Scented Musings

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Verdict: 5 giant plumes of incense out of 5.


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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 5 witch's cottages out of 5.


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 5 incredibly juicy blackberries out of 5.


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Verdict: 5 gingerbread monsters out of 5.


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

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

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

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

Verdict: 5 foreboding autumnal night walks out of 5.

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.

Hullo! Long time, no review, and all that. Life has been extremely busy this year, and I'm finally now getting a chance to relax and slow down.
Josh from Nui Cobalt Designs reached out to me in October and asked if I'd like to review 10-12 of their scents, so welcome to my first PR review! I'm very excited and grateful for the opportunity, and it's such a big deal to me that my reviews are appreciated by brands enough for them to be like, "Hey, we like your style, kid. We're gonna send you some stuff." I'm eternally grateful and appreciative. Thank you again, Josh and Forest!


☕ Awaken the Witch (Leather bound grimoires on mahogany shelves. A cup of hot tea, subtly sweetened with vanilla bean and honey. Sandalwood incense mingling with black patchouli, cardamom, and coriander)

Preliminary notes: This has been on my wishlist since it came out. I'm not sure why I never actually ordered it.

In vial: This is a really complex and very warm scent. It's very deep and rich, but also sweet and cozy.

On skin: This is a very contemplative scent. It absolutely smells bookish and studious, but there's something sinister looming in the background. All of the notes mingle with each other harmoniously, and while I wouldn't call this a tea scent, it's definitely atmospheric and dark. I may upsize this in the future.

Verdict: 4 sinister libraries out of 5.

🌧️ Gargoyle (Rain-drenched lavender, cathedral incense, beeswax candles, and ancient stone)

Preliminary notes: I'm not huge on lavender as a general rule, but this sounds lovely and contemplative.

In vial: In the vial, this is a dead ringer for a mossy stone. I don't get any lavender, beeswax, or incense in there. I'm actually shocked (in a good way) by how photorealistic that stone note is.

On skin: Still 99% wet, mossy stone. There's a tiiiny bit of sweetness in there, which could be either the beeswax or the incense. I expected this to be heavy on the lavender, but I can't smell it at all. It's a very lovely stone scent.

Verdict: 4 mossy stones out of 5.

🌽 Cornucopia (Hand-woven baskets of golden straw brimming with blackcurrant, Bartlett pear, pistachio, toasted corn, and spiced sweet potato)

Preliminary notes: I am a sucker for corn notes (as in like, corn husk or raw corn, not corn chips), so I always want to try scents when I see they have a corn note.

In vial: This is a really lovely, light autumnal scent. It smells like the imagery of sunbeams shining gently upon a little glen of wild fruit bushes and trees with orange and yellow leaves. There's something a bit medicinal and cooling in there, which could maybe be the straw or blackcurrant. Not sure. Despite the fruit notes, it doesn't read as a fruity scent overall. I wouldn't call it a gourmand, either. It's atmospheric for sure.

On skin: I can't actually make out most of the notes individually, but this scent is very warm and cozy. It reminds me of our local pumpkin patch, despite not having pumpkin in it. It would make a great Thanksgiving or mid-late fall scent.

Verdict: 3.75 cozy pumpkin patches out of 5.

🍁 Long Shadows (Crunchy leaves, rich maple wood, crabapples, clove, dry basil, ecru cashmere, and warm rain)

Preliminary notes: This sounds delightfully autumnal and moody.

In vial: This is a veeery, very warm and deep scent with a tiny touch of apple in the background. It's very woody, which isn't a complaint at all.

On skin: I love this. Everything comes together and melds into a very warm, deep autumnal scent with a bit of a nutty edge.

Verdict: 4.5 embodiments of autumn out of 5.

✨ Victorian Burlesque (Indigo musk, sparkling plum wine, night blooming jasmine, blackcurrant jam, green cardamom and cinnamon crème brûlée)

Preliminary notes: I love the note lineup here. It sounds so mysterious and seductive. I just now noticed there's cinnamon in it, so I'm hoping my skin doesn't amp that like it usually does.

