Scented Musings

Hello! Yet another Possets review. They had a 23% off New Year's sale, and I had a few things on my list that I wanted to pick up, so what better timing. I then placed a second order a few days later and asked that the orders be combined into one shipment, so this post is a combination of two orders. Special thanks to the Possets crew for allowing me to essentially place a custom order after the Halloween scents were taken down. Their customer service is honestly the best I've ever come across in my 15+ years of online shopping.

(I got sick shortly after the package arrived, and then we started the process of buying a house, so these reviews were very delayed.)


Air on a G-String (Cranberries through smoke)

Preliminary notes: As I mentioned in my Yule reviews, I love cranberry notes and wish I saw them more often. Cranberries and smoke sounds like a divine combination.

In bottle: Incense-y, almost wine-like cranberries. This is lovely and decadently dark.

On skin: Surprisingly earthy! It smells a bit like dragon's blood, but obviously fruity, and also a tiny bit salty. It has a very dark, vegetal feel to it. The cranberry note doesn't explicitly smell like cranberry; it's not sharp, it's not "red," and it's not tart. The whole thing really just smells like wine-scented incense, which is absolutely my thing. For a scent that only has two listed notes, Air on a G-String is very complex.

Verdict: 4.5 sticks of wine incense out of 5.


Moonbux (True Arabica cuppa mocha, freshly ground coffee, a large amount of cream, a shot of vanilla)

Preliminary notes: I adore the smell of coffee, despite the fact that I can't drink it. This is toted as "the ultimate coffee scent," so hopefully it lives up to that.

In bottle: It does indeed smell like a fancy cup of coffee, but there's something almost baked underneath it. I'm not sure if it's the vanilla/cream or part of the coffee accords, but it smells delicious.

On skin: Yeah, Possets wasn't kidding. This is the mother of all coffee scents. Super strong coffee note, a bit sweet, and a tiny bit nutty. It has pretty decent throw as well. I'm pretty picky about my coffee scents (a lot of the time, coffee notes get overshadowed by other things or just aren't strong enough for me), but I love this and would gladly swim in it. The balance of the notes here is masterful, and it's a phenomenal scent overall. Definitely an immediate favorite from this house.

DH said "Holy chocolate!" when he smelled it on me, and it does have a fairly strong, dry chocolate note in there, but I get more coffee than anything else personally.

Verdict: 5 swimming pools full of the fanciest coffee you've ever had out of 5.


Spook (Candied apples, popcorn, candy corn)

Preliminary notes: Somehow, this is only the second Fall/Halloween scent I bought this year (You can see I didn't keep to that). I love autumnal gourmands, and I love seeing candy corn as a note. This should be great.

In bottle: Veeeery slightly soapy, sweet red apples. I don't get anything else.

On skin: The apples are still the main note here, and they lose their soapiness on the skin. The popcorn is just beneath them, which is very slightly buttered and quite salty. I don't get any candy corn until later in the drydown, which just adds a sweet warmth to everything. It's very fun and delicious, and it reminds me of what a Halloween-themed carnival would smell like.

Verdict: 4.5 Halloween carnivals out of 5.


Xmas in New Orleans (Creamy, thick white florals)

Preliminary notes: I started missing spring toward the end of December and decided I needed to figure out a way to summon it. This was an attempt at that.

In bottle: White florals for sure. A bit on the powdery side, but I'm hoping that goes away on the skin. (After resting this for a week, the powderiness is gone and has been replaced by a lemony tinge, which I'm assuming is probably from a magnolia note.) Overall, it kind of reminds me of a floral version of Madame X.

On skin: This is.. not what I was expecting. White florals, yes, but it's very powdery and just kind of smells old? It smells like household cleaner instead of actual flowers. I get the tiniest bit of something akin to coffee underneath that, which is just a bizarre combination. I'm not a fan at all.

Verdict: 0 sad Christmases out of 5.


Pre-Raphaelite Seductress (Carnation, chocolate, incense, white musk)

Preliminary notes: I love pre-Raphaelite anything, so this is a winner thematically. I'm not the biggest chocolate note fan, but I do love incense and carnation, so we'll see.

In bottle: This smells almost boozy, like clove-laced rum or something. The carnation is very spicy, and the incense deepens everything. I don't get chocolate as an outright note.

