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[personal profile] femmenstein
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.
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[personal profile] femmenstein
Ahoy! Coming at you with a sneak peek of Alkemia's Winter Wonderlands collection, which will release on November 3rd! I'm very excited to see that Perique tobacco note becoming more common among Alkemia's offerings, and seeing snow/ice and mistletoe notes is also intriguing.

These samples were sent to me for review by Alkemia.

🍒 Cherie (White cherries, golden saffron, vanilla orchid, neroli blossoms, nutmeg, coriander, cedarwood, guaiacwood, ambergris incense)

In vial: Primarily warm cherries and vanilla. It smells very sultry and delicious.

On skin: Largely the same as in the vial, but it brightens up a lot on the skin, probably due to the saffron and neroli. I don't normally vibe with cherry notes, but the one used here is exquisite. It's very slightly floral with a tiny bit of spice, but the cherry and vanilla notes are the stars here, and they're both very warm. It smells like a decadent, freshly baked cherry dessert. It has a sparkling quality to it as well. I'll probably end up upsizing this.

Verdict: 5 cherry desserts out of 5.


🎁 Compliments of the Season (Jasmine, cashmere, warm amber resin, mahogany wood, dried oakmoss, green balsam fir, a sprig of mistletoe)

In vial: Very fresh and green. I can't pick out any individual notes beyond the mistletoe, but it's lovely.

On skin: This is pretty soapy, truth be told, at least initially. The herbs and greenery even it out a bit, but it's very clean. It is quite pretty, that considered. The jasmine is subtle, so I wouldn't regard this as a floral scent. It's cool-toned but also has a bit of warmth underneath, which is really interesting to me. There's something that smells a bit like pillow mints in there as well. Very festive and pretty.

Verdict: 3 holiday soaps out of 5. I do like this, but it's way too clean for me. If you like clean scents though, definitely try this one out.


❄️ Fallen Snow Angels (Creme de vanille, dark patchouli, snowflakes and winter ice)

In vial: This smells delicious. Very creamy vanilla verging on white chocolate, a bit of soft mint, and a tiny bit of patchouli.

On skin: Definitely mint-heavy on the skin, and more herbal than in the vial. It reminds me a bit of For Love of Winter, but this is stronger and more atmospheric. When I read the note description for this, I was wondering how the patchouli would work in here, but it more or less just serves as a grounding herbal note as opposed to "dirty" patchouli or any sort of incense-y vibe. I quite like this. It's very clean as well, which I don't normally love, but it works really well for this scent.

Verdict: 4 minty white chocolate bars out of 5.


🔥 La Cheminée (The Fireplace) (Sparkling spiced cider, brandy, clove-studded lemon slices, smoky vetiver, star anise, Perique tobacco, honeycomb, tonka, soft woods, a worn leather loveseat by the fireplace)

In vial: Primarily cider, with a bit of spice and warmth underneath that. It reminds me of several of Alkemia's autumnal offerings.

On skin: Beautiful cider note with lemon and spices, with the vetiver and tobacco hanging out and providing an edge of smokiness underneath. The honeycomb is present as well. It smells very slightly medicinal, but not in a way that's overwhelming or off-putting. It smells like a hot cider-based drink being sipped near a fireplace, which is exactly what the description says. It's quite nice, and it's very soothing.

Verdict: 4 ciders near the fire out of 5.


Shine Bright My Desire (Golden amber, star jasmine, pink lotus, orchid, patchouli boudoir incense, pink pepper, Ceylon cinnamon, ginger zest, bright verbena)

In vial: Weirdly enough, I don't smell much beyond a bit of incense and the pink pepper.

On skin: The pink pepper and incense are still the strongest, but the amber and a bit of the florals come out more on the skin, along with the other spices. This is a very classic Alkemia scent. It's cozy, warm, and elegant. It smells comforting but also a bit slinky.

Verdict: 4 slinky curls of peppery incense out of 5.


🌟 Stardust (Cream musk, winter-white amber, almond cookies, dried jasmine flowers, white cacao, cool ozone, fresh evergreen boughs, a sprig of mistletoe)

In vial: This is veeery white, shockingly enough. Everything is there and accounted for, with the almond, evergreens, and cacao being the strongest.

On skin: Very similar to how it smells in the vial. The evergreen note in here is stunning. This smells like the imagery of snowflakes and freshly fallen snow. It's minty without being overly so, and it's a very soft, white scent. I adore it. It's cozy and cool at the same time. The almond cookie note reminds me of The Magpie's Rhyme, also.

