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.

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.

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.

Honey Craves Coffee Shops (Roasting coffee beans, honey-drizzled cake, freshly baked vanilla cookies, soft, overstuffed chairs, a hint of steamed milk)

Preliminary notes: As previously stated in several reviews, I am a coffee scent fiend despite not being able to drink coffee IRL. This kind of sounds like Marshmallows Bite! + coffee almost, so if that's the case, I'm not gonna be mad at it.

In bottle: In the bottle, this smells almost identical to Marshmallows Bite! I don't get any coffee whatsoever, which is a bummer.

On skin: Theeere's the coffee. It's still fairly subdued, but it's at least noticeable now. The baked goods are a bit more golden than they are in Marshmallows Bite!, but the scent overall is still very similar to it. The honey note in this is very pronounced and realistic, and "honey-drizzled cake" is very apt.

Verdict: 4 bakeries that also double as coffee shops out of 5. I like this but am a bit disappointed by how subtle the coffee note is and how similar it is to Marshmallows Bite! Oh well.

Pumpkins Crave Pointe Shoes (Creamy pumpkin and Korintje cinnamon with Arcana Wildcraft's Two Finger Ballet (French vanilla créme, white amber, sugared vanilla beans, caramel, and the smallest dab of opium))

Preliminary notes: I haven't tried OG Two Finger Ballet, but I do have Strawberries Crave Indulgence, which I love. A pumpkin version of that sounds delicious.

In bottle: Oh, that is lovely. It's very creamy, spicy, and dark with a bit of an edge.

On skin: This is sublime. Pumpkin and caramel on a spicy, slightly resinous backdrop. The cinnamon is pretty dry and doesn't veer into Red Hots territory. As an added bonus, I accidentally touched my wrist to my mouth while reviewing this, and I can confirm that it does not taste nearly as nice as it smells. Do not ingest oils, kids.

Verdict: 5 caramel-y pumpkin desserts out of 5. I adore this.

Pumpkins Crave Quietude (Soft vanilla, white amber, white musk, Mysore sandalwood, sweet pumpkin, a tiny pinch of white pepper)

Preliminary notes: From what I understand, this is basically Haint + pumpkin, which sounds lovely. I haven't tried OG Haint, so I won't be able to compare to that.

In bottle: Much like my experience with Peaches Crave Haint, this smells cool-toned. The white pepper is more pronounced here, and the pumpkin smells like a pumpkin pie as opposed to fresh pumpkin puree or something.

On skin: Peppery, spicy pumpkin. I'm actually shocked there isn't cinnamon in this, because it definitely smells like it. It almost smells like unlit pumpkin incense as well.

Verdict: 4.75 sticks of spiced pumpkin incense out of 5.

Vanilla Craves Enchanted Cottages (Banana flambé, vanilla créme anglaise, a rose garden sanctuary covered in morning dew, rose geranium, ylang-ylang, bananas dipped in brown sugar, sweet cacao, sheer almond, gnarled pine branches from the deep woods)

Preliminary notes: Whether or not this actually belongs in the autumnal review post is debatable, but I figured enchanted cottages and witchy things were close enough. At any rate, I love banana notes, and this sounds amazing.

In bottle: Bananaaaas. Lots of bananas. This isn't like candy-banana though. It does smell sweet but it's almost buttery. This is a lot more complex than just banana as well. The rose-banana combo is interesting, because they have very similar scent qualities. I liiike.

On skin: On skin, the banana recedes quite a bit, and the florals bloom pretty intensely. I can't make any of them out in particular, but the whole thing smells slightly spooky. There's something in here I don't care for, and I can't tell if it's one of the florals or the almond.

Verdict: 3 bananas frolicking in a forest out of 5. The florals are pretty overwhelming once it hits skin, and there's a very distinct burnt smell going on as well. There's a little bit too much going on in this one for me.