On skin: Unfortunately, on the skin, this goes slightly soapy. Carnation is still the strongest note, followed by the musk and a tiny bit of incense. It's VERY perfumey, and the soapiness only gets stronger as it dries. It's a pass for me.

Verdict: 1.5 disappointed Pre-Raphaelites out of 5.


Rougarou (Candy corn, coriander, toasted sugar, sweet musk)

Preliminary notes: More candy corn scents, please! I'm curious to see how strong that note actually is here.

In bottle: This smells similar to Iowa to me, but a bit lighter and with a different kind of bite.

On skin: Strangely herbal! Mostly toasted sugar and sweetness, but there is a bit of an herbal edge to it from the coriander. It still has some resemblance to Atropos' Slip, in that it smells like sugar cookies. There's something about this scent underneath the sugary sweetness that smells ethereal. It brings to mind imagery of a witch's cottage and is very interesting.

Verdict: 4 ethereal sugar cookies out of 5.


Atropos' Slip (Delicious yellow candies dripping in butter (like homemade candy corn), combined with a cookie treat the likes of which you have only tasted once)

Preliminary notes: This sounds simply scrumptious. Candy corn and cookies? Yes, please.

In bottle: Something akin to sugar cookies, and a ton of syrupy sugar on top of that. Slightly similar to Rougarou. The candy corn is definitely detectable here.

On skin: So it definitely smells like there's a bit of cinnamon in this. It smells like spiced raw cookie dough in the best way possible. I don't get candy corn itself, but I do get a bit of creamed butter. Overall, it very much smells like cookies.

Verdict: 4 spiced cookies out of 5. I wish the candy corn was stronger, but I still really like this.


Danse Macabre (Strong black tea, leather, a hint of black musk, lemon zest)

Preliminary notes: Danse Macabre has been my favorite classical composition since I was a kid, and I love Possets' tea notes, so this was a no-brainer.

In bottle: Dark, dark, dark. The leather is strong, as is the tea. It smells very foreboding and commanding (which is absolutely my kind of vibe).

On skin: Something about this goes very piney on the skin, almost camphorous. The lemon is very sour as well. It starts mellowing into a very dark, brooding tea scent with a heavy leather backdrop. It's one of the weirdest scents I've ever smelled, which I mean in the best way possible. I couldn't stop sniffing my wrist while writing this.

Verdict: 3.75 tea-stained pages of sheet music out of 5. I think I need to give this time to mellow and grow on me. It's a very unique scent.


Sloe Byrne (Rum, butter, sugar, caramel)

Preliminary notes: I've wanted to try Sloe Byrne for a couple of years now, but every time I go to look for it, it's not available (because I didn't realize it was in a specific retour collection). It sounds a little simplistic compared to a lot of the other Possets stuff I've tried, but I love all of the notes.

In bottle: Fruity and dusty, which is a problem I've had with other The Girls Love scents (I'm assuming the Les Girls collection is an offshoot of that one). Disappointing, but it might be better on the skin. Past the dusty fruit, it smells like butterscotch Lifesavers.

On skin: VERY dusty. I don't get any of the listed notes. Just sweet, slightly fruity dust (which again, is a known issue with my skin chemistry and Possets' honey scents). Not a fan at all, and a second and final lesson that I need to stay away from Possets' honey scents. As it dries down, it takes on a Play-Doh quality, so this is a huge bust on me. Womp womp.

Verdict: 0 sheets of dust-covered sugar out of 5. I've had an extremely high hit rate with Possets over the last year, so an eventual miss was bound to happen. Take this with a grain of salt, as everyone's skin chemistry and sense of smell is different. What smells like sugary dust on me could smell amazing on you!


Halloween (Incensy, spicy, manages to capture the width of a dimming blue October sky)

Preliminary notes: A very vague description, indeed. Various people on the Possets forum said this one was smoky or smelled like leaves, so that's enough for me.

In bottle: Smoky, charred wood with maybe a hint of vanilla and dried leaves. Fans of Alkemia's Smoke & Mirrors or NAVA's Bonfire would probably like this.

On skin: SUPER incense-y, somewhere on the dragon's blood spectrum. It's smoky, a bit spicy, and very fall-appropriate. There's a bit of a candle wax/candle smoke edge to it, which is fascinating and very much fits the witchy vibe it already has going. This reminds me of my late teens/early 20s when I used to burn Vampire Blood incense constantly, and also reminds me of the goblet my sister used to burn her incense sticks in when I was a kid, which was surrounded by books on witchcraft. This is absolutely perfect for fall and Halloween, or for when you want to feel extra witchy.