Verdict: 5 soft snowfalls out of 5.
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[personal profile] femmenstein
Ahoy! Back with another Alkemia PR review, which was very unexpected. I didn't receive samples for the summer collection after I'd reviewed the spring release, so I assumed it was kind of a one-and-done deal, which I was totally content with. But then these guys showed up in the mail earlier this month, which was a very nice surprise! I've had a hell of a month, as have most people I know, so reviewing these has been a nice break from all of the chaos that this August has been perpetuating. Many thanks to Alkemia for sending these to me at a time when I really needed a pick-me-up.

These samples were provided to me by Alkemia for review.

Book of Night (Artemisia, oakmoss, blue juniper berries, black patchouli, sweet pipe tobacco, clove, ritual incense resins, cashmere blanket, chai tea)

In vial: The artemisia, tobacco, and tea are at the forefront and are absolutely stunning.

On skin: Ugh, that artemisia note is gorgeous. I could bathe in it. The blend overall smells mysterious and a bit studious, like a stately wizard's private library deep within his home. I think this is the first Alkemia scent with clove in it that I can actually smell the clove in as well. It's herbal without being medicinal, and is a little bit broody. Fans of Deep Midnight's Incantation would probably like this, as the artemisia/wormwood note is very, very similar and is strong in both.

Verdict: 5 wizard's libraries out of 5. Upsized.


Breath and Shadow (Twilit chyprean musks and subtle exhalations of woodsmoke)

In vial: Definitely a bit smoky, but also fresh and citric as well.

On skin: This is such a gorgeous transitional cool weather scent. The musk is tempered by what I'm assuming is bergamot (hence chypre). The woodsmoke in this reminds me a lot of Alkemia's Samhain, in which it has an almost nutty quality to it. It's a very gauzy smoke note, as opposed to the bonfire-esque one in Smoke and Mirrors, for instance. I've worn this to bed once or twice, and it makes a delightfully calming sleep scent. It has an almost cool night air quality to it, which is really interesting.

Verdict: 5 cool late autumn nights out of 5. Upsized.


Dark Goddess (Midnight black amber, earthy vetiver root, dark red roses, spicy carnation, black Java vanilla, black locust, oakmoss, black pine resin, civet, myrrh, bay leaf)

In vial: I get the civet, some resins, and a lot of the bay leaf but not much else.

On skin: This goes fairly powdery once it hits my skin, which I'm not a fan of. Floral, herbal powder is not something I want to smell like. The black pine, myrrh, and carnation notes are glorious in this, but unfortunately, they don't temper the powderiness enough for me to be able to tolerate. I love the concept for this one, but it's definitely not for me.

Verdict: 2 powdery goddesses out of 5.


Incense of a New Church (Agarwood, costus, mentholated tobacco, steam-heated radiators, old machinery)

In vial: I absolutely adore the concept of this one. It's very powdery, however, which isn't my thing.

On skin: This has a very distinct metallic/plastic note in it, which makes sense given the note description. The incense in this is absolutely stunning, as is the agarwood. I'm not sure if it's the tobacco or the menthol, but there's something a bit sweet in here as well. I'm very on the fence about whether I like this or not, since it's a very conceptual, odd scent, but it has some beautiful elements in it.

Verdict: 4 steampunk churches out of 5.


Of Vice and Virtue (White crystalline sugar musk, heliotrope, fleshy peaches, piquant damson, spicy dianthus, nyctophilic white florals, sassafras, rosewood, santal, tonka)

In vial: Vanillic sugar and tuberose. I don't get anything else at all (which I'm not complaining about).

On skin: Largely the same. I can get a tiny bit of peach if I try reeeally hard, but the sugar musk and tuberose/white florals are the stars of the show. The first thing I thought when this hit my skin was, "This is such a special scent," but unfortunately, I can't elaborate on that. Some scents are just innately special. The sugar in this kind of reminds me of BPAL's Dorian toward the later drydown. The scents themselves are very different, but that warm vanilla sugar-type note is very similar in both. This scent overall is very soft and intimate, and it wears very close to the skin.

Verdict: 5 tuberoses dipped in sugar out of 5. Upsized.