In vial: This is a very classic-smelling scent. I get the jasmine, musk, and wine, but can't make out the rest of it. It smells almost fizzy, which is fascinating to me.

On skin: More or less the same as in the vial, but there's a distinct ginger ale thing going on when it hits my skin. I don't get any of the creme brulee, which is a bit disappointing. This is a very clean scent and not really my thing.

Verdict: 3 flute glasses full of fancy ginger ale out of 5.

🚂 Ghost Train (Stark white copal, cedarwood, coal dust, grey cashmere, cardamom, toasted marshmallow, and shining steel)

Preliminary notes: This is another one that's been on my radar since it came out. One of my favorite shows growing up was Creepy Canada, and the story of the ghost of the Silver Run tunnel is one of my favorites. I had to try this.

In vial: I expected this to be somewhat austere and biting, but it's actually light and relatively sweet! I don't get any of the coal or steel in the vial, so my opinion may change once I wear it.

On skin: This reminds me of something else I've tried from Nui Cobalt before, but I cannot figure out what it is. I think the copal might be the same one from Fairy Lights, perhaps. This does get more of a bite to it on the skin, but it still remains fairly bright and sweet. As it wears, it starts to veer almost masculine but stays pretty unisex throughout. I really love the toasted marshmallow in this and hope to see it in other NCD scents in the future.

Verdict: 4 ghost trains fading into tunnels out of 5.

🥂 Disco (Champagne, juicy purple plum, black styrax, creamy non-indolic jasmine, ylang ylang, and a twist of mandarin)

Preliminary notes: Plum is another one of those notes that I always have to try when I see it. It's lovely.

In vial: Another classic (and classy) scent. The plum and jasmine are at the forefront, with a bit of ylang-ylang and mandarin in the background.

On skin: I really like this. The plum and champagne notes are divine, and the mandarin is there but not overbearing. It smells like an elegant, mysterious woman at a formal dinner. I very well might upsize this next year.

Verdict: 4 mysteriously formal ladies out of 5.

📚 Forbidden Library (The vanillic scent of aging paper infused with ceremonial incense, venerable bookshelves of black oak and sweet himalayan cedarwood, a hint of mossy stone, and an undercurrent of faded suede)

Preliminary notes: A spooky library scent. I don't think I even need to explain why I chose this.

In vial: I can definitely see the spooky library vibe in this. There's something a bit fruity/sour in there as well, which is a little bit confusing. Maybe it's part of the incense?

On skin: This is really, really nice. It's very bookish and witchy, which is appropriate. The strange sweetness is still in there, but in reading the note description, it specifically says "sweet Himalayan cedarwood," so that'd probably be why.

Verdict: 4.5 witchy libraries out of 5.

🌰 Bountiful Harvest (Precious saffron strands, green cardamom, and clove are sweetened by maple sugar, dry chestnuts, and wood smoke)

Preliminary notes: This sounds so cozy and warm, and perfect for the cold weather we're experiencing right now.

In vial: This smells like the most delicious array of maple-sugared nuts and treats. If this is half as good on the skin as it is in the vial, I'm going to need to upsize it next year.

On skin: The clove appears! The clove and other spices provide a lot of depth, but the initial maple sweetness is still there as well. The longer this wears, the more the woodsmoke note comes out. Definitely have to upsize this at some point. It'd be perfect for winter as well.

Verdict: 5 maple-sugared nuts out of 5.

🐈 Ghost Cat (Cashmere, white amber, and ethereal ivory musk with blushing peony and pink peppercorn toe beans)

Preliminary notes: Are y'all getting tired of me saying these have been on my radar for a while? This is another one. I've learned that I really love white amber, and I love NCD's peony notes, so I have high hopes for this one.

In vial: This smells almost shampoo-esque, but like.. classy shampoo. It's a little bit soapy and veeery floral.

On skin: The soapy shampoo vibe completely goes away on the skin. It reminds me a bit of Silver Fox, which is one of my favorite NCD scents. The white amber, peppercorn, and peony are the strongest notes, and it's very cozy.