Verdict: 5 goblets holding sticks of burning incense out of 5.


Illusion (Falsifiers) (Black tea, brown sugar edge, a wollop of frankincense, a beautiful but unexpected pumpkin)

Preliminary notes: This has been on my list for a while. Pumpkin and tea sounds lovely.

(Also, the original description says "blown sugar edge," but virtually every review of this one I've read says it smells like brown sugar, so I'm assuming it might be a typo)

In bottle: Everything is here and accounted for on first sniff, and I can't really explain just what it smells like. It's a bit fall candle-y, which isn't something that bothers me, but it also smells elegant and refined on top of that.

On skin: Largely the same as in the bottle. The tea takes an almost cinnamon edge on the skin, and the pumpkin becomes incredibly buttery. As I'm writing this, the cinnamon is amping into Red Hots territory, which is a very common thing for me, so take that with a grain of salt. Overall, it kind of smells like having a cup of tea while eating a slice of spiced pumpkin pie.

Verdict: 4 spicy pumpkin pies with tea out of 5. I wish I didn't amp cinnamon as much as I do, but other than that, it's a lovely scent.

Hello! Moonalisa had been recommended to me over the last few years numerous times, but I never bothered to place an order since I don't like the FOMO aspect that their shop seems to have. I couldn't resist the Halloween offerings this year though, so we'll see how they are! A friend of mine told me that Moona herself used to be a pastry chef, so I'm very eager to try her gourmand creations. I think that's a really interesting background to have when you're making oils that smell like desserts or other food. I'm hoping they're relatively realistic!

The TAT was listed as 3 weeks, but these shipped out about 10 days after ordering and arrived right on Halloween! This package was the best I've ever received in terms of how well and securely it was put together. All of the oils were wrapped in tissue paper, put into little boxes, and then wrapped again, so there was no way they could move around and leak. There was also a glitter spray included as a gift, along with some brand art and Halloween confetti.

Cauldron Cakes (Cauldron cakes oozing with melted butter, cinnamon, maple and vanilla glaze, crushed nut topping, piping hot cappuccino, a tiny touch of witching mischief)

Preliminary notes: If memory serves, cauldron cakes are a Harry Potter thing (I think). I was a big fan of HP as a kid but haven't really been into it since then. Regardless, this sounds delicious.

In bottle: I get the cake and butter notes right off the bat, followed by the nuts and a bit of the coffee. Something smells vaguely plasticky in there, but it could be the nut note (*see below).

On skin: There's something slightly fruity and powdery in there, and I'm not sure where it's coming from. I get a bit of the cappuccino, maple, and butter but not much else for the first while. I can smell the cappuccino more in the scent cloud around me than directly on my wrist, if that makes sense. I can smell the cinnamon, nuts, and more of the cappuccino the longer it wears.

Verdict: 3.75 ghosts of cappuccinos out of 5. This is very faint on me, and the way it works with my skin chemistry is just bizarre. I like what I can smell, but I think this one might need to age a bit.

Broom Brittle (Smoldering woods blended into a toasted coconut and pumpkin pie crumble, magically transformed into a rich buttery toffee brittle)

Preliminary notes: Smoky/woody gourmands are fantastic, and I LOVE toffee notes.

In bottle: I'm getting woods for sure, and some cinnamon and what smells like a tiny bit of citrus. No coconut, pumpkin, or toffee.

On skin: Definitely has cinnamon in it, as I'm amping it to hell and back. It's a dry cinnamon, like a cinnamon stick, and not candy-like at all. I'm also getting something nutty, but it's not the coconut. I don't get any pumpkin pie, toffee, or anything buttery when it's wet. It's just a dry, spicy cinnamon explosion. If I try really hard, I can kind of smell a bit of pumpkin pie and coconut about an hour in, but still no toffee. I don't get any smoldering woods either.

Verdict: 3.75 cinnamon factories out of 5. I like cinnamon, but I was hoping for more than a cinnamon single-note with this. Skin chemistry/scent perception sucks sometimes, and it's not a fault of the actual product.

Caramel Apple (Rich gooey buttery caramel and slightly spiced baked warm apples)

Preliminary notes: I didn't think I wanted to smell like caramel apples until I tried Fyrinnae's Autumn in Avalon, and now that it's discontinued (to my knowledge), I'd like to have a somewhat suitable replacement. I'm not looking for a dupe, but just something in the same vein.

