning my nose off, so I stand by my cashmere statement. I can pick out the florals and a bit of the citrus, but everything's blended together so well that it's hard to break it down.

On skin: That tuberose note is the same one from Kashish, which is dreamy and green. I get the champagne and citrus, a bit of the toffee, and the orchids. It's a lovely, bright, romantic scent that's perfect for spring and possibly summer as well.

Verdict: 5 cheery florals out of 5.


🎠 Calliope (Clementine, orange blossoms, white orchid, sugared currants, tonka, vanilla musk, cotton candy floss, saltwater taffy)

Preliminary notes: I'm slightly obsessed with carnival/circus scents, and this is no different. It sounds like a sweeter, more feminine sister of County Fair without all of the food notes.

*This review is for the ultime version

In bottle: It's all clementine in the bottle. There's literally nothing else there.

On skin: I want to like this so bad, but on me, it smells like floral baby wipes. What a fucking bummer.

Verdict: 0 floral baby wipes out of 5.

🍯 Miel de Sauvage et Tabac (Pipe tobacco flecked with wild honey, beeswax, freshly crushed honeycomb, the pollen of forest blossoms, smoked black amber)

Preliminary notes: I've had this scent a couple of times, and I sincerely don't know why I keep getting rid of it. It's the closest thing I've found to a genuine beeswax scent.

In bottle: Just as I remember. Very warm beeswax and honeycomb, with tobacco floating on top. It reminds me of beehives in a forest.

On skin: Beautiful, warm, golden beeswax/honeycomb and tobacco dripping in honey. I get more of the smoked amber than I did in the original version I had years ago, which is really nice. I don't think I've ever been able to pick up on the forest blossom pollen, though that could be part of the beeswax/honeycomb combo. Love this.

Verdict: 5 beehives dripping in honey out of 5.


🌴 Paradise (Fresh young coconut, Madagascar vanilla, hints of Monoi tiaré)

Preliminary notes: I had asked for something else to be swapped out of a previous order and replaced with this, but it didn't make it in time. The folks over at Alkemia offered to throw in a bottle in my next order (this one) as an extra freebie, which was incredibly kind. I asked for it to be upgraded to the ultime version in lieu of having the monthly alchemy included, since I'd already received that.

*This review is for the ultime version

In bottle: Pretty much straight coconut in the bottle, but very realistic coconut.

On skin: Still mostly dry coconut, maybe a tiny bit of vanilla. It smells very damp, actually. It's not quite as sweet as I was expecting, but it's great for a straightforward coconut scent. The vanilla and a bit of the tiaré come out more after the first hour or so. I've heard this one performs the best in hot weather, so I'll have to test it during the middle of the summer and see how it does.

Verdict: 4 vanillic, damp coconuts out of 5.

Freebies! These were requested samples.

❄️ Aurora (Soft cashmeran, orris root, cardamom-infused coconut milk, white amber, white musk, white violet, white ginger, lotus flower, a touch of honeyed cream)

Preliminary notes: I wanted to try this for its similarity to Luminae that I've seen cited in reviews. I liked Luminae, but it was a bit lacklustre for me.

In vial: Very similar to Luminae, but brighter and with more depth. I can't decipher any of the notes specifically. It smells soft and creamy-white.

On skin: So cashmere notes tend to pull almost like acrid, burning wood on me, and Aurora is trying really hard to go in that direction. I can still smell the soft sweetness of the overall scent, but the cashmeran is going haywire on my skin and kind of ruins it for a while. After it burns off, it becomes the white amber show with some soft florals in the background. White amber tends to smell very green and watery to me.

I tested this again the day after writing the initial review, and I get zero cashmeran now somehow. It's still remarkably similar to Luminae, but it's sweeter, has more depth, and is more floral. I love it.

Verdict: 5 creamy white blankets out of 5. Upsizing in the future.


💧 Love Unforeseen (White musk, Persian chandelier lily accord, night blooming jasmine, laleh, honeysuckle, tonka bean, bergamot, white pepper, white amber, china clay, the silvery aquatics of melting snow)

Preliminary notes: I love a good lily fragrance, and this has a few notes in common with Madam Pearl, which is one of my favorite Alkemia scents.