Verdict: 3.75 cozy ghost kitties out of 5.

☠️ The Poisoner's Garden (Benign accords of datura, wormwood, deadly nightshade, and autumn crocus infused with green peppercorn and dark, loamy musk)

Preliminary notes: This just sounds like a big ol' witchy mood in scent format.

In vial: This is, indeed, a big ol' witchy mood in scent format. I can smell the wormwood, the nightshade (I'm assuming a tomato leaf note), the peppercorn, and the loamy musk. It smells like a deep, dark forest where mysterious figures go to to their bidding late into the night.

On skin: More or less the same as in the vial. I love tomato leaf notes, and this one is perfect. Most likely upsizing this in the future.

Verdict: 4.5 witchy gardens out of 5.

🎃 Pumpkinocalypse (Perfectly baked pumpkin pie, still warm from the oven and garnished with nasturtium flowers)

Preliminary notes: I had to put at least one pumpkin scent in here, and pairing pumpkins with a floral (okay, nasturtiums smell peppery more than they smell floral, but still) is really interesting.

In vial: Strangely enough, I get no pumpkin from this. I get pie crust and a slightly peppery floral note, but not much else.

On skin: The pumpkin comes out a bit on the skin, but it's mostly still pie crust and the peppery tinge of the nasturtiums. It's a nice, fairly light gourmand.

Verdict: 3.75 pumpkin pies out of 5.

To be completely honest, NAVA's been a brand I've largely avoided for the most part. For one, they don't ship to Canada anymore (these were ordered through Ajevie) so I have to go through decanters, and the idea of having an "absolute" of an accord doesn't make any sense to me. Having to go digging to find out what's actually in said accords is also a bit of a pain.

That being said, I've always wanted to try their stuff since I've heard such rave reviews. When Ajevie put up the Halloween leftovers on their site, I figured it was time.

Bonfire (Cardamom essence, Bastet's Ice Cream absolute, burning embers accord, toasted vanilla marshmallows, Studio Limited Crystalline Vanilla absolute, Bastet's Musk)

Preliminary notes: I am a huge sucker for a well done toasted marshmallow note, and I love smoky scents, so I'm hoping this is the best of both worlds.

In bottle: This smells very similar to Alkemia's Smoke & Mirrors, but a bit less smoky. I'm a fan so far!

On skin: Still very similar to Smoke & Mirrors (which is fine by me, since it's one of my favorite bonfire scents). The cardamom is present, and the blend overall is sweeter than Smoke & Mirrors. The marshmallow note is barely there but does smell toasted. I love this.

Verdict: 5 vanillic bonfires out of 5.

Vintage Dracula (Caramel accord, warm caramel sugar glazed candy, sea salted caramel accord, cinnamon, chocolate candy, sweetened condensed coconut milk)

Preliminary notes: It's no secret that I love caramel. I love foods that contain it, I love the way it looks, and I especially love the smell. For whatever reason (me being super picky, probably), I haven't come across too many realistic caramel notes in indie scents. Alkemia's Dusk in Autumn has a brilliant one, but I haven't come across too many others. This sounds amazing, and the label is fantastic as well.

In bottle: Very caramel-heavy, unshockingly enough. There's a very light citrus tinge to it, as well as a tiny bit of chocolate. It does smell pretty Halloween-esque.

On skin: Shockingly, it still smells like caramel. It actually reminds me of Solstice Scents' Halloween Night a little bit, despite not having a licorice note listed. It's very Halloween-appropriate.

Verdict: 4.5 Halloweens out of 5.

Vintage Werewolf (Candy corn accord, vanilla, wax accord, black patchouli, lycan musk accord, French vanilla, buttered almond, skin musk)

Preliminary notes: More candy corn scents, pleeease. I'd imagine it's going to be a fairly subtle note in there, but still. All the candy corn scents.

In bottle: This is very patchouli-forward, which I wasn't really expecting. It's nice patchouli, and not the headshoppy, dirty kind. I can't smell much beyond the patchouli in the bottle.