The Beautiful and the Damned (Honey caramel, dark cacao, French lavender, red currants, Madagascar vanilla, champagne aldehydes, golden amber, cubeba pepper, blonde tobacco, dried rose leaves, opoponax, black copal, guaiacwood, copaiba balsam bathed in an elixir of sexually alluring animalics and pheromones)

In vial: Very herbal, with a bit of a vinegar-like quality to it.

On skin: The vinegar quality is completely gone on the skin, so I'm not sure what that was about. The honey caramel is a standout note for me, and there's something citrusy in here as well. It's a very decadent, seductive scent. If I try relatively hard, I can smell the cubeba pepper, which adds a very unique spicy aspect to this blend. Overall, it's very hard to pick the notes apart. If you like dark, herbal, spicy scents, this will be right up your alley. As it mellows, a really pretty vanilla sneaks its way to the top. I may end up upsizing this as well.

Verdict: 4 herbal caramels out of 5.
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[personal profile] femmenstein
Welcome to my second ever PR review, and my first Alkemia PR review! I am very, very grateful to Alkemia for allowing me the opportunity to do this, and it warms my heart to know that one of my favorite companies likes my reviews enough to grant me this privilege. These samples were provided to me by Alkemia for review.

Cosmic Lotus (A trinity of sacred incense, Egyptian musk, blooming pink lotus flowers)

In vial: The lotus note in here is similar to the one used in Blue Lotus. This is creamy and a bit sweet, but also a bit citrusy (which leads me to believe that one of the incenses might be frankincense). I usually don't care for Egyptian musk, but the one used here is not the sickeningly clean variety that I've smelled before.

On skin: This smells like a contemplative, floral incense for the most part. The Egyptian musk behaves and doesn't make anything smell like soap, which I'm thankful for. Fans of Blue Lotus will like this, I think. It smells decidedly fancy and also nostalgic, like expensive lotus incense from the 90s.

Verdict: 4 sticks of floral incense out of 5.


Crown of Violets (Royal violets, Mauve Queen iris, French lavender, bergamot, vetiver, rosemary, Dittany of Crete, oakmoss, tonka bean, Atlas cedar, white ambergris, sandalwood)

In vial: Regal indeed. This is very purple-smelling, and it has a bit of a peppery edge as well. It's not overwhelmingly floral and smells very cool toned.

On skin: This is exquisite. Very regal and stately. The notes blend so seamlessly together that I can't tease most of them apart, but I definitely get the violet, iris, and rosemary. I'd imagine this is what a queen of a fae realm would smell like. It's powerful but ethereal at the same time. It's sweet without being cloying, herbal without being medicinal, and floral without smelling soapy. It's absolutely beautiful.

Verdict: 4.5 faerie queens out of 5.


Feu Follet (Swamp Fairy) (Artemisia, caraway, bergamot, Swamp azalea, Tamarack, Blackgum, bog rosemary, vetiver, leatherleaf, black patchouli, oakmoss, tobacco leaves, leather, wet mud)

In vial: Very herbal and almost camphorous. There's a deceptive sweet note beneath the herbs and other dark notes, which makes the whole thing feel a bit sinister.

On skin: This reminds me very much of an oil I had years ago, but I can't figure out what it was or which house it was from. It's very herbal but also aquatic and slightly sweet. The camphorous vibe is still there a little bit. The whole mood overall is about what it sounds like: a mischievous fairy in a swamp. Something in here is reading a teeny bit metallic to my nose as well.

Verdict: 3.5 mischievous swamp fairies out of 5.


Legal Tender (Fresh currency, printer ink, pressed cotton, linen, aliphatic aldehydes, vegan tallow, imprints from a hot steel press, elegant leather, Iso E, Adenium, rare orchids, resilient Hoya)

In vial: I do love Alkemia's conceptual/abstract scents, and this one is very interesting. The ink note is strong here, and it's a bit shrieky initially. There are some green notes in here that remind me of my beloved and long-discontinued Wilde, which is interesting as well.

On skin: This settles down quite a bit once it's on the skin. The ink is still the strongest note, but the aldehydes and leather also makes themselves known. I get a very distinct metallic note as well. It's quite a nice scent, for being so conceptual and abstract, and while I wouldn't upsize it, it's definitely pleasant. If you want to smell like a bank in the 1920s/1930s or a pile of cash, this is for you!

Verdict: 3.75 bank vaults out of 5.


Nocturnes of the Honeysuckle (Honeysuckle, sweet gallium, sweet fern, soft mosses, delicate vanilla, fresh tea leaves)

In vial: This is a very damp and (yet again) purple floral with a bit of sweetness. Nothing in here is actually purple, so why my nose is reading it that way is beyond me. It's lovely either way.