In vial: A very deep, creamy white floral with a bit of a sweet undertone. I really like this.

On skin: I really love the lily in this scent. It smells very true to life and lovely. I get a tiny bit of the white amber and musk, but it's mostly about the lily. Very close to a holy grail lily fragrance for me.

Verdict: 4.5 grand, white lilies out of 5. Definitely upsizing in the future.

🥀 Memoriam (Heirloom roses, woodsmoke, a scattering of ashes)

Preliminary notes: The first time I ordered Memoriam was 5 years ago. My bottle got a bit funky over time, and I ended up tossing it even though it was one of my favorite Alkemia offerings. When Alkemia put up their last chance updates a while back and Memoriam was in there, I decided I was going to pick it up again, since I might not get the chance in the future. I loved the scent itself, so.

In bottle: Just how I remember; spicy, resinous, burning rose bushes on a background of embers.

On skin: Exactly the same as the bottle, with the smoky notes deepening a bit. I adored this years ago, and I adore it just as much now. It still very much reminds me of Type O Negative, too.

Verdict: 5 burning rose bushes out of 5.


🏖️ Sea Girl (Beachy ozone, warm skin musk, wild jasmine, sugarcane, double pearl tuberose, hibiscus tea, coconut water, key lime, mandarin, white rum, clean white patchouli)

Preliminary notes: I've had my eye on this for a while now, and I finally took the plunge (no pun intended). It sounds light and airy but also slightly sultry.

In bottle: This smells very odd in the bottle. I get something very green and fresh right off the bat, along with something watery, and lastly, something salty.

On skin: This really shines once it actually goes on. The tuberose is nice and bubblegum-y, and everything blends together really well as opposed to how it was in the bottle. It smells like an elegant, Old Hollywood lady sitting on the beach with oversized sunglasses and a huge brimmed hat on. It also reminds me of Sea Goddess a bit, so if you like that one, you'll probably like this as well.

Verdict: 4.75 Old Hollywood ladies sitting on beaches out of 5.


🌊 Voice of the Sea (Salinaceous sea breezes, sun-bleached driftwood, crushed seashells, a twist of Meyer lemon peel, barnacles, mineralistic sand, seasoaked timbers)

Preliminary notes: Much like Sea Girl, Voice of the Sea has been on my radar for a while. I love a good beachy atmospheric, and I'm very curious to see how the lemon note plays with everything else.

In bottle: "A twist" of lemon peel is very, very modest. It's mostly lemon with some woods and sea air in the background.

On skin: Something in this is pulling almost cinnamon-esque on me, and I have no idea what it is. Unfortunately, it starts going kind of soapy, which is disappointing. Then after the soapy phase, it goes quite mossy, which is interesting. I can definitely see the imagery of lemon trees on a beach on an overcast/rainy day.

Verdict: 3.75 lemon trees on a beach out of 5.


🍵 Tea Garden Alchemy (An elegant springtime tea party of green tea leaves, jasmine white tea, cascading cherry blossoms, delicate Japanese garden florals)

Preliminary notes: I love tea scents, and I love Alkemia's tea notes in particular, so I was delighted when my order qualified for this gift. I'm hoping the florals don't veer into soapy territory.

In bottle: I definitely get the teas and florals. I'm picking up on either lily or some other kind of white floral.

On skin: My nose really doesn't know what to make of this. I do like it, but that indole is intense. I'm hoping some aging evens it out a bit. I do really love the tea notes in this one.

Verdict: 3.5 tea gardens out of 5.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Verdict: 5 witches eating blackberries out of 5.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Verdict: 4.5 skulls wearing flower crowns out of 5.

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

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

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

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

Verdict: 4.25 autumnal elf queens out of 5.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Verdict: 5 vanilla-scented bonfires out of 5.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Verdict: 4.75 trick or treating excursions out of 5.

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

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

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

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

Verdict: 4 foreboding Halloween nights out of 5.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hello! Long time, no review, as it were. Bit of a preamble incoming.

I'd seen Possets mentioned around IMAM numerous times over the years but had never tried their stuff before. I placed two orders in early February and two additional ones in mid-February (reviews for the latter two coming soonish), and they all shipped within a week or so of the orders being placed. Being in Canada, I was worried about having to pay duty fees, since the first shipment was a fairly large one, but no duty was owed (woo!).

