Scented Musings

These were all purchased during the first day of Alkemia's annual July sale. I'm very grateful that I was able to get everything I had planned on!

🍵 Arcanum Experiments 2024: 8: We Spilled the Teas (Green tea, mint tea, vanilla-infused white tea leaves, twig tea, ginger tea, Christmas tea)

Preliminary notes: I mean, it's tea. It's ALL tea. This is a no-brainer.

In bottle: I get the green and white teas and a bit of subtle spice right off the bat. Already a big fan.

On skin: This is so beautiful. So many different levels and varieties of tea, all very fresh and delicious. It smells somewhat festive as well. There's not much to say about this one, as it's very self-explanatory, but I adore it.

Verdict: 5 giant vats of tea out of 5.


🍂 Arcanum Experiments 2024: 7: Sweater Weather (Spiced apple cider, late season blackberries, cherrywood, warm pumpkin pie, woodsmoked vanilla beans, sandalwood, autumn leaves, clover hay, cashmere wool, anise, benzoin, golden amber, caramel coffee, toasted coconut, blue juniper, moss, bitter orange)

Preliminary notes: This sounds ambitious as hell, and I can kind of understand why it ended up as an Arcanum Experiment. Those are a LOT of notes to fit into one scent. It sounds like an autumnal, atmospheric dream nonetheless.

In bottle: Largely the cider, blackberry, and deep, dark fruit notes.

On skin: The autumn leaf note in this really comes alive on the skin, and I'm pretty sure it's the same one from Autumnalis and Feuillemort. It's very difficult to discern the notes apart from each other beyond the leaves and cider, but this is a dusky autumn evening in a bottle. It's atmospheric in all the right ways while also being grounded. I adore this, and I'm so glad I managed to get a bottle.

This is a morpher, too. It's initially very heavy on the leaves and cider, then it goes through a toasted coconut and coffee phase with some fruit notes in the background, and then it gets a bit smoky later in the drydown.

Verdict: 5 autumn evenings out of 5.


🍰 Arcanum Experiments 2024: 10: Mallow Drama (Pink frosted birthday cake, marshmallow ambrosia, strawberry rhubarb pie, blue cotton candy, kettle corn, almond macarons, chocolate fig squares, dulce le leche, fondant, gingersnaps, whipped cream)

Preliminary notes: This sounds like a very complex, gourmand dream. The strawberry rhubarb pie and kettle corn notes sold me.

In bottle: If candy corn was pink, this is what it would smell like. Very vanillic and sweet.

On skin: To be honest, this is such a complex scent that it's hard to make anything out individually. It's primarily a vanillic, sugary sweet marshmallow scent with a tiny dash of fruity sweetness. Very pink, very saccharine but in a good way. It feels like a younger sister to All the Sins. As it dries, the chocolate note comes out a bit, as do the other baked goods.

Verdict: 4 tables overflowing with sweets out of 5.


🌻 Jonquil Alchemy (Creamy white jonquils, grandiflora narcissi, Poet's daffodil, snowdrops, green daffodil stems, new grasses, late witch hazel blooms, a whisper of vanilla musk)

Preliminary notes: One of my favorite Alkemia scents that I no longer have is Musc de Jonquille, and this is the closest thing I've seen to it. The world needs more daffodil scents.

In bottle: Beautiful springtime white florals. From what I remember of it, I'd say this is Musc de Jonquille-adjacent, so I'm happy. Very green as well.

On skin: This initially reminds me of something I've smelled from BPAL before (Jasmine Cottage or The Queen of May, maybe). After a couple of minutes, it becomes a unique, stunning white floral with a snap of green stems, and a tiny bit of vanilla to temper it. This is such a pretty, elegant scent. Perfect for spring, but cool enough for summer or early fall as well. Something about it smells a bit funerary to me (which is a huge compliment).

Verdict: 5 elegant white florals out of 5.


🔮 Sorciere Rouge (Bakhoor incense, Tibetan agarwood, dragon's blood, rock rose, dark amber)

Preliminary notes: I had a bottle of this way back in the day and can't remember what it smelled like, other than being heavy on the dragon's blood note.

In bottle: A dragon's blood dream. There's a bit of a dampness to this one as well.

On skin: Damp incense, a bit of smoke, and a ton of dragon's blood. Just as I remember it. This is very witchy and mysterious. I don't have a ton to say about this one since it's pretty linear, but it's lovely.