On skin: Largely the same as in the vial. A very damp, sweet, fresh floral with a purple edge. This is the epitome of what spring smells like, at least out west. The tea is baaarely, barely there, but everything else is readily detectable. I adore this.

Verdict: 4.75 springtimes in the west out of 5.


The Greening Wood (Frost-nipped greens, clover, Winter King celery, verbena, ionized breezes, snowdrops, Witch Hazel flowers, juniper berries, violet leaf, Florentine iris, galbanum, grey amber, West Indian sandalwood, mineralistic wet river stones)

In vial: My nose wants to read something in here as mint, but it's not mint at all. Maybe it's the frost-nipped greens. I get the mineral notes from the river rocks as well. This is very much a transitional, spring thaw scent.

On skin: They minty vibe is still there. Overall, it still smells like an early spring thaw scent. It's very green and pale white. I can make out the verbena, but the rest of the notes blend together too much to tease apart. It's a very pretty, cool, slightly floral calming scent. Alkemia really has a knack for creating a concept and executing it perfectly, and this is no exception. It smells exactly like you'd expect it to, given the name.

Verdict: 4 forests thawing during early spring out of 5.
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Greetings! As it says on the tin, most of these were upsized from samples. I had a very.. interesting experience with Au Lait, which you'll see later in the post.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Verdict: 5 witchy gardens out of 5.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Verdict: 4 ginger-scented autumn seasons out of 5.
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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.
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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.
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[personal profile] femmenstein
Atmospherics, ahoy! Just like the first part of my SS reviews, most of these were hits.

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.

Maine Moon*** (Crisp Fall Air, Wood Smoke, Leather Seats & Concessions of Root Beer, Popcorn & Chocolate Covered Caramels.) Full description here.

In the bottle: I fell in love with the description for this scent, especially since it conjured up mental images of a B-horror movie being played at a drive-in, and I love how it smells in the bottle too. Root beer, popcorn, and dirt are the main notes I’m getting.

On skin: Virtually the same as in the bottle, but the leather, chocolate, and caramel come out more. There’s also something slightly minty hanging out in the background as well. If you’re familiar with Foxcroft Fairgrounds, this is kind of in the same vein. They both have an incense-y, dirty, foody, autumnal atmospheric feel. The mint definitely caught me off guard, but I still love this. Something about this reminds me of Halloween as well, which is always a bonus.

Longevity: After about 4-5 hours, it settles down into primarily chocolate, caramel, and a bit of leather. It went through a phase after the first couple of hours where the popcorn was incredibly strong compared to everything else as well. Was still faintly detectable after 8 hours, and had about 6 hours of good wear.

Loggia (A Blend of Mahogany, Amber, Musk, Vanilla Bean, Allspice, Cardamom, Black Pepper, Cognac & Sandalwood.) Full description here.

In the bottle: There’s something in here that reminds me of.. pickles. It’s sharp and slightly briny, but I’m not sure what it is. For the most part, it’s incense-y and woody, but also sweet.

On skin: So we’ve gone from being reminiscent of pickles to being reminiscent of rum-soaked moth balls. This is so strange. I was really hoping I’d love this one, especially given its previous description when it was called Monster Mash, but this is not going well. The vanilla and spices are nice, as is the boozy kick, but there’s something in here that really doesn’t agree with my nose or skin. It smells old and not as woody as I’d hoped. I have Manor as well, which I’ve only smelled from the bottle as of writing this, and it smells more like how I expected Loggia to smell. I’m a bit disappointed. This was a scrubber, unfortunately.

Gibbon’s Boarding School** (Dusty Wooden Desks, Paper, Carefully Hidden Tobacco Pouch, Dying Fire, Dried Leaves, Leather Chairs, Autumn Breeze.) Full description here.

In the bottle: SUPER dusty wood, leather, fireplace embers, and a bit of tobacco. I expected this to be more.. I dunno, subtle, I guess? I’m definitely not complaining. It smells really interesting and atmospheric.

On skin: I really don’t even know how to describe this. It’s everything that was detectable in the bottle, but kind of warmed up and more complex. There’s a slight hint of apple, but it’s not the hair product apple I’m used to. It’s kind of like apple cider. There’s also a pretty heavy stone note in there somewhere, which I love. It’s definitely very bookish and evokes imagery of a sprawling brick school.