The oils were all wrapped well in little chiffon bags, and there was a small satchel of lavender in there as well. Some of the labels were a bit scuffed, but I make my own top labels and have all of my oils kind of cramped together without the side labels visible anyway, so that doesn't bother me personally.

I've included my fiancé's thoughts (who I'll refer to as DH in this post) as well as my own, since he's become increasingly more interested in The Hobby™ throughout our relationship. As a bit of a background, he tends to think most things either smell like baked goods (which he likes) or cleaning products and doesn't like anything overly cologne-y/perfume-y. Without further ado, reviews!



☕JFK and Jackie (The finest leather, oakmoss, tabac blonde essence, a whiff of tea, silk)

Preliminary notes: Several reviews I've come across cite this one as smelling classy and expensive. I'm a leather, tea, and tobacco fiend, and throwing "classy" in the mix is definitely my vibe.

DH's preliminary notes: Maybe it smells like a biker who went through the forest while drinking tea? An elderly biker with tea in a Thermos?

In bottle: So this is a great deal subtler than I was expecting. The tea (which smells like Earl Grey) and tobacco are definitely there, along with a touch of the oakmoss. Veeery little leather. This reminds me of L'Artisan Parfumeur's Tea for Two but softer.

DH's thoughts: It's very sweet. Perhaps kind of floral? The immediate thing that comes to mind for me is girly. It's very girly. A red Jolly Rancher? *reads him the notes* Oh, I smell the tea now! Damnit.

On skin: Ah! There's the leather. It's a very soft, worn type of leather as opposed to the interior of a new car. The leather note mellows quite a bit after about half an hour, and the tea becomes the focus again. This is absolutely classy, refined, and elegant. It smells expensive. Leans slightly masculine but not enough to bother me, and it goes a little soapy in the drydown, but again, not enough to bother me. DH wore Adamus and I wore this one day, and they go very well together as companion scents. I love the tea note in this so much.

Verdict: 5 classy politicians out of 5. I adore this.



⛪Midnight Mass at Old St. Mary's (Resinous incense, polished wood pews, beeswax candles, offertory fruits)

Preliminary notes: I have a soft spot for churchy incense blends despite not ever being a church-goer (minus like, one summer at bible school that my neighbor dragged me to when I was a kid), and I'd wager this is going to be similar to a lot of church-inspired scents I've tried before. However, there are never too many!

DH's preliminary notes: Someone doing cabinetry beside a bee's nest (followed by both of us cry-laughing).

In bottle: The incense is the first detectable note, followed by some nondescript fruits or wine and a bit of dusty wood. The beeswax is waaay in the background, but I like it thus far. Something about it smells old world-y, and it's indeed very churchy. Like a very old wooden pseudo-cathedral with artful religious depictions on its stained glass windows, lit solely by candlelight which catches on various brass fittings inside the church.

DH's thoughts: There's something almost minty in there. Maybe mint and leather?

On skin: This smells virtually identical on skin as it does in the bottle, but the resins are very slightly amped and go a bit spicy.

Verdict: 4 slightly dilapidated churches out of 5. Was hoping for a bit more beeswax, but this is still very nice and will get much use.



🌼Virginia Oldoini, Countess of Castiglione (Blue lilac accord, white hawthorn, three white musks)

Preliminary notes: The house next to ours when I was a child had huge, beautiful lilac bushes that were always in full bloom during the spring/summer, and the street leading up the hill was lined with them on one side as well. The scent of lilacs has always been intensely nostalgic to me, and I crave it during the warmer months of the year. I moved from a small farming town to a concrete jungle of a city last year, so getting to smell lilacs again would be a nice little slice of home amongst the sirens and cramped alleys here.

DH's preliminary notes: Walking through a garden in the southern United States.

In bottle: Virtually a lilac soliflore (which I love), with a little bit of depth. Exactly what I was hoping for. My heart is happy.

DH's thoughts: Definitely a floral note. It's almost like some sort of garden flower.. huh. I swear I've smelled that before.

On skin: This explodes on the skin in a cloud of purple and green hues as soon as it leaves the bottle and goes a little aquatic. Still largely a lilac soliflore, and I still adore the hell out of it. If I get really close to it, I can kind of make out the musk, which smells almost like sugar cookies (?) and warms the lilac note up a bit.