On skin: I'm 99% sure the "lycan musk" accord has some sort of evergreen in it, because that's what I'm getting mixed with the patchouli. I get a bit of buttery sweetness on top of that, but no specific notes. Definitely isn't what I was expecting, but it's still a really nice patchouli-forward fall scent.

Verdict: 4 werewolves eating buttery candy in a patchouli forest out of 5. I like this more the longer I wear it. I wish the candy corn was stronger though.

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.

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

DH's preliminary notes: Breakfast.

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chloe's Grove (Magnolia Blossoms, Lily of the Valley, Olive Leaves, Spanish Moss, fifteen year aged Dark Patchouli, and a little touch of the Spirit Accord.)

In the bottle: I have been on the hunt for a good magnolia fragrance for years, but I'm also particular about it. While I've never been to the South, I've always been enamored by how Southern plant life looks in pictures and film, and my ideal magnolia fragrance has to embody that.

On skin: I was indifferent toward this at first. It's a very moss-heavy, earthy floral, and it was pretty "meh" when it was wet. After it dried down a bit though, the blend really came together. Wearing this makes me feel like a swamp witch, and I'm 100% okay with that. It captures the feel of what I imagine certain parts of the South smell like, which is exactly what I was hoping for. It's also got a warm, almost woody bite to it.

Longevity: This calms down pretty significantly after about an hour, which is a bit of a bummer. The floral notes are more or less gone, so it's just warm and mossy, which is still nice.

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.

As usual, favorites are denoted with an asterisk. Alkemia's storefront can be found here.

Koi No Yokan (An intriguing romance of plum blossoms, lily of the valley, white musk, and water lotus kindled by dry aged Japanese cedar, tempting black currants, and a flirtation of exotic pomelo and tamarind.)

In the bottle: Kind of just smells like a generic floral?

On skin: Still a mainstream-smelling floral (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing), but it’s more complex. The plum blossom is definitely the strongest note (yay!), and the scent overall has a very pretty and romantic feel to it. I think this is one that I’ll have to wear numerous times to get a good opinion of. It reminds me of another scent, but I’m not sure what it is. There’s also something kind of sharp hanging out in the background. The pomelo, maybe?

Longevity: Starts calming down significantly after about 2 hours and started fading after about 3 hours. Lasted about 4 hours.

Seven Watermelon Suns (A slightly surreal blend of ripe red watermelon, English cucumber, white leather, golden fig, white poppy, night flowering datura, and water musk.)

In the bottle: Watermelon, something warm, and something floral.

On skin: This is definitely “surreal,” as is described. The watermelon is nice and fresh, as opposed to candied or super artificial, which is great. The rest of the notes are there a little bit, but are in the background. I can detect the cucumber and leather, but everything else kind of just blends together. This is definitely interesting.

Longevity: A bit of the florals came out after about 1.5 to 2 hours, and it started fading after about 3 hours. Lasted between 3 and 4 hours.

Lost Highways (Roadtrip around the U.S. in a bottle. A botanical peregrination of Saw Palmetto Palm leaves and Southern cypress from the Southeast bayous; New mown hay, Lemon basil, Wild bergamot tea from the Great Plains; Linden blossom and Acadian pine from the Northeast; Night flowering desert flowers from the Southwest; and Spicebush and Incense cedar from the West and Northwest coast.)

In the bottle: Green, woody, and a bit floral.

On skin: All of the above, with a bit of a soapy/detergent edge. Damnit. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but not what I was hoping for at all. I can’t distinguish any of the notes from each other, so it’s pretty much just soap/detergent on a cotton shirt.

Longevity: Lasted between 4 and 5 hours.

Apsara (Dark purple hyacinth flowers and Darjeeling tea dance together in a sensually alluring spring pas de deux.)

In the bottle: About what it says on the tin. Hyacinths and tea. Very spring-y and a bit strange, but in a good way.

On skin: Again, exactly what it says on the tin. It smells more complex than just hyacinth and tea.

Longevity: Started fading after 2.5 hours, and the tea calmed down a bit. Had about 3 hours of good wear.