Honeys Crave Smoldering Cauldrons (Buckwheat honey, dark earth, long tendrils of cauldron smoke reaching up to the sky, damp, decaying leaves, wild chanterelles, blackened lavender stems, dried tea leaves, wildflowers)

Preliminary notes: Lavender isn't my favorite note, but look at that note lineup! How can you resist that if you're darkly-inclined and into witchy things? I've seen a lot of fungi notes, but never chanterelles specifically. This sounds very complex and interesting.

In bottle: Oh! I love this already. I can't make anything out specifically, other than the cool dirt and a bit of tea, but it smells amazing. It has an almost aquatic quality to it. Something about it reminds me of one of the beaches near our place, though it doesn't smell beachy at all (I'm in western Canada, so beaches here are lakes with a lot of trees and grassy patches).

On skin: This is a dead ringer for interior BC lakes/beaches. It's uncanny, which makes no sense since none of the notes are indicative of that. It's incredibly evocative and nostalgic for me, and despite the heavy notes, it's a perfect summer scent.

Verdict: 5 hometown lakes out of 5.

Pumpkins Crave Nog (Pumpkin flesh with rich eggnog, sugar cookies, Tahitian vanilla, cinnamon, and a spike of Arcana Wildcraft's Holy Terror (burning frankincense, sandalwood, deep myrrh, and dusty beeswax candles))

Preliminary notes: This sounds decadent as fuck, like a pumpkin trifle.

In bottle: To be completely honest, I don't know what I'm smelling here. I get a bit of the cinnamon, but there's some sort of savory note in there, and something boozy.

On skin: I don't get any eggnog whatsoever, but it does kind of smell like pumpkin pie ice cream. The cinnamon note is really nice and dry. The mystery savory note disappeared as well, so what's left is a warm, very slightly smoky pumpkin pie scent with a bit of a creamy note with it.

Verdict: 5 bowls of pumpkin pie ice cream out of 5.

Hullo! I don't have any interesting preamble for these, so we'll just get right into it.

Gideon (Apricot, golden amber, a saucerful of cream)

Preliminary notes: So I'm not gonna lie, there were two driving factors in getting this. One, the scent is inspired by an orange cat, and my little hellion back home is an orange tabby. Two, Gideon is on our list of eventual baby names to use, so it's sentimental on both counts.

In bottle: I can smell Arcana's classic cream note, apricot, and I'm assuming the amber, which is reading as very witchy to me.

On skin: It's honestly shocking to me that there are only three notes in this, because it's very complex and interesting. The apricot comes out more and gets sweeter on the skin, but the amber keeps everything in check and stops it from smelling like a fruit and cream candy.

Verdict: 4.5 witchy apricots out of 5.

Estella (White amber, vanilla bean, a kiss of cognac)

Preliminary notes: These next 3 were part of my potential wedding scent hunt when we were still throwing the idea of a spring wedding around. We've since decided to do a fall wedding instead, which renders these kind of irrelevant, but I'm still a sucker for cozy scents, so I'm not bothered.

In bottle: This reminds me of the base of Pumpkins Crave Pointe Shoes, which is Two Finger Ballet. I haven't tried OG Two Finger Ballet, so I can't compare it directly, but this is basically the base of PCPS with booze. It smells elegant and refined with a bit of a rebellious edge.

On skin: More or less the same as in the bottle, but the booze calms down a bit. I love this.

Verdict: 5 rebellious Victorian ladies out of 5. I'd bathe in this if I could.

Frigg (Black tonka bean, raw cashmere wool, French bakery vanilla, soft warm skin, confectionary sugar, sweet almond)

Preliminary notes: I'm not a fan of almond notes, but in my head, I was like, "Well, it sounds like a wedding scent so I'm just gonna pretend they're Jordan almonds," since those are a thing at weddings in my family.

In bottle: Okay, this is nowhere near as sweet as I was expecting. There's some sort of note in there that's reading almost like oud, which I'm assuming can only be the cashmere. It smells cozy and a tiny bit peppery. I don't get any almond whatsoever in the bottle.

On skin: Whatever's going on with that oud-like note kind of ruins this scent for me. It overtakes everything, and it's all I can smell. I wanted to like this, but I can't stand it.