Longevity: After a few hours, something kind of vanillic comes out and warms everything up a bit. Lasted over 8 hours, but was still detectable after 10 hours.

Gunnerson’s Pumpkin Patch*** (Leaves, Vines, Autumn Air, Pumpkin Flesh, Lavender, Moss, Balsam, Tonka, Hay, Caramel, Dirt, Patchouli, Mushroom.) Full description here.

In the bottle: Truth be told, the first time I smelled my sample of this, I hated it. The lavender is very strong, and being that I’m not a fan of lavender at all really, it was a problem. The coumarin, or at least what I’m assuming is coumarin, is also very strong. But once it’s on the skin, it turns into this caramelized, dirty, herbal, autumnal atmospheric that’s really unique. It doesn’t really remind me of pumpkin patches as much as Foxcroft does, but I grew to love it after actually wearing it for a while. The dirt, caramel, and patchouli are detectable in the bottle, and it has sort of a warming quality when it hits your nose, which is fascinating.

On skin: As stated, the lavender and coumarin are very strong once on the skin. There’s a bit of viney greenery as well. I was a bit disappointed that there isn’t any mushroom detectable.

Longevity: Lasted for over 8 hours.

Thornwood Thicket** (Sugared Blackberries, Amber, Oud, Guaiacwood, Oakmoss.) Full description here.

In the bottle: Oh, boy. Very strong guaiacwood and oud, and a bit of blackberry. Guaiacwood has kind of a tarry scent, and I really don’t like it most of the time. I’m curious to see how this turns out once it’s on the skin. I’m hoping that the blackberry and woods kind of meld together and become something a bit more seamless than what’s first smelled in the bottle.

On skin: Fortunately, the guaiacwood blends in with everything else once it hits the skin, so it’s not just blackberries and tar. On the skin, it takes on a more berry incense vibe, which is really nice. I’ve read various reviews describing this as a berry version of Manor, which is pretty apt. The woods are softer here than they are in Manor, but they are very similar.

Longevity: Much like the full description, it did mellow out into a berry incense scent after a few hours. It lasted about 8 hours total.

Riverside Hayride*** (Moist Dirt, White Carnations, Fallen Leaves, Bare Branches, Hay & a Hint of Pressed Apples Carried on the Breeze from Corvin’s Apple Orchard.) Full description here.

In the bottle: I was worried about trying this, since apple tends to go into conditioner/shampoo territory on me, but after having several recommendations for it, I had to take the plunge. In the bottle, it smells like dirty apple cider, which sounds kind of gross, but it’s amazing. The carnations are very slightly in the background, and there is a hint of woods in there as well. I expected this to be sort of light and ethereal, but it’s very warm and festive smelling. Where I live, there’s a bonfire on Halloween every year, and they used to give out free hot apple cider to everyone who attended. This reminds me a lot of that, and it makes me so nostalgic. Assuming this performs similarly on the skin, this is going to be a huge hit for me. As I’ve mentioned several times in various reviews, Halloween nostalgia is a huge thing for me.

On skin: Virtually the same as in the bottle. If someone spilled hot apple cider in a bunch of dirt, this is what it would smell like, and I love it. As I mentioned, it reminds me a lot of the local Halloween bonfire, so it’s a definite win in my book. After the first hour, the apple mellows out a little and the carnation comes out more.

Longevity: Unfortunately, this became pretty faint after about 5 or 6 hours. It probably had about 5 hours of good wear, and was virtually gone after 7 hours.
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[personal profile] femmenstein
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.
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[personal profile] femmenstein
As usual, favorites are denoted with an asterisk. You can find Alkemia's storefront here.

These took a little longer to get done than expected, but here they are! Reviews should be pretty steady (i.e. once a week or so) for the next while. I currently have 21 other Alkemia reviews in my queue, plus one Solstice Scents review and a few S92 reviews. After that, there's a few Strange South reviews and another Solstice Scents review, so that should keep posts going into April, probably. Anyway, onto the reviews!

Sweet Sorcery** (A sexy enchantment of candy corn, caramel creams, candyfloss, brown sugar toffees, and marshmallow nougat.)

In the bottle: Sugar, sugar, and more sugar. The toffee was the first note I detected, followed by caramel and something a bit citrusy or fruity.