Verdict: 5 majestic lilac bushes out of 5. A winner from start to finish, and intensely nostalgic.



🌹The Velvet Riding Habit (The most beautiful of rose and the sexiest of leather)

Preliminary notes: If memory serves, Hexennacht's 50 Shades was the first scent I encountered that was just a rose/leather combo, and I fell in love with it. More or less hoping this has the same kind of feeling to it while still being its own thing.

DH's preliminary notes: A pervert's Valentine's Day.

In bottle: This one's interesting. The leather and rose blend together so well that I'm having trouble distinguishing them from each other. The rose is very fresh and lifelike, and almost fruity.

DH's thoughts: Is there honey in that? I feel like I've smelled that before. Why do I keep thinking about a beach somewhere? It slightly reminds me of certain types of suntan lotion, I think that's why.

On skin: About the same as in the bottle. Jammy rose and leather.

Verdict: 3.75 pervy roses out of 5. Something about this goes slightly musty on my skin, which I'm not into. I'll see if aging it changes that. It's definitely not a bad smell overall, and it deserves another chance in the future. DH really likes this one.

Edit: Tried layering this with BPAL's Iago to bring out the leather more, and it just ended up smelling bubblegummy. For whatever reason, the leather in this just.. doesn't really exist. To the aging box it goes. Maybe a few months' rest will bring out the leather a bit more. It is a really nice rose, and I'm too stubborn to just give up on it outright.



🍮Nell Gwyn (Pink cedar, cream, Thanksgiving pudding)

Preliminary notes: I'm Canadian and grew up in an Italian household, so I have no idea what Thanksgiving pudding is. Is it cakey like sticky toffee pudding, or is it a custard pudding? I guess we'll find out. Either way, this sounded delicious, and I read a review on the forum that cited it as layering well with Hungarian Rhapsody.

DH's preliminary notes: A preppy Thanksgiving party.

In bottle: I still can't tell if it's a cakey pudding or a custard one (I think it's both), but this is very creamy and spicy with a bit of a bready and nutty background. It does smell very festive and delicious. I would eat this if it were a food.

DH's thoughts: Caramel. Some sort of nut? If not caramel, then toffee? Something that belongs in some sort of baked good. It smells like it tastes good.

On skin: That bit of nuttiness comes to the forefront, along with various baking spices and a bit of the woodiness from the cedar. It smells similar to sticky toffee pudding without the toffee, if that makes sense. Still delicious and festive, still want to eat it. I'm very excited to layer this with Hungarian Rhapsody at some point.

DH's thoughts: If you weren't a snack before, you're definitely food now. (Needless to say, we both love this)

Verdict: 5 delectable festive desserts out of 5. This is a stellar gourmand and probably my favorite scent of the bunch.

Edit: I did the thing. I layered this with Hungarian Rhapsody, and it is amazing. The spice in Nell Gwyn brings out the woody characteristics of the tobacco in Hungarian Rhapsody, and that same woodiness plays off of the cedar in Nell Gwyn. It's a delicious combo, and I highly recommend trying it.



🚬Hungarian Rhapsody (Tobacco, pipe smoke, a burning cozy fire)

Preliminary notes: So again, tobacco fiend here. I've tried countless tobacco blends from various houses over the years, but nothing's really stuck out to me in the way I've wanted. A true cigar scent is what I've been after, which seem to be few and far between.

DH's preliminary notes: Grandpa's story time (with more cry-laughing on my part).

In bottle: That tobacco note reminds me of a BPAL scent I had at one point (and may still have), but I have no idea what it is. It smells like freshly dried tobacco, as opposed to stale cigarettes or an ashtray, and I'm kind of in love. It's very warm and almost honeyed. Nowhere near as smoky as I was expecting, but that's okay.

DH's thoughts: I know you're gonna hate hearing this, but soap. Not just any kind of soap, but decorative soap. Like Lush. *jaw drops when I tell him what the notes are* No fucking way.

On skin: Ahhh, this is so cozy on. Delicious, chewy, honeyed tobacco and a tiny bit of smoke. Not acrid at all. Still reminds me of something I had at one point but I can't pin it.