In bottle: What it says on the tin, really. The apple note smells more like a Granny Smith than a red apple, which is gently spiced and baked. The caramel is fairly faint, but it's definitely there.

On skin: This is definitely a baked scent, as opposed to a cooled down caramel apple. The apple is nice and bright, the spices are subtle, and the caramel is very warm. It leans a smidge Christmas-y, but I'm okay with that. It kind of smells like there's some sort of crumble topping on it, which is really interesting.

Verdict: 4.5 apple desserts covered in caramel out of 5.

Pumpkin Batter (Toasty bread, pumpkin puree, warm Autumn spices, vanilla frosting, creamy caramel, juicy raisins)

Preliminary notes: So I realized after the fact, going off of the description, that this is more of a pumpkin bread scent than a pumpkin puree scent, but that's okay.

In bottle: Oh, that bread note is amazing. I get the spices and raisins as well, and something slightly plasticky again (*see below). I can smell the frosting as well, which smells photorealistic and delicious.

On skin: I mean, it smells like pumpkin bread with raisins in it. It's pretty straightforward, but it's delicious. The spices don't amp, fortunately. I get a bit of the frosting note, but it's mostly about the pumpkin bread.

Verdict: 5 loaves of pumpkin bread out of 5.

Twisted Carnival #2 (Buttery toffee crusted marshmallows and strawberry jam topped funnel cakes)

Preliminary notes: You know me and my affinity for carnival scents. The jam note gives me a bit of pause, but the rest sounds delightful.

In bottle: This is so well blended that my nose is having a hard time deciphering everything. I can for sure smell the strawberry jam, which does indeed smell like jam and not fresh strawberries (which is fine by me, as I don't really like fruity scents), and I can definitely smell the toffee. The funnel cake note is a bit shy here, but then again, the toffee and jam are STRONG, so I'm not surprised. Something about this kind of smells like apple pie or apple crumble.

On skin: Cinnamon. Nothing but cinnamon, which is 100% my skin chemistry, since I amp it. I get a slight doughy note underneath that, but the toffee, marshmallow, and jam are hidden by a very strong cinnamon sugar note. It does smell relatively carnival-y, like cinnamon sugar mini donuts, so I'm not mad about it. Once it's on the skin for 1-2 hours, the cinnamon backs off a bit, and the toffee finally has a chance to come out. This one goes through several interesting phases.

Verdict: 4 buckets of cinnamon sugar donuts out of 5.

Wicked Apple (Buttery toffee apple crunch with a wicked bend of amber)

Preliminary notes: Shocker, another caramel-adjacent apple scent. I didn't realize that most of these had butter or buttery notes until after I started drafting this review. I might like gourmands just a little bit.

In bottle: That apple note is potent, but it's fantastic. It does indeed smell like toffee apples. Very warm, very gooey.

*I realized while smelling this one that the weird plasticky undertone I was getting from some of these was actually the labels! They smell like plain candle wax, and I guess I was getting cross-scents from that.

On skin: The same apple note from Caramel Apple, but not baked this time. It's like 95% apple with a tiny bit of toffee and amber underneath it initially. It eventually calms down a bit, and more of the supporting notes come out. This is very heavy on the apple itself, which is a very crisp, tart apple note. Not quite a caramel apple scent, but close.

Verdict: 4 baskets full of apples out of 5. I was hoping for more toffee, but it does come out more once it dries down a bit. This will be fantastic during autumn next year.

Sleepy Hallow (Smoldering seasoned oakwood fires, warmed leather, roasted spiced pumpkin flesh, smoldering marshmallows)

Preliminary notes: I'm a huge fan of Deep Midnight's oakwood fire note, and while no two house's notes are the same, it gives me great hope for this one. I'm also a sucker for a good toasted marshmallow note.

In bottle: Oh, god yes. The oakwood fire note is perfection, and all of the other notes marry beautifully with it. The marshmallows actually smell toasted! Toasted marshmallow notes never smell toasted to me, so I'm counting that as a miracle. The leather is fairly soft and doesn't smell like a jacket or the interior of a car.