On skin: The candyfloss definitely adds a fruity tone to this, which I wasn’t sure I was totally into at first. The whole blend overall definitely smells like candy, so if that’s something you’re into, you’ll love this. It does remind me of Halloweens from my childhood (like a combination of Halloween candy and those plastic/rubber witch noses from the 90s that kind of smelled like fruity vanilla), which I’m all about, so I’m eager to take this for a spin in October. I definitely didn’t expect this to be as nostalgic as it is.

Longevity: Started calming down a little after about 3 hours, with about 4 hours of solid wear.

Club des Hashischins*** (A dark intoxication of African Bronze Honey, caramelized charred black oud, blackberry pipe tobacco, leathered labdanum blended with hashish coffee and dawamesk from an original 1844 Club des Hashischins recipe that includes orange peel, cinnamon, clove, cardamon, nutmeg, musk, and kola nuts.)

In the bottle: Oh my god, this is exactly what I was hoping this would be. The oud is very prominent, as is the coffee. There’s a bit of fruit in there as well.

On skin: Man alive, this is amazing. Lots of oud, lots of coffee, and lots of dark tobacco. Very dark and heavy, which is my jam. I’m so glad that this remained very close to the scent in the bottle, because I fell in love with it right away. Easily one of my favorite Alkemia fragrances. This has a hell of a throw to it, also.

Longevity: Still very strong after 4 hours, and started settling down a bit after 4.5 hours. Lasted 6+ hours and was still lightly detectable after 18+ hours.

Additional notes: Limited, special reserve.

Exotique*** (Revani cake soaked in pure syrup, black Turkish coffee, hookah tobacco, and aged Somalian frankincense.)

In the bottle: Strong coffee (huzzah!), a bit of tobacco, and a bit of frankincense. Not getting any cake notes at all.

On skin: About the same as in the bottle. I think the cake acts as more of a sweetener than it does as a gourmand note, because this is definitely mostly coffee and tobacco on me, which is exactly what I wanted. Love this.

Longevity: Still strong after 3 hours. The tobacco calmed down after about 4 hours, and it became a softer warm coffee scent. Lasted 6+ hours and was still lightly detectable after 18+ hours.

Additional notes: In the last chance section.

Lilacs Along the Winding Drive*** (An olfactory portrait of a May evening.... lilac bushes heavy and purple with blooms, a gentle breeze after light spring rain, a dusty pebbled driveway, a slightly rusty porch swing, and a small handful of late blooming violets.)

In the bottle: True-to-life lilacs, violets, a bit of dusty earth, and aquatic rain notes. I hope it stays this way on the skin as well, because this is dreamy and perfect.

On skin: The violet dominates the lilac a bit, but the lilac is still there. There’s also a smidge of a dusty quality to it. Dusty, but not powdery. The florals are fresh as opposed to old lady-ish, at least on me. The rain note is also in the background, which lends a garden-after-the-rain quality to this. This is really pretty, and exactly what I’d hoped for. Throughout the whole wear time, I never got any metallic or rusty notes.

Longevity: About 4 hours.

Additional notes: Custom ordered.

Vespertilia (Tart quince, Asian pear, and wild apple infused with black and jasmine teas in an autumnal unfolding of marigolds, Golden Ray lilies, palo santo, oakmoss, bamboo, and golden amberwood.)

In the bottle: Not gonna lie, this smells a little like hair conditioner. The apple and pear are probably the strongest notes, and the rest kind of hangs in the background. This reads more spring/summer than it does autumnal to me. I’m hoping it’s not as soapy on the skin as it is in the bottle.

On skin: Still conditioner-y, but it’s nice. The fruit, lily, and tea are the most prominent to me, and it’s very soft and bright. Not something I usually go for, but it’s pretty. I don’t think it’s staying in my collection, however.

Longevity: I stopped smelling this on my skin for the most part after half an hour, which leads me to believe this one might need a bit more rest than the recommended two days. Became very faint after 3 hours and was mostly a ghost of apple and pear by 4 hours.

Ambre Gris*** (A rare blend of proprietary perfumery ingredients carefully oxidized by sunlight, sand, air, sea salt, water, and ocean minerals. The result is as changeable and morphing as the ocean... earthy, sweet, musky, saline.)

In the bottle: This is a perfect ambergris scent. The description is incredibly apt. It’s very marine, sweet, salty, and musky. It reminds me of Hermes’ Eau des Merveilles a little bit.

On skin: This both warms up and takes on a more aquatic scent once actually on the skin. There’s something vaguely spicy in there as well. Still a perfect ambergris scent.