Verdict: 5 storytimes with Grandpa out of 5. This is probably the coziest tobacco scent I've ever smelled, and it's very comforting. I expected this to be a smoke bomb (which would have been fine, as I'm a smoke fiend), but it was pleasantly toasty and almost cuddly instead.



🍯The Girls Love Vanilla! (Vanilla, honey)

Preliminary notes: Honey is one of my favorite notes (and one of my fiancé's least favorite, it seems), and every house's honey notes are different. The unlisted tobacco note cited on the Possets forum by numerous people was what ultimately sold me on this, plus if I'm being completely honest, I love the art in the listing. I adore honeybees.

DH's preliminary notes: Soccer mom who secretly smokes (??).

In bottle: Whoa. Fruit punch or fruit-flavored gum? Not sure where the honey, vanilla, or surprise tobacco notes are, because this is all sharp, sugared fruits, specifically berries and pear. This is really cloying, and I am confused. If I try really hard, I can find a toffee/taffy note similar to Lush's Honey I Washed the Kids, but it's buried underneath all of that saccharine fruit. This one needs to age for a bit, I think.

DH's thoughts: How unusual. This one kind of excites me a little bit. Like, I'm having sexual thoughts. The first thought that came to my mind was red lipstick.

On skin: Still cloying, still fruity, still confusing. This scent is so frustrating, because it feels like it's on the precipice of being something great but it's not quite there. I think this is one for the destash box. That weird fruity edge ruined this for me, unfortunately, and it makes me nauseous.

DH's thoughts: It seems like it's very close to the same, but it brings out the honey a bit more. It doesn't seem so balanced. I don't like it as much on your skin as I do in the bottle. (He later decided that he didn't know if he actually liked it in general)

Verdict: I don't want to give this a flat zero, so I'll give it 1 sad beehives out of 5. This has no redeeming qualities for me, and I can't stand it.



🌿Adamus (New mown hay, tobacco flower, sweet green moss)

Preliminary notes: This was a gift for DH that he chose for himself (kind of). He initially chose it for me, but it sounded like it would lean too masculine, so I decided to pick up a bottle for him instead. He likes more natural scents and is also a tobacco lover, so this sounds right up his alley.

DH's preliminary notes: Just sounds like a tobacco plantation.

In bottle: Like JFK and Jackie, this also reminds me a bit of L'Artisan Parfumeur's Tea for Two a bit, but less astringent and ashtray-like and grassier. It's very fresh and a bit peppery.

DH's thoughts: I can smell the grass. It actually smells like a freshly-cut lawn but with something else added to it, which is obviously the smoke you're having after you've cut the lawn.

On skin: More or less the same as in the bottle. DH's skin amps the pepperiness a bit.

DH's thoughts: I like it. Spice me up! (He later said that he really likes this and wore it the day after we did the initial review, so it's a hit for both of us!)

Verdict: 5 sexy lawn mowings out of 5. I adore this, DH adores this, and I adore it on him.



🌸Alabama (Pink fizzy mimosa, white magnolia, Canebrake jasmine, Mexican tuberose, Martinique gardenia, frankincense)

Preliminary notes: I love white florals, magnolia in particular, which is why this one caught my eye. Despite never having been to the South, I love Southern-inspired scents.

DH's preliminary notes: Vacation in Cancun.

In bottle: Ahhh, yes. Dreamy, fresh white florals that punch you in the face a little bit, with a creamy and sultry backdrop. Love this. Despite the florals being white, it smells purple (tuberose always does this to me, so I'm blaming that), which is my jam.

DH's thoughts: Weird question. Is there ivory in this? I hate going back to this, but is there a floral note in here? There's a little bit of something.. not spicy on top of it, but something that can kind of compensate near the end. Like a lemon? (Props to DH for picking out the lemony nuance in frankincense, because I can't smell it at all in here)

On skin: Virtually the same as in the bottle, but the frankincense is slightly detectable now. The florals are very fresh and lifelike. I'm in love.

Verdict: 5 white floral bouquets to the face out of 5. This is a stunning white floral scent, and I could not be happier with it.