Verdict: 0 surprising, overwhelming woody notes out of 5. When the other notes actually have a chance to come through, it's not a bad scent, but I can't stand whatever that woody note is. It's sharp and overpowering.

Ganesh (Coconut cake, honey, vanilla, Indonesian clove, green coconut, a warm blend of spices)

Preliminary notes: None.

In bottle: The only notes I'm getting straight out of the bottle are Arcana's honey note and maybe a bit of vanilla. I get no cake, spices, or coconut.

On skin: This kind of just smells like Arcana's other honey-heavy bakery scents (Honey Craves Coffee Shops and Marshmallows Bite! specifically). I don't hate it, but it's not something I haven't smelled before from the same company.

Verdict: 3.5 honey-sweetened cakes out of 5. It's not a bad scent, but it's not particularly unique either.

Vatican Archives (Honey from the Papal apiaries, Roman figs, Atlas cedarwood, smoky frankincense and myrrh, crimson musk, black musk, smudgy parchment musk)

Preliminary notes: I had no idea this scent existed until I was browsing the website for Hel, but it sounds right up my alley. Bookish, spooky, and powerful? Yes, please.

In bottle: I get the honey, myrrh, and parchment right away. It's very spooky and foreboding, which is exactly what I was hoping for.

On skin: The red musk in this overtakes most of the notes fairly quickly, which is usually what happens with red musk notes. There's something a bit salty going on as well. The honey completely disappears, and it becomes The Red Musk Show for a while, which is a bummer.

Verdict: 4 foreboding libraries out of 5. Despite the red musk overpowering everything once it hits the skin, it's a nice bookish scent with a creepy edge and fits quite nicely into my collection.

Hel (Candle soot, honey-smeared ho wood, aged vetiver, black coconut, ash frozen in ice, scorched beeswax)

Preliminary notes: This sounds SO Halloween-y. I'm hoping the ice note doesn't come off as mint.

In bottle: Arcana's beeswax note is immediately recognizable, followed by the vetiver and something very slightly fruity. It's dark, but it's also not quite as heavy as I'd anticipated.

On skin: This really does smell cold (without being minty) and burnt. It's kind of like the goth version of Snug, which I love.

Verdict: 3 underworld queens out of 5. I do like this quite a lot when it initially hits the skin, but there's something in it that goes a little household cleaner on me. There's some kind of lemony nuance in there, and it throws the whole thing off. I'll probably retest this in the future, but it's going in my destash box for now.

Nott (free sample) (Amber accord (holy labdanum resin, midnight Madagascar vanilla, and sweet benzoin), rich black cardamom, a shot of vintage patchouli, a dark trail of incense)

Preliminary notes: So funnily enough, I had been eyeing this and *almost* bought it when I got Vatican Archives and Hel but passed on it.

In bottle: In the sample bottle, it smells very inky-dark and a bit sweet. Very resinous, unsurprisingly, and a little bit camphorous. Maybe a touch cola-y as well. I already wish I'd ordered this instead of Hel.

On skin: More or less the same as in the bottle. It's very strong and intimidating, which I like. It's quite sharp, but there's a weird, otherworldly glowing quality about it. It's very unique and mysterious.

Verdict: 4.5 obsidian bowls full of chewy, caramelized resins out of 5. I definitely have to upsize this at some point.

B-Endorphins (Chocolate milk, salty popcorn, cold vanilla ice cream, peanut brittle, a drizzle of caramel sauce)

Preliminary notes: I'd been wanting to try this one for a while, but I'm always apprehensive of chocolate notes, since they aren't my favorite.

In bottle: I kind of expected this to smell like a Reese's Cup, but luckily, it doesn't. I can smell pretty much all of the notes in the bottle except the peanut brittle.