On skin: Virtually the same as in the bottle, but warmer. It's just skirting the line of being a gourmand but never fully gets there. It's atmospheric for sure, and very appropriate for fall/Halloween. The wood note goes almost oud-y on me, which I'm not a fan of, but the marshmallow and pumpkin notes are fantastic. I also smell a bit of cinnamon in there.

Verdict: 4 fiery jack o'lanterns being thrown down a covered bridge out of 5.

Coconut Pumpkin Latte (Steamy, roasted coffee with creamy coconut milk, topped with sweet whipping cream, sprinkled with a touch of spice)

Preliminary notes: The note lineup kind of reminds me of Balefire Apothecary's Midnight Cackle, but I'm hoping this one is balanced a bit better.

In bottle: Okay, so Moona's coffee note is excellent. I get a bit of the coconut milk, whipped cream, and spices. I don't think there's an actual pumpkin note in this, so I'm assuming the spices are pumpkin pie spices. It's creamy, a bit spicy, and very coffee-heavy. DH is going to love this one.

On skin: A coffee scent that actually smells like coffee! This smells like a cup of dark roast coffee with a touch of coconut milk and some gentle spices. No pumpkin, but then again, pumpkin isn't listed as a note. This is delicious and cozy. Good throw and longevity. DH loves this one.

Verdict: 5 steaming cups of coconut-flavored coffee out of 5.

Where's My Pie (Pie crust, cinnamon, pumpkin, carrot, caramel, clove, nutmeg, pecan)

Preliminary notes: Carrot isn't a note I see a lot, so that's interesting. This kind of sounds like Thanksgiving.

In bottle: This is very interesting. On first sniff, I get the carrot, caramel, and something that smells like apples. I get a bit of the pecan and pumpkin if I try a bit harder, and something akin to lemon zest peeks out from underneath. I did not expect the carrot and pecan to be the strongest notes in this, but I'm not complaining. It smells delicious.

On skin: I still get that hidden apple note in there. This is delicious. Lots of spice, but also lots of pie fillings of all different varieties, and a bit of a buttery pastry note. It's very warm and cozy. Later in the drydown, this smells uncannily like pumpkin cookies smothered in cream cheese icing.

Verdict: 5 towering piles of pies out of 5.

Swirly Pop (Sweet orange EO, caramel, vanilla, spun sugar)

Preliminary notes: So my partner and I were watching DreamWorks Spooky Stories for the first time in mid-October, and one of the episodes featured a special candy called a Swirly Pop. I messaged Moona about it and asked if that was the inspiration for the scent, thinking it was a shot in the dark, but it turns out that assumption was correct. She had said she created the scent after watching that episode for the first time with her son years ago, which is really sweet. It made me that much more excited to have it arrive in the mail. I had no idea about that association until after I'd already ordered it.

In bottle: Orange candy. A LOT of orange candy, which makes perfect sense given the inspiration for the scent. It smells pretty much exactly how I'd assume a swirly pop from Spooky Stories would smell. I don't usually like fruity scents, but something about this one is very nostalgic. Orange suckers were my favorite kind growing up, and this is a dead ringer for them.

On skin: This was the first one in this batch that I tried on the skin, since they arrived on Halloween and it just seemed appropriate. First off, WOW, these pack a punch. The texture of the oil is very thin, and it absorbed almost instantly instead of taking a few minutes to soak in. When I was moving everything into the bedroom after the initial in-bottle impressions, I could smell this in a cloud around me.

In regard to the scent itself, it's virtually the same as in the bottle but the orange calms down a tiny bit and gives the other notes a chance to play. I can smell the caramel and spun sugar now, and they play off of the sweet orange in a very nostalgic, cheery way. I think I might have to wear this on days where I'm not feeling great mentally, because it instantly made me happy when I smelled it for the first time.

Verdict: 5 bags full of nostalgic orange candy out of 5. For someone who doesn't like fruity scents, I adore this so much. I'm so glad I tried it.

No Witches on a Crackling Fire! (A berry rich type of smoldering wood. A very realistic outdoor camping fire with that kind of sweet wet smolder in the damp morning woods)

Preliminary notes: I'm not super crazy about berry notes (save for blackberry), but smoky outdoorsy scents always get me. I'm hoping the berry note is fairly dark and not a raspberry or strawberry.

In bottle: "Realistic outdoor camping fire" is right. This is one of the most realistic campfire scents I've smelled. I don't get any fruity notes in the bottle. It's all burning wood, smoke, and a bit of damp air.