🧈Reason (Rev. 1) (Five vanillas, three toffees, butter, cream)

Preliminary notes: Ah, the main... reason... for making my first Possets order. Toffee and caramel are some of my favorite kinds of candy, and I love the smell of both. I've been on the hunt for a good toffee/caramel scent for a long while.

DH's preliminary notes: Uh, candy store in England.

In bottle: I get that weird fruity note from The Girls Love Vanilla initially, and then the same toffee note from BPAL's Drink Me (which I love). I don't know that this is necessarily my dream toffee/caramel scent, but it's really nice.

DH's thoughts: A muffin. Is there pie in this? I sooo think with my stomach. ARE YOU WRITING THAT DOWN?! I feel like it's some kind of musk in there, one of those colored musks. No? For fuck's sakes.

On skin: Okay, so something definitely changes once it hits my skin. The weird fruity note is completely gone, and I can actually smell the toffee and butter/cream notes. There's a very, very slight tinge of coconut in there. It's tasty but not quite as robust as I was hoping for. It's pretty light.

Verdict: 3.75 candy stores out of 5. I think this one needs to age for a bit before I form a definitive opinion on it. It's too light at this stage to really know. I do really like the toffee and cream when I can smell them though.

Edit: I think I was a bit hasty when skin testing this, because the coconut tinge isn't there anymore, and it is pretty robust. It smells like creamy molten caramel and is almost boozy. I'm gonna bump this up to a 4 out of 5.



💐Silver Carnations (Rev. 1) (Silver accord, carnation)

Preliminary notes: So for context, I haven't tried any of the other Possets Silvers (I have Pavane coming in the mail but haven't smelled it yet), so I'm not familiar with the base at all. However, I decided years ago in my idealistic, sappy daydreams that I wanted carnation to be a main facet of my eventual wedding day scent. Solstice Scents' Lace Draped Spectre was what I had in mind initially, but I gave my bottle away a long time ago. I figured Silver Carnations might be a good alternative, since LDS is almost always out of stock when I go to look for it (or I'm conveniently broke when it's restocked).

DH's preliminary notes: Breakfast in a palace, but a second-tier palace.

In bottle: Oh boy. Very green and spicy carnations, a green note that smells like dandelion sap, and gorgeous vanilla musk hiding beneath it. This is really pungent stuff, which is not what I was expecting. Not a dupe for LDS, since this is much stronger, but it's definitely in the same vein.

DH's thoughts: Whoa, that is different. There's definitely not a food note in there that I can detect. There's something kind of natural about it though. Like a flower growing on the side of a tree, or maybe the tree itself. Pine? Is there tree in there at all? Fuck. Well, I'm gonna quit while I'm ahead then.

On skin: Oh.. okay. The carnation goes a bit musty, which is sad. It's very deep though, and it does smell realistic. I guess I can kind of liken this to carnations in a graveyard, which fits my aesthetic just fine. This one has ridiculous lasting power and was still very strong after washing my arm off.

Verdict: 4 very aggressive carnations out of 5. I do like this, but my fuck, is it ever strong. If aging mellows it out a bit, it'll be a 5 out of 5 for sure.



Free Sample #1: Black Tea (Black tea, incense)

In vial: To be completely honest, I don't know what I'm smelling beyond chewy incense resins. It's really nice, but not in any way what I'd call a tea scent. I'm excited to try this on skin.

DH's thoughts: Mmm, candy. Minty candy?

On skin: If I get really close to it, I can smell dried tea leaves, but again, it's mostly incense resins. There's a bit of a weird salty/powdery note in there as well that gets really strong the longer I wear it. I don't think I'm keeping my sample of this.

Verdict: 2 weirdly salty teas out of 5. If this had stayed the way it was in the vial, I would have loved it. No upsizing here.



Free Sample #2: Asmita (Pink grapefruit, black pepper, sandalwood, patchouli)

In vial: ... chocolate? Something about the grapefruit and pepper mixing together is giving me a cocoa vibe, which I can't say I'm particularly fond of (I reeeally detest chocolate/cocoa in perfumes). I won't be skin testing this.

DH's thoughts: Oh, that DEFINITELY reminds me of something. Like a Maraschino cherry. It smells not real.

Verdict: 3 phantom chocolates out of 5. While it's not for me, it's not an objectively bad scent. Not upsizing this, needless to say.