On skin: On the skin, Arcana's milk note is definitely present, along with the chocolate, popcorn, ice cream, and caramel. I've noticed that Arcana's milk note is allllmost fruity/laundry like, which is a bit noticeable but it doesn't go full laundry or fruit on me. I'm not really sure if I like this or not though. The dairy notes are behaving a bit strangely, and it's throwing the rest of the notes off a bit. It's not a bad scent at all, it's just very.. perfumey, I guess? It smells a bit stale as well.

DH thought it smelled like old coffee grounds and hazelnuts, so not a win from him either.

Verdict: 1.5 very weird desserts out of 5. Neither of us liked this one much, and it got destashed. I usually like Arcana's dairy notes, but they didn't work for me at all here.

*Keep in mind, everyone's skin chemistry and sense of smell are different. Just because it smells a certain way to/on me doesn't mean it'll smell that way to everyone.*

First Solstice Scents review, ahoy! Somehow, literally everything I tried in this batch was a massive hit for me, which very seldom happens. Witchcraft!

As usual, favorites are denoted with an asterisk. Solstice Scents’ storefront can be found here. They also stock with Femme Fatale in Australia and Pretty Indulgent in Canada. Both stockists ship internationally, as does Solstice Scents. I've also linked every scent's Indie Scent Library page for the full descriptions.

Smokewood Apiary***(Smoked Honey, Creamed Honey, Beeswax, Amber, Wooden Frames, Ginger & Vanilla.) Full description here.

In the bottle: Lots of honey, beeswax (yay!), and a tiny bit of amber and ginger.

On skin: Dripping honey, chewy beeswax, a little bit of wood, and a little bit of spice. I don’t get much smoke, if any, until an hour or two after application. I wanted to try this in hopes that it’d be super beeswax heavy, and it definitely is! Overall, it’s a pretty soft scent.

Longevity: Still detectable after 6-7 hours.

During the Rain*** (Petrichor, soaked Earth, limestone, loam, clay and wet concrete.) Full description here.

In the bottle: Wet dirt and stone. Reminds me of earthworms, which is really nice.

On skin: Largely the same, but the stone is sweetened a little bit by something else. I don’t know if this reminds me of petrichor and rain as much as it reminds me of cemeteries. Actually, this kind of smells like a cemetery after it’s rained, which is perfect.

Longevity: Lasted for 7-8 hours.

Halloween Night*** (Sweet Candy Corn, Chocolate Candy Wrappers, Melty Gooey Marshmallows, Sticky Caramels & Black Jelly Beans.) Full description here.

In the bottle: Licorice, candy corn, caramel, and chocolate. Definitely evocative of Halloween candy.

On skin: Virtually the same. The licorice candy is definitely the star of the show here. It’s worth noting that I’m not a fan of licorice at all, regarding both the taste and the scent. I’ve had scents featuring licorice that I’ve liked before, however, and Halloween Night definitely falls into that category as well. I’m also heavily biased, because anything that involves Halloween, especially Halloween-related nostalgia, sends my heart aflutter. This kind of reminds me of bulk candy bins more than Halloween, but I really enjoy it regardless.

Longevity: After an hour or so, the licorice mellows out a little bit and it becomes predominantly caramel, marshmallow, chocolate, and candy corn. This part is definitely more evocative of Halloween than the initial scent upon application. In the drydown after the licorice disappears, it reminds me of Alkemia’s Sweet Sorcery a little bit, which is one of my favorite autumnal gourmands. They’re both like bottled childhood Halloween nostalgia. Had about 6 hours of good wear, but was still detectable after 9 hours.

Foxcroft Fairgrounds*** (Cotton Candy, Cream Soda, Vanilla Taffy, Gridling’s Funnel Cakes, Powdered Sugar, Crisp Fall Air, Woodsmoke & a Tendril of Incense.) Full description here.

In the bottle: Something sweet and berry-like, incense, and something a bit dirty.

On skin: Virtually the same, if not a bit dirtier. I’m assuming the berry-like note I’m getting is a combination of the cotton candy, cream soda, and taffy. I don’t get the funnel cakes or powdered sugar at all, so my initial thought that this may be like Alkemia’s County Fair was quickly put to rest. This is sweet, woody, smoky, dirty, a little spooky, and definitely atmospheric, which is exactly what I was hoping for. Love this.