Verdict: 4 tremendous plumes of dragon's blood-scented incense smoke out of 5.


🍭 All the Sins (Candy floss, candy corn, pink taffy, bullseye caramels, red licorice, benzoin, creamy vanilla musk)

Preliminary notes: Another scent I used to have. I already know what this one smells like. It's a pink gourmand dream.

In bottle: Just as I remember. Very pink, very sugary, very delicious.

On skin: Primarily candy floss, taffy, red licorice, and the vanilla musk. It's extremely sugary, so those who don't like sweet or gourmand scents would do best to avoid this one. I personally love it for its pink, frilly nature, and it reminds me a bit of Halloween candy. Very happy to have this again.

Verdict: 4.5 pink bags of candy out of 5.


🍁 Autumn (Sun-warmed fallen leaves, golden sunlit amber, light wool warmed with skin musk)

Preliminary notes: This is a scent I've wanted to get from Alkemia for yeeears. It seems to come back almost every time the July sale happens, and I finally snagged a bottle this time. I've tried (and loved) Autumnalis and Feuillemort, which sound to be in similar veins.

In bottle: Yeah, this is definitely in a similar vein to Autumnalis and Feuillemort. If Autumnalis was deeper and less soapy, it'd smell very akin to this.

On skin: This is such a dreamy olfactory portrait of a sunlit glade during autumn. The leaves, amber, and skin musk are all stunning, and it's very cheerful and relaxing. A perfect cozy sibling of Autumnalis and Feuillemort. I adore this so much.

Verdict: 5 autumnal glades out of 5.


🕯️ Offering (A forested glade, ritual incenses, offertory fruits, honeycakes, spiced ale, glowing beeswax candles)

Preliminary notes: I didn't get to try Offering when it was originally available many years ago, but I did try Honeycakes for Harvest Moon, which seemed to be its spiritual successor.

In bottle: I recognize the honeycake note, but this is mostly dark fruits and incense in the bottle.

On skin: This. Is. Stunning. The "forested glade" is a beautiful pine/fir note that sits in the background underneath the incense and honeycakes, and the ale comes out a bit as well. This is such a gorgeous celebratory blend, and I can't get enough of it. I would bathe in this if I could. It's a delightfully witchy gourmand with a woody edge.

Verdict: 5 rituals in the forest out of 5.


🌺 La Sirena (Oceanic aquatics, saline seaweeds, garlands of fresh Tiare flowers offered to the sea)

Preliminary notes: I was torn between this and Siren's Spell, but I wanted something with a bit more bite (plus this is discontinued and Siren's Spell isn't yet), and I'm hoping the seaweed notes deliver here.

In bottle: Beautiful aquatic notes, salt and seaweed. Cannot wait to skin test this.

On skin: This very, very strongly reminds me of Comptoir Sud Pacifique's Aqua Motu but floral and heavier on the saline notes. I was a bit worried this was going to be soapy, but it's not. It's a beautiful, picturesque marine scent with a floral overtone.

Verdict: 4.5 garlands of flowers floating on calm ocean waters out of 5.


🥥 Coconut Alchemy (Fresh white coconut, sugarcane, baby bananas, tuberose, ginger flower)

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

In bottle: This is a classic, beachy, almost sunscreen-like scent.

On skin: The prettiest pina colada that ever did exist. This is a beautiful take on a tropical coconut scent. It smells like the image of a gauzy sundress blowing in the breeze on a white sand beach. I'm typically pretty apathetic toward coconut notes, but I really like this.

Verdict: 4 pina coladas on a beach out of 5.

First proper post, ahoy! I placed (many) blind, full bottle orders with Alkemia over the last few weeks, and so far, one shipment has arrived. Their customer service is stellar, and their blends are exquisite. I could not be happier with my experience. There’s not much else to say about that, so onward to the reviews! Favorites are denoted with an asterisk, and I’ll be posting more reviews as more shipments show up.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Longevity: Still strong after 8 hours.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Longevity: Over 8 hours.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Additional notes: Limited edition, seasonal.

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

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

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

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

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

Autumnalis** (A wandering through woods in early autumn… sunlight warmed autumn leaves; maple wood; wild morel fungi; silver birch tar; slightly soapy wood musk; crushed hayscent ferns; autumn crocus saffron; dry golden amber; dried oakmosses; and a touch of vetiver root.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Longevity: Over 8 hours.

Additional notes: Discontinued.

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

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

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