Falling Stars on Winter Solstice (Aromatic balsam needles, a dab of dark musk, sweet myrrh, incense resins, melted snow, and a touch of cabin woodstove smoke.)

In the bottle: Myrrh and resins, a touch of pine, and a bit of smoke. Reminds me a lot of how Gothique initially smelled, or rather, Gothique reminds me a lot of this.

On skin: This scent is so bizarre. Sometimes it smells exactly like Gothique did before it morphed into lemon candy, meaning I don’t get the pine at all, and sometimes it smells strongly of pine. I still really like it, but I wish it didn’t change so much on me.

Longevity: Started fading after the first hour, and faded significantly after two hours. Barely noticeable after 4 hours.

Musc de Jonquille*** (Bright daffodil musk blooming through a light dusting of spring snow.)

In the bottle: Nice, crisp, green daffodils with a bit of warmth. Lovely.

On skin: Fresh, crisp daffodils and greenery among warm musk. Instant happiness.

Longevity: Faded after 2.5 hours, and had about 4 hours of good wear.

Ambre Extrait*** (Our 100% natural aged amber accord is an exquisitely sultry blend of some of the most precious and spiritually redolent resins in our Alkemia collection including: North African Rock Rose, Cambodian Agarwood, Prussian Amber resin, Madagascar Vanilla, Nepalese Spikenard, Somalian Opopanax, Tunisian Liquidambar, Himalayan Cedar, and Honduran Styrax.

Together these natural unguents and essences swirl into a richly resinous golden single note Amber. In its bouquet, a true amber-lover will be able to detect notes of wild honey, red earth, pale wood, temple incense, smoke, beeswax, sap, bark, saffron, velvet, skin musk, crushed citrus flowers, butter, and suede.)

In the bottle: Dry, old wood. In a good way.

On skin: Dry, antique woods. The scent that very old wooden furniture has, but in the best way. It brings back memories of browsing antique stores, which is something I love. I get a little bit of nuanced butter and smoky beeswax as well, but they’re way in the background.

Longevity: Still fairly detectable after 4 hours.

Midnight Garden*** (A lunar intoxication of night-flowering white flowers – tuberose (flower of dangerous pleasures), lily (flower of majestic beauty), honeysuckle (flower of binding love), gardenia (flower of secret passions) and moonflower (flower that inspires dreams of love.)

In the bottle: Predominantly tuberose, with some lily and sweetness.

On skin: This is super tuberose-y, and I love it. Tuberose is one of my favorite florals, so I had a feeling I’d like this. It’s pretty much just floral notes though, so if that’s something that puts you off, definitely avoid this.

Longevity: Faded significantly after about 3 hours.

As Dark Things Are Meant to Be Loved* (Lapsang souchong tea, aloeswood, smoked black amber, aged dark patchouli, tonka, Amazonian breuzinho, Moroccan bhakoor, labdanum, temple incense, caramelized opium, black coffee, black coconut, soft Russian leather, and tabac leaf.)

In the bottle: Strong coconut, and something dark and powdery.

On skin: Dark, resinous, and sweet. The coconut is very strong initially (much to my dismay), but it settles down after a few minutes. The tea and coffee read the strongest, and more of the resins and incense notes come out after it’s been on the skin for a while. I also get some of the opium, which is dreamy. I almost bypassed this one because of the coconut alone, but it’s really lovely once it has time to dry down a little.

Longevity: About 4 hours.

Blue Moon Eclipse** (An olfactory place of solace - the coolness of ferns and delicate irises beside tumbling woodland streams scattered with mossy rocks, water lilies, flowering rushes, black willow, ginger musk, and a whispering breeze of lemon verbena infused aldehydes gathered into a tarnished antique silver pitcher filled with early autumn chrysanthemums.)

In the bottle: Very bizarre and interesting. Reminiscent of fruity citronella candles.

On skin: Virtually the same, but fruitier. Still very reminiscent of citronella candles, but there’s also a distinct melon-like note, and some soft florals. I actually really disliked this as first, but it’s grown on me.

Longevity: Faded pretty significantly after the first 2.5 hours. Had about 3 hours of good wear.