Longevity: Becomes very close to the skin after about an hour, which is also when the funnel cake note comes out. By the 3-hour mark, it’s very faint. I was kind of expecting this one to be longer lived, but it’s possible that it needs more rest. Throughout the whole thing, and especially during the sweet smoke and incense phase of the drydown, I’m still getting some sort of berry note. Lasted about 3-4 hours total, but was still very, very faintly detectable after 9 hours.

Jack & the Devil*** (A blend of sugared golden pumpkin, spices, oakmoss, sweet vanilla, aged patchouli essential oil and dried brown tobacco leaf.) Full description here.

In the bottle: Spiced pumpkin, patchouli, vanilla, and a bit of tobacco. Very warm.

On skin: The spiced pumpkin and vanilla are definitely the strongest on the skin. I get very little patchouli or anything else. It’s kind of like a grown up, creamy, dark pumpkin gourmand, which is what I was hoping for. The pumpkin is nice and spicy, but it’s not a pumpkin spice scent, if that makes any sense. This will be perfect for autumn, though I tend to wear autumnal scents year round regardless. This scent is really well-blended.

Longevity: This was probably most potent during the first 6 hours, but I can still smell it pretty strongly after 9 hours. It’s mellowed, of course, but it’s still there. I could also smell it after 10 hours, a hand wash, and through unscented moisturizer.

Inquisitor*** (A Dark Resinous Blend of Leather, Labdanum, Beeswax, Frankincense, Benzoin, Palo Santo, Vetiver & Fire.) Full description here.

In the bottle: Resinous, a bit sharp, and very foreboding. Reminds me of churches a bit.

On skin: The leather, resins, and something slightly sweet are very strong upon initial application. I wasn’t expecting this to be quite as spooky and intimidating as it is, and I love it. I had read various reviews about getting a root beer note in there, but I don’t get that at all. It’s mostly just leather and burning resins/wood. It’s very commanding and smoky. It reminds me of something, but I can’t put my finger on what it is.

Longevity: After about half an hour, the leather calms down a bit, and there’s a very faint impression of beeswax. It’s still got that burning feel from the resins and wood. After about two hours, the beeswax and amber come out a bit more and soften everything. The blend takes on a more “perfume-y” tone at this point. After about 5-6 hours, Inquisitor becomes a little dusty and sweeter. Lasted for 8-9 hours.

Winslow’s*** (Rows of Christmas Trees, Clove Studded Oranges, Bayberry Tapers, Handcrafted Wreaths & Mistletoe.) Full description here.

In the bottle: Looots of pine, clove, a bit of orange, and holiday greenery. I love this.

On skin: Largely the same, though the clove and orange are a bit stronger than the pine upon application. This is like the Christmas season in a bottle. As usual, this scent is very well-blended.

Longevity: Becomes pretty subtle after about 2 hours, unfortunately. Still detectable after 8 hours, but very faint. Mostly clove, orange, and a bit of pine at this point.

Foxcroft*** (Decaying Leaves, Rich Black Soil, Dry Leaves, Fall Air, Woods, Chimney Smoke.) Full description here.

In the bottle: Just what it says on the tin. It’s really remarkable that SS managed to somehow capture the essence of autumn and bottle it. All of the notes are detectable in the bottle.

On skin: Primarily leaves and dirt, and something that resembles fungi a little bit. There’s also something sweet and fresh in there. Very reminiscent of an autumn forest. This actually smells a lot like our local pumpkin patch does in October.

Longevity: As time wears on, the sweetness that was there on initial application tends to get amplified a little bit, but not in a gourmand way or anything. Still very much autumn personified. It gets a little bit soapy after 5-6 hours, and then changes to a tree and dirt scent after 7 hours. I don’t think I’ve ever had a fragrance that morphs this much, especially in the later phases. It’s fascinating. Lasted for over 9 hours.

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.