On skin: This leans a bit into BBQ territory, but I personally like intense smoke notes, so I'm not bothered by it. The berry note comes out a very small amount on the skin, but it's mostly smoke.

Verdict: 4 campfires out of 5.

Maple Kettle Corn (Vermont maple dousing freshly popped corn ending with a sugar crunch finish)

Preliminary notes: I mean.. do I even really need to say anything about this one?

In bottle: Yesss. All of the notes are present in the bottle, and there's a very slight fruitiness in there as well. It could just be part of the sugar crunch accord though, since it doesn't smell like any fruit in particular.

On skin: This is a weird one on my for the first minute or two. It smells almost minty, but the mintiness goes away fairly quickly. The maple is very strong, but I can smell the popcorn behind it, which is warm and heavenly. As it dries down, it smells like hot caramel corn, and the popcorn note strongly reminds me of the one from Alkemia's County Fair, which is one of my favorite carnival gourmands. It has very low throw compared to the other ones I'd skin tested at this point.

Verdict: 4 popcorn balls dripping in maple syrup out of 5.

Ghoul School Cupcakes (Moist caramelized vanilla cake, sweet coffee buttercream frosting, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, a touch of tonka and maple)

Preliminary notes: I have yet to try a vanilla cake note that actually smells like cake, so we'll see how this goes.

In bottle: The coffee buttercream comes off as almost savory upon first sniff, but everything gets sweeter the more I smell it. This is a pretty heavily-spiced cake scent.

On skin: I get the coffee buttercream for sure, and of course because there's cinnamon in this, I'm amping it and everything else disappears. After the cinnamon calms down, I get some of the maple and cake, which does smell relatively realistic. Later on, it's a caramelized cake scent with a tiny bit of maple. This is a very buttery, slightly spicy gourmand.

Verdict: 4.25 Halloween cakes smothered in coffee buttercream frosting out of 5.

Crone's Cottage (Smoking embers, delicious cakes and breads baking, hanging bushels of botanicals and herbs)

Preliminary notes: I've tried a few "witch's cottage" type scents over the years, but they've all been either too herbal or not foody enough for me. There's a very fine line between too much and too little for this concept, but I'm still tryin'.

In bottle: Ooo, okay. Right off the bat, this is already my favorite "witch's cottage" type of scent. Similarly-themed scents from other houses that I've tried have missed the mark for me, but this nails it on the head. The smoking embers smell like oakwood, and there's some savory baked goods dusted with soft herbs.

On skin: Pumpkin! Lots and lots of pumpkin puree. I smell something that almost smells like frankincense beneath that, which I'm assuming is some kind of lemony herb since there aren't any resins listed. I smell some cinnamon trying to eclipse everything, which it soon does for a brief moment. More of the herbs come out after a few minutes, and that lovely pumpkin puree note comes back. I don't get any bread or cake notes, but I am in love with that pumpkin note, so I'm not even mad at it. For me, this smells like lightly spiced pumpkin puree (aside from the cinnamon amping, which is just my skin), frankincense, and gentle herbs. I don't get any smoke or burning wood either.

Verdict: 4.5 jumbo cans of pumpkin puree out of 5. I could do without the cinnamon bonanza, but such is my general experience with it. After that calms down, this is lovely and delectable.

Haunted Home (Woods, herbs, resins, a touch of spice)

Preliminary notes: A scent that's inspired by the Haunted Mansion ride? Yes, please. I've never been to a Disney park, but I've always been fascinated by the Haunted Mansion.

In bottle: This is interesting. I get something lemony, which I'd wager is probably frankincense, given the description, followed by what smells like old wood (in a good way), and a bit of non-offensive lavender. It smells cold, and appropriately enough, haunting.

On skin: There is definitely, definitely lavender in this. It's not astringent or soapy though, so it's not bad. There's something that smells like pine needles or menthol (something camphorous) as well. It smells like a forest after a good snowfall shortly after application, which is not at all what I was expecting. There's something very slightly sweet underneath that, but I have no idea what it is, as the camphorous quality of whatever notes are in here overshadows it. I get something that smells similar to gingerbread briefly, and then more of the non-camphorous woods come out. I get a little bit of the resins after that stage, and then it just kind of disappears altogether.

Verdict: 3.75 wintry woodlands out of 5. I like this scent, but the longevity leaves a lot to be desired, which could just be my skin. Take that with a grain of salt.

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.