Longevity: Still fairly detectable after 4-5 hours.

Additional notes: This one requires a bit of a shake, as there's a bit of sediment at the bottom of the bottle.

Bealtaine (Wild quince fruits, wild pears, apple blossoms, heliotrope, hawthorn accord, rowan berries, gorse flowers, vanilla musk, and white amber.)

In the bottle: Lots of fruits, vanilla, and light florals. Beautiful.

On skin: The fruit notes are all fresh and pretty realistic, which is nice. There’s a little bit of a floral undercurrent as well. Apple and pear always tend to read as hair conditioner on me though, so I’m not sure how this is going to go.

Longevity: Lasted about 4 hours.

The Lover Tells of the Rose (Rambling wild roses, a touch of lemon verbena, white pearl tea leaves, delicate white patchouli, and a springtime rebirth of new greens and wet mosses.)

In the bottle: Ugh, god. This is like early spring in a bottle. The rose and greenery are definitely there, as is a bit of patchouli, tea, and verbena. This is another one that reminds me of my aunt and uncle’s house growing up, which makes me incredibly sentimental.

On skin: This greens up a lot more on the skin. The patchouli, tea, and greens/moss take center stage, and the rose is kind of in the background. Unfortunately, it loses its nostalgic and sentimental air completely on the skin, and turns into luxe soap on me.

Longevity: Turned very soapy after about an hour and a half, sadly. Lasted about 4 hours.

Vixen (A captivatingly shapeshifting blend of sexy white amber and luminous late summer night blooming florals awakened by warm caresses of autumnal spice, golden musk, varietal apple peel, sugar pumpkin, jasmine tea, and a whisper of woodland mosses.)

In the bottle: This is a bit lighter than I was expecting. Everything blends together nicely, and the only note I can really distinguish is the pumpkin. A nice, tangy, light floral with a bit of a gourmand edge.

On skin: This is very, very light on my skin. The pumpkin and spices are pretty strong (which is good), and everything else kind of helps keep it in check and steers it away from being straight up pumpkin pie spice. The apple peel is very lightly present in the background.

Longevity: Started fading after about 2 hours. Lasted about 4 hours.
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[personal profile] femmenstein
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.

Custom Text

DISCLAIMER

*All products mentioned were purchased by me unless otherwise stated.

*All photos and graphics used are my own unless otherwise stated.

c. Jan 2, 2019.

*Update 06/01/2025:* Given the tumultuous situation between the US and Canada right now including tariffs, reviews after the ones listed below are on hold indefinitely. It doesn't feel safe to purchase oils from the States anymore without the anxiety of potentially getting slammed with extra fees, so I won't be purchasing any for a while. I may explore Canadian companies at some point, but for now, I'm on an indefinite hiatus (minus the reviews below, which are all ready to post. I just have to stop being lazy about it).

UPCOMING REVIEWS

🥀 Alkemia 🥀

Angel's Kitchen
Hexenhausen
Rosa Alchemica
Foxfire
Viridis Arcanum
Surcie
Slice of Heaven Alchemy
Vanille Single Note
Winter Forest Alchemy
Taste of Rain
Attar al Oud
Bibliotheca
Baccante
Green Carnation
Sadzi
Moon Lust
Affaire de Coeur
Carmen 7
Silver Sky
Luminae (2025 revisit review)
Rose Rouge Layering Note
Gilded Alchemy
Deus Ex Machina
Haunted & Bewitched
Love Flight of a Candy Heart
Earthlight
Ecstasies of Light
Honored Ghosts
Come to Me
Ambre Gris (2025 revisit review)
Vert sur le Vert (2025 revisit review)
Lilacs Along the Winding Drive (2025 revisit review)
Siren's Spell
The Lady's Yes
The Lover Tells of the Rose (2025 revisit review)
Love Among the Ruins
Rose Musk
Persian Tea Room (2025 revisit review)
Pheromone P28
Arcanum Experiments 2023: 6, 7, 14, and 15
Ambre Aquae
Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure
Arcanum Experiments 2024: 9: Getting Lit
A Roll in the Hay (2025 revisit review)
Tulips & Chimneys
Novella
Caliph's Beloved
Candybox Alchemy


(Also attempting to review everything in my collection that hasn't been reviewed yet, so stay tuned for From the Vault posts)

CREDITS

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Banner image by Nikita Tikhomirov, slightly edited.

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